Several of the brothers from the courtyard went to the front gate.
“…Are you new here?”
“…Yes, yes, please take care of us in the future.”
“…Judging by your accent, you’re from the northwest?”
“…Good ears, fellow countryman.”
Neighbors from the street also came out. Though unfamiliar, everyone exchanged New Year’s greetings for good luck, chatting as they went.
Xu Maoxiu withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Cheng Jiao-niang, who sat across from him.
“If you have something to say, feel free,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“In the coming days, take a trip outside the city. There’s a restaurant called ‘Immortal’s Abode,’” she said.
Xu Maoxiu listened intently, his expression serious. He nodded.
“They might be planning to sell it,” Cheng Jiao-niang added.
Xu Maoxiu froze for a moment.
“Brother, you should step in and buy it,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Xu Maoxiu looked at Cheng Jiao-niang in surprise, trying to discern some hidden message from her face. Unfortunately, this lady’s expression was perpetually wooden. Aside from a slight curve of her lips to signify a smile, her face showed no other emotion.
“Alright,” Xu Maoxiu replied.
The seven brothers kept watching Cheng Jiao-niang’s carriage until it disappeared from view down the street, then finally turned back inside.
As the sun set in the west, the first day of the New Year quietly came to an end.
The brothers bustled about noisily, preparing dinner, while Fan Jianglin and Xu Maoxiu sat in the house.
“She wants us to buy a restaurant?” Fan Jianglin asked, clearly surprised.
Xu Maoxiu nodded.
“She wants us to step in and buy a restaurant,” he corrected.
“What… what does that mean?” Fan Jianglin asked in confusion.
“Maybe it just means she wants to buy a restaurant?” Xu Maoxiu thought for a moment before answering, then chuckled at his own words.
Fan Jianglin scratched his head, giving a wry smile.
Is it really that simple?
The days of the New Year passed idly and quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already the seventh day of the first lunar month. The capital was bustling and lively. With relatives already visited, the coming and going now was mostly among friends.
Compared to the festive atmosphere in many homes, the scholars staying at the inn seemed rather lonely.
“Why don’t we take a stroll in the streets?” one companion suggested, setting down his book, rubbing his hands together, and stomping his feet to shake off the cold.
Behind him, Han Yuanchao and another companion also put down their books.
“We already strolled around all day yesterday. It’s just the same sights over and over—what’s the point?” Han Yuanchao said, shaking his head.
“Could it be that you’re still waiting for your beauty to invite you out?” another companion teased with a laugh.
Han Yuanchao chuckled and shook his head.
“But it’s strange—why has your beauty disappeared without a trace?” a companion remarked.
“Don’t talk nonsense. What beauty? It’s probably an elderly gentleman,” Han Yuanchao replied. “The maid had a Jiang-zhou accent but was very familiar with the capital. When asked whether they would stay in the capital or return to Jiang-zhou, the answer was uncertain. Clearly, this was someone nostalgic for their homeland—an old man, most likely.”
The companions, having heard Han Yuanchao recount the details of that day’s conversation, nodded thoughtfully.
“But an old gentleman could still have a daughter or granddaughter,” one of them joked again.
These lighthearted comments brightened the mood in the room, dispelling some of the loneliness.
“Still, why did they suddenly stop coming?” another companion asked seriously. “Could it be that they really just visited that woman’s family to do a good deed and nothing more?”
“See? I told you—I was right,” Han Yuanchao laughed. “It’s you lot overthinking things unnecessarily.”
As they spoke, the sound of laughter and conversation drifted in from outside the door.
“Let’s go, let’s visit Qieting Temple to admire the calligraphy.”
It turned out that other scholars staying at the same inn had come to invite them. Endless studying could get dull, so the three readily accepted the invitation, wrapped themselves in cloaks, and stepped outside.
“Weren’t we going to admire plum blossoms and poetry? How did it turn into calligraphy?”
“You haven’t heard? Someone put up excellent calligraphy at Qieting Temple before the New Year, creating five entirely new styles. It’s said that even a renowned Jiang-zhou scholar went to see it in person.”
“I see. So, are you going to admire the calligraphy or to chance an encounter with the Jiang-zhou scholar?”
The group joked and laughed as they headed out. The streets were bustling with people, punctuated by the occasional sound of firecrackers.
