Chapter 73: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Sweet Eight Treasure Rice...

The snow in front of Tianqing Temple had melted, leaving the ground wet. The rising sun cast a dazzling light across the landscape. It was the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky clear and the wind gentle, and there was no sign of further snow.

Wei Fuqiu and Wei Fuling were sweeping the floor in front of the shop, working very hard.

Wei Fuling, holding a broom half a head taller than herself, danced with it for a while, nearly untying her sister's braids, before finally getting down to business. Wei Fuqiu squatted nearby, gathering the snow with a small bamboo dustpan and then, with a whoosh, flinging it into the river.

Wei Fuqiu gently touched the family portrait in the snowdrift. The oldest, her grandmother, had already melted halfway, her sister's snowball had collapsed, and her own and Lingjie'er's snowmen, pressed together, had also melted into two lumps of snow.

Yuanbao shrunk to half its size, the ears of Luffa and Moodle melted away, the gray tail disappeared, and One, Two, and Three were the smallest, which had long since melted into only three snowflakes. If you didn't look carefully, you couldn't find them.

Every morning, she would check the family portrait and, if there was anything wrong, she would add a little more snow. But now there was no new snow. The snow on the ground seeped down through the cracks in the bricks, and even the remaining snow in the bamboo dustpan slowly melted into water.

"elder sister."

Wei Fuqiu looked up at Wei Jinyun, who had just emerged, feeling somewhat sad. "Our family portrait is about to be destroyed... I can't even find a single detail."

Wei Fuling ran over to Wei Fuqiu, broom in hand. "What's the big deal, Sister Qiu? Sister Lu drew a family portrait for us a few days ago. It's so beautiful... She even said she wanted to hang it up next to our heirlooms so we can see it every day."

"It's okay, Sister Qi, we'll be back when it snows."

Wei Jinyun also spoke to comfort her, "Everyone is just tired right now. Turn into small water droplets and flow into the river to sleep. They will come back to earth when it snows next time."

After hearing Wei Jinyun's words, Wei Fuqiu's tense mouth corners slowly curled up and she said "hmm" softly.

Zhao Xiangping came over from next door, holding a plate. "Here are some freshly fried popcorn chicken. Let the kids have some."

Meng Ge'er ran over and waved the broom in his hand at the two sisters, "Ling Jie'er, Qi Jie'er, do you want me to sweep? I sweep very quickly, and it can be cleaned in just one stick of incense."

The two nodded, and Meng Ge'er also joined the team. The "swish swish" sound was particularly obvious in front of the empty Tianqing Temple.

In just a few days, the area around Tianqing Temple was deserted, with only a few shops open. Besides Yunlaixiang and Zhaoji Cooked Food, there were Qianji Soup and Noodle Shop and Liji Braised Pork Shop at the corner. The others had closed their shops and gone home to spend time with their families or visit relatives in their hometowns in the countryside.

Zhao Xiangping hasn't been back to her parents' home for a long time. In the past, that guy would accompany her back every year, but he didn't want to do that anymore. Although it wasn't far away, she didn't know how to explain her current life when she went back. Her parents were old. No matter how she was doing here, she would always send a letter -

My daughter is living a comfortable life, and Meng Ge'er is becoming more intelligent and sensible. Mom and Dad, please take care of your health and don't worry too much about your daughter.

Zhao Xiangping did not tell them about the difficulties and hardships in her heart. At the moment, they didn't even know that their daughter had divorced.

As for Wei Jinyun, she had already begun to think about which small house would be suitable for them to settle down. She had inquired about houses near the prefectural school, and found that every inch of land there was worth a lot of money. When Wang Yaren quoted the price of the house, her legs trembled.

But it was indeed a quiet place with a strong academic atmosphere, making it an excellent residential area. The Lu, Zhou, and Lu families all lived there.

Let’s wait and see how profitable her Meow Meow Bakery is next year. If it does well, I’ll buy it!

