On New Year's Eve, "Chu Yening...May the New Year bring you lasting joy."
On New Year's Eve, the first snow cleared up.
The servants and cooks of the Luo household got up early to steam a large pot of pastries and the fish and meat dishes to be eaten that day. They also prepared fruits and snacks and laid them out in the main hall and the sleeping quarters of the two young masters. The servants also lit firecrackers in front of the mansion gate to welcome the New Year.
From that day until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the capital was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, as if it were daytime, and bustling with activity.
Qin Weixi also got up early, changed into the new clothes prepared for her by Pu Niang, and went to the main hall to celebrate the New Year with Luo Ling and Luo Chen. The two Luo brothers had also prepared money to ward off evil spirits for this only "sister" in the mansion.
Qin Weixi graciously accepted their wishes and wished his two elder brothers a happy new year and all their wishes fulfilled.
Pu Niang specially served a plate of jujube paste flower pastries to the three siblings, saying, "After eating these sweet pastries, you will be happy and joyful all year round."
The three of them, without prior arrangement, all set their sights on the same jujube cake, which had an extra petal compared to the others on the plate. They exchanged knowing smiles, and in the end, the two men stepped back. Qin Weixi took the cake but didn't eat it immediately. Instead, she broke it into four pieces, handing two pieces to Luo Ling and Luo Chen.
Qin Weixi looked at the small plum blossom-shaped silver ingot in his hand, turned to Pu Niang and smiled: "I knew this pastry with extra petals was something special. Pu Niang, if you wanted to hide the silver ingot from us, why don't you make it the same style?"
Pu Niang looked at the three of them with a smile, and Luo Ling said, "Because Pu Niang knows we will share the food. We will share joy and sorrow."
After saying that, Luo Ling turned back to look at the piece of pastry that Qin Weixi had just broken off and was now holding in her hand, and asked with a smile, "Is it for Ye Ning?"
Qin Weixi blinked: "Didn't my brother say he would come early?"
Luo Ling nodded and asked, "Have you sent someone to the mountain to pick up Feng Hua? We'll go up the mountain to visit Grandmother Zhao in the evening after the palace banquet tomorrow."
Qin Weixi watched her two brothers eat the pastry, and then put hers in her mouth as well: "I sent someone to pick them up a long time ago." She looked up at Luo Ling, who was not one to smile, but she could still see a hint of joy on his handsome face.
In the past, when she was in Jiangnan, she would write to the capital every year in advance to wish her brother, who was all alone in the capital, a happy new year.
But in the vast Luo mansion, elder brother Luo Ling was lonely every year, just like that lonely boy in the Northwest. So every year, in the letters he sent to the Northwest, he would write: Ye Ning, how have you been lately? Ye Ning, autumn is approaching and it's getting cold, please add clothes and don't get sick.
"Brother? Are you happy today? My cousin and I are both by your side." She looked up and asked with a smile.
Luo Ling's usually stern face finally softened with a gentle smile: "Brother is overjoyed."
"Did you bring Xiaoshu and Ping'an here today, brother?" she asked again, seizing the opportunity.
This time, a rare hint of shyness could be seen on Luo Ling's face.
Luo Chen, standing behind the two, suddenly smiled brightly: "Big brother, you've finally met your match."
A clear, melodious voice suddenly rang out from under the porch: "Brother Luo, what are you talking about that makes you so happy?"
Qin Weixi turned around and saw a noble young man dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, with a black fox fur coat over it, walking in. The warm sun after the snow reflected a shimmering halo of light from the sachet hanging from his waist as he walked.
Qin Weixi lowered her eyes to look at the same spherical ball hanging at her waist. When she looked up, she met Chu Yening's undisguised, burning gaze. Her gaze quickly shifted back to her waist.
Before Luo Ling could answer, three more people approached from under the porch: the Zhao siblings and Feng Hua, who had returned to the city from Xiaguang Peak. It seemed that the three of them had returned together, and Ding Wei was standing beside them.
The group of people rushed forward to greet Ding Wei and offer him New Year's greetings one by one. Ding Wei stepped aside to receive the lower half of the greeting and then took out a stack of generous red envelopes from his pocket.
