Lu Yunchu held a large bowl of paste and pasted the last spring couplet. She stood on a low stool, tiptoed, and reached out to smooth out a corner of the couplet.
As she staggered, someone supported her.
Wen Zhan frowned helplessly, stood on the ground, stretched out his hand, and easily smoothed out the Spring Festival couplets.
Lu Yunchu jumped down from the bench and grabbed his sleeve: "I told you not to do it. New Year, new things. Try not to move these few days, lest you tear the wound, and it won't heal for the next year."
Although Wen Zhan knew the concept of the New Year, he only had a vague understanding of the so-called "year". He didn't understand where Lu Yunchu's sudden enthusiasm came from, nor did he understand why she had so many strange requirements. He could only carefully write down the requirements and follow her ideas.
At the end of the year, the wind is cold and the sky is gloomy, and it always feels like it will snow. At this time, decorating the house in red and prosperous colors seems to be able to resist the gusts of cold wind.
Lu Yunchu glanced at the red courtyard and smiled with satisfaction.
“It would be even better if we could hang corn cobs and have more people warming themselves by the fire in the yard.” It looks more like the rural courtyards in TV dramas from the 1970s and 1980s, which is joyful just by looking at it.
Wen Zhan didn't know what corn was and his eyes showed confusion, but Lu Yunchu was in a high spirits these days and walked with great vigor, so he didn't dare to ask and could only express his agreement with a serious face.
Whatever, just agree with it.
Sure enough, Lu Yunchu was greatly encouraged and immediately ran to ask someone to find a large brazier and place it in the middle of the yard.
The firewood crackled and the flames flickered with sparks, making the surroundings suddenly much warmer.
Lu Yunchu sighed: "It would be nice if there was another snowfall." He sighed again after saying that. The first two times he broke his legs, both happened during the first snowfall after the New Year. The timing of both times was different, so he didn't know when this time would come.
Just as she was thinking, a maid came over and bowed to her and said, "Miss, Miss Liu is here to visit."
The maids have always followed the rule that they will not enter the courtyard unless told to do so, but once the heroine arrives, all these rules have to give way.
Lu Yunchu's face showed some excitement of looking forward to the lively atmosphere. She asked Wen Zhan to go to the kitchen, and she ran to the gate of the courtyard with her skirt lifted up. She saw the heroine at the gate at a glance.
Her skin was as white as snow, her hair was like clouds, and she was wrapped in a cloak, looking extremely noble, like an immortal under the moon in a fairyland, untainted by the mundane world.
Liu Zhixu was a little surprised to see her coming over, and asked her: "Why did you come to greet me in person?"
This was a misunderstanding. Lu Yunchu was just afraid that the dog plot would cause trouble again, so she didn't let the guests in. But of course she wouldn't explain, and said to Liu Zhixu: "Of course I'm happy that you're here. Otherwise, this courtyard would be so deserted without anyone coming and going."
Liu Zhixu looked at her with a hint of warmth in his eyes, and walked into the courtyard with her. Every festive season makes one miss their loved ones, and at this moment, she felt that she and Lu Yunchu had a lot in common, one married far away, the other left home without permission and dared not go back, and during the New Year, they could only be lonely and desolate—
A large area of festive red suddenly appeared in his eyes, and Liu Zhixu froze in his tracks.
The Wen Mansion is elegant in style, and every design is exquisite. Liu Zhixu looked at the window grilles that looked like dog skin plasters, and then looked at the strings of red lanterns hanging on the bare branches, and was unable to react for a moment.
"Mrs. Lu, is this the custom of celebrating the New Year in your hometown?" It shouldn't be like this. Lu Yunchu was born in a noble family, so he shouldn't be so down-to-earth.
Lu Yunchu looked at him and asked with a smile, "Is the dress-up okay?"
Liu Zhixu smiled stiffly: "Very good."
As soon as she stood in the courtyard in this fairy-like attire, she was immediately stained by the mundane world and could no longer be noble.
This was a first for her. She couldn't hold back the heroine expression on her face anymore and handed the gift in her hand to Lu Yunchu.
Lu Yunchu did not refuse and warmly invited her into the house to warm his hands by the fire.
How could she possibly go in to such a large and prestigious courtyard with the male owner still there? Liu Zhixu declined: "I just came here to chat with you for a while, I won't just sit there and do nothing."
Lu Yunchu didn't understand: "It's Chinese New Year, is there anything urgent or busy? If not, just stay a little longer." Chinese New Year is too down-to-earth. Serious people usually don't write about Chinese New Year in romance novels. Imagine how unsightly it would be if the hero and heroine kissed in the background of firecrackers. So the heroine didn't have many scenes to go these days.
