Chapter 21: Neighbors

On the afternoon of the tenth day after they moved into Jingdongfang, the courtyard was noisy with voices, and the smell of burning coal drifted in the air. Today was the day they hosted a banquet for the neighbors.

"Over here, over here, move the table a bit that way, don't block the door. Gouzi, go borrow a few more stools from Jiang Wang's place. Daixi, stack the bowls and chopsticks over there first."

"Got it."

Liu Minyou, sweating, directed the attendants as they set up two large tables at the entrance. Zhou Laifu's wife helped tend the fire by the stove; a housewife clearly knew better how to maximize the heat from the coal. A cook hired from the cooks' market was busy slicing meat and boiling vegetables, with Lu Lvzi assisting him. Er Tun watched from the side. On the day Chen Xin started work, Dai Zhenggang and Lu Lvzi had brought Er Tun over. The knife wounds of the other men were mostly healed, but the injuries were still bandaged. Dai Zhenggang worried that other neighbors might grow suspicious if they saw them, so he only sent Er Tun, leaving Lu Lvzi behind to look after him, while he and the others remained in the shack.

Before long, the aroma of meat filled the air both inside and outside the gate. The group had prepared all day, and at dinner time they would invite all the neighbors to a flowing banquet. The time for the feast had been calculated by a fortune-teller. Originally, the neighborhood head Tan Shunlin had suggested starting at noon, but considering that many people were out working during the day and that Chen Xin was also absent, they changed it to dinner time. The day before, Head Tan had led them in notifying every neighbor one by one.

Just past the hour of Shen, the food was nearly ready. There were only four or five dishes: braised pork, stewed pig trotters, roasted mutton, steamed buns, and coarse grain cakes, all served in large porcelain bowls and placed on the tables. The dishes were kept warm on the stove in rotation, and once a bowl was emptied, it was refilled. This was how a flowing banquet worked, and the cost was modest—including the cook's wages, it came to nearly two taels of silver. Pork was two fen of silver per jin, and they bought thirty jin; mutton was cheaper, and they bought fifty jin. The neighborhood had sixty-eight households, each with at least three or four people, so two to three hundred people in total. Each person would get a fair amount of meat, making it a decent rare feast.

As soon as the aroma of meat wafted out, several neighboring households arrived. Having been told the day before, they had been looking forward to this dinner, and those who were home came over early. Liu Minyou kept greeting the neighbors, while Jiang Wang stood beside him making introductions so that everyone would get to know Liu Minyou—this was precisely the purpose of hosting the flowing banquet.

The first table to arrive was filled with the neighborhood women, those who were home during the day. They came early, dragging their children along, each bringing their own bowl. The early arrivals sat around the table, and once a dozen or so filled a table, they began to eat. As they ate, they praised the two men.

A woman holding a child asked, "Brother Liu, where are you all from?"

"Auntie, we are from Liaodong."

"Aiyo, isn't that place overrun by the Tatars?"

"Yes, so we fled all the way inside the Pass."

"Those heaven-cursed Tatars do nothing but evil. When they lost that place, what was it, Guangning, a couple of years ago, the refugees were countless. I heard some entire families died on the road. It was truly pitiful to see."

"Yes, the two of us were relatively fortunate. We got inside the Pass and sought refuge with relatives. But these few here suffered greatly—their parents died on the road, and they've been wandering for years." As Liu Minyou spoke, he pointed to Wang Daixi and the others.

Upon hearing this, the housewives' compassion overflowed. They pulled over the youngest, Wang Daixi and Zhang Erhui, and began fussing over them with a flurry of chatter.

Another woman said, "Brother Liu, have you started a family yet?"

"Not yet."

"That won't do. Brother Liu, you must hurry. I've heard you're all scholars, so you surely know that having no heir is unfilial. Leave this matter to your Auntie Wang; I'll definitely find you a girl from a good family."

A woman next to Auntie Wang chimed in, "Auntie Wang, have you taken a fancy to Brother Liu and want to take him as a son-in-law or something? Your daughter is only ten. Brother Liu, don't listen to her."

"Hahaha!" The group of women beside them burst into laughter.

Auntie Wang, hearing this, scolded the woman next to her: "You silly woman, always talking nonsense. What's the rush with my daughter?"...