The three of them worked with brooms for a while, sweeping the entrances of the two shops until they were bright and clean. They were so busy that they even took off their cloaks. There were not many people on the street, so the three of them moved chairs to the door to eat popcorn chicken.

The golden popcorn chicken is plump, shiny and full of fragrance.

Wei Fuling couldn't wait to grab one, put it in her mouth and bit it with a crunching sound. Wei Fuqiu dipped the fruit in the sweet and sour sauce on the plate next to her and took a light bite. Meng Ge'er ate three fruit in one bite.

Wei Jinyun taught Zhao Xiangping many things to fry, and she later came up with a lot of new things herself, like the chicken and onion rings, which she invented on her own. She also made different fried stars and fried chicken shapes, learning from one example and applying it to other things.

Thanks to her good cooking skills, the chicken is juicy inside and crispy outside, no worse than modern ones. Wei Jinyun would buy some when she was craving it.

The donkey cart wheels rolled over the waterway covered with melted snow and stopped at the entrance of Yunlaixiang.

The vendor standing by the shaft of the cart was wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket and earmuffs. He held the cart rope in one hand and lifted the straw mat covering the vegetables on the cart with the other.

He smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth. "Shopkeeper Wei, I'm sorry, sorry. There were many people delivering vegetables to the vegetable stall today, and I pulled a full donkey cart, so I'm late."

The short green vegetables under the straw mat were fresh and big, and there was a basket full of water chestnuts and black water caltrops, as well as tangerines, oranges, and winter dates... At the bottom was a wooden basin with two live fish in it.

He reached out and scooped up the fish. "Look at these fish, Shopkeeper Wei! They were just caught from the river and arrived at the dock this morning. They're quite heavy. I've reserved two of the biggest ones for you. I'll make you some fish soup and fish balls for the New Year's feast. They're guaranteed to be fresh!"

He threw the jumping fish back into the wooden barrel and helped Wei Jinyun unload all the vegetables from the donkey cart. "Don't worry, I didn't dare to take away any of the mud on the roots of my vegetables."

Wei Jinyun paid the bill and the vendor was about to leave when he caught sight of Zhao Xiangping standing at Zhao's Cooked Food Store and stopped. "Shopkeeper Zhao, why haven't you returned to your parents' home for the New Year? The thief is in jail. You should go home and visit them eventually. Your parents must be worried about you."

The peddler's daughter is about the same age as Zhao Xiangping. Fortunately, she did not marry far away. This year, she came to his house with her in-laws to celebrate the New Year.

He felt sorry for her and cursed the thief in his heart.

"Well, I'm not going back."

Zhao Xiangping lowered her head and touched Meng Ge'er's head as he ate popcorn chicken. She said softly, "It's comfortable to live here. The neighbors are close too. It's pretty good."

The vendor was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Yes, Shopkeeper Wei and his family are all well. I'll take the next family first. Happy New Year to everyone!"

He shook the reins, the old donkey neighed, and the donkey cart headed towards the street corner again, the wheels leaving marks in the snow and water.

Wang Qiulan came out to get the dishes, holding a plate in her hand, and hot air wafted out along with the aroma of rice.

There are various kinds of rice cakes on the plate. The long square cakes are smooth and white, the Yuanbao cakes are cute, like mini gold ingots, and the slender strip cakes have plump red beans visible on them.

"This is the cake Xiao Gu helped make before he left."

Wang Qiulan smiled and said, "The cake is delicious even without dipping it in sugar, as it contains red beans."

Wei Fuling came over and frowned as she stared at the rice cake on the plate. "Grandma, are we going to have to eat vegetable rice cakes for another month straight this year?"

Dwarf green onion stewed with rice cake is her biggest enemy in winter.

Wang Qiulan patted her head. "Yes, rice cakes. Rice cakes mean getting taller every year. Eating more is auspicious. Although your great-aunt took a few when she came to pay New Year's greetings a while ago, your sister Gu made so many that she was afraid we wouldn't have enough, so she soaked them all in a water jar to store them."

