This snow fell for two days, and it was only until the day of New Year’s Eve that it finally stopped.
As usual, Jiang He got up at the beginning of the yin hour (around 3–5 am). Seeing the snow had stopped, he immediately carried a broom and went out the door, huffing and puffing as he swept the snow at the entrance.
“Each family sweeps the snow in front of their own door” was an unspoken rule. Today was New Year’s Eve; they had to paste couplets and the entrance money (过门钱 – a custom of pasting paper money on doorways during the New Year for good fortune). Many households would choose to paste them together with close relatives.
Therefore, there were especially many people on the road. If one didn’t quickly clear away the snow in front of their own door, passing villagers would definitely mutter curses—on New Year’s Eve, that was an inauspicious omen.
Hearing the commotion outside, Jiang Chun carefully moved away Song Shi’an’s head that was buried in front of her chest, put on a thick cotton-padded jacket, cotton hat, and cotton gloves, and tiptoed out of the west room.
Then she picked up the broom by the stove, walked into the courtyard, preparing to clear the accumulated snow in the yard.
The courtyard was an earthen yard, with only a path paved with green bricks running from the main gate to the kitchen.
If the snow wasn’t quickly piled up and carried out, when the sun came out and the snow melted, the courtyard would turn into a swamp, stepping on it would result in a foot of mud.
With one sweep of the broom, she found that the snow was too thick. The deepest part could submerge her knees, despite being such a tall person. The broom couldn’t move it, nor was it necessary to sweep.
She went to the west wing’s utility room, carried out an iron shovel, first shoveling the snow on the brick path into piles on either side. Using brute force, she directly dragged the single-wheel cart from under the shed at the southern wall onto the brick path.
Then she began loading the snow, one shovel at a time, into the two large baskets on the wheelbarrow.
Once full, she pushed the cart out and dumped it into the river ditch in front of the door.
By the time Jiang He had finished clearing the walkway in front of the door, he also came over to help her.
Father and daughter spent a full one hour before they finally finished transporting all the snow in the courtyard.
Jiang Chun worked up a whole body of sweat. She shook her hands to fan herself, thinking it was fortunate that she had great strength. Otherwise, if it had been some delicate and pampered little woman, Jiang He clearing the snow alone would probably have taken half a day to finish.
It was cold outside, so Song Shi’an only dared to stand in the kitchen and look out, not daring to go outside.
When Jiang Chun walked into the kitchen, he immediately handed her a cloth handkerchief, saying, “Wipe the sweat on your face, be careful of catching a cold.”
Obviously, he had long seen that she was sweating on her face.
Jiang Chun glanced at him sideways, took it with a grin, wiped her forehead a few times, then stuffed the cloth back into his hand.
Song Shi’an: “……”
If it were before, let alone lending his silk handkerchief to someone else, even if he really lent it out, if the other party dared to stuff the used, dirty silk handkerchief back into his hand, he would definitely smash the other person’s dog head.
But now…
He didn’t dare get angry, nor did he dare say anything. He could only silently stuff the handkerchief back into his own sleeve.
Jiang Chun had too many things to do today, how could she have the time to care about these small matters?
After finishing clearing the snow, they ate breakfast, and then she and Jiang He together pasted the couplets and entrance money. Afterward, she began chopping the stuffing and kneading the dough, preparing to make dumplings.
Northern people, how could they go without making dumplings on New Year’s Eve?
Because Song Shi’an was vegetarian, two kinds of dumpling fillings had to be prepared. She and Jiang He ate cabbage and pork filling, while Song Shi’an ate dried tofu strips, tofu, and vermicelli filling.
To increase his sense of participation in the New Year, she even made Song Shi’an wash his hands clean and come help her press the dough portions.
As a result, this fellow with a photographic memory, after finishing pressing the dough portions and having nothing else to do, followed her to learn how to make dumplings. After practicing just three, he could already make them quite decently.
Jiang Chun let out an exclamation: “Husband, you really are a genius!”
Song Shi’an reached out and picked up another dumpling wrapper, while using chopsticks to scoop in dumpling filling, and said blandly, “You’re only realizing it now?”
