Chapter Nine, the moon rises above the willow tips

In the courtyard, there is a reclining chair, upon which an elderly woman sits with her legs crossed. Behind her stands a younger woman, surveying the surroundings. At the entrance of the Cui family, Miss Cui has already stepped out with her bundle, while the widow Cui follows behind, crying and giving her instructions.

Chunying was sweating profusely in the room as she worked on a simple "Butterfly Loves Flower" embroidery. Suddenly, she was startled by the sound of her mother opening the door. Seeing her mother flushed with excitement, she asked, "What happened? Is something wrong?"

They walked along the way, crossing bridges as they came upon them. As they crossed, some would chant phrases like "the ghost has run away, the illness is gone," while others would close their eyes and quietly pray to remain healthy throughout the year. Along the way, they encountered other women participating in the pilgrimage, critically glancing at each other's clothing, stitching, and jewelry, exchanging a few sarcastic remarks before parting ways. When they came across groups of men gathered by the roadside, watching and discussing, they paid no mind and instead walked past with their heads held high.

Then the little mustached man smiled and stopped her: "Alright, since you guessed it and arrived before me, this lantern belongs to you." After saying this, he handed the carp lantern to Chunying.

Each child was given a bowl containing four yuanxiao. Chunying received those filled with sesame, mung bean, candied osmanthus, and salted meat. The glutinous rice was snow-white, sweet, and soft, while the yuanxiao skin was thin and fragrant. The soup also had a subtle aroma of wine. After finishing a bowl, one felt warm all over. Mother Lu specifically used a spoon to scoop a large spoonful of yuanxiao into her husband and daughter's bowls, but by the time it was her turn, the yuanxiao had already been completely divided.

Mother Lu lowered her voice and said: "It is also her folly. If she had not insisted on leaving, she would at least be a managing daughter-in-law in the household now, without worries about food and clothing. If she truly wanted to leave, she could have waited until the eldest young master got married, and there would have been benefits from above. By insisting on leaving the household, not only did the old lady and the madam become displeased, but the family's reputation was also lost. Young Master Nan Deng has offended the second young master; how could they possibly live well?"

Of course I have read it! Just as Chunying was about to respond, she suddenly remembered her current identity and quickly changed her words: "What does this have to do with you?" She turned and left.

With the Lantern Festival celebrations now over, the people of the back street of the Hou residence have returned to their normal lives. Those with official duties in the residence have gone back to their posts, and the newcomers are also preparing to enter the residence

Aunt Fang? Chunying blinked and said, "So what?"

Ziyu shook his head: "Even if it were not so, the days outside are not easy for Riyang and Tushuzi. Both of them are rootless and unemployed; Nandeng has only read some incomprehensible books, and Hongyu only knows how to serve others. Neither of them has experienced hardship, and it is already fortunate for them to have come this far. The lives of ordinary people are, after all, not that easy."

Chunying returned with a few items for her, then sat down nearby, eating while listening to people quietly discussing the matters of the boss and his wife. This couple seemed to have originally been servants in the Hou residence. The man, for reasons unknown, had been beaten and driven out, while the woman had been a maidservant close to the young master. She had previously been promised to the man by her family, and upon seeing the situation, she desperately pleaded with her master, using her years of savings to redeem herself and marry the man. The woman's family was angry at her for taking matters into her own hands and decided to sever ties with her. Now, the young couple relies solely on selling some food on the street to earn a meager living.

It turns out that having a child to redeem oneself also has its intricacies, and one must encounter "grace". However, when does this "grace" usually manifest? Are there any restrictions on the recipients of this grace?

Chun Ying found it difficult to refuse any longer. After glancing at him a few times, she followed the new etiquette her mother had taught her and said, "Then I shall thank you very much."

A group of people bustlingly arrived at a small food stall at the street corner, where steaming and fragrant glutinous rice balls were sold, with as many as eight or nine different fillings. The owner was a young couple who seemed to be familiar with the wife of the Yu family, and they also recognized several of the maids' wives in the crowd. Noticing the large number of visitors, they specially sent over an extra bowl of osmanthus wine glutinous rice balls.

Mother Lu replied softly: "It was two years ago. Her husband is the South Lantern, who was driven out for angering the Second Young Master. Hongyu originally had a marriage contract with him, so she sought the favor of the Eldest Young Master to redeem herself and get married. The couple has been doing business on the street for some time now, always moving from place to place. They were originally at the end of the back street, but after the Second Young Master made a statement, they had to move elsewhere."

Mother Lu gave her a light tap on the head: "Of course it's not a ghost! Don't talk nonsense!" She glanced at those glowing points: "At most, they are just greedy spirits." After saying this, she took the hands of the two little girls and walked away. Chunying stumbled a few steps, turned back, and saw that those glowing points were getting closer to them. She could already see that they were actually several figures holding small lanterns, crouching down to feel around for something. She shivered and turned back, no longer wanting to look.

