Chapter 163 Another New Year’s Eve

Chapter 163: New Year's Eve Again

Heshan County wasn't that big. Apart from a small eatery near the county office that constables and runners occasionally visited, there were barely any shops around.

Moving a bit further into the residential area, the streets got a bit more lively, but still way more desolate than county towns elsewhere, not even as good as the prosperous towns of the Jiangnan region.

Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou walked to the grain shop on Spring Fountain Street. As luck would have it, the shopkeeper was a sociable man who had gone to both of Song Tingzhou's public court hearings and had a strong impression of this magistrate.

"Magistrate Song and his husband are here! What a rare treat! Come on in," the grain shopkeeper said politely.

Song Tingzhou led Meng Wan into the grain shop and joked lightly, "I buy all my grain from your shop—so how are we rare guests?"

The shopkeeper thought to himself: Don't these wealthy families always send servants to buy grain? Besides you two, who else would personally set foot in his humble little shop?

"Usually it's young Xue Sheng who comes from your residence, so this is my first time serving you, Magistrate. Thank you for your patronage, husband," the shopkeeper said with an ingratiating smile.

Song Tingzhou pulled Meng Wan back slightly. "My husband's a tease and likes to joke around. No need to mind him, shopkeeper."

"Not at all! Everyone in the county knows that Meng Wan runs a sugar workshop and is immensely capable," the shopkeeper replied. Seeing how the Magistrate protected his husband like the apple of his eye, only someone blind would make snide remarks.

Hearing that, Song Tingzhou was quite pleased. "Just a little side business. I heard you got in some new flour—is there still any left?"

The shopkeeper quickly replied, "Yes, yes! Perfect timing! The flour was nearly all pre-ordered before it even reached the shop, but there happen to be two hundred jin left. How much would you like?"

Meng Wan said, "We'll take it all." Chang Jinhua and Song Tingzhou both loved noodles and dumplings and could eat them every day without getting sick of them. It had been nearly a year since they came to Heshan County, and they hadn't had any white flour in ages. With New Year approaching, they had to make dumplings—lots of them.

The shopkeeper grinned and replied, "I'll have a delivery guy bring it to your place in a bit."

The price per jin of flour was slightly higher than elsewhere—a few extra coppers. This was unavoidable; the south got a lot of rain, so rice was the main crop, double-cropping each year, with wheat as a secondary crop. Good thing they weren't tight on money these days.

Leaving the grain shop, Meng Wan patted Song Tingzhou's hand. "That shopkeeper never gives you the full picture. He said the flour was mostly pre-ordered before it even arrived, but then he magically had two hundred jin for us. Either he was exaggerating, or someone ordered and then backed out."

Song Tingzhou picked up where he left off, "Because of transport and other factors, flour around Xiwu Prefecture has always cost a few coppers more than rice. Ordinary people—unless they're well-off like us or truly love wheat—buy rice and don't even look at flour."

"Right!" Meng Wan pulled his hand out of Song Tingzhou's and pulled his collar shut against the cold. "When the shopkeeper saw we were buying all two hundred jin of white flour, his face broke into a huge grin. Most likely the second one: someone ordered and canceled, and he was worried the flour would sit unsold and get buggy. That's why he was thrilled when we said we'd take it all."

They figured out the story behind that flour in just a few words, leaving the shop assistant who was unloading the goods completely stunned.

Song Tingzhou took Meng Wan's hand again, finding his fingertips slightly cold. He wrapped his palm around them to warm them up. "Wanna head home or walk around a bit more?" The county office had closed for the holidays yesterday; all the clerks and runners had gone home. Once Song Tingzhou was done with the tax stuff and the county constables and militia had transported the tax silver and "tax grain" to the prefectural city, he could finally relax.

Meng Wan was wearing a thin blue cotton robe, with a white fox-fur cape over it. The hood made his face look even tinier. Since they rarely had time to shop before New Year, he said, "I heard a hunter at the market has some nice pelts, but he doesn't come to the county often. Let's go try our luck. If we find some, we can make cloaks for A Yan and Chu Ci."

Song Tingzhou naturally accompanied him. As luck would have it, they ran into the hunter on his last trip into the mountains before New Year, carrying a stash of pelts to sell in the county.

Meng Wan picked several snow-white rabbit pelts and two red fox pelts. The red fox pelts were bright and beautiful, rare, and a bit more expensive—perfect for making fur-lined cloaks for the two children. The rabbit fur would be for hats.

Bi Yun and Chang Jinhua had been busy sewing wedding garments and embroidered quilts lately, so Meng Wan simply took the pelts to a cloth shop, paid a deposit, and asked the seamstresses there to make the cloaks.

