Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Gift
Third Grandma saw Gu Jinli return and hurriedly said, "Xiao Yu, your fried crispy pork is good, hurry up and fry a few basins, don’t add chili, Er Lang doesn’t eat spicy food."
Then she added, "Right, also make five pounds of the dried meat you made last time to let Er Lang take with him for the journey. Although that child doesn’t talk much, I noticed last time that he likes dried meat."
Gu Jinli just responded with one word and rolled up her sleeves to get to work, but she couldn’t help feeling heartache that their home’s meat was, yet again, going to waste on an ungrateful person.
But Third Grandma truly felt sorry for Qin Er Lang, thinking how he was an orphan and about to leave home to serve as a soldier far away, truly pitiable. She dedicated herself to preparing his farewell banquet, turning to Ms. Chu saying, "Tie Zhu’s wife, your naan bread is baked really well, bake a dozen or so for Er Lang to take tomorrow, let him have something to eat on the road."
A dozen naan bread?
Gu Jinli said, "Third Grandma, Qin Er Lang doesn’t like taking too much with him. If you prepare so much, he won’t take it with him."
Third Grandma retorted, "How is it too much? It’s not much at all, Yuchang Prefecture is far from here; he’ll finish it before even getting halfway there, I still think it’s not enough."
Then glaring at her, she scolded, "What Qin Er Lang? Don’t be so informal, you should call him ’Brother Er’."
Previously, during the famine, this girl used to call him ’Qin Er Lang’ or ’Brother Er’, she wondered when she stopped calling him that.
Gu Jinli wanted to laugh inwardly—Qin Er Lang, who looked down on them, why should she call him ’brother’? But, she didn’t want to argue with Third Grandma and thought that Qin Er Lang was leaving soon anyway, so to give him face, she endured, "Mm, got it."
With a rustle, she put the meat slices coated in batter into the oil pot and began frying the meat.
Meanwhile, Ms. Chu was busy with kneading dough to make naan bread.
Mrs. Cui was not busy in the kitchen. Instead, she was in the courtyard, quickly sewing a backpack for Qin Er Lang, making two in total to carry his luggage.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Yan and Mrs. Chen from the two families shut their shops and came over to help with the banquet, while the men went to the county to buy several sets of clothes and shoes for Qin Er Lang, and also got him two daggers and three sheepskin water bags.
When they returned, Mrs. Cui had finished the two backpacks and called for Gu Dashan, "Husband, take the backpacks to Er Lang on your way."
"Eh," Gu Dashan said with a smile, coming over. After picking up the two backpacks, he said to Mrs. Cui, "You should rest too, constantly sewing is bad for the eyes."
Mrs. Cui’s eyes weren’t very good after doing needlework for most of her life to support the family. Xiao Yu was preparing medicine for her and even teaching her some eye exercises to help her eyes recover.
Mrs. Cui smiled, her face showing a bit of a blush: "Hurry and take them, I’ll go help Third Aunt and the others cook; we can start the banquet soon."
Gu Dashan nodded, picked up the backpacks, led the mule cart, and went directly to the Qin family.
Gu Dalin took Gu Qingtian and Gu Qingliang to the Qin family as well. Just as they reached the gate of the Qin family’s courtyard, Gu Qingtian and his cousins shouted, "Grandpa Qin, Brother Er Lang, come quick, my dad has brought you stuff."
Elder Qin was delighted to hear this and hurried out to open the gate, letting Gu Dashan lead the mule cart inside, and everyone together moved the items off the cart.
"Why did you buy so much stuff? Must have cost quite a bit," Elder Qin was moved. Their little family had caused trouble for several households, yet these households were still so good to them.
Gu Dalin laughed and said, "It’s not much, all items Er Lang can use."
Indeed, they spent quite a bit of silver, but spread among several households, the amount of silver each family contributed wasn’t much.
Elder Qin didn’t believe these words. Not to mention the clothes and shoes, just three sheepskin water bags would cost a considerable amount of silver, plus two daggers – that would require at least ten taels of silver.