"Right, no rush. Anyway, there are five or six men here at Brother Liu's place. Auntie Wang, you can take your time choosing."

The group of women burst into laughter again. Zhang Erhui, pulled to the side, only half-understood and laughed along with them. Auntie Wang's daughter, only ten years old, blushed from the teasing. Unable to even focus on the meat, she grabbed a steamed bun and ran off.

Liu Minyou felt somewhat awkward, unsure of what to say. For a shut-in like him, these housewives were extremely difficult to handle.

Just then, Chen Xin's voice came from beside him. "I'm actually in quite a hurry. Auntie Wang, you can start by finding a girl for me."

Turning his head, he saw Chen Xin and Old Cai and a few others arriving. Knowing there was food, they had hurried back after closing the shop. Without a word, Cai Shenju sat down at another table first, securing a seat.

Auntie Wang, who had just been cornered by the group of women, finally had an out when Chen Xin said this. She smiled and said, "Brother Chen, tell me quickly, what kind are you looking for? Leave it all to Auntie Wang."

Chen Xin put on a professional smile. "My standards are very high. I absolutely must find someone as virtuous and capable in managing a household as all you sisters-in-law and aunties. If there truly is none, she must at least measure up to half of what you ladies are."

The women, feeling flattered, immediately began chattering and discussing among themselves. Liu Minyou seized the chance to retreat into the courtyard, leaving Chen Xin to deal with these middle-aged women.

After they had been eating for a while, more and more people emerged onto the street. The second table where Cai Shenju sat quickly filled up and began eating. This table was all men, and a bowl of wine was served. The table passed it around, taking turns drinking. Before long, some food scraps floated in the wine bowl, but no one minded.

The women at the first table, seeing the crowd growing, did not linger. They sped up, finished eating, and vacated the first table. As they left, they were still discussing which family's daughter would suit Chen Xin. The moment they left, more neighbors came up and filled the seats, taking bowls and chopsticks and starting to eat. Wang Daixi and the others hurriedly brought out new dishes, and also collected the empty bowls to wash in the courtyard for the next round.

The courtyard was a flurry of activity. Liu Minyou also went to help dish out the food. He had just filled half a bowl when Zhou Laifu's wife said, "Young Master Liu, you can't fill it like that. There's too much meat. There are many more rounds to come; we'll run out of meat later. Let me do it."

Liu Minyou had no choice but to hand the bowl back to Zhou Laifu's wife. Once she filled it, she placed it by the stove to keep warm.

Tan Shunlin, seeing Liu Minyou still in the courtyard, came in and said to him, "Young Master Liu, you should still be outside keeping the guests company. Today is mainly for the neighbors to get to know you two. Leave the kitchen matters to these women."

Lu You, standing nearby, also chimed in, "Exactly. My humble wife will also come over to help shortly. You go keep them company outside. Honestly, I told her to wash the clothes tomorrow, but she wouldn't listen. She knew full well there's much to do today, yet insisted on washing them before coming. Just wait, I'll deal with her later."

This Lu You was also a neighbor from Erdaojie. He commuted to and from work with Chen Xin every day and had already visited several times, so they were fairly familiar. Though he was meek in front of Old Cai, at home his word was law.

Liu Minyou had no choice but to go back outside the courtyard, join Chen Xin in drinking with the guests, and take on the duty of pouring wine. The street was already very crowded; people were waiting by the tables, standing in clusters and chatting. Tan Shunlin led the two men around, introducing them one by one.

Most of those seated at the tables were men. There was only one table in total where women dared to sit at the table. The majority simply filled bowls with food and squatted to the side to eat. A few households with strict family rules did not permit their women to come out and eat at all. In the late Ming, the southern regions had a more open atmosphere, with a developed handicraft economy, and the status of women had somewhat improved—shrews and jealous wives were not uncommon. Northern women had a relatively lower status. However, due to the frequent movement of people, a canal hub like Tianjin had people from all over, so the local customs were a mix of characteristics from various regions.

Finally, the second table finished eating and left as well. Old Cai and his son also took their leave. After another flurry of activity, the table was reset and another group sat down. This went on for six or seven rounds. Seeing the crowd gradually thin out, the two men, having kept company for half the day, had also gotten to know quite a few neighbors.

