Chapter 14: Happy New Year
Madam Li coughed so violently it seemed to tear her apart as she was racked with gut-wrenching fits for quite some time.
Before the New Year, she had already shown symptoms of coughing up blood. Her nights were sleepless, her days clouded in confusion. After enduring for so long, her body began to feel like a piece of thin, worn silk: repeatedly washed, scrubbed, and wrung out, its weave loosened, its colors faded, its texture coarse. Holes began to appear, losing all semblance of its original form.
The room was heavy with the bitter smell of medicine. Inside, someone lit a lamp, and the sound of tea being poured into a cup could be heard. A man helped her sit up, bringing the warm tea to her lips. His voice, low and rich, gently said: “Drink some water to soothe your throat.”
Her vision blurred and spun from the coughing, her eyes unable to focus on his face. Gasping raggedly, she asked faintly, “Is the old year over yet?”
“Almost,” Li Wei replied. “It’s nearly the third watch. Listen, the sound of firecrackers hasn’t stopped yet.”
Madam Li swallowed the metallic tang in her throat and listened carefully. Distant noises echoed faintly, and she nodded. “Changliu?”
“Asleep. He was so tired he couldn’t stay awake.” Li Wei adjusted her sitting position. “I’ll go prepare your medicine. When the sun rises, I’ll ask Physician Hu to come take a look.”
She clutched Li Wei’s sleeve, her voice weak. “It’s the New Year. Master, let me be for a while? Isn’t the room already filled with enough of this medicine stench?”
“Medicine must be taken,” he said. “How much of the herbs Kang Suicheng brought over is left? If it’s running low, I’ll have him send more.”
“Master, spare me. This prescription I’m taking, a mere ounce of herbs costs two ounces of gold. Every sip I take weighs heavy on my conscience. Changliu is getting older, and I need to save for his future. How can I squander what little this family has like this?”
Her face dimmed as she sighed. “Li Wei, I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”
He continued to comfort her, his tone steady. “It’s nothing more than minor ailments from lingering exhaustion, a slight imbalance in your qi and blood. Rest and recovery will do the trick, nothing to despair over. If you feel the current medicine isn’t working well or you’re tired of it, we can try a different prescription. There are many skilled healers in Liangzhou. I can take you to see them.”
“You all say the same thing. Always so good at coaxing me, but I’ve grown tired of hearing them. Even if no one tells me the truth, I know my own body better than anyone. Like the dewdrops on a blade of grass–when the sun rises, it’ll vanish. I’ve held on for years, barely hanging on and scraping by, but every lamp has its oil. When it’s spent, the flame goes out.”
Madam Li understood her situation clearly, but her only regret was that her child hadn’t yet grown up. She feared she wouldn’t live to see his future unfold.
“When did you grow so despondent?” Li Wei smiled faintly. “All these years, haven’t things been fine? I’m here, Chang Liu is here, what’s there to worry about?”
“Wei’er, I’m so tired.” Her palms were slightly cold as she held Li Wei’s hand, confiding her heartfelt thoughts in the quiet of the night. “All these years, I’ve been a burden to you. When we were young, I was your elder sister and always treated you as my younger brother. I know that if I hadn’t been so sickly, Father wouldn’t have begged you to marry me. You, as an adoptive son, wouldn’t have stayed in this house. No matter how you put it, it’s my fault–I’ve ruined your life.”
A few tears slid down her face, landing silently on his sleeve and disappearing into the fabric without a trace. “I know you had no choice.”
Li Wei remembered the day Madam Li got married. His pale and frail elder sister, who always greeted him with gentle, soft smiles, wore a bright red wedding dress. The vibrant, jubilant color lit up her face, making it shine with an almost radiant vitality. That day, he had truly been happy for her.
Changliu awoke from a vivid dream where he had been holding his parents’ hands, setting off firecrackers and playing in the ash piles in the courtyard. The thunderous explosions of the firecrackers were so loud that he couldn’t even hear his parents’ voices beside him. Then, all of a sudden, Ah Huang leapt toward him in the dream, licking his face with warm breaths. The sensation jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, as expected, he saw Ah Huang perched at the edge of the kang, licking his face. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around and realized he was still lying on the kang, covered under a blanket. Daylight streamed through the window, and beside him, Chun Tian was watching him, smiling gently.