Liu Zhixu claimed that she was a girl from a small family who came to seek refuge with her relatives. If she insisted, she would be exposed. In the countryside, everyone would run around during the New Year, so there was no need to be so shy.
She hesitated for a while, but finally stayed.
When Lu Yunchu saw that she agreed, he immediately showed his white teeth: "That's great, I was worried that no one would help me make dumplings."
Liu Zhixu was stunned. Make, make dumplings
She followed Lu Yunchu to the kitchen. The kitchen was spacious and bright, with all kinds of small jars around the wall. Several earthen stoves were burning with firewood, crackling. Bamboo baskets were piled on the stoves, and she didn't know what was being steamed. The hot, warm white mist wrapped in the aroma of food blew in her face. As soon as she stepped inside, her heart was immediately soothed.
The next moment, she saw Wen Zhan sitting at the long table, with his sleeves tied up, a piece of cloth that was short of weight hanging in front of him, and two belts around his neck and two belts behind his waist, looking strange.
There were dumpling skins piled up on the long table, and dough and flour were randomly placed on the chopping board. The person who was cooking must have gotten tired halfway through and took a break.
Wen Zhan didn't react to her arrival. Of course, it wasn't just her. He didn't react to anyone's arrival. The only thing in his eyes was Lu Yunchu.
Seeing that he had put on his apron again, Lu Yunchu said, "Okay, okay, I'll continue making dumplings right away. I won't be lazy."
She felt that it was really sad to make a small pot of dumplings during the New Year, but she couldn't order the maids around, so she asked Wen Zhan to do this big project with her. But Wen Zhan was injured, and she didn't want him to move too much, so the entire workload fell on her shoulders.
If the dumpling skin is of the right wetness, there is actually no need to dip it in water, but Lu Yunchu was a little worried, so he asked Wen Zhan to help draw circles on the dumpling skin with chopsticks dipped in water.
Wen Zhan seemed very interested in this. He wished he could wait for Lu Yunchu and dip all the dumpling skins on the table into water by himself.
Lu Yunchu and Liu Zhixu came back after washing their hands and started making dumplings.
Liu Zhixu was clever and deft, and she quickly got the hang of it after Lu Yunchu taught her once.
The filling for dumplings is a perfect mixture of fat and lean. The filling chopped with a knife tastes much better than that minced by a machine. In the process of chopping the meat, the blood will be slowly chopped out, making the filling tender and firm, and tastes extremely fresh.
Dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage are the most popular flavor, and also the flavor with the strongest flavor of the New Year. The cabbage cannot be too fresh, as the water content will break up the meat stuffing, and the stuffing will be watery, which will taste terrible, so Lu Yunchu took out the cabbage stored in the cellar for the winter. After the cabbage is left to stand, the water content will be slightly reduced, making it the most suitable for mixing with stuffing.
She had a skillful technique and wrapped the plump, white and round dumplings one after another, placing them on a large board, neatly arranged. The sight of them was pleasing to the eye.
Usually at this time Wen Zhan would poke the bulging belly of the dumplings with chopsticks a few times to make the dumplings stand more neatly and in the same direction - it could be due to obsessive-compulsive disorder, or it could be because he was too bored.
The dumplings were not wrapped yet when another maid came to report that Wen Jue had arrived.
Wen Jue was not as polite as Liu Zhixu and just barged in.
The servant came to report that Liu Zhixu had been in Lu Yunchu's yard for a long time and had not come out. He was worried and came over in a threatening manner.
Finally, when he found them with a sullen look on his face, they were sitting around a long table, making dumplings in a peaceful atmosphere.
This is really embarrassing.
Lu Yunchu raised his eyebrows: "Why are you here?" This part was not included in the plot.
Wen Jue was just about to say something to ease the awkward atmosphere, but when he heard him say that, he immediately became unhappy and changed his tone, "I'm the owner of the Wen Mansion, is there anywhere I can't go?"
Lu Yunchu: "Women's toilet?"
Wen Jue: …
"You bastard woman!"
Lu Yunchu put down the dumplings in his hand and said disdainfully: "Tsk, it's New Year's Day, why are you so angry? Can't you just talk nicely?"
She knew how to treat people too well. Wen Jue gritted his teeth and said, "It's because you didn't speak nicely that I—" He swallowed the second half of the words, took a deep breath, and decided not to bother with Lu Yunchu and maintain his cold and domineering image.
Liu Zhixu had to speak out to ease the situation: "It seems that this is all a misunderstanding. It's New Year's Day, so the family should stop arguing."
This doesn't make sense, but when you add the word "New Year's Day" to it, it suddenly makes sense.
