When leaving Mr. Ziwen's salon, Chen Xuan specifically asked Mr. Rong, "The New Year is coming soon, will Mr. Rong spend the New Year in Beijing?"
Rong Yang said, "I'm going back to Shanghai before the New Year."
Chen Xuan asked hopefully, "You won't leave in the next two days, right?"
"Is there something wrong, Mrs. Wei?"
"I can't tell you now." Chen Xuan kept it a secret and smiled as she pulled Wei Yin away. Rong Yang looked at Wei Nian, who also looked confused. Rong Yang knew that Wei Nian also knew nothing. He nodded slightly to Wei Nian and turned to leave.
Wei Nian raised his foot to chase his wife, thinking, he said that this stupid girl was introverted and not good at socializing. He definitely didn't see through her true nature! Chen Xuan and Wei Yin walked out of the alley hand in hand. Wei Yin also said, "Second sister-in-law, when did you become so familiar with Mr. Rong?"
"Not really. Mr. Rong is a very nice person and has helped me a lot, so of course I have to say hello to him." Chen Xuan didn't feel familiar with Rong Yang, but Chen Xuan was a person who would always be grateful. The last time, it was Brother Nian who was asked to help. This time during the Chinese New Year, Chen Xuan thought that she had to prepare a Chinese New Year gift for Mr. Rong.
"So polite." Wei Nian's voice came from behind. Chen Xuan didn't hear the sour taste in Wei Nian's voice at all. She even smiled and said, "Of course, I learned it from you, Brother Nian."
Wei Nian coaxed her into losing her temper with sweet words and wanted to ask Chen Xuan why she was still so mysterious. However, Wei Nian didn't have the habit of discussing family matters outside, so he called a taxi and went home first.
It was only after I returned home that I asked Chen Xuan in the evening.
Chen Xuan then said, "Mr. Rong has so many people, it's good to help us a lot. Now that the New Year is coming soon, we need to prepare some New Year gifts."
"That's worth keeping secret."
"Because I just thought of what to send at the salon today." Ever since Chen Xuan had a complete falling out with her uncle and aunt, her mindset has become more open than before. She asked casually, "Brother Anian, I thought we should also send one to Mr. Wen. And to Mr. Smith, Smith invited us to dinner and also does business with Brother Anian. He is Brother Anian's business client, so I should prepare some as well."
Wei Nian saw that she looked confident and asked, "What are you going to prepare?"
Chen Xuan smiled and said, "It's very good to send books to Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen likes reading very much. Smith is a foreigner. Didn't you say that foreigners don't care about expensive gifts? Mr. Rong looks like a man who has everything. I don't have much money. Today, I heard Professor Wu talk about many New Year customs. I decided to cut two sets of window paper-cuts and give them to them as a token of my appreciation."
"What kind of New Year's gift is this?"
"Then what do you think we should give as a gift?"
Wei Nian was stunned by Chen Xuan's question. These families were different from friends in the business world. It was generally OK to send flowers and fine wine to foreigners, but it was a bit difficult to send Rong Yang. As Chen Xuan said, Rong Yang saw that he really had everything. Wei Nian thought for a while, "Forget it, I'll do as you say. I'll just add two pots of flowers when the time comes." He reminded Chen Xuan, "Show me your window paper-cuts after you're done. Also, gifts must be given in even numbers, not odd numbers."
"I know."
The next day, Chen Xuan went to the market with Li. Because the New Year was coming soon, there were also people selling red paper in the market, which was used to post couplets or write the word "Fu". Chen Xuan bought two cents of red paper and took it back. Wei Yindu said, "How many window decorations will we need to cut?"
Chen Xuan said, "We need it at home during the New Year, so I bought some for you as well."
The Wei family didn't have the habit of pasting window flowers. They usually pasted blessing characters and couplets during the Chinese New Year. Last year, Chen Xuan was new and had a slightly confused mind. She spent the Chinese New Year in a daze. This year, Chen Xuan's mentality was different. Although she was a very frugal person, the Wei family treated her well, so she couldn't be too stingy. She bought more red paper and prepared to cut window flowers for the Chinese New Year.
