CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 124: THE NEW YEAR IS COMING

Wu Yuekai asked about Luo Er’s family after hearing about their situation because he thought highly of Luo Xudong. He was a man who put the country first and couldn’t sleep soundly even for a moment. He hoped to see a united family when Luo Xudong returned gloriously.

This was his way of protecting a soldier.

Wu Yuekai also had many questions on his mind. A few years ago, he had interacted with Luo Xudong due to a mission, and Luo Xudong had told him that arrangements had been made at home. But now it seemed that either things hadn’t been arranged properly, or there had been many changes since then.

Or perhaps both!

Due to discipline, Wu Yuekai couldn’t interfere with others’ tasks or matters related to Luo Xudong, including his family. However, through Beisitian, he might be able to do some things within his capacity.

At least, that’s what he initially thought. But after learning about what had happened in Luo Xudong’s family during this period, he thought they might not need his help after all.

In this way, Wu Yuekai decided to watch and wait. If they needed help, he would extend a helping hand.

Beisitian didn’t explicitly state the family’s situation, and Wu Yuekai didn’t want to pry, so they returned to discussing calligraphy. They each shared their insights, both benefiting greatly from the exchange.

The more Wu Yuekai interacted with Beisitian, the more he noticed her uniqueness.

She did not have the usual views of a rural girl, yet her family background was clear and straightforward, which made Wu Yuekai even more amazed.

Because Wu Yuekai’s location was closer to Kao Village and more convenient than going to Qingzhou Town, Beisitian visited more often.

During this time, her calligraphy improved significantly, making Feng Yunzhang both envious and pleased.

He was envious because Beisitian, at such a young age, had surpassed him and gained Mr. Wu’s favor. He was pleased because her calligraphy was selling more than before, with many returning customers wanting her work.

Through more interactions with Wu Yuekai, Beisitian discovered two things: first, many of Wu Yuekai’s habits were similar to her master’s, and sometimes she would subconsciously consider him as such. Her uncertainty about whether Wu Yuekai was indeed her master grew.

Second, she found that Wu Yuekai’s health was not good. He had various ailments, with significant vascular and skeletal aging, liver damage, and was plagued by chronic rheumatism.

Due to Wu Yuekai’s special status, he was surrounded by many orderlies and medics, making it impossible for Beisitian to intervene casually.

However, the more she interacted with him, the fonder she grew of Wu Yuekai, and she hated to see him suffer daily from illness.

Unfortunately, Beisitian’s spirit would only be effective if she stayed long-term with Wu Yuekai. One-time or intermittent treatments showed minimal results.

The leaves soon fell off the trees, leaving the forest bare, with leaves on the ground rotting into the earth, adding to the desolation.

Winter at the mountain foot was extremely harsh. Mrs. Qin fished out the padded clothes and pants from the bottom of the chest and had everyone put them on.

She was considered late, as half a month ago, many in the village were already wearing them. Thanks to Beisitian’s health maintenance, their family had a good foundation, allowing them to withstand the cold even without much body fat.

"Mother, I’ll go to town tomorrow to get some fabric and make a few sets of winter clothes," Beisitian said.

The padded clothes they were wearing were very old, and now that she had money, there was no need to be frugal here.

Mrs. Qin’s eyes had fully recovered over a month ago, and she had started knitting woolen socks and making cotton shoes for the family.

Woolen socks, lined with an inner layer, kept their feet warm, preventing them from getting cold.

Once you get frostbite, it recurs every winter. Luo Anguo, despite wearing woolen socks and cotton shoes, still got frostbite and used to soak his feet in water boiled with chili branches every year, ensuring it didn’t worsen.

Unlike others, being paralyzed in the lower limbs, Luo Anguo wouldn’t feel it when his feet itched after getting frostbite, which could easily worsen the condition.

However, this winter, Luo Anguo was stunned to find feeling returning to his feet, and the frostbite kept itching, making him instinctively want to scratch, which was somewhat embarrassing for a cultured person.

If it were before, Luo Anguo would have thought it unsightly, even in front of his wife. But now, he was too delighted!

"Little Tian’er, I can feel where it’s frozen!" Luo Anguo joyfully told Beisitian.

Luo Anguo was probably the only one happy about having frozen feet!

Beisitian smiled and said, "This is just laying the groundwork for treatment, just like with Mother earlier. The estimate is that by the time it warms up, the real treatment can begin."

Warmer weather would mean next year, and it wouldn’t even be a year away. Could Luo Anguo not wait?

He was all smiles, so long as there was hope for a cure.

Seeing Mrs. Qin brewing foot-soothing water with chili branches, Beisitian added some other herbs, making the bath more effective and easing the discomfort of frostbite.

"Let’s buy some couplets for this year; it’s been two or three years since we last bought any," Mrs. Qin said to Luo Anguo.

For rural New Year celebrations, festivity and cheer were paramount. Every household put up couplets and the Chinese character for "happiness." Their family used to be too poor even to afford food, let alone couplets!

"No need to buy any. Little Tian’er’s writing is much better than what’s outside!" Luo Anguo said.

Seeing Beisitian’s calligraphy, he no longer cared for others’ writings.

Writing couplets was a small task, and naturally, Beisitian planned to write a set for her family. Her thoughts, however, were more on paper-cutting for window decorations.

In her past life, she had learned some simple window patterns, like the double happiness character. But to Mrs. Qin, these were mere child’s play.

Mrs. Qin’s window cuttings were intricate and beautiful, featuring two children waving, two fish joined head to tail, and floral patterns.

In recent days, Zhang Qiao Niang visited daily to do paper-cutting with Mrs. Qin. They hadn’t done this together for many years, not since Mrs. Qin lost her sight.

The kang was littered with scraps of red paper, the outer room had jars of meat prepared for New Year, and the chickens in the yard were fully grown, ready to be slaughtered for the meal on the eve of the thirtieth.

Luo Er’s family hadn’t prepared for a decent New Year for a long time!

Luo Anping eagerly awaited the New Year, playing in the yard with Zhuangzhuang, who was as tall as his knees. The chickens ran around wildly, leaving feathers scattered everywhere.

Compared to the joyful atmosphere at Luo Er’s, several families in the village weren’t doing as well.

At Luo’s house, Qin Hongmei was so frustrated she felt like spitting blood, and the Ba Wang Zhang Family fared even worse. They likely wouldn’t be able to afford a single meat-stuffed dumpling this New Year!