Chapter 57 New Year

After a long time, Chen Shiyi spoke softly.

"Aunt, I want to go back."

Mother Pei nodded in understanding.

"Don't give up Luo'er's fantasy. He is still thinking about redeeming you. He has decided to participate in the provincial examination held every three years. You wait for him. There is hope for the future."

After hearing this, Chen Shiyi smiled. This was indeed a wonderful dream.

"Luo'er..."

Pei Luoshu heard his mother calling and hurried into the room.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Mother Pei whispered something in Pei Luoshu's ear.

"Go buy it now."

Pei Luoshu understood instantly and turned around and walked out.

Mother Pei looked at Pei Luo walking away and said to Chen Shiyi.

"He's gone, go back now."

Chen Shiyi wrapped his pants into a package and took them out. He tiptoed to close the courtyard door, looked around, and walked carefully towards home.

Suddenly, at the entrance of an alley, he was pulled into an alley by a huge force.

"Don't be afraid, it's me."

Chen Shiyi glanced at Pei Luoshu in front of him and sighed.

"Are you so reluctant to see me?"

Pei Luoshu felt upset when he saw her depressed look.

"How did you find me?"

Pei Luoshu laughed.

"You need to practice hiding from people more in the future."

Chen Shiyi blinked.

"I want to go back."

Pei Luoshu hurriedly grabbed Chen Shiyi's sleeve.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"Oh, I heard that you are going to take part in the provincial examination in three years. I wish you success."

"And more."

"No more."

The two were silent for a while, and Pei Luoshu laughed softly.

He raised his hand and handed Chen Shiyi a package.

"This is brown sugar. You will feel better if you soak it in water. You should go back soon. The weather is cold. Remember to put on more clothes."

Chen Shiyi's nose turned red from the cold wind. He glanced at Pei Luoshu randomly, took the brown sugar from his hand, and walked out of the alley.

"eleven…"

The voice behind me was hoarse.

Chen Shiyi paused.

"You, take care..."

"The same to you…"

Since we solved the car problem, everything has been going smoothly.

People in the nearby towns all know that the cloth sold by Xue Lianxing and Chen Shiyi is very cheap, and they deliver the cloth to people's homes, saving them a lot of miscellaneous fees. Plus, the Chinese New Year is approaching, and more people are making new clothes for the New Year, so their business is getting better and better, and they are delivering goods non-stop.

They were busy until the twenty-eighth day of the lunar year, when the two finally stopped.

"Brother Xue, have all the shopkeepers received their New Year gifts?"

"Yes, don't worry about it. I'll send you back soon."

Chen Shiyi said helplessly.

"Brother Xue, please stop stuffing things in my place. I have already prepared the New Year's goods."

Xue Lianxing smiled.

"Yours is yours, mine is mine, how can they be the same? If you hadn't taken me to do business, I wouldn't have been able to cure Hao'er's illness. I returned the ten taels of silver you gave me before, but you didn't want it. I feel bad if you don't take more."

Chen Shiyi was silent for a while.

"Have you delivered the Pei family's New Year's goods for me? Especially the charcoal, it must be on time!"

"I gave it to him, I gave it to him. I don't know what to say to you. If nothing works out between you and him, then don't give others hope. He stood at the entrance of Ping'an Town in such a cold day, waiting just to see you. Tell him clearly that you don't need to wait anymore."

Chen Shiyi was silent for a while, his eyes were full of reluctance and his nose was very sour.

"Okay, I understand. I'll talk to him after the New Year."

In the Fengming Courtyard, paper lanterns covered with red paper were hung, the windows were covered with paper cuttings, and on the walls were couplets written by Wen Zhiheng.

This was the first year that the Marquis' family spent in exile in Fangling.

In a blink of an eye, they have been here for almost a year.

Time flies.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was very sumptuous, with chicken, fish, meat and wine.

Chen Shiyi has made some money recently, and life at home is much better than before.

