Chapter 24 Before the New Year

Chapter 24 Before the New Year

Eldest Young Master had hired a tailor to come to the house these past couple of days to make new clothes, to cheer up his ailing wife.

A few days earlier, when Second Young Master returned from visiting his in-laws, Squire Li and Madam Li had given fine fabric as gifts to their nephews, nieces, and the two young children. Madam Li had everyone measured so that new clothes could be made before the Spring Festival.

She also took some silver from the main household accounts to buy jewelry for her daughters and daughter-in-law.

The old lady was frugal, but the Spring Festival only came once a year, and everyone ought to dress up nicely. Besides, they would be visiting relatives on the second day of the new year, and there would be temple fairs and lantern festivals throughout the first lunar month, so it was only proper to dress decently.

Jian Ru brought along the silk fabric that the eldest sister-in-law had given him earlier, as well as the material from his foster mother. He had the tailor make a close-fitting inner garment from the silk—it was soft and smooth, comfortable to wear.

The outerwear material was just enough to make one set each for him and the Second Young Master.

While the tailor took everyone’s measurements one by one, the family gathered in the outer room of the eldest son’s quarters, sitting around, cracking sunflower seeds, chatting, and waiting their turn.

The eldest son didn’t mind the noise. Li Qinglan, having been confined to her room for so long, had spent most of her time with just the two of them, which made it easier for her to dwell on gloomy thoughts. Now, with so many people around and the lively atmosphere, she wore a headscarf and thick clothing, and joined in the casual banter. Watching everyone joke around lifted her spirits, and she finally showed some smiles.

With the new clothes underway, Madam Li began delegating chores to everyone—it was time to start preparing for the New Year.

Normally, these preparations should have started a month earlier, but with one thing after another happening recently, Madam Li hadn’t had the heart, and her children had lacked enthusiasm, so things were delayed until now.

Fortunately, there were plenty of hands in the household, and it wasn’t too late to catch up.

Buying food and supplies for the festival was the responsibility of the eldest sister, Li Jinhui. Every year, she and Zhao Pin would take the cart out for a day and return with a full cartload of goods.

She handled everything meticulously—supplies for the family, gifts for others—all clearly accounted for.

When everyone gathered to pay their respects, she would take out her list and go over each item, detailing what was spent and where.

The eldest son said to his sister, "Who wouldn’t trust you? There’s no need to go through all this trouble."

Li Jinhui widened her eyes and said, "It’s not that I’m afraid you don’t trust me—I just want you to know how exhausting it is for the two of us to go out. We have to compare prices and decide what’s worth buying! The two of us have four legs between us, plus the horse’s legs—that’s eight legs running around all day, nearly worn out!"

She glanced at her mother. "Jin Rong said yesterday that I always pick the easy jobs. I need to set the record straight!"

Madam Li quickly soothed her, "Alright, alright, we understand. Jin Hui and Brother-in-law Zhao have worked hard."

Zhao Pin stood to the side, smiling good-naturedly and wisely staying out of the sisters’ dispute.

Jin Rong, having been reported, wasn’t angry. She was going to help the eldest son sweep dust from the roof later and was already wearing an apron and a headscarf, not caring how she looked.

She was staring at Jian Ru again, frowning intently, until Madam Li tapped her on the arm. Only then did she casually say to her elder sister, "Fine, I was wrong. Elder Sister, you should be careful—petty-mindedness harms your liver."

Li Jinhui exclaimed, "Mother, look at her, just look at her…!"

Madam Li said, exasperated, "Goodness, you two have been bickering since you were little, and now that you’re grown, you still won’t let me rest. I’m not settling your arguments—argue if you want!"

But once they were allowed to argue freely, the two suddenly stopped. While others continued chatting, it wasn’t long before Jin Hui herself sidled up to Jin Rong and started whispering to her. Somehow, the two had made up just like that.

Madam Li found the chatter too noisy and waved everyone off, telling them to go do their work and stop hanging around in front of her.

Jian Ru was assigned to steam buns, sweet stuffed buns, and bean paste buns in the kitchen, as well as make soft, fluffy pancakes. Li Jintong also had work to do—red paper and gold powder had been bought by the eldest sister the day before, and he needed to write Spring Festival couplets and "fu" characters for the household. With three courtyards’ worth of doors and windows to cover, it would take him a good part of the day.

Jian Ru put on an apron and headed to the main kitchen, where Old Lady Wang was already busy.

Old Lady Wang had once reported him, but Jian Ru was thick-skinned and hadn’t held a grudge. When the eldest sister-in-law had her accident, the two had worked together during the most critical moments, and those trivial matters from the past were long forgotten.

Both were efficient and worked quickly.