Han Yuanchao pulled his cloak tighter around him and glanced down the eastern street.
So, that’s all there is to it?
“Yuanchao,” someone called to him.
Han Yuanchao responded and followed his companions westward.
At the same time, Cheng Jiao-niang stepped out of the Chen family’s door.
“It’s still the New Year. Why not stay for a meal before leaving?” Madam Chen came to see her off, extending the invitation again.
Cheng Jiao-niang didn’t reply, simply offering a polite bow to decline.
Just then, Zhou Liu-lang drove the carriage up, drawing curious stares and whispers from the Chen family sisters nearby.
The Chen family’s womenfolk watched the carriage until it disappeared down the alley before turning back inside.
“Mother, Mother! Is Lady Cheng wearing the clothes you gave her?” Chen Dan-niang asked excitedly.
Thinking of how Cheng Jiao-niang had looked when she entered the door, they had almost not recognized her.
Seeing a gift being worn was the greatest acknowledgment of the giver’s kindness.
Madam Chen’s face was alight with joy.
“Yes, she is,” she said. “What do you think? Does it suit her?”
Chen Dan-niang nodded enthusiastically.
“It looks wonderful! She looks good in everything,” she said, then turned to her sisters with a sudden thought. “Shi’ba-niang’s outfit doesn’t look as good as Lady Cheng’s!”
The sisters behind her burst into laughter.
“Dan-niang, if you keep saying that, you won’t get any new clothes next time,” Shi’ba-niang said, feigning annoyance.
Chen Dan-niang, unafraid, made a playful face at her sister and tugged on her mother’s hand.
“Mother, Mother, you’ll make me some, right?” she said.
Their laughter and teasing filled the house with warmth. Madam Chen smiled contentedly.
Her husband’s career was flourishing, her father-in-law’s illness had subsided, and this New Year had been truly heartwarming.
The carriage rolled into the courtyard, and Zhou Liulang jumped down, tossing the whip aside as he turned and walked away.
On the other side, Cheng Jiao-niang was being helped by her maid to step down from the carriage.
“There seem to be quite a few visitors today,” the maid remarked, glancing at the carriages parked nearby.
“It’s like this every day—after all, it’s the New Year,” one of the maids replied with a smile, her tone carrying a hint of pride. “Lots of people coming and going.”
Cheng Jiao-niang cast a glance at the maid before turning to look at her maid.
“Well then, since we’re back, let’s go greet the Madam,” she said.
The maid responded promptly, though she hesitated slightly.
“Could I trouble you to lead the way?” she said to the maid with a polite smile.
“Greet the Madam?” It was customary for family members returning home to greet the madam of the house, but Cheng Jiao-niang had never observed this practice before. The sudden change made the maid wonder if she’d heard correctly.
Still, this was undoubtedly a good sign. The maid was overjoyed—after all, family is family. How could there be any real distance between them? The young lady might have been unfamiliar at first, but familiarity would come with time.
“Of course, this way,” she said cheerfully.
Unlike previous years, this New Year at the Zhou household was livelier than ever, with an unusually large number of visitors. The servants and attendants didn’t know the reason, but Master and Madam Zhou were well aware.
“I heard you have a new sister in your family. How come we haven’t seen her?”
After a bit of light chitchat, a young lady laughed and asked.
“Yes, yes,” another woman chimed in, “It’s the New Year, so why not let them come out and enjoy the festivities together?”
This particular remark had become something Madam Zhou had heard so often in recent days that it felt as though her ears had developed calluses.
“She’s not home; she’s gone out,” Madam Zhou said with a smile.
“She’s got relatives here?” the woman asked, her tone carrying a hint of suspicion.
“It’s to the Chen family,” Madam Zhou replied with a smile, although her expression seemed a little strained.
Last time she said she was unwell, this time she said she went to the Chen family. What about next time? Always making excuses, which of these madams is easy to get along with? They can always find something to gossip about.
Sure enough, the woman’s expression turned to something between a smile and a sneer.
“You really are something, hiding your treasure away like that,” she said. “We can’t compare to the Chen family, and we certainly can’t see your precious one.”
“Or maybe,” another woman laughed, “we can’t compare to the Chen family because we can’t afford to entertain you?”
