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墨書 Inktalez
“Shen Muqing, have you lost your mind? Taking a cold shower on a day like this!”
However, as Shen Muhan stepped into the bathroom, a wave of cold air hit him, and he realized what Shen Muqing was doing. Unable to hold back, he shouted out, for he was only wearing a thin shirt and had just come out. The howling wind outside made the already frigid bathroom feel even more unbearable.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he felt something was off. Why would Shen Muqing take a cold shower on such a chilly day? Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he chuckled while scratching his head.
Was he finally waking up?
Yet, as the following days passed, Shen Muhan discovered that Shen Muqing continued to take cold showers. This made him feel that the situation was becoming serious. So on New Year's Eve morning, he mentioned it to Xia Muxin. She was taken aback and couldn't find her voice for a long time. After hesitating for a while, she finally grabbed Shen Muhan's arm and said with concern:
“Husband, aren’t you a doctor? You should ask that fool if something is wrong with him.”
Shen Muhan knew all too well how powerful a man's vitality could be in this regard, and since Yan Zhouwan's happiness had yet to begin, if there truly was an issue, it would be best to address it sooner rather than later.
In their household, only Shen Muhan had the medical skills to handle such matters; he couldn't just ignore his brother.
Shen Muhan found himself both amused and exasperated. Did she really expect him to bring this up?
Even if he did ask, Shen Muqing was shy and might not tell the truth. That was why he had mentioned it to Xia Muxin—he wanted her to inquire about Yan Zhouwan since she was also involved. Besides, such matters were typically discussed between women.
After a long pause, he finally replied to Xia Muxin:
“Let’s talk about it after the New Year.”
Xia Muxin nodded in agreement; after all, today was New Year's Eve, and everyone—adults and children alike—was in high spirits. It wouldn’t do to let this matter dampen their mood.
“You help the Bear Cubs get dressed and comb their hair; I’ll go downstairs to help make breakfast.”
After the two reached a conclusion, Xia Muxin emerged from the warm bed, quickly dressed, and casually tied her hair up with a hairpin. She gave Shen Muhan, who was lazily watching her get ready, a few instructions before walking out the door.
Once Xia Muxin left, Shen Muhan could no longer linger in bed. He sat up and swiftly tidied himself before heading to the next room.
“Daddy, I need to pee.”
“Daddy, I need to poop.”
“Daddy, I want some water.”
“...”
However, he hadn’t expected that several children were already awake and seemingly waiting for him to attend to them. As soon as Shen Muhan pushed the door open, the three Bear Cubs spoke up in unison. Instantly, countless black lines appeared on Shen Muhan's forehead. He grabbed each of them by their blankets and said sternly:
“Do you want to get dressed first or go outside to pee?”
He was puzzled because in front of Xia Muxin, they took care of their own business; she only helped wipe them afterward. Yet when it came to him, everything fell on his shoulders. He touched his face—did he have a kind face that made him easy to bully?
“Get dressed...”
However, the Three Bear Cubs were remarkably in sync. After exchanging glances, they all chimed in together, even the eldest who wanted water stood firmly with the other two.
Shen Muhan ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, resigned to dressing them.
As he went downstairs with one on his neck and one in each arm, the Three Babies were making silly faces at him, clearly delighted. His freshly styled hair was now a mess, resembling a bird's nest—thanks to Yuan Yuan riding on his neck.
Once downstairs, Shen Muhan set the children down and was about to lead them to the bathroom when Xia Muxin pushed open the kitchen door carrying a large plate of buns. Seeing Shen Muhan, her lips twitched as she glanced at the Bear Cubs and said sternly:
“Just do what you’re supposed to do.”
However, the simple six words, "Three Bear Cubs," immediately wilted, and they didn't dare to ask Shen Muhan for help with their potty needs. Instead, they obediently went to the toilet themselves. After resolving their business, they even went to wash their hands very nicely.
Shen Muhan watched this scene in astonishment. Taking advantage of Xia Muxin being busy inside the house, he squatted down in front of the Three Babies and whispered, "Are you really that afraid of your mother?"
The Three Bear Cubs rolled their eyes in unison and replied in chorus, "You're no different; you're afraid of Mother Tiger."
Hearing the words "Mother Tiger," Shen Muhan's brow twitched. He couldn't even imagine how Xia Muxin usually taught the children.
One by one, others began to wake up. Even a few people staying at Xia Jihua's house slowly made their way over. Shen Muhan wisely kept quiet to avoid letting Xia Muxin overhear anything that might jeopardize his benefits.