Hadn’t he already told her long ago that he had a photographic memory and was the top scholar of the 35th year of Tianqi? Looks like she hadn’t taken it seriously at all.
Jiang Chun looked up at him, smiling and teasing: “I’ve realized, husband, that your face is getting thicker and thicker.”
Song Shi’an’s fingers moved nimbly, and very quickly, a perfectly shaped dumpling was produced.
He dipped the bottom of the dumpling in a bit of flour, reached out and placed it on the steamer mat, his mouth lightly humming: “This is called ‘one who draws close to ink becomes black’. Before you speak of me, I suggest you first fetch a basin of water and take a good look at your own face.”
“After looking, I’d discover…” Jiang Chun chuckled, “Oh, wow, what a ‘shy moon, shamed flowers, sinking fish, falling geese’ great beauty!”
“I’ve never seen anyone as thick-skinned as you,” Song Shi’an gave her a glance, but the corner of his mouth couldn’t help rising, revealing a smile he couldn’t suppress.
Jiang Chun was immediately amazed as if seeing a divine being: “Aiya aiya, husband actually smiled, this is truly adding luster to the humble house! Aiya, no, my dog eyes are going to be blinded by the brightness!”
Song Shi’an was amused by her and let out a sudden “puchi” laugh.
Who curses themselves by calling themselves a dog?
This person was good-looking; when he smiled, his features were all full of charm. His phoenix eyes, as cold as thousand-year ice, also became as gentle as water.
Seeing his smile twice in a row, each more dazzling than the last, made Jiang Chun couldn’t help but exclaim: “It’s New Year, it’s New Year!”
The two of them laughed and joked like this as they finished wrapping the two large and small basins of dumpling filling.
After finishing wrapping dumplings, Jiang Chun started making the New Year’s Eve dinner.
She was a foodie, and usually never scrimped on food. During New Year, she was even more generous—directly preparing eight dishes.
These were:
Red-braised pork, Sweet and sour spare ribs, Country-style stir-fried chicken, Ginger sauce preserved egg, Stir-fried Chinese yam slices, Stir-fried dried radish with dried tofu, Vinegar-sautéed cabbage, and a plate of sliced marinated meat.
She also prepared a jar of good wine.
Seeing the wine, Song Shi’an couldn’t help but recall that day when she was coaxed into drinking by Zheng Yi, then used drunkenness as an excuse to act crazy and forced him to kiss her neck—that incident made his heart skip a beat.
He immediately warned her: “We still have to get up early tomorrow for New Year greetings, so you mustn’t drink too much and fail to get up.”
Jiang He chuckled and said: “Son-in-law, don’t worry. Father will watch over her—at most, she can have three cups. It won’t delay the proper matters.”
Jiang Chun curled her lips and slanted a glance at him.
This guy couldn’t possibly take such a trivial thing as offering New Year’s greetings to the villagers so seriously. Most likely, he was afraid she’d drink too much and go crazy, forcing him to do this and that.
It was New Year, so she couldn’t be bothered to expose him.
Anyway, his body had already greatly improved, and after taking medicine for another half a year or so, he should be fully recovered. By then…
Humph humph, by then, she would eat him up completely, not even leaving a scrap behind.
As night fully darkened, Jiang Chun set the dishes on the table.
On the table, she also lit a pair of festive red candles—these were candles Jiang Chun had spent a large sum of money to buy.
She had bought a total of four candles; the other two were placed inside lanterns and hung under the eaves outside the door, used to ward off the Nian Beast1Nian Beast: According to Chinese folklore, the Nian Beast is a mythical creature that lives deep in the mountains or under the sea and comes out once a year, usually on the night of the Lunar New Year’s Eve (除夕, Chúxī), to terrorize villages..
The saying of the Nian Beast was baseless nonsense, but looking at it did add quite a bit of New Year’s atmosphere.
Compared to the quietness of previous years when it was just the father and daughter, although there was only one more person this year, it was clearly much more lively.
