On New Year's Eve, the Heshuo Jiedushi's mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, fires were burning in the courtyard, and everyone's face in the main hall was illuminated red.
The old people in the mansion said that since the passing of General Xiao, the courtyard has never been so lively. In fact, even when General Xiao was alive, he was often on the battlefield and could not come to reunite with his daughter for several New Year's Day.
Because it was a family dinner, they asked people to move a few large tables into the hall, and everyone in the family sat around the large tables, making the dinner much more lively than when each person had their own table.
She followed him in a dress redder than fire, with her hair in a bun, a white jade comb and a golden phoenix hairpin, a gold flower on her forehead, and lightly drawn eyebrows. She wore no makeup, and her cheeks were lightly flushed from the alcohol. She usually wore a dark outfit, and it was rare for her to be dressed up like this, which made people unable to take their eyes off her.
Huan Xuan sat on the couch with her shoulder to shoulder, turning his head to look at her from time to time.
Tian Yuerong said to Chun Tiao with a grin, "Look, Sister Chun Tiao, Xiaolulang is staring at your wife with his eyes wide open."
Harujo smiled and revealed her dimples; "When my wife is dressed up, she looks like a fairy. I can't get enough of her..."
Compared with her usual heroic appearance, her eyes and eyebrows have become softer and more charming recently, adding to her charm. Chun Tiao couldn't explain it clearly, but he felt that his wife was more beautiful than the red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.
Sui Sui noticed that they were talking to each other. They glanced at her after saying something. She knew that they must be making up a story about her and Huan Xuan again. She put down her wine glass and asked, "Tian Yuerong, what's the matter that makes you so excited?"
Tian Yuerong cleared his throat and said, "I was just saying that it's a pity that on such a beautiful New Year's Eve, with all the wine and food, there is no singing and dancing, it's a little less interesting."
Everyone knew that she was making fun of General Xiao for dismissing the dancers and actors for Xiao Lu Lang, and they all tried to hold back their laughter.
Sui Sui nodded and said coolly: "That's right, in that case, please let Commander Tian dance for you."
Tian Yuerong did not refuse and stood up and said, "I am not a good dancer, so I won't bother you. But I have learned a sword dance from Qingshuang Zidian, so I would like you to appreciate it."
Sui Sui smiled and said, "Please."
Tian Yuerong touched her waist and said, "Oh, what a coincidence! I forgot to bring my sword when I came to the banquet today."
She turned her head and said to the man at the next table, "Mr. Guan, can you lend me your sword?"
The guards around Guan Liulang started to make a fuss. Guan Liulang's face turned red. He touched the back of his head, stammering and unable to utter a word.
He is an honest man, and if he didn't mean it that way, he wouldn't look so embarrassed.
Sui Sui leaned over and whispered to Huan Xuan: "When did these two fall in love with each other?"
Huan Xuan was also surprised. Guan Liu followed him around every day, but he didn't notice anything.
Sui Sui looked at Tian Yuerong and asked knowingly, "So many people have swords, why do you want to borrow one from Commander Guan?"
Tian Yuerong said openly, "I think Guan Langjun's sword is good, so I want to borrow it from him."
She turned to Guan Liulang and asked, "Would you be willing to lend it to me?"
Song Jiu, who was standing beside Guan Liulang, pushed him on the arm and said to Tian Yuerong, "Commander Tian, you may not know that our Commander Guan is also a good sword dancer. Why don't we dance together?"
Tian Yuerong said: "Of course I would love to have that."
Now everyone started to make a noise.
Guan Liu almost drew his sword and chopped Song Jiu, and was busy explaining: "Don't listen to this guy's nonsense, Commander Tian is joking, I... I can't dance..."
Tian Yuerong just looked at him with a smile, folded her arms and said nothing.
Guan Liulang wanted to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it. He looked at his master as if asking for help: "My dear..."
But his husband turned his elbow outward and refused to help him at all: "Since Commander Tian has invited you so kindly, you should dance."
Guan Liulang could only say "Yes, sir", and with a red face, he clasped his fists to the crowd and said, "I am sorry for the humiliation."