Breakfast was quite casual, consisting of noodles and buns, along with some pickled vegetables.
"Mom, didn't I make spicy cabbage? It should be edible now, right?" During the meal, Xia Muxin suddenly asked Aunt Xia about it.
This was her first time making spicy cabbage here, and she wasn't sure if it had turned out well.
"Is it really edible?" Aunt Xia asked with some doubt. It wasn't exactly a delicacy—just cabbage and chili peppers. She had disagreed when Xia Muxin insisted on making it, but Xia Muxin wanted to try something new and loved spicy food. The chili powder she used was quite hot; just thinking about it made Aunt Xia hesitant to eat.
However, since Xia Muxin had already mentioned it, she went into the house and brought out a jar. Immediately, Xia Muxin ran to the kitchen and grabbed a small bowl, then scooped out some of the cabbage soaked in red sauce right in front of everyone.
Seeing this made Xia Muxin excited as she thought of many delicious things from modern times. Without hesitation, she picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.
"Delicious."
After chewing a few times, her eyes brightened, and she said with great satisfaction.
"Sister, is this cabbage really delicious just by mixing it with chili?"
Songzi was the last to sit at the table. Seeing Xia Muxin enjoying her meal, he couldn't help but question her.
Small had also returned yesterday afternoon, but as soon as he got back, he was pestered by Xue Er. Even at night, Xue Er insisted on sharing the bed with him. Now, he sat upright at the table, looking a bit tired, while Xue Er sat beside him, constantly tugging at his arm to get him to serve her some pickled vegetables.
"You won't know until you try it. It might be a bit spicy, but the flavor is undeniable. I wonder if you can handle it."
Xia Muxin scanned everyone's faces and said earnestly.
Moreover, in this cold weather, eating something spicy warms you up and helps dispel dampness—what could be better?
Upon hearing this, Songzi was the first to reach for the dish. After tasting it, he went back for more without offering any comments. Seeing Songzi eat so heartily piqued everyone else's interest. Soon enough, they were all digging in, and before long, they had consumed an entire jar for breakfast.
Xia Muxin was taken aback; she initially insisted she wouldn't eat it and even worried that it might be poisoned. Yet one by one, everyone seemed to be released from prison as they devoured the food. Even the children managed to sneak in a few bites, but Xia Muxin limited their portions, fearing it might upset their stomachs.
After finishing breakfast, everyone got busy since it was New Year’s Day; everything had to be done with care and abundance.
Some were killing chickens, others were gutting fish or cutting meat.
There was plenty of meat; Xia Muxin planned to cure half of it. However, she noted that the bones had little nutritional value and didn't taste great either, so she instructed them to remove all the bones.
Additionally, they needed to sort out items like ribs and marrow. The family had grown accustomed to eating bone soup; these bones could last them quite a while.
Given the chilly weather and water that felt almost like ice, after removing the bones, they packed them into iron containers and placed them in a wooden basin filled with cold water. They then set it in a well-ventilated area of the back room—similar to using a refrigerator—as long as they remembered to change the water regularly.
Xia Jihua and his wife came over after finishing their breakfast. Meanwhile, Xia Tieshu and his wife took their children to visit the village chief Yang Dadong's house since they still needed to deliver their New Year’s gifts.
In the Summer Forest, Shen Muhan and several of his subordinates were busy bundling firewood in the back room. They had been too busy lately, and the firewood had piled up messily, making it difficult to even walk through. Today, they took the opportunity to tie it all up, as the stove would need to be lit all night.
This was how the Kitchen God would bless the household.
It was a long-standing tradition in Daimiao Village.
Aunt Xia and Yan Zhouwan went to the storage room to gather bowls. During the New Year, both children and adults needed a place to sit. Normally, they could squeeze around three tables, but today they had to set up four. There were about thirty-four people in the house, with eight to nine at each table. The New Year's Eve dinner had to be lavish, requiring at least ten bowls per table—forty large bowls for four tables, plus additional bowls for eating, totaling nearly one hundred.
Songzi and Small were cleaning up the yard. This too had its significance; anything unnecessary had to be discarded to welcome in the new year.
Shen Muhan and Shen Muqing stayed behind to watch a few children while Xia Muxin busied herself with curing fish and meat.
The meat had been salted a couple of days ago, and today it could be strung up to hang since it took up too much space. Although her kitchen was quite large, it always felt insufficient during the New Year.
