CH 32.1

Jun 29 2022

Going On A Date

Yu Qingze studied with Chang Hao in the main room in the evening after finishing the preparations for the food stall tomorrow. Chang Hao was writing the homework given by the master, and Yu Qingze was reading a book while learning to write traditional characters with Chang Hao’s sand-wood plate.

He was quite serious at first, but his mind gradually began to wander.

Yu Qingze has been excited for a long time since he decided to reveal his feelings to Brother Le on the day of the gers. Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com. The corners of his mouth were raised; happy feelings flooded in his heart.

He thought about what to do and what to say on the day of the gers: shall I do this first, then that, or do that first and then do this? He imagined the scene of the two meeting alone and him confessing to Brother Le. He didn’t even know that he was making a fool of himself outwardly.

“Hey-hey……”

Chang Hao was writing with a trembling hand as the tip of the brush was heavy. The line he was writing became twisted abruptly and a big belly appeared in the middle of the word.

Chang Hao: …such a good word, just ruined like that.

The little boy sighed and raised his head. He looked at Yu Qingze next to him in surprise.

Is the book that Big Brother Yu reading so interesting? He was about to finish writing the entire piece of paper, and Big Brother Yu doesn’t seem to have turned a page yet…

“Hey hey hey…”

Chang Hao: …Hey, why do I have a feeling that Big Brother Yu’s smile is getting weirder?

“Big Brother Yu, is this book interesting? What is it about?” Chang Hao asked curiously.

Unfortunately, his big brother Yu’s eyes were fixed on the book, but his mind was somewhere else, his ears were closed, and he didn’t hear Chang Hao’s question at all.

Chang Hao: …

“Big Brother Yu?” Chang Hao called out again with a blank expression, and he stretched out his hand and shook it in front of the other party’s eyes, finally awakening the big brother Yu who was ‘intoxicated by the contents of the book’.

“Ah? What? Xiaohao, what did you say?” Yu Qingze was startled. He realized Chang Hao was looking at him with a helpless and speechless expression. Only then did he realize that he was thinking too much, and the smirk at the corner of his mouth was put away but it was too late already.

Chang Hao pointed to the book in his hand and asked, “Is there any interesting on this page? You’ve been reading it for a long time, and you were smiling the whole time.”

“Was I?” Yu Qingze reached out and wiped his face, restraining the expression on his face, before answering Chang Hao’s previous question: “I was thinking about something else, I wasn’t reading the book.”

Chang Hao became more curious and asked, “What were you thinking? You were so distracted that you didn’t even hear me talking to you. Is it something good?”

Yu Qingze replayed what he was thinking of just now in his mind and said with a smile: “A very good thing. Hey, Xiaohao, let me ask you, who did your brother go to the city with to watch the lanterns when he was celebrating the day of the gers in previous years?”

“Day of the Gers?” Chang Hao shook his head and said, “My brother wasn’t very interested in it. As far as I can remember, he has never been to the city to watch lanterns during the festival. Only on Duanyang Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Lantern Festival we would go to see lanterns with grandpa.”

Yu Qingze was surprised, his mouth opened wide unconsciously, and asked, “Did he not go once?”

Chang Hao nodded and said with certainty, “From what I can remember, we all only went to the city to watch the lanterns during the Duanyang Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Lantern Festival. I’m pretty sure my brother never went to the city on the day of the gers.”

If Chang Le never went before, wouldn’t it be troublesome now? If Yu Qingze invited him to go, with his character, Chang Le would definitely not go.

Yu Qingze frowned and thought about it, how could he bring Chang Le to the city?

“Brother Yu, do you want to go to the city to see the lanterns?” Chang Hao asked him with his eyes wide open.

Yu Qingze looked at Chang Hao, suddenly had an idea, and asked, “Yes, I want to go and have a look.” Yu Qingze looked at the direction of the kitchen, and then whispered: “I want to take your brother with me. Can you help?”

Chang Hao’s eyes lit up, and he asked in a low voice, “Are you going to have a meeting?”

“What meeting! Wrong choice of words!” Yu Qingze patted Chang Hao’s head and corrected, “It’s a ‘date’.”

“Oh, a date~meeting~” Chang Hao winked and learned a bit, snickering.

Yu Qingze patted him angrily and then said, “Quickly find a way for me, if I directly ask him to go, he will definitely not go, you have to help me.”

“It’s very simple.” Chang Hao replied.

Yu Qingze asked anxiously, “How?”

Chang Hao rolled his eyes and said with a grin, “Brother Yu, every time there is a lantern festival, there will be hawkers selling candies, very delicious. My brother would buy one for me every time I go there.”

This little glutton.

Yu Qingze laughed and scolded: “You only know to eat! Okay, I’ll buy it for you, and I’ll buy you anything else you want, okay? Tell me how to ask your brother out.”

“And fried chestnuts and hawthorn gourds!”

“Okay, okay, tell me what to do, your brother will finish washing soon!”

“Come here.” Chang Hao beckoned to Yu Qingze mysteriously, motioning him to come closer.

Chang Hao whispered in his ear.

