No one in the brothel could ask them to send gifts or visit; if anyone did, it was someone else visiting them. After all, their social status was what it was, and more importantly, they didn't have any relatives or friends.
But it's different for other families. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, it's the perfect time to visit relatives, and the closer the relationship, the earlier you go.
For example, the Zhou family in Pingyang County.
"Mom, I'm not going with you today," said Zhou Ning'an, the young master of the Zhou family, at the entrance of the main house.
"What's wrong? You're going to see your aunt and uncle today. If you don't go, your dad will get angry again."
"I don't want to go. If I go, they'll push all my cousins towards me. If she were really a good person, she wouldn't be having trouble getting married."
Mrs. Zhou patted her son on the back and whispered...
"That's your cousin; it wouldn't be good if someone heard."
"I'm not going anywhere; I'm going to see Zhihua today."
Who are you going to see?
Suddenly, Master Zhou darted out from behind Zhou Ning'an. Whether it was due to his advanced age or something else, he walked on the snow without making a sound.
I'm going to see Zhihua.
Zhou Ning'an said matter-of-factly, "What's wrong with me going to see my beloved girl during the New Year? No problem at all!"
"Zhou Ning'an, I don't want to scold you on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Just come with me to visit other people's homes."
Mr. Zhou really didn't want to get angry today. Why scold his son during the New Year? Who doesn't want to be happy on the first day of the new year?
“I’m not going. You know what my aunt wants to do. Every time she goes, she makes my cousin and me stay behind. I’m a person who’s allowed to go out now; I can’t break any taboos.”
Upon hearing this, Master Zhou felt his blood boil.
"Xu has gone out! Where did you go! I raised you all these years only to send you to a brothel to be a live-in son-in-law, didn't I?"
Seeing that the anger between the father and son was about to escalate, Mrs. Zhou quickly waved to her son.
"An'er, go out. I'm going to talk to your father."
The woman took her husband's wrist and led him into the main room. She poured him a cup of tea and spoke to him gently.
"It's a certainty that An'er likes that girl from the brothel, do you still want to bring your sister's daughter into the family?"
"As his nephew, he should at least go and kowtow to us during the New Year, right?"
"You know better than anyone what your sister is thinking. Haven't you heard people say that children born to cousins are all born disabled? And yet they still try to pair them up. Besides, your sister's two daughters are both incredibly arrogant. Even without Zhihua, An'er wouldn't marry either of them."
"Tsk, why is visiting someone's neighbor such a complicated matter in your mouths? I really don't know what kind of bewitching potion that girl from the brothel gave you two."
Mr. Zhou was quite impatient. In his eyes, today was just to visit his older sister's affairs, so how did it get mixed up with the children's marriage?
"Mother, where did you put the tie-dyed fabric I brought back from beyond the Great Wall last year?"
Outside the door, Zhou Ning'an called out through the door. He couldn't possibly come empty-handed to see his beloved girl. Last year when he came back, he specially brought several bolts of tie-dyed fabric for Zhihua, which would look absolutely stunning on her.
"It's at the very back of the storeroom. If you can't find it, have the butler get it for you."
"Okay, go!"
Master Zhou sighed, tilted his head back, and downed the tea in his cup in one gulp. He then pointed to the door and said...
"Look at this! They're practically moving the entire Zhou family's house to that prostitute's place!"
The man's voice was no different from usual when he said this, but for some reason, the word "prostitute" sounded extremely unpleasant to Madam Zhou.
"Watch your mouth. She's your son's sweetheart, after all. If fate allows, she'll marry into the Zhou family as the young mistress. Calling her a prostitute like that, what will everyone in this mansion think of her?"
"Given her lowly status, making her a concubine is already..."
"You think making her a concubine is already giving her too much credit? Have you no shame?"
Madam Zhou looked at the man she had shared a bed with for decades and was furious.
"When her family was down on its luck, your Zhou family wasn't even worthy of carrying her shoes! Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I don't want to argue with you. Don't mention Zhihua's identity in the mansion again, or else you'll give me a letter of divorce, and I'll take my son and leave!"
The woman wasn't just after that girl from the brothel; she was doing it mostly for her son. People are selfish, and you can tell from the way her own son is acting that he's doomed because of Zhihua.
There's not much a mother can do to help him; in matters of the heart, mutual affection is paramount. She can only avoid holding her son back. If Ning'an wants an heir in this life, that child will surely come from Zhihua's womb.
"She brazenly entered my Zhou family's door in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men! My Zhou family's reputation! My reputation! Do I still have any dignity? How will the business people of Pingyang County laugh at me? Huh? Zhou Ning'an married... a woman like that as his wife!"
Madam Zhou had already calmed down. Now, the woman sat opposite him, speaking calmly.
"Sir, you once told me that a man's dignity is earned, not given by others. Also, what kind of woman is Zhihua? I haven't had much contact with her, but I can tell you what kind of woman she is."
The woman took the key to the Zhou family's storeroom from her waist and threw it on the table, saying...
"With what your Zhou family has, they really wouldn't even look at it. Letting her manage these household affairs is a waste of talent. She's proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting and the Four Books and Five Classics. And your son? You figure it out yourself."
After speaking, Madam Zhou got up and left the room.
A big, clumsy guy was standing at the door, eavesdropping on his parents' conversation.
"Did you hear that?" the woman asked, pulling her cloak tighter around herself.
"Hey, Mom, you can just talk about my dad, why are you badmouthing me?"
"..."
The woman ignored her son's words and went straight to the storeroom to review the New Year's gift list again.
Master Zhou then came out and glanced at his son.
"Is that girl really that good?"
"Yeah, that's good. Let me tell you, Dad, she's more than just..."
Before Zhou Ning'an could finish speaking, Master Zhou raised his hand to interrupt him. He stepped over his son and walked towards the butler in front of him, saying...
"I remember someone giving me a gift a few years ago; it was a fine inkstone. Please include it in your gift list, young master."
"father?"
Zhou Ning'an was so happy he almost jumped for joy. Did his father agree to his relationship with Zhihua? Before the young man could ask, the man had already walked out of the main courtyard.
His father is a bit rigid-minded, but he's still someone who listens to advice.
Although even if his parents disagreed, Zhou Ning'an would still marry Zhihua formally as long as she agreed, he wanted to give Zhihua the best.
From that fleeting glimpse of her that year, he dreamed of marrying her.
Now, we've taken it a step further...
Watching the servant load the New Year's gifts onto the carriage, the man's heart yearned to return home; he would soon see her again.
May she have a wonderful new year filled with good fortune and all her wishes fulfilled.
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