Ming Yi stood by to help, but it was mostly Xia Muxin directing them as they worked.
The sounds of washing, chopping, and slicing filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere. Yet everyone wore smiles of happiness and satisfaction.
The weather was beautiful today; after the hour of Chen passed, the sun rose high in the sky. Compared to usual days, it seemed a couple of degrees warmer.
The men were so busy that they even took off their outer garments. To everyone's surprise, Summer Old Man stepped out of his room. Upon learning this, Summer Forest quickly brought out a recliner and carefully helped him lie down.
Although Summer Old Man didn’t seem very energetic, he looked genuinely happy. A few Bear Cubs gathered around him under Shen Muhan's guidance, sweetly calling him "Grandpa." It was as if honey coated his lips; he couldn't help but smile broadly.
People often talked about New Year's Eve dinner; however, not every family celebrated it at night. Some families held theirs at noon while others did so in the evening. For instance, families with close ties often took turns celebrating on New Year's Eve. The Xia Family had their meal pushed to the evening because Xia Tieshu and others were invited to Yang Family for lunch.
Everyone was tired from the day’s activities; lunch had been simple, but dinner promised to be extravagant.
Xia Muxin also made dumplings—both steamed and pan-fried—and just smelling them made mouths water.
She prepared dinner as well; each table featured a hot pot. In this era, beef and lamb were rare treats. Although Xia Muxin's family was well-off, she seldom bought such meats because she believed these animals possessed spirits. Thus, fish and pork were more common on their table. Tonight's hot pot featured pickled vegetables with Male Fish heads inside; each fish weighed seven or eight pounds, and they would feast on four of the largest Male Fish heads tonight.
As for the male fish, it was directly thrown into the pot.
Since on the first day of the New Year, one cannot have anything messy at home, not even leftovers from meals, everything had to be prepared in advance. The remaining meat was portioned out neatly, but the pig's head and tail were still intact, placed carefully on top of everything else.
Any dishes that were not finished on New Year's Eve had to be discarded, so she made sure to prepare just enough for everyone to be satisfied without wasting food.
Dinner started early, with everyone laughing and toasting around the table. They feasted for an entire hour. After the meal, Xia Jihua and his wife returned home; they still had to burn incense and light the stove, which was no small task.
Ermiao, Xia Tieshu, Yan Zhouwan, and Aunt Xia cleared the table. Ming Yi and the others quickly boiled water and washed dishes. In no time at all, everything was tidied up.
The biggest task was bathing. On New Year's Eve, both adults and children had to take a bath; everything had to be changed inside and out.
The most troublesome were Xia Muxin and her husband, as their children were incredibly mischievous.
So they wisely decided to bathe last, waiting until everyone else had finished. By then, it was already dark outside, and the kids were yawning repeatedly.
Xia Muxin boiled a large pot of water while Shen Muhan adjusted the temperature. Then they tossed Three Babies and Eight Lights directly into the bathtub. This bathtub had been specially made by Summer Forest after they had children; even with five little ones inside, it didn’t feel cramped.
However, the children refused to cooperate, splashing water everywhere. Xia Muxin and Shen Muhan ended up soaked as well.
By the time the kids were done bathing, quite a bit of time had passed. Xia Muxin's legs felt numb from squatting, while Shen Muhan simply scooped the children out of the tub one by one, dried them off, dressed them in their pajamas, and carried one under each arm while balancing another on his neck as they headed upstairs.
Just as they stepped out of the bathroom, something felt off; Yuan Yuan, who was perched on his neck, had fallen asleep. Initially worried that Xia Muxin might catch a chill if she prepared her own bath first, it was now impossible for her to do so. Realizing this, Xia Muxin exchanged a glance with Shen Muhan before rushing over to scoop up their eldest child into her arms. Shen Muhan took hold of Yuan Yuan and together they made their way upstairs.
After settling the children down, Xia Muxin noticed that she felt icy all over; even her teeth were chattering. She couldn’t help but lament that she wouldn’t catch a severe cold right at New Year’s.
Shen Muhan also worried about her health and nearly carried her back into the bathroom. He quickly prepared hot water for her; fortunately this time he did nothing but let her soak in it for a long while.
Once they finished bathing and went upstairs, Shen Muhan handed her a pill meant to prevent colds. Xia Muxin refused to take it; after all, taking medicine when one wasn’t sick seemed unnecessary. Seeing how spirited she was, Shen Muhan wasted no time in tackling her down...
