Chapter 49: Manmei’s One-Month Celebration

The next day was the banquet.

The restaurant remained closed, hosting only those who had helped the day before.

Su Yi’an rose early to visit the market, buying a bounty of ingredients to prepare a lavish feast.

This time, all the dishes were served hot. In addition to the Dongpo Pork and Golden Chicken, she even made a dish of Dongpo Perch.

The shopkeeper next door pointed meaningfully at the Dongpo Perch on the table. “Mandarin fish is hard to find in winter. Manager Su really pulled some strings to get one!”

Indeed, with the cold weather, mandarin fish were scarce at the market—and when they did appear, they were outrageously expensive.

“This is a thank-you banquet. Of course it has to be something special,” Su Yi’an replied as she served the final dish, encouraging everyone to relax and enjoy.

Men and women sat at separate tables. This one was for the men.

Everyone understood the custom, and thanks to Zhuang Shan’s good nature and talkativeness, the conversation flowed. The men ate heartily, chatting and laughing throughout.

Su Yi’an had prepared two banquets. The other was set in the backyard, where she invited the neighboring shopkeeper’s wife and children.

Though they’d seen each other in passing, they’d never properly spoken. If not for the fried sausages Su Yi’an had delivered the day before, the shopkeeper’s wife might have felt too embarrassed to come.

“Sister, please try my cooking,” Su Yi’an said as she sat down. Her younger sister sat on her left, Yun Niang on her right, and the shopkeeper’s wife and children across from her.

Madam Zhang, a lively woman, warmed up quickly to Su Yi’an’s sincerity. “I’ve heard your cooking is amazing,” she said with a smile. “I’ve been looking forward to trying it.”

Remembering the children, Su Yi’an had made sure to prepare sesame balls—always a favorite—and placed them near Madam Zhang.

“My husband told me about yesterday,” Madam Zhang said. “Honestly, you’re too kind. Those two ruffians were clearly stirring up trouble.” Her expression soured at the memory. “Some people are just too malicious.”

If Su Yi’an hadn’t shown restraint because of their age, she wouldn’t have let them off with just the cost of the medicine.

As Madam Zhang opened up, she spoke more freely. “To be honest, that Manager Yongjin isn’t a great person either.”

Su Yi’an agreed inwardly. If Manager Yongjin had truly been decent, he wouldn’t have handled things that way. The more she thought about it last night, the more she realized it wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

Why had Manager Yongjin left so abruptly? Why had those two arrived so quickly? Was he really unconcerned about losing the shop?

After thinking it through, she concluded that she’d been used. Manager Yongjin had deliberately sent his brother and sister-in-law to stir up trouble. Once she resolved the matter, they would give up on the property. It was a clever tactic.

“Why do you say that, Sister?” Yun Niang asked, setting down her chopsticks.

Madam Zhang sighed. “If he were really a good man, would he treat his own brother like that? Sure, those two are greedy, but Old Zhang told me their hands were covered in frostbite. You can tell they’ve been struggling in the countryside.”

No wonder there were so many conflicts. Greed alone couldn’t explain it all.

The group exchanged glances, then quietly let the matter drop.

The restaurant door was ajar. Around noon, a customer walked in. He was surprised to see two tables pushed together, surrounded by people eating, but no sign of the shopkeeper.

“Where’s the shopkeeper? Are you still serving noodles today?” he asked.

“Go home. Closed today,” replied the neighboring shopkeeper, still enjoying his food without looking up.

The customer stepped closer, spotted Shopkeeper Zhang, and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Shopkeeper Zhang! Why aren’t you at your shop? What are you doing here?”

“I thought that voice sounded familiar—it’s you!” Shopkeeper Zhang grinned and pulled up a stool. “Someone caused trouble at my shop yesterday. I helped out, so the owner of this place is treating us to a thank-you meal.”

“What about this shopkeeper, then?” the man asked.

Shopkeeper Zhang gestured toward the back. “He’s closed for the day. Don’t bother. Come join us!”

The group continued eating with gusto. As the meal wound down, they began praising the food.

“They should stop selling noodles altogether—these stir-fries are way better!”

“I know, right? I’ve eaten here a few times, and I always order the dishes. But two options a day is way too limited.”

As she saw them off, Su Yi’an smiled and said politely, “We’ll improve the menu soon. Please visit often!”

The shop remained closed for three days. During that time, He Yunhuai stayed in bed recovering. When they reopened on the fourth day, business boomed.

Word of the incident had spread, and many came by, both to eat and to ask after He Yunhuai’s health.

The eatery thrived, and Su Yi’an was so busy she didn’t close the shop again until the day before Manmei’s one-month celebration.

Whether that incident was a blessing or a curse, time would tell. But in just two weeks, soup noodles and two hot dishes alone had brought in a staggering eight taels of silver.

Their depleted savings were suddenly replenished. Everyone felt a renewed sense of hope.

