Chapter 8, Old Flame and Farewell Banquet

As the award ceremony concluded, the old man walked towards Zhang Chao and the others, his face beaming with unmistakable joy

I will go inform Qiniangzi to prepare the food and drinks, we must have a good drink this noon. Ke Wu smiled and walked out of the camp

However, this shop is indeed quite simple, with a floor area of approximately 30 to 40 square meters, consisting of a single room. Inside, there are about ten tables, all of which are very ordinary wooden tables paired with stools, making it very basic. There is only one person, the owner, in the shop, with no other assistance.

Who is this Ke Qiniang?

Uncle Shan, does Old Dad have any feelings for Seventh Lady?

Ke Qiniang appeared somewhat taken aback, standing there for quite a while before regaining her composure, "Oh, I see, come inside quickly, it's cold outside"

The store became busy, and many other guards came over to eat. Some called for a bowl of soup dumplings, while others shouted for a few flatbreads, creating quite a lively atmosphere

Father was promoted to deputy team leader, holding an official position equivalent to the ninth rank, which can be considered a leap from commoner to military officer. This official position is not comparable to the honorary officials and ranks, as it is a genuine official role

Hello, Aunt Qi, my name is Zhang Chao. I used to be a monk, but now I have come down from the mountain to return to secular life, and my father is pleased to accept me as his son

Regardless of the phrasing, the term "burning the tail" implies promotion and renewal; therefore, this banquet is named the "Burning the Tail Banquet"

"Alright, just put it at the back to cut." A tidy woman responded, and as her voice fell, a woman in her thirties appeared.

"Xiao Lian, come here and help." Ke Qi Niang was flustered and unable to keep up.

Here I come

Madam Ke Qiniang is indeed capable of helping the old man save money by choosing the simplest, most convenient, and economical soup pancakes, which are essentially noodles. Among the men in the team, there are no picky eaters; they are quite satisfied to have soup pancakes to eat

Saying this, he gave Zhang Chao a look that any man would understand

The woman is dressed in a ruqun, which is a tight-fitting and narrow style. The upper garment is a short and narrow jacket, while the lower garment is a skirt; the jacket is longer than the ru but shorter than the robe.

However, for two people to become close and live together, it is not so simple and easy, as there are still considerations such as children, the husband's family, and the wife's family, among others

The meaning of burning the tail varies in different folk legends

The farewell banquet held by those court officials who were promoted to express gratitude to the emperor was extremely lavish, even more so than the later Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. However, for ordinary officials, hosting such a banquet was merely an opportunity to create a lively atmosphere and foster relationships with new colleagues.

Just a deputy of a team. "Old man," he chuckled, but it was evident that he was still quite pleased deep down

Pulling a cart full of corn, I walked a dozen steps to the right, and there was a shop.

"Sanlang, please help greet the villagers." Seeing that business was so good, the old man rolled up his sleeves and came over to help knead the dough. Several fellow villagers from Zhangjiagou also came to assist in serving the guests, carrying bowls and delivering noodles

Let's just have soup dumplings, simple and convenient

A team of fifty people sat at a table with the team leader, several squad leaders, and the local militia from the same village, while the rest of the members were seated randomly. Fortunately, everyone was quite happy to have free food and did not make any complaints.

There are five groups in a team. Although the old man is only promoted to the deputy leader, he is still the second-in-command among the fifty soldiers in this garrison. The leaders of each group came to pay their respects to the new superior.

The gentleman is affectionate, and the lady has intentions. One is a young widow, and the other is a middle-aged widower. It is quite natural for a spark to ignite between them, like dry kindling meeting a fierce fire.

The "burnt tail banquet" originally referred to a feast held by court officials to celebrate their promotion and to express gratitude to the emperor for his favor. For some unknown reason, it quickly became popular among the common people. Nowadays, not only do ministers hold burnt tail banquets upon their promotion, but even ordinary minor officials and clerks also host such banquets, which are similarly referred to as burnt tail banquets

The old man did not wish to dampen everyone's spirits on such a lively day, so he readily agreed.

In the military camp, there was a large cart harnessed with mules. Ke Shan called upon a few companions from the same village to help transport the rewards of money, silk, and grain for the old man.

Thus, acquaintances made arrangements to go drinking together

Today, the brothers in our team came to eat their fill, feel free to eat, just put it on my tab. Father is indeed very generous

One interpretation suggests that when a person's status suddenly changes, it is akin to a fierce tiger transforming into a human; the tail remains large, thus it must be burned away. Another interpretation posits that a new sheep entering a flock may be disturbed by the existing sheep and find no peace, only by burning the tail of the new sheep can it settle down. This reflects the transition from commoner to bureaucrat, similar to a new sheep entering a flock, which finds it difficult to adapt to the new environment, hence the need to burn its tail.

The deputy team member has been promoted and awarded honors today, which is a double joy. The brothers will surely be having your farewell banquet at noon

The restaurant run by Miss Ke Qi is actually a small noodle shop that specializes in noodle dishes. Customers can order whatever they like, with a focus on soup pancakes, and there are also steamed pancakes available. If needed, fried pancakes can also be prepared for sale.

