Chapter 46
Before long, she will have a new identity. Yingxiang is a little worried, but mostly happy.
Before we knew it, it was the day before the holiday.
At the last moment before the end of the semester, the students in the academy were very excited. Having spent some time together, Wen Shi must have a good understanding of everyone's temperament.
Overall, there weren't many troublesome or annoying things. There were a few families with better financial conditions, and regardless of what they thought in their hearts, they were all very friendly on the surface. The learning atmosphere was much better than it used to be at the county school.
As evening fell, heavy snow began to fall again, and the sky darkened. After bidding farewell to the teacher, the group headed towards Piaoxiang Tower in groups.
This is a famous restaurant in the prefecture, and its brewing technique is considered exceptional. It is very popular, and as the end of the year approaches, people even line up in long queues to buy wine.
Inside the exquisitely decorated restaurant, the waiters, all smiles, led a group of people up to a large private room on the second floor.
Your current status can be discerned from your clothing.
If someone is wearing a long robe and carrying a book box, then they are an ordinary scholar.
If someone is wearing coarse cloth shorts, then they are an ordinary person.
If someone is dressed extravagantly and has a large belly, they are most likely a businessman.
Officials don't usually eat and drink at restaurants; they mostly stay at home.
"Waiter, bring some snacks to go with the drinks, and a few jars of Daughter's Red wine."
"good."
Watching the waiter leave, Wen Shi frowned slightly, but didn't show too much resistance; he could control himself.
"My fellow gentlemen, what a coincidence that we are gathered here together. We should treat each other like brothers in the future. Let's drink this cup first."
When drinking, even some scholars who usually appear weak and frail can become quite unrestrained. Although they all hold the title of Xiucai (a degree in the imperial examination system), they are not so particular about such things.
Without entering officialdom, a scholar is, frankly speaking, only slightly higher in status than an ordinary person, and has a little money.
Wen Shi picked up his wine glass, intending to take a small sip, but most people downed their drinks in one gulp, so he could only drink a few more mouthfuls.
At home, Yingxiang knew that Wenshi had a day off and was going out for a social event, so later that evening, she made herself a soft and tender steamed egg custard to fill her stomach.
After that, Wen Shi would stay home with her until the end of the holiday.
Yingxiang sat listlessly in front of the dressing table, taking out all the jewelry she had accumulated and placing them on the table one by one.
She didn't have much gold jewelry; most of her hair was made of silver and pearls, along with some ordinary wooden hairpins and hair ornaments. With a little effort in dressing up, she looked quite beautiful.
Right now, there's really no need for that.
Yingxiang opened a small drawer to the side, inside which were several boxes of face powder. She used to apply them to her face, but she hadn't used them much since becoming pregnant.
As it grew darker outside, Yingxiang took out some perfume and applied it to her arm. Then, as if remembering something, she began to sort the jewelry.
Among these, there are some she really likes, such as the white jade bracelet she always wears, but some hairpins that looked nice last year now feel strangely out of place, and it would be a waste to leave them there.
With that in mind, she picked out some items that she didn't like so much and didn't want to wear, planning to pawn them for money when she went shopping with Wen Shi the next day.
That's for the best. Otherwise, it's useless to leave it there. With the money in hand, she can buy some more things she likes.
With the New Year just around the corner, Yingxiang thought it was time to buy herself and Wenshi a new set of clothes, and couldn't help but yawn.
The candlelight was dim, but the charcoal in the brazier burned brightly, the flames flickering. By the faint light, she looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Her skin was fair with a rosy glow, her complexion was quite good, and her face was plump.
That's good; good health is the most important thing.
Unable to wait any longer, she went to sleep.
Inside the restaurant, Wen Shi looked at several people who had already passed out, somewhat speechless. Of course, he didn't say anything, but kept paying attention to the time.
He's been working long hours lately, leaving early and returning late, and his wife is still at home, which he naturally misses.
"I see the snow is getting heavier and the wind is picking up, so let's stop here for today."
Someone who couldn't drink anymore, whose handsome face was flushed, immediately pretended to be drunk and chimed in, "I think so too, let's go back first."
"Brother Wen, you shouldn't be saying that. Look at you, you haven't even had much to drink."
A chubby student who had been drunk to the point of passing out suddenly got up from the ground, startling everyone. Then someone burst into laughter.
"Come on, Brother Wen, drink some more, have some more, let's drink together."
This person poured himself a large bowl and then poured a lot more for Wen Shi.
"Drink it, drink it!"
Wen Shi disliked excessive drinking, but he couldn't leave immediately. He looked at the closed window not far away and moved towards it without making a sound.
He picked up the wine bowl, took a few sips, and could already smell the alcohol on himself.
"Eat, we haven't eaten yet."
The snacks were barely touched and remained neatly arranged on the table. At first, everyone chatted and drank together, but later, those who were close friends gathered together to drink.
Almost everyone stood up, took their wine bowls, and drank with great gusto.
Wen Shi sat by the window and casually opened it. A cold north wind blew in, making many people shiver and wake up a bit. It was already pitch black outside.
"That's enough for today, I'm feeling really dizzy."
"I'm dizzy too."
Upon hearing this, he closed the window and immediately got up, sighing helplessly.
"Let's call it a day then."
After getting completely drunk, the cold wind made me shiver instinctively, even though I was wearing thick clothes. The party finally ended, and on my way home, I became more and more sober, and my mood improved.
