"That's great!" Chun Tao said cheerfully. "Today is Chinese New Year's Eve. We don't need to go out and deal with those annoying things. We can just stay at home and prepare the reunion dinner for tonight."
Yes, today was Chinese New Year's Eve...
Li Wanming's gaze casually drifted out of the window. She saw a plum blossom branch had somehow reached over the wall from outside the yard. It was as white as snow and exuded a faint fragrance.
There was a custom in the capital city. Seeing the plum blossoms in full bloom on Chinese New Year's Eve was considered an auspicious omen.
Li Wanming curled the corner of her lips. She mocked herself inwardly. In her current state, what kind of auspicious omen could there be for her?
But Chun Tao didn't care about all this. When she saw the plum blossoms in the corner, she was extremely delighted. Immediately, she broke off two branches and brought them into the room to put in a vase for Li Wanming.
"The young master said that plum blossoms look best when placed in a narrow - mouthed vase with a big belly. This kind of vase even has a name. It's called a plum vase," Chun Tao said merrily.
After she finished this, she started to drag Qing Lan to cut window paper - cuts and write Spring Festival couplets. Her whole heart and eyes were filled with the atmosphere of the New Year.
"Back in Min Province, every time the New Year was coming, the mistress would buy each of us a set of new clothes. She would also ask the eldest young miss to tie our hair into those really nice little buns and tie them up with red ribbons, saying it was for good luck. The eldest young miss was so skillful. She could even make really nice bows for us..."
Chun Tao's face was beaming with joy. She grabbed Qing Lan and chattered on and on.
As she spoke, Li Wanming's thoughts gradually drifted away.
Back in Min Province, every Chinese New Year's Eve was spent by the three sisters with their father and mother.
Min Province was not as cold as the capital city. Even in the depth of winter, the trees were lush and the flowers were in full bloom. So around the New Year every year, the most bustling place in Min Province was the flower market.
The most popular items in the flower market were the bright yellow delicate persimmons, the kumquats as big as a baby's fist, and the green cypress branches. Smart merchants would put these three plants in the same potted plant and named it "All things will turn out well."
Apart from "All things will turn out well", every year the mother would also buy a few pots of narcissus and three branches of peach blossoms and place them in the sisters' rooms. She said it was what Aunt Liu had said. It was called "The peach tree is young and charming, with its blossoms in full bloom. This young lady is getting married and will make a good wife and mother." She hoped that all her daughters would have a good future...
Later, when they came to the capital city, there was the grandmother in the family, as well as the annoying great - aunt and cousin.
Li Wanming didn't have a very happy time in those two years. Because He Shi and Sun Miaoqing often came and stayed for several days. During the New Year, they were like dog - skin plasters, sticking to the Li family and couldn't be driven away... Although the days were a bit bumpy, it was extremely lively and definitely not lonely.
After that, she got married.
Chinese New Year's Eve became the time to spend with her husband.
Last year, her father - in - law and mother - in - law suddenly fell ill on Chinese New Year's Eve and didn't celebrate the festival with her. But the next day, they still gave her a big red envelope, wishing her a happy and smooth year.
But now...
The yard was so quiet.
Her husband was not there.
There was no movement from the direction of Qinghui Hall either. It seemed as if her father - in - law and mother - in - law had disappeared overnight.
Li Wanming vaguely felt that she was like the scholar in the story who went to the capital city for the imperial examination. By chance, he had strayed into a fox fairy's illusion. Everywhere he saw, the flowers were in full bloom and the petals were fluttering.
She had spent a care - free time in this illusion.
But the good times didn't last long. The beautiful dream would eventually wake up.
Once she opened her eyes, there was only broken walls and desolation everywhere.
"... When we celebrate the New Year in Min Province, fish is a must on the table! Every year, the fish in our family was caught by the second young miss from the river herself. It was so fat and fresh. It was delicious!"
"One year, we don't know what happened to the third young miss. She ate something bad and vomited and had diarrhea for several days. The mistress didn't let her have the reunion dinner. She only let her drink porridge. The third young miss was so angry that she asked me to release the fish the second young miss caught in advance. So none of us could eat it that night. Hahaha..."
Chun Tao laughed heartlessly, completely unaware of Qing Lan's embarrassed expression across from her.
Li Wanming turned her face slightly and said to Qing Lan, "Go to the academy and see the elder sisters. Tell them I'm fine. Ask them not to worry."
"This..." Qing Lan hesitated a bit.
Li Wanming said, "Don't worry. I won't go out today."
Then she turned back and looked at the misty sky outside the window. She said softly, "I won't go anywhere. I'll just stay here and wait for him to come back."
Silly Chun Tao. She thought the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was a very high - ranking official.
As long as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue didn't cause trouble, they could have a peaceful and happy New Year.
She didn't know that above the white clouds was the blue sky.
The blue sky was so high. It was more than 90,000 miles away.
It was already beyond the reach of human eyesight...
Above the minister, there were earls, marquises, princesses, princes, imperial princesses, the empress dowager, the imperial family, and the five prominent clans with seven prestigious branches... A mere Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was nothing.
Qing Lan hesitated for a while but still left.
Although the young master had told her to protect Li Wanming well, Wan Xin and Wan Mo were still in the academy. If something happened to them, Li Wanming would be heart - broken.
So she had to go on this trip.
Before leaving, Qing Lan specifically found Wu Yao and told him to protect Li Wanming well.
Wu Yao scratched his head in confusion. "Sister Qing Lan, you said on this New Year's Day, who would come to look for the young master's wife?"
Xiao Jingnan had said something similar to him yesterday, but he didn't understand. Later, he couldn't help but ask Lu Ping. Lu Ping just told him not to pry into other people's business and didn't say a single word more.
Qing Lan said, "I don't know. But since the young master has given the order, there must be a reason. The prince and princess have returned to the Ning Palace. There are only a few of you in this mansion today. You must be careful."
She stuffed a token into Wu Yao's hand. "This is the young master's token. You can mobilize the Black - Armored Cavalry if necessary."
Wu Yao looked at the heavy token in disbelief. "No... It can't be that serious..."
The Black - Armored Cavalry was the private army of the Prince of Ning. They were well - equipped heavy - armored cavalry. Even among all the cavalry in the Great Sheng Dynasty, they were one of the most elite troops.
"I also hope it won't be that serious..." Qing Lan said uneasily. "If it really comes to the last resort, you must protect the young master's wife."
Wu Yao slowly tightened his grip on the token and nodded solemnly.
The sun gradually rose. In the blink of an eye, it was noon.
Chun Tao was a bit puzzled. She came to the door and looked out. "Didn't they say they were going out to buy New Year's goods? Why haven't they come back yet?"
She was talking about the Prince and Princess of Ning, as well as Uncle Zhong, Nanny Yu, and Zifu.
These five people had disappeared early in the morning. They just sent Sister Liu to report to Li Wanming that they had something to go out... Chun Tao thought they had gone out to buy New Year's goods.
Li Wanming smiled faintly. "Chun Tao, ask Sister Liu to serve lunch. Don't wait for them."