Chapter 79 Final Chapter: The Snow Stops
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lu Qiong was busy in the shop almost every day until the festive atmosphere subsided.
At this moment, Lu Qiong spread out her account book and started sketching on the paper. Whenever she had a moment to herself, she couldn't help but think of what happened on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. She hadn't been sleeping well lately because of Xie Xun.
She's almost twenty now, which is considered late marriage in this era! She was pressured to get married a lot during her time back in Shangyuan Village, and if she hadn't insisted on refusing, she might have been set up as a matchmaker.
Since arriving in this era, Lu Qiong has been prepared to live a lonely life, so she has been diligently saving money in recent years.
Now that a suitable person has appeared, she is actually a little hesitant.
But she hadn't seen Xie Xun since that day they parted, and she really couldn't figure out what he was thinking. She couldn't very well ask him to take the initiative...
"Sister, Qiaoniang and the others are here!" Lu Xuan suddenly patted her on the back.
Lu Qiong grunted in agreement, put down her pen, and went out to greet the group of bodyguards.
The escort agency was supposed to arrive in Bianjing on the Mid-Autumn Festival, but due to unforeseen circumstances, they were delayed on the road and did not land until the early hours of yesterday.
Pang Qiaoniang's anxious heart was finally put at ease. When Jinniang learned of this, she suggested that a banquet be held at the shop to welcome them back.
Duanba readily agreed, and the other bodyguards had no objections either. For them, having a place to rest was better than sleeping in the open, especially since they knew that Lu Ji was quite famous in Bianjing.
A typical banquet in Bianjing (Kaifeng) consists of several dishes, pickled fish as appetizers, sashimi or roasted lamb as the main course, some soup, steamed buns or soup dumplings as staple food, and finally boiled water.
Besides, they were regular customers, so Lu Qiong added five-flavor apricot milk pigeon, pickled fish, and roasted pork skin to the meal, and also served plum wine and osmanthus wine.
The bodyguard was quite a sight on the street, and Lu Qiong spotted him as soon as she went out. Jin Niang also came with Shuang Jie'er and Pang Qiao Niang.
When they arrived, Lu Qiong led them to sit down. Since the place was facing the street, many of the windows were closed, leaving only a crack for ventilation in case of strong winds outside.
As soon as Scarface came in, he shouted, "It smells so good! I'm going to get drunk tonight!"
There were still some diners in the hall, and they all turned their gazes toward him. Pang Qiaoniang quickly pulled her brother back and urged him to sit down: "Don't keep everyone waiting."
"My sister still cares about me the most..." Duanba grinned foolishly, not caring about the stares of others.
Shuangjie was also pulled down to sit by Jinniang. She kept turning her head and looked at everyone curiously. She happened to make eye contact with Alang and even grinned at him.
Sister Yang had been looking forward to her arrival and had even specially prepared lotus root soup for her, which was only being served now.
"Sister Shuang, eat carefully, this lotus root soup is freshly made and still hot!"
Jinniang pressed the back of her hand against the bowl, and it was indeed scalding hot. She hissed and immediately pulled her hand back, then smiled at Yang Jie'er: "I'll keep an eye on things, you go ahead and get busy."
Once everyone was seated, Lu Qiong served them a main dish: stewed mutton soup with only ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns. The flavor wasn't too strong, just right to warm their stomachs.
Lu Xuan and Wei Pan also sat together. Lu Qiong didn't ask them to help serve the dishes, since they had been busy for several days.
There was still some Dongpo pork stewing in the pot. Lu Qiong watched the fire for a while and, seeing that it was about time, took a plate and scooped out the Dongpo pork.
As soon as I went outside, I smelled alcohol, but fortunately the autumn wind was strong and it quickly dissipated.
After putting down the dishes, Lu Qiong saw Xie Xun, who was surrounded by burly men. It was hard not to feel strange that he was sitting among them.
Noticing her difference, Duanba took the initiative to explain, "Brother Xie helped us before. If it weren't for him, we would have been delayed even longer on the road."
Xie Xun put down his wine glass and looked at Lu Qiong across the banquet table: "The caravan encountered some trouble on the road a while ago, and we happened to run into them, so we came back together."
"I see," Lu Qiong nodded, and quickly returned to the kitchen to serve the last dish.
