GBP Chapter 183 Happy Chinese New Year!
Chapter 183 Happy Chinese New Year!
Time flies, and before we know it, the Lunar New Year is almost here, with Lunar New Year's Eve just around the corner. This year, after careful consideration, Su Yuning resolutely decided to stay in Xinghua Village to spend the Spring Festival with her family. After all, since becoming a wife, the days she could spend with her parents have become increasingly rare and precious. As for her husband, Ye Beichen, he naturally followed suit, accompanying his wife to his in-laws' home for the New Year, enjoying the joys of family life.
To avoid causing his parents, far away in the northern desert, worry, Ye Beichen, after careful consideration, decided to write a meticulously crafted letter and send it home in advance. In this heartfelt letter, he described in detail how he would be spending the New Year with his wife at her parents' home, his words overflowing with deep respect and love for his elders. He also included his sincerest blessings and warm greetings, hoping this warmth would travel across the thousands of miles to reach his parents' hearts.
Finally, Lunar New Year's Eve arrived. The afternoon sun streamed into the Su family's courtyard, filling the entire space with a festive and peaceful atmosphere. At this moment, the Su family was bustling with activity! The eldest and eldest son-in-law were immersed in the joy of calligraphy, intently writing couplets that were perfectly matched and auspiciously worded. Every stroke contained profound cultural meaning and expectations for a prosperous new year; the flowing, vigorous characters seemed to leap off the paper with life. Furthermore, the powerful, auspicious characters shone like dazzling pearls on the red paper, drawing admiration from all.
Meanwhile, the second son of the Su family was equally diligent, calmly and methodically undertaking the important task of applying the paste. He skillfully spread the highly adhesive paste evenly along the door frame, ensuring the Spring Festival couplets would adhere firmly. Ye Beichen, on the other hand, worked closely with his beloved wife, Su Yuning, complementing each other perfectly. One carefully held the bright red couplets, as if protecting a rare treasure; the other, focused and meticulous, carefully pasted the couplets onto both sides of the door frame, her movements gentle and precise, afraid of ruining this beautiful scene with the slightest mistake.
Turning our gaze to Princess Wan'er, this woman of noble birth had transformed into a strict and impartial "supervisor." She watched everyone's every move intently, not missing a single detail. Sometimes she would nod slightly in satisfaction, sometimes she would frown and shake her head, offering suggestions for improvement. Her conscientious and responsible attitude inspired respect. If she found any couplet even slightly crooked, she would not hesitate to call out loudly, giving timely and accurate instructions for everyone to quickly make adjustments and corrections.
In this atmosphere of concerted effort and great enthusiasm, through everyone's tireless work, the task of pasting all the couplets was successfully completed before nightfall. Looking at the courtyard filled with the festive red decorations, everyone's face was beaming with happiness and satisfaction, their hearts filled with boundless anticipation and expectation for a wonderful new year.
Now, let's talk about the Zhou family. After a year of separation, they were finally able to reunite in their hometown! The scene was more lively than anyone could have imagined. Look, Zhou Xi and her mother-in-law, Sun Lan, were busily preparing a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen. The two worked together seamlessly, chatting and laughing as their hands moved with perfect precision. When chopping vegetables, the knife moved swiftly and rhythmically; when stir-frying, the spatula flipped the ingredients, filling the air with aroma; when simmering soup, the heat was perfectly controlled, the broth bubbling and simmering...
Meanwhile, a joyful and peaceful atmosphere filled the courtyard. The sister-in-law, accustomed to a life of luxury and comfort, unexpectedly displayed an astonishingly skillful paper-cutting technique. Holding a small, delicate pair of scissors, she moved them like a nimble little sprite, her slender fingers dancing rapidly. In the blink of an eye, exquisitely beautiful patterns of flowers, birds, fish, and insects appeared vividly on the thin sheet of paper. Some seemed poised to take flight, others playfully frolic, and still others leisurely stroll, as if they might leap off the paper at any moment. The children watching nearby stared wide-eyed in amazement, frequently exclaiming heartfelt praise, "Wow, so beautiful!" "Auntie is amazing!" They chattered excitedly, their excitement overflowing. Encouraged, the children picked up scissors and tried to cut out simple patterns, such as snowflakes, butterflies, and fish. Although their skills were a little clumsy, their earnestness was truly adorable.