Song Jiulang had already taken off his sword and gave it to him: "Give your sword to Miss Tian, I'll lend you this one."
Guan Liulang patted him on the back: "You kid, look..."
Song Jiulang asked: "What are you looking for? Are you looking to drink at your wedding or hold your baby?"
There was another round of laughter.
Guan Liulang knew that he was not good at speaking and that continuing would only bring humiliation upon himself, so he took the sword silently and handed it to Tian Yuerong.
Tian Yuerong took it with a smile: "Thank you, Mr. Guan."
Guan Liulang is a down-to-earth man, and he is also handsome. There are young ladies in Chang'an who are attracted to him, but he is a blockhead who doesn't understand romance. He can't even notice when other people are being roundabout. Only someone as straightforward as Tian Yuerong can conquer another with one thing.
Sui Sui asked someone to bring a 羯鼓 and said, "You are so happy. I will accompany you."
Tian Yuerong and Guan Liulang walked to the front of the fire in the courtyard with swords in hand, bowed to everyone in the hall with swords in hand, then turned around and stood opposite each other, bowing to each other. Song Jiu smiled and said, "Do they look like they are getting married?"
Everyone was laughing so hard that they were rolling on the ground.
The sound of 羯鼓 started, and the laughter gradually died down. The two men danced with their swords to the beat of the drums. The beats became more and more frequent, and the shame on Guan Liulang's face gradually faded away. His eyes and sword style became sharper.
They were all people who had been in the bloody storm on the battlefield. Their sword dancing postures might not be as graceful as those of actors, but every move was clean and neat, with the power of wind and thunder. For a moment, the sword light was as dazzling as lightning, captivating the heart. The two men's attacks became more and more fierce, but their cooperation became more and more tacit, as if they had practiced it countless times.
Everyone unconsciously concentrated and held their breath, even Song Jiulang unconsciously stopped smiling.
There was a loud bang from the 羯鼓, and the two swords collided, flying several sparks, and both men sheathed their swords at the same time.
The hall was completely silent. Sui Sui put down his drumstick and was the first to cheer: "Good!"
Everyone came to their senses at this moment, and immediately the whole room burst into applause.
Huan Xuan quietly held Sui Sui's hand and whispered in her ear, "Did they dance well?"
Sui Sui was about to give a compliment, but suddenly caught a glimpse of his expression and said something else: "Not bad..."
Huan Xuan said coldly and sourly: "You say one thing and mean another. You were so shocked just now."
Sui Sui leaned close to his ear and said, "It's not as good as the one you danced for me in private that day."
Huan Xuan's ears felt slightly hot: "You didn't look carefully."
General Xiao started to speak sweetly, "You are so beautiful. I am only looking at you. Who would care about the sword?"
After a pause, he lowered his voice and said, "Put on your clothes neatly before dancing. I will watch you carefully..."
Huan Xuan snorted coldly.
At this time, the servants brought pepper and cypress wine and poured it to everyone in order of age, from youngest to oldest.
The youngest was Chun Tiao, and the oldest was Nanny Gao. When it was Sui Sui's turn, Huan Xuan took the wine jug and picked up the wine glass in front of Sui Sui and filled it for her.
Huan Minggui sighed and brought the wine glass closer to him: "Ziheng, thank you for your help."
Huan Xuan glanced at him and said, "Pour it yourself. It's not like you don't have hands."
Sui Sui took the wine jug from her with a smile, filled Huan Minggui's cup, and said to Huan Xuan, "Sixth cousin has come from afar, how can I be rude to you?"
Huan Minggui stood up and said, "I don't deserve it..."
He immediately realized what Xiao Ling was addressing him, and said in surprise: "You..."
Everyone came to their senses and discovered that General Xiao had just called Prince Yuzhang his cousin.
Sui Sui glanced at Huan Xuan and said with a smile, "Yes, we are married. We invited you all to gather together today, firstly because it is the New Year's Eve festival, and secondly, we want to take the opportunity to have some fun."
Everyone was stunned. Tian Yuerong could almost fit an egg in her mouth.
Huan Minggui was the first to come to his senses and said with a smile, "Congratulations, when did it happen?"
