Chapter 45 Visitors on Laba Festival
Winter's chill is biting; after a heavy snowfall, the entire Yongzhou has entered the depths of winter.
Even though Aman is not afraid of the cold, he has been forced to cover the windows with oil paper and add an underfloor heating system to the house these past two days.
"This weather is freezing!" Mantou brought firewood in from the backyard, hunching his shoulders and warming his hands by the fire.
"That's right, it hasn't snowed at all, but the weather is freezing cold." Aman took two pieces of firewood and put them into the stove, while also moving aside to let the steamed buns warm up.
"Fortunately, the cloak we made for the young master is almost finished. It just needs some finishing touches, and it should be done tonight."
"That's wonderful!" Mantou exclaimed happily. "Now even if it gets colder, Young Master won't be afraid."
Because there was enough charcoal this year, the underfloor heating in the young master's room has been burning brightly, so far, the young master's leg pain has not flared up.
If there were a thicker, windproof cloak, then the young master wouldn't have to stay indoors all the time and could go outside for some fresh air.
For lunch, Aman made noodle soup. In this freezing weather, eating something hot, with soup and noodles, is the most comforting thing.
Fu Yunxiu hadn't left the house for a long time, and his skin, which had become tanned from the summer sun and wind, had now returned to its original white color. His cheeks also had a sickly redness, making him look much more frail.
"Young master, please eat some more." Aman picked up a spoon, as if to serve him more, but Fu Yunxiu stopped her, "No, I can't eat anymore."
He spends most of his time indoors and doesn't have much of an appetite.
Fu Yunxiu pushed the wheelchair to the window, opened it, and saw a foggy sky outside.
The wind was blowing fiercely, and a gust of cold air hit him, making him cough twice.
"Young master." Aman was startled and quickly went over to close the window. "It's cold outside, please take care of yourself."
Although Fu Yunxiu was somewhat unwilling, he didn't say anything, after all, Aman was doing it for his own good.
But being cooped up in the house all day, he was practically moldy.
Aman noticed the dissatisfaction in her young master's eyes, which made her even more determined to finish making the cloak today.
In the afternoon, snow did indeed begin to fall. In no time, a thin layer covered the ground, pure white, like willow catkins in spring.
Aman sat by the window, with two blazing braziers at his feet. The bright red flames warmed the entire room as if it were springtime.
Ah Man held the needle, her fingers moving back and forth across the dark black cloak, creating a neat and fine stitch.
Although Aman's hands aren't particularly skillful and she can't do embroidery, she grew up with her grandmother and learned by doing, so she can always make a decent piece of clothing.
Fearing the sheepskin cloak wouldn't be warm enough, Aman wrapped herself in a layer of dark woven satin. Although it was made of two pieces of satin pieced together, after she examined it, it looked perfectly natural. The dark, shiny satin looked almost as good as the black fox fur that cost several hundred taels of silver in the shop.
After finishing the last two edges, Aman gathered up the thread, checked it carefully again, and after confirming that there were no omissions, she happily took it to Fu Yunxiu to try on.
In the east wing, Fu Yunxiu held a book in his hands, but he was not very interested.
On the small table beside him, Mantou was biting the end of a pen, his head bobbing up and down like a chick pecking at rice, clearly already fast asleep.
Fu Bao nestled in Fu Yunxiu's arms, a round little ball, trembling slightly with each breath, utterly quiet.
The wind and snow outside seemed to have stopped, with only the sound of icicles cracking clearly in the silence.
Fu Yunxiu listened for a while, but found it quite boring. Just as he was about to stop stroking the rabbit's fur, he heard a series of hurried footsteps outside.
Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Aman's smiling face appeared before them.
"Young Master." Aman entered the room and quickly closed the door, afraid that the draft would blow on Fu Yunxiu.
Such careful movements naturally did not escape Fu Yunxiu's eyes.
Fu Yunxiu didn't say anything, but blinked and looked at the cloak draped over Aman's arm.
