Chapter 36 New Year's Eve
Princess Chu smiled faintly and said, "Jingyu, your future cousin Jing's family also runs an embroidery workshop. Your cousin Jing's craftsmanship is also top-notch. I saw it several times when I was in Jiangnan a few years ago. Her craftsmanship is comparable to your sister-in-law's."
Zhao Jing looked at the clothes in Princess Ningxiang's hand, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he fell into deep thought...
They were both from Fangqiao, Yongxing City, both owned embroidery workshops, and both followed their husbands back to Chang'an from Fangqiao Town...
How could such a coincidence happen?
Gu Jingyu smiled and said, "Does my cousin's family also run an embroidery workshop? Then when my cousin Jing gets in, she can discuss embroidery with my sister-in-law." Princess Chu chuckled and said, "It has been spread all over the outside these days. Yan'er said at the birthday banquet of Mrs. Fu that your sister-in-law is more beautiful than the second daughter of the Fu family. It's a pity that I didn't have the chance to see the beauty of Yan'er's wife."
Gu Jingyu smiled and said, "In my brother's eyes, no woman in this world can compare to my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law will come to the palace to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the new year. Then my second aunt will be able to see my sister-in-law."
Zhao Jing thought that he was worrying too much. There was no such a coincidence in the world.
Besides, Gu Yan did say that his wife was more beautiful than Fu Anran.
Although Yun Xiangye is beautiful, she is far inferior to Fu Anran's stunningly beautiful face.
It couldn't be the same person. He must be worrying too much.
--
On the eve of New Year's Eve, there was another heavy snowfall in Chang'an City, and the whole city was covered in silver.
It can be said that auspicious snow indicates a good harvest.
On New Year’s Eve, in the study room of Qingfeng Garden.
Gu Yan picked up the pen and wrote Spring Festival couplets.
Xiao Nuonuo stood on tiptoe and wanted to write with Gu Yan.
Yun Xiangye picked up Xiao Nuonuo, held her hand and wrote a word "Fu" with her.
After writing the word "Fu", Yun Xiangye and Gu Yan went to the gate of the courtyard to watch the maids paste the couplets.
The windows in Qingfeng Garden were also pasted with paper-cuts made by the maids a few days ago, full of the festive atmosphere of the New Year.
Gu Yan glanced at Yun Xiangye and said, "This is already the third year we have been together."
Yun Xiangye gently pulled down the small hat on Nuonuo's head and said, "Nuonuo will soon be two years old."
Gu Yan looked at Nuonuo in his arms and said, "Nuonuo's first birthday party was not held in Jiangnan, so we have to hold a big party for her second birthday."
Yun Xiangye glanced at Gu Yan and said, "Nuonuo's birthday is the seventh day of the first lunar month. It's only a few days away. Is it still too late to hold a big birthday party?"
Gu Yan smiled and said, "Seven days is enough to prepare a birthday banquet."
Yun Xiangye sighed and said, "I don't know how to organize this banquet in Chang'an..."
Gu Yan said: "You don't need to worry about organizing the banquet. Just let Jingyu organize Nuonuo's birthday banquet. She has already organized all the banquets at home. You can just be a hands-off manager."
Yun Xiangye frowned and looked at Gu Yan: "My daughter's birthday banquet banquet, I am just a hands-off manager?"
Gu Yan said, "Isn't it because they are worried that you will be in Chang'an for the first time and don't know how to organize a banquet in the princess's mansion, and you will cause a joke among the guests?"
Yun Xiangye snorted, "Since you knew that I would be laughed at by the guests for not knowing anything, why did you only tell me your identity on the day you came to Chang'an? If you had told me earlier..."
Yun Xiangye was halfway through her speech when she sighed and said, "Forget it. I don't want to argue with you on New Year's Eve."
Gu Yan knew he was in the wrong and said, "I didn't think it through. You should be the one to host Nuonuo's birthday party this time, and let Jingyu help you."
Yun Xiangye said, "I haven't even figured out how many relatives you have, how can I prepare a birthday banquet? I can only trouble Jingyu to prepare Nuonuo's birthday banquet."
After Yun Xiangye finished speaking, she went to look for Gu Jingyu.
Gu Jingyu was preparing the New Year's Eve dinner in Helan Hall.
Gu Jingyu smiled and said, "Sister-in-law." when she saw Yun Xiangye coming over.
Yun Xiangye watched Gu Jingyu giving orders to the maids from time to time, and said, "If you are busy, I won't bother you."
Gu Jingyu said, "I'm not busy. I'm just preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner. What can I do for you?"
Yun Xiangye smiled faintly and said, "Nuonuo's birthday is in seven days. Nuonuo's first birthday has never been celebrated in a big way. Gu Yan and I both want to give Nuonuo a good second birthday. I'm new in Chang'an, and I don't know how you guys are going to arrange the banquet in Chang'an, nor do I know how many relatives you have at home, so I can only trouble you."
Gu Jingyu smiled and said, "How can it be considered a bother to hold a birthday party for Nuonuo? There are still seven days left. I will definitely hold a grand birthday party for Nuonuo."
