On the morning of Lunar New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers leaped through the air, creating a lively atmosphere. Sunlight filtered through the thin mist, casting a warm and peaceful red glow on the streets of the county town. The distant sounds of gongs and drums, along with laughter, echoed like a joyful and hopeful hymn, gently reverberating in every corner.
A troupe of acrobats had been set up at the entrance of the Fengyue Tower, invited by Cen's mother to celebrate the New Year. Such an atmosphere was rare in previous years. Cen Ang covered Huo Xiaolong's ears, squinting as he watched the firecrackers exploding at the entrance.
The smoke from the firecrackers was dazzling and the smell was pungent, but that didn't stop the crowd from gathering at the entrance to watch the excitement.
"How much do you think the brothel made this year? I see carriages lining up outside every day, going in and out."
"Why do you care if they earn more? As long as you can enjoy the excitement during the New Year, that's enough."
Today, any family with some money will buy a couple of strings of firecrackers to set off and ward off the bad luck of the past year. The Huo family's firecrackers were already set off early in the morning by Huo Xiaocheng, Erhei, and her.
"It's veering off course, a little to the left!"
"Go a little higher!"
The young maids pasted paper-cut window decorations and couplets all over the brothel. It was the New Year, and the entire brothel wanted to bring good luck, so the "Fu" character and red knots were indispensable.
The girls weren't wearing their usual pretty clothes today; instead, they took out their big floral jackets and put them on over their hair, braiding their hair into several pigtails, looking like unmarried young women from the village.
Huo Xiaocheng blushed slightly upon seeing Chunying's outfit today.
Good-looking people look good in anything. Chunying looks just like those young women in the village back in Jiangnan, all dressed up for the New Year, hoping to see their sweethearts.
"Look over there," Liu Xu said, nudging Ruyi twice with her elbow from the third floor.
"Long'er's brother even blushes? He usually keeps his distance from us when he talks to us, but when he sees our courtesan, his ears turn red."
"That's for sure, she has to be the most beautiful courtesan. And look at Senior Lu's nephew."
Lu Wangji recently made a clever little trinket as a New Year's gift for Mantuo. After much effort, he managed to get a servant boy to get him upstairs, where he was greeted by Mantuo, who was wearing a bright red jacket and had braided hair, opening the door.
Normally, the young lady doesn't need to dress up to look like a fairy, but today, dressed like this, she looks like Manto's wife waiting for him to come home.
Moreover, his wife was the most beautiful of them all. Lu Wangji felt a surge of heat throughout his body. After being abstaining for over twenty years, this sudden awakening of his virginity caused his mind to wander, filled with those kinds of thoughts. He even felt a little disgusted with himself now; how could he not be able to calm his mind the moment he saw Mantuo?
"A New Year's gift for you."
The man shoved the gift into her hands and tried to run away without looking back. Unfortunately, he hadn't yet learned to walk and could only slowly stand up with the help of others.
"Can't get down?"
A woman's voice rang in his ears. Before Lu Wangji could react, Mantuo had already picked him up and carried him down the stairs.
Wow~ a damsel in distress saves the hero!
Hou Xiangxiang and Huo Xiaolong stared at it with wide eyes; it was quite a sight to behold.
"Are Sister Mando and him a couple?" Hou Xiangxiang asked.
Of course!
"Did they get married?"
"Nothing, what's wrong?"
"How can there be physical intimacy if we're not married?"
The two children were whispering to each other. Hou Xiangxiang was also afraid that if these words got out, it would be bad for Mantuo. She was just gossiping behind Mantuo's back.
Huo Xiaolong glanced around, making sure no one was beside him, and whispered to her...
"This isn't physical intimacy, it's just uncontrollable passion. Besides, Brother Wangji has difficulty walking, so Sister Mantuo was just helping him out."
Hou Xiangxiang nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"Then I want to find a husband with bad legs in the future, so I can also help myself a little."
The little dumpling felt it was a bit early to talk to her about things between men and women, so she tacitly agreed with her.
What if the person you like has great legs?
"Discount!"
Aunt Hou, I'm so sorry. Your daughter didn't go astray overnight.
The adults were preparing the New Year's Eve dinner at Fengyue Tower. The only two children in the building were bored out of their minds. They wanted to help, but the elders pushed them out, saying that they didn't need to.
Actually, it's just that they're disgusted, afraid that they'll have to do the work that the other two have already done.
"I made some sparklers for you two, you can light them up for fun tonight."
Lu Wangji had nothing much to do, except help Mantuo make dumplings, so he was practically a free man on New Year's Eve. He pushed the wheelchair and handed the two children some sparklers.
The Mo family kids release this every year. Manto likes Huo Xiaolong; this little potato is good-looking and smart. It would be great if their future child could be half like her.
Having half her skill would be enough; I wouldn't care about my head. Not even a little bit.
"Thank you, Brother Wangji!"
"They even have little firecrackers now," Huo Xiaolong thought, "our ancestors were really clever." The little girl was slightly frightened when she learned there would be firecrackers for the New Year. "If we have firecrackers, can firearms be far behind?"
However, very few people have the financial resources to research these things, and they are even rare in the market, as they are sold by the government.
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