Chapter 50: One Year Ends Amidst the Sound of Firecrackers

The stove, which had been neglected in favor of the fire pit, was put to great use once again.

Zhao Mengcheng poured half a pot of oil to fry snacks. He made mahua, oil cakes, meatballs, and crispy pork. These fried treats, which he usually found too troublesome to make, could finally be enjoyed to everyone’s heart’s content at the end of the year.

Wheat was not grown in the area around Qingshan Village, and flour was difficult to buy. Zhao Mengcheng had visited several households before the New Year to secure a small amount, all of which was now going into the pot.

After a moment’s thought, he sliced the rice cakes and fried a large batch of rice cake slices.

The thoroughly fried rice cake slices were light and crispy. Each bite came with a satisfying crunch, making them the perfect snack to munch on while sitting by the fire.

Zhao Mengcheng sprinkled a bit of white sugar over them, and the flavor improved instantly. As he fried the rice cakes, he couldn’t help but eat a few pieces himself.

The three little ones were even worse. Ever since he started frying things, they hadn’t left the side of the stove for a single moment.

Once the dough-based snacks were finished, he began frying the meat. Crispy pork was essential, and Zhao Mengcheng also made various kinds of meatballs. There were rabbit meat balls, pork balls, and fish balls. The different colored spheres were piled together, and in the end, they were all fried to a beautiful golden brown.

The aroma of frying meat was even harder to resist. The three children crowded around, eating until their bellies were perfectly round.

Zhao Mengcheng had to remind them, “If you keep eating like this, you won’t be able to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner later. Take a break.”

“But what Dad makes is just too delicious,” Zhao Xin said, licking the corner of her mouth.

“Even if it’s delicious, you have to stop for a bit,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile.

Zhao Xin immediately replied, “Then I’ll go prepare the vegetables. I’ll get hungry again once I move around.”

As she spoke, she took advantage of a moment when he wasn’t looking to secretly toss a meatball to the White Snake. The White Snake caught it in one bite, coiled its head, and swallowed. Judging by the familiarity of their movements, this certainly wasn’t the first time.

In addition to the fried goods, chicken, duck, fish, and meat were also indispensable. Braised pork, stir-fried chicken, stewed duck, and braised fish were all prepared. The square table was packed so tightly that there was barely enough room for everything.

“Dad, we’ll take care of the rest. You should sit down quickly,” Zhao Chun called out.

Zhao Mengcheng, however, opened the pot. “There’s one last thing.”

He served four bowls of tangyuan. Each glutinous rice ball was white, plump, and perfectly round, looking exceptionally smooth and lovely as they sat in the bowls.

“Eat these first, then we’ll clean up,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile.

Zhao Chun sat down and impatiently stuffed a tangyuan into his mouth, intending to swallow it whole.

“Wait!” Zhao Mengcheng warned. “There are copper coins inside the tangyuan. Don’t swallow them in one go.”

Zhao Mao looked at his elder brother helplessly. “We wrapped them together this afternoon. Did you forget already?”

The boy finally remembered. When they were all wrapping tangyuan together that afternoon, their father had specifically washed four copper coins to put inside for good luck.

Zhao Chun barely managed to restrain himself and took a cautious bite. The next moment, he was filled with disappointment. “This one doesn’t have it.”

Beside him, Zhao Mao also scooped up a tangyuan and took a small bite.

“I found one,” Zhao Mao said. He finished the skin in two bites and held up the copper coin from the center.

Zhao Mengcheng laughed. “I wish A-Mao good luck and prosperity in the new year.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Xin also cried out happily, “I found one too!”

She proudly held up her copper coin and waved it at her elder brother. “Dad, my coin is especially bright.”

These copper coins had been specially selected by Zhao Mengcheng. He had spent quite a bit of effort scrubbing them until they shone, and there was little difference in their appearance.

“I wish Xin’er a lucky and auspicious New Year, and may you always be full of smiles.”