Look at Yang Yuxuan and Zhou Dong; they weren't idle either. Zhou Dong shouldered the important task of going out to buy New Year's goods, rushing to the market; while Yang Yuxuan was busy at home setting up the stove and constantly adding firewood to make the fire burn brightly. In this way, when the family sits together to enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner later, they will feel a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Just then, Old Zhou slapped his forehead, as if suddenly realizing something, and said, "Oh dear! Look at my memory! That brat Zhou Dong was in such a hurry when he left that I completely forgot to remind him to buy couplets. What if he forgets? How can we celebrate the New Year without putting up couplets! It's all my fault, how could I forget something so important!" With that, Old Zhou shook his head in annoyance.
“Father-in-law, please don’t worry! This couplet isn’t anything rare. I’ll take a stroll around the village and see if I can get a few more couplets from the villagers.” Yang Yuxuan smiled and gently comforted his father-in-law, Old Master Zhou, before striding briskly towards the Su family home.
As fate would have it, just as Yang Yuxuan arrived at the Su family home, the family had just finished posting their couplets. Upon hearing the reason for Yang Yuxuan's visit, the eldest Su brother immediately picked up a brush and wrote several new couplets with flowing, elegant strokes. The second Su brother, meanwhile, quickly began preparing the paste, and in no time, steaming hot, fragrant paste was ready. Then, the two Su brothers, beaming with smiles, accompanied Yang Yuxuan to the Zhou family home to help them post their couplets.
When the group arrived at the Zhou family's house, the children were overjoyed to see guests bringing couplets. They rushed over like a flock of happy birds, curiously gathering around to watch. Yang Yuxuan skillfully picked up a brush, dipped it in paste, and carefully applied it to the door frame. The eldest and second eldest sons of the Su family each held the upper and lower couplets, carefully comparing their positions to ensure they were neatly pasted together. However, the horizontal scroll was slightly too high. Just as everyone was struggling with the situation, Ye Beichen, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. He nimbly climbed the ladder, steadily took the horizontal scroll, and successfully pasted it to the center of the top of the door frame.
After a concerted effort, all the couplets were finally posted. The bright red paper, paired with the ink-black characters, stood out against the snow-white walls, instantly filling the Zhou family courtyard with a strong festive atmosphere.
"Good children, thank you for your help! Please stay and have dinner with us!" Old Zhou invited with a smile, but the Su brothers and Ye Beichen waved their hands and said, "No, no, dinner is already prepared at home, we're going back!" "Alright then, drive carefully on your way!" Old Zhou smiled and waved goodbye to them.
I just got home when news came from the kitchen that the New Year's Eve dinner was ready. So everyone washed their hands and went inside. The table was laden with a sumptuous feast; the braised pork, stewed until tender and flavorful, emitted an enticing aroma, and the freshly baked dumplings were still steaming. Everyone sat together, with the elders taking the seats of honor. Old Su happily offered some New Year's greetings, and then everyone began to eat.
The second son of the Su family had a particular fondness for the crystal-clear, smooth-textured aspic, and would always indulge in it with great relish at every meal. Knowing this, the woman would always thoughtfully place her carefully prepared chilled aspic in front of him so that he could fully enjoy this delicious treat.
The gentle and charming Princess Wan'er had a particular fondness for fresh and delicious shrimp. The woman, of course, knew this, and she would carefully peel the shells off each boiled shrimp and gently place them on Princess Wan'er's exquisite plate.
