My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 127 Sister-in-law

Raising the roof beam is a joyous occasion, and in addition to those who help with the work, many guests also come to help.

Not to mention the two elders, Qin Rongxian and Liang Hongyu, Zhao Dahai had driven over early and was waiting outside the courtyard at any time. If anything needed to be bought, he could drive to the county town and buy it in half an hour, which was much faster than Wang Jusheng driving a donkey cart to buy it.

"Fugui, my sister is here. Quickly have your sister-in-law arrange some work for her."

Not long after, Qin Qiumei arrived, riding a red curved bicycle. As soon as she entered the house, she offered red envelopes.

"Why give a red envelope? Just showing up is enough."

Chen Ling smiled and led the people into the house, asking Wang Susu to take care of them, before turning back to greet the guests.

"Fifth Uncle, Brother Guoping."

"Come on, have a smoke, have a smoke."

Not only did Wang Jusheng buy good cigarettes and alcohol, but Zhao Dahai also brought some over. After opening them, they were distributed to the men, who all smiled broadly.

"Wow, this cigarette is great! Even the cigarette box is so pretty, it must be really expensive."

"Of course, it was a gift from the city leaders to Fugui. This pack of cigarettes is probably worth a few pounds of pork."

"What? This thing can be exchanged for a few pounds of pork?"

Wang Laisui shook his hand, immediately deciding he couldn't bear to smoke it.

He then glared at Chen Ling and said, "You're really something, kid. Remember to leave me a few cigarette packs."

This cigarette box looks very high-end; I'll put any loose cigarettes I buy in it from now on.

That guy, if he just takes it out, wouldn't he intimidate a whole bunch of people?

"Why would I need a cigarette box, Fifth Uncle? Just bring a few packs of cigarettes later. Come on, hurry up and bring them over."

After lighting cigarettes for Wang Laishun and Chen Guoping, Chen Ling went to greet the others. Most of them had come to fetch water from his house before, but since there were too many people helping Chen Ling build his house and they weren't from the same brigade, they hadn't come to help much. However, they still came to celebrate on the day the main beam was raised.

Each person who came to the door brought something with them; they brought some grains, weighing about seven or eight pounds. Once they entered the courtyard, they poured the grains into a large vat covered with red paper, and that was considered their contribution to the house-raising ceremony.

This is an old custom. In the past, when people were struggling to get enough to eat, this would have been a considerable burden of social obligations.

In rural areas, when people give gifts for celebrations, they simply give something practical and there are no extra formalities.

Especially given the food shortage this year, this amount of food is really not a small amount.

Gradually, most people arrived, and the courtyard was bustling with activity.

Chen Ling checked the time; it was just past 10:30. At this hour, there were hardly any people coming. So he helped Zhao Dahai carry the half-piece of pork he had bought to Chen Yuqiang's house.

There were a lot of people today, and we bought a lot of meat. We're not worried about not being able to finish it all. We still need to repair the roof and lay tiles tomorrow, so the meat won't spoil if we simmer it in a pot. The only problem is that there will be too many people and not enough food, which would be a real embarrassment.

After cleaning the pork and cooking two dishes, Chen Ling, seeing that it was almost time to go up to the main beam, led Zhao Dahai home.

"Damn, this smells so good! Is dinner about to be served?"

"What's the point of eating? Your Uncle Fugui just finished refining oil and made a few dishes for the housewarming ceremony."

"Are you preparing dishes for the housewarming? What have you made, Uncle Fugui?"

"Pig's head meat, roast chicken, fried peanuts, and some cold dishes, how about that, is that enough?"

"That's enough, that's enough. Isn't it enough that we have pork and roast chicken?"

The "raising the beam dish" is the meal eaten by the master chef at the top of the beam after the main beam has been raised. It consists of several dishes and a pot of wine. If you can't finish it, you can take it home. This is not considered a formal meal, but it is still done according to the local customs.

As they were talking, a cheer suddenly came from the courtyard.

"Brother, you're amazing! Your calligraphy is so beautiful."

"It's imposing, it's fucking imposing."

When Chen Ling entered the courtyard, he saw that Qin Rongxian was writing couplets on a square table under a tree, while Wang Laishun and others were standing around, giving him a thumbs up and praising him.

"Wealth and honor, the couplets are finished. Come on, go and put them up."

"okay."

Chen Ling walked over, took the couplet, and glanced at it.

First line: The sun shines on the peaceful house.
Second line: Five lucky stars descend upon the auspicious gate.
Horizontal scroll: Blessed by good fortune

This calligraphy is truly excellent.

Originally, Chen Ling intended for Chen Guoping to write it, but Qin Rongxian just couldn't resist writing it, and unexpectedly, the couplet turned out quite well.

This couplet is posted in front of the new house. Couplets are posted in the new house, and red silk is hung on the roof beam to bring good luck.

"Fugui, Fugui, come over here and check the beams one more time. We'll be putting the main beam on soon."