He knew that Aman had spent a month making the cloak by hand, and he also knew that Aman had made it especially for him.
But he stays indoors all day, never venturing out, so he really doesn't need something so warm.
Fu Yunxiu looked away, pretending not to see, and waved to Aman, "Why didn't you knock again? And why are you being so clumsy?"
Aman chuckled and scratched his head somewhat sheepishly, "I was so happy that I forgot."
“Young master, the snow has stopped and the wind has stopped. Let’s go for a walk,” Aman said, waving the cloak on his arm. “Wear this and you won’t be cold.”
After the heavy snow, the weather wasn't as cold as it had been in the morning. The four sheepskin cloaks were excellent, wrapping Fu Yunxiu up tightly and keeping out all the cold wind.
Mantou pushed Fu Yunxiu out the door. The tires left two long tracks on the ground, with a large and a small footprint embedded next to them, like a unique line drawing.
The group chatted as they walked, the sound of crunching snow adding to the peaceful atmosphere. Reaching a crossroads, the three were drawn to a sound coming from afar.
Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see several old farmers herding sheep at the back gate of the Marquis's mansion, craning their necks and anxiously peering inside.
The group of people were dressed in tattered clothes, their cotton-padded jackets were patched all over, and their sheepskin hats looked quite old, with the exposed wool being black and stiff, shivering in the cold wind.
"What are they doing?" Aman was a little confused. The grand gates of the Marquis's mansion were clearly mismatched with the attire of these people.
“It’s the farmers from the village who have come to deliver sheep,” Fu Yunxiu said.
"Sending sheep, so many?" And they're all alive.
"Have you forgotten? In two days, it will be the Laba Festival," Mantou added.
On Laba Festival, ordinary families eat Laba porridge and pickle Laba garlic, but the Hou family has a tradition passed down from their ancestors that on Laba Festival, the whole family should reunite, eat Laba rice, and drink mutton soup to pray for peace, good fortune, health and prosperity in the coming year.
So every year around this time, the village would select a few of the best sheep and send them over, to be slaughtered and eaten fresh, for they were the freshest and most delicious.
Aman's hometown doesn't have any special rituals for Laba Festival, but after hearing what Mantou said, he was immediately intrigued.
On such a cold day, drinking a bowl of thick mutton soup is indeed a very pleasant thing.
The young master was unwilling to go to the Marquis's residence, but he could not forget the tradition that had been passed down for so many years.
The next day, Aman went to the market and bought mutton and radishes.
Lamb is good for invigorating the spleen and stomach, warming the body and replenishing qi, making it an excellent food for nourishing the body in winter.
To make the mutton soup even more delicious, Aman also bought some angelica root and jujubes.
She had asked the doctor, and these things did not conflict with the poison in the young master's body, so he could eat them.
Aman grew up in poverty, and before this, she had never even smelled the aroma of expensive foods like mutton. So, the recipe for stewing mutton was something she got from the uncle who sold mutton.
Put the mutton in a pot of cold water. When the water is about to boil, skim off the foam. Add walnuts with holes drilled in them to remove the gamey smell. After simmering for a while, add red dates and angelica root. Once the mutton is tender, add diced radish and a little salt.
The mutton stewed in this way has a clear broth, a sweet taste, no unpleasant odor, and is extremely delicious.
Fu Yunxiu usually doesn't eat greasy or meaty food, but today he unusually drank two and a half bowls of soup and ate quite a lot of radish and mutton.
Aman was naturally happy to see this happen and kept urging him to eat more.
In the end, the three of them finished the entire pot of mutton soup.
The room was already warm, and now with the steaming soup in my mouth, I felt warm all over and gradually started to feel hot.
Aman thought for a moment, then went forward and opened the window, partly to let in some fresh air and partly to get rid of the smell.
These past few days have been overcast, and it snows every night, so as far as the eye can see, the entire courtyard is a vast expanse of white, which is extremely monotonous.
Aman gazed out the window, her cheeks in her hands, and after a long while, finally sighed, "If only there were a few plum trees in the courtyard."