Wen Jue suppressed his anger, Lu Yunchu curled his lips, and the two decided not to bicker anymore.
Wen Jue ignored Lu Yunchu's rolling eyes and walked to Liu Zhixu: "What are you doing here?"
Liu Zhixu smiled slightly and responded: "Mrs. Lu invited me, and I was really lonely in the courtyard, so I came here shamelessly. I just wanted to chat for a day and then leave, but Mrs. Lu was so kind that I couldn't refuse..."
Wen Jue was unhappy. He said, "It's hard to refuse such a kind invitation. I think you are trying to blackmail me into being a maid. How can you cook for me?"
Lu Yunchu couldn't stand his "noble" behavior and interrupted: "Are you annoying? You have to ruin my mood? If you want to stay, stay. If you don't want to stay, leave."
The corners of Wen Jue's mouth twitched, and he sat down next to Liu Zhixu shamelessly: "I'll stay." He was afraid that Lu Yunchu would put pressure on Liu Zhixu again. The two of them had made slow progress recently, and he always felt that something was not right.
Lu Yunchu rarely argued with him: "Go wash your hands, then come over and make dumplings."
Wen Jue was stunned: "Me?"
"Otherwise, who among the four people at this table hasn't washed their hands yet?"
Since he had endured everything before, there was no point in enduring it a few more times. Wen Jue consoled himself and went to wash his hands honestly.
After washing his hands, no one paid any attention to him. He felt very embarrassed and could only imitate them and make dumpling skins by himself.
Lu Yunchu glanced at the male and female protagonists, and felt an inexplicable pleasure. No matter whether you are the lonely and wise female protagonist or the domineering and unparalleled male protagonist, when you come to my place, you should all fall into the mortal world and make dumplings honestly.
Wen Jue made a few dumplings with stuffing leaking out everywhere and tried to put them on a large wooden board, but Wen Zhan blocked his way with a chopstick.
He couldn't speak, but his movements were clear.
The chopsticks pointed at other people's cute, white and plump dumplings, then at Wen Jue's weird dough. The endless sarcasm was the most deadly.
Wen Jue's face immediately turned red. He gritted his teeth and took the dumplings back, put them in the empty bowl in front of him, moved to the stool next to Wen Zhan, and whispered quietly: "What's wrong with you recently?"
Wen Jue had complicated feelings towards Wen Zhan. He was more angry at Wen Zhan for not being able to live up to his father's expectations. Whenever he saw him looking forward to death and having no attachment to human beings, he wanted to scold him to wake him up. But he didn't dare to do so. He had to respect his father's will and be loyal to him.
Wen Zhan leaned to the side, his expression still as calm as before, but his eyes were no longer as dead and gloomy as before.
He looked at Lu Yunchu, raised the corners of his mouth, and nodded to Wen Jue, which was considered an answer to his question.
Wen Jue's heart tightened, and he suddenly felt a little sad. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he last saw Wen Zhan's face. Has it been years? The image of the dazzling young man in his memory had long been blurred. In a trance, he recalled the childhood days when the two of them were dressed in fine clothes and rode horses.
He blinked away the bitterness in his eyes and placed the newly made dumplings on the large wooden board.
Before he could put it down, Wen Zhan decisively pushed him away. His expression returned to his distant look, not at all as if he had just been friendly to him.
Wen Jue: …
Lu Yunchu noticed the commotion here and said with disdain: "You don't need to wrap too much, just put it in the bowl, and cook another pot for yourself."
Wen Jue is going to die young.
He intervened: "I won't cover it anymore!"
"If you don't pack it, you won't have anything to eat."
He was annoyed: "Do you think I need your help?"
After an hour, he felt that he might really be a little worse.
White mist was emanating from the big iron pot, and the heat was lingering around. The plump white dumplings were fluttering inside, and their skin was gradually becoming slippery. The pot was full, and it was very satisfying to look at.
This sense of satisfaction is something called "New Year's flavor". No matter how the New Year's Eve dinner changes, in the freezing winter, big dumplings with large fillings and thin skins will always be the stabilizing force.
As it was getting dark, the New Year's Eve dinner was ready. Lu Yunchu and Liu Zhixu carried the dishes to the main hall. Wen Jue knew that Wen Zhan didn't like people to get close to him, so he didn't let the maid in. He followed them and carried the dishes to the table.
Wen Jue and Liu Zhixu were stunned for a moment by the sumptuous dishes on the table. The dishes on the table were not exquisite, and there was nothing particular about them. There were a lot of meat and fish mixed together, as if they had never eaten meat before. There was only one word to describe it - real.
