Chapter 198
Remembering the miserable state of Liu Gouzi that day, Zhao Ger laughed. He flicked Guaizai lightly on the forehead, saying, "You can't go around stabbing people."
"Guaizai know ah!" Guaizai covered his forehead, saying, "Guaizai only stab bad people! Guaizai cannot stab good people. Good people should get little red flowers, should get praised, right, Brother Xiao Feng?"
Xiao Feng was holding a bag full of toys. Zhao Ger was still holding his hand. He looked up to talk to Guaizai, smiling happily.
Today he was happy. Not long after he was born, Qiu Dabiao passed away. He had never been held by anyone before. Tonight, Fang Zichen held him all evening, and Zhao Ger bought him lots of snacks and toys, letting him experience the feeling of being cherished and held in the palm of his parents' hands. He just felt a sour, astringent, yet also warm sensation in his heart.
From within the crowd, Meng-shi watched this scene, her heart filled with a complicated and indescribable feeling.
That rabbit lantern was quite small, no larger than a bowl, but it was crafted with great detail. Its outer surface was carved all around with lively, lifelike little rabbits. Earlier in town, Liu Xiaobao had also thrown a fit, begging to buy one, but it was too expensive, costing over twenty copper coins, so Liu Gouzi didn't buy it for him.
Zhao Ger was truly good to Xiao Feng.
Meng-shi felt both comforted that Xiao Feng had found a good family and would finally no longer have to suffer, and also heartbroken and upset that Xiao Feng would never call her 'mother' again.
...
After Minor New Year, a drizzling rain began to fall again.
Fang Zichen had been busy for several days, making quite a few firecrackers. Back when they blew up the Ma family's place, he made them big, and he was quite adept at it. This time he was making them small. Coupled with the fact that the procedure and materials were somewhat different, and there were no instruments, he managed to make the small firecrackers, but didn't know how powerful they were. If they were too powerful, he absolutely wouldn't dare let his son play with them.
Now it was time to test them. This rest day happened to be rain-free.
He grabbed two small firecrackers and some scratch firecrackers (刮炮), preparing to try them out.
These scratch firecrackers were similar to a combination of matches and regular firecrackers. The main component of the scratch firecracker's ignition head was sulfur. The side of the box was coated with a phosphorus surface containing red phosphorus. Rubbing the firecracker head against the side of the packaging box would ignite it, having a smoking delay before the final explosion, unlike regular firecrackers.
Zhao Ger was curious as well. Standing with the two children beside Fang Zichen, he watched him handle a small firecracker with a long fuse he had made himself. Fang Zichen lit it with a stick of incense and tossed it away. It sizzled for a moment, and Zhao Ger saw no other effect.
"Husband, it hasn't exploded, is it..."
Boom! A sharp blast tore through the air, followed by a rapid series of pop pop pop noises.
Dirt flew everywhere. After a puff of blue smoke passed, a concave pit and four mud-covered figures were left in the courtyard.
Fang Zichen spat, "Pah, pah, pah," getting the dirt out of his mouth, wiped his face, and only then could his two eyes be seen. He and Zhao Ger stared at each other comically for a few seconds, then couldn't help but laugh.
Earlier, Zhao Ger had gone with him to blow up the Ma family in the middle of the night, so he was somewhat familiar with these things. It was Guaizai and Xiao Feng who seemed frightened, standing there dumbfounded.
After a good while, Guaizai finally wiped his face roughly, hugged Fang Zichen's leg, and looked up with his little muddy face: "Father, what is this, what is this ah?"
"Firecrackers!" Fang Zichen asked him: "So, how does it feel? Fun?"
Guaizai clapped his hands, jumping up: "So awesome, so fun! Guaizai wants to play!"
The firecrackers were too powerful for children to play with safely. After bathing and changing into clean clothes, Fang Zichen went back to work on improving them.
After many experiments, he finally produced another batch.
