Chapter 178: Moving House
Most people in this world are unwilling to offer help in times of need, but all love to add flowers to brocade. Once Lu Xin became a steward of the Lu Clan, Xiahou Ba promoted him to Chancellery Vice Minister. Immediately after, Great Steward Lu Xiu personally visited Lu Xin’s home and told him that he had already prepared a courtyard house for his entire family north of the Luo River, urging him to move over quickly.
Lu Xin originally did not want to move so hastily, as his steward position was only temporary, but Lu Xiu said it was the Clan Leader’s intention. Regardless of whether it was temporary or not, he was already a steward of the Lu Clan—how could he still live south of the Luo River and let others laugh at him?
Lu Xin could not refuse, so he had to agree to the move, but he was now busy taking over the Finance Department and had to report to the Chancellery every day, so busy his feet were kicking the back of his head, with no time at all to attend to family matters. Thus, the task of moving fell to the family members.
In truth, it was mainly Lu Ying who was busy. Lu Xiang was dragged off by relatives and friends all day to drink and celebrate, while Lu Yun was occupied with studying literature and practicing martial arts, and had to go to the Small Bamboo Forest for a lesson every other day, so he had no time to worry about it either. Fortunately, Lu Ying had grown up a lot, leading several maids and guards to the new residence to clean and tidy up, packing the household items from Congshan Ward that needed to be transported into carriages, giving away the unnecessary ones to neighbors, and buying a large pile of new things from the market—she managed it all in an orderly fashion without chaos.
Moreover, there were many customs for moving in, such as during the house cleansing, not only cleaning the new residence thoroughly, but also using pine and cypress branches dipped in salt water and glutinous rice to sprinkle throughout the courtyard, symbolizing the removal of all unclean things. For example, wrapping a string of copper coins in red silk and placing it on the rice bucket in the new residence, to signify abundance of food and clothing after moving in.
Also, other items in the new residence could be old, but the pillow and bowls and chopsticks had to be new. Moreover, a string of money had to be hidden under the pillow, along with a peace talisman obtained from a temple… and details like pasting couplets on the new residence and filling the water vat to the brim, which were not major matters but indeed involved many trivial and numerous concerns.
Originally, Lu Song and the other two wanted to use some free time to help Lu Ying out. But when they came over to see, she had everything handled in perfect order, with no need for others to worry. She even had time to make a good meal for these three treasures. They hadn’t helped with the work but got a free meal, which made the three of them feel very embarrassed.
After Lu Ying busied herself for five or six days, the new residence north of the Luo River was fully prepared, and the next day was an auspicious date, so the whole family moved out of south of the Luo River. When leaving Congshan Ward, the neighbors all came out to see them off, surrounding the family inside and out in three layers, reluctantly offering their blessings.
They were truly convinced—the Old Master’s son and grandsons were simply too capable. Not only had the son become a steward of their own clan, but the grandson had also become a candidate for next year’s Grand Competition, with soaring to success just around the corner. Everyone knew this family definitely wouldn’t stay south of the Luo River for long, but when the time actually came to part, they still felt it was too sudden, with many shedding tears and surrounding the Old Master, crying nonstop.
Lu Xiang had originally been quite saddened by these neighbors, and even such a huge joy as his son becoming a steward of the clan made him unwilling to hold a celebratory feast. But after being treated to meals by them in turn during this time, his heart had softened, and at this moment his eyes were red as he choked up to the neighbors: “It’s not far away—I will come back to visit often.” Pausing, he then raised his voice to the crowd: “Once we’re settled, I’ll treat everyone to a good drink!”
“We will definitely come to congratulate the Old Master on his move.” The neighbors all nodded, half-seriously and half-jokingly adding: “We’re just afraid that by then the Old Master’s doorstep will be too high for us to step over.”
“What nonsense is that,” Lu Xiang despised the words ‘worldly’ and ‘snobbish’ the most in his life, yet almost everyone around him was more or less tainted with such habits. His eyes rolled as he bellowed: “No matter where I live, I, Lu Xiang, will never change!” Saying this, he couldn’t help but put on the air of a ward leader, scolding the few who had just spoken: “You lot should change this habit from now on—others haven’t demeaned you yet, and you’re already demeaning yourselves first!”