But even so, it makes people feel relaxed for no reason.
It seems that at the end of the year, one should eat big chunks of meat and drink large portions of wine, regardless of all the rules and etiquette; this is what suits the chilly winter day.
Lu Yunchu was also quite emotional. He had been on the run for two years and had not been able to spend even a few years together, but this time he had spent a good year together. Who would have thought that he had spent it with the hero and heroine.
Think about them, they have been busy with the plot all year round, and finally they can take a break at the end of the year. It can be considered a fate to some extent.
"Don't just stand there, there are only four of us, no need to be picky, eat whatever you want."
She scooped out a few large dumplings with thin skin and thick filling for Wen Zhan. The dumplings slid along the edge of the bowl in circles and fell to the bottom of the bowl, where they were clustered together and emitting white water.
The dipping sauce is usually a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and minced garlic. The minced garlic cannot be chopped or pressed, but must be mashed into a puree with a garlic pounder. Pick up a sticky lump and put it in the dipping sauce. It has a strong garlic flavor and is perfect for dumplings.
The plump white dumplings roll in the dipping sauce, coated with a bright brown-red color, and when you put them in your mouth, the salty, spicy taste of the dipping sauce is suppressed by the light dumpling skin. The dumpling skin is thin but not mushy, slippery and chewy. When you bite it, a burst of fresh and fragrant hot juice immediately rushes into your mouth, making you unable to help but gulp it down without caring about your posture.
The meat filling is added with soup. In the cold winter, the juice condenses in the filling. After the dumplings are boiled, the bulging belly of the dumplings is mixed with soup. The meat filling is big and round, and the dumplings are firm. When you bite off half of it, you can see the soup oozing out from the gap with the naked eye, with a hint of oil, fresh and sweet.
Even without dipping sauce, the dumplings are still extremely delicious, with the rich aroma of meat, the sweetness of cabbage, and the firm stuffing making a crunchy sound when chewed.
Lu Yunchu didn't give Wen Zhan and the others a dipping sauce, but just poured a small bowl of vinegar. She had never tried dipping dumplings in vinegar before, but when she saw the episode in "Wulin Wai Zhuan" where everyone at Tongfu Inn ate dumplings, she immediately became craving for it.
A large bowl was filled with vinegar and hot white dumplings were placed in the middle. A group of people gathered around and ate until their cheeks were bulging. They stuffed the next dumpling into their mouths before they had swallowed the previous one. They filled their mouths with a full mouth and chewed with their facial features twisted. They looked extremely satisfied.
This vinegar cannot be ordinary vinegar, which is only sour but not fragrant. It must be mellow, sour and fragrant old vinegar. The aroma of vinegar can better stimulate the freshness of the meat filling, making the tip of the tongue hot and the throat salivating, with pure and rich freshness.
Wen Zhan was under Lu Yunchu's watchful eye, so he couldn't eat with big mouthfuls. The dough was chewy, and the filling was tough enough, and it tasted delicious when he chewed it slowly.
It was a pity that he didn't feel full after eating all the noodles. He moved the empty bowl towards Lu Yunchu and asked for another one.
Wen Jue stuffed two dumplings in his mouth and wolfed them down while panting: "Just pick them if you want to eat. How dare she stop me?" How shameless! He didn't even cook his own rotten dumplings, but shamelessly ate the ones they made and enjoyed them so much.
"Do you think everyone is like you? You're annoying." Lu Yunchu scolded him and added a few dumplings to Wen Zhan's plate. Although he said so, it would be less lonely if he was there, so Lu Yunchu didn't chase him away.
Wen Jue also knew that he was not in the right, so he chewed the dumplings in big mouthfuls and shut up.
Liu Zhixu was also eating in a hurry. She fanned the hot soup with her hands and explained awkwardly: "There is soup in the stuffing, it's a little hot, shaha."
Lu Yunchu was much more tolerant towards the heroine: "Eat slowly, there's still some in the pot, the four of us definitely can't finish it all."
Wen Zhan suddenly handed over the rice and asked, "Can you give some of the leftovers to others?"
Lu Yunchu didn't understand: "To whom?"
He wrote on the paper: "Servant."
It was hard to describe this feeling. It was as if all the steaming hot food on the table had penetrated into his heart, and Lu Yunchu's chest softened into a ball.
She replied: “Of course.” Isn’t this exactly the lively New Year celebration she expected
She and Wen Zhan went to the kitchen to get a large basin, scooped up a basin of dumplings, and brought the bowls and chopsticks to the gate of the courtyard.
There are still some familiar faces, who serve as NPCs here diligently and responsibly all year round and all day long.