After setting the dishes down, they realized there weren't many empty seats left. Besides the one next to Xie Xun, there was only one seat that Sister Yang had reserved for her, but unfortunately, it was next to a bodyguard, so it was a bit cramped.
She sighed inwardly and chose to sit down next to Xie Xun.
However, the two of them didn't talk much. It was mainly Duanba and Jinniang who were talking at the table, and they would call out to them occasionally.
After finishing the meal, Lu Qiong was sweating profusely on her back, and only felt better after leaving the shop.
In the following days, Xie Xun also frequently came to the shop. Sometimes he would run errands for the Xie family, packing up some food and leaving. Other times he would stay in the shop for a while, ordering tea and snacks to pass the time.
Everyone in the shop knew something was wrong, and Lu Xuan, even bolder, discussed the matter privately with Afu and the others.
"Has Mr. Xie taken a fancy to my sister?" Lu Qiong rested her chin on her hand, recalling the past, and the more she thought about it, the more something seemed wrong.
They hid in the backyard, and if they made a little noise, they could be seen through the window. They all chatted in hushed tones.
Wei Pan recalled Xie Lang's appearance; he was dignified and handsome. Compared to the rough and uncouth bodyguards, she preferred Xie Lang, who was at least a good match for Sister Qiong.
Afu rubbed her numb calves: "You noticed it too? I think this sounds like something out of a storybook. Wasn't there a man who was always getting close to Wan Niang, and they even got married later!"
They had already read the book thoroughly, and when they recalled what was written in it, even Ah Yao, who rarely spoke, nodded in agreement.
Lu Xuan sighed, tilting her head back: "It's a pity that my elder sister doesn't seem to have taken a liking to Xie Langjun..."
The others also fell silent. In the end, this was Lu Qiong's matter alone, and they couldn't interfere.
However, Lu Xuan secretly regarded Xie Xun as her brother-in-law in her heart, and whenever he came, she would create opportunities for the two of them to be alone.
Two major events occurred before the end of the year, and the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Liu Shan decided to quit and become an instructor at a money exchange in Jingna. He only needed to ensure the safety of money and lend and borrow, and he would no longer have to travel around with the镖局 (bodyguard/escort agency). This would give him a foothold in Bianjing.
However, the escort agency could not lose its head escort, so Liu Shan selected several suitable candidates from among them, and finally chose Lin Feng, an escort who had only entered the industry a year later than him.
Fortunately, everyone was convinced, after all, Lin Feng was kind and efficient, not much worse than Liu the镖头 (bodyguard), and everyone congratulated him.
Not long after, everyone discovered that Liu Shan had become close to Pang Qiaoniang, the sister of Duanba. When Duanba found out, he was furious and quickly found someone to confront him.
Liu Shan also admitted that he had feelings for Pang Qiaoniang, and Pang Qiaoniang also stood up to dissuade her brother: "My feelings for my husband are genuine..."
Duanba felt sorry for his sister, and even though he was so angry that his liver hurt, he still smiled at her, pulled her back, and didn't forget to glare at Liu Shan.
He used to respect Liu Shan, yet he's now trying to steal Liu's girlfriend from behind his back!
In the twelfth lunar month, Bianjing was covered with a layer of snow, and pedestrians hurried along the streets, bending over and stuffing their hands into their clothes, breathing on them as if trying to expel the cold.
The shop was large and colder than in previous years. Lu Qiong couldn't stand it, so she added many stoves and placed several pots in the corners, under the windows, and in the center, which made the room much warmer.
Although Duanba was furious, he knew that it was not easy for Qiaoniang to live alone in Bianjing, and he could not protect her all the time. If he wanted to find a good husband for his sister, Liu Shan was indeed the most suitable person.
After calming down, she talked to Liu Shan and asked him to protect Qiao Niang and not to wrong her. Liu Shan agreed to everything.
Before long, the marriage was arranged, and it was set for February of the following year, when the weather would warm up. Duanba was also able to personally arrange Qiaoniang's marriage before leaving Bianjing.
In late December, the entire city of Bianjing was bustling with activity, making rice cakes, steaming buns, and decorating with paper flowers, preparing for sacrificial rites in advance.