However, that night, he did not indulge too much; he only asked for her once, but this time it lasted a bit longer. He was still quite tired and slept particularly deeply.
The next day, on the first day of the New Year, Xia Muxin woke up to the sound of firecrackers popping. Just as she opened her eyes, Shen Muhan walked in. Xia Muxin felt a bit dazed, and Shen Muhan smiled as he approached her and gave her a deep kiss. With that kiss, all her sleepiness vanished, and she smiled at Shen Muhan.
"Happy New Year, Husband!"
Shen Muhan was taken aback for a moment but then broke into a smile, mimicking her tone.
"Happy New Year, my wife!"
They exchanged smiles, and Shen Muhan handed her some clothes, gently pulling her out of the blankets and personally helping her get dressed and groomed.
"What about the kids?"
Xia Muxin felt an overwhelming sense of happiness, her heart filled with affection. Looking at the bright sky outside, she suddenly blushed and asked softly.
"They went out with Songzi and Xue Er to visit neighbors."
Shen Muhan placed a hairpin in her hair; it was made of jade, shimmering in tender green hues, adorned with tassels. The tassels were in the shape of dandelions, which were Xia Muxin's favorite. Although the dandelions were also made of jade, they had a purplish-pink tint.
This surprised Xia Muxin immensely. Not to mention the price, the craftsmanship was unique; without such exquisite carving skills, it would be impossible to create such lifelike dandelions displayed in tassel form.
This was undoubtedly her biggest surprise of the year.
"Do you like it?"
As they looked at their reflections in the bronze mirror, Shen Muhan leaned down and gently bit her earlobe, asking in a charming voice.
"It's simply exquisite! Where did you get it?"
Xia Muxin was extremely happy, looking at herself in the mirror again and again, unable to contain her joy as she asked, "It seems that I have caught your eye, so it looks like my skills have improved quite a bit."
Seeing Xia Muxin so delighted, Shen Muhan felt equally pleased. He stroked his chin, resembling a cunning fox, and said, "Did you... carve this?"
"Doesn't it look like it?"
As Shen Muhan implied that it was his masterpiece, Xia Muxin's mouth dropped open in disbelief. She turned to him and asked repeatedly.
But the answer she received was still Shen Muhan's unmodest reply.
"Husband, you are just perfect for me. I love you so much!"
Xia Muxin then threw herself into Shen Muhan's arms, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist as she spoke with pure happiness.
Shen Muhan rubbed her head with his large hand, the smile on his face growing wider. Then he cupped Xia Muxin's face in his hands. To his surprise, Xia Muxin stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
At that moment, Shen Muhan's heart soared; he didn't even know how to express his feelings. He simply held Xia Muxin tightly and deepened the kiss...
"Zhou Zhou, let's get engaged after the New Year."
In contrast to Xia Muxin's habit of sleeping in, Yan Zhouwan was much more diligent. She woke up early and was in a great mood. For breakfast, she had noodles. After finishing her meal, she was pulled outside by Shen Muqing. They strolled along the verdant field path under the warm sun and against the cold wind.
This was the first time Shen Muqing held her hand in public. At that moment, it felt as if something was about to burst forth from within her heart, and this feeling made her unexpectedly happy.
"Why aren't you responding?"
Shen Muqing grew anxious for Yan Zhouwan's reply; he really couldn't wait any longer. The past few days had nearly driven him mad. He desperately wanted her, longing to merge with her and have a bunch of adorable yet mischievous children like Yuan Yuan.
It was also the first time he desperately wanted a home, a complete home that belonged to him, a home shared with Yan Zhouwan.
His words pulled the distracted Yan Zhouwan back to reality. She glanced at him shyly, her face immediately turning crimson, but she didn't know how to respond.
The two walked directly to the top of Daimiao Mountain, where the fallen leaves crunched underfoot. Suddenly, Shen Muqing pushed Yan Zhouwan against a tree behind her, locking his dark eyes onto her awkward face and speaking in a tempting tone:
"Today you must promise me, or I will kiss you until you do."
Knowing that Yan Zhouwan was sensitive in that regard and very shy and reserved, he realized that kissing her in such a situation would likely make her extremely embarrassed. Yet Shen Muqing was exploiting her weakness to coerce her.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Yan Zhouwan's enticing lips twitching slightly. Unable to resist, he leaned down and captured those tempting lips.
- End of Chapter -
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