On the twenty-third, his Majesty sealed the imperial brush, and at the same time, it also signified that the new year festival has officially began.

On this day, the most important thing naturally was just offering sacrifices to the kitchen god[1]. However, this had nothing to do with Jing Wan. Wasn’t this the so-called ‘women do not offer sacrifices to the kitchen god’? Jing Wan although has never offered sacrifices to the kitchen god before, she has watched before from the side. It was more or less the same as a great majority of sacrificial rites, so she didn’t go join in on the fun either.

Rather, seeing Sun Yi Jia’s big stomach, Jing Wan was starting to get a bit scared. Right now, Jing Wan didn’t even dare to approach her, seemingly fearing that in a moment of carelessness, problem will arise. This was already the ninth month, not long from the little guy’s birth. All the preparation for the sake of welcoming the little guy were actually already appropriately finished a month ago.

Sun Yi Jia’s own condition was actually quite good, not having the so-called prenatal depression. And every time she came across that ‘carefully wanting to avoid’ little look of Jing Wan’s, she all felt very amused, “This one’s in my stomach, and you’re already like this, then in the future, when you get pregnant yourself, what will you do?”

Jing Wan froze, right, she although long had the resolve to marry and have children, that resolution just existed in her mentality. Sun Yi Jia, this elder sister-in-law, was the pregnant woman she interacted with the most and was the closest to. Aside from this, at most it was just seeing from far away. And Sun Yi Jia, from learning that she was pregnant, all the way until now, she practically saw every day, having the entire process all taken in. That feeling was completely different.

Speaking of which, next year, she’ll be marrying. If like Sun Yi Jia’s case, hitting the jackpot in one shot, wouldn’t that just mean………….

Thinking of that scene, Jing Wan was already a bit dejected. After the start of the new year, she’ll be fifteen, only fifteen! Her body hasn’t fully grown yet, was it really okay to have children? If not waiting until she was eighteen, at least need to wait until sixteen. If she can continue delaying, it was best to delay until after twenty, but just thinking about it, she also knew it was impossible. Don’t know whether or not she can discuss with a certain someone. Jing Wan felt, her sister-in-law may not have gotten depression, but she was about to be depressed, depressing over that unfounded matter.

However, after feeling depressed for a little while, she immediately just forgot about it.

From the servants to the big and small masters, everyone was all very busy, and also filled with laughters and cheers.

On the twenty-fourth, it was eliminating the dust, having the entire place all cleaned cleanly. On this day, one even needed to use the large broom.

Jing Wan watched the people by her side going in and out, while she herself was absentmindedly sitting there.

Afterwards, there was also welcoming the Jade Emperor[2], washing for good fortune[3], and so on matters. And putting up rhyming couplets naturally was also a very important matter.

Putting up rhyming couplets pays attention to ‘if there’s a god, must paste, every door, must paste, and every object, must paste’.

(T/N: Putting up the rhyming couplets is generally done on the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month.)

There were many scholars in the family, so it wasn’t that big of a deal either, even writing some to bestow to the servants.

As such, Le Cheng Emperor naturally would also bestow down the ‘good fortune(福)’ character. This was also a big display of being favored. That’s why, as long as one had the chance, all would go ask for a few. Of course, for the officials, that was impossible. It was just for the princes, imperial consorts, and imperial relatives.

(T/N: Bestowing down a ‘character’ is basically just the 福 character in the Emperor’s handwriting. This character also translates to happiness/luck.)

Aside from putting up the good fortune character, there naturally was also the door god.

However, Jing Wan still felt there was a bit of something missing, letting someone also put up red lanterns, all the big and round type, either writing on all kinds of auspicious characters, or pasting on scissors art. Then, after tying a big good fortune knot, it was hung up in various places, further adding to the festivity.

(T/N: First pic is traditional scissor art, it’s just using scissors to cut out designs, generally on red paper, it’s very magical watching masters and experts do this; the second pic is of the good fortune knot, they can come in various different forms, but overall shape the same.)

In a blink of an eye, it was already the lunar new year’s eve. On this day, every family and household had another sacrificial ritual at home, and the prepared offerings really were extraordinarily abundant.

The busiest period for the kitchen was also just when the children began happily playing around and setting off firecrackers.

Some big dishes all had their preparation work done a few days before, so that on the last day of the lunar year, that day, they can put out a rich new year’s eve dinner.

