My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 51p2

Chapter 51 p2: New Year’s Eve Dinner

Auntie Fang closed the door and warmed herself by the fire. Today, everyone in the village was talking about the Song family. What Auntie Li had said was true. They had brought back a lot of things, so much that four people couldn’t carry them all. They were all good things, bought from the county town.

In the afternoon, the village head had gone to the Song family’s, which gave them another round of face.

Someone had also seen them taking things to the Xu family.

Auntie Fang was extremely envious. Fang Ling had gotten married in the summer, to a man from the neighboring village. His family had ten acres of good land, with three brothers and one sister. The sister was already married, and the three brothers had each married a wife. She had married the second son.

After the second son had married a new wife, the third son had quickly married a girl from Shuibo Town.

Her third sister-in-law was very clever. She had coaxed her parents-in-law to set up a business for the third son in town, and the eldest and second sons had to support the third son’s family.

As for whether life was good, they had food and clothing. Her mother-in-law was a bit harsh, but not too much. Her third sister-in-law looked down on country people a little, but it was still bearable. Her husband was young and strong, and was good to her.

But Fang Ling just felt a sense of suffocation in her heart. She felt wronged.

Every family has its own problems. Her life was neither good nor bad. There weren’t so many glamorous good lives. It was all for others to see.

Fang Ling had come back with her husband. They would be spending the thirtieth of the twelfth month at home and wouldn’t be able to come. The young couple had brought a package of candy, a package of salt, and a piece of pork.

For these things, her in-laws had nagged her for a long time, saying it was a waste.

At this time, her husband would just stand there without saying a word, letting his parents nag her. Only when it was just the two of them would he comfort her. At first, she still felt that her husband was considerate, but it was always like this, and her heart had grown numb.

“After dinner, you two should go back. The wind and snow have subsided a little. Be careful on your way back,” Auntie Fang said.

Fang Ling glanced at her home and then walked back with her husband.

“It’s still more comfortable at my in-laws’. I heard about Song Changxu while I was out today. I’ve also heard of him in our village. I didn’t expect him to be so amazing,” her husband said with a bit of envy.

Fang Ling stepped on the snow and said, “You’re also very good, husband. Someone like Song Changxu is rare.”

“My wife really knows me. We’ll just live our lives well.”

Fang Ling agreed.

She let out a breath. Even so, she had to live her life well. She touched her stomach. In the future, she had to be tougher. She had to hold onto the money her husband earned and not let her in-laws take it.

If her in-laws were dissatisfied with her and were sarcastic, let them be. Anyway, they wouldn’t hit her.

Thinking of her in-laws’ livid faces, Fang Ling couldn’t help but laugh.

There were still many days to be spent at home. Fang Ling thought that her future life would also be interesting. In short, she couldn’t keep this anger in.

It was snowing heavily during the New Year. At night, they slept with the windows closed. The two quilts on the bed were extremely warm.

Song Ye had gone to town to buy firecrackers and fireworks. He shook the snow off his body. “There are so many people in town. I’ve bought the couplets and the door gods. You can cut the ‘fortune’ characters.”

Xu Zhizhou took the red paper and cut it a few times, and a ‘fortune’ character came out.

He showed it to Song Mingyan, who also cut one.

“After we’re done, we’ll paste them on our own doors, so that heaven will bless our family with some good fortune,” Liang Su said.

Song Changxu pasted the couplets. Xu Zhizhou liked to paste the door gods the most. After pasting the ‘fortune’ characters, the house was a sea of red, looking very festive.

“I’ll make the sausages,” Xu Zhizhou volunteered to help Song Mingyan.

Song Changxu took Xu Cheng to build a snowman. They built a small one, stuck some branches in it, and it looked quite spirited. Xu Cheng took Song Changxu to the chicken coop and got three chicken eggs and one duck egg. Song Changxu hadn’t gotten eggs in a long time. They were still warm.

The uncle and nephew put away the eggs.

Xu Cheng said, “We’re not selling the eggs this time. We’ll keep them for the family to eat during the New Year. I love to eat steamed eggs. The salted duck eggs at home are also delicious.”

The family was busy making the New Year’s Eve dinner. Song Changxu herded the chickens and ducks into their coop. The sky was gradually getting dark. The village was lively. From time to time, they would hear that someone had come back, and then someone else.

The footsteps in the snow had not stopped, until it was time for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

There were more children in the village. From time to time, Song Changxu could see a few unfamiliar ones.

Xu Cheng also looked with curiosity a few times, but he did not rashly go up to talk. He knew that these children would leave after the thirtieth of the twelfth month. They usually had no interaction.

