Chapter 205 It's time to perform.

Master Zhang smiled wryly, "Do you think I'm some kind of immortal? Even my master wouldn't dare to change someone's name without my permission."

Song Chunxue realized she had misspoke and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, senior brother, I was just asking casually, please don't take it to heart."

She went to the woodshed in the northwest corner, saying, "I'll go find some wool to soak in and then crochet you a pair of socks."

Master Zhang followed behind her, bent down and peered into the woodshed, saying, "Although you've tidied it up quite well, this room isn't suitable for storing junk."

"Then what should we put in?"

The Taoist priest looked around and said, “No rush. You won’t be staying long anyway. Once you’ve taken care of most of the things you need, I’ll help you with the arrangements.”

“Although you bought a new house in the county, this place will always be the foundation of the Jiang family, your ancestral home. Besides, you have no intention of giving it up, and you still want to come back for holidays, right?”

Song Chunxue nodded, "That's right. People inevitably feel nostalgic. Keeping this place here gives us something to remember it by. When the children come back, they can still see the place where they grew up."

However, she was unsure whether her senior brother would be available at that time.

Didn't he say he wanted to travel around the world?

"Will you have time when I move, senior brother?"

Master Zhang was taken aback. "Junior brother, you're being too polite. How could I not take care of you while you're moving?"

Song Chunxue smiled, "That's good."

She dumped a bag of wool in the yard, then boiled a pot of water in the kitchen and carefully picked out some clean wool to soak in the water.

The fourth brother was a restless child. When the other children in the village went out to play in groups, he ran out of the yard to chase after them.

Sanwa didn't want to go out. After washing the dishes, he lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), opened the window, and comfortably read a collection of anecdotes. If he didn't need to urinate, he could have stayed on the kang forever, immersed in the world of the book, oblivious to the passage of time.

Song Chunxue sat on a stool, chatting with the Taoist priest while washing wool.

Today the sky is clear and blue, and you can see blue sky everywhere you look.

"I hope this year will bring good weather and abundant harvests. Is tomorrow the beginning of spring?"

"Yes, it will snow in a few days, and we'll have wheat to eat this year." The Taoist priest asked curiously, "Don't you remember this year's harvest?"

“So many years have passed, how could I possibly remember clearly?” Song Chunxue sighed. “I can’t even recall if there will be any Shehuo (a traditional folk performance) this year, or if we will worship the gods.”

"Logically speaking, since both the Li and Cheng families in the village have lost members this year, they would invite the gods and watch plays to put their minds at ease. It's been many years since I've heard a play, and I really miss it."

Master Zhang squatted on a low stool and rubbed the softened wool with soap. If it wasn't clean now, it would be even more impossible to clean it once it was made into yarn and crocheted into socks.

“If you want to see it, we can go to the county to see it. There will be a play on the mountain on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. I heard that there is also a play called ‘Wudianpo’. It is a new play this year, and the costumes are also newly made.”

Just as Song Chunxue was about to say something, a cough came from outside the courtyard gate.

Before long, Li Dazui came in from outside the courtyard with a big smile.

"What are you busy with during the New Year? The Taoist priest is here too."

The Taoist priest rubbed the wool in his hand and said, "Good things are coming soon. Is there going to be a happy occasion in your family?"

"Oh my, as expected of the Taoist priest, with discerning eyes. I only came because I heard from Lao Si that the Taoist priest was at home," Li Dazui said, pulling out two handfuls of snacks his son had bought from his pocket. "It's not good to visit empty-handed during the New Year, so my son bought these."

Seeing that he was beaming with joy, Song Chunxue knew that his son's marriage was settled.

"Your son is getting married? He's smiling so happily, he can't stop smiling."

Li Dazui sat down in front of the high platform, the warm sunlight shining on him, his eyes and brows beaming with joy.

“That’s right, my son has good taste. He found a good wife at the market. We took the matchmaker to Gaojiazhuang a few days ago and have already met the girl. She’s really pretty.”

"The marriage is settled, but the wedding date hasn't been decided yet. Could you please help me choose an auspicious day, Taoist priest?" Li Dazui rubbed his hands together and looked at the Taoist priest. "The sooner the better."

Master Zhang did not refuse and asked about their zodiac signs and birth dates one by one, giving them three dates to choose from.

Li Dazui was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you, Master. The date you chose is definitely fine." As he spoke, he took out a small jar of wine from his pocket. "This is a thank-you gift. It's a little bit of 'Daughter's Red' wine that I dug up when my daughter got married."

The Taoist priest was flattered and said, "Oh, this gift is very kind to me. You're too kind."

Three elders of similar age sat chatting in the courtyard, enjoying themselves immensely.

Li Dazui really enjoys chatting with the Taoist priest. He not only learns a lot but also feels very comfortable, unlike the women in his Li family who love to gossip and criticize others behind their backs.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting in the west, and the gentle warm breeze carried a hint of chill.

Because breakfast is eaten late and takes a long time, there is no lunch, so dinner naturally has to be prepared earlier.

Just then, Song Chunxue had already washed the wool twice and got up to prepare dinner.

During the Chinese New Year, we definitely need to eat a variety of delicious dishes, and she plans to make dumplings tonight.

"Oh, by the way, there's a folk performance in our village this year. The young people from the three villages around here who love to sing are already rehearsing. It starts on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Would Sanwa's mother like to sing a couple of pieces?"

Song Chunxue came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, her face beaming. "I've never sung opera before, so it's good to have something to watch. You were talking about it before you came."

"What play is being staged?" Master Zhang asked curiously. "I came from Hanjiaji on the 15th and just happened to catch the play."

“Every day and every night there is a big show, and we have to perform it all. We sing shows like ‘Touring West Lake,’ ‘The Butcher Scholar,’ and ‘The Case of Chen Shimei’ whenever there is a folk performance. Everyone has a script and we just need to memorize the lines once. I heard that they are going to put on a show called ‘Golden Beach’ this year. There are many actors and the costumes are beautiful. I’d like to choose one to sing.”

Li Dazui sighed, "It's a pity that my voice is so bad. It's only good for chatting. When I try to sing, I get choked up after a couple of lines. It's like a hen eating dry food. It's really uncomfortable."

Song Chunxue couldn't help but laugh. Li Dazui was indeed not suited for opera singing; he was prone to cracking his voice.

“Jinshatan is a great place to watch a show, but it’s too tragic. Will the old folks like it?” The old folks that Master Zhang was referring to were the gods in the local temple.

"I asked the old man, and he said he wanted to hear it." Li Dazui sighed. "If I don't sing well, I won't sing it anymore. The old man probably really wants to hear it."

Song Chunxue didn't ask any more questions. She had great reverence for the local gods and was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

She stopped chatting and turned to go to the kitchen to knead dough.

When she finished kneading the dough, she took the rolled dumpling wrappers and the stir-fried filling, and placed them on the kang table in the yard. She saw that Sanwa was also chatting with them.

"Come on, let's wrap dumplings together. If your son has somewhere to eat, he can eat here tonight. Anyway, you'll definitely tell everyone when you get back that the Taoist priest is spending the New Year at my house. Let's talk about it later, so my eyelids don't keep me up at night."

Li Dazui chuckled, "I'll try my best to hold back and make things clear. You're not living under the guise of being fellow disciples. I can see that clearly. You're innocent. It's just those people with dirty minds making wild guesses."

"Oh, by the way, we were just discussing having Sanwa go and perform in operas. My cousin Li Mengchun is the opera manager, and he said they're still missing Yang Liulang and Yang Qilang. Your Sanwa has chosen Yang Liulang, what do you think?"