Jiang He looked at his daughter and son-in-law, seeing how happy they were together. The usually reticent and taciturn man actually learned from the patriarch Jiang Zhaonian’s manner and decided to say a few words before picking up the chopsticks.
He cleared his throat, slightly awkward, and said: “This year, our family has one more member, the son-in-law, and the family’s meat stall business has also been smooth and successful. Also, thanks to the son-in-law’s blessing, we’ve had two large windfalls, so it’s considered an exceptionally good year. Dad doesn’t know how to say those fancy words, just hopes that next year will also go smoothly like this year. And also, hoping that next year the son-in-law’s body can fully recover, so that next year he can give Dad a big, fat grandson.”
Before Song Shi’an could respond, Jiang Chun shamelessly nodded in agreement, saying: “Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll work hard at it.”
Song Shi’an: “……”
Work hard at what?
Matters of offspring depend on fate, how could they be achieved just by hard work?
Besides, even if someone had to work hard, it should be himself—what was she agreeing to so eagerly?
Could it be that she wanted to… work hard for him?
Honestly, with this shameless person’s thick skin, maybe she really could do such a thing!
Thinking of this, his face couldn’t help but heat up, and the tips of his ears gradually turned red.
Fortunately, Jiang Chun’s attention was all on the table full of delicious dishes and didn’t notice his strange expression.
But Jiang He did turn his head over, his gaze bright and intent, clearly waiting for him to express his stance.
Song Shi’an could only brace himself and say: “Dad, I’ll work hard.”
“Hehehe…” Jiang Chun let out a timely laugh at his side.
Song Shi’an: “……”
This time, his face was completely flushed red, his head almost wanting to sink under the table.
This woman, laughing so shamelessly in front of Jiang He—she didn’t care about her own face, but he still cared about his! Truly unreasonable!
“Hahaha…” Jiang He let out a laugh like the clanging of an iron bell.
Song Shi’an was so embarrassed by this bright, teasing laughter that his neck was flushed red, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
The three of them thus “happily and harmoniously” finished the New Year’s Eve dinner.
When it came time to stay up until midnight, Jiang He went out to set off firecrackers, and Jiang Chun used the big pot and a small double-handled iron pot to cook two pots of dumplings. After the three of them ate a steaming hot meal of dumplings, they hastily went to sleep.
Lying in the bed, even though her eyelids were so heavy they wouldn’t open anymore and she was yawning repeatedly, Jiang Chun still didn’t forget to tease Song Shi’an one more time: “Husband, the plan for the day lies in the morning. How about we start working hard now? After all, a gentleman values his promises. You promised Dad that you’d work hard, you can’t go back on your word, right?”
Song Shi’an reached out an arm to encircle her back, buried his face against her chest, inhaling the orchid fragrance on her body, and said in a soft voice: “Stop messing around, go to sleep.” (T/N: He loves laying on her chest now 🤣)
Knowing she wasn’t so easily pacified, before she could cause more trouble, he coaxed her in a gentle tone: “Once my body has fully recovered, I’ll work hard.”
Jiang Chun hooked her lips, satisfied.
- ••
In ancient times, only after the Lantern Festival was the New Year considered truly over. Not long after the New Year passed, it was time for the spring plowing.
The Jiang family had little land—just three mu of top-grade field. After last year’s soybean harvest, they had planted winter wheat, so there wasn’t much to be busy with.
Other villagers had more land—they had to plant spring wheat, millet, sorghum, and so on. One was busier than the other.
And the grain prices in Hongye County had never gone down.
Although the imperial court had sent an imperial inspector to provide disaster relief, the imperial inspector, seeking convenience, did not purchase grain from Qizhou Prefecture or other prefectures and transport it over. Instead, he directly distributed the silver funds allocated by the Ministry of Revenue to the refugees.
The refugees weren’t stupid. Holding onto silver in Hongye County, they could buy grain and get by, but if they took the silver and returned to Yanzhou Prefecture, not only might the silver be stolen or robbed on the road, but the officials in Yanzhou Prefecture were incompetent. Waiting for them back in Yanzhou Prefecture would only be two dead ends: no grain to buy or being forced to buy grain at sky-high prices.