Lu Yunchu handed the basin to them: "You have worked hard all year round. It's cold, so eat some dumplings. Let's go back early tonight to celebrate the New Year." They were all tools who shared the same suffering as Wen Zhan.
The maids asked in a daze: "New Year's Day?"
After a while, they finally reacted, looked up at the moon and murmured, "New Year's Eve."
Perhaps because this period of time was not written in the plot, they finally stopped being so numb and mechanical, and took the bowls, chopsticks and dumplings tremblingly, and thanked gratefully.
Lu Yunchu bared his teeth at Wen Zhan: "Let's go, let's go back."
After they walked for a while, they heard the maids' surprised voices from behind.
“It’s delicious.”
"Yeah, it's really hot."
"The young lady just said she was going home to celebrate the New Year, going home to celebrate the New Year... Shouldn't we stop standing here tonight?"
…
Lu Yunchu really wanted to hold Wen Zhan's hand at this moment and ask him if he, like those NPCs, felt a touch of warmth free from the shackles of the plot on the cold New Year's Eve.
Or... he felt it, so he wanted to share this warmth with them
She looked at Wen Zhan. He looked normal, with a gentle look in his eyes.
When they returned to the main room, Wen Jue had almost eaten half of the dumplings on the table.
Lu Yunchu felt that it was good to have a glutton when necessary, so that he could eat happily and watch the fun.
She sat on the bench and said to Wen Jue, "Don't just focus on eating dumplings, try other dishes as well."
After her treatment, Wen Jue suddenly became alert. He looked at her hesitantly and quickened the pace of eating the dumplings.
Lu Yunchu was speechless. This person really couldn't be treated kindly: "Eat it if you want, or not, you're sick."
Wen Jue was very grateful for the favor and said, "She is a snake and scorpion."
Lu Yunchu stretched out his hand towards his elbow, and Wen Jue subconsciously stopped him: "How can you use your hand?" This was too indecent and rude.
Lu Yunchu retorted: "Why don't I use my hands? Should I use my snake tongue?"
Okay, Wen Jue is in the wrong, just shut up and eat your dumplings.
Lu Yunchu usually doesn't like to eat meaty pork elbows, but on New Year's Eve, the meatier the food, the more real it feels. The strong New Year atmosphere brought by these foods is irreplaceable, as if the joy and happiness would be lost without the meat.
The elbow is cooked until it is tender and even the soup becomes sticky. The skin is soft, sticky, and crystal clear. After tearing it open, the fat inside is crystal clear and the lean meat is rosy. The color is excellent and it makes people salivate.
The pork elbow in this sauce is made with old soup, which is rich in flavor, with fat and lean meat, and very tasty. It looks greasy, but it is not too greasy when eaten. The fat and skin have been cooked loose by the hot water, especially the fat, which seems to be melted by the hot water in the next moment, and melts in the mouth.
You have to be careful when chewing the elbow, otherwise the oil will flow out from the corners of your mouth.
While Lu Yunchu was eating, he did not forget Wen Zhan. He picked up a small piece of rice with chopsticks and broke off another piece of steamed bun for him.
Anyway, whatever she ate, Wen Zhan would get a small piece.
Wen Jue muttered: "Tsk, feeding the cat."
It was the first time for Wen Zhan to eat such meaty food. The fat melted in his mouth, and the aroma of fat and sauce instantly filled his mouth, making people feel refreshed all over. This was probably the special power that meat brought to people.
He liked it very much, and he ate it with steamed buns, letting the delicate fragrance flow slowly between his lips and teeth.
Wen Jue was so hungry that his mouth was rumbling and his saliva was watering. He took the opportunity when Lu Yunchu lowered his head to put the steamed buns into the pork elbow plate. The sticky gravy immediately turned the steamed buns into a sauce-colored paste.
The steamed buns made by Lu Yunchu are in the same style as her other dishes, just as delicious as possible, with round buns, plump and white, and full of tendons. They are very satisfying when paired with gravy.
The hot steamed buns melt the gelatin in the gravy, and the soup seems to blend into the steamed buns. It does not soften the steamed buns due to being too wet, but instead gives the steamed buns a sticky texture that makes people feel comfortable all over. It is only when paired with a bowl of good wine that you can enjoy it to your heart's content.
He was too embarrassed to move his elbows, so he picked up a piece of bacon instead. The bacon hadn't been there long, so it wasn't spicy enough, but the fat part had already turned a yellowish, transparent color, like amber, bright in color.
As soon as the teeth touched it, the fat on the meat seemed to break through the outer layer, and the fragrant and mellow fat inside sizzled. If you were not prepared, the oil would instantly overflow from the corners of your mouth.