After eating the New Year's Eve dinner, when everyone was staying up late to celebrate the coming of the new year, Chen Shiyi was sitting at the table writing and checking this year's revenue.

Wen Zhiheng sat next to her, watching her quickly dial the beads with a confused look on her face, which was quite funny.

"What's wrong? Why are you so upset?"

"I clearly calculated that after deducting expenses, I should have earned 86 taels of silver, but why do I find that I only have less than 20 taels left?"

Wen Zhiheng took the account book.

"Let me do the math."

When he saw Chen Shiyi's words, he couldn't help laughing again.

"Your handwriting is all over the place, just like when you lose your temper. Go back and practice more."

Chen Shiyi curled his lips.

"I've only been learning for half a year. I couldn't read a single word before. Now that I can write like this, I feel like I'm a genius."

Wen Zhiheng smiled happily.

"You are so shameless. I have never seen anyone praise himself so much."

Wen Zhiheng calculated for a while and found that Chen Shiyi's calculations were all correct.

“That’s right.”

Chen Shiyi suddenly looked at Wen Zhiheng intently, which made Wen Zhiheng feel uneasy.

"I finally realized that I hadn't even calculated your portion yet. You've already used up all the money."

Wen Zhiheng was stunned.

Chen Shiyi gritted his teeth and said.

"How much money have you spent from me this year? Pay me back as soon as possible."

Wen Zhiheng stroked the tip of his nose, looking embarrassed.

"Eleven, okay Eleven, today is New Year's Day, please let me go. When we return to Kyoto, what's mine is yours. I'll give you as much money as you want."

Chen Shiyi snorted coldly.

"You haven't even started yet, and you're just trying to fool people."

Wen Zhiheng smiled confidently.

"Who said that we haven't made any plans yet? I won't waste your hard-earned money."

Chen Shiyi asked doubtfully.

"Are you planning on returning to Kyoto?"

"Well, if nothing unexpected happens, we will be able to go back in no more than two years."

The smile on Chen Shiyi's face gradually faded.

Wen Zhiheng asked hurriedly.

"What's wrong? Is it taking too long? I'll try to be quick."

Chen Shiyi shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"No, I feel that life here is quite comfortable. I don't know what it will be like when I return to Kyoto."

Wen Zhiheng comforted her.

"When we return to Kyoto, I will let you enjoy a life of luxury and wealth. You won't have to worry about money anymore. Give me a few more children, and we will be very happy in the future."

Chen Shiyi felt very uncomfortable when he heard the young master say these things again.

"We'll talk about the future later."

She hurriedly picked up the pens and ink on the desk, and the ink on the account book was almost dry.

Wen Zhiheng looked at Chen Shiyi with deep eyes.

"Eleven, why do you shrink into your shell like a snail when I say something to you? Don't I have any weight in your heart?"

Chen Shiyi said in a cold voice.

"Master, you are my master, so you are naturally important."

Wen Zhiheng felt very uncomfortable.

"You know that's not what I'm asking."

Chen Shiyi remained silent.

The room was very quiet, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire, sparks exploding and stars flying everywhere.

Wen Zhiheng exhaled.

"Eleven, we both have a lot of time. I'll wait for you."

She lay on the bed and lit the small bamboo lamp on the bedside. Inexplicably, she thought of Xiangyang Village, the place where she grew up.

There, on that day, you can sleep peacefully all night without being beaten or scolded, because there is a custom in the village passed down from ancestors that you cannot curse others, nor be cursed by others on New Year’s Eve, otherwise the coming year will be unlucky.

She got a quiet night just for their good luck in the coming year.

The past is past, and the past that cannot be overcome is also past.

She thought that according to the young master's obsession with her, she probably wouldn't be able to get her indenture back.

Therefore, after the Chinese New Year, she should give up her unnecessary fantasies. It is time to extinguish the light in this bamboo lamp.