Seeing that his younger siblings had both found coins, Zhao Chun grew even more anxious. He bit into the tangyuan one by one, but his luck was poor. He didn’t find one in the first, nor the second.

Zhao Chun began to suspect there were no coins in his bowl at all, and the corners of his mouth started to droop.

“Oh, I found one too.” Zhao Mengcheng took out his own copper coin and smiled.

Zhao Mao quickly said, “I wish Dad success in all your heart’s desires and that everything goes your way.”

Zhao Xin followed suit, shouting, “Dad should be happy every day, happier and happier with each passing day!”

Even Zhao Chun temporarily forgot that he hadn’t found one yet. After scratching his head for a long time, he managed to squeeze out a sentence, “I wish Dad abundance every year and peace throughout the seasons.”

Zhao Mengcheng laughed. “Thank you, children. Eat more.”

Zhao Chun felt he probably wouldn’t find one, but he continued eating the tangyuan anyway. It wasn’t until the sixth one that the boy’s eyes lit up with light.

“Dad, I found it!”

He spat it out and held up the copper coin, which was still covered in bits of sesame. He grinned widely with joy. “I finally found it! Look, this is my coin.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled. “Good things come to those who wait. I wish A-Chun strength, health, and happiness.”

Having found the coin, Zhao Chun was finally willing to start on the other dishes. He was at the age where he was growing rapidly, so he never seemed to feel full. His appetite was much larger than Zhao Mao’s and was nearly catching up to Zhao Mengcheng’s.

Zhao Mengcheng watched the children with a smile. He had placed the coins himself and served the tangyuan himself. How could he possibly have left anyone out?

The atmosphere of the New Year’s Eve dinner was so lively that even Zhao Baobao abandoned the fire pit to wander around their feet. Occasionally, the snake would rest its head on a stool, waiting for Zhao Xin to secretly feed it a bite.

Zhao Mengcheng wanted to say that snakes shouldn’t eat human food, but seeing Zhao Baobao swaying its head happily without any signs of discomfort, he didn’t want to spoil the fun on New Year’s Eve.

This meal lasted from daylight until dark. Every household in the village was filled with the aroma of food, and the New Year atmosphere was particularly joyful.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Zhao Mengcheng leaned back in a reclining chair by the fire pit to rest. The three children took charge of cleaning up.

Zhao Chun and Zhao Mao worked quite efficiently, and since Zhao Xin was too short, she moved a stool over to help from the side.

Suddenly, the sound of firecrackers drifted in from outside.

The White Snake was so startled that it zipped up onto a ceiling beam.

Zhao Xin was also startled, but then she jumped down and shouted, “Don’t be afraid, Baobao! Someone in the village has started lighting firecrackers.”

One after another, more families began lighting firecrackers, and the sound of popping could be heard everywhere.

Zhao Mengcheng simply stood up. “Come on, let’s go light our ‘door-closing’ firecrackers too.”

This was a custom in the Fengzhou area. Once the door-closing firecrackers were lit on New Year’s Eve, the family would not go out again. They would stay home to keep the New Year’s vigil until the arrival of the new year the next day.

In the original owner’s memory, stringed firecrackers had already appeared in the city by this time, but they were expensive and not something an ordinary family could afford.

Therefore, the people in the Qingshan Village area still used actual bamboo.

Before the New Year, Zhao Mengcheng had specifically cut some bamboo and chopped the long stalks into sections, drying them for later use.

When Zhao Mengcheng went outside, the neighbors had already started lighting their firecrackers. The sounds of popping rose and fell throughout the village.

“Stand back if you’re scared,” Zhao Mengcheng instructed.

After all, bamboo firecrackers could be unsafe.

Zhao Chun wasn’t afraid at all and was eager to do it himself. “Dad, let me throw them in with you.”

Zhao Mao wasn’t afraid either, but seeing that Zhao Xin was a bit timid, he stayed by her side to look after her, reaching out to help cover her ears.

The fire blazed brightly, and it wasn’t long before the bamboo thrown inside let out a loud bang.

“It popped! It popped!” Zhao Chun was impatient and hurriedly continued throwing more inside.

