Qingchen slowly put down his teacup, somewhat embarrassed: "...Second Uncle, I didn't know that Second Aunt was spending the New Year alone this year...Teacher Song saw that I was lonely during the New Year and invited me to his house to spend it with him."
"Is that so?" Shen Qian said softly, his smile freezing and then slowly fading away. "I didn't expect that... That's fine too."
"It just so happens that my classmates also visit their teacher's house to pay New Year's greetings during the holidays, so it would be more lively if we all went together... so I agreed."
"Since you've already agreed, you should naturally keep your promise. Go ahead."
Qingchen looked at him with some guilt, "I'm sorry, Second Uncle. I will definitely spend next year with you."
"Okay." Shen Qian blinked and said, "Let's eat something."
"Um."
Before leaving, Qingchen took advantage of Shen Qian going to the outhouse to go find Lin Shi herself.
Madam Lin was checking the New Year's goods in the side hall. The room was piled high with items wrapped in red paper, creating a festive atmosphere. When she saw Qingchen arrive, she pursed her lips.
Qingchen took out eighty taels of silver from his bundle and handed it to her. "Second Aunt, this is silver bestowed by the Emperor. Please accept it. I am deeply grateful for the care I have received from you all these years. Although this amount of silver is nothing, I will work harder in the future and do my best to repay you."
Eighty taels of silver in total. At a monthly tuition fee of two taels of silver, Lin Shi had only given Qingchen a total of thirty taels of silver over the past year of teaching at the Lin family. Adding the money she received before coming to the capital, the total probably wasn't even eighty taels.
Now she returned eighty taels in one go, which felt quite heavy in her hands, leaving Madam Lin somewhat stunned.
In the past, she would have been happy to see money. She had even argued fiercely with Shen Qian to give Qingchen two taels less. But for some reason, she didn't feel happy about receiving eighty taels from Shen Qingchen now.
For so many years, she had always maintained a superior attitude towards Qingchen, looking down on him as a benefactor, and the kind of life he lived depended entirely on her mood. Now that this feeling of dominance had suddenly disappeared, she felt very uncomfortable, with a subtle and complicated feeling in her heart, to the point that she could not feel any joy in accepting the eighty taels.
In fact, she was never short of money; a few more or less taels didn't matter to her at all.
"Also, Second Aunt, because I now have a real job and have to take on four other duties, I have fewer days off, so I won't be able to come and teach Yu-ge'er anymore." Qingchen looked at her blank and absent-minded face and said, "I have troubled Second Aunt for more than a year, and I have also caused Second Aunt and Second Uncle to have misunderstandings because of me. I have always felt bad about it. I won't do it again."
These words startled Lin again, making her feelings even more complicated.
If she doesn't come anymore, she won't have to see Shen Qian's expectant and happy face every time he waits for someone, and she'll have nothing left to hold onto Shen Qian.
"You...you're really not coming?"
Qingchen nodded, "Don't worry, Second Aunt, I've already told Second Uncle that I won't be coming. I'll have to trouble you to find another good teacher for Yu-ge'er."
As he spoke, Qingchen took out a booklet from his bundle and handed it to her. "This is a record of Yu-ge'er's current studies. I've compiled it so that the new teacher can know his progress and preferences."
Although objective conditions prevented her from teaching any longer, she still hoped to see things through to the end.
Lin took the booklet and looked at her, "You..."
Hearing Shen Qian's footsteps, Qingchen hurriedly reminded him, "Second Aunt, quickly put the money away. Qingchen is leaving now."
After saying that, she bowed to Lin and said, "Thank you for your care over the years, Second Aunt. I wish you a Happy New Year in advance."
At this moment, Shen Qian came over and saw Qingchen talking to Lin Shi. He glanced at Lin Shi out of the corner of his eye and said to Qingchen, "Let's go. I'll see you out."
The two arrived at the gate, where Qingchen bid farewell to Shen Qian.
Even in the sunlight, his face remained incomparably handsome, the hardships of time settling into a gentle and refined demeanor. Just standing there quietly, he was truly unique in the world.
"Second Uncle, I'm leaving now. I'll come to see you again after the New Year."
"Okay." He looked at her, whom he had raised with his own hands, and said, "It's almost the New Year, so you should rest more and not always be so busy with your work. You should also eat more and not lose any more weight. Take good care of yourself."
Qingchen nodded, "Second Uncle too. I hope you have a good New Year."
Let's go.
After saying goodbye, Qingchen was about to leave when a servant came running out carrying something. He said, "Master Shen, Madam said these are the clothes she made for you last time. They are made of the finest silk from Songjiang. There's also this collar, gloves, and earmuffs. The whole set was made before the New Year so you can wear it for the holiday. Madam also said that they were all made to your size. If you don't want them, no one else can wear them, so they should be thrown away."
Shen Qian said, "Keep it. I chose this style."
"Yes. Thank you, Uncle and Aunt."
The weather was fine on Lunar New Year's Eve.
Qingchen got up early in the morning, lit a fire to make breakfast for the father and daughter, and then began to get busy.
Her father couldn't help, so she had to do everything herself. First, she fed the poultry, lambs, and kittens in the cages, then she swept the snow in the yard and tidied up the house inside and out. After finishing these tasks, she began to put up paper-cut window decorations and couplets.
Today she is going to Song Yue's house and will stay for a few days. Even though he is not home, the house should still have the atmosphere of the New Year.
