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墨書 Inktalez
Upon returning and placing the Fortune Character properly, Li Yishu immediately noticed the plastic bottle.
"Sister, this Glass Bottle is even bigger than the one we had before. It should be worth more, right?"
"We won't take this," Li Zhoule replied. "We still have money at home. Keep this bottle safe; it will be a family heirloom in the future."
Li Yishu nodded. "Yes, I'll prepare it as your dowry."
Li Zhoule tapped Li Yishu's forehead lightly. "Don't be silly. This bottle is our Li Family's heirloom."
Li Yishu cradled her head in her hands. "I'm not being silly. Sister, since the immortal was able to bestow a second Glass Bottle upon us, who knows, maybe there will be a third or fourth. The Porcelain Jar is our Li Family's true heirloom. You should keep this bottle."
"..." Li Zhoule nodded. "Alright."
"What’s inside the bottle?" Li Yishu asked curiously.
Li Zhoule opened the cap—a screw-on lid they had figured out how to open when they first got the drink bottle—and a sweet fragrance rushed into their noses. Their eyes lit up as they both dipped their fingers into the liquid inside the bottle and tasted it. It was sweet; indeed, it was Honey. When Elder Brother Li was at home, he had once captured a wild beehive in the woods, and the honey they scraped off was sweet enough to warm their hearts.
"It’s Honey!" Li Yishu exclaimed joyfully.
Li Zhoule nodded, his eyes also filled with delight.
The third item, slices of bread, brought less surprise than the previous two. Although the bread was sweet, after having eaten various pastries that had been passed around in their large jar several times, they didn’t find the bread any tastier than before. However, there was a large quantity of it—enough to last them quite a while.
Li Zhoule divided the Honey and bread in half and took them with Li Yishu to visit the Wen Family, discussing plans for buying New Year goods in town the next day. Wen Zixia and Wen Ziyu had earned some money helping others copy books recently and could buy some items to decorate for the festive atmosphere.
That evening, both families enjoyed Honey water and bread together, each person smiling broadly.
The town was bustling with festive spirit unlike its usual quietness. The Li siblings prudently bought some meat and dried fruits; they still had grains at home. As for new clothes for the New Year—what they wore were gifts from the immortal; how could new clothes compare? The most money spent was on buying ink and paper because studying was very costly in ancient times. Rarely did Li Zhoule splurge like this; he bought a set of Chronicles of Events, making both families of scholars very happy. Several scholars were setting up stalls on the street to write couplets for people, and business was thriving. The Wen Family brothers didn’t consider entering this line of work; first, they weren’t from town and would offend people without gaining any business; second, every year at this time, villagers would seek Wen Zixia’s help to write Spring Festival couplets, offering one or two eggs as payment.
Sure enough, not long after returning to the village, villagers began visiting them one after another. Knowing everyone’s lives were difficult, Wen Zixia accepted very little as payment; red paper and ink were provided for free by Li Zhoule, though now they cut one set of couplet paper into two for use.
Putting up couplets and exchanging peach wood charms brought joy and hope for the New Year. As winter gradually warmed up before the New Year’s Eve, the sun generously spread warmth; children who had been cooped up at home rushed outside to laugh in the sunlight. It gave people a sense of peacefulness in life’s passage of time.
…………
"Don't be greedy, child. After the Laba Festival, it's New Year. Drink some Laba Congee, and then it's the twenty-third. On the twenty-third, we have candied fruits; on the twenty-fourth, it's cleaning day; on the twenty-fifth, we welcome the Jade Emperor; on the twenty-sixth, we stew big meat; on the twenty-seventh, we slaughter a chicken; on the twenty-eighth, we make noodles; on the twenty-ninth, we steam buns; and on New Year's Eve, we stay up all night to celebrate. On the first day of the New Year, we go to pay our respects."
D City is located in the south, so there's no need to look for them when it comes to steaming buns. However, the custom of making dumplings during the New Year has been passed down from the north to the south. Hanno is helping Mom Han mix the filling and flour while Dad Han rolls out the dumpling skins. The whole family works together to make dumplings. There are three types of fillings: cabbage and pork, celery and beef, and chives with mixed seafood. Mom Han has washed some coins, peanuts, and rock sugar and placed them in a bowl aside, occasionally sneaking one into a dumpling filling before wrapping it up. The three of them work together and within an hour have made a large batch of dumplings—enough for several meals for the family. Hanno uses a food bag to pack the dumplings and puts them in the freezer while also clearing out half-eaten frozen dumplings bought from the market. He then takes out several winter jujubes from the fridge along with a few packs of instant noodles and some sausages—Hanno and his parents know that instant noodles aren't nutritious, and none of them particularly like eating them. However, Hanno's cousin's son loves them; he has always had a good relationship with Dad Han and Mom Han, even more so than with his own grandparents. Whenever school is out for vacation, he rushes over to play at Han's house. Those who don't understand might even think he is Dad Han and Mom Han's biological grandson. But now that it's almost New Year, he has to return home, leaving behind unfinished instant noodles and sausages. Hanno doesn't want to keep them for him and decides to throw them away—he manages to gather a couple of items that are about to expire or already expired into a large bag to prepare for disposal. As for how to dispose of them?