Wei Fuling reluctantly picked up the rice cake and took a bite. The aroma of rice permeated the air, the sweetness of red beans blended with the soft and glutinous cake, and even the sticky texture of the rice cake became a delight.

Her eyes lit up slightly, and she finished the rice cake in a few bites. She then reached for the Yuanbao cake, "Hmm...it's better than last year's. It's no wonder Sister Gu made it. Then I'll eat it for a month. Sister Ling will definitely not get tired of it."

Although she always says this when eating rice cakes in the first few days of every year.

The rice cakes were still emitting warm mist, and several people sat in front of the shop, eating rice cakes together.

Zhao Xiangping gathered the plump, black watermelon seeds and dumped them into a flat basket. Wei Fuling grabbed a handful and cracked them until the shells covered the floor. Wei Fuqiu spread a piece of oil-paper on her lap and slowly and methodically peeled the seeds, while Meng Ge'er occasionally came over to steal a few.

There are candied kumquats in the oil paper package, and the orange segments are covered with shiny icing, and the sweet and sour juice spreads out when you bite it.

Wei Jinyun was eating watermelon seeds, Zhao Xiangping was biting on a square cake, Wang Qiulan poured out a few bowls of winter wine to drink, and a few stools formed a small table where they chatted about family matters.

A few people basked in the sun for a while. Today is the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, and there is still business.

The man who came was about forty years old, wrapped in a thick royal blue robe, with a jade ring tied around his waist and a bulging purse. He looked like a wealthy man.

He looked up and saw the Yun Lai Xiang sign and asked anxiously, "Excuse me...is Yun Lai Xiang still serving dim sum?"

"Yes, what kind of snacks would the customer like?"

Wei Jinyun quickly stood up and patted the watermelon seed shells off his body.

Zhu Bao immediately breathed a sigh of relief, but his tone quickly became nervous again, "I'm making this for my daughter's coming-of-age celebration. I want it today. Can you make it?"

"The top cake should be prepared in advance, but I can try it..."

Wei Jinyun asked again, "How much does the guest want?"

"Yes, it'll cost eight hundred and eighty yuan... Can you do it? My children are coming of age today. If I can't do it, my wife will definitely cut my head off and kick me out of the house."

Zhu Baochang sighed deeply.

Meng Ge'er came over and stole a few more watermelon seeds. "I know about the shangtou cake. Mother said that every sister should prepare it for her coming-of-age ceremony and give it to the guests at the banquet. I've eaten the shangtou cake made by Mr. Li's sister. My sister is coming-of-age today, why did uncle order it only today?"

Zhu Bao's tone was filled with annoyance. "I thought I didn't have to deal with this anymore."

His voice became more anxious. "I was so focused on getting all the Zhu family relatives home for the Lunar New Year on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month that I was busy preparing food and wine and tidying up the yard. I'd already prepared my daughter's coming-of-age clothes and jewelry... I even thought we didn't need to send cakes, since I already had Xu's dim sum for them."

But this morning, his wife was putting on rouge in front of the mirror, and suddenly asked her where her daughter's cake was, why she didn't see it put out this morning.

He told his wife that the family had prepared a lot of snacks for the New Year, and he wanted to mix some of the top-grade cakes in. Before he finished speaking, her eyes turned red.

She pointed at him and started crying, saying he only cared about his son and despised her for having a daughter. She had given birth to a daughter on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, and every year, everyone only focused on New Year's Eve. Now, they weren't even paying attention to something as important as her coming-of-age ceremony, and they weren't even bothering to order cakes...

Finally, she said she wouldn't celebrate the Lunar New Year and would take her daughter back to her parents' home. He was so flustered that he didn't even bother to put on his coat, and ran out to the street with the money in his pocket. His home was in the west of the city, and there weren't many pastry shops open on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month. He tried several nearby shops, including Xu Ji, before finally trying his luck at Yun Lai Xiang, the furthest from home.

