Zhao Luochuan packed two red envelopes, each containing twenty coins, and gave one to Yang Donghu and one to Zhao Fangchu. A small amount, however much, was a token of his appreciation, meant for good luck.
Although Yang Donghu is already a husband, in Zhao Luochuan's eyes, he is no different from Zhao Fangchu. They are both children who need to be coaxed, so he needs to give them New Year's money.
Yang Donghu felt that this New Year's money was more meaningful than any other time he had received.
Zhao Fangchu received the promise of lotus pastry and the money, and deliberately said things that Zhao Luochuan liked to hear, such as wishing the couple a happy life and many children and grandchildren. Zhao Luochuan was so happy that his mouth almost flew to the sky.
Yang Donghu covered Zhao Fangchu's mouth and told him to talk less, saying that he was so naughty at such a young age and was just talking nonsense.
The three of them quarreled for a while, and then Zhao Fangchu pulled Yang Donghu out to ask Zhu Cuilan for another share of New Year's money.
Zhu Cuilan noticed that Yang Donghu had changed his hairstyle and praised him with satisfaction. She also remembered that it was his first time to celebrate the New Year at the Zhao family, so in addition to the New Year's money, she also put an embroidered handkerchief in the red envelope.
This handkerchief was made of high-quality cloth, which she bought with the money she saved from her frugal life after she got married to Zhao Fangchu. The cloth alone cost her nearly one or two taels of silver, and she embroidered it with great difficulty, stitch by stitch, day and night.
Zhu Cuilan's embroidery skills were impeccable. She embroidered a total of eight pieces at that time. Later, when her family was in financial difficulty for a while, she sold four of them to supplement the family income.
The ladies and ladies in the town are willing to spend money on dressing themselves up. Besides, the handkerchief is made of good fabric and the embroidery is rare, so it can be sold at a high price in other places. A few hundred coins for one handkerchief is not a problem.
When she could still see clearly, she embroidered a lot of embroidery items, from handkerchiefs and shoe uppers to veils, and also had a piece of red silk cloth for wedding dresses. She embroidered all the patterns for Zhao Fangchu and waited for Zhao Fangchu to get engaged. She would personally make the wedding clothes for Zhao Fangchu. These were also the dowry that Zhu Cuilan prepared for Zhao Fangchu.
Yang Donghu did not refuse as he did before. He held it in his arms, said auspicious words and thanked Zhu Cuilan.
The happiest day of the year is tonight. Since ancient times, men and women have been strictly separated. If a man and a woman are alone in the same place and are seen by gossipers, they will never be able to wash away the guilt even if they jump into the Yellow River.
But tonight is an exception.
It is a tradition to stay up all night on New Year's Eve, also known as staying up all night.
According to custom, you cannot sleep tonight. This sounds easy but is difficult to do. When it is time to go to bed, people will feel sleepy unconsciously. If you don’t find something else to do at this time, you will probably fall asleep halfway through the New Year’s Eve.
At this time, the men gathered in groups of three or four, rolling dice and playing Pai Gow. Everyone knew what they were doing and wanted to have fun and stop when the time was right, so no one would lose everything.
The women felt sorry for their men who had worked hard all year, so they let them have some fun. They could afford a few cents, so there was no need to spoil their fun.
It’s fun to hang out with men, but it’s inappropriate for women to get close to them. They have their own ideas for passing the time.
Lighting sky lanterns and praying for blessings is something young girls and boys like to do, and older women don't join in the fun. Playing mahjong is also a form of gambling, and a few aunts and sisters can play together for a whole night.
Light a lamp to illuminate the year and illuminate the waste.
It is bright everywhere tonight because every household will put a stove at the door to light the New Year's fire. After lighting the fire, they must ensure that the fire in the stove cannot be extinguished and will continue to burn until the sun rises the next day, so there is no need to be afraid to go anywhere at this time.
Perhaps because of the lively atmosphere, Yang Donghu missed his grandmother, the kind old lady who made him feel the first warmth.
Today is New Year's Eve, and there may not be anyone at the Yang family. Yang Donghu wants to try his luck. If he is lucky, he can go and see his grandmother.
Yang Anjin happened to come to visit them and wanted to ask them if they wanted to go light sky lanterns, and they ran into each other outside the village.
"I was just about to go find you two to light sky lanterns, why are you here?"
Yang Donghu briefly explained the purpose of his visit.
Yang Anjin slapped his thigh and said, "You've finally come to the right place. I don't know what your mother has been up to lately. She keeps pestering my mother for a chat, but she never mentions anything about Yang Chunxue and my brother. My mother can't find a reason to get rid of her. Just after dinner, she dragged my mother to play mahjong and she won't be back for a while. Yang Yaoguang went to town after dinner. I guess he went to drink wine somewhere again."
Yang Donghu was glad that he came here. Yang Dali was used to being bullied, and he would not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity to gamble openly, let alone stay at home.
"What about Yang Chunxue?"
Yang Anjin and Yang Chunxue looked down on each other and loved to quarrel whenever they met. When Yang Anjin mentioned her, he curled his lips and said, "She's a rare sight for my brother. He finally came back, and she just pestered him to tell her stories from his books. He couldn't avoid her, so he was asked by some guys to play Pai Gow. Just think about it, my brother never plays these things, but she forced him to the gambling table. Even then, he couldn't avoid her, and Yang Chunxue followed him."
Although there is little chance of men and women being gossiped about when they meet today, it would not sound good if people spread the news that a man is gambling with another man.
Yang Donghu didn't care whether Yang Chunxue cared about her reputation or not. She could do whatever she wanted, but he still mentioned, "Is it okay for her to cling to your brother like this?"
"No, my brother knows his limits and never stays alone with her."
Yang Donghu nodded when he heard this, and without further delay, he quickened his pace and went to the Yang family.
Zhao Fangchu and Yang Anjin did not go in, but kept watch at the door so that if anyone came back, they could inform them in advance.
The Yang family's house was still the same as before he left. Relying on the original owner's memory, Yang Donghu walked into Old Lady Yang's room with ease.
The old lady was in a bad mood and couldn't stay up all night, so she has already gone to bed.
Yang Donghu tiptoed to the bedside and called out "Grandma" in a low voice.
The old lady slowly opened her eyes. When she first saw Yang Donghu, she thought she was in a dream. When she regained consciousness, Yang Donghu was still before her. In disbelief, she reached out her hand to touch his face, exclaiming, "Donghu? Is it really Donghu?"
Yang Donghu stepped forward, took the old lady's hand, and said softly, "It's me, grandma, I'm Donghu."
The old lady was so excited that she wanted to sit up, but her arms didn't have much strength.
Yang Donghu helped the old lady sit up and added another pillow behind her to make her more comfortable.
"Donghu, grandma is worried about you. I think about you even in my dreams. I'm afraid you don't have enough to eat or wear. Last time An Jin said you were living a good life, I couldn't believe it, but I also hoped you could really live that well." Tears welled up in the old lady's eyes, and she held Yang Donghu's hand tightly without letting go.
Yang Donghu felt sad when he heard this. His nose felt sore and tears were about to fall. "I'm fine, grandma. I left in a hurry. Did she make you angry? Did she treat you badly?"
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