Young ladies of noble families do not easily show themselves in public, but for ordinary commoners, such considerations are not as stringent

The woman had clear eyebrows and bright eyes, an oval face, and just by looking at her features, Zhang Chao felt that she was very kind

Zhang Chao nodded repeatedly

Zhang Chao estimated that these two young ladies were indeed the daughters of Ke Qiniang, as they bore a striking resemblance to her. The young girls were not shy at all and seemed quite accustomed to the bustling scene in the shop

Before long, the old man came over with Team Leader Liu.

The young woman helped to roll the dough, while the young girl assisted in tending the fire, demonstrating a remarkable synergy in their cooperation

"Seventh Sister, come here quickly, I would like to introduce you to the new son of Brother Iron Gun, his name is Zhang Chao"

The high waist, chest binding, form-fitting hips, and wide hem that reaches the ground make an ordinary dress worn by her fully reveal her well-proportioned and slender curves, while also conveying a touch of graceful elegance.

Zhang Chao has already heard everyone mention Ke Qiniang several times, and seeing them take the old man's money and grain to her shop, it seems that the relationship is quite close

It is said to be a treat for a meal, but in fact, there is not a single decent restaurant in this town.

The training ground was bustling with activity, as the soldiers preparing for deployment received varying degrees of rewards, each one beaming with joy. The soldiers on duty also watched the lively scene, congratulating their fellow villagers who had earned accolades and rewards, while casually inviting them to treat them to drinks. At that moment, no one was being stingy; everyone nodded and smiled in agreement.

Ke Wu also followed a few team leaders behind him. He was originally a squad leader in Old Dad's team. Old Dad's team originally consisted of ten members, divided into two squads of five each. Old Dad served as both the team leader and the left squad leader, while Ke Wu was the right squad leader. Now that Old Dad has been promoted to deputy team leader, Ke Wu has taken over the position of team leader and also serves as the left squad leader, while the right squad leader position has been taken over by Ke Shan, a knife player from the same village.

A tall girl, approximately eleven or twelve years old, came out from behind with a girl around eight or nine years old. The older girl had her sleeves rolled up and water on her hands, suggesting that she had just been washing dishes in the back.

"How about having a drink at Miss Ke Qiniang's shop by the entrance?" said Cui Hao, the team leader, who was standing beside the old man. This team leader has been with the old man's group for a long time, but he is not old, just in his early thirties, and is a local from Bailu Township.

The rewards from the old man are abundant, with several dozen pounds of silver and copper alone, not to mention over one thousand pounds of millet, as well as a considerable amount of cloth.

Another saying goes that the carp must leap over the dragon gate, and only with the heavenly fire burning away its tail can it transform into a dragon

Today, the village is truly lively. Ke Shan, who has just been promoted to the position of team leader, is laughing heartily, his yellow face flushed with joy. He has earned quite a bit of grain today, with several hundred jin of millet, as well as monetary rewards and silk gifts. Now that he has also been promoted to a team leader, he is naturally very happy

Congratulations, my brother, you will be the vice captain of our front team from now on

"Borrow a car and first take the things to Ke Qiniang's shop," Ke Shan said with a smile, while the old man remained silent

Oh, you little rascal, you are quite clever, just like in that arithmetic earlier. In some ways, you really don't seem like someone who has been living in the mountains for a long time. Let me tell you, don't mention this to Dad. In fact, it's obvious to everyone that Dad has feelings for Miss Ke Qi. Miss Ke Qi is also aware of Brother Tie Qiang's affections, and I suspect that the two of them have definitely been involved with each other in private.

The woman was greatly astonished to learn that the tall, fair-skinned, handsome young man with short hair in front of her was actually the newly adopted son of Zhang Tieqiang

Oh. Zhang Chao nodded with a smile and also joined in the bustling business of this lively noodle shop

"Seventh Sister, this is Brother Iron Gun's food, let me put it here for now," Ke Shan shouted with a loud voice

The woman's skirt is tied very high, directly at the armpit, effectively resting on her chest.

Ke Wu and Ke Shan, one went to the only deli on the street to buy cooked meat, while the other went to buy liquor

Zhang Chao immediately understood the subtle implication in Ke Shan's tone while he was speaking

It is estimated that the old man is not merely kind-hearted in his assistance; there may also be some other intentions involved.

Ke Shan turned his head to glance at the old man who was speaking with Captain Liu, and then leaned closer to Zhang Chao's ear and said with a smile, "Miss Ke Qiniang is also a woman from our Zhangjiagou, but she married into the neighboring Zhao Village many years ago. Her husband was once a soldier in the garrison, but he died two years ago while fighting Liu Wuzhou in Hedong. Since then, Qiniang has remained a widow, raising two daughters. Brother Tieqiang saw that the three of them were pitiful, so he often helped them out. Brother Tieqiang is kind-hearted, and Qiniang opened a small restaurant outside our military camp, with the initial capital also provided by Brother Tieqiang."

The top is very short, while the skirt is quite long

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, society was heavily influenced by the customs of the Hu people, and the atmosphere was relatively open. It was quite normal for widows to remarry. In fact, the court publicly encouraged widows to remarry to promote post-war recovery and increase the population, and even encouraged young people to marry early.