CHAPTER 351: CHAPTER 326: DEAD OR ALIVE, BRING HIM BACK

The crowd, having received their reward money, were all smiles. After thanking the Sun family, they gathered in groups of threes and fives to chat and eat sunflower seeds.

Today is the New Year, and the workshop is closed, so there’s no work. The host has also prepared pastries and sunflower seeds, peanuts for everyone to enjoy at their leisure.

Everyone was very happy.

This morning, Yu Xiaolian gave New Year’s money to almost every child in the village, five wen per child. As long as they came to the Yu Family to offer New Year’s greetings and blessings, they received New Year’s money.

Yu Changhe, along with Jiang Haiqiu, delivered food to several particularly needy families in the village.

There was plenty of coarse cornmeal and some fine grain, but only enough for one family meal, intended to let them enjoy a good meal for the New Year.

This gesture by the Yu Family thoroughly won the hearts of Taohua Village’s residents. Everyone believed that although the Yu Family was wealthy, they were kind-hearted and did not engage in wicked deeds.

Therefore, in addition to being known as the Yu Landlord, Yu Changhe earned the title of Yu the Great Benefactor.

The villagers’ endless praise made Yu Changhe somewhat embarrassed. So when Qi Lizheng approached him about planning to renovate the village shrine after the New Year, Yu Changhe did not hesitate to donate twenty taels.

Here, during the New Year, there is no custom of eating dumplings or setting off firecrackers.

No one puts up couplets or window decorations either. Families with means might stick a door god on their main entrance and eat a satisfying meal of fine grain to celebrate the New Year.

Those who cannot afford it do not put up anything, and just eating their fill of coarse grains can be quite distressing.

The children don’t find the New Year particularly enjoyable or distinctive.

If there is something different, it’s that parents and grandparents won’t scold anyone on the New Year, and they might have a handful of popcorn. As for new clothes, that’s out of question; if among ten families, there’s even one willing to spend money on new clothes for their children, it’s considered exceptional.

Even the small amounts of New Year’s money the children receive from visiting homes with thick faces are confiscated by their parents once they return home. So, the New Year isn’t much happier than usual—just a bit better.

However, there is the custom of staying up on New Year’s Eve here, which means staying awake all night without sleeping.

After dinner, Yu Xiaolian nibbling on dried peaches given by Jiang Haiqiu, gathered by the stove with the children of Sun Sanye and Sun Wuye.

Yu Xiaolian laid out plenty of candies and snacks from the supermarket, and the bunch of kids ate snacks while chatting. When they reached amusing parts, they laughed out loud.

"Come, eat some sunflower seeds, have some jerky, and drink some juice. There’s hawthorn juice, peach juice, grape juice here..."

These fruit juices were poured by Yu Xiaolian into glass jars in the morning, intending for the bunch of youngsters to drink to their hearts’ content and have fun.

Mixed among a group of half-grown kids, Yu Xiaolian didn’t feel sleepy, not until around four in the morning when she truly felt tired, and some of the little ones were already nodding off, heads tilted on chairs.

Yu Xiaolian called to Zhao Erya to carry the sleeping ones to the inner room to sleep.

The kids were lost in fun and sleeping deeply, so even when Zhao Erya picked them up, they showed no signs of waking.

"Shall we sleep now?" Yu Xiaolian asked a few lively young ones including Sun Hu.

"Sister Xiaolian, you can’t sleep in on the morning of the first day of the New Year, it’s not auspicious!" Sun Manzhi looked up from the wool blanket he sat on.

Yu Xiaolian was so sleepy she could hardly keep her eyes open, "You’re not sleeping, huh? Then I’m leaving you to it. I’m going to bed."

Turning towards her room, Yu Xiaolian noticed that none of the little ones tried to stop her, and they continued their chess game.

Yu Xiaolian fell asleep as soon as she hit the kang. It wasn’t until morning when the Sun family came to call her that she remained unmoved.

"Mom, I’ll sleep a bit more!" Yu Xiaolian clung to her quilt, unwilling to rise.

The Sun family couldn’t help her and left Yu Xiaolian to sleep more.

But it felt to Yu Xiaolian that she hadn’t slept long when the Sun family came to call her again. This time, she really couldn’t keep lying down and got up yawning.

Still tired, Yu Xiaolian washed up and checked the time, eight in the morning.

Yu Xiaolian was genuinely speechless. Sleeping until eight was the privilege she had thick-skinnedly negotiated. She particularly wanted to see how the little turnips were doing.

Upon entering the living room, she saw the few little ones were all full of energy except for herself, who was drooping.

"Are none of you tired?" Yu Xiaolian was puzzled.

"Not tired! It’s rare to have a holiday, we have to play for three days and nights straight," Sun Manzhi said excitedly.

Sun Manyuan, munching on a roasted sweet potato, joyfully agreed, "Yes, studying is hard. We rarely get a holiday, so we have to play all through the night."

Yu Xiaolian, reluctant to argue with these little ones, headed straight to sit in a chair.

Zhao Erya came over and asked Yu Xiaolian, "Hungry? We’ve all eaten. What would you like? I’ll get it for you."

Yu Xiaolian waved her hand, "Not hungry, just tired!"

The Sun family, holding Yu Zixuan, approached, "Even if you’re tired, hang in there. Being groggy on the morning of the first day of the New Year can affect your fortune for the whole year. After lunch, sleep if you want."

Yu Xiaolian helplessly pouted, "Got it."

Not seeing Yu Changhe around, Yu Xiaolian asked the Sun family, "Where’s my dad?"

The Sun family replied, "Gone to Qi Lizheng’s home for New Year greetings."

Yu Xiaolian acknowledged with an "oh" and said no more.

The Sun family, seeing Yu Xiaolian’s listless appearance, reflected that their daughter couldn’t stay up late as well as an older person.

"Sister, hug!" Yu Zixuan reached out stubby arms to Yu Xiaolian, speaking in a sweet voice.

Yu Xiaolian, not refusing, took Yu Zixuan and started playing with her.

Yu Xiaolian thought about taking Zhao Erya and a few others back to Luocheng after the Lantern Festival.

Since school officially started on the tenth day of the month, Sun Hu and the others had to return to stay in Xiangyang Lane by the ninth, Sun Mancang tasked with driving them back.

Unexpectedly, Sun Mancang returned with startling news.

The Emperor decreed Prince Jin to return to his fief with his family, forbidden to enter the capital without summons.

The specific reason Prince Jin was dismissed by the Emperor was unknown to civilians, but both commoners and courtiers knew Prince Jin had lost favor and probably wouldn’t be able to compete with other princes in the future.

Prince Jin returned with his family to the mansion in Luocheng. Does that mean Fu Zihan is back?

Yu Xiaolian furrowed her brows, perhaps Fu Zihan could shed light on why Prince Jin was disdained by the Emperor.

In the book, Prince Jin, though not having a smooth journey, never suffered such harsh punishment from the Emperor. Could it be related to the theft of the old Prince’s Tomb?

It seems uncertain whether Prince Jin will ascend the throne in this lifetime!

"Was there anything else besides Prince Jin returning with his family to his fief?" Yu Xiaolian asked Sun Mancang.

Sun Mancang wore a serious expression, "I heard County Magistrate Ma is missing, whether alive or dead is unknown. Prince Jin dispatched people to Mang Mountain to search, saying they want to see him alive or his corpse."