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TATLC Chapter 31 – Someone Brings Gifts
by RaineLu Lin and Chen Xiaomi’s relationship had taken a significant step forward. The next morning when Lu Lin woke up hoping to deepen their bond, he discovered Chen Xiaomi was nowhere to be found.
Lu Lin scratched his head. Surely Chen Xiaomi didn’t go hunting? To go hunting on the first day after their first night would be an absolute insult to his abilities.
After searching around, Lu Lin found Chen Xiaomi chopping firewood in the backyard.
Chen Xiaomi’s movements showed no signs of fatigue. His chopping motions were as efficient as ever, with a growing pile of split wood beside him. It was clear he’d been working for some time.
Seeing this, Lu Lin didn’t disturb him and considerately went to cook instead. Chen Xiaomi’s appetite matched his strength, and Lu Lin had always suspected that despite being so capable, the reason Chen Xiaomi didn’t live more comfortably was because he ate too much.
Fortunately, Chen Xiaomi’s daily activities burned through all that food, so he never gained weight.
A knock sounded from outside the courtyard. Lu Lin went out to find Liu Guiyong and his group standing there.
“Liu-lao1, what brings you here?”
Liu Guiyong smiled awkwardly and said, “We’ve brought some things for you two.”
Liu Guiyong set down two large baskets of sweet potatoes, rubbing his hands nervously as he added, “They’re nothing valuable.”
“You’re too kind, Liu-lao. We don’t have any land, and I was just thinking of going to the market to buy some sweet potatoes. I never expected you’d bring some over,” Lu Lin said with a smile.
Liu Guiyong replied somewhat embarrassedly, “We have too many this year, and the price is so low they’re hardly worth selling. But I thought since you two don’t have land, I’d bring some for you to try. These sweet potatoes might be a bit small, but they’re very sweet. I hope you don’t mind.”
Lu Lin smiled and said, “Mind? With something this good, I’m worried it won’t last us long enough!”
Liu Guiyong smiled and said, “It’s just a small gift. I’m glad you like it.”
Liu Wen, who was standing behind Liu Guiyong, piped in, “Lu-ge, I brought fish and meat for you both.”
Although Chen Xiaomi could hunt, so they shouldn’t lack meat, no one would ever complain about having too much of it.
“How can I accept so many things? This is too generous.”
Liu Guiyong and the others quickly responded, “It’s only right, only right.”
Liu Guiyong’s group had recently earned quite a bit by building kang beds, and they felt that their earnings were all thanks to Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi’s kindness.
After some thought, Liu Guiyong decided he couldn’t be ungrateful, so he brought some sweet potatoes for Chen Xiaomi and Lu Lin. Besides sweet potatoes, they also brought radishes, cabbage, ten jin of meat, and two fish…
The news of Liu Guiyong and the others bringing gifts to Chen Xiaomi’s home spread throughout the village, which earned varied reactions from the villagers.
“Did you hear? People from Dawan Village actually brought gifts to that jinx Chen Xiaomi. And not just scraps, but fish and meat!”
“They learned how to build kang beds from Chen Xiaomi. I heard these men earned a lot of money in town. Those rich people in town were willing to pay a high price to sleep on kang beds faster. Zhang Dazhu and his group have also made quite a profit lately.”
“But Zhang Dazhu2 and his people haven’t sent Chen Xiaomi any gifts, have they?”
“Bring gifts? We’re all from the same village! That Chen Xiaomi has no conscience. He would rather keep such good things to benefit outsiders only.”
“Well, you can’t say that. Whatever belongs to Chen Xiaomi, he can teach whoever he wants. If we’d helped repair his house back then, things might be different.”
“This is the village head’s fault. How could he reject such a great opportunity without consulting everyone? If villagers had fixed Chen Xiaomi’s house first, those outsiders wouldn’t have gotten a chance.”
“And Dazhu and his friends only know how to earn money in town without teaching anyone from the village.”
“Dazhu said he would teach us in a few days, but it’s been almost a month.”
“Dazhu and his friends have probably earned several taels each. Why didn’t Chen Xiaomi choose me to repair his house?”
“Your son always bullies Chen Xiaocai and Chen Xiaomai. You still expect Chen Xiaomi to hire you? You’re dreaming!”
