Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The New Year’s Festival
Amidst the crackle of firecrackers, the old year departs;
The spring breeze brings warmth, filling cups with Tu Su wine.
As the dawning sun illuminates a thousand doors and ten thousand homes,
New peach wood charms always replace the old.
Following the ceaseless crackle of firecrackers, Su Li woke exceptionally early.
Si Qin and the other maids entered, carrying hot water. All were dressed auspiciously, their faces beaming with joy.
"Miss, it’s so lively outside," Mo Hua exclaimed, her voice brimming with such delight that one’s mood couldn’t help but brighten upon hearing it.
"Miss, how about wearing this Red Pomegranate Gold-embroidered Jacket today, paired with that Red Jadeite Droplet-beaded Peacock Gold Hairpin?" Zhi Shu asked with a smile.
Su Li nodded. The New Year’s Festival called for auspiciousness.
After washing and dressing, Su Li stood by the window.
The maids froze on the spot.
She wore a vibrant crimson cotton coat lined with snow fox fur, a pleated skirt adorned with pomegranate leaves and blossoming branches. In her hair, she wore only a hairpin of the same hue, its tip dangling a delicate chain like tiny water droplets. With a slight sway of her red coral earrings, it seemed to evoke the ethereal mist of rain, softening one’s heart entirely.
Her refined eyebrows, dense and dark, seemed drawn yet were not. Her lips, soft and succulent like rose petals, appeared ready to drip.
Standing by the window, she was even more enchanting than the snow-covered red plum blossoms outside.
Su Li parted her lips in a soft laugh: "Come back to yourselves."
The maids blinked, then slowly snapped back to reality.
"Miss, how do you keep getting more and more..."
Soul-stirring.
It was a good thing she was engaged to Prince Jing, and that His Highness could protect her, Miss. Otherwise, with her appearance, Master and Madame would surely have another worry on their minds.
Su Li chuckled, "Come on, let’s go pay respects to Mother."
Mo Hua fetched a cloak and fastened it for her, and the group set off for the main courtyard.
Passing through the front courtyard, they saw servants of the residence bustling about, appearing busier than usual.
"Miss."
"Greetings, Miss."
Servants they passed bowed in greeting.
Su Li responded to each with a smile.
Cleaning courtyards, replacing door gods, hanging Zhong Kui portraits, nailing peach wood talismans — the entire residence was filled with an air of festivity.
"A little to the left! Oh, too much, too much, a little to the right. Good, stick it on!"
"Raise that lantern higher! Higher. Ah, that’s good."
"Put out more red fruits, for good cheer."
The steward was also busily working up a sweat. Seeing Su Li approach, he smiled and said, "Miss has arrived?"
Su Li nodded with a smile.
The houseman standing on the tall ladder turned his head as well. Upon seeing his young mistress watching him with a gentle smile, his heart fluttered instantly.
Su Li quickly said, "Be careful."
The houseman snapped back to attention and replied, "Yes, thank you for your concern, Miss."
Seeing everyone in the residence busy, Su Li didn’t wish to disturb them and continued towards the main courtyard with her maids.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Miao Yan and Miao Yu busy pasting window-flowers.
"Miss has arrived."
Su Li nodded with a smile, asking, "Has Mother woken up?"
Mother Su’s pregnancy was progressing, and she was growing increasingly prone to drowsiness.
Miao Yan chuckled, "Just now, Miss. Please go in quickly."
Su Li entered the room and saw Wang Xia assisting Mother Su out from the inner chamber.
"Mother."
Mother Su saw her daughter, dressed festively and looking obediently at her. Mother Su smiled and said, "Mother is truly getting lazier and lazier. You’re already here, Li’er, and I’m only just getting up."
"Mother, your body is heavy now; this is all normal."
Su Li walked over and helped her sit down. The maids brought in steaming hot breakfast.
"Mother, here, have some porridge." Su Li personally served a bowl of porridge and presented it to Mother Su.
After the mother and daughter finished breakfast, Mother Su resumed embroidering a small bellyband as usual, while Su Li and the maids continued cutting window-flowers.
"Sister Wang Xia’s hands are so nimble! This little rabbit is truly adorable!" Si Qin exclaimed, looking at the window-flower in Wang Xia’s hand.
Mo Hua glanced at the one in Zhi Shu’s hand and burst out laughing with a "Pfft!"
"Zhi Shu, what on earth did you cut?"
Zhi Shu replied, "A crystal bun! Doesn’t it look like one?"
Wang Xia took a look and chuckled, "Don’t say that; now that you mention it, it really does!"
Mo Hua laughed, "Everyone else’s window-flowers are ’Joy to the Brows’ or ’Flowers Blooming in Prosperity,’ but yours is so unique!"
Zhi Shu giggled, "Well, wasn’t I thinking of ’Abundant Food and Clothing’? What’s more important than having enough to eat and wear?"
Su Li nodded in agreement, saying, "Zhi Shu speaks sense."
Si Qin looked at the red paper in Su Li’s hand and asked, "Miss, what are you cutting?"
Su Li unfolded the red paper, revealing a large Fú character design.
