Xie Yan rarely heard such direct praise, which made him feel proud.
When they arrived at the clinic and saw the old doctor, he said without hesitation, “Let’s get some medicine!” as he slammed the silver coins on the table.
The old doctor glanced at the silver coins, snorted, and blew his beard up.
Lu Yang lowered his head, trying to suppress a smile.
His son, the top scholar, was simply adorable!
This follow-up visit went smoothly. Lu Yang didn’t follow the doctor’s instructions properly, still busy every day with his thoughts, but he no longer felt the same oppression and gloom as before. His mood was more relaxed, which was beneficial for his recovery. Additionally, he had moved to the county nearly two weeks ago, slept more each day, no longer exposed to the biting cold winds, and though his appetite was slightly diminished, his overall condition was satisfactory.
After leaving the clinic, Lu Yang felt deeply moved and wanted to cheer up Xie Yan. He took her for a walk on the street and bought her a spool of silk thread.
“When we get home, I’ll braid two red strings—one for you and one for me. Even the Matchmaker God won’t be able to separate us.”
Xie Yan liked this idea and kissed him on the street.
Lu Yang was embarrassed, but he wasn’t shy.
…………………………
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the Lantern Festival.
Lu Yang and Xie Yan packed their things and prepared to return to Lu Jia Tun to pay New Year’s respects to their two fathers and stay overnight.
The New Year festivities had kept them busy, and they had to return now.
In the village, if a family was small and couldn’t produce enough grain, they would be looked down upon.
Marrying off their children could change their fortune, depending on which family they married into. Lu Yang and Xie Yan’s fathers understood their busy schedules, but outsiders didn’t. They wouldn’t say anything nice about it.
They returned late, on the fifteenth day of the New Year. When Lu Yang and Lu Lin arrived, they went with Xie Yan to the eastern district to buy two piglets.
Once the piglets arrived home, the previous matters could be put aside.
He had always said that even if the sky fell, the shop couldn’t be closed casually.
Zhao Peilan didn’t want to go with them. After some persuasion, it had no effect. Coincidentally, Lu Lin had discussed it with Zhang Tie, and tonight Lu Lin would stay in the county for the night.
No matter what, the business over the next two days couldn’t be delayed.
The Lantern Festival is a major festival, and Lu Lin had to leave the family festivities to tend the shop, which deeply moved Lu Yang.
The Lantern Festival in their county only decorates one street, near the county office.
Merchants hang lanterns and decorate with lights, while merchants from other areas join in the festivities by hanging a few extra lanterns at their doors, making the area brighter than usual. There’s not much else to it.
Some merchants might have a lucky charm, but most didn’t.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, it was just brighter than usual.
It was just brighter, but Lu Lin wanted to see it anyway.
He grew up in the village, where it was pitch black after dark. His family couldn’t afford to light oil lamps, and they were reluctant to burn candles for too long. Every household was dark at night, and he had never seen a bright night before.
Lu Yang and Xie Yan were a married couple, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him and Lu Lin to sleep on their bed. Lu Lin stayed the night in Zhao Peilan’s room.
After noon, they ate yuanxiao at the shop, and then Lu Yang and Xie Yan took the piglet and two jars of sauce home.
The sauce they had been making lately sold slowly, so they gave most of it away.
Lu Yang made sauce every day, but it was never enough to give away.
On the way, he said to Xie Yan, “I wonder if Liu Ge will be home for the Lantern Festival. I’ll meet with him and talk about this matter. It’s too far away, and it takes so long to get a reply to a message. It’s really inconvenient.”
Xie Yan chose words that Lu Yang liked to hear: “He will definitely come back. The villages aren’t that far apart, and Li Feng has a mule cart. It’s just a trip away.”
Lu Yang was pleased to hear this, but he knew in his heart that while a trip might sound easy, people are busy with their lives. A trip is simple, but the hard part is finding the time to make it.
They used a horse-drawn cart, which was faster than usual for entering the village.
