Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The New Year's Eve bustle in the Yu residence largely passed Lu Maomao by. Most of the guests didn't require his presence, and he didn't want to bother the steward at this time. So, he took Yu Xiaoyu to watch the servants put up couplets and hang red lanterns.

The couplets had been written by Yu Changan a few days earlier. Old Master Yu, feeling inspired, had also written a few. Lu Maomao's handwriting was still at a grade-school level—displaying it would be a black mark on his record. Therefore, he firmly refused to write any himself and shamelessly scrounged a pair each from Old Master Yu and his brother-in-law.

For this, he earned a comment from his brother-in-law about having no spark. But Maomao was long past the age of wanting to show off; in ancient times, 'going viral' for any reason was just a bad look.

Lu Maomao was consciously trying not to leave behind any future embarrassments for himself, forgetting that his embarrassing stories were already all over the place—one more really wouldn't make a difference.

Yu Xiaoyu was interested in the red lanterns and asked a steward for a small one, happily trotting around with it in the courtyard.

Seeing that he genuinely liked it, Cui Xi reminisced with Yu Xiaoyu about years past, "Young Master Xiaoyu, do you remember last year's rabbit lantern? It was a gift from Young Master Chang'an."

Yu Xiaoyu widened his eyes, looking at Cui Xi and Nanny Shisong, clearly not remembering. "A rabbit lantern?"

"Yes. The year before last, the Old Master gave you a lotus lantern."

"One year, it was a tangerine lantern," Nanny Shisong added.

Yu Xiaoyu hadn't realized he had once been so rich, possessing many adorable little lanterns. Thinking of the rabbit lantern and the lotus lantern, the red lantern in his hand now seemed pretty ordinary by comparison.

"Where's the rabbit?" he asked Cui Xi.

Cui Xi said regretfully that most of Young Master Xiaoyu's lanterns had gotten damaged over time. The little rabbit lantern had broken soon after he received it last year.

Yu Xiaoyu felt it was a pity.

"Xiaoyu, when the Lantern Festival comes, I'll buy you all kinds of lanterns," Lu Maomao said ingratiatingly, stepping forward.

"A rabbit lantern?"

"I'll buy it."

"A lotus lantern?"

"I'll buy it."

No matter what Yu Xiaoyu said, Lu Maomao's response to everything was a promise to buy it. When Yu Xiaoyu asked for a "Maomao lantern," Lu Maomao was overjoyed and immediately said, "That one is a must-have."

Yu Xiaoyu nodded; he also felt it was a must-have.

Old Master Yu, being elderly, wasn't up for staying late and went to rest early.

Yu Xiaoyu wasn't one to stay up late either. By hai hour (9-11 p.m.), he was so sleepy he kept nodding off. After sending Xiaoyu back, Yu Changan had no interest in seeing in the New Year with Lu Maomao, so everyone called it a night.

Lu Maomao returned to his room and lay down, continuing to tinker with his farm. During the New Year period, his chances of growing rare items were higher, so he watered and fertilized more diligently. At the same time, he didn't forget to poke the money tree a couple of times. The tree full of wish tags rustled, and Lu Maomao felt a sense of peace.

Having been here for just a year, Lu Maomao had already experienced registering for household registration, becoming a live-in son-in-law, farming and growing vegetables, studying, supervising work, collecting rent, handling sundry duties, nearly studied medicine, almost taken up selling tofu. According to a rumor he'd picked up from Yu Sui, if he hadn't wised up in time, his brother-in-law had even planned to apprentice him to a carpenter to learn wood-turning and bead-making.

Lu Maomao felt like two or three years had passed, but in reality, it hadn't even been a full year. Time for humans felt slower and stretched out longer than it did for a cat. In these subtle differences, Lu Maomao experienced the realization that he was now a human, not a cat.

So, Lu Maomao's wish for the coming year was—to live a good life.

He didn't make a point of staying awake for the vigil. Naturally closing his eyes and relaxing his body, he fell asleep, not remembering whether he dozed off before or after midnight.

At mao hour (5-7 AM), a deafening barrage of firecrackers crackled and roared to life. The households in the county seemed to have agreed to set them off simultaneously at this hour. With such a racket, naturally, no one could possibly sleep.

The Yu residence servants set off over a dozen strings of firecrackers outside, saying they had to set off a full ten thousand.

In the middle of all the festive, red-hot commotion, Lu Maomao and Yu Xiaoyu were eating dumplings with Old Master Yu. In Anping County, it was customary to eat dumplings early on the first morning of the New Year.

Lu Maomao didn't like dipping his dumplings in vinegar, preferring to taste the ingredients themselves. When Yu Xiaoyu ate dumplings, he absolutely had to have a bowl of steaming dumpling broth, taking a sip of broth after each dumpling.

At Yu Xiaoyu's enthusiastic recommendation, Lu Maomao followed his lead. As soon as the broth entered his mouth, the seasonings from the dumplings infused the soup, spreading the concentrated deliciousness of the filling throughout his entire mouth. Lu Maomao discovered why Yu Xiaoyu liked having broth.

"With the way you two eat, how long will it take?" Yu Changan finished a small bowl of dumplings and, while waiting for his second bowl, ribbed the two of them. "Dragging your feet on New Year's Day itself, I'm worried about how much you'll get done this year."

Lu Maomao retorted, "Being able to relax and take it easy on the first day means Xiaoyu and I are going to enjoy good fortune this year."

"With broth, tasty," Yu Xiaoyu chimed in without looking up, supporting Lu Maomao.

"Well, aren't you getting clever?" Yu Changan remarked. Just then, the dumplings arrived, so he stopped bickering with them—beating them would just be bullying children.