He's not a god; everyone gets tired. He plans to rest well during this time, maybe read some books at most.
He had initially thought of making some money by copying books, but after actually starting to read them, he gave up. He had endless articles to write every day, and he also had a wife to take care of when he got home.
Of course, Yingxiang didn't ask him to cook, but looking at his wife, he felt sorry for her, so he had no choice but to do it himself.
When I heard that I had arrived home, I breathed a sigh of relief. I went inside and immediately boiled water to take a bath, then brewed myself a pot of strong tea to sober up and get rid of the hangover, and rinsed my mouth.
After finishing all that, he went inside and sat down on the bed.
In her sleep, Yingxiang sensed that someone had returned, so she crawled into his bed. Wen Shi held his wife, and there was no insomnia; she slept incredibly well.
Although the Spring Festival has not yet arrived, the people in the prefectural city are already making preparations for it. Many people look forward to these few days all year round.
The two then got busy until Lunar New Year's Eve.
Late at night, firecrackers were going off outside. Wen Shi also set off firecrackers. He wrote couplets, made paper-cut window decorations, and decorated his house a little.
As for dinner, he also prepared two extra dishes.
The old hen stayed inside the kitchen and wouldn't come out. The two men sat on chairs inside the house, eating and chatting happily.
The county was much the same. It was the New Year, after all. Although no one went back, no one complained. Xiuyu didn't dare to confront Old Man Wen alone, so she could only endure it.
She felt very frustrated during the New Year, but she was still able to get through it.
“Your third brother isn’t here. He’ll be going back to his wife’s family home on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Bring an extra gift to your sister-in-law’s family home; they’re from the same village.”
Sister-in-law Wen had no objection, Brother Wen need not say anything more, and as for Liu, she had nothing to say either.
As the night grew quiet and the sound of firecrackers outside gradually subsided, Yingxiang, who was thinking about staying up all night to welcome the New Year, couldn't stay awake any longer and eventually fell asleep in the latter half of the night.
Wen Shi didn't sleep all night, but when dawn broke, he was still in good spirits.
During these past two weeks, he didn't practice calligraphy much; he spent his time reading or doing housework and went to bed early. His previous fatigue was completely gone.
Yingxiang longed for the Lantern Festival and the temple fair, and Wenshi fulfilled her wishes in both.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, the couple went out in the evening. On a street not far away, there were colorful lanterns everywhere, and many people were praying for blessings.
Yingxiang didn't walk straight past; she wasn't interested in riddles. Instead, she bought two lanterns and wrote down her wishes.
Next year, she only hopes for a harmonious family, healthy children, and good health, and that things will be much better when she hears the news.
It was a pleasant surprise to have such a long holiday. On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, almost all the students went to the academy. Unexpectedly, the teacher told them to go back and rest well, and to go again after the Lantern Festival.
Once the Lantern Festival was over, Wen Shi knew it would be another busy year, but he was happy. He wanted to seize the time to study. If he worked hard this year and could pass the imperial examination next autumn, it would truly be a blessing from the Bodhisattva. Although it would be very difficult, he still really wanted to succeed.
Spring has arrived in the blink of an eye.
As the weather gets warmer, Yingxiang, who is heavily pregnant, gets busy as she goes to the fabric shop to have clothes and shoes made for her baby.
She looked at the patterns and fabrics back and forth. They didn't need to be too good, but they also couldn't be too shabby. She chose a decent cotton fabric, as long as the child was comfortable to wear.
Thinking of the maternity bag her friend had prepared before giving birth, Yingxiang realized that she didn't have the same facilities here, so she had to find a substitute. She bought a bolt of pure white cotton cloth, cut it up, and prepared it for herself and her baby. She would wash it and then dry it in the sun, as would her clothes.
That evening, before it was even dark, Wen Shi returned leading a ewe.
Remembering what he had said before the New Year, Yingxiang glanced at the plump female goat, which looked quite docile, and decided to keep it like this for the time being.
"Husband, how much did it cost?"
Wen Shi led the goat to the other side of the yard and tied it up.
Three taels of silver.
Yingxiang nodded and didn't say anything more.
"After I take a few days off, I'll go to the bamboo forest in the suburbs and cut some more bamboo to partition off this yard. It will look nicer then."
Yingxiang brought home another brood of chicks a few days ago. She bought them at the market and is currently raising them in a basket. She also has some vegetable seeds to plant, but that's not the time yet. The chickens can lay eggs and be eaten when they grow up. She didn't bother to pull out the weeds in the yard.
The courtyard looks a bit messy right now, but we can separate and fence it off later, leaving only a passageway in the middle for daily access.
He kept his word. A few days later, he spent the whole day cutting down a lot of bamboo and bamboo shoots from the back mountain. The former could be cut up and used as a fence, while the latter could be eaten directly.
There was plenty of bamboo, so he split it up one by one. In the small yard, he first set aside a place for the ewe, right by the door. Two old hens lived in the chicken coop next to it, and the little one was temporarily kept in a basket.
Vegetables can also be planted in his specially enclosed vegetable garden, but first, excess weeds must be removed and the soil loosened.
Busy from morning till night, Wen Shi, under the moonlight, sowed the last seed and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Looking at the tidy courtyard, Yingxiang felt much better. The small courtyard had everything she needed.
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