Sui Sui said, "I wrote the marriage certificate yesterday, and the wedding ceremony will be completed when I get back from Youzhou."
Huan Minggui said: "It will become clear."
Then he raised his glass and said, "I wish you two a harmonious marriage, a long-lasting love and a loving union."
Everyone recovered and raised their glasses to congratulate.
Nanny cried with joy, choking with sobs and unable to speak. After a long while, she sobbed and said, "Okay, okay..."
With such a happy event taking place, of course, wine could not be spared, and everyone drank to their heart's content. Those in the barracks had good alcohol tolerance, and most of them were only slightly tipsy. Huan Minggui had a poor alcohol tolerance and had no self-awareness, so he got drunk after a few glasses. Normally, he would get drunk as soon as he drank, and would cry when he was drunk, but today, he was acting out of character, knocking on the wine glass with his silver chopsticks and pinching his voice to sing a ditty like the prostitutes in Pingkangfang.
Song Jiulang jumped out immediately and started swaying his waist and making seductive gestures to the erotic music. Everyone became interested and some danced the Huxuan dance, some did juggling. For a moment, everyone was dancing wildly. Nanny didn't know whether to cover her ears or eyes and kept saying "Amitabha".
Sui Sui didn't bother to watch and stood up.
Tian Yuerong was teaching Guan Liulang to throw the wine glass when she noticed her with her sharp eyes: "Where is the general going?"
Sui Sui said, "Go change your clothes."
Huan Xuan also stood up: "I'll accompany you."
Then he picked up the fox fur and put it on her shoulders: "Be careful not to catch a cold."
Tian Yuerong quickly turned her face away: "Tsk tsk tsk tsk."
Sui Sui glared at her, then took Huan Xuan out, but not to the bathroom, but to the kitchen.
Because it was New Year's Eve, the cook went home early to reunite with his family. The kitchen was empty, but there was a fire in the stove, the firewood crackled, and the pot was filled with the aroma of chicken soup and mushrooms.
Huan Xuan vaguely understood something, and Sui Sui had already rolled up his sleeves and started rolling the noodles.
In less than a quarter of an hour, a bowl of fragrant chicken soup longevity noodles was placed on the small table in front of him.
Sui Sui looked at him through the white mist and handed him a pair of jade chopsticks: "Try it, I added dried pine mushrooms to the soup."
Huan Xuan took the jade chopsticks but did not move. He just lowered his head and looked at the noodles in the celadon bowl.
Sui Sui walked behind him, hugged him from behind, and put her chin on his shoulder: "If you don't want to eat, don't eat. I'll make you a Gulouzi."
Huan Xuan's eyes moved: "How can I not eat such delicious noodles?"
He picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, chewing it carefully: "You don't want to eat it?"
Sui Sui said, "It's such a big bowl, aren't you going to give me a few bites?"
The two of them finished the bowl of longevity noodles, taking turns to eat.
Huan Xuan looked at the clepsydra and it was almost midnight.
He stood up and said, "I'm a little tired after drinking a lot of wine. I'm going to take a shower first."
Naturally, he deliberately found an excuse to leave first, leaving her alone to make the bowl of birthday noodles.
He was jealous of everyone, even of Sui Sui braiding a horse's hair. However, when it came to his elder brother's affairs, he would retreat and not dare to go beyond the line, or even make comparisons. The bowl of birthday noodles he ate first seemed to have been stolen from his elder brother.
He turned to leave, but a hand held his hand, a warm, slender and firm hand, holding him tightly.
Huan Xuan was startled and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"
Sui Sui said: "I make this bowl of noodles every New Year's Day to commemorate Huan Ye."
Huan Xuan unconsciously avoided the light of the candle, so as not to let her see his expression: "I know."
Sui Sui said: "But I won't make this bowl of noodles again."
She would always remember him and be forever grateful for the good memories he gave her, but this bowl of noodles should no longer be made by her.
Huan Xuan looked at her in surprise.
Sui Sui said: "Some things should be done by blood relatives."
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him lightly on the lips: "I'll go to the backyard to take a shower first and come back early."
After saying that, he put on the fox fur coat, turned around and walked out.