Once they reached the boundary of Lu Jia Tun, Lu Yang stopped chatting idly with Xie Yan.
As they entered the village, people began to approach them, asking why they were returning at this time.
Lu Yang replied politely, “Didn’t we move to the county seat on the first day of the New Year? We also had Da Song and Er Bai help us for a few days. Then the market opened, and we were too busy at the shop to leave. Just a few days ago, we went to the courthouse to settle some old debts, and only then did we have time to come home.”
The villagers already knew about the earlier events.
No one else was working during the New Year. Lu Song and Lu Bai, the two brothers, were constantly running to the county seat, and everyone had noticed.
They didn’t think much of it, just assuming that Lu Yang had become greedy and obsessed with money. After all, what could be more important than paying respects to one’s own father during the New Year?
When they heard the rest of the story, they realized they had gone to court, and one by one, they widened their eyes in disbelief.
Almost everyone repeated the question, only then realizing that they had indeed reported it to the authorities. For those few days, they couldn’t go home and had to wait in the county for the officials to summon them.
Goodness, this couple had quietly done something big.
In court, Xie Yan won. This matter speaks to their family’s capabilities.
Now that there are fewer people, Lu Yang can bring up any matter that can create momentum.
Times have changed; their family is no longer a soft target to be manipulated by others.
Before the New Year, he had spread the word that he had connections in the county and could help others find work there.
There were two bamboo cages on the cart, lined with thick straw, and the piglets were lying on top, sleeping soundly.
Worried they might get cold, Lu Yang took the straw mat he usually used to cover the cart and draped it over the cages.
Villagers who came closer could catch a glimpse of the piglets.
Lu Yang was willing to chat with people and was extremely patient. If he couldn’t finish talking in one go, he would stop on the road and talk for a while longer, but he didn’t mention the piglets at all.
Seeing the piglets was also out of the question.
To see the piglets, one had to go to their home.
Walking and stopping, chatting and laughing, they arrived at Lu’s small, dilapidated house.
Wang Fengnian and Lu Erbao couldn’t keep their hands idle, so they sat inside the house weaving straw mats.
This stuff could be sold for money, so next time they would ask Lu Song to take it to the county town with him to sell and use the money to supplement their household expenses.
During the New Year and other festivals, it was important to have a lively atmosphere.
The couple was quiet and reserved, so they couldn’t create a lively atmosphere.
They waited and waited, thinking that Lu Yang wouldn’t be coming home this year.
A few days ago, Lu Song went to the county seat to sell mats and brought back news that business was good at their shop, but they didn’t dare to ask too many questions.
Today, Lu Yang and Xie Yan came back in high spirits, but there was only hot tea to drink at home, and no hot meals had been prepared.
Wang Fengnian was overjoyed, grabbing Lu Yang’s hand and pulling him into the house. As he did so, he noticed how thin Lu Yang’s wrist was. He rolled up his sleeve to look, and sure enough, it was very thin. Seeing this, tears welled up in his eyes.
Lu Yang still had that cheerful expression, with a lively sparkle in his eyes.
He said, “I’ve been feeling unwell lately, so I went to the clinic and got two doses of herbal medicine to drink. I drank bowl after bowl of the medicine, but I couldn’t eat any food, so naturally I lost weight. Ayan felt sorry for me, so she spent some silver to get some pills. They’ll be ready in a few days, and then I’ll be able to eat again. I’ll gain weight once I recover.”
Wang Fengnian pressed him further, “Where does it hurt? What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Yang, of course, wouldn’t mention his old ailment. He only said that he’d been running around in the snow and wind doing business recently and had caught a cold.
Catching a cold can be a minor issue or a serious one. If it leads to a high fever or persistent cough, it could even be life-threatening.
If you have the money, take a few more doses of medicine. Even after you recover, you should still take time to convalesce.
Wang Fengnian looked at Xie Yan with gratitude in his eyes.
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