On the way home, they bought some blessings cut from red paper. No need for couplets; Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan always wrote those themselves.

On New Year's Eve, Huang Ye and Qiu Se put up spring couplets and door gods around the house, and pasted upside-down fu characters on the windows. The kitchen chimney had been smoking since early morning, and by noon, the whole courtyard was filled with the aroma of meat and dishes.

Meng Wan carried his son around the yard, getting tidbits of whatever goodies Chang Jinhua offered from the kitchen. He didn't eat a proper meal, but he wasn't hungry at all.

Song Tingzhou, finally free, spent his days either with the child or teaching Chu Ci to read and write. When Meng Wan got tired of holding the baby, he'd switch with him and go to the study to teach Chu Ci calligraphy and painting.

In the evening, the family gathered in the hall, with a table full of dishes. Besides big items like chicken, duck, fish, and pork knuckle, there were also vegetarian mountain delicacies: potatoes, winter bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and wood ear fungus. No one in the family was much of a drinker, so Meng Wan had bought fruit wine.

The family—including Chu Ci—sat at one table, while Xue Sheng, Bi Yun, Huang Ye, and Qiu Se had their own table in the side room.

Little Song Yan was cooperative; he took a nice nap in the middle, so they didn't need to focus on him, and everyone enjoyed a hearty meal.

After the meal, Bi Yun and the others cleaned up, washing dishes and tidying the table. Chu Ci took leftover meat bones to feed the little white wolf. He had named it Snow Wolf, and it had grown as big as a dog, wagging its tail at everyone in the house and begging for food.

The tablet of Song Tingzhou's father was enshrined in Chang Jinhua's room, with offerings of fruits, grains, and meat. Chang Jinhua led Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou to offer incense and kowtow in turn. A Yan woke up in the middle, and Meng Wan took him to see his grandfather's tablet.

As a modern person, Meng Wan didn't believe in ghosts or gods, but he increasingly realized that after a loved one dies, having no remembrance at all is too cold. Affection should not dissipate; the ties of blood should always remain vivid.

While soothing his crying son, he casually said, "I heard there's a temple in Luxi Town with pretty good incense. Next year, I'd like to place my parents' tablets there for worship."

Chang Jinhua was warming milk for A Yan by the fire. Hearing Meng Wan's words, her heart skipped a beat. She had long known that Meng Wan's background was unfortunate, but he never mentioned his family. So both had passed away.

Indeed, if they were alive, they wouldn't have been willing to sell such a clever and handsome son into servitude.

Her eyes filled with extra pity. "That's a good idea. On holidays, let Da Lang go with you to offer incense and winter clothes, so they won't be lonely down below."

Little A Yan finished his milk, then played with the jade gourd that Third Master Zhu had given him. He kicked it, gnawed on it, and then kicked it away, leaving it covered in drool. Chu Ci found him adorable and secretly kissed his plump, fair cheek, earning an enthusiastic, drooly bite from A Yan.

Chu Ci wiped the saliva from his face with a handkerchief, expressionless, but the corners of his mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

Meng Wan pretended not to notice his little movements. "Don't go to your courtyard tonight. Sleep in the side room at Grandma Chang's. Tomorrow morning I'll take you out to play."

Chu Ci hesitated, gesturing toward the half-grown wolf still gnawing on bones in the yard. Typically, wolf cubs mature within a year, but Chu Ci's Snow Wolf, due to its father being a variant, was unnaturally large. Though not as exaggerated, it was bigger than a normal wolf. Looking at its teeth, anyone could see that this already fearsome wolf was not yet fully grown.

Chu Ci worried that if he wasn't home, Snow Wolf would howl in the small courtyard.

Meng Wan could now understand most of his sign language. He replied, "It's fine. Have Xue Sheng keep an eye on it. Or later, I'll take it to my sugar workshop—it can guard the door for me."

Chu Ci thought seriously and nodded, signing, "Okay."

Meng Wan patted his shoulder. "Alright, if you want to play, go find A Xun and the others next door. Just come back early for the New Year vigil." Since there were no peers at home and he was usually busy, Chu Ci, despite being mature for his age, was still a child and liked to visit the Miao family.

Xue Sheng had picked up two identical red cloaks from the cloth shop that day. The sleeves had been embroidered with golden threads—each a winged pig, a design Meng Wan had drawn himself, delightfully cute and lively.

While Chu Ci was away, Meng Wan secretly placed the larger cloak on the pillow in the side room next to Chang Jinhua's. There was also a new pouch with a few small silver ingots, probably placed by Chang Jinhua.