The dough was set to rise, covered with lids to prevent it from drying out. With several basins of dough set aside, they started stoking the fire to cook the bean paste and syrup.

Though you could buy anything on Yuanbao Street, shops selling rice, flour, and seasonings naturally carried ready-made white sugar, but it wasn’t cheap. The Li family could afford it, but when it came to managing a household, saving where possible was the way to go. Using much cheaper beetroots to make syrup was more labor-intensive, but the result tasted even better.

Though it was cold outside, the two large stoves in the kitchen kept the room steaming hot. They were steaming with sweat as they worked, so Old Lady Wang opened the door facing the courtyard.

Xian Yu, having finished practicing his calligraphy, wandered outside and caught the scent. Despite being chubby, he was quite agile—he hopped over the threshold and asked, "Aunt, what are you and Granny Wang making that smells so good?"

Jian Ru scooped up a bit of syrup, blew on it to cool it, and popped it into Xian Yu’s mouth. The boy’s eyes lit up. "More!"

Jian Ru laughed. "Go call Qiao Zhi over. I’ll make pancakes with syrup filling for both of you."

The little chubby boy let out an excited shout and bounded off to fetch his sister.

Before the child returned, another person appeared at the door, not making a sound, just leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed, watching.

Jian Ru was kneading the freshly risen dough—his slender frame belied his strength as he worked the dough until it was smooth and glossy. Old Lady Wang praised him repeatedly.

Noticing the light at the doorway dim, Jian Ru instinctively turned to look and saw Second Sister Jin Rong standing there with a chicken-feather duster in hand, staring straight at him.

Their eyes met, but Jin Rong didn’t look away—she stared openly.

Jian Ru wasn’t foolish; he’d long noticed that Second Sister often watched him. He handed his task over to Old Lady Wang and went to the door. "Second Sister, did you need something?"

Jin Rong stared at the scar on his face and asked abruptly, "When were you burned?"

Jian Ru paused in surprise. "About three or four years ago."

Jin Rong pressed, "Who treated you at the time?"

Jian Ru said, "A village doctor from the neighboring village."

Jin Rong frowned. "If you had come to me back then, you might not have been left with a scar."

Jian Ru’s eyes brightened momentarily, then dimmed again. "I didn’t have much money at the time and didn’t dare come to town for treatment."

Jin Rong said, "That's unfortunate."

Jian Ru smiled wryly. "At least I’m still alive. There’s no use regretting it."

Jin Rong asked, "Do you want me to try treating it for you? But it’s been too long—I can’t make any promises."

Hearing this, Jian Ru lowered his head, feeling a pang of sadness. No one wanted such a large scar on their face—whenever he went out, people stared, and whether the comments behind his back were kind or not, they always stung.

But having hope raised only to be dashed was the hardest thing to bear.

Moreover, the ointment he used on his leg—he’d asked Xiao Ning to discreetly inquire at the pharmacy—the hardest ingredient to find was quite expensive. The cost of four or five months’ worth of medicine each year would have been enough to feed his family of three for half a year in the past, and sourcing the ingredients was also troublesome.

Jian Ru didn’t want to cause more trouble for the Li family.

Besides, treatment most likely wouldn't work.

He shook his head. "Second Sister, thank you for your kindness, but I don’t want to treat it."

If it were Li Jinhui, she would have insisted, but Jin Rong was more unconcerned. She was similar to Li Jintong in that she didn’t place much importance on appearances—Li Jintong had been tempered by long illness into indifference, while Jin Rong’s focus simply lay elsewhere. She categorized people not as good or bad, only as sick or healthy. Beauty and ugliness made no difference to her, and she respected others’ choices. She simply nodded and said, "Suit yourself."

Behind her, the two children came chattering noisily across the courtyard. Xian Yu shouted, "Aunt, I’m here, I’m here!"

Jin Rong turned and caught Xian Yu as he dashed over, though it clearly wasn’t out of affection—she weighed him in her arms and said, "Li Xianyu, you need to slim down."

After saying this, she patted Qiao Zhi's head as the girl followed behind, then walked away holding the feather duster.

Li Xianyu was stunned for a moment before shouting, "I'm not fat! I'm not fat at all!"

Jian Ru, who had been feeling somewhat down, forgot his troubles thanks to the child's antics.

The kid's screaming was deafening, and just as Jian Ru was about to intervene, Li Qiaozhi rushed over, clamped a hand over Li Xianyu's mouth, and scolded, "Shut up!"

Li Xianyu struggled free with muffled protests, and the two began to argue. Jian Ru quickly scooped out two large spoonfuls of maltose syrup, rolled them into freshly baked pancakes, and handed one to each child.

Finally, things quieted down. The two children obediently sat on the stools by the doorstep and ate quietly.

A little later, when the steamed buns were ready, each child ate half a plain bun.