The New Year was approaching, and Zuixiao Restaurant planned to close for a few days. During this period, there would still be customers, but very few. During the holidays, everyone was busy visiting relatives and friends, they had no time to go to a restaurant to eat.
The Yang family brothers were now 'settled' in Yuanzhou. With many children at home, travel wasn't convenient. Moreover, since they came back last year, following the principle of 'courtesy demands reciprocity', Yang Mutao planned to take his family to Yuanzhou for the New Year.
Also, Old Lady Zheng hadn't been out for a long time, so this was a good opportunity for her to stretch her legs.
The several concubines in the home were all very happy. Only Yang Mingyi seemed a bit downcast. He usually didn't show much expression on his face, so ordinary people couldn't tell he was unhappy. But perhaps there was a special magnetic field between handsome men; even Yang Mutao hadn't noticed, but Fang Zichen spotted it first.
After finishing the noon lesson, Fang Zichen moved closer, not getting too near—a distance that showed intimacy without being improper.
"Yi Ger, I see you don't seem in good spirits today. What's wrong? Did you get your heart broken? Did the older brother you have a crush on get engaged? Or didn't you eat enough yesterday?"
Yang Mingyi: "..."
Yang Mingyi was silent for a moment: "Father wants to go to Yuanzhou for New Year's this year."
He wasn't close with the children of his uncles' families. Firstly, because of the large age difference. Secondly, because he was the only ger in his generation of the Yang family. Plus, his uncles lived close by. During festivals, the two families always got together, so the children became familiar with each other. Not like him, only seeing them once a year. He couldn't fit into the boys' group, nor could he blend into the girls' group. When everyone gathered, he always ended up indirectly isolated. At times like these, he would strongly feel like he was "superfluous." His conspicuousness and awkwardness made it unbearable.
It was the same at his maternal grandfather's house.
Old Master Wu, pitying him for losing his mother young and being alone, always doted on him a bit more, often coming to Fu'an Town to see him. His other female cousins and male cousins didn't really like him for it.
He didn't want to go anywhere. But being alone was inevitably lonely...
Having interacted for several months, Fang Zichen had taken quite a few liberties with Yang Mingyi. Although Yang Mingyi didn't go into detail, Fang Zichen had seen enough of those big family dramas on TV. He patted Yang Mingyi on the shoulder: "What's the big deal? If you don't want to go, then don't. Come to your Brother Fang's house. I'll let you play with firecrackers. Want to come?"
Although the countryside was poor and had many inconveniences, its open green fields, flowing streams, croaking frogs, and chirping birds always relaxed and cheered people up. Plus, with that little chatterbox Guaizai around, Yang Mingyi felt tempted. Even though Guaizai often left him speechless, being with Guaizai, listening to his constant chatter, made him feel lively and happy: "Father probably won't allow it."
"What's that got to do with anything!" Fang Zichen stood up: "I'll go talk to him in a bit."
Yang Mutao truly hadn't expected Yang Mingyi not to want to go to Yuanzhou. However, sending a child to someone else's house during the New Year wasn't really appropriate. However, merchants like him were busiest during festivals, constantly drinking and socializing everywhere, and he couldn't accompany his child himself. Yang Mutao thought about it; if he sent him to another family, given how his ger looked, he really wouldn't feel at ease. But if it was to Fang Zichen's place, then he could rest assured.
Yang Mutao gave him ten taels of silver as 'inconvenience' money.
"You're too polite," Fang Zichen said, his eyes practically glued to the silver, but he declined: "Uncle, you've always treated me well, I..."
"Then I'll go back with him to pack his things and bring him over this evening," Yang Mutao said briskly, taking back the silver and running downstairs, deng deng deng.
Fang Zichen stood there dumbfounded: "..."
He chased out, but Yang Mutao had already disappeared.
He stamped his foot hatefully.
This old man, really. Does he not understand what feigned politeness is?
I was just being a bit polite in my refusal!