The crackling and popping sounds drowned out the children’s cheers, and the firelight reflected their laughter and joy.

Once the pile of bamboo was finished, the main gate was closed. The New Year’s vigil officially began, and no one could leave the house before tomorrow arrived.

With the fire pit in the house and their new cotton-padded clothes, the children were toasted warm and cozy. After a while, they began to doze off.

Zhao Mengcheng cleared his throat. “Come here, all of you.”

Three pairs of eyes looked over in unison.

Zhao Mengcheng pulled out three small pouches and hung one around each of their necks. “New Year’s money.”

“Thank you, Dad!” the three little ones shouted happily, their small faces covered in smiles.

Even Zhao Mao, who loved money the most, didn’t think about opening the pouch to see how much was inside. He simply leaned against his father’s side with dependence.

“Aren’t you going to look?” Zhao Mengcheng asked with some surprise.

Zhao Mao rested his small head on his father’s leg. “As long as I can be with Dad, I’m happy even without New Year’s money.”

“I’m happy too! It’s so great to have Dad here.” Zhao Chun couldn’t stand seeing his younger brother acting spoiled, so he ran over, threw his arms around his father’s neck, and bounced around.

Zhao Xin nodded in agreement. “When we grow up, we’ll give Dad New Year’s money.”

Zhao Mengcheng was amused. He stood up and went into the inner room, returning with three items in his hands.

“New Year’s gifts. I originally planned to give them to you tomorrow, but it’s just as well to give them now.”

Zhao Chun took his and immediately cried out with joy, “A wooden sword! Dad, I thought you forgot.”

Since returning from town, his father had been busy with New Year preparations. Zhao Chun had wanted to ask about it several times but had held back.

“How could I forget something I promised you? It’s been ready for a long time, just waiting to be given to you.”

Zhao Mao received a larger box. Unlike his previous simple wooden box, this one was carved with patterns and even had a small wooden lock.

Seeing him fiddling with it in delight, Zhao Mengcheng explained, “The wooden lock is a small Kongming Lock. You have to solve it before you can open the box.”

“Thank you, Dad. I love it very much.” Zhao Mao’s cheeks were flushed with happiness.

Zhao Mengcheng asked, “Aren’t you going to open it and see?”

Hearing this, Zhao Chun was even more anxious than his brother. He urged, “Second Brother, hurry up and open it!”

If he hadn’t been stumped by the Kongming Lock, he certainly would have snatched it by now.

Zhao Mao pursed his lips and carefully manipulated the Kongming Lock. With a click, the wooden box finally opened.

Inside was a writing brush with a wooden handle and rabbit-hair bristles.

Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile, “You can use it when you start school next year. The rabbit hair used for it was from the ones we caught together.”

“Let me see, quick, let me have a look too.” Zhao Chun was always one for excitement.

Zhao Mao, however, gripped the brush tightly and refused to let go. “No, no one can use it but me. Dad gave it to me.”

Seeing that he wouldn’t budge, Zhao Chun huffed. “I have one too. This is a wooden sword Dad made with his own hands. Look, it even has a scabbard.”

The wooden sword was exquisitely crafted, with every splinter sanded smooth. The scabbard was woven from reeds with a special pattern.

Zhao Chun was exceptionally fond of his wooden sword and wasn’t the least bit jealous of his younger brother’s brush.

Zhao Xin looked at her eldest brother, then at her second brother, before her gaze landed on her father. “What about me? Don’t I have anything?”

“How could I leave out my Xin’er?”

Seeing the little girl was about to cry, Zhao Mengcheng quickly brought out her gift. “See if you like it.”

Zhao Xin was feeling sad and hurt, but the moment she saw the gift, her tears turned into a smile.

Zhao Mengcheng had prepared a row of hair flowers in every color imaginable, red, yellow, pink, and purple.

Zhao Xin cried out in surprise, “Dad, when did you buy these? How come I didn’t see them?”