…
Chen Xiaomi’s family was becoming more prosperous by the day. When villagers mentioned him, many spoke with jealousy, but their reactions didn’t affect Chen Xiaomi at all.
…
At Chen Xiaomi’s home.
“Dawan Village had a great sweet potato harvest this year!” Lu Lin exclaimed.
Chen Xiaomi nodded. “Yes, there seem to be many people selling them in town, but the purchase price isn’t very high. These things are not easy to preserve.”
Sweet potatoes were vulnerable to cold. If they get frozen, they would become hard and inedible. In winter, they needed to be stored in cellars, but they still spoiled easily.
“Is that so? How about we buy some sweet potatoes to brew wine?” Lu Lin suggested.
Chen Xiaomi looked at Lu Lin curiously. “You know how to brew wine?” He had assumed Lu Lin only knew how to take alcohol from the convenience store and sell it until it was gone.
Chen Xiaomi looked at Lu Lin with surprise. Lu Lin smiled and said, “Yes, I do!”
Lu Lin grew up in the countryside. As a child, he helped his parents brew sweet potato wine. But as living standards improved, cheap beer and other liquors became widely available, and people stopped bothering with the labor-intensive process.
Chen Xiaomi and Lu Lin drove their mule cart to Hongyun Restaurant, where they sold thirty jars of alcohol in one go, earning twenty-four taels of silver.
After receiving the money, they went to Dawan Village to buy sweet potatoes.
The villagers had been worried about selling their sweet potatoes, so when someone came to buy them, they sold everything to Lu Lin.
At five wen for two jin of sweet potatoes, Lu Lin spent five taels to buy two thousand jin.
Lu Lin stored most of the sweet potatoes in the convenience store. He also placed some in the newly dug cellar for show.
Lu Lin gathered the three Chen brothers to make sweet potato wine together.
Although they made a lot of money selling alcohol from the convenience store, Chen Xiaomi had always felt uneasy. Making their own wine gave Chen Xiaomi a sense of security. Sweet potato wine was complicated to brew and required a long time to complete. The wine couldn’t be consumed immediately, but everyone enjoyed their fill of sweet potato porridge and roasted sweet potatoes in the meantime.
Footnotes
- He was called Lao Liu before, but here Lu Lin calls him Liu-lao.
In Chinese, "老" (lǎo), which literally means "old," can be used both as a prefix and a suffix, but its meaning and connotation change depending on its placement.As a Prefix (e.g., 老徐 - Lǎo Xú):
When 老" is used before a surname (e.g., 老徐, Lǎo Xú), it serves multiple purposes:
Indicating familiarity or affection: It is an informal and affectionate way to refer to someone, often implying closeness or camaraderie. For example, "老徐" (Lǎo Xú) might be used among friends or colleagues to refer to someone named Xu in a friendly, casual way.
Indicating birth order: It can also be used before a numeral to indicate the order of birth of children in a family (e.g., 老三, Lǎo Sān, meaning "the third child").
Other meanings: Beyond names, "老" as a prefix can also mean "old" (of people), "venerable," "experienced," "of long standing," "always," "of the past," "very," "outdated," or even "tough" (as in meat). However, when used before a surname, it primarily conveys familiarity, affection, or respect in an informal context.
While it can be translated as "Old *Surname*" in English, it doesn't carry a negative connotation of age. Instead, it suggests warmth and informality.
As a Suffix (e.g., 徐老 - Xú Lǎo):
When "老" is used after a surname (e.g., 徐老, Xú Lǎo), it is a formal and respectful way to address an elder or someone of high status, often implying reverence or honor. It can be translated as "*Surname* the Elder" or "Respected *Surname*." For example, "徐老" (Xú Lǎo) would be used to show respect for an older or highly esteemed person named Xu, such as a senior mentor or a respected figure.
In summary:
老 + Surname (e.g., 老徐): Informal, friendly, and familiar. It can also indicate birth order or other contextual meanings, but in names, it primarily conveys affection or closeness.
- You might remember this character being referred to as Zhang Zhuzi earlier. Both Zhuzi and Dazhu are nicknames. Zhuzi uses the suffix -zi (子), which is a common way to make a name sound more affectionate or informal. Dazhu, on the other hand, adds the prefix Dà- (大), meaning 'big' or 'great,' often used to denote an older or more significant person within a family or group, or simply to differentiate them from someone else with the same name. His actual given name is likely just Zhu.
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