Firecracker sounds came from every street and alleyway, then mixing in the sounds of laughter everywhere, rising and falling in succession, it immensely pleased the ears.

During the new year’s eve dinner, although it was still male and female sitting separately, it wasn’t really partitioned off.

The tables were filled to the brim, with every dish having an auspicious meaning. Even if she’s seen this for many years, and many times, Jing Wan still felt rather moved. When eating with one’s own family, aside from the cold dishes, the other main dishes were all still steaming hot.

Afterwards, today, aside from the first branch’s eldest grandson being too small and truly not suitable to drink wine, the others, no matter how small, all were able to taste a little.

This while, they naturally won’t pay attention to not speaking when eating. And for the small children, even if as they eat, suddenly just climb down from the table to mess around, they won’t be restricted either.

This new year’s eve dinner lasted for four hours. Of course, towards the end, for the most part, no one moved their chopsticks again. And those hot dishes were also just touched in the very beginning.

The dishes were finally taken down.

The entire family gathered in one hall, and even the servants were all gathered outside, their faces full of joy.

Starting from the two heads of the family, the red packets were issued. As long as one was their younger generation, everyone all had a share.

Receiving the red packet, this kind of thing, even if just a copper coin, it was still something worth being happy over.

Kowtow, say some auspicious words, and ask for the red packet, round after round, and the younger one was in the family seniority, the more red packet one naturally obtained. As such, the first branch’s eldest grandson just became the biggest ‘winner’. Even his very very young paternal uncles and aunts all cutely wanted to give him a red packet, making the whole family overjoyed.

Having been many years since it was this lively, Luo Old Madam’s smile for the most part never once disappeared.

Once things finished up here, Wang-shi went to take care of handing out red packets to the servants, handing out according to rank and in batches, then switching with the others on duty. In past years, the red packets were all just two months worth of salary, but this year it was four months worth. Wang-shi also directly told them, this was Luo Old Madam’s first year in the capital, so the two extra months of salary were bestowed by the old madam.

These people served others for a lifetime, and what they pursued, wasn’t it just this bit? So towards Luo Old Madam, it naturally was just thousands of thanks and gratitude. Words like ‘living for hundreds of years’, or ‘having a long life like the pine and crane’, were just freely thrown out.

Luo Old Madam wasn’t that moved, but Head Minister Luo was happy. He was the same as Jing Wan, exceptionally concerned about Luo Old Madam’s body, so these good and auspicious words naturally were exceptionally pleasant to hear.

At midnight, when about to cross over into the new year, the high tower bell sounded. In the sky over the entire capital, firecracker sounds echoed through the air. In this ‘origin(元) of age, first(元) of the moon, start(元) of time’, the three yuan(元) moment, the ‘prosperous fire’ was lit in the courtyard, using this to let prosperity fill the air for thriving prosperity. Around the burning prosperous fire, the big and small children once again set off firecrackers, energetically running about. The inside of the room was brightly lit with lanterns, in the front courtyard were glittering sparks, and the outside filled with earth-shattering noises. At this very moment, it was dismissing the old and welcoming the new, the most lively time.

(T/N: So in chinese the three ‘yuan’ is just another name for 元旦 ‘yuan dan’, which literally translates to ‘first day’, in other words, new year’s day.)

However, after this great jubilation passed, the little guys just began getting sleepy. For them to have been able to stay up until now was already pretty good.

The next day, the family of the fifth rank and higher officials entered the palace to pay respect for the new year.

The men all were in court attire, while the madams with rank naturally also wore formal attire, appearing to have another kind of imposing manner.

In comparison, the young misses and young madams just dressed up as beautifully as possible, like flowers gorgeously blooming, adding a lot of warm colors in the bitter cold winter, making one warm in the heart at a glance.

The long line of horse carriage all waited to enter the palace one by one. Head Minister Luo’s official post was high enough, and under the premise that the imperial relatives had their own gate to enter, the Luo family’s horse carriage naturally didn’t need to wait too long.

After just perfunctorily inspecting their identity, Jing Wan and them were just deferentially led in.

The womenfolk needed to pay respect to the Empress and the others. When it wasn’t one’s turn, one naturally could only wait outside. And this wasn’t a relaxing task. If the time is slightly longer, the hands and feel will just grow numb. The elderly certainly won’t be able to withstand. However, generally speaking, those that were elderly, if not their husband, then it was just their son that was an important official, so naturally would have preferential treatment, getting directly led into a heated room, with a furnace to warm them, nicely serving tea and water. Compared with those that needed to wait standing outside, it was completely just worlds apart.