Since the last time they went to the New Year market, her father hadn’t gone to town alone. Where did all these hair flowers come from?

Zhao Mengcheng smiled and pinched her chubby cheek. “This master has his ways.”

Zhao Xin didn’t think too much about it and happily began putting on the hair flowers. Each time she tried one on, she asked, “Dad, do I look pretty?”

“You look beautiful,” Zhao Mengcheng replied, giving her a thumbs up every time.

Zhao Xin didn’t just wear them herself; she wanted her brothers and father to wear them too. As soon as Zhao Chun heard this, he ran off, brandishing his wooden sword in the yard with a series of whooshes and shouts.

Zhao Mao also refused to play along with the hair flowers, saying instead, “Little sister, how about I study with you?”

Zhao Xin was usually a studious child, but right now she didn’t want to read, and she certainly didn’t want to practice her crooked calligraphy.

She glanced at Zhao Baobao again, but unfortunately, Zhao Baobao was bare all over, leaving her with nowhere to pin a hair flower.

“Dad, do you want to wear them?” Zhao Xin could only set her sights on her father.

Zhao Mengcheng leaned back in his lounge chair. “Go ahead and put them on.”

Zhao Xin cheered and clutched the hair flowers as she began to fuss over his head. Zhao Mengcheng indulged her with a smile, letting her do as she pleased with his long hair.

Seeing that he wasn’t angry, Zhao Xin’s movements became even bolder. She coiled his hair, let it down, pinned all the hair flowers on at once, then decided they were hard to take off, thoroughly enjoying herself.

No matter how she fussed, Zhao Mengcheng lay there motionless, occasionally eating a few peanuts to pass the time.

When Zhao Chun returned from his play, he stepped into the room and cried out in shock, “Xin’er, what have you done to Dad?”

Zhao Mao, who was practicing his calligraphy, looked up suddenly and instinctively covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

Zhao Mengcheng, who had been getting drowsy by the fire, was startled awake by his son’s shout. “What’s all the shouting for? Why are you covered in sweat? Go wipe yourself off.”

Wiping his sweat, Zhao Chun looked at his father with a hesitant expression.

Suppressing a laugh, Zhao Mao advised, “Dad, don’t spoil Xin’er too much.”

“There are only the four of us at home anyway, and no outsiders can see. It’s fine, let her play,” Zhao Mengcheng said nonchalantly.

He certainly didn’t know what he looked like right now. His hair had been coiled into several loops, all of them pinned full of hair flowers.

The hair flowers Zhao Mengcheng had bought were chosen according to Zhao Xin’s aesthetic. Each one was larger than the last and vibrantly colored. Wearing one might be considered so gaudy it was almost elegant, but wearing them all at once created a truly overwhelming effect.

Zhao Xin tilted her head and looked, then put her hands on her hips in dissatisfaction. “Doesn’t it look good? It looks even better than a bride. You two have no taste.”

“Dad, they must be jealous of how good you look. My dad is the best looking, just like a fairy.” Zhao Xin rested her chin on her hands, looking particularly satisfied with her father’s styling.

Zhao Mengcheng had a good idea of his daughter’s aesthetic and pinched her cheek. “As long as you’re happy.”

Zhao Xin then asked her two brothers, “Do you want to play? I can turn you into fairies too.”

Zhao Chun couldn’t imagine himself with a head full of flowers. His father had fair skin, so at least he could be called a fairy, but he would just look like a fool.

“You play with Dad. I don’t want to be a fairy; I want to be a general.”

Many years later, when the three children looked back on the winter of this year, there was no cold or hunger. There was only constant laughter and their father, leaning back in his lounge chair with a smile, letting his daughter cover his head with flowers.

Even Zhao Chun, who at this moment thought his sister’s styling of their father was hard to look at, would forget his current disdain whenever he looked back on it. He would only remember the warm smiles on everyone’s faces.

Most of Qingshan Village was much the same. The winter this year was exceptionally cold, and the heavy snow made travel difficult, but every household had cotton-padded clothes to keep warm, and everyone had prepared goods for the New Year.

