Chapter 8, New Year

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Tong did not argue any further, but only thought about how to treat the gentleman kindly when he came to their home. She also recalled another matter: "Although knowledge is important, given our family background, we must also invite a master to teach Er Ge the skills of horsemanship and archery. Otherwise, when we return to the capital, Father will surely say that we prioritize literature over martial arts, which would go against our family traditions."

Before the chopsticks were even picked up, Mrs. Tong gave Zhang Bao a knowing glance. Zhang Bao understood immediately, quickly straightened his posture, stroked his little mustache, and asked loudly, "Has the little one gotten up?" Duan Ning and Shu Ning both laughed, while Mrs. Tong suppressed her laughter and replied, "He has." The couple burst into laughter, and Zhang Bao said, "Today, I will also be the head of the household for once." After they finally stopped laughing, Zhang Bao picked up Duan Ning and placed him on the cabinet by the door, saying, "Son, jump a few times." Duan Ning had done this a couple of years ago, so he knew what to do. He replied, "I’m up." The couple laughed again, and Zhang Bao remarked, "Today, I will also be the head of the household for once." After they finally stopped laughing, Zhang Bao picked up Duan Ning and placed him on the cabinet by the door, saying, "Son, jump a few times." Duan Ning had done this a couple of years ago, so he knew what to do. He then happily jumped three times, refusing to be carried by his father, and slid down to the ground by himself. The whole family then gathered around the table, waiting to eat dumplings.

Zhang Bao shook his head: "I respect you, and I have my own reasons. Since we got married, I know you have endured many grievances at home. You have thought of me and buried your sorrows deep in your heart without speaking of them. I came to this cold and desolate place, and you stubbornly followed me. I am truly grateful in my heart."

This is the first time Shuning has bowed to someone since her time travel (previously, being held while kneeling at an altar doesn't count). She realized that the Qing dynasty dramas written by Qiong Yao were all nonsense. She used to think that Manchu people simply needed to toss their handkerchiefs back and squat down to pay their respects, but it turns out that is not the case. Fortunately, there were specialists to guide her; otherwise, she would have embarrassed herself. However, it is normal for such a young child not to know this.

It was the hour of the rat, and the government office lit the time-signaling fireworks, which informed the entire city, prompting everyone to set off firecrackers. The Tong family quickly woke their children, hurriedly dressed them, and arranged their hair before taking them to the front courtyard to pay respects to their ancestors. First, Zhang Bao led Duan Ning in the ritual, followed by Tong who led Shu Ning in the same. Once the entire set of rituals was completed, they called for a pot to be brought out and placed on the table, with dumplings boiling in the water. It was at this time that they finally ate dumplings.

Since she crossed over, she has always felt a layer of separation from her new parents. Although her original parents divorced when she was around two or three years old, they later each formed new families and had children. She lived with her grandparents, and although she did not lack for food or clothing, the emotional connection was somewhat distant, with only a few words of concern and greeting when they met. After her grandparents passed away in recent years, she lived alone in the old house. While her interactions with her parents were less frequent and the emotional bond was weaker, the relationship was still manageable.

He suddenly brought up old matters, and Tong felt her eyes redden, replying with a sob, "What is the point of discussing these things under such circumstances?"

As they were about eight-tenths full, Zhang Bao raised his wine cup and said to Tong: "You have worked hard this year, my lady." Tong also raised her wine cup in return and replied: "You have worked hard as well, my husband; this is all that I should do."

A family of four was happily eating dumplings when suddenly, with a "clink," Zhang Baoquan's body stiffened, and he stopped using his chopsticks. It turned out he had bitten into a small coin hidden in the dumpling. Tong quickly poured him some tea to rinse his mouth and said, "Congratulations, my husband, you will surely have great fortune in the coming year." Zhang Baoyuan was startled at first, but upon realizing it was a coin, he felt quite delighted. Hearing her words, he hurriedly replied, "Madam, I share in your joy." He then asked which dumplings contained the "filling." Tong pointed out a few that she had marked specifically. Zhang picked one up carefully and fed it to their son, encouraging him to spit out the coin along with the dumpling. He handed the coin to Tong to help their son put it in his pocket, and then he picked another dumpling to feed their daughter.