He awkwardly blocked his mouth with steamed buns and ate voraciously.
For a moment, there was only the clatter of dishes and chopsticks on the table. Suddenly, Liu Zhixu raised his head and looked out the window, interrupting the silence: "It's snowing."
Outside the window, snowflakes are flying, as light as goose feathers, falling slowly in the cold wind. The ground is sparsely covered with a layer of pure white, and will soon be completely covered.
Lu Yunchu had almost finished eating, his belly was bulging, and he ran to the window excitedly to watch the snow.
Wen Zhan followed behind him and enjoyed the night view of falling snow with her.
"Is the new year coming soon? It's really romantic to see it snowing now." Lu Yunchu held his face and looked into the distance, listening carefully for the sound of temple bells.
Although Wen Zhan did not understand the specific meaning of "romantic", he could roughly understand that it meant "poetic and picturesque".
His face lit up and he nodded in approval.
On the other side, Wen Jue was eating frantically after they left. When he looked up, he found that Liu Zhixu was missing.
At the corner of the wing room, Liu Zhixu raised his head to look at the eaves and called softly, "Shadow."
A towering black shadow flashed by and stopped in front of her, waiting for instructions.
Liu Zhixu looked at the heavy snow outside the eaves and said, "It's snowing."
No matter what she said, Ying didn't need to respond and just kept her head down in silence.
Liu Zhixu had no intention of chatting with him. She turned around and handed over the thing in her hand.
A set of bowls and chopsticks appeared in front of Ying's eyes, with a bowl of dumplings filled in it.
"You don't have to stay up tonight," she said. "Tonight is New Year's Eve."
Ying was stunned and didn't move for a long time.
Liu Zhixu took out the medicine bottle from his arms and said with his usual indifference: "This is the antidote for this month."
Ying took it with both hands, the medicine in one hand and the bowl in the other, and his gesture of greeting and thanking seemed a little clumsy.
Liu Zhixu nodded slightly, turned and left.
Ying stood in a dark corner, looked at the medicine bottle, then looked at the dumplings, and finally made a move.
He squatted down, put down the medicine bottle, held the porcelain bowl, and chose to eat dumplings.
He ate voraciously, all in black, like a foraging crow in the snowy night.
When Liu Zhixu returned to the room, Wen Jue had already eaten and drunk his fill.
He and Wen Zhan were standing by the window, watching Lu Yunchu playing in the snow outside.
Before Liu Zhixu even stepped into the room, Lu Yunchu called him, "Come on, let's make a snowman."
Liu Zhixu had never made a snowman before, and it was difficult for him to refuse when she called him, so he could only tinker with it clumsily together with her.
Wen Jue, who was standing in front of the window, frowned: "How can this be disgraceful? You are so grown up, but you still behave like a child. You have lost all dignity."
No one knew who he was scolding. Wen Zhan glanced at him, turned around and left. It seemed that he didn't even want to give him any extra glances, so as not to waste his energy.
He walked out of the wing and stood in the corridor.
Lu Yunchu didn't allow him to go out, fearing that he would catch a cold from the snow, but there was a roof over the corridor, so it shouldn't be considered as disobeying orders.
Standing here, I can hear her voice more clearly.
She dug out a deerskin hat and gloves from somewhere and helped Liu Zhixu put them on. As they talked, they used the things that had quickly accumulated on the ground to make a semicircle.
They were whispering to each other about whether they should roll around and make it round.
Wen Zhan curled up the corners of his mouth unconsciously. Dark night and white snow, these dull and conflicting colors could actually be so vivid.
There were footsteps behind him, and Wen Jue walked up to him: "Did she persuade you?" He still couldn't accept it, "Why, I have persuaded you so many times..."
Wen Zhan was in a gentle mood tonight and no longer ignored him repeatedly. He took out a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote.
Seeing how much he cherished this child, Wen Jue felt annoyed and wanted to say a few more words, but he forced himself to hold back, fearing that Wen Zhan would no longer speak to him.
—She never advised me.
Wen Jue became even more annoyed: "Why are you like this? I begged and scolded you before, but you never listened. Can't our love for many years be compared to her alone?"
Wen Zhan frowned: Don’t say that, it’s not like that.
"Why are you doing this?" Wen Jue was distressed, and seeing his misty eyes, he felt even more uncomfortable, "Ah Zhan, I know you are suffering. But who isn't suffering in this world? My father also died to escort you, and I am the only one left in our Wen family. But I will not be depressed because of this. I want them to pay their blood debt with blood, and I want the Wen family to revive its reputation."
Wen Zhan was shocked.