The four young attendants and the few helpers were bustling in and out. Wang Daixi was just clearing a table when—thwack—a waist saber was tossed onto the table, startling her. She looked and saw a fairly sturdy man, wearing a half-worn padded jacket, a wooden tablet hanging from his belt, black Tatar boots on his feet, and a leather felt hat on his head. He sat down with an arrogant swagger, saying repeatedly, "Good, good, I finally made it in time. Host, bring some wine first, I'm dying of thirst."...

Chen Xin hurried over to greet him. "Brother, please sit first, the wine is coming right up. I haven't yet asked your..."

Tan Shunlin came over from the side and said angrily, "Zhou Landing, what are you doing? These are new neighbors. Putting on airs like this, aren't you scaring them?"

Seeing Tan Shunlin, Zhou Landing quickly took the waist saber off the table and said with an apologetic smile, "So Head Tan is here too. I was just hungry, that's all. I'm always like this; I didn't do it on purpose today to scare them."

Only then did Tan Shunlin's tone soften. "These are the newly arrived Brother Chen and Brother Liu. In the future, you must all look out for each other." He then said to Chen Xin, "This is Zhou Shifa, a retainer of Vice Regional Commander Qian Zhongxuan of Tianjin. He sometimes stands duty at Zhenhai Gate. If you ever need to get in or out in a hurry, you can ask him for help."

Chen Xin smiled and clasped his fist toward Zhou Shifa. "So Brother Zhou is a retainer of the Vice Regional Commander, no wonder you have such a heroic air. With a stalwart like Brother Zhou helping Lord Qian guard the city, humble folk like us can feel at ease settling here. In a moment, we must toast Brother Zhou a few extra bowls of wine to show our respect."

This Zhou Shifa had trained in some blade and spear techniques since childhood and had a bit of strength, which was how he was selected as a retainer for that Vice Regional Commander. He usually threw his weight around in the city. Because good iron is not used for nails, and good men do not become soldiers, and since he had become a soldier, people called him Zhou Landing. It was rare for anyone in the neighborhood to say a good word about him, so hearing this was very gratifying. He called Chen Xin his brother and insisted they drink until drunk.

Having lived there for a few days, Liu Minyou had also gained a basic understanding. The neighborly relations of this ancient time were completely different from the era the two of them originally came from. Neighbors watching out for and helping each other was a matter of course. The same alley or street was a natural bond, and the community was the backing for a person's conduct in the world. Whether vastly wealthy and noble or utterly treacherous and evil, one might look down on neighbors but generally would not bully them, and would more or less lend a hand. So having a local thug or rogue living on the street was not necessarily a bad thing.

"Brother Zhou, Brother Zhou, why are you only just arriving? I waited for you at the street corner for ages." A young man with a sly, fawning look hurried over. He was of medium height but extremely thin, wearing a brimmed cap and a belted robe-skirt, with a folding fan tucked into his belt. He sat down next to Zhou Shifa and shifted his stool a bit closer. Smiling before he even spoke, he said ingratiatingly to Zhou Shifa, "Brother Zhou, was duty hard today? Do you want your little brother to massage your back?"

Zhou Shifa did not even look at him and said impatiently, "Get lost. Spare me these empty gestures. First, give me the share from last time, then we'll talk about anything else."

The man was extremely thick-skinned. Ignoring the others present, he stood up and began massaging Zhou Shifa's back, saying, "Listen to you, Brother Zhou. How could your share ever be short? Money's just been tight lately. As soon as things ease up, I'll give it to you right away, old brother. Perfect timing—if Brother Zhou is free tomorrow, a few of us can go set another trap. I'll give you that along with the last one."

Zhou Shifa turned around and shoved him away, cursing, "Get lost. If you want to massage, send your wife to do it."

"Brother Zhou jests. If that coarse-handed, big-footed wife of mine came, I'd be afraid she'd hurt Brother Zhou with her massaging."

Tan Shunlin coughed. Hearing this, the man looked over. Seeing it was Tan Shunlin, he also put on a smiling face and greeted him. Only then did Tan Shunlin say to him, "You come here and don't first pay respects to the hosts, but immediately start talking about your rotten affairs. Come quickly and meet Young Master Chen and Young Master Liu first."

"Yes, yes, Head Tan is right to scold me. I was just in a hurry to find Brother Zhou. See, I've even forgotten my manners. Two elder brothers Chen and Liu, don't take offense. My surname is Deng, given name Keshan, courtesy name..."