It’s no wonder that many people all want to climb up higher at all cost. If nothing else, just this difference in treatment was all worth striving for.

In the heated room, even if there weren’t any young misses she was especially close to, Jing Wan still for the most part all recognized. As long as it wasn’t those that want to dig holes every few lines, Jing Wan was still very willing to idly chat with them.

Have to say, even a great majority of the princesses all needed to fawn on Jing Wan, let alone those junzhus whose father didn’t have any real power. As for the other young misses of high official families, generally speaking, they didn’t have any conflict of interest with Jing Wan. In addition to today being the first of the new year, there won’t be any insensitive ones looking for trouble.

A girl dressed in palace attire appeared next to Jing Wan, “Luo third miss, her highness noble consort requests to meet you.”

Jing Wan nodded, bidding farewell with the people nearby, and then exited the heated room with the palace maid.

Have to say, at this time, the respective palaces summoning the people they were relatively close to first, that was all normal. For some imperial consorts, all year round, perhaps can only take advantage of this chance to meet with their own maiden family.

The servants of the respective families although can’t enter the heated room, they were still all waiting outside. This time, the one entering the palace with Jing Wan was still Gong mama. Right now, regardless of where, she naturally all needed to follow. The imperial palace was forever a dark and dirty place. Being cautious and careful was always better.

However, the palace maid leading the way was very magnanimous. Looks like there shouldn’t be any problems.

However, when Jing Wan passed through the corridors of the palace halls, outside the winding corridors of another palace hall, seeing the seemingly very bored certain someone pulling on the flower branch, should this be called problem or no problem?

The palace maid, without an extra glance, bowed to Li Hong Yuan, and afterwards, just left, completely not beckoning Jing Wan to follow. Her intentions were very obvious to see.

After seeing Li Hong Yuan, Gong mama no longer followed, fixedly standing in a place slightly farther away.

Seeing the matchlessly handsome, and at present, having retracted his dark aura, appearing otherworldly and standing out from the mass, man, Jing Wan felt, towards this beauty, she was increasingly unable to control herself. Tsk, ‘walking hormones[4]‘, truly can’t be helped.

Jing Wan stood still for a moment before finally walking to Li Hong Yuan’s side. Just as she was about to perform her etiquette, Li Hong Yuan had already grasped her hand ahead of her. Sensing Jing Wan’s somewhat cold hands, he lightly frowned, “How come not holding a hand furnace.”

Jing Wan was speechless. Dear Jin Qinwang, this is the imperial palace, not her home. She wasn’t someone of the imperial family. Holding a hand furnace, was it to show off one’s uniqueness, drawing in hate? You can just draw in hate yourself, don’t implicate others.

Li Hong Yuan removed the cloak on him and just draped it over Jing Wan’s shoulders. Jing Wan could clearly sense the warmth coming from the cloak, sweeping a glance. The inner layer clearly had a layer of light wool, and when draped on the body, it was warm yet didn’t have any weight.

And Mu An immediately had a hand furnace present up.

Once she was in order, Li Hong Yuan finally opened his mouth, “The wedding date is set on the third of the third month.”

“Double Third Festival[5]?”

[1] Here’s thewiki page linkif you want to read up on the kitchen god. His backstories of how he became a god are all kinda weird, but it all comes down to him abandoning his wife in some way, and then committing suicide after learning the errors of his ways.

[2] The Emperor of the Heavens in chinese myth.Look another wikipage link.

[3] 洗(wash) 福(happiness) 禄(good fortune) – This is one of the traditional new year customs where people take a bath on the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month. This way, there will be even more ‘happiness and good fortune’ for the coming year.

[4] This is sorta a modern slang referring to someone who’s emitting hormones/charm as they walk

[5]Double Third Festival link

T/N: Yes, there are a lot of double number festivals in china, although most all have alternative names and are also celebrated in the other asian countries as well. It’s kinda interesting that it’s been about a year and a half into translating this novel, and almost a year has passed in the novel as well.

Recently, I’ve also been looking into replacing the router in our house, because our current one is complete shit, the fact that we’ve put up with it for the last 5 years is already the extent of my feelings for it. But now I feel like our router knows it’s gonna get replaced so it’s been going on strike by cutting off randomly at times.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com