The leftover food was stored, and then they began making dumplings for the New Year's Eve meal, following northern customs. Chang Jinhua prepared two fillings: mushroom-pork and cabbage-pork. Since the brick bed in Heshan tended to get damp, it wasn't convenient to use a table for dumpling making on the bed. So Chang Jinhua set up a low table in the kitchen, placed the rolling board on it, and started making dumplings with Bi Yun.

"Wan Geer says you've already found a wedding house?" Chang Jinhua worked quickly, chatting with Bi Yun.

Bi Yun was a bit shy. "Yes, near the city gate. The courtyard is big, with enough rooms. The Tao brothers even dug a well in the yard a few days ago. I owe it all to the husband for helping me." Originally, Tao Jiu had planned to rent a house in the county after marriage, but now they had a home.

"Houses here are much cheaper than in Changping. Wan Geer didn't spend much. Besides, he said early on that he would prepare a dowry for you—it's a token of your bond as master and servant. After you marry, the Song family is your natal home. If you're ever wronged, just come back." Bi Yun had been by Chang Jinhua's side for several years; she felt some reluctance seeing her about to marry.

"Mm." Bi Yun agreed, her eyes reddening again. Though separated from her family, scattered across the land, the Song family had treated her like kin, and she had no complaints.

That night, the family ate dumplings and kept the New Year vigil. After A Yan was put to sleep, the next to fall was Chu Ci. Song Tingzhou carried him back to the side room. By the time he returned, Meng Wan was drowsy and nearly asleep.

"You two should go back to sleep too. It doesn't matter if you stay up. We have to get up early tomorrow," Chang Jinhua urged them.

Meng Wan left the baby with her and yawned as he walked back. "We're going, Mother. Get some sleep too. Let Huang Ye and the others make breakfast tomorrow—you rest a little longer."

Seeing that Meng Wan's eyes were heavy with sleep and he might stumble, Song Tingzhou picked him up as soon as they stepped out of Chang Jinhua's room.

Meng Wan skillfully wrapped his arms around Song Tingzhou's neck, grumbling, "We haven't bathed yet. So annoying... so sleepy..."

Song Tingzhou, tall and long-strided, quickly carried him to their room and set him on the soft couch in the outer chamber. "You sleep. I'll fetch water and help you wash."

Meng Wan mumbled, "No need. Just bring the water—I'll wash quickly. It won't take long."

Song Tingzhou had no choice but to fetch bathwater for him as requested. The fire in the stove burned with charcoal, warming the room comfortably, and Meng Wan stripped completely naked and took a quick bath as he had said.

Song Tingzhou washed up quickly as well, then pulled Meng Wan into his arms on the daybed, drying his hair. As he dried it, he couldn’t resist pressing him down and kissing him.

Meng Wan tilted his slender neck back, responding with difficulty. The other man’s agile tongue teased him until the base of his tongue went numb, and clear drool dripped from the corner of his lips, forming a long silver thread.

By the time Song Tingzhou finished the kiss, Meng Wan’s drowsiness had long fled. He hooked his arms around the man’s sturdy waist and said disapprovingly, “You’ve disturbed my good sleep again. Tell me, how should I punish you?”

Hot breath sounded right by Meng Wan’s ear, and Song Tingzhou’s voice was sexy, low, and hoarse. “Punish me however you want.”

Meng Wan’s eyes were half-closed, and his hand slid down along the man's firm V-line. “Like this?”

Song Tingzhou gasped sharply, beads of sweat breaking out on his temple. “Wan’er!”

——

On the first day of the new year, Meng Wan didn’t get out of bed. The crackling sound of firecrackers in the early morning couldn’t wake him either, but because he remembered that he had to get up to pay New Year’s respects to Chang Jinhua, he wasn't too late.

After washing up and changing into a set of bright new clothes, Meng Wan leisurely went to see Chang Jinhua.

“Happy New Year, Mother!” Meng Wan solemnly bowed to his mother-in-law.

“Good, good! Come here. Mother has wrapped a big red envelope for you.” Chang Jinhua never got angry because Meng Wan got up early or late. Back in Sanquan Village, she had to worry about visitors dropping by—if anyone caught him sleeping in, there'd be gossip. Now in Heshan County, no one came around. Although she had reminded him the day before, it was a good thing that the young couple’s affection remained as close as ever year after year. No reason to make a fuss and be a bother.

“There's one for me this year, too?” Meng Wan was surprised.

According to the customs in Sanquan Village, once someone married, they were considered adults. Only unmarried xiaoge could receive red envelopes from elders. Meng Wan hadn't accepted any since marrying Song Tingzhou.

Sure enough, Chang Jinhua said to him, “This year, I'm letting you take it for A Yan.”

Meng Wan opened it and found a small handful of gold nuggets inside. He said with a smile, “Alright, since it’s a red envelope, I'll go ahead and spend it for him.”