At this time of year, when the plum blossoms are just budding and about to bloom, a touch of red amidst the white snow creates a charming contrast.
Although Aman is an ordinary person, after spending a long time with Fu Yunxiu, he has also developed a bit of a penchant for refined tastes.
Fu Yunxiu didn't speak, but chuckled softly, seemingly agreeing with Aman's words.
A cold wind whistled outside the window, blowing up the remaining snow on the roof, making it seem as if it were snowing again.
Looking at the scene, Fu Yunxiu suddenly began to recite, "'The white snow, disliking the lateness of spring, adorns the courtyard trees like flying blossoms.' This must be just like it."
"Hmm?" Although Aman knew quite a few characters, he hadn't read many books. He really didn't understand what Fu Yunxiu meant by that, so he could only turn to look at her in confusion.
Fu Yunxiu answered her question, "This poem says that the snow felt that spring was coming too late, so it intentionally transformed into flowers and flew around in the courtyard."
Although the author wrote the poem in spring and was talking about spring snow, Fu Yunxiu felt that these two lines were very fitting for this context.
Aman pondered Fu Yunxiu's explanation carefully, and looking at the snowflakes fluttering in the courtyard, she felt it was quite appropriate.
"Is there anything else?" Aman asked again.
Although she didn't understand poetry, she liked the way the young master read it.
"And..." Fu Yunxiu pondered. He could easily come up with sentences about snow, but he needed to think of something that fit the current situation.
Just as he had a flash of inspiration and was about to recite a poem, a rapid knocking sound came from outside the door, interrupting him.
"Who is it at this hour, in such a hurry?" Aman, her mood dampened, grumbled somewhat unhappily as she went to open the door.
"They're here, they're here."
Since winter began, no one has come to the front gate for a long time.
Aman opened the door and saw a familiar face. Just as he was about to speak, the other person moved a few steps to the side, making way for him.
The visitors were none other than Madam Fu, her head maid Yuxiang, and a group of servants.
This is a rare guest.
Aman paused for a moment before bowing and greeting, "Greetings, Madam."
Madam Fu seemed a little angry that Aman had kept her waiting for so long. She waved her hand impatiently and asked, "Is Yun Xiu here?"
"Yes, young master."
Before Aman could finish speaking, Madam Fu pushed open the door and walked straight to the east main room.
The group entered the room in a grand procession, and Aman closed the door and hurriedly followed.
In the east wing, after hearing Aman call for his wife, Mantou hurried to the door to help lift the heavy curtain.
"Madam, what brings you here?"
"What, can't I come?" Perhaps the warmth inside the room dispelled the chill, because Madam Fu unusually spoke to Mantou.
Mantou thought to herself, "You never come to my door unless you have something to say. Besides, today is Laba Festival, which is the Third Young Master's day off. In the past, as long as the Third Young Master was around, Madam Fu would never think of her young master. It's strange today."
Although Mantou had some doubts, he didn't sit still at all. When he saw Aman coming over, he quickly told her to boil water and make tea, while he waited at the door for instructions.
As soon as Madam Fu entered the room, she saw the wide-open window. Yu Xiang noticed her gaze and quickly stepped forward to close the window.
"This steamed bun is so careless. Knowing you can't stand the wind, and it's so cold, you still left the window open. And you, don't you know your own health? You still do this recklessly." Her words were tinged with displeasure, as if she were blaming the steamed bun for being careless, but also as if she was concerned about Fu Yunxiu's health.
But Fu Yunxiu had long since given up on finding out the reason. He simply explained, "I felt hot after drinking the mutton soup, so I asked them to open the window."
After Fu Yunxiu finished speaking, Madam Fu noticed the bowls and chopsticks on the table that hadn't been cleared away yet, as well as the faint aroma of mutton in the air.