Upon closer inspection, this ’Fú’ character was composed of various human figures, both male and female.
"Oh! Miss, your hands are truly skillful! This must be Master and Madame, with a child in their arms — is that Young Master?" Wang Xia exclaimed as she leaned closer.
Si Qin pointed to another spot: "Not just that, look, there are us maids too!"
Their exclamations drew the other maids over, and they gathered around the window-flower.
"Is this Miss and... Prince Jing?" Miao Yan turned to look at Su Li.
Su Li nodded with a smile.
Mother Su, seeing the maids’ exclamations, also grew curious: "Let me see."
Si Qin carefully presented it to Mother Su.
Mother Su examined it closely.
Each tiny figure was incredibly lifelike, forming a large ’Fú’ character.
Mother Su sighed in appreciation: "How wonderful."
Su Li instructed Si Qin to put it away safely, to be pasted in her courtyard later.
The group continued cutting window-flowers, and soon, a pile of various red window-flowers accumulated.
Father Su entered from outside the door. Si Qin, sharp-eyed, was the first to spot him.
"Master has returned."
"Greetings to Master." The maids bowed in unison.
Su Li called out sweetly, "Father."
Father Su chuckled, "It’s the New Year’s Festival today, so I went to the palace early to pay respects to the Emperor. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have a few days off. Finally, I can rest for a bit."
Xu Jin helped him unfasten his cloak and hung it nearby. Father Su walked towards Mother Su.
Reaching his wife’s side, Father Su rubbed his hands together. Only when they were no longer too cold did he gently touch his wife’s abdomen.
"Has the child been bothering you today?"
Mother Su chuckled, "Not yet today."
No sooner had she spoken than Mother Su let out a soft "Oh!"
Father Su asked anxiously, "What’s wrong?"
Mother Su, seeing she had startled her husband, said sheepishly, "This child must have known you were back. Just now, it gave a strong kick. Such powerful strength!"
Father Su laughed a few times, then sat down next to Mother Su and drank his tea.
At noon, the family went to the ancestral hall to offer sacrifices to their ancestors before beginning their meal.
After dinner, the steward came in to ask Mother Su about the amount of red envelopes for the servants.
Mother Su had always been generous. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Everyone has worked hard all year. Next year, we will be blessed with a new addition to the family, so let’s give more. Fifty taels each, along with new clothes and festive gifts."
The steward chuckled, "Then this old servant will thank Madame on their behalf!"
In other households, masters giving ten taels as a reward would be considered generous; a mistress like Madame was truly rare.
Seeing that the steward and her parents had matters to discuss, Su Li listened for a while, then took her maids back to her own courtyard.
The maids used rice paste to affix the window-flowers, while Su Li practiced her calligraphy.
"Oh! The snow has stopped! The sun is out!"
"It’s so warm!"
Hearing the maids’ voices from the courtyard, Su Li put down her brush and stepped out the door.
The heavy snow had just cleared, and the clouds had parted for the sun to emerge. The sunlight reflecting off the accumulated snow was a little dazzling.
So warm.
The sun itself wasn’t visible in the sky, only faint rays of sunlight shone through.
Even so, it made everyone feel better.
Si Qin was also standing under the eaves, gazing at the sky, when suddenly a snowball hit her with a "thwack," bursting apart.
Immediately after, Mo Hua’s silvery laughter rang out.
Si Qin froze for a moment, then came to her senses, quickly bent down, rolled a snowball, and threw it towards Mo Hua.
"Ah! Zhi Shu, help me!" Mo Hua darted behind Zhi Shu, and the snowball naturally struck Zhi Shu instead.
The three maids’ playful spirits surged, and they started a snowball fight in the courtyard.
"Ah! Miss! Those two are ganging up on me! Miss, help!" Si Qin dodged and retaliated, occasionally shouting about the unfairness.
The sounds of their laughter drifted far from the courtyard, and Su Li found it amusing too.
"Si Qin, I’ll help you!" With that, Su Li also rolled a snowball.
As soon as she touched the accumulated snow, she shivered.
"Hiss, so cold."
She threw a snowball, hitting Mo Hua squarely on the back.
"Miss! You be careful, I throw very accurately! Hahahaha!"
What started as two teams of two quickly devolved into a chaotic free-for-all, with snowballs aimed at anyone in sight.
They were having so much fun that no one noticed a purple-robed figure entering from outside the courtyard.
"Thwack!"
"Prince Jing!"
"Is His Highness Prince Jing alright?"
There stood Jun Mo, clad in a purple robe, noble and unparalleled — if one overlooked the scattered flecks of snow on his chest.
Jun Mo saw Su Li standing in the snow. From her playful exertions, a rosy blush colored her jade-like face, her chest rose and fell slightly, her small lips parted, and her breathing was somewhat rapid.
Several strands of black hair playfully clung to her face. In her hand, she still held a snowball, and her almond eyes, glistening wetly, gazed up at him.
Jun Mo rarely saw her in such a state, as pure and mischievous as a child.
Jun Mo brushed the snow from his chest and chuckled, "Li’er."
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