"But sister-in-law, you have been in Chang'an for some time. How come you don't know how many relatives you have? Didn't my brother tell you about your relatives?"
Yun Xiangye said to Gu Jingyu, "Your brother only told me that he was the princess's son when we arrived in Chang'an. He didn't even tell me that he had a sister like you, so how could he tell me about other relatives?"
Gu Jingyu groaned, "My brother doesn't care at all... ahem."
Gu Jingyu kept silent about what she was going to say next, and only said to Yun Xiangye, "Sister-in-law, I will write you a family tree of my relatives, and I will also write down the complicated relationships between some of the noble families in Chang'an City. Tomorrow when you go out to pay New Year's greetings or when others come to pay New Year's greetings, you will have a good idea of what to do and will not be impolite."
Yun Xiangye looked at Gu Jingyu gratefully and said, "Thank you, sister."
Yun Xiangye just felt that Gu Jingyu was a thousand times better than her brother.
In the afternoon, Yun Xiangye and Gu Jingyu prepared the New Year's Eve dinner together.
When it got dark, Yun Xiangye and Gu Jingyu went to Fushou Hall to invite their grandmother, Mrs. Gu, to come for dinner.
At the hour of You, the Princess and Prince Ning returned from the palace.
Seeing the table full of dishes, Xie Zhixuan smiled and said to Gu Jingyu, "You've worked hard today."
Gu Jingyu said: "Mother, I just talked a lot, it's not hard, and my sister-in-law helped me a lot today."
Xie Zhixuan smiled and said to Yun Xiangye: "This is your first time going home for the New Year. If there is any inconvenience, just let me know."
Yun Xiangye chuckled and said, "Mom, I'm not inconvenienced anywhere."
Gu Yan carried Nuonuo into the Helan Hall and said to the people in the hall, "Grandma, Dad, Mom."
Madam Gu looked at Gu Yan and Nuonuo in his arms and chuckled, "It's been three years since we had a family reunion. This year we finally have one."
Gu Yan said, "I am an unfilial grandson. The first year, Xiangye was pregnant with Nuonuo, and the second year, Nuonuo was too young to come back to Chang'an to spend the New Year with my grandmother."
Xie Zhixuan took out a red envelope from the side and handed it to Xiao Nuonuo, saying, "This is the New Year's money that your grandmother gave you."
Xiao Nuonuo took it with both hands and said softly, "Thank you, grandma."
Xie Zhixuan took out three more red envelopes and gave them to Yun Xiangye: "This is the New Year's money for you, and the other two are to make up for what you missed in the past two years."
When Yun Xiangye received the three red envelopes for the New Year from Xie Zhixuan, there were some tears in her eyes. She had not received any red envelopes for the New Year for eight years since her parents passed away.
Yun Xiangye choked up and said, "Thank you, mother."
Xie Zhixuan chuckled and said, "You're welcome. Let's eat."
It has been a long time since Yun Xiangye and his family had a lively New Year's Eve dinner together.
This is the most lively New Year I have had since my parents passed away.
After eating and drinking, little Jingru pulled her parents to set off firecrackers and fireworks for fun.
Gu Yan also carried Nuonuo out to watch the fireworks outside. Yun Xiangye was afraid that Nuonuo would be scared, so she reached out and covered Nuonuo's ears from behind.
Xiao Jingru took a stick of incense and lit the fireworks in front of her. After a while, the sky was full of fireworks, which was extremely beautiful.
Fireworks are also set off during the New Year in Jiangnan, but last year Nuonuo was too young to be taken out with her, so this was the first time for Nuonuo to see the dazzling fireworks.
Nuonuo saw the fireworks and exclaimed, "Beautiful."
Xiao Jingru was playing with the small handheld firework sticks again. She handed a lit firework stick to Nuonuo and said, "Nuonuo, play together."
Yun Xiangye took the firework stick from Xiao Jingru and gave it to Nuonuo, who giggled while holding the firework stick.
Seeing that Nuonuo was not afraid of the firework stick in his hand, Gu Yan took Nuonuo to play with firecrackers.
Yun Xiangye hadn't played with firecrackers for a long time. Playing with Nuonuo and Gu Yan, she felt like she was back to the carefree days when her parents were still alive.
Yun Xiangye smiled very happily.
Gu Yan looked at Yun Xiangye under the bright fireworks and whispered in her ear: "You look so beautiful when you smile. I have rarely seen you smile since I came to Chang'an."
Yun Xiangye paused for a moment and said, "I'm having a great time here. I wonder if Shuangbai is doing well in Yongxing City? And Sister He... I wonder how her injury is. Did she have a good New Year's Eve in the palace?"
Gu Yan chuckled and said, "Your Highness told me yesterday that on Aunt Ye's birthday on the third day of the first lunar month, Your Highness will take Aunt Ye out of the palace, and you and Aunt Ye can meet outside the palace then."
Yun Xiangye was delighted: "Really?"
Gu Yan smiled softly and said, "Can I lie to you about this? And you don't have to wait until the third day of the New Year. You have to go to the palace to pay New Year's greetings tomorrow, and you can also see Aunt Ye."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com