Looking at the three neatly arranged bowls and chopsticks on the table, Madam Fu was displeased again. "How could you bring food to the bedroom to eat, and even sit at the same table with the servants? Yunxiu, even if you are in charge of Wutong Garden, you should not act so recklessly. You are the master of the Marquis's mansion. How can you disregard etiquette and respect hierarchy? What kind of place does this place belong to the Marquis's mansion?"
Madam Fu couldn't see that her son, Fu Yunxiu, remained healthy even in winter; she couldn't see the finely stitched, soft, and warm cloak he wore; and she couldn't feel the blazing fire in the room, which was as warm as spring. All she saw was his disregard for etiquette and hierarchy, bringing shame upon the Marquis's mansion.
Even though he had already moved out of the Marquis's mansion, and there was no one else in this small courtyard besides the three of them, Fu Yunxiu really couldn't understand how he had disgraced the Marquis's mansion.
No matter how surprised he was by her arrival just now, at this moment, Fu Yunxiu had no mind for it. He simply said in a flat tone, "Speak, what brings you here?"
"Yunxiu, I am your mother. Do I have to have some ulterior motive for coming to see you?" Madam Fu said with some displeasure.
Ah Man happened to come in to serve tea, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but purse her lips.
That's right. Every time you come, it must be because you have something to ask of the young master.
Seeing that Fu Yunxiu did not respond, Madam Fu was not annoyed and softened her tone, "It's Laba Festival today, and I haven't seen you for a long time, so I thought I'd come and visit."
Madam Fu waved her hand, and a young woman stepped forward and placed a food box on the table.
Madam Fu opened the food box, inside which was a soup bowl.
The soup bowl was still warm from the journey from the Marquis's residence.
Madam Fu took out the soup bowl and opened it, revealing a perfectly stewed mutton soup inside.
The mutton was stewed until tender, and you could tell it tasted delicious just by looking at it. It also contained goji berries and ginseng, making it even more nourishing than Aman's stew.
"This is something I specially made for you. Try it and see if it suits your taste." As she spoke, Madam Fu picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and brought it to Fu Yunxiu's lips.
The sudden intimacy made Fu Yunxiu, who had long lacked maternal love, feel quite uncomfortable, and he subconsciously turned his head away.
Madam Fu was caught off guard, her hand hanging there, unsure whether to keep it up or put it down. The main problem was that Aman was watching from the side, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face.
Fu Yunxiu knew he was wrong, so he took the spoon from her hand and put it back in the soup bowl. "I've already had some mutton soup, so I can't drink any more now."
Then he said to Aman, who was waiting nearby, "You don't need to serve me here anymore, go down first."
“But…” Aman was somewhat reluctant.
She knew Madam Fu's character well and knew that her unsolicited kindness was definitely not a good thing, but she had no choice but to listen to Fu Yunxiu's words. So she reluctantly left, looking back every few steps.
Seeing this, Madam Fu dismissed everyone else, saying that she and her daughter wanted to have a private talk.
After everyone left, the room instantly became quiet. Madam Fu coughed twice, pondering how to start the conversation.
"Today is the Laba Festival family banquet. I thought you didn't like attending these kinds of occasions, so I didn't have the servants come to bother you."
Fu Yunxiu remained silent.
"Yun Ting is back too. He said he brought you some nice things from the capital and wants to give them to you personally."
Fu Yunxiu remained silent.
Madam Fu's smile faded. "At the banquet today, I heard from your cousins that your Uncle Wen has returned to the capital and will be taking a position in the Ministry of Rites."
That gets to the point.
“So…” Fu Yunxiu turned to look at her. He hadn’t been in contact with Uncle Wen for a long time since his father passed away.
"So I was thinking, when you have some free time, write him a letter to say hello." Recalling the past, Madam Fu was also filled with emotion, and sighed, "Back then, your father and he were very close friends, practically inseparable. Who would have thought that in just five or six years, everything would have changed, and they would be separated by death. I remember when your father was alive, your Uncle Wen liked you the most, but later he was transferred to Yanzhou, and the two families lost contact. Now that he's back, you should pay your respects to him and say hello. If your father were here, he would be pleased, wouldn't he?"
