Chapter 1492: Keeping My Wife Company
Chapter 1492: Chapter 1492: Keeping My Wife Company
At this time, the sky was completely dark, but the manor was very bright, with bonfires blazing and the aroma of meat wafting from the large pots over the fires.
Next to the roads in the manor stood stone pillars with fire pits on top, the flames illuminating the paths on both sides of the manor.
Under the eaves hung red lanterns, the doors were adorned with couplets and door gods, and the walls were decorated with the character for "blessing." On either side of these characters hung two red bags filled with Blessing Candy, and the children jumped up to hit the bags.
The bags had small holes, and after hitting them a few times, the Blessing Candy inside would fall out—this was called "receiving blessings."
The more Blessing Candy that fell, the more blessings would be received in the coming year.
However, each person could only hit the bags six times. If no Blessing Candy fell after six hits, they couldn’t hit them anymore.
"Hey, I refuse to believe it. Can my luck, as Niu Wujin, really be so bad? I can’t even knock out a single piece of Blessing Candy!" Niu Wujin had already tried hitting the Blessing Candy bags over at Niu’s house, but he was unlucky. He hit two bags twelve times in total and didn’t manage to knock out a single piece of Blessing Candy.
Refusing to accept his fate, he came to the Qin family’s side to try his luck again. He had already hit one bag without receiving any blessings. Now he was glaring at the last bag, spit into his palm twice, rubbed his hands together, and prepared to hit the Blessing Candy.
Bao Fukan, standing nearby, glanced at him and mocked, "According to the rules, you’re only supposed to hit your own family’s fortune bags. Even if you manage to hit the candy here, it doesn’t count."
"Ah, shut up! It’s New Year’s, can’t you say something nice?" Niu Wujin retorted angrily, "My mother said that blessings are granted by God, and you can hit anyone’s fortune bags. The Blessing Candy that falls is God-given fortune!"
Bao Fukan: "That’s your mother trying to take advantage of others, tricking you. You’re foolish to believe it."
After saying this, he showed off the Blessing Candy he had hit out himself, shook it in front of Niu Wujin, then tossed it into his mouth and crunched away at it, under Niu Wujin’s murderous glare, he said, "I hit eight pieces of Blessing Candy, I can eat a few first, don’t need to save them till tomorrow."
Blessing Candy should be saved until the first day of the year, which is called preserving blessings. However, those who hit a lot can eat a few pieces first, as long as they don’t eat them all.
Niu Wujin was astonished, "You hit two fortune bags and got eight pieces of Blessing Candy?!"
Bao Fukan nodded, "Yes."
Niu Wujin was angry, "You cheated! You must have torn the holes in the bags over there on purpose so more Blessing Candy fell out!"
"All the bags are the same, why couldn’t you hit any?" Bao Fukan delivered a fatal verbal blow, leaving Niu Wujin speechless.
Lin Xiaoshi, Lin Tongshan’s son, was watching the commotion with Bu Ling’s son. He nodded, "Brother Fukan is right, Brother Wujin, you should give up. Looks like God doesn’t want to give you any blessings. Try again next year..."
"No way! Bao Fukan is just trying to annoy me on purpose!" Niu Wujin pointed at Lin Xiaoshi, "Little Stone, don’t learn from Bao Fukan. He talks poorly, and in future, you’ll be beaten to death by tough guys for saying the wrong things, just as he might!"
Elder Hong was watching them mess around. Hearing this, he said, "Wujin, it’s the New Year, we shouldn’t say that word, it’s inauspicious. Hurry up and hit, stop dawdling."
He then turned to Qin San Lang, "Old man wants to see if this boy’s luck is really so bad. How can he hit so many fortune bags and not knock out a single piece of Blessing Candy?"
Qin San Lang laughed, "Wujin probably won’t hit any Blessing Candy."
Daqing had told Xiao Yu that Niu Wujin couldn’t hit any Blessing Candy at Niu’s house. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu went to the fortune bags and did some tricks, tying several Blessing Candy pieces together, blocking the small holes in the bags.