Dad Han hands two five-liter plastic buckets filled with cooking oil to Hanno: "Let's throw these away together later."
Hanno takes them with a grunt; they are heavy.
"Dad, why is there still water inside?"
Dad Han explains: "There was oil in the bottles. I originally filled them with water to soak and clean before using them for something else, but your mom said just to throw them away."
"Oh, then I'll help you toss them." Hanno is too lazy to pour out the water and carries both buckets along with a bag of food back to his room. Dad Han and Mom Han have seen Hanno take garbage back to his room before tossing it out multiple times now; they no longer find it strange.
On his desk lies Hanno's brush calligraphy supplies. When he's feeling down, he practices brush calligraphy to calm himself down. He has already accumulated a large stack of paper filled with clear writing: "The way is to reduce excess and supplement deficiency; therefore, emptiness prevails over fullness; deficiency prevails over excess. Its meaning is broad; its reasoning profound; its interest deepens...”
One of Hanno's quirky interests is that when practicing calligraphy, he writes content taken from online sources about famous inner power techniques in martial arts. He chuckles at how detailed the Nine Yin Manual is online—has anyone ever succeeded in practicing it? Yes, someone once memorized the Inner Power technique from Nine Yang Divine Skill under pressure and has now succeeded in mastering it; it's just that you don't know.
Hanno sets everything aside and goes out to help Mom Han with chores. Today is New Year's Eve, so there are many tasks to complete. Putting up couplets and New Year paintings takes only a few minutes, but there are plenty of things to do in the kitchen. The cured meats were cooked last night; now they just need slicing and plating. The most time-consuming tasks are frying crispy meat and meatballs—radish vegetarian balls and meatballs need frying in large quantities. The meatballs are easier to fry; just mix shredded radish with minced meat and seasonings before frying them in oil. Crispy meat is more troublesome; after mixing pork belly with prepared batter, it needs a thin coating of dry flour before being placed in hot oil. The dry flour will cloud up the oil in the pot after frying crispy meat, so once that's done frying, that oil can't be used anymore. The freshly fried crispy meat tastes delicious; Hanno stands by the pot frying while munching on pieces until his stomach starts bulging. Fortunately, reunion dinner is at night; lunch can be something light—Hanno can skip rice altogether.
"You little brat! I tell you to do something serious but you act like you're some big shot! Do you think your mom and I should serve you?"
"I've done my part! I have serious matters!"
"What serious matters do you have? Isn't it just sitting in front of your computer watching women sell stuff? If you're so into women like that, hurry up and find a real one to marry! What good does staring at women on your computer do? And you're foolish enough to give money to those women! Do they even agree to be your wife or bear your children? Why should you spend money supporting them?"
"You don't understand anything! They are streamers providing us entertainment—I just tip them!"
"Pfft! I don't care what streamers or whatever! But if I see you giving money to strangers again, I'll kick you out!"
"I knew you never liked me! I'm leaving right now! You can enjoy your money alone!"
A loud "bang" echoed as the door slammed shut, shaking the windows and doors of the entire floor.
"That was the father and son from the new family," Mom Han frowned. "Causing trouble right before the New Year!"
"They're supposed to be into feng shui and customs, right?" Hanno replied. "They even consulted a feng shui master about their moving date. How can they be arguing like this during such an important time? Don't they worry about having bad luck next year?"
"Who knows! The mother should at least try to mediate," Mom Han said.
Hanno scoffed, "With how fiercely those two are fighting, I doubt she can get a word in. Honestly, I think the father is right; instead of wasting money on those women online who flaunt themselves, the son should just find a girlfriend in real life—at least he can actually touch her. The bar for going live online is so low that anyone can do it."
Hanno occasionally tuned into live streams featuring talented and interesting hosts, but she had no patience for those who relied on selling their looks to trick men into giving them money.
Mom Han also watched live streams but preferred those that taught cooking or shared practical life tips.
"Having a son like that must be tough for them," she remarked.
"Mom, it's their business. Let's not meddle," Hanno replied.
"I know. Don't worry. I'm not close with them," Mom Han reassured her.
The mother and daughter quickened their pace in preparing dinner, and by around four in the afternoon, a table full of delicious and fragrant reunion dishes was ready.
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