16: Spring Brother, Spring Brother, You Are Truly Amazing!!
At that moment, a rumbling drumbeat sounded, announcing the commencement of the Xiasha Ritual.
The young men quickly dispersed, holding their banners and standing at attention.
The hired village percussion band played loudly, summoning all members of the Su clan into the distillery courtyard.
By the third quarter of the mao hour, everyone had gathered. Su Youpeng led two elderly men onto the temporary wooden stage.
The white-haired elder leaning on a cane was Su Daxiang, patriarch of the Su clan, whom Su Lu should address as Great Grandfather. Beside him was the round-faced, graying-haired elder who served as the Head Distiller of the Su Family Distillery, named Su Daji, whom Su Lu called Seventh Grandfather.
Notably absent was Su Lu’s biological grandfather. Everyone knew the reason, and no one would mention it. After all, the Old Master had sacrificed his official position for the clan…
Following the two elders were four young men wearing scholar’s headscarves and white round-collared robes with black trim. They were the Su family disciples studying at Taiping Academy—among them, the one with jade-like features, standing tall and graceful in the prime of youth, was Su Lu’s elder brother, Su Man.
No wonder Aunt never stopped talking about him—anyone would be proud to have such a fine son.
Once the two elders were positioned, Su Youpeng proclaimed loudly: “The sixteenth year of the Hongzhi reign, first procedure of the Double Ninth Xiasha—Heaven and Ancestor Worship!”
“Heaven and Ancestor Worship!” the banner-holding extras shouted in unison.
Then Chun Ge’er and his three classmates appeared, holding fans in one hand and sheng mouth organs in the other. Following the accompaniment of the village band, they performed the ‘Di Yue Dance.’
Whether it was their lack of skill or the nature of the dance itself, Su Lu only saw Chun Ge’er and the other three repeatedly performing a few motions—crossing hands, bowing, standing on tiptoes, and lowering arms—monotonous and rigid, utterly lacking aesthetic appeal.
Yet since only Confucian scholars were permitted to perform this dance, it carried an air of sanctity.
Then Chun Ge’er and the others sang:
“On this auspicious Double Ninth, we reverently worship Heaven and Earth, Honor our ancestors, praying for sweet brew bestowed. Bless our descendants, may this brewing proceed smoothly, Ancestral enterprise flourish, fortune sheltering future generations.”
“Fetch and Present Water!” Su Youpeng continued, leading the extras in shouting.
Several burly men then carried large camphorwood buckets to the distillery well and began drawing water using the windlass.
The well had been cleaned in advance, and the drawn water was clear enough to see the bottom. However, this was not the Langquan Well. Though its water was clear and sweet, the liquor brewed from it always fell slightly short compared to that from the Langquan Well.
But for now, this would have to do.
Once the men had filled their buckets, they carried them to the front of the stage and poured the water one by one into six large iron cauldrons.
When all six cauldrons were filled, Su Youpeng loudly announced: “Present the Offerings!”
Amid crackling firecrackers, Su Lu watched as his second brother and three other strong clansmen carried a freshly slaughtered fat pig on a door plank, wobbling as they ascended the stage.
The clan leader and distillery master burned incense and offered prayers, leading the crowd in kneeling to worship Heaven, Earth, and their ancestors, beseeching blessings for smooth proceedings ahead and the successful brewing of fine liquor.
After the offerings were presented, Su Youpeng declared loudly: “Light the fires to boil water!”
Chun Ge’er and the others sang again:
“The crimson serpent breathes, the dark pearl sinks into the abyss, The earth carries the soul, the marsh contains elegance.”
The men of the Su family then ignited the firewood piled beneath the cauldrons, and roaring flames began boiling the water within.
“Moisten the Grain!” At Head Distiller Su Daji’s command, workers carried this year’s new sorghum and filed into the courtyard, pouring it with a rustling sound onto the bluestone-paved ground. Following behind were experienced masters using wooden rakes to gather the sorghum into piles.
Once the sorghum was piled up, the water in the iron cauldrons reached boiling point. The masters then switched to large wooden ladles, scooping boiling water and splashing it over the sorghum piles.