It’s actually open!

After Zhu Bao finished talking to Meng Ge'er, he spoke again to confirm, "Manager Wei, can you...can you finish it today? I'll pay any price, as long as it's delivered before the New Year's banquet. Otherwise, I really won't have a wife or daughter in my family..."

Wei Jinyun nodded quickly, turned around, and brought out a bowl of hot tea from the house and handed it over. "It's OK, don't worry. I'll arrange it right away and make sure it's delivered before the New Year's banquet. Don't worry, just drink some tea to warm yourself up first."

Zhu Bao took the tea bowl with both hands. He took a big gulp, but he still couldn't stop shaking. "I, I, I'm so panicked. It's like there's a fire in my heart."

He put down the tea bowl, still anxious, "I'll wait here for you to make it. I won't go anywhere. I won't feel at ease until I see the cakes are made."

The "Shangtou Cake" is an essential part of the Jiji Ceremony and carries a beautiful meaning. During the Jiji Ceremony, a woman shares the "Shangtou Cake" with her family and guests, symbolizing sharing joy and wishing her a sweet and fulfilling future.

Those who love their daughters usually prepare for their coming-of-age ceremony a year in advance, adding some extra things from time to time.

Wei Jinyun has orders for first-grade cakes, all for early spring or summer of next year. This is the first time she's ordered them today.

The customer wanted over 800 yuan, and since it was already noon, the shop had little filling and didn't have time to make fresh food. Wei Jinyun had originally hoped to attract a few passersby and didn't have much to prepare. But a woman's coming-of-age ceremony only happens once, so she couldn't just settle for ordinary snacks.

Wei Jinyun thought for a while and decided to make a delicious and meaningful cloud-shaped honey cake. It would be quick to make and wouldn't require too many red beans and candied dates.

She went into the kitchen and her two sisters came to help her light the fire and heat the water under the steamer first.

Wei Jinyun took a lot of glutinous rice flour, mixed it with rice paste, and kneaded it into a dough. She sprinkled it with sugar and ground sesame seeds, then pinched off small pieces of dough and rolled them into thin sheets, thicker than a copper coin. She put these into the steamer, and while the cakes were steaming, she took out the dried osmanthus flowers from the jar and the osmanthus honey she and her servants had made together.

Remove the steamed cakes and brush them with osmanthus honey while they're still hot. Then, add another layer, repeating the process three times to imbue each piece with the sweet aroma. Finally, cut each layer into small diamond shapes, arrange them neatly, and add candied dates and red seals. The aroma of osmanthus, mixed with the fragrance of rice, wafts from the kitchen into the shop.

While she was applying honey on one end, she continued to steam the cakes over there. She finished making over 800 pieces of top cakes in two hours. Even before the cloud-shaped honey cakes had cooled completely, they were all loaded onto the donkey cart.

There wasn't even a single idle young man on the street on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, and there was nowhere to hire a donkey cart. This was the first time Wei Jinyun had accepted this customer's order, and she couldn't let him take Huihui away, as it was a member of her family.

Today is the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month and his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. He certainly doesn't have time to bring Huihui home, so she took the money and went to his house with Zhu Bao to deliver some snacks.

The sound of the donkey cart's wheels rolling by was particularly clear in the empty street. On the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, the other streets had long lost their former bustle. Most shops were closed, with only a few houses occasionally emitting thin smoke, but even the shadow of a person walking around was rare.

Wei Jinyun was pulling the donkey cart when she arrived at Shantang Street when she saw two men in the uniform of the Inspection Office walking by with knives slung over their shoulders. They stopped when they saw her.

One of the taller ones asked with a smile, "Manager Wei, are you still busy on New Year's Eve?"

"Send some snacks."

Wei Jinyun responded, "You've worked hard too. My Yunlaixiang is still open. If you pass by, come in and have a cup of hot tea and a snack. You don't have to pay."