"I'm coming."

This guy, Chen Ling is really busy today. He just finished putting up the couplets and someone came to call him. He's practically running around non-stop.

I'm really busy, but I'm also really happy.

After Chen Ling finished his inspection, everyone pulled up all the beams except for the main beam. The main beam, also known as the big beam, could only be put up after the firecrackers were set off.

"How about we get rich? Aren't we going to start?"

"Wait a little longer, there are five more minutes."

By this time, Chen Ling had already wrapped the firecrackers around the main beam and placed many more firecrackers on the gable walls on both sides.

After they had almost finished eating the dishes for the roof-raising ceremony, Wang Lixian shouted, "Raising the roof beam! Good luck and prosperity!"

Chen Ling lit the firecrackers, and amidst the crackling sounds, the beam wrapped in red cloth rose steadily.

"It's time to start sprinkling the flower-shaped steamed buns with sugar. Hurry up and get ready."

As the main beam slowly rose, the people standing on the roof, chanting auspicious phrases, began to throw the beam down.

Adults and children alike were already craning their necks, eagerly waiting.

Amid cheers, steamed buns, candies, and other treats were thrown down, and adults and children alike erupted in excitement, crouching down and crawling on the ground as they scrambled to grab them.

"Mom, look! There's a red envelope! There's a red envelope!"

"Oh my god, there really are red envelopes! I saw them too, quick, grab them!"

Discovering that there would be red envelopes during the tossing ceremony today, everyone's enthusiasm instantly soared. The adults were relatively calm, but the little kids didn't care about anything else. Upon seeing the red envelopes, they all screamed and rolled around on the ground, crawling all over the place, trying to grab the red envelopes that were tossed down.

"Stop pushing! Stop pushing! It's killing me!"

"Damn it, who pulled down my pants?"

Today was incredibly lively and festive.

Chen Ling glanced to the side and saw his wife smiling broadly, her eyes sparkling, looking very eager. So he pulled her over and joined the fun, scrambling with the children to pick up the items.

This caused the children to wail in dissatisfaction.

"Hey, Uncle Fugui, what are you doing? Why are you grabbing your own red envelope?"

Chen Ling laughed heartily. He was quick and nimble, and soon he snatched another one. Wang Susu also giggled and laughed along with him.

The young couple's antics drew Qin Rongxian and Liang Hongyu in, and soon everyone else joined in, creating quite a commotion. After a while, the baskets were empty, but the children were still reluctant to leave, looking around anxiously for anything that had escaped. And sure enough, in some hidden corners and nooks, there were indeed some items that hadn't been picked up.

The little kids were incredibly enthusiastic. Finding a single piece of candy would make them grin like idiots for ages. If they found an extra red envelope, their excitement was indescribable; they practically jumped for joy. After collecting the candy and red envelopes, they went to collect firecrackers. In the summer, with few pockets, they all stripped down to their bare chests, using only their vests as coverings. They worked with such gusto, practically scraping every inch of Chen Ling's house.

The children are the happiest and most joyful today.

They earned red envelopes, ate candy, and even picked up firecrackers. Everyone was overjoyed and their excitement lingered for a long time.

Actually, I didn't plan to give any red envelopes at first, but Qin Qiumei mentioned it, and Wang Susu thought about it and agreed. Anyway, it's just for good luck, and with more people coming, red envelopes would make it more lively.

Anyway, you don't need to put in too much; just put in a few cents or two. After asking Chen Ling's opinion, he went inside and enthusiastically helped to wrap sixty-six of them, which really surprised everyone.

After the beam is raised, it is customary to air it out in the sun. It is said that it is best to leave it out for half a day after the beam is raised. If the sun is shining, it means good fortune is coming. If the weather is bad, such as wind and rain, it means good weather for the harvest. In any case, once the date for raising the beam is set, it cannot be changed. Each family has its own auspicious interpretation, and every household has followed this custom.

Anyway, we don't have to work this afternoon, so everyone can drink and eat as much as they want and have a great time.

So after noon, several large tables were set with food and drinks, including fine cigarettes, fine wine, and fine dishes—everything was served. Today, we ate and drank our fill, just to have a good time.

"Still so luxurious and grand, they've been feeding us meat for days now."

"Of course, my brother Fugui is not a stingy person, that's for sure."

"How's it going? Is today's food substantial enough?"

"It's tough, too tough. It has chicken, duck, fish, and pork all in one. It's very toxic. Come on, boss, let me toast you."

"Don't call me leader, Fugui is my brother, Uncle, just call me Dahai."

Chen Ling was too busy, so Zhao Dahai and Wang Jusheng helped him by drinking with the guests.

When the villagers saw that it was a leader from the city who was drinking with them, they immediately felt very important and were all very happy. The men got into the drinking and, without saying a word, downed their glasses in one gulp.

"Fugui, are you done with your work? Hurry up, everyone's waiting for you, come and have a drink."