The little mustached man smiled slightly and pointed to a revolving lantern with the riddle "Spring and Autumn" written on it, saying to the stall owner: "A year and a half, without winter and summer"

Chun Ying wanted to ask again, but she heard Shier behind her scream and leap onto her, trembling as she said, "There’s a ghost behind us..." Chun Ying hurriedly turned around and indeed saw several yellow dots fluttering in the darkness ahead, so she stammered, "Um... that over there is a graveyard, right? Don’t be afraid, it’s not a ghost."

Having gained her freedom and become an ordinary citizen, will life truly be that difficult? She is somewhat skeptical. In any case, having freedom is certainly better than being a servant.

Fortunately, nearby, Mother and Sister Lu were also discussing this matter; they were evidently more informed about it.

Yu Jia sighed: "Haven't your parents calmed down yet? If they were willing to lend a hand, it wouldn't have come to this point. After all, we are flesh and blood; even with the greatest anger, after two years, it should have subsided by now"

Chun Ying was taken aback: "But this is what you guessed, isn't it?"

When Mother Lu saw the lamp, she heard that her daughter had specially guessed the riddle to bring it back, and her face was filled with joy. Ziyu, standing nearby, covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Your second daughter is really thoughtful, she specifically brought back a lamp, and it's obvious it's for you." Mother Lu lightly pushed her and handed the lamp to her husband, saying, "Take it back and put it away carefully, tomorrow let our son play with it, be careful not to break it."

Chun Ying chuckled twice, then pretended to look at the streetlights, diverting Shi Er's attention.

Everyone returned home in high spirits. Chunying also felt cheerful, her steps becoming lighter. On the way, a companion exclaimed that she had lost a hairpin, while another had dropped an earring. Others offered a few words of comfort, still laughing as they urged them to move on. Although the owners felt a pang of regret, they said nothing. Chunying found it somewhat strange and asked her mother. Mother Lu smiled and said, "Losing misfortune is naturally a good thing." However, from her expression, it was clear that she did not envy others.

As the road was illuminated by the lanterns, he sighed and said, "Why didn't my daughter bring one back for me?"

After watching the lights, it was already quite late. A large group of men decided to head back first, perhaps privately finding a place to have a couple of drinks. Each of their wives had given them a long list of instructions before allowing them to leave

When the number of bridges crossed with the books reaches three, the city gate is not far ahead of them. The young girls do not go over, while the married women tease each other, lining up to touch the door nail in the gate. The city gate has long been closed, and there is no light in the gate passage, which is pitch dark. Occasionally, someone screams, claiming to have touched it, and everyone congratulates her. Touching the door nail signifies that she will give birth to a boy. When older women touch it, others also congratulate them on their good fortune.

Upon hearing her words, Yu Jia fell silent. Xiao Wu pouted, was about to say something, but paused and then gave up, merely focusing on eating the dumplings.

The little mustached man nodded with a smile and leisurely carried the lantern away. Chunying watched his figure fade, then looked down at the lantern in her hand, feeling a sense of joy in her heart.

Both individuals expressed their sympathy for the young bride, and Chunying, who was listening nearby, took note of it.

As the Yu family saw that everyone was almost ready, they lit an incense stick and walked at the front to lead the way, with the others following hand in hand. Chunying closely followed her mother, ahead of her was Ziyu, and behind was a somewhat familiar little girl. She vaguely remembered that the girl seemed to be from the neighboring courtyard. The little girl smiled foolishly at her and said, "I am Shier, do you remember me? I heard that you have forgotten everyone?"

Who knows? His father passed away from a sudden illness a few years ago, and his mother and sister were sent to the village. The lord has never cared for domestic affairs, and the lady has always been indifferent towards those families. If only someone could speak a good word, the second young master wouldn't... In the past, Brother Nan Deng was a person of great influence, but now he sets up a small stall on the street, and even thugs come to bully him, tsk tsk. I fear that Hong Yu has also suffered quite a bit.

Chunying felt a bit uneasy as he stared at her for a few moments, wondering if she had said something wrong

The moon slowly rises to the zenith, its light spilling across the ground like liquid mercury. They mostly pass through bustling streets, but occasionally there are quiet spots, where the shadows of trees quietly reflect on the walls and the ground. As the cold wind blows, both the trees and their shadows gently sway, creating a unique atmosphere

Mother Lu rushed in front of the middle-aged woman with her daughter and said: "Aunt Guan, the name on the roster is my daughter's. It was changed to that girl Cui because my daughter was ill. Now that my daughter is well, can she still go?"