That makes perfect sense. Fu Yunxiu remembered that, ever since he could remember, his father often took him to Uncle Wen's house to play.
At that time, Uncle Wen was not yet married and only had two concubines at home, but no children. So it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was treated like his own son.
His ability to write calligraphy today is also inseparable from Uncle Wen.
However, he was later transferred to Yanzhou and his family moved there, so the two families lost contact. After his father passed away, they never contacted each other again.
“Okay, I’ll write it when I have time.” Fu Yunxiu nodded in agreement, but Madam Fu didn’t seem satisfied and urged, “What do you mean by ‘when I have time’? You’re not busy right now, so just write it. Yun Ting is returning to the capital tomorrow, so I’ll take it to you.”
"So hasty?" Fu Yunxiu chuckled, it was unclear whether he was mocking himself or Madam Fu.
However, Madam Fu did not care and seemed not to have heard, explaining, "The academy is closed today, and he rushed back overnight. Their academy also has a holiday, saying that the teachers have exams and cannot be neglected."
Madam Fu added, "Moreover, he will be taking the children's examination after the New Year and will be studying with his classmates at the academy. He will be able to return home later than usual during the New Year."
"Childhood examination? I've never heard him mention it before?" Fu Yunxiu frowned, already vaguely knowing what Madam Fu was up to.
"Hey, don't you know his personality? He's impulsive. Next year is the triennial autumn examination, and he's thinking that if he can pass the preliminary examination this time, he'll give it a try. If he can become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), that would be great."
Mentioning Fu Yunting, Madam Fu's smile became even more genuine. "Didn't you say you were going to write a letter to your Uncle Wen? I'll push you over there."
As she spoke, Madam Fu got up and pushed Fu Yunxiu toward the desk.
Words flowed quickly, and events unfolded rapidly. Madam Fu's words were so clear; what else could Fu Yunxiu not understand?
So, making him write the letter was just a stepping stone for Fu Yunting.
The Wen family has been officials for generations; even when they went to Yanzhou, they were still first-rank governors. Now that they have been transferred back to the capital to take up a post in the Ministry of Rites, their official rank will naturally not be low.
The Ministry of Rites was in charge of the imperial examinations, and Fu Yunxiu didn't need to think too much about the intricacies involved.
With Fu Yunting's knowledge, passing the preliminary examination would be a piece of cake. And if Uncle Wen intervened, passing the provincial examination and the metropolitan examination would probably not be difficult at all.
No wonder...
No wonder she's been making soup for him and feeding him soup. His mother has really gone to great lengths for her younger brother!
"Yunxiu... Yunxiu, what are you thinking about? The ink is ready, hurry up and write!" Madam Fu urged from the side, her eagerness making it seem ironic.
Even with a heart already riddled with holes, Fu Yunxiu still felt a pang of pain at this moment.
Dipping his brush in ink, Fu Yunxiu finished writing the letter with a heavy heart. After the ink dried, Fu Yunxiu folded it up and put it in the envelope. Before he could even write his signature, Madam Fu snatched it away.
Looking at the envelope in her hand, Madam Fu showed a sense of satisfaction, as she carefully folded the envelope and put it into her sleeve.
"In that case, I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll come to see you another day."
As he spoke, he was about to walk out, looking so impatient that he didn't want to stay even a moment longer.
Fu Yunxiu felt a pang of sorrow. Seeing her about to open the door and leave, he couldn't help but speak up, "Mother, Uncle Wen is an upright man. What you ask for will not come true."
Madam Fu understood Fu Yunxiu's unspoken meaning. Her expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said with a playful smile, "What are you saying, child?"
The door closed, and the courtyard returned to its usual tranquility.
Fu Yunxiu looked down at the bowl of soup on the table, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He used to long for his mother's homemade soup, but now that it was in front of him, he had no appetite at all and even felt nauseous.
In the end, he looked at the soup bowl and smiled, it was hard to tell whether it was relief or mockery.
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