"Look at the life your family is living now, itâs really quite satisfying." Old Aunt-in-law Gen said with a smile as she cracked open a big crab.
Land Officerâs wife also said, "Isnât that the truth? It hasnât been that long, and I, an old woman, have enjoyed eating big crabs several times thanks to your familyâs good fortune. I hadnât eaten them for many years."
Hearing Land Officerâs wife say this, Ms. Wang felt deeply moved as well.
"Aunt-in-law is right. I hadnât eaten big crabs for over a decade. Back then, our family couldnât even afford a piece of meat, and any extra money would be taken by the second branch of the family to the town. Even when we had a few pieces of meat during the New Year, it wasnât our turn to enjoy it." Speaking of these sad memories, Ms. Wang almost cried.
Land Officerâs wife hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, times are good now. Look, youâre even getting teary. Who in the village can have a better life than you now?"
Old Aunt-in-law Gen also joked, "Thatâs right, thatâs right. You ladies can go cry your eyes out, but Iâm going to eat a couple more crabs. Who knows when Iâll get to eat them again after this time?"
Yang Chuxia, who was listening nearby, said, "Aunt-in-law, you wonât have to wait long. In a few days, our store will open, and Iâll invite everyone in the village to celebrate. This will also include the matter of Lord County Magistrate bestowing the plaque. Last time, we didnât properly thank the villagers for helping us find the Winter Solstice."
"Ah, that matter shouldnât be handled by your family, though." Land Officerâs wife said, "That should be Daâan and his wifeâs responsibility."
"While thatâs true, from the outsiderâs perspective, we are all part of the same family after all."
While Yang Chuxia and the others were talking, Yang Qingbao, who was eating quietly on the side, listened to every word, thinking about going home to tell his parents and have them handle this matter.
~~~~
In the front room, Constable Hong and the others didnât stay long for the meal because they had to continue searching for the sacrificial ceremony. They didnât drink much of the wine Yang Chuxia had prepared and soon asked to take their leave.
As they were leaving, Yang Chuxia brought out the small jars of drunken crab she had prepared in advance, one for each person who had come with Constable Hong.
Then, she especially handed a few larger jars to Constable Hong.
"Uncle Hong, this jar is for you, and the others, could you please pass them to Lord County Magistrate and the steward as a token of our gratitude for their plaques and couplets? Weâre just simple peasants and donât have much to offer, but we hope these little gestures will show our appreciation. Please donât disdain them." She originally planned to give a wheelchair to the County Magistrate, but it would have seemed too deliberate, so she changed her mind and exchanged it for drunken crab and drunken shrimp instead.
"No problem, Iâll deliver these to them on my way to the county town this afternoon."
"Thank you, Uncle Hong!"
After saying their goodbyes to Land Officer and the others, Constable Hong and his entourage mounted their horses and prepared to leave. Since it was difficult to ride with their gifts, Yang Chuxia had Uncle Niu and Qingyou drive their ox cart to help deliver the items to town.
Once Constable Hong and his people left, Yang Chuxia went to take a good look at the plaques presented by the County Magistrate and the steward.
It had to be said that the County Magistrateâs calligraphy was not bad, but the stewardâs was not that great. According to Constable Hong, this man had mediocre literary talent but loved to show it off.
Although the calligraphy wasnât top-notch, Yang Chuxia accepted it as their heartfelt intention.
Now that they had the plaques and the store was tidied up, all that was left to do was wait for Yang Dayongâs items to arrive and then open for business.
So, in the following days, Yang Chuxia went to Land Officer Yangâs house every day to check on the progress of Yang Dayongâs goods.