As the hot water was poured, workers swiftly turned and mixed the sorghum with wooden shovels to ensure even water absorption. The masters also carried wooden buckets, pouring last year’s Mother Lees into the new grain…
The moistened grain would be piled for five watches, waiting until nightfall to be steamed in the retort, then spread to cool, piled again, and finally placed in fermentation pits… a process far from overnight.
Thus, after the grain moistening, this year’s Xiasha Ritual was successfully completed.
Not only did the clanspeople return home, but the distillery workers also headed back for meals and rest, planning to return at dusk for the steaming process.
~~
While Su Lu waited for Su Tai to emerge, he saw Uncle fully armed with several subordinates standing at the distillery entrance.
“What’s Uncle doing?” Su Lu asked curiously, observing his battle-ready posture.
“Keeping the peace,” Uncle adjusted his helmet with his sword hilt, speaking with exaggerated seriousness. “The Cheng family is also holding their Xiasha ceremony. Every year on this date, our families always compete, easily leading to conflicts.”
“Oh.” Su Lu nodded, somewhat puzzled. “I don’t see the Cheng family competing with us though?”
“Right.” Uncle also seemed perplexed. “In previous years they’d parade through streets and set off firecrackers. Why are they so quiet this year?”
“Isn’t that good? What’s the point of constant fighting between neighbors?” Chun Ge’er in his white robe strode proudly from the distillery, with Xia Ge’er following behind carrying a cut of meat – the perfect image of a young master and his bodyguard.
“Ah, my good son. You shouldn’t say such things – the elders would be upset if they heard.” Uncle quickly pressed a finger to his lips.
“Understood.” Chun Ge’er sneered but offered no further commentary.
“Hurry home now, your mother has been waiting for you for days.” Uncle spoke kindly to his son. “I’ll go to the station to change out of this gear and come home for the festival.”
“Yes, Father.” Chun Ge’er watched his father depart before proudly heading home.
Xia Ge’er quickly followed, not forgetting to pull Qiu Ge’er along.
Well, now the young master had gained another pageboy…
This was Chun Ge’er’s first time home in two months, so Su Lu had never interacted with him before. Seeing his cold expression and aloof, unapproachable demeanor, Su Lu had no desire to invite discomfort.
Su Tai was even more reticent, never speaking unless spoken to. The three brothers walked half a street’s length without exchanging a single word.
Su Lu felt somewhat awkward, thinking that if his elder brother felt awkward, he would naturally speak up. If he didn’t feel awkward, then speaking would only make things more uncomfortable…
So he stubbornly remained silent, and they walked all the way home without any conversation – the epitome of awkwardness…
Fortunately, little Jinbao came rushing down the stairs, cheering: “Brothers are back!”
Only then did the perpetually cold-faced Chun Ge’er break into a slight smile, reaching out to embrace Jinbao.
Unexpectedly, Jinbao slipped under his arm and expertly threw herself into Su Lu’s embrace.
Su Man’s smile didn’t falter, his still-outstretched hands naturally rising upward in a stretch to diffuse the awkwardness.
Aunt also came out to greet them and said angrily at the sight, “You silly girl, don’t you see your eldest brother is back?”
“Mother, it’s alright. Jinbao has a poor memory. She forgets me every time I return,” Su Man said calmly. “She’ll remember in a moment.”
After speaking, he first bowed to his mother to pay his respects, then magically produced a stick of candied hawthorn and waved it in front of Jinbao.
“Sugar-ball big brother!” Jinbao recognized him immediately. This was because Erlang Beach didn’t sell candied hawthorn—only Taiping Town, where the academy was located, had it for sale.
Jinbao reached for the candied hawthorn, and Su Man took the opportunity to scoop her into his arms. At the same time, he glanced at Su Lu and said quietly, “You haven’t greeted me yet either.”
“Eldest brother,” Su Lu quickly replied with a smile. “You seemed so serious, little brother didn’t dare speak up.”
“The rule everywhere is—younger brothers should greet their elder brother first. If you don’t speak, how can I?” After saying this, Su Man ignored him and carried Jinbao upstairs.
“…” Su Lu stared dumbfounded at Chun Ge’er’s retreating back, never expecting this to be the reason.