"Okay!"

After a few brief greetings, the people from the Inspection Department continued to patrol the street.

The other was a new recruit who arrived in the autumn. He scratched his head and asked, "Brother Chen, do we really not have to pay? Shopkeeper Wei is so kind during the New Year."

The tall man patted his head and said, "Well, it's credited to Lord Lu. He knows Yunlaixiang won't close, so this is a great benefit he gives to his brothers."

"It's great to be in the Inspection Office!"

Zhu Bao followed behind the donkey cart, looking at the boxes of snacks piled high. In just over two hours, Manager Wei had even helped him tie the red silk properly.

He couldn't help but let the tears flow down his cheeks. He sighed and thanked, "Thank goodness you're here, Shopkeeper Wei... If it weren't for this great gift, my family would have fallen apart. I've never seen my wife this angry. I deserve to die."

Wei Jinyun said softly, "It's okay. With this cake, I hope your daughter can have a smooth coming-of-age ceremony, and her future life will be as sweet as this cake."

Zhu Bao repeatedly responded with thanks, "Thank you very much, it's New Year's Day, I really trouble you."

The donkey cart slowly moved towards the west of the city. Bao was still expressing his gratitude intermittently and occasionally wiping away tears.

When the cake box was moved into the Zhu family's main hall, Zhu Bao's wife came up with two bulging red envelopes and stuffed them into Wei Jinyun's hands, "Manager Wei, you really helped me out in an emergency. You must accept these."

Wei Jinyun smiled and put it in her arms. Soon, laughter from the coming-of-age party could be heard from the courtyard.

She didn't stay long. When she turned around and led the donkey cart out, it was already dark. She had originally thought of showing off her skills at her family's New Year's banquet today, but now she thought that most families would have already started their banquets by this time.

As she was walking, she ran into the patrol officers. The leader waved at her and said, "Manager Wei, why are you back just now? Don't worry, we are guarding the street and it's safe."

"good."

Wei Jinyun responded with a smile and slowly walked forward pulling the donkey cart.

The iron pot in Zhaoji Cooked Food Shop was steaming, and Zhao Xiangping was stir-frying Ruyi vegetable with a spatula. The tender yellow Ruyi vegetable rolled twice in the pot and soon became shiny.

Meng Ge'er squatted on a small wooden stool nearby, holding a cleanly washed vegetable root in his hand. "Mother, I've washed all the dwarf greens in the basin and rinsed the mud off the leaves!"

Zhao Xiangping smiled and nodded, then sprinkled a spoonful of salt into the pot. "Leave it there until Auntie finishes cooking this dish."

Meng Ge'er reached for the egg dumplings on the stove. The egg dumplings on the plate were bulging with golden color like gold ingots. He picked them up carefully and walked briskly to the hall. "Mother, I've taken the egg dumplings out!"

After a while, he ran back to the kitchen and huddled next to Zhao Xiangping, staring at the fish swimming happily in the basin. "Mother, the fish in the basin are so fat. Are we having sweet and sour fish or tofu fish this year? I remember we had tofu fish last year. They were so tender."

Zhao Xiangping stopped shoveling the pot and reached out to touch her son's head. "Just make your favorite sweet and sour fish, and stew some tofu and fish soup. That way, Meng Ge'er won't have to choose."

There were footsteps at the shop door, someone was coming in.

The kitchen stove was still burning brightly, and the short-legged greens in the pot were sizzling with oil. Zhao Xiangping, holding the spatula, said loudly without turning her head, "Aunt Wang, you've come at the right time. I made some egg dumplings. You can bring them over. Mine are stuffed with mushrooms and meat, and yours are stuffed with water chestnuts and meat. The taste is different. I made so much at home that I can't finish them all."

After she finished speaking, she heard no response for a long time. She raised her hand to wipe the oil splashed on the back of her hand, then turned around and was about to ask why he didn't speak, but her voice suddenly got stuck in her throat.

