Chapter 10, New Year's Eve (Part 1)

The siblings were joking and laughing when Chen Lan suddenly noticed someone hurrying over from a distance; it was Hong Luo. As she approached, she realized that Hong Luo's complexion was rather unusual. Although she held a tea cup in one hand and a hand warmer in the other, both hands were trembling slightly. Knowing that something must have happened in the room just now, she did not want Chen Yan to get involved, so she planned to find an excuse to send him away. However, to her surprise, Chen Yan had sharp eyes and quickly took the tea from Hong Luo before she could: "Sister Hong Luo, why is your face so pale?"

Since childhood, Chen Yan had been accustomed to his sister's lectures, which were previously just rambling words without any specific focus. However, her current remarks, though seemingly trivial, conveyed profound truths. He couldn't help but nod in agreement, yet another thought crossed his mind—his sister merely stated that he should not eavesdrop, but sending the maidservants and young servants to gather information seemed to be perfectly acceptable.

After walking just a few steps, Chen Lan saw that the ear room over there was lit, and there were low voices, likely the maids tending to the tea chatting and laughing. Just as she was about to turn to avoid them, she was unexpectedly tugged at her sleeve by Chen Yan.

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Jiu's eyes lit up, while Madam Ma hurriedly offered a few humble remarks, her gaze frequently darting towards the kang. Although she had renovated her house in recent years, and the furnishings in Zining were exquisitely arranged, it was still far inferior to the Qingxi Residence. Not to mention that she did not dare to surpass any of the decorative items on the kang here, even the most unremarkable vase was a rare treasure from a famous kiln of the Song Dynasty. With her mind elsewhere, her words of refusal felt somewhat insincere. Ultimately, under the firm insistence of the Zhu family, the couple finally agreed.

Over the course of more than a hundred years, this family has naturally established numerous customs. Chen Lan, following the crowd, bowed in this room that lacked a brazier, rising to bow again. After enduring this ritual, it finally came to an end. After exiting the ancestral hall, the direct descendants gathered in the main hall of Qingxi Residence, specifically to pay their respects to the Zhu family.

Hong Luo's expression changed several times before finally revealing the truth.

Sumu pepper was still young, having long mingled among the girls to enjoy the fireworks. Hongluo stood with her for a while, worried she might get cold, so she suggested going inside to get some hot tea and adding more charcoal to the hand stove. She then stood alone in the shadow of the deserted area, staring blankly at the laughing crowd not far away. It was not until she heard someone call "sister" and saw Chen Yan eagerly pushing his way over that she smiled and chatted with him for a while. Noticing the noise from this side, she inevitably took a few steps toward the east wing over there.

After the ceremony, everyone took their seats according to the order. Zhu sat at the head of the kang and noticed that everything, including the headrest, the backrest of the kang chair, the chair cushion, the chair support, and the footstool table, was exactly the same as before. She couldn't help but smile with satisfaction: "I didn't expect that this place has remained empty for all these years, yet it hasn't changed at all. You are all thoughtful people."

The light from the Ming-style lamp illuminated her face, and Hongluo knew that her complexion could not be hidden. However, she did not want to make it clear in front of Chen Yan, and thus found herself caught in hesitation and uncertainty. Opposite her, Chen Lan sensed that her younger brother had reached out to take her hand. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke up: "Sister Hongluo, everyone else is over there enjoying the festivities, and there is no one here. If you encounter any difficulties, please feel free to speak up."

Madam Ma also agreed without further comment, but Mrs. Zhu merely shook her head and said: "I am already half buried in the ground, what am I still occupying this place for? I know your couple's filial piety, but since your title has already been inherited for several years, there is no need to keep this place vacant any longer. In my opinion, after the Lunar New Year, you should move in here."

Chen Lan did not wish to lecture his younger brother during this festive season, so he immediately asked where Chen Yan's companions had gone. Indeed, Chen Yan pointed towards the crowd gathered to watch the fireworks and said with a chuckle, "They wanted to follow along, but I found them to be a nuisance, so I let them go join the fun and listen for any gossip."

