Chapter 322: Hu Ansu’s Arrival

Chapter 322: Hu Ansu’s Arrival

Song Congzu, accompanied by his servants, bought twenty sets of clothing, shoes, and socks in the city. He then went to the Eastern City to purchase six live sheep. After leaving the Eastern City, he bought four jars of gaoliang wine on his way back. These items were to be taken out of the city by his servants as New Year gifts for the household servants.

Watching the camels and servants leave the city gate, Song Congzu’s eyes met Huang Ancheng’s. In front of everyone, he walked over, addressing the city guardsmen as uncles and greeting them.

“This year, your mother and sister aren’t home, so it’s just you and your father celebrating the New Year. It’ll be lonely, why not join us for the New Year’s Eve dinner?” said a city guardsman with a few gray hairs in his beard, looking at Huang Ancheng with a smile. “Your son’s marriage hasn’t been settled yet, right? Get him a wife soon, and in a couple of years, with a child in the house, it’ll be lively.”

“Brother Li, don’t you have a daughter? About the same age as Congzu, right?” another city guardsman added.

“Congzu, you’re twenty this year, right?” asked City Guard Li.

Song Congzu understood—they were trying to marry their daughter to him.

“Yes, twenty,” Huang Ancheng answered.

“Then my daughter is three years younger than Congzu,” City Guard Li said, looking at Song Congzu and then back at Huang Ancheng. “Join us for the New Year, and we’ll have a lively celebration.”

Huang Ancheng didn’t respond. He couldn’t make the decision and didn’t want to cause trouble. He looked at Song Congzu, leaving it up to him.

“I won’t hide it from Uncle Li, but I’ll be leaving the city in a couple of days. This trip back is to pay the levy and to visit Jade Merchant in the northern part of the city in advance for New Year’s greetings. I’ll be spending the New Year with the servants who raise the camels,” Song Congzu quickly improvised.

“So soon? Why didn’t I hear your father mention this?” City Guard Li’s expression changed, clearly displeased.

“I upset my mother this year, and she threatened to leave the family business to my sister. I can’t afford to be careless,” Song Congzu said with a casual smirk. “What can I do? My mother trusts our longtime servants, and as the master, I have to curry favor with them.”

The onlookers were taken aback, especially City Guard Li. He suspected the young man was lying, but whether it was true or not, the marriage proposal had been declined, so he let it go and didn’t speak further.

Song Congzu left calmly. Instead of going straight home, he went to the market to buy some wine and meat, getting ready with New Year gifts for the upcoming visits.

That evening, father and son sat together for dinner in silence.

The next day, Song Congzu took the wine and meat to visit his uncle first. Before leaving, Zhao Xiaomi packed two pieces of marinated meat for him.

Later, Song Congzu had a sheep slaughtered at the market and took it fresh to the Zhao family. He apologized to Zhao Xiping in person, using the excuse that the camels were in heat and fighting fiercely, and there weren’t enough hands in the desert, so he had to go and keep an eye on things. He steered clear of family issues that might cause unnecessary distress.

On the 29th of the twelfth month, Song Congzu rode his camel out of the city.

As for Huang Ancheng, he spent New Year’s Eve at his elder brother’s house. After dinner, he went with their family to the northern inn to watch the escorts compete in martial arts, enjoying roasted meat with the merchants and enjoying himself.

“Mistress, there’s a young man at the door claiming to be your nephew, here to see you,” Ding Quan found the person eating grilled fish in the lively crowd.

“My nephew?” Sui Yu discarded the fish bone in her hand. She instinctively thought of Aning, but Ding Quan couldn’t possibly not recognize Aning. She followed Ding Quan out and was truly taken aback to see the person standing in the snow.

“Auntie, your nephew has come uninvited. Please don’t mind,” said Hu Ansu, kneeling and bowing. “I’m here to wish you an early Happy New Year.”

Sui Yu was startled and quickly pulled him up. “You rascal, here for your New Year’s money?”

“You’ve seen through me, Auntie. That’s exactly what I’m here for. I’ve never come to wish you a Happy New Year before, and it’s truly my fault,” Hu Ansu explained, not wanting her to think he had come with a big request.

Sui Yu sent Ding Quan in to call Zhao Xiping and Sui Liang out. She took Hu Ansu to the kitchen courtyard, saying, “I’ll call your uncle and cousin out, and you can bow to them one by one to get more New Year’s money. The teahouse is bustling, and we have to shout to be heard. Let’s talk in this room. An’ge, did you come alone? Didn’t your mother come?”

“No, she caught a cold before the New Year and is resting at home. I wanted to stay with her, but she was worried I’d catch her illness and wouldn’t let me see her. Later, I went out to watch people light torches, wanting to light one for her. On the way, I heard people talking about the lively scene at the northern inn tonight, so I came over.”

As he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside. Hu Ansu stood up to greet them, ready to bow, but Zhao Xiping was quick and pulled him up.

Zhao Xiping looked to Sui Yu for help. What was this child’s name again? And what was this about?

“An’ge has come to wish you a Happy New Year, but it’s not yet the New Year. As his uncle and cousin, don’t forget his New Year’s money,” Sui Yu understood his confusion.

Sui Liang hugged his nephew and sat him down on the bench, saying, "You rascal, if you hadn't come, I would have forgotten what you look like. Later, I'll give you a pocketful of lucky money, and remember to come back next year."

Hu Ansuo smiled and agreed. He glanced at his uncle. It had been a year and a half since they last met, and everyone had grown up.

