Shen Xuanqing watched from the side, raising and lowering his hands a few times. Compared to his rough hands, Shen Yan’s were smaller and gentler, so it was better to leave it to her and Lu Gu. If he accidentally hurt Lingjun and Wei Lanxiang found out, he’d be on the receiving end of her glare.
Lingjun was different from Zhao'er after all. While Wei Lanxiang doted on her eldest grandson, she also cherished her own soft, small little shuang’er dearly.
This time the binding was very loose, so little Lingjun didn’t fuss or cry much. The small lilac silk flower on him looked lovely too, making his father smile involuntarily beside him.
Shen Xuanqing found it more endearing the longer he looked and said, “When the New Year comes, we’ll buy a few more new ones so he can wear a different one every day.”
“Mm.” Lu Gu agreed. But because the flower was tied too loosely, little Lingjun turned his head and rubbed it askew. Lu Gu chuckled and gently took it off. The child was still too young, so it was better not to insist on him wearing flowers and such.
After having a child, life became a flurry of busyness. When little Lingjun cried, he sometimes wouldn’t stop for a long time. When Lu Gu grew tired from soothing him, Shen Xuanqing would take over. If that didn’t work, there was still Wei Lanxiang. Some nights were so restless they had to soothe the child all night, leaving both of them yawning and drowsy the next day. But their little Lingjun was so beautiful and lovely that every relative or visitor who came by would praise him.
Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and before they knew it, the festive season had arrived again.
On New Year’s Eve, the rest of the family went out to set off firecrackers. Even Zhao’er, who couldn’t sleep, was carried out. He was quite bold, Shen Yaoqing held him at a distance, so he didn’t cry from fright.
Firecrackers sounded one after another in the village. Country folk only really celebrated during the New Year, but most families didn’t have much money, so they didn’t buy many firecrackers. Since their family had two children and Lingjun was still too young, they didn’t buy many this year either, just enough to make a bit of noise for the festivities.
Lu Gu stayed inside holding the child, doors and windows tightly shut to muffle the noise outside.
He patted the child to soothe him. Little Lingjun had already stopped crying. The windows were pasted with thick paper, so only the faint glow of the brazier burning in the yard could be seen. As the night deepened and fewer firecrackers went off, all of Qingxi Village gradually quieted down.
Shen Xuanqing soon returned and took the child, who had been too disturbed to sleep, so Lu Gu could rest his arms.
The room was lit not just by candles but also by a beautiful palace lantern, its paper painted with clusters of flowers, casting a warm glow inside.
“Eldest Brother and I will keep watch tonight. You just sleep, don’t worry about it,” Shen Xuanqing said while patting little Lingjun. The gentle rocking and patting gradually lulled the tired child to sleep.
“Mm. I left food in the pot, along with rice. Remember to add firewood to the stove. If you get hungry in the middle of the night, you and Eldest Brother can eat. There are also pastries and dried fruit on the plates outside.” Lu Gu reached into little Lingjun’s bedding to check. With tangpozi inside, it wasn’t cold at all.
After making sure little Lingjun was snug, he took six copper coins strung on a red thread from the table and said, “This is Zhao’er’s New Year’s money. If I don’t wake up, remember to put it by his pillow.”
“Got it,” Shen Xuanqing replied. Since it was better for Lu Gu to sleep beside the child in case he woke up crying at night, the task of placing the New Year’s money at midnight would fall to him.
New Year’s money was for good luck, so it didn’t need to be much. Six symbolized smoothness - may the child grow up without hardship.
The brazier in the middle of the yard occasionally crackled - the sound of burning bamboo. As the night deepened, when midnight arrived, Lu Gu, who hadn’t slept soundly, opened his eyes at the sound of the door. The candles and palace lantern were still lit, Wei Lanxiang had come in.
“Mother,” he called softly.
Wei Lanxiang waved her hand, signaling him to keep quiet. She stood by the bed, gazing at their little Lingjun, then placed a string of copper coins beside him.
Ever since she had two grandchildren, she would always woke up on New Year’s Eve to give them their New Year’s money. Before she could leave, Ji Qiuyue also entered and placed six copper coins.
Since he was already awake, Lu Gu made to get up and give Zhao’er his New Year’s money, but Ji Qiuyue stopped him.
“Second Brother already gave it. No need to get up, it’s late,” Ji Qiuyue said softly with a smile.
As they spoke, little Lingjun, who had been sleeping restlessly all night, began to whimper and cry. Lu Gu quickly patted him to soothe him. Seeing this, Wei Lanxiang and Ji Qiuyue returned to their rooms. In the main hall, Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing chatted in low voices over drinks. Life was getting better, they could afford chicken, duck, fish, and meat for their own family and guests. The New Year was no longer shrouded in gloom.
The six dogs were left to guard the new house. Before returning to the old home in the evening, they were fed plenty of meat and bones so they could also celebrate the New Year.
Lu Gu soothed the child back to sleep. At some point, he faintly sensed movement and opened his eyes to see Shen Xuanqing sitting by the bed. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, “What time is it?”
“Still early, the sky isn’t light yet. It’s cold outside, so it’s better to sit on the bed and warm up.” Shen Xuanqing trimmed the candlewick before taking off his shoes and climbing into bed. In previous years, even with the brazier for warmth, sitting outside for too long made their feet too cold, so they would return to the room in the latter half of the night.
Lu Gu glanced at the child, who was sleeping soundly. Since Shen Xuanqing was keeping watch and he was already awake, he decided to sit up and keep him company.
The two chatted for a while. Shen Xuanqing gazed at his fulang by the candlelight, his handsome, strong features seeming to soften. He wanted to take Lu Gu’s hand, but with the child sleeping between them, it wasn’t easy. After murmuring a few words, Lu Gu moved the child to the inner side of the bed.
They leaned against the headboard, hand in hand, shoulders touching, a sweet warmth spreading in their hearts. Whispering about future plans, they felt that the best days in the world were just like this.
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