Chapter 76: New Year
The night before the Kitchen God Festival, the Yueyang Preserved Egg Business gathered together, had a lively celebratory feast, received generous bonuses from the head owner Li Jinzhu, closed the workshop and shop, and happily went home for the New Year.
The next day, Li Wenliang and the three Li Jinzhu sisters returned to Li Family Market. Li Jinzhu and her four siblings first paid respects at their parents’ graves, and then they were busy without a moment’s rest.
The entire Li Clan was bustling with activity.
During the New Year period, several important prayer and sacrifice ceremonies in the county, which were unrelated to the Li family in previous years, could not be without the Li family this year. These prayer and sacrifice ceremonies were major events.
The Lantern Festival in the First Lunar Month also needed the Li family’s lantern sheds, and preferably a Lion Dance Team.
The prominent families in Kunshan County were either relatives or friends. During the First Lunar Month, each family would take turns hosting New Year Wine. Previously, this matter had nothing to do with the Li family, but this year, the Li family would attend the New Year Wine at each family’s home and also host a round of New Year Wine.
County Magistrate Huang would also host two Literary Gatherings and invite Li Xuedong to give a lecture at the County School.
The Li family also had two important affinities by marriage: the Hong Family and Mr. Gao’s family in Gao Village Market. Festival gifts needed to be sent before the New Year, and New Year’s visits and New Year Wine would be held after the New Year.
…
The Li Clan, from top to bottom, was commanded by Li Shikuan and several Clan Elders, and was busy with activity.
Li Xuedong, the pride of the Li Clan and the Clan Leader, was called out almost every day before dawn and only returned home late at night, looking thinner from exhaustion.
Li Jinzhu and her sisters had to deal with a pile of New Year’s visits after the New Year. They received a thick stack of family histories from Li Shikuan. Li Jinzhu directly handed it to Li Xiaonan. She, Yuzhu, and Yin Zhu had too much to do. This thick booklet was for A Nan to memorize, and she would guide her when the time came.
On New Year’s Eve, the small opera stage that was usually set up inside the Ancestral Hall was moved to the opposite side of the Ancestral Hall. Carpenters from Pingjiang City built a grand opera stage with two visible levels and three hidden levels, and invited the famous Wu Family Troupe.
The newly formed Li Clan Lion Dance Team was invited by two neighboring prominent families to make a tour on New Year’s Eve and have a friendly competition.
The excitement and joy that had accumulated throughout the twelfth lunar month culminated on New Year’s Eve. From morning onwards, sporadic firecrackers broke the hushed joy. The aroma of meat and wine, the pungent smell of gunpowder, and the shouts of children blended into a strong, lively atmosphere that enveloped the entire Li Family Market and the Li Clan members.
The New Year’s Eve dinner for the five Li siblings was not very lavish. From Li Jinzhu to Li Yin Zhu, they were simply too busy to manage.
After just a few bites, with a few clear and excited calls of “Sister A Nan,” Cui Ye rushed in.
“You haven’t finished eating yet? Then I’ll wait.” Cui Ye was wearing new clothes, her excited cheeks flushed red.
“Sit here. Have you finished eating? So early.” Li Xiaonan gestured for Cui Ye to take a chair and sit down.
“I’ve finished eating. They are still eating. Tang Weng Weng wants to drink wine, so they are eating slowly.” Cui Ye peeked at the dishes on the table.
“Huh? You can have people leave while eating New Year’s dinner?” Li Yin Zhu was surprised.
She had recently been learning rules and etiquette.
“No! I told my mother that my sister A Nan and I agreed to go out and play early. My father glared at me, but Tang Weng Weng said, ‘Go ahead, go ahead!'” Cui Ye said with a smile.
During the month A Nan sister was at home, her little life had been extremely happy.
She really liked her A Nan sister!
“You’re already wearing your new clothes?” Li Yuzhu reached out and touched the pomegranate-red fine cloth cotton-padded jacket on Cui Ye.
“I made four sets of new clothes this year! Mother said these are new clothes for the New Year, and the other three are for New Year’s visits. Those three are all silk!” Cui Ye’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Why didn’t you call Ai Ye over?” Li Xiaonan asked Cui Ye after finishing a spring roll.
“She has to help Great-Grandmother pack red envelopes. Tomorrow morning, she also has to help Great-Grandmother distribute red envelopes, so she can’t come out.”
“She said she wants to pack a lot of lucky money and red envelopes this year. She said some red envelopes are thin and some are thick, and you can’t make a mistake when packing them, nor when distributing them.”