Meanwhile, Su Yuning also loved the delicious boiled shrimp, but compared to her daughter-in-law Princess Wan'er, the daughter-in-law's position was clearly more important in the woman's heart. Therefore, Su Yuning could only resort to her charming and coquettish skills, pleading with Ye Beichen, who was standing beside her, to peel the shrimp for her. She rested her chin on her hands, her beautiful eyes filled with affection, looking utterly endearing.
Compared to Princess Wan'er, who lived a life of luxury where everything was done for her, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Su family displayed a completely different temperament—mature and composed. She showed no arrogance whatsoever; on the contrary, she was extremely diligent and considerate. During the meal, she not only proactively served the eldest son his favorite dishes but also tirelessly cared for the children. She was busy feeding one child and quickly fetching water for another, keeping herself very busy, yet her face always radiated a happy smile.
Laughter and cheerful conversation filled the room as people reminisced about the past year and shared their hopes for the future. Ye Beichen and Su Yuning occasionally exchanged glances, their eyes filled with love. After dinner, the children eagerly ran outside to set off fireworks. The colorful fireworks illuminated the night sky, and everyone stood in the courtyard gazing up, feeling the joy of family reunion and silently praying for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
Inside the palace, lanterns and decorations were everywhere, creating a festive atmosphere. The New Year's Eve feast was especially lively, featuring not only a large-scale song and dance performance meticulously choreographed by numerous palace maids, whose graceful movements and melodious songs were captivating; but also a dazzling array of New Year's Eve dishes laid out on the table, their aromas filling the air and making mouths water.
Look! Those delicious dishes, each one a feast for the eyes and the palate: Shredded pork with garlic sauce, tender shreds of pork paired with spicy and flavorful seasonings, exuding an irresistible aroma; Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a broth made with a variety of precious ingredients, simmered for a long time, its rich and mellow flavor leaving a lingering aftertaste; Boiled cabbage in clear broth, seemingly simple and ordinary, but actually extremely complex in its preparation, its delicate and elegant flavor truly exceptional; Seafood platter, a gathering of various fresh seafood, lobster, crab, shellfish, and more, vying for attention, radiating the essence of the sea; Stir-fried lamb with scallions, the aroma of scallions perfectly blending with the savory flavor of lamb, melting in your mouth; Cold beef salad, the firm meat tossed in a special sauce, refreshing and appetizing...
The Emperor and Empress sat side by side on their high thrones, clad in magnificent dragon and phoenix robes, exuding elegance and radiance. Below, the assembled officials knelt in obeisance, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" and offering their sincerest congratulations. Yet, despite the beauty of this scene, the Emperor felt a deep unease, a sense that something important was missing.
In previous years, the emperor and his consort would stay in the palace on New Year's Eve to keep watch and accompany his wife. This year, however, the consort chose to accompany his wife back to her hometown for the holiday. Although the emperor felt a pang of reluctance, he was mostly gratified that his consort could reunite with his family and celebrate the festival together. After all, family ties are invaluable to everyone.
Meanwhile, outside the palace, the Su family home was also filled with a joyous and peaceful atmosphere. On New Year's Eve, according to custom, both adults and children were required to stay up all night. Ye Beichen and the second son of the Su family led a group of adorable children to the courtyard to set off fireworks. Brilliant fireworks bloomed in the sky, like blossoming flowers, illuminating the entire night. The children cheered excitedly, their laughter echoing throughout the house.
Meanwhile, the women inside the room sat together, chatting happily. Su Yuning held her mother's hand tightly, her face beaming with a happy smile, and softly told her mother about her married life. Her mother listened attentively to her daughter's words, a smile of satisfaction appearing on her face from time to time, her eyes full of love and blessings for her daughter. Princess Wan'er, standing nearby, also joined in enthusiastically, vividly recounting various interesting anecdotes from the palace, eliciting gasps of amazement and bursts of laughter from the crowd.