Chapter 106: Getting Ready for the New Year
Datou was completely confused, but he roughly understood that his father and sister were talking about the young master of the Xie family whom his brother and sister had rescued earlier. From the sound of it, the boy’s situation wasn’t very good.
“Did his father lock him up?” Datou asked. That would be so pitiful. His own father would never lock him up—he would even hug him.
Thinking of this, Datou tightened his grip on Wen Xiuyi’s hand.
“Not exactly locked up, probably not that far. But he’s still such a small child—so pitiful,” Wen Xiuyi sighed. Especially when he thought about this character’s ending in the original novel. Sigh… he didn’t know whether to say the boy was impressive or that the Qiu family was unlucky.
Wen Yao suddenly hopped forward and said, “Dad, Shopkeeper Qiu also has the surname Qiu. Do you think he might be related to Sister Qiu’s family?”
Wen Xiuyi shook his head. Shopkeeper Qiu’s reaction didn’t seem like it. “If there really were a connection, would he not mention it? Don’t overthink it. It’s not like there’s only one family with the surname Qiu in the world.”
Still, Shopkeeper Qiu’s background remained very mysterious.
No one noticed that when Shopkeeper Qiu was mentioned, Datou—whose hand Wen Xiuyi was holding—looked conflicted and hesitant, his little face scrunched up as if he wanted to say something but held back.
When they arrived at the dock, Wen Nong was busy working. Li Shi and Cai Shi were helping him pack things up. Luo Shi and the others didn’t sit in the stall because they were afraid of disturbing customers, so they stayed under a nearby tree watching their family’s big yellow dog.
“Mother, you finished shopping?” Wen Xiuyi glanced at the ox cart. It was already piled high with packages.
Luo Shi patted off her clothes, stood up, and looked at them. “Mm. What about you? Why did you get back so late?”
“We finished too. Everything’s here. We ran into something that delayed us.” Wen Xiuyi and Wen Jun loaded their goods onto the cart, all wrapped up so no one could see what they bought.
“What happened?” Luo Shi asked.
“Nothing serious.” Wen Xiuyi didn’t want to talk about the Xie family in front of everyone, so he changed the subject. “Mother, should we head back now? Want to walk around the dock a bit more and see if there’s anything else to buy? Maybe get some fish. Doctor Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu are coming to our house for New Year—we should prepare a good feast.”
Luo Shi lifted the straw mat covering a corner of the cart. Underneath was a big wooden barrel, and the fish inside were still flopping around.
Wen Xiuyi grinned and praised his mother for being so thoughtful, earning a white-eyed glare from Luo Shi. She didn’t ask further about the delay.
After Wen Nong finished packing up the stall, the whole family headed back to Gutong Village in high spirits.
Because the Wen family had paid wages again before the New Year for the house construction, many villagers could afford to buy more things and enjoy a better holiday.
Still, when people saw the Wen family returning with a cart full of goods, some couldn’t help whispering privately.
Buying land, building a house, buying an ox… how exactly had the Wen family gotten rich? Just from that dockside stall? That didn’t make sense. Others had tried setting up stalls at the dock too, but their businesses were only average—no losses, but not much profit either.
Even so, no one dared ask the Wen family directly. The fate of the Li family was still fresh in their minds. Quiet as they were, the Wen family had somehow found a very powerful backer.
In the blink of an eye, the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month arrived. The Wen household bustled with activity. Luo Shi had the three sons and several grandsons spinning in circles as they cleaned the house inside and out until it sparkled.
This year was special. Besides their own family, Doctor Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu would be celebrating New Year with them. They had to make the house spotless for their guests.
Wen Yao took charge of the kitchen, with her two aunts and Wen Di assisting. Wen Ying and Datou, who were never restricted, ran around the village playing wildly.
As for the head of the household, Old Man Wen, since he spent every day guarding their big yellow dog, Luo Shi assigned him to clean the livestock shed. If it weren’t so cold, he would’ve given the dog a bath too.
Bathing wasn’t possible, but Old Man Wen still wiped the dog down carefully with a damp cloth until it was spotless, even tying red silk around its horns to make it festive.
On the twenty-ninth day, it was time to paste spring couplets.
As the most educated member of the family, Wen Xiuyi was given the task of writing them.
Early in the morning, Datou helped grind ink, Wen Jun laid out the paper, Old Man Wen and Luo Shi supervised, and the rest gathered around to watch Wen Xiuyi write the first couplet of the year.
“What should I write?” Wen Xiuyi held his brush but didn’t start. He looked at the family and finally at his nephews and Datou. “Let’s test you. You’ve read quite a few books lately—tell me what our couplet should say this year.”
The Wen boys: “…Uncle, please spare us.”
Only Datou thought seriously before speaking. “Dad, how about writing on the main gate:
‘Spring brings blessings—every home prospers and rejoices;
Fortune follows spring—each year brings abundance and rising success.’
It means blessings, wealth, good luck, family harmony, and steady progress.”
Wen Xiuyi’s eyes lit up. “The horizontal banner will be ‘Harmony Brings Prosperity.’ Good son—that’s the one.”
He immediately began writing on the red paper.
After finishing the main gate couplet, Wen Yao spoke up. “Dad, write ‘Five blessings arrive, great fortune opens; everything goes smoothly and as wished. Horizontal banner: Lucky stars shine bright.’ That one goes on Grandpa’s hall door.”
“Good, Yao Yao’s is great,” Old Man Wen said, clapping happily. Luo Shi glared at him but smiled too.
Wen Xiuyi wrote it down, then looked at the younger ones again. They scratched their heads helplessly.
Wen Jun sighed. “How about: ‘Fortune prospers, wealth prospers, luck prospers; the family thrives, people thrive, careers thrive. Horizontal banner: Flourishing Family Business.’ Since Second Uncle runs a business, put this on his door.”
Wen Nong beamed and patted Wen Jun’s shoulder happily.
Among the younger boys, besides Datou, only Wen Jin studied diligently. Seeing everyone look at him, he blushed and said softly, “Uncle, how about:
‘More blessings, more wealth, more joy; harmony in the family, everything goes smoothly. Horizontal banner: All Wishes Fulfilled.’”
Wen Xiuqing was so moved he almost cried. “Good, good! That’s the one for our house!”
Cai Shi’s eyes reddened. Her quiet son rarely spoke up, always following behind his siblings and studying the hardest when Wen Yao taught them. Turning away to wipe her tears, she made a decision—after the New Year, no matter how hard or exhausting it was, she would find a way to send Wen Jin to school, even if she had to beg the elders for help.