Chen Xuan is really good at making it. To be honest, she doesn’t think she is very skillful. In the past, when she was in the countryside, the New Year celebrations were not as lively as in the city. However, the country people would also put up blessing characters, couplets and window decorations. In order to save money, Second Aunt Chen never bought ready-made window decorations, but asked Chen Xuan to cut them. Over the years, Chen Xuan has mastered it. For the set given to Smith, Chen Xuan also cut out two elks according to the patterns in the English book. There are also window decorations with foreign words, surrounded by a circle of extremely festive birds and plums, and in the middle are the foreign words "Happy New Year". Wei Yin couldn't help but say, "Second Sister-in-law has really skillful hands."
"What's so coincidental about this? Foreign characters are easier to cut than Chinese characters. When I went to the market before, I saw a stall selling window paper-cuts. The image of Zhong Kui was cut exactly like the one in the painting. That's real skill." The set that Chen Xuan gave to Smith was cut according to the preferences of foreigners, with foreign deer, foreign trees, and foreign characters. As for the window paper-cuts for Mr. Rong, Chen Xuan cut a set of December flower window paper-cuts. Wei Yin said, "It's really beautiful, second sister-in-law, you should also cut a set for me."
"Okay." Chen Xuan was very happy that someone appreciated her craftsmanship. Since Wei Yin liked it, Chen Xuan agreed immediately.
Mrs. Wei said, "During the Chinese New Year, we just cut out a few Chinese characters for blessing and paste them on the door. If we have blessing, we will have everything."
Chen Xuan agreed to all of them.
In the evening, Chen Xuan showed Wei Nian the paper-cuts she had made. Wei Nian thought that the paper-cuts with foreign patterns were novel and could not help but say, "I never knew you had this skill."
Chen Xuan smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, "That's all I can do, a country bumpkin. Brother Anian, didn't Mr. Rong say he wanted to go back to Shanghai? Let's send someone to send Mr. Rong there tomorrow."
"Okay." Wei Nian said, "I'll buy the flowers tomorrow morning and send them along."
Wei Nian bought four pots of red plums and two greeting cards, asking Chen Xuan to write New Year greetings. Chen Xuan pondered for a long time and wrote "Happy New Year" on the one for Smith. She also added "May you be safe and happy" on the one for Mr. Rong. When signing the last words, Chen Xuan said, "Brother Anian, should we sign it?"
"What nonsense! It's from us, we are a couple, so of course it has to be written about us."
On the card to Smith, Chen Xuan wrote "your friend, Wei Nian Chen Xuan". On the card to Rong Yang, the signature was "I admire you very much, Wei Nian Chen Xuan". Wei Nian clicked his tongue twice and asked Chen Xuan, "Why do you admire Mr. Rong so much?"
"I admire Mr. Rong's knowledge." Chen Xuan wrote the card happily. Wei Nian put it away and asked Chen Xuan, "It's New Year's Day, and you've given me this and that. Why don't you give me something?"
Chen Xuan was puzzled, "We are all friends, why should I give you a gift? No need."
Wei Nian choked for a moment, "Who said that friends don't need to be given gifts? The closer we are to each other, the more attentive we should be."
"Will Brother Nian also give me a New Year's gift?" Chen Xuan is not the type of person who will easily suffer a loss.
"Of course. It's a particularly good thing. You like it at first sight. I have prepared it a long time ago."
"Brother Anian, you really want to give me something!" Chen Xuan's surprise was written all over her face. She never thought that Wei Nian would prepare a New Year's gift for her! After being surprised, Chen Xuan felt embarrassed again. She twisted her fingers and said, "I'm not asking you for anything, Brother Anian."
Wei Nian glanced at Chen Xuan and emphasized his intentions, "You don't have to ask for it. I've been thinking about it for a long time. My gift is more sincere than yours."
"Then what should I give you, Brother Nian? What do you like, Brother Nian?"
"I've never heard of asking so directly when giving a gift."
"I don't have any money. Besides, I still owe Brother Anian a large sum of money."