Ah, if I'd known, I wouldn't have put on that act. Look at that, ten taels of silver gone, just like that.
There were still two days until the New Year's festivities, so there was no need for such a rushed departure. Nevertheless, as the workday drew to a close, Yang Mutao dispatched a servant with a carriage. Fang Zichen took the opportunity and caught a ride back home.
Zhao Ger was very welcoming of Yang Mingyi's visit. With no relatives of their own in the village, having extra company for the New Year celebration would certainly make for a more lively and joyous occasion.
Guaizai was overjoyed to see Yang Mingyi. He howled like a wolf, ao wu, and threw himself at him.
Xiao Feng chimed in, stammering shyly that it would be warmer at night with someone else to share the bed.
The little courtyard instantly felt much more bustling and full of life.
Only Fang Zichen remained sullen.
When Zhao Ger asked him what was wrong and learned the reason, he was caught between laughter and exasperation.
Boss Yang had always treated Fang Zichen well, letting him freely use paper and brushes at the restaurant. Although they were used for keeping account, and when buying supplies in bulk he got a lower price, but even at a low price, they weren't cheap.
Zhao Ger himself had met Yang Mingyi several times and held a favorable impression of him. He was cold-faced but warm-hearted, and polite.
Even if he brought nothing, eating, drinking, and staying for free, Zhao Ger wouldn't mind.
Fang Zichen wasn't a stingy person by nature. It was just that watching ten full taels of silver slip right through his fingers left him feeling a tiny bit... heartbroken.
With an extra person, Zhao Ger made two more dishes for dinner. After eating good food, Fang Zichen finally felt less depressed.
The children ate quickly and were now running around in the courtyard playing with the puppy. Zhao Ger picked up some pickled bamboo shoots with his chopsticks and put them in Fang Zichen's bowl, teasing him with a smile: "Seeing how unhappy you were earlier, I thought you might have lost your appetite."
Fang Zichen shoveled in a mouthful of rice: "I'm a relatively mature person. Things like sulking, getting depressed, not eating, losing my appetite—I only do those things after I'm full."
Zhao Ger couldn’t help but chuckle.
Back when he didn't know how to cook, it was usually Fang Zichen who washed the dishes after their meals. Now that Xiao Feng was here and saw how proficient he was at the task, Fang Zichen honorably retired from dishwashing duty.
After Xiao Feng finished washing the dishes, Fang Zichen brought out the firecrackers. Together with Zhao Ger, they led the three children outside to set them off.
The village head's family had let their cattle out to graze today and tied them to a small tree by the river. The cattle had produced quite a lot of dung; in just that one afternoon, there were several piles under the tree. This stuff was considered 'valuable'; usually, it would be collected to make fertilizer for planting vegetables or crops. Not taking it back this time probably meant they didn't bring a container when they came to fetch the cattle.
Fang Zichen stuck a firecracker into one pile, lit it with incense, it hissed for a while, and then—Boom!—the cow dung was blown everywhere! A puff of blue smoke still hung over the original spot.
Guaizai and Xiao Feng were now seasoned veterans, jumping up and down with joy. Only Yang Mingyi was stunned by the blast, not reacting at first to what that thing even was.
The Da Xia Dynasty didn't have firecrackers yet. People nearby who heard the sound were first greatly startled, thinking it was thunder. But it didn't sound right, not like thunder; it sounded more like bamboo cracking when burned. Before they could figure it out, they heard children's cheers. Following the sound, before they saw anyone, they heard several more boom boom sounds.
Water from the river sprayed high into the air. After watching for a while, Zhao Ger’s own hands grew restless, and he soon joined in, lighting firecrackers and tossing them one after another into the river, the mud, and the grass. The children leaped about, dodging clumps of flying earth, the scene lively and loud.
Fang Zichen didn't let the children play with these things. He grabbed a few boxes of scratch firecrackers from his small bag and gave them to the children instead.
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