Chapter 53

The trip went smoothly. The village regularly took in travelers; many households kept rooms for guests, offered hot water, and would even feed horses. The only problem was they couldn’t find a doctor.
They picked a clean house to stay in and asked again about a doctor.
There was a village doctor, but sadly he wouldn’t treat dogs. He feared he might misjudge a dog’s bones and bind them wrong, leaving it lame for life. His advice was: don’t touch it, don’t try to treat it, maybe it will heal on its own.
Back at their hosts’ house after visiting the doctor, Zhou Chengkang felt the pup’s leg. “What if… I set it?”
Li Qinghe looked at him skeptically. “You know how to set bones?”
“A little,” Zhou Chengkang said with a smile, asking the host to fetch some boards. “Uncle Hu taught me before. I only know the simplest things, but it’s better than doing nothing, right?”
After half an hour the pup’s leg was bandaged. They’d put a lot of effort into it and felt rather proud.
The next afternoon when they arrived home, they had more than a cartful of goods, Li Qinghe was also carrying the injured pup.
When they came back everyone learned that the two had slipped off to the county seat without telling anyone, and returned safely.
People saw the fabrics Li Qinghe had brought back and many asked the price. Originally one bolt was worth eight qian of silver; in the end many people wanted a piece. The first to ask was Third Aunt, she couldn’t refuse to sell a bit, and once she started she couldn’t stop. By the end only a little remained, and it sold for one tael and two qian of silver. She truly hadn’t expected to make money from it; if she’d known she would have brought more.
The Zhou household buzzed for a while. After washing up, and after days of running about, the two could finally sleep soundly.
The next morning they overslept again. Over the past days they’d asked Li Fu to feed the pond at home, not because they didn’t want to ask Mrs. Zhou, but because she had never fed it before. Li Fu had at least seen how they did it; they just told him how much to put out.
After breakfast Li Qinghe picked up the bundle Zhao Wanwan had entrusted her with and went to the Li household. When she arrived she saw Madam Qian washing clothes in the courtyard, while Li Fu wasn’t in sight; the main room door was open so he was probably inside.
Madam Qian saw her but didn’t greet her; she didn’t even look her way. It seemed she was truly angry.
Li Qinghe set the bundle down in front of her. Madam Qian kept washing. “I don’t want it.”
Two words, curt and final.
Li Qinghe gave a wry laugh. “You don’t think I’m trying to buy your forgiveness, do you?”
Madam Qian snorted dismissively.
“You really don’t want it?” Li Qinghe asked again.
“I don’t.” Madam Qian wrung the garment dry and carried it aside to hang up. Li Qinghe reached out and picked up the bundle, unhurriedly saying, “If you don’t want it, I’ll use it for kindling.”
She carried the bundle into the kitchen and called out, “What a shame, Wanwan trusted me to bring this all the way back and you won’t even take it!”
In the next instant Madam Qian swept in like the wind and snatched it away. “Why didn’t you say so sooner!”
And now it’s my fault?
Li Qinghe laughed in exasperation. “Give it back. I’m not taking it with me, when I go again next year I’ll bring it to her myself!”
“Who knows whether you're trying to pocket it for yourself,” Madam Qian said without mincing words.
She was really being unreasonable. How could Li Fu find Madam Qian so wonderful that he'd see her behind Madam Xu's back? Aside from being a little prettier than other girls her age, what made her so different? As for looks, Madam Xu wasn't any worse back then; after years of living comfortably, Madam Xu had become far more attractive than Madam Qian.
While they were talking, Li Fu came out, having heard the noise. Li Qinghe, not wanting to speak with her, handed the snacks she'd brought to him.
Li Fu took them, pleased to see pastries. “You keep them yourself, why bring them to me?”
“I didn't buy much; the town had none. Please try them.” Madam Qian still hadn't gone home and kept sneaking glances at her. Li Qinghe, not wanting to linger, rose and went home.
In the days that followed, most of their attention went to the new house; they were just waiting for the move on the fifth day of the tenth month.
As the move approached, there was a strange undercurrent at home, but both of them were so busy with the new place that they paid it little mind.
A house move is different from other celebrations. For those, people can come help the day before, but for moving you must light the hearth on the chosen day, so those who helped the day before had to come back to the Zhou household to eat.
There would be many people eating this time, so the cooking needed extra hands. Surprisingly, not only Meihua but even Zhang Haiyao came in to help despite her obvious pregnancy; she no longer spoke to Li Qinghe with that snide tone, quite a curious change.
Everyone at home helped, and the fourth day went smoothly. On the fifth, early in the morning Li Qinghe began packing; with so many people, they helped move all the furniture. Mrs. Zhou had privately told them earlier to take all the better pieces from this house so no one would get any ideas if they were left behind.