"How much did you spend on the gifts you gave to Smith and Mr. Rong? I don't need you to give me anything particularly expensive. The key is the thought. As long as it's from your heart, I'll be happy even if you give me a blade of grass or a flower."
Chen Xuan seemed to understand, "Okay, I understand."
"Hey, don't force it. If you have to force it, it's better not to send it."
"No need to force it. If you want to give me a gift, I will definitely give you one too. I was just thinking about what to give you. I'm not as smart as you, and besides, these are the only things I know. How about I make you a pot of cake tomorrow as a New Year's gift?" Veins on Wei Nian's forehead were throbbing, and he stared at Chen Xuan with an unfriendly look. Chen Xuan observed his expression and immediately changed her mind, "You see, this won't work. In addition to cooking, I can also do needlework, but you, An Nian, usually do the needlework, so this can't be considered a New Year's gift. As for the rest, I can cut paper-cuts, but I can't give you all paper-cuts." As Chen Xuan said the same thing, Wei Nian's face darkened a little. Chen Xuan saw that his face was like a rotten egg, and suddenly she got wise, clapped her hands, and was delighted, "I know what to give you, An Nian. Just wait, I want to give it to you sincerely, especially sincerely."
"Oh, you made me curious." Wei Nian's expression improved instantly, making Chen Xuan wonder if she had seen it wrong. However, she would not say it. Chen Xuan also said, "I'm not ready yet. When I'm ready, I will give you what I prepared when you give me the New Year gift, Brother Nian."
“So mysterious.”
Anyway, no matter how Wei Nian tried to inquire, Chen Xuan was as tight-lipped as a clam and refused to say a word.
As everyone was busy during the Chinese New Year, Wei Nian did not personally go to the party to give gifts to Smith and Mr. Rong, but sent someone to deliver them. Smith gave the couple a bottle of white wine, and Mr. Rong received two cashmere scarves.
Chen Xuan didn't know what cashmere was. After listening to Wei Nian's explanation, she realized that it meant goat wool. Chen Xuan stroked the soft and delicate scarf, unfolded it and took a look at it. She said very simply, "It looks very good. It's better than the ones we knit. It's wide and big, and it's really affordable."
Wei Nian smiled, knowing that Chen Xuan was thinking this way, so he said it out loud. Wei Nian explained to her, "This is a high-end product. Look at the label. There is no Chinese label. It must have been bought directly from abroad."
“That must be expensive, right?”
"Keep it. It's hard to return it anyway. Also, this isn't a scarf, it's a shawl." He draped it loosely over Chen Xuan's shoulders and held it between her arms. Chen Xuan was as stiff as a log. Wei Nian smiled, "Are you stupid?"
Chen Xuan whispered to Wei Nian, "When I go out, I also see other fashionable women dressed like this. But they are so fashionable, Brother Nian, can I dress like this?"
"It looks good." Wei Nian pulled Chen Xuan in front of the mirror, even though it was just a small mirror, and asked Chen Xuan to look at herself. "This white shawl goes well with any clothes. It looks good with any clothes."
Chen Xuan also looked at the person in the mirror, feeling a little nervous and shy. "I always feel that it is weird. Besides, I have never worn such a good thing. How about giving it to Yin? Yin will definitely look better wearing it than me."
"It's okay for you to give it to Ah Yin, but can we not meet Mr. Rong anymore in the future? If we meet in the future, it won't be good for Mr. Rong to see Ah Yin wearing the shawl he gave us." After Wei Nian mentioned this, Chen Xuan understood, "Yes. This is Mr. Rong's intention, I shouldn't give it to others." Chen Xuan's eyes were curved, with some shyness and some joy. Her eyes seemed to be condensed with the last rays of sunlight of the setting sun, not dazzling, but gentle enough.
Chen Xuan has never been a vain person, but on this day, she looked at herself in the mirror again and again. So much so that Wei Nian planned to buy a large dressing mirror for the house. Chen Xuan carefully put the white wine Smith sent into the cabinet, locked it, and locked the key. Chen Xuan said that she had half of the ownership of this, and Wei Nian had to tell her if he wanted to drink it.