As she walked along, she dared not lift her head, her face flushed as she secretly glanced at the smiles on either side. Chunying, however, found this activity somewhat interesting, akin to strolling through a market where others gaze at her while she observes them in return. She also took the opportunity to learn quite a bit about the popular styles of ancient clothing and hairstyles.

Chunying felt a bit flustered: "I only had time to guess this lantern..." Ziyu smiled and pulled her along: "What are you afraid of? Your father is just joking with you. Come on, let's go eat yuanxiao."

Little Wu, who was eating dumplings at the neighboring table, turned to her and said: "Sister Nan Deng, our grandmother is the kindest, treating us very well. If you are afraid to go, how about I speak on your behalf?"

The purple fish softly asked, "How do I remember that this young wife seems to be the Hongyu girl from the young master's room? When was she let out?"

Chunying followed her cautiously, and upon turning back, she saw that her father's face indeed showed no signs of displeasure, which relieved her. At the same time, she felt a bit melancholic; if they were her biological parents, there would be no need to worry about such things.

Then the little mustached man asked with a smile, "Little girl, have you read any books?"

Chunying listened in confusion, unable to make sense of the situation. She wanted to ask for clarification but did not know whom to approach. Concerned about drawing attention, she could only suppress her curiosity. She felt a surge of frustration, which left her quite dissatisfied.

Mother Lu rushed to the edge of the kang and said: "Someone from the government has come to take Miss Cui away, it is not Aunt Fang!"

Returning to the back street, it was already midnight. The Yu family's prohibition against noise urged everyone to carefully return to their respective courtyards. Chunying turned back for one last glance at the distant lights that had not yet extinguished, then stepped through the courtyard gate

The young daughter-in-law stood quietly to one side, saying nothing. Seeing this, the Yu family hurriedly urged her, "What did I say last time? Since your father and mother are unwilling to help, why not seek the eldest young master? He has always been kind-hearted, and you have served him since childhood; how could he possibly refuse? As long as the eldest young master speaks a word to the yamen, do you still fear that someone will come to cause trouble?"

The two old sisters turned their heads in unison to glance at the young wife, Hongyu, and simultaneously noticed each other's gaunt cheeks and hands that were no longer delicate and smooth, both letting out a sigh

Chunying bid farewell to her father and younger brother, and joined her mother along with a group of daughters-in-law and young girls to participate in the health walk. Due to the strong wind at night, many people had added cloaks or jackets, most of which were white or close to white. Some even took out hairpins from their sleeves to adorn themselves, while others borrowed the light from the lantern market to touch up their makeup with small hand mirrors. Chunying found this quite strange and thought to herself, do we really need to dress up so beautifully just to go for a walk?

As soon as she finished speaking, Chunying was left dumbfounded. Miss Cui also stared at them in a daze, her face pale.

The young daughter-in-law whispered, "It's quite troublesome... The young master has it tough too... Now he has married the grandmother..."

Ah? Chunying had not yet reacted when she was hurriedly pulled down from the kang by her mother and rushed out of the room

The voice from the Yu family quietly asked the young wife if there had been any troublemakers causing disturbances recently. The young wife lowered her head and replied softly, "There were two incidents in the twelfth lunar month; Deng Ge almost got into a fight with someone. I had no choice but to slip some money to send those people away."

"Don't!" The young wife hurriedly stopped him, hesitating for a moment before sighing, "You all know what kind of situation the young master is in at home. Why add to his troubles? As for our Deng Ge... you all know why he was driven out..."

"What is going on?" Mother Lu gave her a tap on the head, "Of course, you should go find the housekeeper and ask her to retrieve your job from Miss Cui!"

"I can still guess, let this be your friend's apology for bumping into me just now," said the man with the small mustache, waving his hand dismissively as he looked up at the other lanterns. However, Chun Ying felt something was amiss: "Your friend bumped into me, what does that have to do with you? Why should you compensate? Besides, I don't need you to compensate me anyway." She was about to return the lantern.

"South Lantern Brother? I remember his father was a nobleman who served in the presence of the marquis. How could he have fallen to this state?"

After finishing the glutinous rice balls, everyone promptly settled their bills. Chunying noticed that Yu's family and Ziyu had given a few extra coins. However, Nandong silently returned the excess and then went back to the stove to busy himself. Hongyu smiled and offered blessings to Yu's family and Ziyu, and upon seeing more guests arriving for the glutinous rice balls, she hurried to attend to them. Chunying walked quite a distance before turning back to see her carefully wiping her husband's sweat.

Chun Ying still did not understand his meaning when the stall owner, smiling, presented the lantern: "You guessed it again." The man with the small mustache took the lantern, looked at it, and turned back to Chun Ying with a smile, saying: "This lantern is meant for my little nephew. Although your carp lantern is nice, it cannot compare to this exquisite one, and it would be quite a pity to lose it. Could you help me take care of it, if you please?"