Wen Jue immediately said: "I am not asking you to restore your country. I just feel that you have more than just my father's life on your shoulders. So many people died to protect you. How can you..."
There was no anger on Wen Zhan's face, he still had a calmness that was close to numbness: So I have never committed suicide.
"What's the difference between you waiting to die and seeking death?"
He wrote sentence by sentence: Waiting for death is different from seeking death. I cannot seek death. I can only wait, wait for the day to come.
Wen Jue couldn't understand what he said, but he didn't give up. After so many years, this was the first time that Ah Zhan had talked to him about this.
"I don't understand, Ah Zhan, do you still remember the past when you were the most unbridled and high-spirited young man in the capital, and my father often scolded me to learn more from you. I can understand your personality changing when you suddenly encountered a big change, but how could you become like this?"
Lu Yunchu and the others finally finished building the lower part of the snowman, and Wen Zhan then turned to look at Wen Jue.
He looked at Wen Jue carefully, and suddenly he smiled and wrote on the paper: Do you remember that when I was young, I loved to climb the Star Viewing Tower, and I was beaten a lot for it. My father always said that fate is not determined by heaven, and the change of fate is all up to oneself. But he was wrong, in this world, everyone's fate has already been determined.
When Wen Jue saw these words, he didn't know why his heart suddenly tightened. He pulled the paper over and crumpled it into a ball: "I don't allow you to say these sad words."
He looked a bit like a child in such a irritable manner. Wen Zhan curled the corners of his mouth.
—This is not a pessimistic statement. There are indeed people in this world who are destined to be together and have good luck. My destiny is to help them at the right time.
This sentence made Wen Jue's head buzz. His throat tightened and he had difficulty breathing. He stammered, "I, I don't understand."
Wen Zhan's expression was indifferent, as if he didn't want to make any comment.
- So I said the time is not right yet, I can't give you what you want for the time being. When the time comes, I will give you the Prince's Seal, the Tiger Talisman, and the Secret Vault Key, but by then I guess my life will have ended.
After seeing these words, Wen Jue took a few steps back in fear. His body was in excruciating pain. The sharp buzzing made him feel like dying. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He gasped and tried to squeeze out the words: "What nonsense are you talking about? You must have been tortured to death by the great change! What a shitty life, what a shitty opportunity. If you had used this depressed time to resist, you wouldn't be in this state now."
Wen Zhan was very tired. He thought that he was indeed too lonely, which was why he wrote these words to Wen Jue that he would never understand.
—I have resisted, but what I got in return was endless regret. Fate cannot be violated, so why not follow the arrangement and get what you deserve.
The snowman was built, and Lu Yunchu's voice spread throughout the yard. Wen Jue covered his mouth and blurted out subconsciously: "Everyone gets what they want? What about her? Is she included in your plan for waiting to die?"
With a "snap", Wen Zhan's charcoal pencil broke.
He turned around, his expression returned to indifference, and he lowered his eyes to look at Wen Jue, who was lying on the ground in agony, with a posture that seemed to be looking down on him.
Wen Jue curled up on the ground, holding his mouth and groaning in pain. After half a cup of tea, he felt weak all over. When he opened his eyes again, there was only confusion in them.
"Hiss—" He got up from the ground and rubbed his temple, "Why did I fall down, A Zhan, and you didn't even help me up."
Wen Zhan turned away and stopped looking at him.
"Alas, you always ignore me like this." Wen Jue muttered.
He looked at Lu Yunchu making trouble in the yard, his eyes twitching, "How can this be the behavior of a lady from a noble family?" He glanced at Wen Zhan and said, "You agreed to this marriage yourself. Whether it is a disaster or not, you have to bear it yourself."
Wen Zhan ignored him.
I thought he was going to refute me, but he was still so distant and unwilling to talk. Wen Jue felt bored and stretched his body: "It has nothing to do with me anyway."
He twisted his shoulders and neck, turned sideways towards Wen Zhan: "It's late, I want to go back."
Just as he finished speaking, the ear-piercing sound of firecrackers rang out in the yard. The next moment, a fast-moving firecracker flew through the air and headed straight for Wen Jue's butt.
Wen Zhan didn't have time to react. He watched helplessly as the firecracker hit Wen Jue, causing Wen Jue to flounder forward.
He subconsciously took a step to dodge, and Wen Jue didn't use the force, and fell to the ground. Fortunately, Wen Zhan was kind enough to kick the firecracker away before it exploded, otherwise Wen Jue's buttocks would be in trouble tonight.
"Lu! Yun! Chu!" Wen Jue got up from the ground, his skin burning with anger, and he wanted to draw his sword and attack.
