Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

"If you don't want to eat, go outside and cool off. Don't embarrass yourself here." Li's second aunt, who had just returned from the restroom, heard her youngest daughter-in-law's words and her eyelids twitched with anger. She hadn't been happy about the marriage in the first place, thinking the other parents were of questionable character and couldn't possibly raise a good daughter. But her youngest son had taken a liking to her. Now, after several years in the family, she was indeed a handful. They had tried to teach her, scolded her, but she just couldn't shake her bad habit of being greedy and opportunistic.

The young woman, who had been complaining, froze in fright when her mother-in-law's voice suddenly came from behind her. She had looked around and, not seeing anyone, dared to complain. Who would have thought that someone would suddenly be standing behind her? She couldn't help but regret her carelessness.

Those nearby overheard Li's second aunt quietly scolding her daughter-in-law, wondering what her younger daughter-in-law had done wrong this time. Since they were guests, those who heard quickly intervened to mediate. Li Minshi, not wanting her family to cause a scene at her daughter's in-laws' house, hurriedly called out, "Second sister-in-law, come sit here, I've saved you a seat." She patted the seat next to her as she spoke.

Soon, Liu and several guests came in with people, carrying wine pots and cups. Liu wanted to pour wine for everyone, but was stopped by the people at the two tables on the kang (heated brick bed).

Li Minshi pulled Liu's hand and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, these are all female guests, so let's not drink. You should stop busying yourself and sit down so we can have a chat." As she spoke, she pressed Liu down to sit next to her, and Liu sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"I apologize for the simple meal. There's no one else in the house today, so let's start eating!" Liu said politely to everyone in the room.

After speaking, he first picked up a piece of pork belly with minced garlic and placed it on the plate in front of Li Minshi. Seeing that the people on the kang (heated brick bed) had started eating, the young people at the other tables on the ground also picked up their chopsticks and started picking up their favorite dishes.

After sitting and eating with everyone for a while, Liu excused herself from the table, asked another person to stay with her, and then left. Everyone knew she had a lot to do that day, so they didn't say much and told her to go about her business, that they were all family and there was no need to be so polite.

Since the female guests didn't drink, the hot dishes were served quickly: garlic ribs, braised pork belly, steamed egg with minced meat, and braised mutton. All four dishes were meat dishes, and the vegetarian dish was surprisingly the steamed egg with minced meat. Those eating in the room, though outwardly reserved, couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how much money this banquet must have cost. They had previously heard rumors that Seventh Sister's in-laws were biased and that her mother-in-law was quite formidable, but now it seemed those were all false rumors.

The people had differing thoughts. Everyone in Li Family Village marveled at Seventh Sister's good fortune, having fallen into such a blessed place. Some, with their quicker minds, even began asking the guests at the table about Qinghe's age. Zhang Chengwen and his family dared not even dream of it. As soon as the news of her achieving the top score in this year's provincial examination spread, numerous people sent matchmakers to the Zhang family to propose marriage, but predictably, all were turned away by Liu Shi. After several such instances, everyone understood that daughters from ordinary families could not marry the fourth son of the Zhang family. Therefore, several families simultaneously turned their attention to the still unmarried Zhang Qinghe.

Li's fifth aunt was one of them. She had a young son, handsome and learning business in the county town from his uncle. He was sixteen and still unmarried. Seeing the Zhang family's grand display, and knowing from her fourth sister-in-law that the old lady doted on her youngest daughter, she figured the Zhang family's dowry would be substantial. Plus, with a scholar as a brother, the fifth aunt felt the daughter was a perfect match for her son. Moreover, the two families lived close by, and it would be a double blessing; with a larger dowry from her family, Liu would surely be happy. Having made up her mind, she planned to ask her fourth sister-in-law to sound her out after the meal.

Before we'd even finished the four hot dishes, another steamed dish was brought out: Eight-Treasure Sweet Rice, Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables, Crispy Pork, and Meatballs. Along with it came a plate of large steamed buns and a plate of crispy sesame flatbreads—that would be our main course. We gathered the nearly finished dishes together, cleared the empty plates to make room, as there would be two soups, one sweet and one savory, coming up soon.

"Sister-in-law, it seems the Zhang family really dotes on Seventh Sister. Putting everything else aside, we've eaten quite a few of these banquets and meals for guests, haven't we? Which family is so generous?" Li's third aunt praised as she ate a steamed bun with a piece of meat in it.

Li Minshi was pleased to hear this, and she was also very satisfied with the Zhang family's handling of the matter. However, she still politely said, "If your in-laws hear you say that, they might never let you visit their daughter again. Last time when Shi Niang brought food, what was wrong with the food?"

"Hehe, not bad at all. Our daughters who get married are all blessed and valued in their husbands' families," said Aunt Li with a smile.

With the arrival of the two soups, it meant that all the dishes had been served: one was rice wine and egg drop soup, and the other was hot and sour egg soup. Because both soups were made with eggs, they were also called "get-away egg soup," implying that it was time to leave after finishing the soup.

There were many dishes and large portions, and although everyone at each table tried their best to eat, quite a lot was still left over in the end. In particular, there were two plates of staple food, which would normally be considered excellent food, but they paled in comparison to the meat and vegetables on the table. As a result, there were quite a few steamed buns and sesame flatbreads left over at each table.