Zhao Xiping went out for a while and soon returned with a pot of red date and ginger tea, asking Hu Ansuo to drink a bowl to ward off the cold. Then he brought grilled lamb and fish, but Hu Ansuo was frail and couldn't eat much, so he just tasted a little and put it down.

"Mom? I heard we have guests?" A child walked in carrying a silk lantern.

A boy wearing a bright red satin brocade jacket stepped over the threshold. The red jacket made his face as white as snow, his lips red, and his teeth white. His eyes sparkled, and his lively eyebrows were quite striking, as if a person from a painting had walked out.

Hu Ansuo looked at him with admiration and said to Sui Yu, "Aunt, my cousin looks great. You've raised him well."

"So it's my cousin! Now I remember," the child said.

"Have you forgotten me? Didn't your mother mention me?" Hu Ansuo pretended to be disappointed.

"I didn't forget, but you look so different now," the child explained calmly. "I remember you, and I know where you live. When I went to the city with my uncle, I even told him which road leads to your house."

Sui Liang: ... He almost believed it.

The child walked over and sat down next to Sui Yu. He felt a bit hot and asked if he could unbutton his jacket to let some air in.

Sui Yu only allowed him to unbutton two buttons. "Just sit still for a bit, and you'll cool down."

Hu Ansuo's gaze fell on the clothes the family of four was wearing. The jackets and pants were fluffy but not bulky. When they moved, the thick jackets folded down easily, and when they let go, they quickly bounced back.

Sui Yu noticed his gaze and proactively said, "These are cotton jackets. Have you heard about me growing cotton? The seeds came from your uncle, and I successfully grew most of them."

"Aunt, don't worry, that's not why I came. The cotton seeds my uncle gave you are yours. I'm not here to claim credit or seek benefits," Hu Ansuo explained. "I heard about the cotton from my father and was curious, but I never got the chance to come and see."

Sui Yu glanced at Zhao Xiping, who had gone out. In a few words, he returned with a cotton jacket from next door, which was for merchants to try out.

Hu Ansuo took it in his hands. Compared to the reed-padded jacket and the sheepskin coat, this jacket was really light.

"I was going to make a set of cotton clothes for you and your mother, and send two cotton quilts as well. But this year, I only planted two acres of cotton, and the harvest wasn't great, so there wasn't enough to send to your father and mother. If I sent cotton clothes and quilts only to you and your mother, I'm not sure they'd even get to you, and it might cause trouble for you instead," Sui Yu explained. "Next year, when I grow more cotton, I'll send fifty or sixty pounds of cotton to your family. Then you and your mother can both wear cotton clothes."

In just this short conversation, Hu Ansuo could feel his legs warming up under the cotton jacket. It was really nice. He thought for a moment and hesitantly asked if the jacket could be turned into cotton pants for him. In winter, he could wear a sheepskin coat on his upper body, but no matter how thickly he dressed his legs, they always felt cold.

Sui Yu called for Cui Sao and asked her to bring some fabric to make a pair of cotton pants that very night.

"No hurry. How about I wait for you at my back door at noon on the third day of the new year?" Hu Ansuo asked.

Sui Yu had no objections. "I'll have your uncle bring it over then."

The water in the bowl had cooled, so Zhao Xiping took it out to pour it away and made a fresh, hot bowl.

Hu Ansuo thanked him, took the bowl, and drank. Realizing he had interrupted the family's fun, he said a few more words and then proposed to leave.

"I'll take you back," Zhao Xiping said. "It's late, don't walk alone at night."

With that, he took out three cloth pouches from his pocket, filled with copper coins. Zhao Xiping handed the pouches over and said, "Lucky money. Take it, and grow taller next year."

Hu Ansuo didn't hesitate. He accepted the three pouches of money and said, "Thank you, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. I'll come back to wish you a Happy New Year next year."

"Alright, it doesn't have to be just during the New Year. You can come over on ordinary days too," Sui Yu said as she saw him off. She handed him the cotton jacket and said, "Take this to stay warm. When you get home, have your uncle bring it back. Don't do any needlework before the fifth day. On the sixth day, I'll have someone make you a pair of close-fitting cotton pants and send them over at noon on the seventh day. You're slim, so no one will notice if you wear them underneath."

Hu Ansuo thanked her, took the jacket, and followed Zhao Xiping out, holding the lantern handed to him by the child.

When the sound of hooves faded into the distance, Sui Liang stretched and asked, "Sister, what do you think he came for this time?"

"Couldn’t he just come over for a simple visit?" Sui Yu asked with a smile.

"I don’t believe it. He’s always scheming. On such a cold day, he walked all the way from the city. Why would he walk all that way just for a simple visit and a couple of bowls of red date and ginger water?" Sui Liang retorted.

"Perhaps he understands the benefits that cotton can bring us, thinking we have money and influence now, and wants to get close to us, using us as a backing for him and his mother," Sui Yu sighed and said, "Don’t overthink it. He’s a smart person; even if he turned foolish overnight, he wouldn’t harm us. He and Sui Hui are in a tough spot in the mansion, always dealing with schemes. If using our name can make their lives a bit easier, let him do what he wants."

The little one held his mother’s hand and said, "Mom, when I grow up, I’ll protect you too."

"What do I need protecting from?" Sui Yu didn’t understand.

"You’re jealous," he stated firmly.

"Jealous of what?" Sui Yu was even more puzzled.

"You’re jealous that my aunt has such a good son."

Sui Yu: ...Not really?

"Alright then, I’ll wait for you to grow up and protect me too," Sui Yu said, "But I doubt you’ll get the chance."

"I think so too," the little one giggled, he’d rather not have that chance, "My mom will always stay strong."