“Every year, Great-Grandmother gives a small silver coin for lucky money, and Tang Weng Weng gives another silver coin. Mother takes them all and says she’s saving them for my dowry.”
Cui Ye was indifferent to her lucky money being taken away. She had never had pocket money, nor had she ever bought anything with money.
Li Xiaonan secretly glanced at her Eldest Sister.
Would she also receive two silver coins tomorrow?
If she got them, she would go to the County Town with Cui Ye and spend both silver coins in one go.
It had been almost two years since she arrived here, and she had never had a single copper coin, let alone spent one!
It only took an hour to walk from Li Family Market to the County Town, and she and Cui Ye had already been there twice.
Suddenly, the sound of gongs and drums rang out. Cui Ye jumped up, “Sister A Nan, hurry up! This is our family’s Lion Dance! It’s so beautiful!”
“Okay, okay!” Li Xiaonan put half an egg dumpling into her mouth, waved to Li Jinzhu, stood up, and ran out with Cui Ye.
“These two girls are having too much fun!” Li Yuzhu frowned slightly, then smiled.
“Second Sister, don’t worry! I’ll go watch them!” Li Yin Zhu said, and before Li Jinzhu could reply, she had already run out.
“If you’ve finished eating, you can go watch the excitement too.” Li Jinzhu lightly patted Li Xuedong.
Li Xuedong was craning his neck to look outside, and quickly nodded, “Okay, okay, I’m going!”
“Let’s tidy up too and go watch,” Li Yuzhu said with a smile.
Li Jinzhu also smiled, stood up, and together with Li Yuzhu, they tidied up quickly and rushed out to watch the excitement.
Li Yin Zhu caught up with Li Xiaonan and Cui Ye and squeezed into the crowd to watch the lively lion dance.
The three Lion Dance Teams first performed to their heart’s content at the entrance of the Li Family Ancestral Hall, then rolled and leaped along the main street, went to the homes of several Clan Elders to offer congratulations and receive rewards. The procession left Li Family Market, with gongs and drums sounding all the way to the next town.
The three of Li Xiaonan did not dare to follow. Besides, the opera was about to begin. The lion dance had only a few moves, and the opera was more interesting!
This night passed as quickly as a blink of an eye.
As soon as it was dawn, Li Yin Zhu pulled Li Xiaonan to hurry home to change into new clothes.
The fabric for Li Yin Zhu’s new clothes was bought from the fine cloth shop next door to their preserved egg shop. This was the first time she had used copper coins to buy fine cloth to make clothes!
Li Yin Zhu spent a full two days selecting the color. She didn’t dare to cut it herself; Sister-in-law Yin found someone to help her cut it. When it was finished, she tried it on once, and it looked extremely beautiful!
Li Xiaonan’s new clothes were made by Li Shikuan’s wife, Old Aunt Tang. It was a pomegranate-red, half-length jacket and a jade-green skirt. The combination of bright red and green was very festive and beautiful.
Li Jinzhu and Li Yuzhu each had a new jacket and skirt made from home-woven fabric.
As for Li Xuedong, he had to attend social events for the entire First Lunar Month. His clothes were bought by his Eldest Uncle Li Wenliang from Pingjiang City and brought back.
After Li Yin Zhu and Li Xiaonan changed into their new clothes, they went to Cui Ye’s house. Cui Ye’s mother pushed her out before Cui Ye could finish speaking.
Those three sets of silk clothes were for going out as guests. Since they weren’t going out as guests now, why change!
Cui Ye’s sadness vanished when she ate the first fresh meat tangyuan. This year’s fresh meat tangyuan was simply too delicious!
The three of them ate the fresh meat tangyuan for the first day of the New Year at Cui Ye’s house and then headed straight to Li Shikuan’s house.
Li Shikuan and Old Aunt Tang had already changed into festive new clothes and were sitting in the courtyard, receiving the New Year’s bows from their juniors.
Li Xiaonan, holding two large red printed fine cloth sachets, walked out of the courtyard gate and eagerly opened them.
The sachet given by Li Shikuan contained a not-small pure gold longevity fruit, and the sachet given by Old Aunt Tang contained a pure gold small tiger, which was her zodiac animal.
Li Yin Zhu also received a pure gold longevity fruit and a small golden pig.
Li Xiaonan, holding the pure gold longevity fruit and the pure gold tiger, almost cried.
She dared to spend the silver coins, but she didn’t dare to spend gold!