Manmei’s one-month celebration was a joyful occasion for the He family.

Mother He had been up since dawn, preparing a feast of meat and chicken for the reunion.

1. Wan Xu, who had missed everyone dearly, had cut a bolt of blue cloth and sewn short shirts for the family. She had hoped to make clothes they could wear right away, but the fabric wasn’t enough.

As they prepared to leave, Yun Niang pressed a small rabbit-fur garment she had made into Su Yi’an’s hands. “Take this back with you.”

The gift was valuable, but Su Yi’an accepted it with a smile, tucking it into her bundle. “Alright. When Man Mei grows up, she’ll give you a birthday gift too.”

Used to Su Yi’an’s teasing, Yun Niang just shook her head with a smile. “Need someone to see you off?”

“There’s no need. It’s just a small trip,” Su Yi’an said. She hadn’t brought much—she planned to bring the whole family to town soon.

Living apart only led to constant worry. It would be better if everyone moved to town, where there was plenty of space.

The four of them set out early. No oxcarts were yet returning to the village entrance, so they walked, pausing often to accommodate He Yunhuai, who was still recovering. What should’ve taken half an hour took a full hour.

As the weather warmed, villagers began rising earlier.

Some were gathered at the river washing clothes and chatting.

Second Daughter-in-Law Yang, carrying a basin and yawning, had just come outside when she spotted them in the distance.

She rubbed her eyes—had it really been so long?

“Off somewhere this early?” she asked warmly, perhaps still feeling grateful for the eggs she received after helping deliver Manmei.

“Heading home,” Su Yi’an replied. “It’s time for the full-month celebration.”

Only after they walked away did Second Daughter-in-Law Yang fully register the words. A month already? Of course—it’s time for the baby’s milestone.

As the fenced courtyard came into view, He Xingchen broke into a run.

“Grandma, we’re back!” he shouted.

Mother He, choosing clothes for Man Mei, rushed out at the sound.

“Oh, you’re finally back!” She looked them over, eyes flicking from one to the next, anxious to see how they were doing.

“Grandma, I missed you so much!” He Xingchen clung to her leg, grinning up at her.

Mother He quickly ushered them inside. After nearly two weeks apart, the family had so much to share.

He Songyuan had made real progress during their separation. He could now walk a few steps with a crutch. Hearing the commotion, he came out to greet them.

“Father!” He Xingchen ran to him, stopping just in time to avoid knocking him over.

Man Mei was still asleep, so the family stayed out of the room to avoid waking her.

“Big Brother, is your leg really healing?” He Ningxwen asked as she sipped red date soup beside the kang.

Ever since the birth, the house had kept a steady supply of brown sugar and red dates—essential for replenishing energy.

He Songyuan touched his leg and nodded. “Doctor Wang gave me acupuncture. These past few days, I’ve finally regained some movement.”

Though the doctor had warned he’d never fully recover, being able to walk was far better than being paralyzed.

Mother He let them chat while she returned to the kitchen to prepare the meal. She’d already bought ingredients and kneaded the dough the day before.

Home for dumplings, out for noodles—she couldn’t remember who’d said it, but the phrase had stuck.

So today, while she stir-fried a few dishes, the main event was dumplings.

Mother He was about to season the meat filling when Su Yi’an entered.

“Mother, we’re making dumplings today?”

Mother He smiled. “I’ve got it. You must be tired. Go rest.”

But Su Yi’an wasn’t tired. Besides, everyone was fussing over He Songyuan, and helping in the kitchen gave her a chance to speak privately with her mother.

“I’ll handle the filling,” Su Yi’an said, scooping lard into the iron wok. Once the oil was hot, she drizzled it slowly over the meat—a trick to make the filling more fragrant.

As she chopped vegetables, Mother He asked about life in town. “Running a business must be hard. Are you making enough?”

“Business is booming,” Su Yi’an replied. “I came back for Manmei’s full month, but also to ask you all to move to town.”

“Move to town?” Mother He paused, startled.

“Yes. The weather’s warmer now, and Wan Xu’s recovered. We’ve already got a place—plenty of rooms. And the eatery is so busy… I need your help.”

Mother He agreed without hesitation. She knew they must be overwhelmed.

At noon, the family sat down to a long-awaited reunion meal, with a table full of dishes and a pot of steaming dumplings.

Xiao Man Mei was brought out too. Su Yi’an took out the small garment Yun Niang had gifted and said, “This is from Yun Niang.”

The fine fabric and rabbit-fur trim made it instantly clear how precious it was.

“This is too generous,” Wanxu said, hesitant to accept it.

“It’s just a token of her kindness,” Su Yi’an replied, gazing at the sleeping, fair-skinned Manmei with growing fondness.

She reached out to gently tease the baby’s cheek, then added, “Sister-in-law, if you really think it’s too much, bring Manmei to town someday and return the favor.”

Wan Xu froze for a moment, then whispered, “To town?”