"Is this the end of the year?"
After the New Year's Eve dinner and dumplings, the girls jumped onto the roof and sat in a row, watching the fireworks in the distance. The fireworks were funded by the government, and this year Pingyang County's tax revenue was much higher than in previous years. This time, even the landlords had surplus grain.
"Yes, we've grown another year older, and in a few more years we'll be old maids!"
“You ladies aren’t old at all. Even when you’re seventy or eighty and toothless, you’ll still be the most beautiful old ladies,” Huo Xiaolong said, sitting among them.
Fireworks streaked across the night sky like shooting stars, accompanied by deafening explosions, as if announcing their existence to the world. For a moment, the entire world seemed to stand still, save for the breathtaking spectacle of the fireworks bursting across the night. The dazzling light and the melodious glow told countless beautiful stories.
"I wish I could see such beautiful fireworks every year," Chunying muttered, her face pouting.
"Oh dear, if Sister Chunying likes it, there's probably a line of people wanting to put it on for you."
"That's right, don't let this get out, or Long'er might be naked for Chinese New Year next year!"
Huo Xiaolong pouted and said
"If Sister Chunying likes it, I can put some in for you too, I have money!" The little dumpling patted her purse, exuding the air of a nouveau riche.
"What if my sister takes a liking to a guqin? Long'er," Zhiyin pinched her cheek, teasing her.
"Buy it! I'll buy it for my sister!"
"That sister has her eye on a really expensive inkstone!"
"Buy them all! Buy them all!"
"That's why the older sisters don't rely on anyone else; you're enough for them," Mando said, pulling the little girl into her arms.
"Did Long'er like today's fireworks?"
"like!"
"Then we'll see Long'er again next year."
If the government doesn't have money next year, they'll just have to pay for it themselves; these girls at the brothel aren't short of cash. Mother Cen meticulously calculated everyone's share of the profits, and each of them had a small stash of several hundred taels of silver.
—Click, click
A few pebbles suddenly flew down from the roof. Huo Xiaolong stood up to see who threw them, but he wasn't tall enough to see. Chunying turned around and saw her young man waiting for her below.
"Oh, you have someone to keep you company while you stay up all night," Ruyi said jokingly.
"Do you think everyone is like you? You practically have 'deceive men' written all over your face."
"You guys play, I'll go down and check on things first."
Chunying touched the ground with her toes, waved to the girls, and flew down from the rooftop.
Why aren't you home celebrating the New Year?
The girl's voice was melodious, sounding like heavenly music to Huo Xiaocheng's ears, especially since she had a little to drink today, making her voice slightly hoarse.
“Long’er is here with you. Mother is a little sleepy, and Father is keeping her company. Erhei…”
The boy looked around, as if he hadn't seen Erhei since finishing his meal, and had no idea where the big, dumb guy had gone.
"I also want to stay up all night with you this year," Chunying said, her cheeks slightly flushed.
In truth, if two hearts are in sync, there's no need for many words. A single glance is enough for you to know my heart. Huo Xiaocheng looked at the girl beside him, then looked up and gazed with her at the distant fireworks. Although there were deafening explosions outside, his heart remained calm.
The current Chunying is beautiful and pretty, but her outstanding appearance seems to be her least remarkable advantage.
What is it about her that I like?
It could be out of consideration for Long'er, or it could be out of courage to protect his younger sister.
And then there's the way she immerses herself in her sword dance; her dance isn't meant to please anyone, but rather she *is* the dance itself.
It was her swift and decisive strike that moved everyone, and her composure in the face of danger that allowed her to protect her sisters.
Huo Xiaocheng suddenly realized that she made his heart flutter every moment.
The young man held the courtesan in his arms, the faint scent of roses wafting into his nostrils.
If I could, I would love to stop time right here, right now, with you and me.
Perhaps because she was older than the other women in the building, Mantuo's feelings were somewhat direct. At this moment, in the young lady's boudoir, Lu Wangji was with her in the cold wind, and the man was talking incessantly to her about how he wanted to change her room, how he wanted to make it better and safer.
“You don’t need to go to so much trouble, just be like the other sisters,” Mando said.
Lu Wangji stared into her eyes and retorted.
"That won't do, you... are different."
The young members of the Mohist school today are not as shy as they used to be; they'll even utter a few sweet nothings. They learned this from Zhao Kai.
"What's different?" Mando asked, sitting in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Even now, the young lady had no intention of marrying or having children with the man before her. Even Mantuo herself didn't believe that Lu Wangji could have any future with her, but she genuinely liked him.
She really likes him. Meeting such a person in her life is something she would accept even if they eventually go their separate ways.
"You're in my heart"
The young man's words were direct and passionate, just like their first time together, and they stirred up Mando's heart.
The young lady thought
If we really break up in the future, I'll definitely be very sad.
Looking at the man's cold yet delicate features, she gently stroked his eyebrows and whispered the words she had never uttered in her life.
You're in my heart too.
It's a pity we were destined to be apart; it's my bad luck. If I hadn't fallen into prostitution, I would have borne you children and shared the joys of family life.
Mando's eyes reddened, but she didn't let Lu Wangji see, and nestled into the man's arms without saying a word.
The man in the wheelchair was somewhat agitated.
Ugh, why aren't my parents here yet? They should have received the letter by now.
If you receive the message, you should set off after today. Half a month should be enough time to reach the border town, even at a fast pace. It's best to marry your beloved; otherwise, seeing Mantuo sometimes dancing on stage, Lu Wangji even suspects that the other ladies might try to steal her away from him.
————Mo Family Mini-Theater
"Senior brother, Wangji has sent a letter."
The leader of the Mo family handed an urgent letter to his father. It was during the New Year's Eve dinner, and his mother snatched the letter and opened it immediately. Wangji had never left the Mo family before, and this was the first time he had gone out in more than twenty years. As his own mother, she was extremely worried.
Seeing his wife's eyes gradually redden and become dazed as she read the letter, his father immediately took the letter and began to read it himself.
"Junior brother, Wangji's leg can be cured! It can be cured..."
The woman wept uncontrollably at the dinner table. Such a promising young man, confined to a wheelchair for so many years. How could his mother not feel heartache? She was in so much pain; when Lu Wangji was just a few years old, she would cry every night in the middle of the night.
"Waaaaah, Wangji, you're killing your father!"
The deep sobs of the man beside him abruptly ended the touching atmosphere at the dinner table. The elders of the Mo family were overjoyed that Lu Wangji was able to stand up. His own father was wailing right next to him.
"What are you howling about?!" His mother slammed her hand on the table, drawing out her words.
The leader of the Mohist school didn't ask any questions. He took the paper from his senior brother, read it, and said in a trembling voice...
"Sister-in-law, Wangji said he wants to find you a daughter-in-law."
The mother was a little confused. What did her leg have to do with getting married? Did her son meet a miracle doctor, and the price for curing his leg was marrying his daughter?
"Marry a courtesan..."
"..."
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