Besides managing the shop, Lu Qiong also had to spare some time to prepare for the New Year. Lu Xuan was unreliable all day long, but fortunately Wei Pan was there to help her.
Lu Qiong had talked to her a few days ago. After all, she hadn't returned home since breaking up with Cui Niang, and no one knew what she was thinking. After all, many people, even if they have a rift with their parents, still harbor a sliver of longing.
But Wei Pan didn't. She said she didn't want to see them, so Lu Qiong stopped mentioning it.
The snow in Bianjing had lessened, and the New Year was approaching, so Lu Qiong closed his shop and gave everyone a three- to five-day holiday.
This year, there was no need to specially buy yeast from the government to brew wine. The shop had plenty of wine left over on weekdays, such as osmanthus wine, pear wine, peach blossom wine, and rice wine. She took a small pot of each with her to entertain guests.
On New Year's Eve, Lu Qiong set up a stove in the main room, placed a wine pot on it to simmer, and the sweet aroma of the wine spread and filled the surroundings.
Xue'er had just been rolling around in the snow in the yard and was now soaking wet, so Lu Xuan found its special blanket and covered its back to dry off.
Xue'er had grown much larger, so Lu Xuan could only wrap her arms around it and keep stroking its fur. Xue'er would whimper twice in response.
"You've grown so big, I can't even carry you anymore..."
Lu Qiong poured some water on the table, dampened the rag, and wiped it dry along the water stains: "Xue'er eats meat all day long. Not to mention it, even you have grown quite a bit taller!"
My face is fuller now, not as thin as before.
Lu Xuan laughed twice after hearing this.
Wei Pan, who was in the kitchen, took out the last piece of firewood from the stove, poured a ladle of water on it, and the fire went out with a "sizzle," leaving behind a wisp of black smoke that soon dissipated.
It was cold, so they prepared all hot dishes. In the center was a pot of stewed mutton, next to which was a plate of roasted mutton, steamed carp, stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured meat, chicken soup, and stir-fried mutton lungs. Outside were flatbreads as the main dish, along with several stir-fried vegetables and cold dishes, followed by plates of fried dough sticks and jujube cakes.
The last dish to be cooked was Dongpo pork. Wei Pan placed it in a specially reserved spot, with a cloth pad underneath to insulate it from the heat.
Once all the dishes were served, everyone sat around the table.
It was still snowing lightly outside, but that couldn't dampen the liveliness inside. Lu Qiong picked up a bottle of wine and poured a small glass for Lu Xuan and Wei Pan.
Before they knew it, they had reached the age where they should be drinking...
Lu Xuan was a little excited. Smelling the aroma of the wine, she tilted her head back and drank it all in one go. Her face turned red instantly, and she was so spicy that all that was left were her misty eyes.
Lu Qiong quickly handed over a bowl of chicken soup: "To sober you up."
Wei Pan had already drunk some wine, so she wasn't as disheveled as Lu Xuan. In fact, she was still enjoying herself and poured herself a little more wine. The rest of the wine went to Lu Qiong, and the two of them weren't allowed to drink any more.
After drinking, everyone warmed up and didn't feel cold even in the dead of winter. They quickly devoured all the food on the table.
When the snow stopped, they took out the fireworks they had bought in advance, swept a clearing in front of the door, lit the fireworks, and the whole yard was illuminated.
Looking up at the night sky, with the cheers of her loved ones in her ears, Lu Qiong felt dazed.
May everything go smoothly and may you have good fortune every year.
The festive atmosphere lasted until the Lantern Festival, with lanterns lining the streets, smiles on everyone's faces, and everyone wearing new clothes.
Before the Lunar New Year, Xie's clothing store stocked new cotton-padded coats at prices lower than in previous years, attracting many people from Bianjing to buy them.
Lu Qiong also took this opportunity to buy two sets of cotton clothes for Lu Xuan and Wei Pan, one light yellow and one light green. She also bought several sets for Shuang Jie'er, who was dressed up like a little girl in a New Year's painting, which aroused everyone's pity.
Lu Xuan, in particular, would pinch Shuang Jie'er's cheeks all day long, her face full of excitement: "Oh my, where did this little girl come from? She's so pretty!"