Zhou Shifa kicked him in the backside from the side. "Courtesy name my ass. If you dare say that crappy courtesy name of yours, I'll slap you silly."

Having taken a kick, Deng Keshan quickly brushed the footprint off his pants twice. His smile unchanged, he bent slightly at the waist toward Zhou Shifa and said, "I'm just paying respects to the new neighbors. If I don't even mention my courtesy name, how will we address each other properly in the future?"

"You damn well aren't a scholar. You can't recognize a basketful of characters the size of millstones, and you still take a courtesy name? Besides, with your character, you have the nerve to take a courtesy name meaning 'Dao De'? I'm embarrassed for those two characters myself."...

"Brother Zhou, listen to you. I did attend private school for two years. Two basketfuls of characters are no problem for me. Calm down, I just won't say it, alright?"

Deng Keshan's words were neither soft nor hard. Zhou Shifa seemed to get angry, his eyes bulging. Seeing the situation turning bad, Chen Xin quickly stepped between the two, pulled Deng Keshan over, and said, "Come, come, Brother Deng, sit first. If you ask me, the name Keshan itself is profoundly learned. A man's life is like a dream in Lanke Mountain. It shows your esteemed parents were both learned and insightful people. With such a fine name, a courtesy name isn't important. Brother Zhou, calm your anger too. Among neighbors, everything can be discussed. Today, I'll just have a good few bowls of wine with you gentlemen; other matters can wait until tomorrow."

Only then did Zhou Shifa say, "For Brother Chen's sake, I won't hold it against you."

Deng Keshan promptly sat down and said to Chen Xin, "Brother Chen is truly learned. I respect learned people the most. You can just call me Deng Er. Same for Brother Liu. I won't boast about anything else, but everyone in the neighborhood around here knows I…"

Zhou Shifa sneered coldly, "Knows you're a swindler and a cheat."

Deng Keshan, not minding at all, continued with a grin, "The neighbors all know I'm a warm-hearted man. If you ever need my help with anything, no need to say more…"

"No need to say more — you'll definitely get swindled."

Tan Shunlin truly couldn't stand watching this any longer and cursed, "You two, enough is enough. If you have business, talk about it later. Don't disgrace yourselves in front of the new neighbors. Deng Keshan, stuff your mouth with a steamed cake yourself."

Zhou Shifa stopped talking and turned his face away. Deng Keshan, not the least bit angry, went and got himself a steamed cake. Looking at the table, his mouth still wouldn't rest: "Brother Chen, where's your food? I've been sitting here half the day and it still hasn't come."

Tan Shunlin was so furious he rushed over wanting to hit him: "At a flowing banquet like this, who serves the dishes before everyone's here? Can you shut that stinking mouth of yours or not?"

Chen Xin got up to block Tan Shunlin: "Constable Tan, don't be impatient. I see it's getting late and you haven't eaten either. Just sit at this table. The aunties and brothers helping inside can come eat too — it'll make a full table. Minyou, quickly have Daixi and the others bring out the dishes, and get more bowls so we can pour the wine."

As soon as Deng Keshan heard there was wine, he got excited again. Tan Shunlin had just sat down, and seeing Deng was about to speak again, he slammed the table. Deng Keshan forcibly swallowed his words back down.

Seeing the situation calm down, Chen Xin hurried into the courtyard to invite Lu You, Zhou Laifu, Jiang Wang, and the others who had been helping. The wives of these three couldn't sit at the table either, so they filled their own bowls with food and sat on little stools by the stove to eat. Although Liu Minyou disagreed with this practice, he had no way to argue the point and had to let them be. Because of the presence of conservatives like Zhou Laifu, Wang Daixi couldn't even dream of sitting at the table. She didn't mind at all — her original household had been even more conservative than this one. Not only could she not sit at the table, but often the men of the house had to finish eating first before the women could have some of the leftovers.

After calling everyone to go eat, Chen Xin was about to head out when Liu Minyou said quietly beside him, "That Deng Keshan's skin is even thicker than yours."

Chen Xin laughed, "Then I'll learn more from him. Never mind him — later you should drink more with everyone too. Those two who came last are both quite amusing."

"Only you find them amusing."

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