He was dazed, scratching the back of his head, and asked in confusion “How long did I sleep?”
“Not long, just a little while,” Chun Tian held out his new clothes. Seeing him startled awake from his dream, shedding his usual composure and shyness, with his wide, round eyes full of confusion, she smiled and said, “Go inside and pay New Year’s greetings to the Madam and Master.”
“I clearly…” Changliu’s lips tightened as he clutched the corner of quilt, savoring the vividness of the dream. From the corner of his eye, he saw Chun Tian’s slender hand reaching to lift the quilt. His heart suddenly skipped, and a flush of shyness spread across his face. “Chun Tian-jiejie, please don’t trouble yourself.”
Chun Tian withdrew her hand with a smile. “Alright.”
After dressing, Changliu entered his parents’ room to find his mother lying in bed, her face weary, while his father sat nearby with a bowl of medicine in hand. Realizing he had overslept and missed staying up for the New Year vigil, he felt a pang of regret. Bowing deeply, he greeted them for the New Year. His mother, full of affection, pulled him into a loving embrace. “My son is another year older.”
“Mother,” Changliu buried himself in her arms, full of guilt. “I fell asleep and didn’t keep vigil with you.”
Madam Li gently patted his head. “Father stayed up for us. Next year, we’ll let Changliu keep vigil.”
From under her pillow, Madam Li retrieved a longevity cord and tied it around his wrist. “This year doesn’t count. Next year, Mother and Changliu will stay up together, alright?”
The couple showered their son with affection and care. Born in early spring, Changliu was now twelve by nominal age, a milestone year. Though they did not plan an elaborate celebration, it was customary to send out congratulatory sweets and eggs to their neighbors. Furthermore, he had finished his early studies at the private school, and starting after the New Year, his parents would begin choosing a reputable academy for him to continue his education.
There were three major academies in Ganzhou Prefecture: Ganquan, Nanhua, and Tianshan Academies. The first two were state-run institutions located within the city, admitting the children of officials and those who excelled in exams. The latter, Tianshan Academy, was located outside the city on Gangu Mountain and was overseen by the great scholar, Master Zhang Bingwen, a renowned figure of the Hexi region, who was also known as Master Fushan. The academy not only focused on classical texts but also engaged in discussions of current affairs, taught archery and hunting, and had a large number of disciples.
His parents asked for his thoughts, and Changliu hesitated before answering, “I heard Master Fushan is a man of vast knowledge, both ancient and modern. This child deeply admires him. My teacher also said Tianshan Academy offers the best education. He encouraged me to study diligently at home and prepare for the entrance examination after the New Year.”
In the neighborhood, Wang xiucai, whose pride was known to be greater than his head, also favored Changliu, showing him much attention and favor. If he could one day receive teachings directly from Master Fushan, it would be the best possible outcome for him.
“Tianshan Academy’s standards are strict, only one in a hundred gets in. You must prepare well and not cry if you fail.”
“Changliu understands,” Changliu nodded. After a pause, he added earnestly, “Tomorrow, I’ll ask Jiayan if he wants to take the entrance exam with me for the academy.”
Madam Li’s hand trembled as she caressed his face. “If Jiayan can join you, the two of you staying together would ease Mother’s worries. Who knows how happy your Auntie Lu would be?”
Li Wei handed her the now cooled bowl of medicine with a smile. “For the sake of our child’s thoughtfulness, you must drink your medicine.”
Changliu quickly took the bowl. “Let me feed Mother her medicine.”
The family of three chatted in the room, while Chun Tian sat in the main hall with Ah Huang. The dog, both lazy and gluttonous, wanted to try everything, regardless of whether it was edible. Since no one had fed him in the morning, he was tugging at Chun Tian’s skirt, eagerly chewing on whatever he could get his paws on.
Chun Tian chuckled, her brows and lashes curved in a joyful arc, her eyes sparkling. She tugged at Ah Huang’s ear playfully. “Mutt, you’re going to tear my good skirt!” Ah Huang barked a few times, then tugged at her, pulling her toward the kitchen to search for food for himself.
