A few days passed in a flash, and the governor's mansion was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns everywhere, with a strong New Year atmosphere.
Shen Nian was busy until noon on the 30th before he started his holiday.
You have to go on duty on the fourth day of the first lunar month.
On the night of the 30th, Xia Tian asked someone to prepare a large table of food and make dumplings.
This year is the first time for everyone to celebrate the New Year in Linzhou. There are not as many masters and servants as in the Wu'an Marquis Mansion, but everyone is in high spirits and full of laughter!
It is colder at night and without the constraints of elders, so people can be more casual in the summer.
She pulled Shen Nian to play cards for a while, and Shen Nian went to the study room because she had something else to do.
She played cards, chatted and ate melon seeds with Ningxiang, Ningxue, Cuiyun, Cuiling, as well as Aunt Zhang, Ningyue and Ningshuang.
When it was midnight and everyone was tired, they were sent to rest.
Chen Nian also came back and took a rest after talking for a while.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Lord Cao, Lord Li and others came to our house to pay New Year's greetings.
It was busy again in the summer, so I invited them to have dinner before leaving.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Shen Nian took her back to Cui's house.
In Linzhou, the Cui family is Shen Nian’s only relative. After so many years, this is the first time he has come to his uncle’s house to pay New Year’s greetings on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Mr. and Mrs. Cui were also very happy to see the two of them.
"Come and sit here, it's warm here." Old Lady Cui greeted Xia Tian and Shen Nian.
The two of them greeted their elders at home before sitting down.
"This is your first time celebrating the New Year in Linzhou. How do you feel?" asked Mrs. Cui with a smile.
"It's pretty good." Xia Tian also replied with a smile, "I see lights and decorations everywhere and it's very lively."
There are many people in the Cui family. Today, the third uncle of the Cui family also came back and was talking to Shen Nian.
"Third uncle, I just wanted to ask you, how are the people in your area taking the idea of building a kang at home?"
He has only been in office in Linzhou for two months. Although he has ordered the promotion of kangs throughout Linzhou, time is tight everywhere and the feedback he has received so far is limited.
As for the people's views on this matter, he only learned about the situation of the people in the villages near Sangluo City, and had not yet visited the towns farther away.
What he fears most now is that the people below him will pretend to obey but actually disobey and not do their job.
"It's half and half!" Cui's uncle sighed, "Some families find it troublesome and think they can just carry it over, while some families think it consumes too much firewood and are unwilling to build a kang.
Only families with large families and really poor conditions are willing to build kangs.
But to be honest, those families with kangs are pretty good. At least when it’s cold, they don’t have to go out, and they won’t be freezing at home.”
Shen Nian nodded after listening. It was already very good that half of the people were willing to build a kang. No matter what, this matter was also beneficial to the people.
As the uncle and nephew were chatting, they turned the conversation to business.
My aunt laughed beside me, "Look at them, these three sentences are inseparable from business matters, and they are still talking about them during the New Year."
"Leave them alone, let them chat, and we'll play our own game."
Old Lady Cui asked Xia Tian, as well as her eldest aunt, third aunt, and fifth aunt to play mahjong together.
In order to wait for them to come today, several of my aunts did not go back to their parents' home.
The first time I visited her, my third aunt had not come back yet, so I hadn't seen her. This time was the first time they met, and my third aunt also prepared a gift for Xia Tian.
Mrs. Cui didn't let everyone be polite and simply asked a few people to play mahjong together.
There were five people and one more person, so my fifth aunt came with Xia Tian, and the house was filled with laughter and joy.
But they hadn't played for a while when Cui Biyun, Cui's aunt, came with her uncle and two children.
Cui Biyun has a son and a daughter. Her son is older and got married at the age of eighteen.
The daughter is Yang Yiyi.
"Oh, Xia Xia, you guys came earlier than us!" Cui Bijun greeted with a smile as soon as she entered the door.
Xia Tian also quickly stood up to greet him.
"Cousin." Yang Yiyi also came over to greet her.
Xia Tian nodded.
Yang Yiyi turned around and saw Shen Nian and several uncles, and pulled her mother's sleeve, "Mom, the third uncle is back too."
Cui Biyun then looked to the other side and asked in surprise, "Third brother, you're back?"
"Well, she didn't get home until New Year's Eve." Cui's third uncle smiled at his youngest sister.
Yang Yiyi walked over and greeted them one by one, "Grandpa, uncle, third uncle, fifth uncle, cousin."
Shen Nian nodded slightly without saying anything.
Yang Yiyi glanced at Ana Shen, lowered her head shyly, and when she raised it again, her face was slightly flushed.
Xia Tian said hello and then didn't pay any attention to it and continued playing cards.
The eldest aunt asked the fifth aunt to sit in her seat to play cards, and she stood up to greet her.
Since they were all family, there weren't so many rules. The aunt had tea and snacks served, and she happened to see Yang Yiyi looking at Shen Nian shyly, and her heart sank.
But she didn't say anything. She watched Cui Bijun talking to her brothers, and Yang Yiyi stood aside and watched them.
The eldest aunt's eyes sparkled, and she called out, "Yiyi, don't just stand there. Come and play with your cousin."
There are many unmarried girls in the Cui family, and they hurriedly greeted her, "Yes, Yiyi, come quickly, I just got a new pearl flower, come and take a look."
Yang Yiyi didn't want to move, so Cui Biyun pushed her and said, "Don't accompany me anymore. Go play with your cousins."
Only then did Yang Yiyi reluctantly glance at Ana Shen for the last time and walked over.
Shen Nian had a dull expression on his face the entire time, not even glancing over here.
The aunt saw all of this and sighed in her heart. She didn't know whether her sister-in-law knew what Yiyi was thinking. She didn't want the relationship with Shen Nian that had just been repaired to be rifted again because of this.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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