The wheat was grown on the Li family’s own land, provided by tenants as part of their rent. Their fields were high-quality and nutrient-rich, producing wheat that, when ground into flour, gave off an exceptionally fragrant aroma. The steamed buns were so enticing that the scent alone made your mouth water.

After finishing their meal, the children were called back by their tutor to continue reciting texts, and the kitchen grew much quieter.

Jian Ru and Old Lady Wang began making red bean paste buns. Old Lady Wang glanced at his hands and said, "There's plenty of bean paste. Don't be so stingy."

Jian Ru replied, "Jin Tong prefers thicker skins with less filling. He says it’s lighter that way. I’m making some just for him."

Old Lady Wang remarked, "With two large batches from the steamer, how will you tell them apart later?"

Jian Ru said, "I’ve marked them. I’ll find them when it’s time to eat."

Old Lady Wang clicked her tongue twice. "You really know how to take care of someone, always thinking of your man."

Jian Ru didn’t mind the teasing and replied cheerfully, "Of course!"

As they chatted, they continued working without pause. The bean paste buns were soon steamed and ready. Just as they finished moving the buns to a basin, Old Lady Wang glanced outside and chuckled, "Well, no need to worry—he’s come looking for you!"

Jian Ru turned to look and saw a slender, elegant young man walking across the courtyard. A light breeze lifted the hem of his robe, making him look practically celestial.

Jian Ru was completely smitten, his mind growing hazy with admiration.

The Second Young Master smiled, holding up an object in his hand. Jian Ru’s eyes lit up as he ran out to meet him, taking it eagerly. "A pinwheel!"

Li Jintong smiled at him. "Qiao Zhi and Xianyu came to my room this afternoon begging me to make pinwheels for them, so I made an extra one."

Though Li Jintong often praised Jian Ru for his dexterity, he himself was meticulous. Each blade of the pinwheel was a different color, adorned with painted floral patterns, exquisitely crafted. Jian Ru puffed out his cheeks and blew, setting the blades spinning. The colors blended together, creating a mesmerizing sight.

Li Jintong watched him blow on it but soon looked away, his cheeks flushing inexplicably.

Old Lady Wang called from the doorway, "There’s not much left to do. You two can head back first."

Jian Ru refused to leave early. He handed the pinwheel back to the Second Young Master, saying, "Wait for me, I’ll be quick," and returned to the kitchen. Together with Old Lady Wang, he swiftly cleaned the stove and basins, wiped everything down, and set aside some steamed buns, bean paste buns, and pancakes for dinner. The rest were sealed in basins and left outside to freeze on a wooden table.

Only after everything was done did he allow Old Lady Wang to urge him back to his room with the Second Young Master.

The Second Young Master went to wash his hands first. The desk in the room was covered with drying Spring Festival couplets and "Fu" (fortune) characters. Jian Ru examined each one, thinking they looked perfect.

After removing his heavy robe and washing his hands, Jian Ru picked up the pinwheel again, blowing on it and watching it spin for a long time.

As he played happily, someone gently tipped his chin up. The fingers, still slightly damp and cool from washing, turned his face in another direction.

Jian Ru looked up just as the Second Young Master leaned in to kiss him.

Ever since that day in the private room on the second floor of the restaurant, the Second Young Master seemed to have developed a taste for kissing.

Both of them had been given instructional booklets and had seen various illustrated positions, but the depictions of kissing were not detailed. Thus, they had only known how to press their lips together awkwardly.

It was only after kissing a few times in recent days that they had begun to understand, instinctively learning to linger and gently nibble at each other’s lips.

Even so, their faces flushed and their hearts raced wildly.

After kissing for a while, Jian Ru’s lips grew sore. He gently pushed the Second Young Master away, who stepped back and asked in a husky voice, "What’s wrong?"

Jian Ru whispered shyly, "My lips hurt."

The Second Young Master’s face flushed crimson all the way to his neck. His medical knowledge momentarily forgotten, he fumbled awkwardly, reaching out to soothe Jian Ru’s lips. But as his fingers brushed against the soft, moist, and warm lips, his heart skipped a beat. Realizing the inappropriateness, he quickly withdrew his hand and took out a medicinal ointment he always carried, gently applying it to Jian Ru’s lips.

After application, the cool sensation eased the swelling discomfort. Jian Ru avoided drinking water, letting it soak in.

The Second Young Master took the pinwheel from his hand and placed it in the pen holder on the desk. Returning to sit opposite Jian Ru, he fanned him gently with his hand.

Jian Ru blinked and asked, "Do you want some ointment too?"

The Second Young Master responded with a questioning "Hmm?" Jian Ru placed his hands on his shoulders, stood up, and pressed his lips against the Second Young Master’s once more.