After breakfast, Li Wei took Changliu out for New Year’s greetings. Madam Li, who had slept fitfully during the night, was persuaded by Li Wei to stay in bed and rest after taking her medicine. As an outsider, Chun Tian refrained from joining the father and son on their visits and stayed at home with Ah Huang. One person and one dog passed the time quietly; Chun Tian worked her needlework while the dog sat.
Her thoughts wandered back to her childhood. Her father’s stipend had been meager, only ten strings of coins a month. Besides supporting the three of them, they also kept a maidservant, Lanxiang. Her mother had to take on embroidery work to make ends meet, earning five hundred coins for a single handkerchief. Even after covering the household’s expenses, there was enough left to buy her sweets, candied treats, preserved fruits and pretty little trinkets. Looking back, those days were perhaps her happiest: her parents alive and doting on her like a precious gem, life carefree and full of joy.
Chun Tian’s embroidery skills had been taught by her mother. While not as refined, they were still presentable. Lu Mingyue often commissioned her work, paying a hundred coins for a silk handkerchief. A hundred coins was enough to buy a fresh lychee shipped all the way from Guangdong in Chang’an, or a flask of Li Taibai’s famous Drunken Immortal wine, or a coarse meal at a rural tavern along the roadside. It was also sufficient to sustain an ordinary laborer for a day. On sleepless nights, she would often lie awake counting her saved coins, realizing that wealth, no matter how tempting, was something no one could easily let go of.
Hearing rustling sounds from Madam Li’s room, Chun Tian put down her needlework and found Madam Li struggling to rise.
“Madam had only just fallen asleep, why get up so soon?” Chun Tian asked, seeing Madam Li opening her trousseau to prepare for dressing. “Master asked you to rest properly.”
“On the first day of the New Year, I can’t be this lazy. If someone comes to pay New Year’s greetings and sees this, what will they think?” Madam Li felt that the room was stuffy, so she reached out her hand to push the window open to get some fresh air.
“Be careful.” Outside, the snow had stopped, and the sky was clear, but the cold wind cut through the air like a knife, blowing refreshingly. Chun Tian was worried that Madam Li might catch a chill from the wind, so she quickly rushed over to close the window. “It’s cold outside, Madam, please be careful not to catch a cold.”
Madam Li smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“If the room feels stuffy, let’s sit in the side chamber. The kang bed there is warm, and the windows are bright.” Chun Tian reached out to comb Madam Li’s hair, “There is wonton soup in the kitchen, I’ll bring Madam a bowl of wonton soup to try.”
Madam Li laughed. “You’re running about doing everything; I feel so guilty having you, a guest, help with household chores. This isn’t proper as you are not a servant in this household. Just focus on eating and living well here, don’t worry about doing any work” She took Chun Tian’s delicate hands in her own. “With hands like these, so soft and smooth, you must have been well cared for at home. How pitiful to be in such circumstances now.”
Chun Tian smiled. “It’s just small household tasks. I used to help my mother often, it’s no trouble.”
Madam Li studied her reflection in the mirror. The girl had lowered her head demurely, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and her peach-blossom lips were striking. Now recovered from her illness, her complexion had transformed into something fresh and radiant, possessing a refreshing beauty that could not be described. Madam Li smiled,, “Your mother must be a truly beautiful woman.”
Chun Tian froze for a moment, then nodded with a gentle smile. “Yes.”
Madam Li smiled knowingly. “You said you were born in springtime, I’ve been so muddled I forgot to ask. Which month and day? What hour?”
Chun Tian replied, “The day after Grain Rain, just past chensi (7-9 am). At that time, the spring scenery was vibrant, with flowers in full bloom. My parents couldn’t decide on a name, so they simply settled on Chun Tian (Springtime).”
“Then your birthday is two months after Changliu’s, making you precisely four years older,” Madam Li calculated.
Chun Tian acknowledged this with a nod, not dwelling on the comment.
Madam Li, however, cast her a glance, deep in thought, silently pondering her own calculations.
TN: Hope everyone is doing well! We can see that the story is picking up pace now!
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