Li Qinghe's room had been newly built, and aside from a bed, every piece of furniture had come with her as part of her dowry. If they moved the good furniture, the room would be empty.
Friends and close kin gladly helped. With many hands, everything was moved in one go. Then they paid respects to the hearth god, lit the fire, and began to cook.
The food was quite good. Li Qinghe had specially saved fish so each table had one; there was also Meihua's tofu, and she had bought an extra dish. The greens had been planted long ago after the date was set, and the meat was freshly bought. For a village feast this couldn't be called poor, putting a whole fish on every table was generous, and everyone was pleased.
The move was lively; like other happy occasions, even those with grudges wouldn't pick today to cause trouble. Madam Qian passed by several times without speaking to her; the awkwardness from before had faded, though she seemed on the verge of saying something several times and then stopped.
Many people praised their house, especially the courtyard wall. Mrs. Zhou received many compliments as well, people praised her son and daughter-in-law, saying if they wished they could move into the new house too.
After the revelry, everyone drifted away. Mrs. Zhou and the fifth sister stayed to help sweep the yard. Meihua made the tofu Li Qinghe needed, then took the day off from her business. Even Granny Liu was there sweeping; Zhang Haiyao, with her big belly, took a broom and swept like Li Qingmiao.
The two sisters-in-law helped but secretly sized each other up, sneaking occasional hostile glances.
They didn't argue, though. With so many helpers, inside and out was quickly cleaned. Before dark, Li Qinghe reheated the leftover dishes and saved them for the whole Zhou family to eat.
After dinner, Mrs. Zhou and her family left. Li Qinghe and Zhou Chengkang stood at the gate, watching them grow smaller in the distance; now the yard belonged to just the two of them. Smiling, Li Qinghe cupped her hands and said, “Congratulations to Fourth Brother Zhou on your housewarming.”
Zhou Chengkang laughed and returned the gesture in mock form. “Congratulations to Mrs. Zhou on your housewarming.”
They exchanged a look, burst into laughter, took each other's hands, and went inside.
On the first night in the new room, whether from excitement or unfamiliarity with the bed, they tossed and turned and only fell asleep in the middle of the night.
The next morning Li Qinghe woke to find the bed cold beside her. Sitting up, she saw Zhou Chengkang in the yard sweeping outside the kitchen. After setting down the broom he knocked and called, “Lady, the food's ready. Do you want to eat now?”
Leaning on her pillow she smiled. “And if I don't eat now?”
“If you don't eat now, when you get hungry I'll heat it up again for you.” Zhou Chengkang smiled, pushed open the door, and crouched by the bed. “Any orders, lady?”
“Still calling yourself humble?” Li Qinghe poked his forehead and laughed. “You're so big, how can you be humble? No orders. Out you go.”
Zhou Chengkang caught her mischievous fingers and kissed them, then picked up the clothes at the bedside. “Want me to dress you? The humble servant can do that.”
“Not done yet, huh?” Li Qinghe sat up. “Shall I send you off to perform in the opera?”
Zhou Chengkang leaned on the bed, burying his face in the quilt as he chuckled. After a long moment he raised his head, took her hand; there were tears at the corners of his eyes, as if from laughing, but his expression was unusually earnest. “Qinghe, after you fell asleep last night I couldn't sleep a wink. It felt like I was dreaming.”
Li Qinghe felt a little pang and a sweet warmth. She stroked his stubbled chin and matched his seriousness. “This isn't a dream!”
Though he hadn't slept all night, Zhou Chengkang was full of energy. After they ate, he ran out to feed the fish and the chickens to the right, then came back eager to build a doghouse for Da Huang.
There were plenty of leftover planks from building the house; he grabbed some and started working. Li Qinghe crouched beside him, and little Da Huang was there too.
The two of them and the dog looked especially harmonious against the green hills behind the house and the pond in front, like a painting come to life.
At the edge of that picture a woman appeared, holding her waist and walking cautiously. Li Qinghe had left the gate ajar and looked up to see Zhang Haiyao approaching from afar. After the move she was now farther away; likewise, it would be harder for them to come and find Li Qinghe.
Zhang Haiyao stood in the doorway, watching Zhou Chengkang hammering away with loud thumps. Curiously she asked, "Fourth sister-in-law, what are you two doing?"
"Building a doghouse." Li Qinghe rose; her legs were numb from squatting. She rubbed them and asked, "Why is Third Sister-in-law here? You're so far along, aren't you afraid you might fall on the road?"
Zhang Haiyao stepped inside. "I need to talk to you about something." Seeing Li Qinghe's suspicious expression, she added seriously, "It's important."