Chen Xuan not only prepared New Year gifts for Smith and Mr. Rong, but also for Mr. Wen's family, Mr. Xu's family, and Mr. Jiao's family. These families all knew that Chen Xuan loved to study now. Mr. Xu and Mr. Jiao's return gifts were all books and literature. Mr. Wen's return gift was a couplet he wrote himself. In view of Mr. Wen's reputation, even Old Master Wei was very happy to get this couplet. Anyway, although Old Master Wei didn't read much, he had heard of Mr. Wen's name. Old Master Wei waved his hand and said, "Put this couplet outside my door." During the New Year, people came and went, and seeing this couplet was very decent.
Chen Xuan said quickly, "It's easy to get damaged if you stick it on the outside of the door. Mr. Wen has a great reputation. Grandpa, why don't you ask Brother Anian to take it out and frame it, and then hang it in the main hall. I saw calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall of Mr. Xu's main hall."
Old Master Wei smiled, "Okay, okay, that's fine." He was still very pleased that his second son had joined the circle of highly educated people. This was not without benefits. This winter, Wei Nian got a batch of woolen fabrics from Beidaihe for the family. The shop made a lot of money just from the sale of this batch of woolen fabrics.
Chen Xuan didn't know what was going on in these shops. What made Chen Xuan happy was that Wei Nian bought a yard a few years ago. Although he spent most of his savings, the location was not bad, just in Wangfucang Hutong near Fuchengmen. According to Wei Nian privately, he spent all his savings. Chen Xuan went to see it. There were a lot of rooms, three main rooms, four east and west auxiliary rooms, two south rooms, a gatehouse, and an annex room. In total, there were eleven rooms, big and small. The yard was not small, half an acre, and the owner sold all the furniture in the house to Wei Nian at a high price.
Chen Xuan was a little bit unconvinced and asked, "Brother Anian, I spent so much money to buy a yard, and you let me grow strawberries? Can I make back my money?" Chen Xuan was with Wei Nian all day long, and she was influenced by him. She also knitted wool sweaters to make money. In addition, she read books and newspapers, so she knew some economics. Chen Xuan said, "I heard that the rent in Beijing has also increased. If I rent out this yard, the monthly rent must be 20 yuan, right?"
"How can we have so many? The main house and the east and west wings are easy to rent, only two dollars a room. The south room, the gatehouse and the side room have bad orientation, so they can't be rented out for much. Don't worry, it's not just strawberries. Now that we have a house and a kang, don't you want to grow those fruit-bearing fruits? Just try." Wei Nian reminded Chen Xuan, "Cucumbers and tomatoes have fruit-bearing fruits, I wonder about fruits? If these strawberries can bear fruit in winter, they will be worth a lot of money, which is not comparable to the rent."
Wei Nian talked a lot about business, which made Chen Xuan's eyes sparkle. However, Wei Nian was not afraid to speak out the ugly truth, "If the profit from growing strawberries next year is not as good as renting them out, we will not grow them the year after next. We can just rent out the house and collect rent every month, which is worry-free."
"Yeah, I'll listen to Brother Nian." Chen Xuan looked at Wei Nian with a strange look in her eyes. She circled around Wei Nian and sighed, but refused to speak. Wei Nian smiled, "What's wrong?"
Chen Xuan clenched her left hand into a fist and lightly hit the palm of her right hand. She looked at Wei Nian with admiration in her eyes, "I just wonder how there can be someone as smart as you, Brother Anian. Every time I go out with you, Brother Anian, I can learn a lot of knowledge that is not in books. Brother Anian, can you take me out more often in the future? This way, I can become smarter."
After looking around the yard, Wei Nian was ready to go home. He locked the door with Chen Xuan, stretched out his arm, and made a slight gesture to Chen Xuan. Chen Xuan was extremely smart when she asked Wei Nian for help, and immediately ran over to hold Brother Nian's arm. Wei Nian smiled at her and said, "Stupid, you have already bought the yard, and you are afraid that you will not be able to go out in the future."
The author has something to say: ps: The second update is here, good afternoon everyone~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~