The man was about fifty years old, wearing a dark blue robe and holding a cloth bag. His hair was mostly white at the temples. The woman stood next to him, wrapped in a red jacket and a brown headscarf, tears welling in her eyes.

The spatula in Zhao Xiangping's hand fell on the stove, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

She opened her mouth, her voice trembling violently, "Dad...Mom!"

Mother Zhao took a few steps forward and said hoarsely, "A Ping, this year... are you trying to say that you're living a comfortable life and don't need us to worry about you?"

Zhao Xiangping wiped her tears vigorously, and the words came out of her mouth with a sob, "Mom..."

Mother Zhao stepped forward and took her hand. Touching the calluses on her hand, tears finally fell. She remembered that before she got married, she was reluctant to let her do any housework at home and took good care of her.

"Nannan, I'm sorry for your hardship..."

She put her other hand on her daughter's cheek to wipe her tears. "Mother knows everything, mother knows everything. You don't have to say anything. Mother is here to spend the New Year with you."

Wei Jinyun had just reached the intersection of Tianqing Temple with her donkey cart when the light of two lanterns drifted into the dark street. Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu, holding their small lanterns, waited for her at the intersection, hand in hand.

Seeing the familiar figure, Wei Fuqiu also helped pull the donkey cart, "Sister, you are finally back. We have been waiting for you for a long time."

Wei Fuling reached out and grabbed Wei Jinyun's sleeve, shouting in Yun Laixiang's direction, "Grandma, my sister is back!"

They pulled Wei Jinyun into the shop, and not forgetting to help hold the reins of the donkey cart, they gathered beside her and chattered non-stop, "Sister, grandma cooked a lot of dishes, we haven't eaten a single bite, we will eat them when you come back."

The lobby was lit with candlelight, and the long table was set with a New Year's feast. A milky-white sea bass soup, golden-fried spring rolls, steamed bacon sprinkled with green garlic, stir-fried dwarf greens, and brown sugar rice cakes... all emanated a faint steam.

Wang Qiulan was sitting at the table wiping her chopsticks. When she saw her come in, she immediately stood up with a smile and said, "You're finally back. Come and sit down. We're waiting for you to start the meal."

She held a bowl of hot tea and handed it to her, "It's cold on the road, warm your hands quickly."

The table was full of steaming dishes, and the candlelight illuminated the smiling faces of my grandmother and sisters.

Wei Fuling scooped a piece of eight-treasure rice with a spoon and handed it to Wei Jinyun's bowl.

"Eat it quickly, sister, it's sweet."

She scooped another spoonful for herself to taste. "After tonight, Sister Qi and I will be eight years old. We will be able to take better care of my sister in the future."

Wei Fuqiu also handed over a spoonful and said softly, "Sister, try it. You'll gain more weight next year."

The rice grains were sticky, soft, and dense, mixed with melted sugar. When you bite into them, you can taste the sweetness of candied dates, the fragrance of lotus seeds, and the aroma of longan. Wei Jinyun nodded and finished both mouthfuls of rice.

After dinner, the candles in the shop were still lit. When I pushed the door open, fireworks were exploding all over the sky, and golden-red light fell on everyone's face. These were all fireworks set off by other people. They were so high and so far away, reflecting in the water of Pingjiang Prefecture. Even from a distance, they could still illuminate the shop door.

Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqiu held up the small fireworks sticks Wei Jinyun had bought them, lit them, and shot fireworks towards the river. Their sister bought them a large basket, enough for them to play with for a long time.

Meng Ge'er also held up a firework, startling Wei Fuling so much that she quickly pointed the small firework stick towards the river, "Meng Ge'er, are you going to blow your face off?"

The teeth that Meng Ge showed when he smiled seemed to have grown a lot more, and he would soon no longer be a toothless person.

Tired of playing, they walked towards the river, holding lanterns. Wei Fuling held a rabbit lantern made of bamboo, Wei Fuqiu held a carp lantern, and Luffa and Maodou followed behind, wagging their tails.