Lu Yunchu waved his hands quickly: "It's none of my business! We set it off together! There's something wrong with this firecracker, who knew it would actually fly up!"
"You!" Wen Jue gasped for breath, and finally saw Liu Zhixu's guilty and embarrassed expression. He swallowed his disgust and left with a flick of his sleeves.
After he left, Liu Zhixu felt it was not appropriate to stay any longer, so he followed him.
When Lu Yunchu saw that they had all left, she ran up to Wen Zhan with a sly look on her face and said in a low voice, "Actually, it was me, hahaha." She put her hands on her hips and complained, "I knew he was being mean to you again when I saw his crooked mouth and eyes. He is so shameless. He bullied you for not talking back. Why doesn't he go and race with the cripple?"
After she finished speaking, she felt something was wrong and quickly tried to make amends, "I knew you would kick the firecracker away before it exploded. Even if you didn't, Wen Jue is a martial arts expert, unparalleled in the world, he would definitely be able to avoid it."
Wen Zhan looked at her like this, swaying and shaking, and suddenly he got excited, getting bigger and bigger, and finally he was shaking forward and backward.
Lu Yunchu didn't understand what he was doing and asked at a loss: "What are you doing?"
Of course Wen Zhan couldn't answer her. He laughed happily, as if he had never laughed so hard in his life.
When he stopped talking, Lu Yunchu did not ask any more questions. After a busy day, she felt a little sleepy. She covered her mouth and yawned: "Let's go, wash up and go to bed. Let's stay up in bed and keep warm."
Wen Zhan naturally agreed.
After they washed up, they curled up in bed. Lu Yunchu took out a big red purse from somewhere and placed it next to Wen Zhan's pillow, explaining, "New Year's money."
Wen Zhan looked at her suspiciously.
She scratched her head shyly and said, "Although this thing is given by the elders to the younger generation, it has a good meaning. Let's ignore these rules and just ask for good luck."
Wen Zhan was wearing a middle-length robe and there was no paper or pen around him, so he could only write on her palm: What does it mean
"You don't know?" Lu Yunchu was surprised.
Wen Zhan is very good.
She bared her teeth and crossed her legs: "I'll just tell you a bedtime story. It's like this. According to legend, in ancient times there was a monster called 'Nian'. It had long horns, a long body and sharp teeth. It was very scary and would come to hurt people every year. If 'Nian' wanted to hurt a child, the child could bribe it with the New Year's money beside the pillow to turn the evil into good and bless safety."
Wen Zhan carefully wrote on her palm: But I am not a child.
Lu Yunchu curled his lips and said, "I don't care. Anyway, it's to bring good luck, ward off evil spirits, and keep you healthy. It's also good to suppress the evil spirits in nightmares."
Wen Zhan was stunned for a moment, then smiled again, this time very gently, and under the dim candlelight, it was too gentle.
Lu Yunchu felt a little embarrassed, but he put away his silly look and explained, "Don't watch it. The story is over. Let's go to sleep." I don't know who suggested staying up all night to celebrate the New Year.
Wen Zhan did not refute and lay down with her.
I had just laid down when I heard the melodious and ancient sound of bells ringing in the distance. It meant the New Year had arrived.
Lu Yunchu turned the page again and said to Wen Zhan, "Happy New Year."
Wen Zhan also sat up. He couldn't speak, so he could only carefully write on her palm, stroke by stroke: Happy New Year.
The numbness and itchiness make people feel uneasy and weak.
Lu Yunchu withdrew his hand, looked at him, and lay down again.
She had just played and was still excited. She had no desire to sleep at all. She stared at the bed curtain and asked, "Wen Zhan, did you have a good time today?"
Wen Zhan leaned aside and she handed over her palm.
He then wrote on her palm, the candlelight went out, and her senses suddenly magnified several times.
She felt that he wrote much slower than usual, as if he was considering his words.
—For the first time, I experienced what it means to celebrate the Chinese New Year. I will remember it forever. I am very happy today. Thank you.
Before he finished writing the last word, Lu Yunchu clenched his fists and said, "Why are you thanking me?"
She said: "Didn't I promise that I would let you eat a lot of delicious food?" She turned over and lay in front of Wen Zhan, speaking solemnly,
"I want to live happily with you and take you to experience the life of the world."
Wen Zhan's eyelashes trembled and he frowned slightly, trying carefully to capture her silhouette in the dark.
In his eyes, there seemed to be a lake reflecting the bright moon. Although there was no wind, the lake surface was suddenly rippled with waves. The moonlight turned into scattered light and shadows, like stars and pearls.
For a moment, he clumsily imitated Lu Yunchu's expression, looking brilliant.
-good.