He was still closest to Xia Ya in the village. He had also given her some pastries from home. He had never had many of the pastries from the county. They looked exquisite and tasted good.

“Husband, come and watch the fire,” Xu Zhizhou called out.

Song Changxu took Xu Cheng back to the house. “You can play in the courtyard. Don’t run around. It’s almost time for dinner.”

There were more people coming back to the village for the New Year, and many of them he didn’t recognize. What if one of them was a bad person and took the child away? He still had to be vigilant.

Xu Cheng nodded obediently.

Song Changxu went to watch the fire. They were making lamb soup. Someone had to watch the fire. The kitchen was full of steam and was very warm.

Liang Su was chatting with Song Mingyan and Xu Zhizhou.

“Most of the people of your generation are married. There are more people in the village, and also fewer. Do you still remember the Ge family’s ge’er? He died during childbirth with his second child. It was a pity.”

“The Ge family’s son couldn’t wait for him. Three months later, he married a new husband to take care of the family,” Liang Su said, talking about the village’s affairs.

Xu Zhizhou couldn’t hear such things in the county. He was busy all day and was not very familiar with the people in the lane.

“And Old Madam Lin and Old Master Liu had a fight over the wall.”

Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou both pricked up their ears to listen to Liang Su’s gossip.

Liang Su did not disappoint and continued, “They were cursing and shouting. Old Master Liu’s family only has one son who has gone far away to work. He took his wife and son with him, leaving Old Master Liu at home to watch the house.”

“Old Madam Lin’s family is all here, so she’s naturally more aggressive. Actually, it was her family who had taken over Old Master Liu’s wall. When they were building it, they extended it by a foot. After a lot of arguing, the village head went to persuade them, and they temporarily stopped on the surface, but they were still secretly competing. This time, Old Master Liu’s son and daughter-in-law have come back, and there’s another round of arguments.”

In the village, there were times when they helped each other. When there was a conflict, because they knew each other so well, every word would pierce the heart and be very hurtful.

As they were talking, the ingredients were ready. Song Mingyan first heated the oil in the pot. When the pot was hot, he started to stir-fry.

For the New Year’s Eve dinner, the table had to be full. It was also tiring to make a whole table of dishes.

When the dishes were ready, Song Changxu helped to serve them.

The table was full. Song Ye called them, “Let’s set off a firecracker before we eat.”

Song Ye lit the fuse, and a string of firecrackers went off. As soon as theirs started, the ones next door also started, one after another, sounding very festive.

“Alright, sit down and eat!” Liang Su said with a smile.

They sat down, filled their wine cups, and first said some auspicious words. “May our family be whole and harmonious!”

The wine cups clinked, and a year had passed. Xu Zhizhou first ate the lamb, then the twice-cooked pork. He was so satisfied.

Song Ye took a sip of the wine and loved it. He said, “Changxu, how many days are you staying here?”

Song Changxu said, “I’ll go back on the fifth.”

“Eat more meat to nourish your body,” Liang Su said.

It was also hard for her child to study outside. When he came back, he had to eat more. The food outside was not as clean and carefully prepared as at home.

Song Changxu was full.

“Fireworks!” Xu Zhizhou shouted excitedly after he had finished eating. He had been looking forward to this for so long. He could finally set off fireworks.

“Fireworks!” Xu Cheng raised his hands and shouted along.

Song Ye took out the fireworks and divided them among them to let them have their fill.

The harvest was good this year, so he had bought a few more, which was definitely enough.

Xu Zhizhou held the firework tube and was very happy.

When the firecrackers were being set off, Song Changxu covered Xu Zhizhou’s ears. Xu Zhizhou’s ears twitched sensitively, and the tips were slightly red.

After their family’s firecrackers and fireworks were finished, the sound of them could still be heard in the distance.

Xu Zhizhou pulled on Song Changxu’s sleeve and said righteously, “Give me my red envelope.”

Song Changxu was actually prepared. He took out a red envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Zhizhou.

“You’re so good, husband,” Xu Zhizhou said, hugging Song Changxu’s waist.

What’s so good about it? He’s just greedy for money. Seeing Xu Zhizhou’s money-grubbing appearance, Song Changxu looked away.

He gave Xu Cheng a red envelope. “Keep this to buy candy.”

“Thank you, uncle.”

Seeing this, Song Ye and Liang Su smiled. “Changxu has beaten us to it. We, as elders, also have to give red envelopes.”

The three children in the family all received red envelopes. Xu Cheng, as the youngest, also received one from his grandparents.

“This is from your father,” Song Mingyan said, patting Xu Cheng’s head.

Xu Zhizhou and Song Changxu were one family, so one red envelope was enough.

