Chapter 246

Chapter 246

Early on the twenty-eighth, after feeding the livestock and poultry and cleaning out the chicken coops, Liu Dagé and Zhou Dalang heard Pei Yan calling. They leaned their manure-sweeping brooms against the chicken coop fence, dusted off the dirt and dust from their clothes, stomped their feet to shake off the dirt from their shoes, and then entered the courtyard.

Hearing that they were being sent home two days earlier than expected, both of them showed evident joy on their faces, thinking that if they left now, they could still catch the noon market to buy New Year's goods. Throughout the year, they rarely had the chance to go to the market.

Pei Yan did not delay and immediately paid them their wages. Then he pointed to the bamboo basket by the kitchen door and said, "Pack your luggage and remember to take these gifts back with you. Have a good rest during the New Year and come back after the fifteenth."

Even though they would be working two fewer days, their wages remained unchanged. The basket contained meat, bones, and two packets of pastries, as well as a bundle of dried green beans and a small bag of dried bamboo shoots. Liu Dagé and Zhou Dalang were deeply grateful and hurriedly went into the west room to pack their belongings.

After rolling up their bedding and placing it in the corner next to the stove, where they would return to work after the New Year, they only needed ten days off, so there was no need to bring everything back.

Knowing that their employer valued cleanliness, they swept the west room before leaving, closing all the doors and windows. Then, carrying their bundles and the bamboo basket, they bid farewell to Pei Yan and happily returned home.

*

In Liu Village, when Liu Dagé arrived home, the courtyard, which had been filled only with coughing sounds, suddenly became lively.

Bai Ya'er was busy in the kitchen and came out quickly upon hearing the commotion. Liu Lao Niang, Liu Lao De, Xiao Zao'er, and Er Wa were all gathered around the table, looking at the contents of the bamboo basket.

Xiao Zao'er was a thin, dark-skinned little girl, about seven or eight years old. Er Wa was even younger and looked very much like his sister, also tanned but slightly weaker due to his young age.

Both children stared at the meat and bones, salivating. Even raw meat was incredibly tempting to them. If not for the adults watching, they might have lunged forward to take a bite.

Liu Dagé stood beside the table and opened one of the pastry packets, revealing common white cakes with a flower design made of five red dots on top, purely for decoration.

These white cakes were sold abundantly at the New Year's market, often cheaper than usual, but for their family, they were only bought during festivals.

He gave each of the elders and children a piece of cake, smiling as he watched his daughter and son eat the white cakes.

"Sweet," Xiao Zao'er said while eating, and Er Wa mimicked her, saying the cake was sweet too.

Liu Lao Niang and Liu Lao De held the cakes in one hand and caught the crumbs with the other, eating them meticulously without wasting a single crumb.

"Ya'er, have one," Liu Dagé said, handing a piece of cake to his husband who had just come out.

Compared to last year when he was sickly, Bai Ya'er looked much better, although still thin, he no longer appeared ill. He smiled, took the cake, and similarly caught the crumbs with one hand, feeling immensely satisfied with every bite.

Seeing the contents of the basket, he couldn't help but smile. "Did the master give these?"

"Yes, all of these," Liu Dagé replied cheerfully, adding, "The master said to come back after the fifteenth."

Bai Ya'er swallowed his mouthful of cake, understanding that he was invited back to work next year, which filled him with joy. Looking at the basket, he saw that they had been given meat again this year, and he sighed with relief.

Yesterday, they had been discussing buying meat. With the money saved from wages and selling scorpions, they had managed to save a few taels of silver, but they couldn't spend it all during the New Year; they still needed to budget carefully. These few pounds of meat solved their immediate problem, not to mention the bones, pastries, green beans, and bamboo shoots, all of which would be useful during the New Year.

All the food items showed the master's generosity and thoughtfulness. In previous years, when relatives visited during the New Year, the meals were often sparse. But these gifts seemed to hit the spot, filling their hearts with excitement and joy.

Meanwhile, Zhou Dalang's family was also filled with laughter and joy. For families living on tight budgets, seeing the meat and other items brought immense happiness, ensuring a New Year with plenty of meat and oil.

On New Year's Eve.

*

It grew dark early, and before long, night fell. The new lanterns hanging at the front door cast a warm glow on the ground.

"Bang—Pop!"

A firecracker shot up into the sky, exploding with a flash of light.

Pei Yan stood a distance away from the gate, having just set off a firecracker. He turned to look at his son first.

Xing Xing hid behind Gu Lanshi, peeking out with half his head visible, holding onto Gu Lanshi's pants with one hand and covering his ears with the other. When the firecracker exploded, he was startled for a moment, then laughed with a "Ha."

People in the village had been setting off firecrackers in the afternoon, and Xing Xing had been puzzled by the noise. Now, he finally understood where the sounds were coming from.

Seeing that his son wasn't scared, Pei Yan smiled. "You're quite brave, stronger than last year."

Last year, Xing Xing was still an infant, and the sound of firecrackers would immediately make him cry.

"He's a year older, so he's naturally braver," Gu Lanshi defended his child, looking down at Xing Xing. With one hand covering his ears, Xing Xing looked as if he wasn't covering them at all. Gu Lanshi chuckled, picked him up, and held him in front of him, wrapping his legs around his son, bending down to cover Xing Xing's ears with his hand.

Xing Xing stood steadily, laughing joyfully.

Pei Yan held a burning twig, and once he saw that they were ready, he picked up a rocket from the pile of firecrackers, lit the fuse, and launched it.

"Whizz—Bang!"

The rocket flew higher than the firecrackers, and Xing Xing looked up, blinking and shrinking back when it exploded. Once the noise subsided, he started making excited sounds.