"Coming, coming right away, the last dish will be ready soon."

Chen Ling didn't even have time to take off her apron before wiping her hands and hurriedly came over.

He's really busy today. After setting up the roof beam, he still has to cook. This job isn't like any other job; it has to be done one by one, so there's no rush. Besides, there are so many people today; we can't all wait for him to finish before we start the meal, can we?

That's not how you treat a guest.

Fortunately, Qin Rongxian came over today and helped him cook a few dishes, otherwise he might not have been able to manage.

"Come on, let me toast everyone."

Chen Ling poured himself a full glass of wine and, without any pretense, downed it in one gulp.

"Great! That feels so good!"

"Come on, Fugui, come on over! We can't be left out of this table, let's have a drink!"

"And us too, our table too."

"Haha, look at this, it's almost like a wedding. Slow down, everyone, don't get Fugui drunk."

"What's there to be afraid of? Fugui is as strong as an ox, he can lift a sledgehammer all by himself, and I bet his alcohol tolerance is pretty good too."

Chen Ling laughed along. Indeed, with his current physical condition, even with this, he could easily down each full glass, drawing cheers from the crowd.

It was a lively and fun time, and we finally drank to our hearts' content.

Chen Ling said, "No work this afternoon, everyone can eat and drink as much as they want. Like I said, don't hold back for me."

Amidst another round of cheers from the crowd, Qin Rong first helped Chen Ling finish preparing the last dish and set it on the table.

"Take a break, Uncle, sit down and eat."

"Brother, sit in my seat, it's cool here."

"It's alright, it's alright, everyone is too kind."

The group then started urging Qin Rong to drink.

The festivities lasted for most of the day, until three or four in the afternoon before the banquet finally ended.

Only a group of women were left to help Wang Susu with her washing up. The men were in high spirits today, and each of them drank quite a bit of wine before going home to rest.

"Dear sisters-in-law and aunties, there's still quite a bit of food left over from lunch. Remember to take a few bowls home later."

"Oh, you silly child, why are you being so polite? You prepare so much delicious food for us every day. It's enough that we eat it all. How can we take any leftovers home?"

"That's it."

The women waved their hands, saying that even if they were poor, they still had some pride. Chen Ling wasn't making them work for free and not feeding them; he had meat with every meal. What more did they want?

However, they refused to take the food home. When they left, Chen Ling still gave each of them some candy, peanuts, or something similar. As a result, the women were all overjoyed.

The young couple has been busy these past few days, and the women who came to help have also been quite busy, contributing a lot of effort. They should show their appreciation.

……

As dusk settled, Chen Ling drove Zhao Dahai's car and took Qin Rongxian and Liang Hongyu back home. Zhao Dahai had drunk too much and was resting at Wang Jusheng's house. Qin Rongxian had been offered a few drinks and had also drunk quite a bit. Since there were few empty rooms at home, they felt embarrassed to let them stay overnight, so they had to trouble Chen Ling to take them home.

"This guy has finally finished his work."

After driving home, Chen Ling took the tea that Wang Susu handed him, took a sip, and then collapsed onto the recliner, not wanting to move.

He's strong and healthy, and can handle any kind of physical labor, but even he can't keep up with all the running around, taking care of so many people and so many things. It's mainly mentally exhausting.

"If you're tired, rest early. I'll heat up the leftovers from lunch, and then we'll eat and go to sleep."

Wang Susu smiled gently, wiped his face with a damp towel, and turned to go to the kitchen to heat up the food.

Chen Ling closed his eyes and hummed in response, then soon drifted off to sleep.

Seeing him like this after Wang Susu heated up the food, she couldn't bear to wake him up. She quickly ate a bite and then went to feed the dog and the cow.

Recently, another brood of quails hatched, and two broods of baby rabbits are already able to run around. Since people come to visit every day, it's not good to let them roam freely in the yard, so we've kept them behind a fence and haven't let them out much. But we still have to remember to add water from time to time.

In the hot weather, you don't need to feed them too frequently, but they still need plenty of water.

After finishing all that and returning home, I was about to call Chen Ling for dinner when suddenly a series of barking dogs came from the village. Soon after, the dog in my house also started barking.

It was already dark by then. Wang Susu looked up at the time; it was just past eight o'clock in the evening. She nudged Chen Ling and said, "Ling, Ling, why don't we drive Brother Dahai's car into the yard? Just in case someone tries something bad in the night."

"what?"

"Okay, I'll drive it in."

Chen Ling rubbed his eyes, then got up and walked outside.

But as soon as he stepped out the door, the two dogs sniffed around in the air and ran off.

"What noise did you hear again?"

Chen Ling frowned upon seeing this, feeling a little uneasy.

Then they heard a little girl's voice from outside, "Wow, this must be my sister's big dog. One is black and the other is yellow. I recognize it from several photos."

Then the little girl shouted loudly, "Sister, sister, are you home? I've come to see you."

(End of this chapter)