Although having to kneel made Shuning very unhappy, and the thought of having to kneel frequently in the future was even more depressing, it was still a joyful thing to receive the New Year's money from her parents after performing the ritual. Unfortunately, as soon as the money was in her hands, it was taken away by the little girl, Xiaotao. Shuning wore a gloomy expression, but when Tong Shi tied a shiny silver little orange around her wrist, she felt a bit happier. However, when she turned around, she was startled, thinking to herself, could it be that after pretending to be a child for so long, her mentality had also become like that of a child?

A family was enjoying steaming dumplings, and the harmonious atmosphere even affected Lian Shuning

Tong's face turned pale when she first heard the words, and by the end, she could no longer hold back her tears. She quickly took the cup, slightly turned her face, and took a sip of the wine. When she turned back, she had already wiped away the traces of her tears, forcing a smile as she said to Zhang Bao: "It's all in the past now, and you must not mention it again in the future"

Zhang Bao continued, "I feel compelled to speak today, so let me say my piece." After saying this, he took a drink and urged Mrs. Tong to drink as well. He then poured another cup for both of them, raising his glass towards Mrs. Tong and saying, "I am a person who is easily swayed by others' words, and I have always known this. That girl Cui Rui seemed fine when I was young; I was close to her and never expected that one could know a person's face but not their heart. At that time, I was confused and foolishly took her in, thinking she was a good person, which caused you much suffering, though fortunately, it did not lead to a major disaster. Now, the rain has passed and the sky has cleared. I know you must be feeling very upset, and this is all my fault. Let this cup of wine serve as my apology to you, madam; I will not act like this again."

Xiao Tao and Xiao Mei had already prepared new clothes for Duan Ning and Shu Ning, styled their hair, and adorned them with auspicious gold necklaces. They took them to the main hall with the picture book. The main hall was already set up with tables, chairs, and mats. The two siblings bowed and wished their parents a Happy New Year as instructed by others.

He has always placed great importance on the opinions within the family. Today, his remarks left Tong somewhat astonished. However, she observed his demeanor and noticed that he seemed reluctant to discuss the matter further, so she shifted the conversation to the topic of hiring a tutor for Duan Ning after the New Year.

As for the current pair of inexpensive parents, Mrs. Tong is cunning and favors her son over her daughter, while Zhang Baoren is mediocre, fickle, and easily swayed. She initially found this somewhat intolerable. However, as she sat there tonight, she noticed that Mrs. Tong had been quite exhausted lately. She realized that Mrs. Tong was using her cunning to maintain her family's happiness, and despite Zhang Baoren's various shortcomings, he genuinely cared for her. The charming young man also brought Shuning a great deal of joy, and as time went on, she gradually accepted her new parents and family, slowly integrating into this new identity. Yet, as she sat there tonight, she noticed that Mrs. Tong had been quite exhausted lately. She realized that Mrs. Tong was using her cunning to maintain her family's happiness, and despite Zhang Baoren's various shortcomings, he genuinely cared for her. The charming young man also brought Shuning a great deal of joy, and as time went on, she gradually accepted her new parents and family, slowly integrating into this new identity.

After finishing the dumplings, the family engaged in some casual conversation, and the sky began to brighten. Zhang Bao picked up his sleeping son and took him back to the room, while Tong instructed a few family members who were swaying unsteadily to pack their things, and she herself carried her daughter back to the room. Shuning, with her eyelids drooping, vaguely saw her being carried as they passed through the long corridor outside the east wing door, and gradually came to a stop.

Zhang Bao sneered, "Returning to the capital? Who knows when that will be, perhaps in the year of the monkey or the month of the horse?" This remark startled the Tong family.