While life in Qingshan Village was comfortable enough, Shanghe Town fared a bit worse.

The New Year market had been quiet, business in town was poor, and even the sound of firecrackers was noticeably sparse.

In the County Yamen, Magistrate Huang couldn’t even enjoy his New Year’s Eve dinner.

Madam Huang tried to persuade him, “It’s the New Year. You should at least show a smile, otherwise the children will be frightened.”

“Sigh, whenever I think of the matters at the Yamen, I truly cannot bring myself to smile,” Magistrate Huang sighed.

Madam Huang knew nothing of government affairs and simply comforted him, “This year’s flood made things difficult, but it will be better once spring comes. A few days ago, Widow Zhang came to visit, and I specifically asked her about it. She said things are a bit tough this year, but they still have surplus grain at home, and she hasn’t heard of anyone in the town starving to death. It seems the situation is manageable.”

“If only it were that easy.”

Magistrate Huang could not share the sorrow in his heart with anyone.

“What exactly is wrong with you?” Madam Huang thought of something and whispered, “Is it because of that Corvée labor? You can’t be blamed for that. You were just following the rules. Who knew they would be so ruthless over in Fengzhou?”

At the mention of the Corvée labor, Magistrate Huang lost all interest in his dinner. He stood up and said, “Stay with the children. I’m going to the front to have a look.”

“Oh, husband…” Madam Huang couldn’t stop him and could only stamp her feet in frustration.

Magistrate Huang went to the front. The Yamen staff were all on New Year leave, and the building was empty.

He sat alone in the courtroom. Above him hung the plaque declaring “A Clear Mirror Hanging High,” but before him was only darkness.

After a long while, Magistrate Huang exhaled. On the desk before him lay a formal document, the Qianqiu Order.

As Madam Huang had said, the situation in Shanghe was relatively fine. After all, the entire Shanghe area was located upstream of Fengzhou. Although there had been floods, the damage was mostly not severe.

But further downstream in the Fengzhou region, and even the cities to the southeast, the floods had ravaged the land. It wasn’t just one or two places that had lost their entire harvest.

At a time like this, instead of providing disaster relief or tax exemptions, the Emperor had collected a season’s worth of taxes and then insisted on holding a grand Qianqiu Festival. Such a waste of labor and resources was truly disheartening.

According to custom, for the Emperor’s Qianqiu Festival, officials from all regions had to present gifts.

Lord Huang was currently troubled by this.

Magistrate Huang was like this, and Prefect Qian of Fengzhou Prefecture was also full of distress.

Last year, he had suppressed the news of the disaster in Fengzhou and only managed to collect the full amount of taxes with great difficulty, causing outrage and resentment among the people.

Prefect Qian knew this could not continue. Although he was not a good official, he was certainly not stupid. He had acted this way partly to curry favor with his superiors and partly because he felt the people of Fengzhou still had some reserves and could endure for a year.

Who could have known that before the year was even out, the news of the Emperor’s grand Qianqiu Festival would arrive first.

“What exactly is the Emperor thinking? One moment he confines the Empress and the Crown Prince, and the next he wants to hold a grand Qianqiu Festival.”

An aide speculated, “Could he be planning to use the Qianqiu Festival as an occasion to depose the Crown Prince and appoint a new one?”

Prefect Qian’s expression changed, thinking that this was indeed a possibility.

“If that’s the case, I must handle this matter perfectly and leave no room for criticism.”

But thinking of the current state of Fengzhou, Prefect Qian’s head began to throb. Before the new year, a group of unruly commoners had resisted taxes, so he had seized them for Corvée labor, originally intending to make an example of them. Who could have known the levees in Fengzhou would breach!

The hundreds of people building the levees at the time had all been swept away by the river, and even now, their bodies had not all been recovered.

Prefect Qian could only suppress the news once more, ordering the various County Magistrates to handle the aftermath while slowing down the levee construction.

He feared a genuine popular uprising, so he had spent money to smooth things over and ensure his future career would not be affected.