Su Tai comfortingly patted his shoulder and whispered, “Eldest brother has been serious and competitive since childhood. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Of course not, now I know for the future,” Su Lu smiled, and the two brothers went upstairs together.
~~
Today was also the Double Ninth Festival. Chrysanthemums were arranged in the courtyard, and everyone wore cornel sprigs in their hair.
Aunt had exceptionally prepared a table full of delicious dishes: red fermented rice braised river fish bubbling with enticing aroma; wild chive scrambled eggs gleaming golden with oil; mushroom tofu soup light and refreshing; and lotus root with water bamboo shoots, crisp and tender.
The piece of marbled pork Su Man brought back today had been transformed into a bowl of Dongpo pork, glossy and gleaming as it lay in the large bowl.
Finally, a plate of honey-roasted chestnuts was brought out, perfect as a dessert after the meal… Though the Su family had declined, Aunt’s culinary skills hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
However, even though every dish was Chun Ge’er’s childhood favorite, she would absolutely never admit that she prepared this feast because her son had returned.
“It’s a festival, of course we should have a lavish meal,” Aunt insisted, claiming the dishes were for everyone. But once the meal began, she couldn’t help serving her son:
“Chun Ge’er, eat this.”
“Son, try that.”
Faced with the mountain of food piled before him, Su Man felt quite awkward—he wasn’t a child anymore…
But he said nothing, merely subtly pushing his rice bowl toward Jinbao. His little sister would naturally help him finish everything.
The Old Master was also delighted, unusually staying through the entire meal instead of leaving early. Sitting cross-legged in the seat of honor, he sipped his wine while asking his eldest grandson all sorts of questions.
Su Man was very patient, even earnestly answering his hard-of-hearing grandmother’s questions, perfectly embodying the filial piety expected of a scholar.
Only after all family members had set down their chopsticks did Su Man conclude this “filial duty time” and ask, “Is everyone finished eating?”
“I can still eat!” little Jinbao declared competitively.
“You’ll burst,” Aunt said, promptly removing her from the table and taking her out for a walk. Otherwise, the child would surely suffer from indigestion.
Then, Su Man poured a cup of wine for the Old Master, raised it and said solemnly, “Grandfather, your grandson has important matters to report.”
“Good news or bad news?” the Old Master asked warily without accepting the cup. “Grandfather doesn’t want to hear bad news. Grandfather is old and can’t handle it.”
After a moment of silence, Su Man replied, “It’s good news.”
“Go on.” Only then did the Old Master accept the wine cup, still feeling the matter wasn’t so simple.
“Grandpa, congratulations on becoming a grandfather again!” Su Man declared with earth-shattering bluntness.
“What? Eldest, your wife is pregnant again?” The Old Master exclaimed in surprise: “Quite impressive! Though still not as good as your old man!”
“Pfft…” The Uncle flushed crimson with embarrassment, spitting his wine onto the ground: “Don’t worry, old man, nothing of the sort! Even if it were true, we’d never have Chun Ge’er break the news to you!”
“Then who could it be?” The Old Master wondered.
“Younger Uncle.” Su Man didn’t keep them in suspense, directly revealing the answer.
“Pfft…” This time the whole family couldn’t hold back, staring dumbfounded at the Younger Uncle.
The Younger Uncle looked utterly shocked, stammering: “How… how did such a small matter reach the academy?”
This was as good as an admission…
Slap! Slap! Slap! The Uncle, Su Youcai, and the Younger Aunt all slapped their thighs simultaneously: “So that’s it!”
“Is it the Cheng family’s daughter?” Su Youcai asked the third brother with sudden realization.
“Yes…” The Younger Uncle panicked like a mouse encountering a cat, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.
“No wonder they beat you up! I’d say you got off lightly!” The Uncle said angrily: “With so many women in the world, why did you have to mess with the Cheng family’s daughter?”
“When fate comes, you can’t stop it…” The Younger Uncle mumbled a couple times, but ultimately didn’t dare utter those two provocative words.
“Can’t stop it? I’ll make you regret it today! Get down right now!” The Old Master roared, murderous aura radiating from him.