The paper-cut window decorations were bought by Song Yue, and the couplets were written by Song Yue. When Qingchen set up the wooden ladder and pasted them on with paste, he thought that others probably didn't know that this little shabby house had been "contracted" by Grand Secretary Song.
After decorating the storefront, Qingchen began packing his things. As he packed, he suddenly had the illusion that he was moving house.
I needed to bring a change of clothes; they were all quite thick, and just two pieces filled one bundle. I also needed to bring books; a dozen or so filled another bundle. There were also writing brushes, ink, paper, my father's medicine, my kitten Shiyue, and some other odds and ends... After packing everything up, it looked quite a lot.
She couldn't help but wonder if all this stuff would scare the teacher. Would he think she was going to freeload off him for a long time?
As she thought about it, Qingchen recalled the first time she rode in his carriage. He asked her what she would do if she couldn't get enough to eat with her salary, and she replied, "Then we'll eat at the teacher's house."
Life is truly interesting; sometimes, a single word can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
After packing his things, Qingchen let out a long sigh of relief, rubbed his back, glanced at his father, and said, "Dad, this year it's finally not just the two of us celebrating the New Year. Teacher Song will be celebrating with us. This time, someone will be drinking with you, and you won't have to worry about running out of charcoal or getting cold when you sleep."
Old Shen remained silent, holding his bowl and eating his breakfast.
Qingchen turned around and sighed, when he suddenly said, "New Year's. It's almost New Year's!"
Qingchen turned to look at him and smiled, "Yes, it's almost New Year's, Father."
Since arriving in the Ming Dynasty, she had never looked forward to the New Year so much. In previous years, she was always worried about not having enough food, not enough charcoal for the fire, not enough clothes, not enough medicine, and even her father had to suffer during the New Year. This year, she got a promotion and met a teacher, so she could finally stop thinking about these things.
Being a child is like nurturing a blade of grass in spring; it brings a sense of accomplishment that is hard to put into words.
Having arranged everything at home, Qingchen went outside and glanced at Mingxiang's courtyard, but she wasn't there. Snow covered the wooden fence, gleaming in the winter sun on New Year's Eve.
A few days ago, Qingchen shared some of the New Year's gifts that her teacher had bought with Mingxiang, who initially refused to accept them. However, after Qingchen insisted, Mingxiang finally agreed. But as soon as she heard that Qingchen was going to her teacher's house for the New Year, her expression immediately dimmed, and she seemed less cheerful and at ease than usual.
Qingchen hesitated for a moment, then decided not to reveal that he was going to betray her feelings, fearing that she wouldn't be able to have a good New Year. He thought he would talk to her after the New Year.
In the distance, people have already started setting off firecrackers. The crackling sounds express the year's hard work and convey the beautiful hopes for bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.
Qingchen had only been standing in the courtyard basking in the sun for a while when a familiar carriage rumbled up. The driver, dressed in a thick cotton coat, grinned when he saw Qingchen, "Lord Shen, Lord Song sent me to pick you up."
Qingchen smiled and replied, "Thank you for your hard work so early in the morning."
"It's no trouble at all, it's my duty." The coachman got off the carriage and came into the courtyard to help Qingchen move his things.
In no time, the carriage was packed. Qingchen looked at the small house for a while, locked the door, and then helped his father into the carriage.
The coachman turned around and asked, "Sir, is there anything you've forgotten? If you've brought everything, we'll set off now."
"No, thank you for your help." Qingchen remembered something and asked, "Excuse me, is Lord Zhou Shiping still staying at Teacher Song's residence?"
The coachman replied, "Lord Zhou was flogged in court and was taken to another residence by Lord Song, who said it was closer to the clinic so he could receive treatment there. Besides, he was still bedridden from the punishment."
Qingchen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
The carriage soon arrived at the Song residence.
Two new large red lanterns hung in front of the Song Mansion, standing out brightly against the backdrop of green tiles and white walls. The courtyard was also tidied up neatly; the grass and trees had been trimmed, the snow had been cleared, and couplets and window decorations had been pasted up. The elegant courtyard, adorned with a touch of bright red, looked very festive.
The steward greeted Qingchen and led her and her father to a room. "Lord Shen, please rest here for a while. Lord Song is still handling some official business and will be here shortly."
"Thank you, Steward Li."
"Please have a seat, sir. I'll go tell the kitchen to prepare some food." With that, he left.
Qingchen looked around the room Song Yue had prepared for her. The room was decorated in a simple and elegant style, complete with antique shelves, a desk, a round table, a wall cabinet, a bed, and other furniture. It was decorated with vases of bright red glaze, and on the round table was a blue and white slender-necked vase with a sprig of early-blooming white magnolia, its fragrance delicate. Sunlight streamed in through the window, making the room bright.
The mattress, curtains, and pillows were all light purple, and they looked very comfortable. Qingchen touched them; they were soft and smooth, and she couldn't help but lie down on the bed for a while.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway, "Is the bed comfortable?"
Qingchen sat up and saw a man leaning against the door, wearing a moon-colored straight robe. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and under the sunlight, his face was radiant and his appearance was incomparably noble.
Having shed his official robes, he lost the seriousness of someone in a high position, but gained a refined and elegant handsomeness.
Qingchen smiled and nodded, "That feels good. Thank you, teacher!"
"You're being so polite, I'm not used to it."
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