Pei Yan continued to set off firecrackers for his son, who was thrilled, laughing and shouting.

As fireworks soared into the sky, Xing Xing stared wide-eyed at the blooming fireworks, making sounds of wonder.

Dahei, Huīhuī, and Huīzǎi all lifted their heads to watch the fireworks.

They were more experienced than Xing Xing, having seen fireworks for the past two or three years. They didn't bark wildly but barked a few times when Xing Xing clapped and stomped his feet in excitement.

They had bought many firecrackers and fireworks, enjoying them thoroughly before stopping, saving some for the fifth and fifteenth days of the New Year.

As night deepened, the trio packed up and headed back. Xing Xing, who rarely stayed up so late, was rubbing his eyes, sleepy.

Pei Yan picked up his chubby son and patted him gently. Gu Lanshi closed the gate and secured the latch. Lanterns and colorful decorations hung from the fruit trees, lit up and glowing beautifully.

The dogs ran ahead. It was a bit cold at night, and Gu Lanshi's cheeks were slightly flushed. He had also set off many firecrackers and was still excited.

Xing Xing could play and eat this year, but compared to adults, he was still too young to handle firecrackers, so he could only watch from the side.

With the gate closed, the three loyal dogs guarded outside. As the cold wind blew, Huīzǎi, who had been running around, felt the chill and retreated into the doghouse.

Dahei had already lain down in his nest, with a large bone under his head, lying comfortably. Hearing distant voices and firecrackers, he opened his eyes and listened attentively. Finding no danger, he licked the bone and laid his head back down.

Today is the thirtieth. Gu Lansi gave a bone with intact meat to the dog. The moment Dahei and the others got it, they each found a spot to gnaw on it. Huai Zai, delighted by the meat, happily gnawed while making soft whining sounds.

It's the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one; it's time to reward the dogs.

*

Time flies like a blink of an eye. The winter snow melts, and spring breezes arrive.

The melting snow flows into a river, creating a rushing sound as white foam splashes up.

No more ice can be seen on the river surface. In the swift sections, the water roars as it rushes swiftly towards the distant horizon.

The withered yellow grass from last year has yet to disappear. Gu Lansi used a small shovel to clear away the layer of dead branches and leaves, revealing the green wild vegetables underneath.

He dug them out with the shovel, shook off the soil from their roots, and tossed them into the bamboo basket.

Huai Huai ran over from nearby, sniffing around the ground. It tilted its head to watch Gu Lansi dig the wild vegetables. After watching for a while, it seemed to understand and started digging with its front paws, sending dirt flying everywhere, not only digging up dead grass but also pulling out newly sprouted wild vegetables by their roots.

"Woof!"

Gu Lansi heard the commotion and looked up to find a small pit in front of Huai Huai.

Huai Huai nudged two wild vegetables on the ground with its nose, indicating for him to take them.

Gu Lansi laughed, squatted down, and saw that they were indeed wild vegetables, not weeds. Although the leaves were covered in dirt, he picked them up, shook them clean, and threw them into the basket. Then he vigorously rubbed Huai Huai's head and ears. "You're really amazing, able to find wild vegetables now."

Huai Huai could catch small shrimp and fish from the river, and now it had learned to dig wild vegetables. Indeed, it was quite remarkable for such a chubby little dog.

After being praised and petted, Huai Huai became even more enthusiastic, digging with even more vigor.

Due to the flying dirt, Gu Lansi had to move farther away to avoid getting dirty.

Although the dog worked hard at digging, it wasn't as nimble as human hands. After filling the basket, Gu Lansi collected the wild vegetables Huai Huai had dug up and stopped it from continuing. They then headed home together.

Upon entering, he saw only Pei Yan and Xing Xing there and asked, "Did Big Brother leave?"

Xing Xing, seeing him, waddled over with short legs. Pei Yan, fearing the child would fall, followed closely behind. He stopped when he saw Xing Xing jump into Gu Lansi's arms.

"Brother Sun said he had something urgent at home and left. He promised to come back later to discuss the foundation and plans, and we'll invite him to have some wine then."

Foreman Sun was the craftsman Gu Tieshan had helped find to build the house. He had a good reputation in the area, skilled and honest, never causing trouble.

Gu Lansi's elder brother's house was built under his leadership. Therefore, today, he came to finalize the house-building plan, and Gu Lansheng also came along.

Initially, they planned to dig some fresh wild vegetables, prepare some meat and wine, and offer a hearty meal to keep the guests longer.

Gu Lansi nodded. "Alright, let's make steamed wild vegetable buns today, dipped in garlic vinegar sauce to satisfy our cravings."

He grabbed a stool and sat down outside the kitchen to sort the vegetables. Xing Xing, a chubby little bundle, saw the fresh green wild vegetables, squatted in front of the bamboo basket, and reached out to grab a handful.

Gu Lansi smiled and said, "Do you want to help sort the vegetables?"

Before he finished speaking, Xing Xing had already torn the vegetables in his hand. Gu Lansi shook his head, took the vegetables from his son's hand, and said, "Don't play with food. It's for eating." Wild vegetables were just starting to sprout, and it was the most tempting time.

"Wash your hands and give him a piece of flaky pastry to eat. Don't let him cause trouble here," he told Pei Yan.

Pei Yan saw his son squatting there, a chubby little bundle, and couldn't help but smile. He came over and lifted Xing Xing away.

Xing Xing was unwilling, humming and waving his little arms, wanting to go back and cause more trouble.

"Eat the pastry, will you eat it?" Pei Yan asked.

"Eat," Xing Xing replied in a baby voice, hugging his father's neck and rubbing his cheek against his father's face.