Ding Wei smiled and said, "This servant must hurry to the palace now and will not stay any longer. This is money bestowed by the Empress Dowager to the young masters to ward off evil spirits. The Empress Dowager said that no matter how old the young masters are, in her eyes they are still the little children who used to ask for candy. And this year, the young masters do not need to go up the mountain for the New Year. The lantern festival in the capital is in full swing, and the Empress Dowager has asked the young masters to go and enjoy the lanterns!"
Luo Ling and the others accepted the food with smiles, but Qin Weixi still grabbed the empty food box and hurriedly grabbed a handful of snacks and candies from the table and handed them to Ding Wei. Ding Wei accepted them with a smile and was personally escorted out of the main hall by the others.
Once Ding Wei's carriage had driven far away, Zhao Shuhan said, "Does that mean we really won't go if our great-aunt doesn't want us to?"
Qin Weixi turned to look at everyone and blinked: "Who said we weren't going? Has Eunuch Ding been here? I didn't see him. Let's go secretly!"
They all smiled and returned to their residences.
Qin Weixi and Chu Yening gradually fell behind the group, their understanding unspoken. Just as Chu Yening was about to take her hand, he suddenly felt an itch in his palm. It turned out that the girl beside him had gently scratched him with her fingertip.
"Chu Yening..."
He turned around to look.
May you enjoy a long and happy new year.
Chu Yening smiled, her peach blossom eyes now filled with tenderness: "Qin Luo, Happy New Year, may you be happy every year."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a sweet, date-scented, unidentified object was suddenly stuffed into her mouth.
The girl beside him whispered again, "It's flower pastry. Pu Niang wrapped it in silver ingots. My two brothers and I shared it, but I saved one for you."
As Qin Weixi finished speaking, he was about to look up again at the young man who had promised to support him beneath the high walls of the palace, his appearance quite handsome. But the man suddenly leaned in and quickly placed a warm kiss on his right cheek.
Qin Weixi immediately looked up and saw Luo Ling and the others still walking towards the mansion as if they hadn't heard anything. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ping An, who was gradually falling behind them, turning around and smiling at her and Chu Yening.
The boy's face also flushed slightly at this moment.
Qin Weixi's heart skipped a beat.
Chu Yening! But this was met with a hearty laugh from him.
After having breakfast and lunch together, the group returned to Luo Ling's courtyard. Some of the men enjoyed tea, while others played chess. However, the one leisurely sipping tea with a smile on his face was none other than Luo Ling. On the chessboard, Chu Yening and Luo Chen, who had been locked in a fierce battle across the distance the other day, were still giving no leeway.
On the warm couch under the small window, Zhao Shuhan was picking up various window decorations with embroidery scissors in one hand and paper cutting in the other. Across from her, Qin Weixi was kneeling on the soft cushion, propping one elbow on the low table, picking out candied fruit from the dried fruit box with the other hand. Every now and then, she would peel a tangerine and hand it to Ping An, who was watching chess, and then feed it to Zhao Shuhan, who was focused on cutting window decorations.
Such tranquility, with close friends like family by his side, keeping vigil together and celebrating the New Year, was something Qin Weixi had only seen in his dreams over the past ten years.
When it came time for the New Year's Eve dinner, Tao Qingyun, carrying the money she had earnestly instructed the younger generation to bring for warding off evil spirits, entered the Luo residence. However, to their surprise, the Jiang siblings, who had been dining with the Emperor and Empress in the palace on New Year's Eve, also arrived after Tao Qingyun.
Because Luo Ling gave the servants a holiday, Gu Han and Pu Niang personally cooked many dishes, including crispy fried fish, flavorful braised duck, sugar twists and smoked meat, and of course, dumplings and glutinous rice balls, which are essential for the New Year.
Jiang Yuanfu brought a jar of homemade lychee wine and poured it for everyone. In previous years, she and her brother would come to the Luo residence to spend the New Year with Luo Ling, but this year there were many more people than usual.
Tao Qingyun also brought several jars of Zhuyeqing liquor that she had clamored to drink at Xiaguang Peak.
Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the group finished their reunion dinner. After several rounds of drinks, everyone was somewhat tipsy.
Qin Weixi picked up the glass of lychee wine that he hadn't drunk yet, raised it to Jiang Yuanfu, and said, "Ah Fu, Happy New Year—"
Jiang Yuanfu smiled and said, "Seventh Sister, Happy New Year to you too."
She poured herself another cup of sake and drank it down in one gulp. Her bewildered eyes suddenly turned to the crowd, and a hint of bitterness quietly welled up on her beautiful face.