Qin San Lang spoke while looking up towards the main room where Gu Jinli was eating New Year’s Eve dinner with the other womenfolk, also watching Niu Wujin outside to see if he could hit any Blessing Candy.
Niu Wujin was in luck this time. He used all his strength, jumped up, and punched the fortune bag.
Bang!
Thump, thump, thump!
Goodness, he knocked out the big piece of Blessing Candy, and after the small opening in the bag was stretched open, the remaining small Blessing Candies fell out like rain, leaving Niu Wujin stunned, "This..."
Qin San Lang and Gu Jinli were taken aback, he really did manage to knock them out.
Elder Hong laughed heartily, shouting at Niu Wujin, "Wujin, you’re skilled, looks like you’re going to have great luck this year!"
Niu Wujin snapped out of it, quickly picking the Blessing Candies off the ground, he shouted at Bao Fukan, "See? I’m God’s favored son! Even if your luck is good, at most you’re just God’s grandson!"
"You cheeky brat, do you have to take advantage of people like this? I’ll kill you!" Niu Dabao shouted, carrying two jars of wine, bringing Company Commander Zhang and Xie Cheng over to drink with Qin San Lang. He heard this upon arriving and nearly smashed the wine jar towards Niu Wujin out of anger.
"Dad, I’m wrong, you can’t hit people during New Year!" Niu Wujin said, clutching a bag of Blessing Candies and ran off.
Niu Liu Jin carried Niu Qijin on his back to chase him, "Brother, Brother, give us a few candies, we don’t have any Blessing Candies yet!"
Bao Fukan also led Lin Xiaoshi and the others after them, making the whole courtyard lively, with children running and adults laughing.
Gu Jinli was already full. Seeing Niu Dabao and the others arriving to drink with Qin San Lang, she led Nanny Tao and the others back to the main courtyard.
Not long after entering the main courtyard, Daqing arrived, telling her, "Madam, the Master said he’ll be back within two hours at the latest, so you can rest assured and not worry."
Gu Jinli nodded, "Yes, I understand. Ask You An to tell him not to drink too much; I’ll wait for him to eat dumplings."
"Understood." Daqing responded and soon left.
...
Qin San Lang returned in less than two hours, hiding something behind him, but he didn’t give it to her immediately, instead, he kept it hidden, "Xiao Yu, I’m back."
Gu Jinli was looking at an account book, she heard this and cheerfully looked up, saying, "So early, I thought you all would drink until midnight."
Qin San Lang, "We’re all married, wouldn’t stay out drinking so late."
We have to come back to be with our wives.
He continued, "I’m so dirty, I’ll take a bath first."
Gu Jinli waved her hand at him, "Go ahead, hot water and clothes are all prepared for you, just take them yourself."
This time, there’s no need for prompting, coming back willingly to take a bath, unlike before when he’d come over to hug her first.
She added, "While you’re at it, check if there’s still fire in the stove? The dumplings are kept warm on it, they need to be eaten at midnight, shouldn’t be cold."
"Okay." Qin San Lang replied, looked deeply at her, then turned and went to the bathroom to bathe, and check the fire in the stove.
After bathing, Qin San Lang went outside the courtyard and retrieved the hidden things.
Gu Jinli was snuggled under a goose down blanket on the bed, looking at the account book, when suddenly her view darkened slightly, followed by a faint sweet aroma wafting in. Before her eyes, a small basket appeared, containing two large red fruits—apples.
Gu Jinli was startled, she grabbed the basket, looked up at Qin San Lang and asked, "Where did you get these large red fruits?"
Qin San Lang smiled, "They were from before. I know you love fruit, so I kept two, planning to give them to you as a New Year’s gift on New Year’s Eve. Do you like them?"
"I love them!" Gu Jinli was overjoyed. In this harsh winter, not to mention fruit, there isn’t even a single green vegetable to be found. Being able to eat apples at this time is truly a blessing.
Qin San Lang watched her delighted expression and smiled. He leaned closer, deliberately asking, "Xiao Yu, did you prepare a New Year’s gift for me?"