What really made Elder Qin’s eyes well up with tears were those three sets of clothes and shoes... Qin Er Lang had no mother nor grandma, no woman in his household to make him intimates. The men from several households specially went to the county town to buy them for him. Such care and affection was worth more than gold.
Elder Qin, seeing that Qin Er Lang had not come out after a long time, became angry. He shouted into the house: "Er Lang, what are you hiding inside and fussing about for? Get the hell out here for your father!"
He really had no understanding of proper conduct. So many people were doing things for him, yet he couldn’t even show a pleasant face. Had all the etiquette he learned since childhood gone to the dogs?
Qin San Lang dragged Qin Er Lang out and said with a smile to the men from several families: "Uncle Dashan, Uncle Dalin... My brother was tidying up the medicine that Xiao Yu gave him, it took a while, please don’t mind."
The antiseptic medicine made by Xiao Yu was the best. However, Xiao Yu was reluctant to give it to Er Lang; it was he who went to ask Xiao Yu for it.
Gu Dashan was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said to Er Lang, "These two backpacks were made by Aunt Dashan. Take them to pack your luggage. They can hold a lot, and they’re also convenient to carry."
Qin Er Lang took the two backpacks and stuffed everything given by the men into them.
Gu Dalin shook his head as he watched, snatching the backpack from his hands to help him pack: "How can you pack things like this? Look how you’ve squeezed all these clothes together. They will clump up. Come here and watch, Uncle Dalin will teach you."
Qin Er Lang was unwilling, but due to Elder Qin and Qin San Lang being present, he could only stand by obediently and learn.
It took a great effort to finally pack everything, then Gu Dashan and the others took him to Gu Family’s home for a departure feast. "We should’ve had the departure feast at your own house, but your courtyard is small and there’s no woman who can cook, so we’re having it at your uncle’s house."
Qin Er Lang remained silent, but it was Qin San Lang who said, "Third Grandpa and Third Grandma live here, it’s only proper for families to have meals in a household with elders."
After finishing, he kicked Qin Er Lang lightly. Qin Er Lang could only laugh and echo: "San Lang is right."
Village Chief He also came with He Dacang and his two grandsons. He said to Qin Er Lang, "Er Lang has made something of himself, I heard it was General Guo himself who personally issued the transfer order. Oh my, Er Lang, you’re going to thrive. When you become a general, don’t forget us fellow villagers, everyone here is waiting for you to return home in glory."
Qin Er Lang had been warned by Qin San Lang not to make a poor face again, so he picked up the wine bowl and said, "This young one will remember, a toast to the village chief."
Yet, even if he returned home in glory, it wouldn’t be to Da Feng Village.
Village Chief He happily raised his wine bowl and took a sip together with Qin Er Lang.
In the courtyard of Gu Jinli’s house, a total of four tables were set up in the main hall. Families along with the village chief and his grandchildren happily held the departure meal for Qin Er Lang, eating until the sky was pitch-black. They lit the torches before everyone dispersed.
Luo Huiniang did not go home, but said to Ms. Chu: "Mom, I’m sleeping with Xiao Yu tonight, I want to hear about the novelties of Yuchang Prefecture from her."
Ms. Chu glared at her: "Still not finished? How many nights have you been listening? Be sensible, don’t bother Xiao Yu and keep her from sleeping, ah, just half an hour is enough."
"Eh mom, I know, don’t worry." Luo Huiniang cheerfully agreed.
When everyone was about to go to sleep, it was Luo Huiniang who pulled Gu Jinli to the Qin family to find Qin Er Lang.
Even though it wasn’t proper, she still wanted to give the gift she made by hand to Qin Er Lang.
Qin Er Lang was really fed up with her, and had no intention of going out, but it was Elder Qin who said: "You are leaving tomorrow, and in this lifetime, it’s likely just this one time you’ll see her. What’s the harm in seeing her? It’s not like you’ll lose a chunk of flesh."
Hui Niang was a good child, with no intention to cling to Er Lang; the young girl was just grateful to him.