Xu Cheng was overjoyed with his three red envelopes. He said in a super loud voice, “I’m so happy!”

Song Mingyan’s eyes were filled with a smile.

The family warmed themselves by the fire and stayed up for the New Year. They ate some dried fruits and chatted, and the night passed. The family had endless things to talk about.

Song Ye talked about farming, Liang Su talked about the village’s gossip, Song Mingyan talked about his stall, and Xu Cheng also had something to say. He talked about the children’s affairs.

Xu Zhizhou talked about the county town, and Song Changxu talked about his studies.

When one person spoke, everyone else listened.

“It’s time. Go to sleep,” Song Ye said with a yawn. They usually went to bed very early. Only when they stayed up for the New Year did they sleep late, so they couldn’t take it anymore.

Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou went back to their room. The young couple soon fell asleep.

This was their second New Year together.

Song Changxu held Xu Zhizhou’s waist. They snuggled together and fell asleep, like two sparrows huddling together for warmth on a branch.

After the thirtieth of the twelfth month, they had to wish everyone a happy new year when they met them in the village. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou went to the Xu family’s. Before they went, he went to the Cao family’s to see his grandparents and also gave them the things his uncle and aunt had given him.

Old Madam Cao wiped her tears. “Chang’er and his wife still think of us. It’s just that they’re too busy.”

Old Master Cao sighed and asked how his son’s family was doing in the county town. Xu Zhizhou answered one by one.

Old Master Cao changed the subject and asked, “How are Changxu’s studies?”

Song Changxu was sensible. “Alright.”

“Our family are all from a farming background. It’s already good that Chang’er was fortunate enough to be a yamen runner in the county yamen. Now you’ve passed the exam to become a xiucai. If you can go further, that would be amazing.”

Song Changxu: “I still need to continue to study.”

Xu Zhizhou said, “My husband studies very hard. He even taught me to read. Don’t look at me as if I haven’t changed. I’ve changed a lot on the inside. In the future, I’ll also be a ge’er who can read and write.”

Old Master Cao smiled and didn’t say anything.

They stayed at the Cao family’s for a while and then left. When they reached the Xu family’s, Xu Zhizhou was like a bird released from its cage. He chirped and flew into Xu Zhici’s arms.

Song Changxu was a good husband at the Xu family’s. Xu Sunzheng and Cao Qin liked him very much.

He talked with his in-laws.

“They can talk about their things, and we’ll talk about ours,” Xu Zhizhou said, not letting go of Xu Zhici.

Xu Zhici smiled and agreed. The two of them had been in such a hurry before. Xu Zhici hadn’t had a chance to look at his younger brother properly. Now he had looked a few times. Zhizhou was in good spirits, his eyes sparkling. It was clear that he had not been wronged.

That was good.

Xu Zhici breathed a sigh of relief.

The two young ge’ers were talking when there was a knock on the door.

As for visiting relatives, they had already finished.

Xu Sunzheng said with doubt, “Who is it? Come in.”

Xie Huaichuan took a deep breath and pushed open the courtyard gate. He was still dusty, his nose high, his features deep, cold, and handsome, his figure slender, like a jade tree. He was wearing a light blue robe and a black cape.

The wind and snow were behind him, and snowflakes had fallen on his eyebrows.

Xu Sunzheng pushed open a door and walked out. Seeing the young man, he asked, “Young man, are you in the wrong place? I’ve never seen you before.”

He had such an outstanding temperament and was so good-looking. If he had known him, he would have remembered.

Hearing the voice, Cao Qin pushed open the door.

Both doors were open, and the chill from outside came in. Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou looked over with curiosity. Xu Zhici also looked over and was stunned when he saw the young man’s appearance.

Xie Huaichuan cupped his hands. “Uncle Xu, I’m Xie Huaichuan.”

Xu Sunzheng was surprised. He looked Xie Huaichuan up and down. “You, you’re Huaichuan? You’ve grown so much. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Hearing this, Cao Qin vaguely found a blurry shadow of the past in his features. She quickly said, “It’s Huaichuan. Come in and warm yourself by the fire. It’s cold outside.”

“Thank you, Uncle and Auntie.”

Xie Huaichuan came in with a box. As soon as he came in, the wind and snow stopped, and the two doors were closed.

Xu Zhici’s heart also stopped.

They had not seen each other for a long time. The mountains and rivers were already in winter. The chill of deep winter had dissipated a little, but the trees were still covered in silver.

Xu Zhici did not dare to look up. He did not know where to put his hands.

Xu Zhizhou sized up Xie Huaichuan generously.

***

Author’s Note:

Little Xu: Hmph, hmph, hmph. [Clown]

Little Song: Is this my brother-in-law? [Let me see]