Sister, let us go take a look. We need to catch them in the act of truly speaking nonsense, so we can give them a reason to be ashamed

On the day of the thirtieth of the twelfth lunar month, the front of the Yangning Marquis's residence was filled with the descendants of both the main and collateral branches, standing in line. Inside the residence, from the main gate to the front hall and all the way to the back hall, the doors were wide open. When the time came, the elder family members led the clan members to the ancestral hall. The ancestral hall was located in a small courtyard to the east of the marquis's residence, with a plaque inscribed "Chen Family Ancestral Hall." The couplet, however, was an imperial calligraphy granted by the founding emperor when he conferred the title, boldly stating: "Loyalty to the country, with illustrious spirits shining on the sacrificial table; Filial piety passed down through generations, with enduring virtues flourishing through time." Therefore, before entering, everyone naturally had to pay their respects in front of the ancestral hall.

Faced with such a combative little fellow, Chen Lan immediately shook her head, pulling Chen Yan's hand to draw him away. They walked to the west side of the courtyard, under a bright tile lamp, where a snake-like firework had already shot up into the sky. Only then did she lower her head to tighten the belt of Chen Yan's cloak, and said: "Inside, there are mostly a few coarse maids who probably don't know what kind of jokes to make. Even if there is something worth listening to, if someone sees you lurking at the door, what will it look like? One should be generous and not leave others with trivial gossip. You must understand that we are not better than others in this household, and we certainly cannot give them a reason to criticize us."

A few days ago, the Yangning Marquis's residence changed its couplets, tidied up the ancestral hall and the offerings within, invited the ancestral spirit tablet, and each courtyard and main hall underwent a thorough arrangement and cleaning. Except for the young masters and misses who were not involved in the affairs, everyone was busy to the point of not being able to catch their breath, and the young servants in the outer courtyard even ran while walking. Marquis Chen Jiu of Yangning personally brought in the annual reward of two hundred taels of silver, which was offered early in the ancestral hall, while the other clan members also came to the residence to receive the New Year’s items and inquired about the date for the opening of the ancestral hall. After all, regardless of wealth or status, all clan members must wear fine clothing to pay respects to their ancestors on this day.

Chen Yan initially thought it was a significant matter, but at this moment, he couldn't help but feel quite disappointed and, in a bad mood, he pouted and said: "Isn't it just a quarrel? What is there to worry about? Besides, she is already in the wrong for not giving anything. Does she dare to take this to the old lady? Sister, I will go check on my maids and have them gather information, not to let them run wild!"

Seeing Chen Yanxing leave in a hurry, Chen Lan turned to look at Hong Luo: "Fourth brother has already left, so if you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't keep it to yourself. You are a sensible person, not someone who can't handle a little pressure. It’s impossible for you to react this way just because of a verbal dispute with the library."

You, at such a young age, are already quite clever!

In a moment, the elders rewarded the younger generation with money, and the household servants bowed to each head of the family, distributing money according to their duties. Afterward, a banquet was set up, with men seated on one side and women on the other. Not long after, firecrackers were set off outside. Throughout the侯府, every courtyard was adorned with tall, bright lanterns, and everywhere one could see maids dressed in fine silk and satin, with an air of opulence and luxury permeating every corner.

After all, it is New Year's Eve, and Lord Chen Jiu of Yangning did not vanish as he usually does at dawn. Hearing his biological mother say this, he inclined his body and replied: "After all, this is the old residence of the matriarch, and naturally, I dare not make any changes. The lady in front even mentioned to me that the Liao Xiang Courtyard is indeed narrow and inconvenient, and it would be better for the matriarch to move back to the spacious Qing Xi Residence."

At this moment, Hongluo turned back to glance at the five main rooms. After a long pause, she finally made up her mind and whispered, "Because of the matter of fetching water and adding coal, I had a quarrel with Lanxin. It is a matter that would bring shame to the young lady if it were to be known, and I deserve to be punished."

Chen Lan saw that Chen Bing and Chen Yan were supporting Zhu Shi as they watched the fireworks outside the hall, and there were several other sisters from the clan who were flattering Zhu Shi nearby. She decided not to push her way further inside. Since that day lanterns were hung everywhere and there were fireworks, Qin Fang stayed at the Jinxiu Pavilion with the young maids to look after the house, while she only brought along Hong Luo and Su Mu Jiao.

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