The first time in history

"The sun rose from the west today?" The old man just came out of the house and saw Qian Mingduo. He said with a smile: "Or maybe you didn't eat enough yesterday, so you are hungry so early today?"

The girl who was busy in the kitchen came out with a bunch of shepherd's purse in her hand. "Are you hungry?" The girl asked with a smile, "You came here so early."

"I'm not hungry." Qian Mingduo controlled his extremely nervous emotions. He walked to the water tank, filled a ladle with water, and drank it in big gulps.

"You can't drink raw water like this when you're hungry, right?" The girl grabbed the ladle and said, "Wait a minute, I'll go heat up a bun for you."

"I told you I'm not hungry." Qian Mingduo took out some silver, handed it to the girl and said, "Go buy some meat and stew it for me and my uncle. We'll eat meat today."

"Are you dissatisfied with the fact that I didn't put meat in the dishes I cooked these days?" The girl half turned around and said aggrievedly, "It's good enough to have vegetables at home. Where can I get the money to buy meat?"

"I love the vegetables you cook." Qian Mingduo put the silver in the girl's palm. "I can never get enough of them." He walked to the old man, held his hand and said, "But you are old, how can you bear to eat vegetables all the time? You have to eat stewed meat from time to time. Don't you agree?"

"Zhou Jun!" The old man said slowly, "The money your parents left for you was for you to go to the capital to find connections. Without money, no one would recommend you, and without recommendation, you would not be able to become an official."

"I know, old man," Qian Mingduo said with a smile, "There is enough money, it won't delay anything, don't worry about it."

"Hurry up." Qian Mingduo urged the girl, "If you go too late, the meat will be sold out and you won't be able to eat it even if you want to."

"I just want to eat meat..." The girl opened her palm and looked at the silver ingot. "It doesn't take that much money. I can buy a whole pig with this money."

"Then buy a whole one, preferably a live pig," Qian Mingduo said, pushing the girl's waist, "and then bring the live pig back. Then we'll have meat to eat every day."

Qian Mingduo and the old man sat at the low table, each grabbing a handful of shepherd's purse. This was the task the girl had given them, to pick all the vegetables before she came back.

"Zhou Jun!" The old man said as he picked vegetables, "We have been so grateful to you these past few years. If you hadn't given us the land rent to grow crops and helped us from time to time, Hongchang and I would have no idea what to do."

"Why are you saying this, old man?"

"Hongchang is a miserable child. Her mother passed away early, and she has been busy doing things for the family since she was young." The old man sighed and continued, "When her aunt Wu came yesterday afternoon, she said that Hongchang was old enough to get married. It's not that Hongchang doesn't want to get married, but... Alas! As a father, I understand the child's thoughts. But... Alas!"

"Uncle." Qian Mingduo asked, "What is Hongchang thinking? Can you tell me about it?"

"Don't you know anything about Hongchang's thoughts?" The old man stared at Qian Mingduo and asked softly.

"Oh! I... know a little bit." Qian Mingduo was pretending to know something.

"It's good that you know." The old man nodded. "It's worth it for this child..." The old man glanced at Qian Mingduo, and hesitated to speak.

"I heard from Hongchang that she used to have a nickname, but no one called her by that nickname since her aunt passed away. It seems that you haven't called her by that nickname since then." Qian Mingduo felt that there was something else behind the old man's words, but he was anxious to get the information he wanted to know, so he didn't think about it carefully.

"It's not that I don't want to call her by her nickname anymore," the old man looked up and sighed, "it's Hongchang who doesn't allow me to call her by her nickname anymore."

"Why is this?"

"Hongchang said that when I called her by her nickname, she would think of her deceased mother. It was inevitable that she would be sad. So I stopped calling her by her nickname." The old man picked up some more shepherd's purse. "I haven't called her by her nickname for so many years. I'm used to calling her Hongchang."

"I think the name Hongchang sounds a bit like a boy's name?" Qian Mingduo's heartbeat quickened. He continued to ask the old man, "What is Hongchang's nickname?"

"Her mother and I both call her Chan'er."

"Chan'er, this name sounds like a girl's name! Is this the only nickname Hongchang has?"

"How many nicknames can she have?" The old man smiled and said, "Chan'er is only called by her mother and I. Her aunt's sisters all call her Diao Chan."

Qian Mingduo was so excited that he almost jumped up. His eyes were wide open, his face full of surprise, and he couldn't even believe what he heard.

Although he had already determined in his heart that Hong Chang was Diao Chan, Qian Mingduo still felt extremely shocked and delighted when he heard these words truly come out of her father's mouth.

"Uncle," Qian Mingduo could no longer control his ecstasy, "Let me dance for you!" He took off his shoes and then danced around the coffee table.

His movements were full of passion and energy, as if he wanted to express his inner joy through dance. Every movement was accompanied by an indescribable excitement.

"What are you doing?" Diao Chan looked at Qian Mingduo, who was dancing with joy, and asked in confusion, "Why are you going crazy?"

"I'm not crazy. I'm just trying to entertain the old man." Qian Mingduo stopped dancing and looked straight at Diao Chan, one of the four great beauties in ancient times.

"This is the remaining money." Diao Chan handed the silver to Qian Mingduo. "I'm not pork, why are you looking at me like that?" Diao Chan raised a piece of meat in her hand and said, "This is the pork you want to eat!"

"Keep the money." Qian Mingduo approached Diao Chan and whispered, "One day I will eat you like pork."

"Hmph! You're so beautiful." Diao Chan put the silver on the table, picked up the picked shepherd's purse, turned around and walked into the kitchen.

Diao Chan not only bought meat, but also some newly brewed wine.

Qian Mingduo took a sip. The new wine had a lighter taste of fermented glutinous rice and the color of the wine was clearer and brighter.

The old man had a very happy meal, and Diao Chan let him drink two more bowls of wine. The old man, who was a little drunk, went to bed to rest after the meal.

Qian Mingduo helped Diao Chan clean up the dishes, picked up the change on the coffee table, glanced at the old man who was sleeping soundly, and quietly walked into the kitchen.

Qian Mingduo looked at Diao Chan's back as she washed pots and pans in the low kitchen, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: This is Diao Chan, one of the four great beauties in ancient times. She is so stunningly beautiful, but now she has to stay here and do these trivial housework, which makes him sigh.

However, even in this humble place, her figure still exudes a unique charm, a beauty and tenacity that cannot be erased by difficult times.

Qian Mingduo put his right hand around Diao Chan's waist and put the silver in his hand into the pocket in front of Diao Chan's apron.