Wei Fuling put the rabbit lantern into the water. As the lantern floated away along the current, Si Gua went to the river and sniffed. After Wei Fuqiu's fish lantern and Meng Ge'er's small lotus lantern were put into the river, the three lanterns formed a string and floated away.

Wei Jinyun, wrapped in a thick cloak, sat on a bamboo chair at the door of the shop, his eyes following the children playing in the distance.

Wang Qiulan sat down next to her, holding a hand warmer in her hand, and suddenly said, "Jinyun, what do you think of that Lord Lu?"

Wei Jinyun lowered his head and said, "Very, very good."

Wang Qiulan smiled and patted the back of her hand, "Just fine?"

"Well, Lord Lu is really nice."

Wang Qiulan leaned closer. "Jinyun, two days ago, you got drunk and hugged Lord Lu's neck and wouldn't let go, burying your face in his cloak. 'Lu Lan, don't be so serious. Smile and you'll look better.' You haven't really forgotten, have you?"

Wei Jinyun looked up, eyes wide open, horrified and incredulous, "Ah? Am I really like this? Grandma, you're not kidding me, are you?"

It turns out that those vague memories after being drunk were all true.

She thought it was a dream... It was really inappropriate to have such beautiful dreams about her distinguished Peony Card member.

Turns out, it’s true.

The next day she greeted him with a smile and asked him to send a few more fish.

Wang Qiulan looked at her reddened ears and stopped beating around the bush. Her voice was gentle but direct, "Jinyun, tell Grandmother the truth. Do you like him?"

The wind brought the sound of fireworks from afar. She looked up at the fireworks and many images emerged in her mind.

The warm palms of his hands when he helped to hold the donkey cart, the look on his face when he was patrolling past the shop, and the sweet orange scent on his body in the drunken haze... It was like all the sweet snacks she made, every piece of which she put into her mouth and seemed to slide into her heart.

After a long while, she slowly turned around and said with unprecedented seriousness, "Grandma, I...I think I really like him."

She seemed to really, really like Lu Lan.

Wang Qiulan stopped laughing and asked directly, "So do you want to talk to him first, or wait for him to talk to you?"

Wei Jinyun raised his head and asked, "He...will he tell me? Lu Lan's favorite thing is the water in Pingjiang Prefecture and the boats in Pingjiang Prefecture. Does he like me?"

As soon as these words fell, Wang Qiulan burst out laughing, "Silly girl! Are you pretending to be ignorant or are you really teasing your grandmother? Who accompanied you all the way back to Yunlaixiang when you delivered the snacks? Wenxing said that many of the fish were caught by Lord Lu himself. And Sister Qi and Sister Ling said they wanted to set off lanterns on New Year's Eve. Look at what your sister is holding in her hand. You two..."

When Lu Lan was with Wei Jinyun, many little things that she had remembered for a long time now became evidence.

Wei Jinyun took a long time to utter, "But he didn't say it clearly..."

Zhao Xiangping sat with her parents. Looking at Wei Jinyun's flushed face, she couldn't help but laugh and joke, "Jinyun, you two are driving us crazy with your dawdling!"

She continued, "Meng Ge'er, I, Sister Qi, Sister Ling, and your grandmother, who among us doesn't understand? Let alone us, even the shopkeepers in front of Tianqing Temple, or those protected by Lord Lu, must be driven to death by you!"

Wei Jinyun reached out and picked up Yuanbao who was at her feet. She pressed her face against Yuanbao and said angrily, "It's New Year's Day, why are you saying these words?"

"It's okay. I'll take responsibility. I'll make the shop more stable and earn more money."

She scratched Yuanbao's chin seriously.

"When the time comes, I will go to Lu Lan's house to propose marriage."

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The author has something to say: Jinyun: [starry eyes] I will be responsible for you.

Lord Lu: (Offline, what happened? [Poor]