Although Shuang'er was young, she had already started to care about her appearance. When someone praised her for looking good, she would proudly say, "It's because Qiong'er bought the clothes that they're so pretty..."
"If it had a tail, it would probably be wagging its tail to the sky!" Jinniang said with a faint smile.
Lu Qiong smiled faintly, but did not respond to her. She brought over the freshly cooked glutinous rice balls, which were still steaming when she put them down. "Shuang-jie, these sesame-filled glutinous rice balls are the best. Eat them while they're hot. There are also some with red bean paste and jujube paste fillings, but I only served one. If you want more, I'll go get another serving."
Jinniang waved her hand: "There's no need to spoil her like that. As long as she has something to eat, that's good enough."
Perhaps because she had been scolded, Shuang Jie'er's expression remained unchanged, only showing a smile when she ate the glutinous rice balls.
As night falls, wisps of snow drift onto the blue bricks, dampening the steps. Diners lift their hems to step over the threshold, order a cup of hot tea, and ward off the chill.
Now that the shop has enough staff, Lu Qiong doesn't need to keep an eye on things all the time. Since there was a banquet at the Xie residence, she carried the food box and went there under an umbrella.
Upon entering, one sees a person standing in front of the courtyard. Snowflakes fall softly on his shoulders, melting his clothes instantly.
As if hearing footsteps, he turned around, the moonlight casting a hazy silver rim around him, and quietly met Lu Qiong's gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Lu Qiong slowed her pace, handed the food box to the maid who came forward, and reminded her, "It's cold, Yuanzi might be cold, so please warm it up first."
Before they could finish speaking, Xie Xun came up to her, looked down at her, and said, "There are many lanterns set up at the Bian River. Would Madam Lu be interested in going with us?"
Lu Qiong smiled and said, "Okay."
Even with light snow falling, the streets remained bustling with people, fireworks lit up the sky, and painted boats floated by under the bridge.
At first, the two kept a distance, but later they moved closer to avoid pedestrians.
Xie Xun bought a lantern shaped like a rabbit, paid for it, and handed it to her, saying, "I saw that everyone else was carrying a lantern."
Lu Qiong took it without hesitation, her palm still warm from the heat.
"Thank you, my lord."
Xie Xun smiled and said, "There's no need for thanks between us."
Hearing his explanation, Lu Qiong didn't stand on ceremony with him. Seeing a painted boat passing by under the bridge, she grabbed his sleeve and followed it, saying, "Let's take a painted boat!"
Because she wanted to sit, Xie Xun booked the entire pleasure boat. When the maids came to serve wine, he gestured for everyone to disembark.
Seeing his well-defined knuckles pour her wine, Lu Qiong recalled their last time on the pleasure boat, when they had only known each other for a short time...
The aroma of wine wafted over, and Xie Xun's gaze shifted to the riverbank.
A commotion came from the opposite bank, followed by fireworks bursting in the sky and starlight falling, only to rise again in an instant.
Amidst the distant commotion, Xie Xun's voice remained remarkably clear: "In a little over a month, the caravan will head south."
The fireworks fell along with his words, flashing a light in the dim environment before quickly going out. Xie Xun's face also disappeared into the shadows, with only the aroma of wine clearly audible.
Lu Qiong held the jade cup, feeling the lingering warmth enter her palm.
He continued, "You mentioned earlier that the Luohan noodles in Hangzhou are quite delicious. I wonder if I may have the honor of going with my wife to try them?"
Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet, and the two stopped talking.
Only after the snow stopped did Lu Qiong look at him and nod with a smile.
The sound of the water as the painted boat passed by grew louder, and it seemed that the movement of the painted boat on the other side could also be heard. The woman sat next to the handsome man, and they smiled at each other. Only then did the man gently pluck the string.
There was no sorrow in the woman's eyes. She glanced at the man and smiled gently, like a drop of dew falling into a lake and creating ripples.
"Azure sky, yellow flowers on the ground, a strong west wind, wild geese flying south..."
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Author's Note: The ending quotes from "The Romance of the Western Chamber".
The novel has ended. Perhaps I'll write a side story when I get inspiration in the future. Thank you everyone for reading this far [orange heart]. This is my first book, and it has many shortcomings, but I'm really happy that someone read it all [heart]. Until next time!
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