The crowd murmured in agreement. In the past, listening to the Old Master’s long-winded scoldings always felt nagging, but at this moment they all wished he would say more. They knew very well that no matter what Lu Xiang said now, it would be hard to see the Old Master and his family again in the future.
The crowd saw them off again and again, all the way to the Luo River Bridge before stopping, waving their hands to watch Lu Xiang’s carriage slowly cross the bridge. Lu Xiang stuck his head out of the carriage, constantly waving to the crowd, until the carriage went down the bridge and south of the Luo River was no longer visible, before he withdrew inside, sitting lost in the carriage, silently downcast and melancholic.
Without being born in this rigidly hierarchical world, it is hard to understand the feeling akin to life and death parting that Lu Xiang and the crowd of neighbors shared. Though south of the Luo River and north of the Luo River were separated by only one river, they were worlds apart like heaven and underground—the underground world could only gaze up at the sky forever, imagining the mortal world above. Those in heaven might occasionally look down at the underground, but they would never want to return.
.
The family’s new residence was in Jingxin Ward right next to Lu Ward, only two households away from Lu Jian’s former home. As the carriage passed Lu Jian’s house, Lu Yun looked through the carriage curtain at the door sealed with a seal, feeling no particular satisfaction in his heart, but instead silently warning himself to be doubly cautious in his actions from now on, because once ruined, it would implicate the entire family.
Lu Yun hadn’t finished his thought when he was startled by the noisy sounds outside the carriage. Lifting the curtain, he saw that in front of their new residence ahead, over a hundred people were densely packed, all craning their necks in eager anticipation. When they saw their carriage arrive, they cheered: “They’re here, they’re here! Quick, set off the firecrackers!”
Someone immediately lit the prepared firecrackers, and amid the crackling sounds, red paper scraps exploded everywhere, instantly filling the scene with festive joy.
As the firecrackers stopped, gongs and drums started up. Amid the deafening gongs and drums, a lion dance team stepped over the cannon paper littering the ground and danced lions energetically in front of the family’s carriage.
Seeing two big lions leading a small lion outside, dancing with great gusto, Lu Yun was somewhat stunned and turned to Lu Ying: “Did you arrange this too?”
“Am I that tacky?!” Lu Ying helplessly covered her forehead and lightly kicked Lu Yun’s foot: “I didn’t even reveal the moving date—who knows how they found out.”
“Heh heh,” Lu Xiang was unfazed, stroking his beard with deep emotion: “Your father is now in a high position of power, so naturally there are plenty of people who care. These folks must have heard from somewhere that we’re moving today—they’ve come to offer congratulations.”
The Old Master was absolutely right. When the drumbeats grew dense like rain, the two lions stood upright side by side, each dropping a red satin from their mouths, inscribed respectively with ‘Tall trees provide dense shade, moving to the valley of orioles’ and ‘Jade towers in autumn coolness toward the moon palace’—two auspicious phrases congratulating the move.
At this point, a crowd of clan members surged forward, showering them with auspicious words and welcoming the family off the carriage.
“Second Uncle, you’ve finally moved back!” A middle-aged man whose appearance somewhat resembled Lu Xin’s excitedly bowed deeply to Lu Xiang—he was Lu Xiang’s own nephew, Lu Tong’s eldest son Lu Bang. The two families had not interacted for many years, and seeing Second Uncle’s family thriving, he could no longer sit still and took this opportunity to come over.
As the saying goes, one doesn’t hit a smiling face. Though Lu Xiang was not broad-minded, he didn’t give Lu Bang a cold shoulder either, nodding in acknowledgment before greeting the group of peers who had come to welcome him. These people had originally been his neighbors, with friendships of many years, but after Lu Xiang moved south of the Luo River, they had almost no contact.
Back when Lu Xin’s family returned to the capital, few had come when Lu Xiang invited them to a meal, but now they all showed up uninvited. They clustered around Lu Xiang, inquiring after his well-being, appearing genuinely happy for him from the bottom of their hearts.