After eating dumplings came handing out red envelopes. Old Master Yu and Yu Changan gave big red envelopes to both Lu Maomao and Yu Xiaoyu. Lu Maomao had prepared one for Yu Xiaoyu and had already given red envelopes to the steward, Yu Maizi, Yu Guzi, the Chef, and others the day before. He also gave a string of copper coins to each person cleaning his courtyard, bought a fish for the big white cat—basically distributing all the extra money he'd earned these past few days.

Nanny Shisong took care of handing out the tips in Yu Xiaoyu's courtyard for him.

After receiving red envelopes, there wasn't much else to do. Both Lu Maomao and Yu Xiaoyu were bored. It was pitch black outside, so they couldn't go out to play. Lu Maomao had no intention of studying or reading on the first day of the New Year; if you worked hard during the New Year, you'd be stuck working hard all year.

Old Master Yu suggested playing chess.

Lu Maomao didn't know how to play Go and had never played chess before, so he suggested Gomoku. Although the Old Master found it simple, he agreed, thinking Yu Xiaoyu could play with them. After that, Lu Maomao, the proposer, played against Old Master Yu, then against his brother-in-law, and when his brother-in-law got impatient, he played against Old Master Yu again. He lost all ten games in a row, his head was spinning from all the losing.

Old Master Yu kindly came to Lu Maomao's rescue, "Feifan, let him be. Let Xiaoyu play for a while. Xiaoyu, have you learned how to play?"

Yu Xiaoyu had been sitting next to Lu Maomao, watching him play against his grandfather and fifth brother. He had initially wanted to move the pieces, but seeing Lu Maomao lose game after game so quickly, he lost the urge to mess with the board. He wanted to see when Maomao would finally win.

When his grandfather asked him, Yu Xiaoyu looked hesitant, unsure if he had learned. Old Master Yu gently encouraged him, "This game isn't difficult; even young children can learn. Xiaoyu, give it a try."

Lu Maomao felt the Old Master's comment about children being able to learn was a dig at him, but he really needed to clear his head, so he gave up his seat to Xiaoyu.

"If you're worried, let your Maomao be your advisor," Yu Changan said to Yu Xiaoyu.

Yu Xiaoyu looked at Lu Maomao, the distrust in his eyes was plain as day.

Lu Maomao's heart sank. He really wasn't that bad; it was just that the Old Master and his brother-in-law were on another level. He glared at the troublemaker who had sown discord between him and Xiaoyu. Seeing Lu Maomao's anger only amused Yu Changan further. He changed the subject, "It's relatively quiet in the county during the New Year. If we were in the village, you'd be going around kowtowing to elders right now."

"Do you get red envelopes for kowtowing?"

"No, if you're lucky, you might get one or two copper coins."

Then no thanks.

Lu Maomao had a strong suspicion his brother-in-law avoided returning to the village for the New Year precisely to escape this custom.

Yu Xiaoyu played chess with Old Master Yu, moving slowly and hesitantly, even taking moves back. Old Master Yu good-naturedly allowed it, patiently guiding him on how to connect five pieces, where to place a piece to win. Then Xiaoyu won several games in a row.

Lu Maomao: ...

"Wipe that look off your face. Do you want to start a fight on New Year's?" Yu Changan reminded Lu Maomao.

Lu Maomao bit back his exasperation, closed his eyes, and praised Yu Xiaoyu for being clever. Yu Xiaoyu, praised by everyone, his little face flushed, truly believing he was very skilled.

As dawn gradually broke, the sound of firecrackers ceased, as if its mission was to awaken the first light of the New Year. Having completed its task, it gave way to tranquility.

Shops were closed, streets and alleys were quiet, with scarcely a soul in sight. Those visiting relatives and friends had either left at the crack of dawn or taken back routes.

Occasionally, someone came to visit, all of them close to the Yu family, unlike the motley crowd during the twelfth lunar month. Old Master Yu and Yu Changan entertained relatives and friends. Yu Xiaoyu, now completely hooked on Gomoku, was down two playmates and locked his gaze on Lu Maomao.

Lu Maomao hadn't mastered the old master's subtle, effortless guidance, so he could only encircle Yu Xiaoyu's white pieces with his black ones without blocking them. Even then, Yu Xiaoyu still didn't realize he was about to win, thinking Lu Maomao had trapped himself.

Lu Maomao had to speak up to remind him, "Xiaoyu, you have four in a row here. I lose."

Yu Xiaoyu looked and saw it was true. He solemnly placed his piece and then flashed Lu Maomao a big smile. "Again, Maomao!"

What else could Lu Maomao do? He could only oblige him.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Maomao followed Yu Changan back to the Yu Family Village to make the rounds visiting relatives. Meanwhile, the young people from the village came to visit the old master at home.

"I'm worried leaving Xiaoyu and the old master at home."

Yu Changan sensed Lu Maomao was up to no good. "You don't trust the old master?"

"I'm worried about Xiaoyu. What if those people hassle him? I should have taught Xiaoyu self-defense earlier, so he'd know to fight back if anyone bullies him."

Yu Changan twitched his lips. "Give it a rest. If you teach Xiaoyu to fight, the first one to get hit will definitely be you."

Lu Maomao fell silent for a moment. "As long as it doesn't hurt, it's okay."

"You're dreaming." If it doesn't hurt, that's not fighting—it's flirting.

Yu Changan and Lu Maomao arrived at the Yu Family Village. First, they paid New Year's respects at the home of their granduncle, then visited the clan head, followed by several close relatives. After visiting all the necessary households, they returned to their granduncle's home, where Yu Changan planned to have lunch.