Zhang Bao embraced Shuning, holding Duaning's hand, and brought them to the table for breakfast. The table was set with four or five dishes, along with several bowls of goat milk, looking quite sumptuous. Shuning only recognized one type as sachima and another as rice cake, while she was unfamiliar with the others. Zhang Bao served each dish to her, gently asking, "What is this?" Before Shuning could respond, he provided the answer himself, allowing her to recognize several types of snacks. Tong Shi watched over her son from the side, continuously urging him to eat slowly. Eventually, she sighed, saying, "I know you have to go out to play today, and I won't stop you, but at least eat slowly so you don't choke." Duaning chuckled for a while and indeed ate more slowly. Zhang Bao laughed, calling Tong Shi a "busybody": "Why are you worrying about a boy like this?"

Mr. Tong was concerned that the teacher he hired might be too strict, which would cause his son to suffer, and he wanted to find someone with a good temperament. Zhang Bao disagreed, saying, "If the temperament is too good, how can he discipline him? It is better to hire a strict teacher. I asked a colleague from the government office to help me find someone. A Deputy from the Zhou residence introduced me to Mr. Ding, a local scholar in his forties, who has lived in Fengtian all his life. He is well-educated and has a good character. After the New Year, I will visit him, and if he is suitable, I will invite him to come."

Indeed, before Duan Ning could finish eating, other children from the neighborhood came to call him out. He could not sit still, grabbed two pieces of snacks, and ran off, while Tong Shi called after him to walk slowly. Shu Ning felt a bit curious about going out; having been here for so long, she had only been out once, and that was just to encounter a madman at the doorstep. She had not seen a glimpse of the ancient scenery. But how astute was Tong Shi? Noticing her younger daughter's eager expression, she immediately said, "Little Niu Niu is too young to go!" This left Shu Ning quite disappointed.

On the first day of the new year, the whole family got up early.

Zhang Baolian nodded repeatedly, drank the wine in his cup, and scooped two dumplings from the bowl into Tong's bowl, encouraging her to eat more. Tong smiled in response, and seeing Duan Ning beside her looking confused, she also scooped two dumplings from her bowl and handed them to him. With something to eat, Duan Ning no longer thought about what his parents had just been discussing and focused solely on eating heartily.

Tong only glanced at her daughter before shifting her attention back to her husband. Looking at the several plates of snacks on the table, she said with a face full of guilt, "I am incapable and could only prepare these few plates of snacks; it is truly too meager." Upon hearing this, Zhang Bao put down his chopsticks and smiled, saying, "How can this be blamed on you, my lady? The family is not wealthy, and I am sure a considerable amount of silver was spent on the New Year gifts. I understand the difficulties at home. Besides, this is already quite good; for our family of four, how much can we eat?" Tong still felt uneasy, saying, "Even so, during the New Year, having only these few snacks is indeed not presentable. If the family finds out, they might blame me for not managing the household well." Zhang Bao chuckled, "Who cares what they think."

She felt Tong turn her head towards the east wing and gaze for a long time. Just when Shuning thought she was about to take root there, she heard her voice, almost inaudible: "You shameless woman, do you really think you can steal his heart? He is mine again now." After saying this, she turned her head and continued walking forward.

Duan Ning is seven years old this year by traditional counting. He has been learning to read and write with his father since childhood. Although he is not particularly poor in his studies, he cannot be considered good either. Zhang Baogong has been busy with official matters and has not had much time to guide his studies in the past two years. Meanwhile, Tong Shi has spoiled their son, leading to some indulgence. Therefore, a few months ago, when Zhang Bao inquired about Duan Ning's academic progress, he discovered that his son had fallen behind in many subjects. Recently, after going through some difficulties, Duan Ning has become more sensible and has started to work diligently. Zhang Bao is concerned that after the New Year, without anyone to supervise him, his son might revert to being careless. He discussed with his wife the need to hire a formal teacher to instruct him.

As Tong continued to have breakfast, she secretly marveled: "How is it that in just a few months, my daughter has become so clever, able to understand adult conversations?" While thinking this, she couldn't help but glance at her daughter a few more times, which startled Shuning and made her break out in a cold sweat, wondering if she had been too exaggerated. It would be better to keep a low profile.

Shu Ning looked at the door of the east wing growing increasingly distant behind her and shivered