After speaking, Yu Qingze was a little skeptical and said, “Is it possible?”

Chang Hao patted his small chest and said confidently, “Of course, I know my brother the best!”

Yu Qingze glanced at him suspiciously again and said, “Isn’t it for candies, fried chestnuts and hawthorn gourd?”

Chang Hao laughed, pinched his fingers, and made a gesture, and said, “This is also one of the very small reasons. You don’t need to worry, the most important thing is that this method works.”

“Okay, I believe you. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“No problem.”

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, on the day of the gers, the food stall didn’t open. Yu Qingze and the others rested at home.

The Chang family’s habits are very good. They don’t sleep in even on their day off and everyone gets up early.

Grandpa Chang likes to go around the fields when he wakes up in the morning, and sometimes he cuts the hogweed on the way. Chang Le usually goes to mow the hogweed or go do the laundry, while Chang Hao stays home and read books since he has to go to school later.

The little boy learns very attentively. In addition to completing the homework given by the master every day, he would also ask Yu Qingze to teach him how to read. Chang Hao has a good memory, he is smart and diligent. He learns quite quickly. Yu Xiucai even praised him, which makes Chang Le and Grandpa Chang very happy.

Yu Qingze deliberately got up early and made a rich breakfast, including dumpling soup, crystal dumplings, xiao hundun, shredded seaweed salad, and salted bone vegetable porridge.

Soup Dumplings

Xiao Hundun

(credit: Okonomi Kitchen)

Crystal Dumplings

(credit: thewokoflife)

Seaweed Salad

(credit: omnivore’s cookbook)

Vegetable Porridge

(credit: Food & Wine Magazine)

Usually, they have to set up the food stall early, so the family eats a simple breakfast. Now that the stall is closed for the day, Yu Qingze wants everyone to eat better and richer.

And today is the day of the gers.

Several people at the dining table were surprised and delighted by the lavish breakfast.

“Brother Le, come, today is the day of the gers, which is your festival. I wish you a happy holiday and a happy day.” Yu Qingze picked up a crystal dumpling, put it in the bowl in front of Chang Le, and said with a smile.

The first time being wished a happy holiday like this, Chang Le was a little embarrassed, his face flushed red, and he stretched out his hand in a gesture of thanks.

Chang Hao followed suit. He took a soup dumpling and put it into his brother’s bowl. He said, “Then I wish you a happy holiday too. May you have good health and all the best!”

The little boy rarely said such serious words, giving people goosebumps; he felt a little awkward at first, and then he laughed.

Chang Le smiled and gestured to thank his brother. He also reached out and put a soup dumpling in his brother’s bowl.

Grandpa Chang smiled and said nothing. He took a chopstick of seaweed and put it into his grandson’s bowl, “Eat more.”

Chang Le took the bowl with both hands, nodded, and smiled at Grandpa.

The meal was delicious, especially for a harmonious family.

Because the lantern festival is at night, they all went to the fields during the day except for Chang Hao, who had school later. When they came back, they prepared the radish, Chinese cabbage, and coriander celery seeds, which will be consumed during the New Year.

At noon, when Chang Hao came back from school for lunch, he pulled his brother and started to act like a spoiled child: “Brother, there is a lantern festival tonight, shall we go to see it? Everyone in the school is going to see it. Can we go too? I haven’t been there for a long time.”

Chang Le gestured, meaning that the Mid-autumn Festival will be in a few days, and they will go at that time.

“We’ll go in a few days, but we could go today too. I’ve never been to a lantern festival on the day of the gers. I heard someone in the school say that the lanterns sold on this day are different and they are beautiful.” Looking at his brother, with an expression as pitiful as possible, conveying how much he wanted to go.

Chang Le subconsciously didn’t want to go out on the day of the gers, but seeing his brother looking forward to it, he suddenly softened, thought for a while, and finally nodded.

Chang Hao was very happy when he saw that his brother agreed, and then rushed to the kitchen to report the good news to Yu Qingze.

“Good boy, I’ll bring you something delicious tonight!” Yu Qingze gave him a thumbs up and praised him, and Chang Hao flew out to find his grandfather happily. Big Brother Yu’s plan still needs the cooperation of Grandpa, so he has to communicate with Grandpa first.

Later in the afternoon, the family had dinner earlier because they were going to see the lanterns at night. After Chang Hao finished school, everyone began eating and prepared to leave before it was dark.

After having a delicious dinner, some people took a shower and changed into clean clothes. Then the four of them locked the door and walked happily towards the city.

There are many people like them on the street, setting off for the city at this time. Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com. A villager greeted Chang Hao: “Yo, Chang Hao, are you going to see the lanterns today?”

Chang Hao’s small mouth slid up and said, “Yes, Uncle Feng. Are you going with your family too?”

“Yes, let’s all go together. It’ll be livelier.”

The two walked and talked side by side. When they reached the entrance to the main road, Chang Hao suddenly screamed.

“Oh no, I just remember!”

Several people turned to look at him, Yu Qingze asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

Grandpa Chang glared at him and said, “Little mud monkey, what are yelling for?”