“What do you think Fengzhou should offer to satisfy both His Majesty and the Second Prince?”

The aide gauged his meaning and said, “The Emperor is the Son of Heaven. What delicacies or rare treasures has he not seen? Even if we gathered the wealth of the entire prefecture, it would be nothing in the Emperor’s eyes.”

Prefect Qian agreed completely. “In previous years, a prosperous place like Fengzhou would have no trouble producing such things, but this year is truly difficult.”

The aide suggested, “My Lord, the commoners are struggling, but the gentry of Fengzhou are not.”

Prefect Qian frowned and said, “Every one of them has powerful backing. They are incredibly difficult to deal with.”

Furthermore, he was responsible for an incident involving hundreds of lives. If someone reported it to the higher-ups, he would be finished. He had to stabilize the great clans of Fengzhou and ensure they were all in the same boat as him.

His advisor, however, said, “Have you forgotten, Excellency? There is still the Wan Family in Fengzhou Prefecture.”

At the mention of the Wan Family, Prefect Qian was indeed intrigued.

The advisor continued, “The Wan Family was once the Empress’s maternal clan, but now that the National Uncle Wan in the capital has fallen, it looks like both the Empress and the Crown Prince will be deposed. Why should you continue to show them any consideration, Excellency?”

Prefect Qian said indifferently, “I only fear that a centipede dies but never falls, remaining dangerous even in defeat.”

“If you want to secure a way out, Excellency, you might as well conspire with the Wan Family.”

The advisor stroked his long beard. “The Wan Family has raised so many beautiful women, originally intending to select the best to send into the palace to secure the Empress’s favor. But now, do they still have a use for them?”

“Empress Wan can barely protect herself. How could she have the strength to bring more people into the palace?”

Prefect Qian caught on immediately and understood. “The Wan Family is most skilled at training beauties. Since Empress Wan no longer has a use for them, if they hand the women over to me to be presented to His Majesty, it could be considered helping them out.”

As for whether the beauties sent over could actually help Empress Wan, Prefect Qian did not care in the slightest.

If the Crown Prince won, he would be someone who had helped the Wan Family. If the Second Prince won, he would be the one who had dealt with the Wan Family. He could profit from either side.

Prefect Qian made up his mind. His Majesty loved beauty. If he could present a peerless beauty, wouldn’t that be better than gold, silver, or jewels?

He immediately dispatched someone to the Wan Family to test the waters.

Just as the two had guessed, the Wan Family had already received news that the Empress and the Crown Prince were under house arrest. They were pacing in circles with anxiety, yet they were completely helpless.

The Wan Family had originally been commoners. It was only because Empress Wan possessed such flower-like beauty and was chosen for the palace, where she gained exclusive favor, that the whole clan rose to power.

Many in the imperial court looked down on the Wan Family’s nepotism. Now that Empress Wan had fallen, the Wan Family had no power to fight back.

When the person sent by Prefect Qian entered the door, the Head of the Wan Family knew exactly what he was after. However, he could not refuse, nor did he want to.

“Master, we spent so much effort training those girls. Are we really going to let Qian Yushu have them for nothing?”

The Head of the Wan Family sighed. “What else can we do if we don’t agree? Should we keep all these people in the Wan Family until they grow old and become useless?”

“But Qian Yushu is not an easy man to deal with. He certainly won’t exert any effort for the Empress or the Crown Prince.”

The Head of the Wan Family’s eyes flickered as he said, “That is why the girls we send over must not only have outstanding looks, but more importantly, they must be unfailingly loyal.”

“Go and select the candidates yourself. Loyalty is the first priority, talent the second, and appearance the third. My only hope is that after they enter the palace, they can say a few good words for the Empress, prompting His Majesty to remember old times and spare the Empress and the Crown Prince this once.”

The servant took his orders. “I will see to it immediately. Please rest assured, Master.”

In the Wan Family’s side courtyard, Zhao Xiaohua leaned in to overhear the nannies whispering. She knew that her opportunity had finally arrived.