Then she turned to Chu Yening, who was sitting opposite her, and said, "The Empress Dowager did something foolish a couple of days ago. Did Fourth Brother not take it to heart?"
"aunt?"
"What is it?" Tao Qingyun, still dazed from being drunk, suddenly paused and asked. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuanjun, who was under the table, suddenly kicked him lightly.
"Old blockhead, what are you doing?"
Jiang Yuanjun looked at Tao Qingyun, who was drunk and reeking of alcohol, and sighed softly. Then she said to Jiang Yuanfu, "It's getting late, Afu, we should go back to the palace."
Jiang Yuanfu seemed not to hear, and laughed, "Didn't you promise me to stay up all night at my eldest brother's residence today, brother?" Then she turned to look at Chu Yening, who had been silent all along, "Fourth brother, your sixth sister has never known anything about this matter of marrying the princess. Fourth brother, please don't take it to heart."
Qin Weixi, who had noticed that Jiang Yuanfu's cup was empty, took the porcelain pot from the flower table behind him and poured her a cup of water. Upon hearing the words "Princess Shang" from Jiang Yuanfu, he suddenly froze, his hand trembled, and the water in the pot spilled onto the table.
Chu Yening took the porcelain pot from her hand, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yuanfu. He smiled faintly, "I told the Empress that I had a girl I liked, and I don't mind saying it again. She's right here!"
Everyone looked at Chu Yening and saw that he was not drunk at all, and his bright eyes were clear.
Jiang Yuanfu smiled at the two of them: "I knew it all along, Fourth Brother."
Then everyone heard Chu Yening's suddenly clear voice say, "I also want to know about that letter you sent to the Northwest ten years ago. Today, everyone here wishes me well, including Xiaoxing. But who is that inky black at the end? Is it A-Shuo? Or your seventh sister?"
"Do you think it's pointless and don't want me to remember these two siblings? Or do you think I've truly confessed to the crime of patricide and wish you could tear these two Qin siblings to pieces one day?"
"Ye Ning?" Jiang Yuanjun suddenly stood up.
Chu Yening smiled faintly: "Do you still remember what I said to you in the palace that day?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanjun recalled the conversation the two had exchanged under the palace wall.
You want me to admire you too? Then you'd better sit firmly in your position as crown prince.
Chu Yening said, "There are some things I don't want to talk about back then. As for today's matter, it's just making trouble out of nothing."
Jiang Yuanfu's cheeks were still flushed, and she was quite drunk. She remained silent for a long time before murmuring, "Did I send this letter to the wrong person as well?"
Qin Weixi lowered her eyes, lost in an indescribable state of mind, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Tao Qingyun, who was one person away, had a somber expression.
She quickly looked away, but a question lingered in her mind.
At this moment, Luo Ling said, "Today we are having a reunion dinner. Since that's the case, can't everyone, young and old, give me, the eldest brother, some face?"
Before the two caught up in this little storm could reply, Tao Qingyun suddenly pushed away her chopsticks and bowl: "Actually, I can't eat anymore. Ah Ling, I forgot to tell you, I'm not going back to the manor today, I'll stay here and rest." With that, she got up and walked out.
Luo Chen asked from behind, "Aren't you staying up all night?"
Tao Qingyun had already left the dining hall, waving her hand with her back to everyone: "Have fun."
However, the New Year's Eve dinner still ended unhappily. Jiang Yuanjun suppressed her doubts, gave everyone the New Year's gifts that had been prepared in the East Palace, and then returned to the palace with Jiang Yuanfu.
Zhao Shuhan and Ping An rested in Tingyuxuan and the outer courtyard of Luo Mansion, respectively.
Beneath the withered hibiscus tree in Tingyu Pavilion, Chu Yening wrapped his arms around Qin Weixi from behind, pulling her completely under his cloak, trying to dispel the chill emanating from her. Then he took her icy hands in his own.
A dazzling array of fireworks lit up the night sky. He had said he would spend this New Year with her and stay up with her to welcome the new year, and he would definitely keep his promise.
But looking at the girl whose nose was already red from the cold and whose cheeks were as red as berries, he said, "Qin Luo? Let's go back and watch the fireworks through the window?"
"Let's watch for a little while longer, just a little while."
But Chu Yening also clearly saw the fleeting disappointment in her eyes.
He hugged her tighter and asked again, "Is it Jiang Yuanfu?"
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