The Overachieving Little Husband of the Top Scholar’s Household - Chapter 64: New Year's Eve

In the Yu Dynasty, low-ranking military officers held hereditary positions. As long as they didn’t commit major offenses, ranks below the Centurion were inherited, with each level above that being passed down one rank lower.

In other words, ordinary military households had no prospects, but once they entered the military officer system, even if it was just as the lowest-ranked Xiaoqi, it meant earning official status for the family, something entirely different.

Qiu Huanian thought Bao Yi’s decision to join the army wasn’t simple. He wasn’t someone who acted impulsively. Sure enough, after the matter with the third household was settled, Bao Yi came to visit.

Today happened to be Laba Festival. Qiu Huanian took out the ingredients for Laba porridge that he had prepared earlier and started cooking from early morning.

Rice, millet, corn, peanuts, dried longan… The colorful grains gradually softened as they boiled in the porridge, blending together and releasing the unique comforting aroma of carbohydrates.

Bao Yi entered the courtyard amidst the fragrant scent of porridge. Qiu Huanian invited him into the house to sit.

“Uncle Bao Yi, about those three wolves you killed before, I handed the wolf pelts over to a hunter outside for processing, and they were just delivered. How should we divide them?”

Bao Yi waved his hand, “What’s there to divide? If it weren’t for Yunse, Yunying would’ve lost his life. You all keep the wolf pelts and make cushions.”

“If there are any leftover wolf teeth, give me a few. I want to make a necklace for Yunying to wear. The child was frightened; this will help ward off evil spirits.”

The hunter had kept the wolf meat and wolf claws as payment, but he had given them six of the finest sharp wolf teeth, already roughly polished. Qiu Huanian found them all and handed them to Bao Yi.

Bao Yi put the wolf teeth away in his chest and took out a letter. “Hua Ge’er, this is for Yunse.”

Qiu Huanian led Bao Yi to the study. When Du Yunse opened the letter, he was slightly surprised.

Qiu Huanian glanced at it and saw that the letter was written by Wu Shen.

“After we arrived at the border, we were scattered across several garrisons. Some of us from the same village were sent to the Jing Mountain Garrison.”

“The Tartar bandits didn’t manage to loot food in the fall, so they’re short on clothing and food now. Their attacks have become increasingly fierce, coming every three to five days. When the soldiers are not enough, we laborers who do miscellaneous tasks have to fill in.”

Bao Yi recalled his days on the battlefield and licked his dry lips. “I’m strong and know how to hunt. I can handle weapons better than others, so I managed to kill a few Tartars and earned some small merits.”

“The young general Wu who guards Jing Mountain Garrison took notice of me and called me in for questioning. It turns out we had met once in Dujia Village, Zhang County. This time when I returned, he asked me to bring you all a letter.”

Bao Yi spoke casually, but Qiu Huanian could still hear the danger hidden in his words. From a farmer who had never seen blood to a soldier praised by Wu Shen for killing several enemies, the leap couldn’t have been simple.

“Because of General Wu’s favor, I’ve been doing well at the border. This time, the court showed mercy and allowed some laborers to return home for the New Year. I was worried about my family, so I pleaded with my superiors to let me leave a few days earlier. In a few days, the other villagers will be coming back one after another.”

Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian read Wu Shen’s letter together.

After getting through the initial adjustment period, Wu Shen was thriving at the border, repeatedly earning merits and proving those who doubted his abilities wrong.

Despite his father’s conviction and exile, Wu Shen had accumulated so many merits that they could no longer be suppressed.

The Governor of Liaozhou specially submitted a memorial to the Ministry of War, requesting they judge Wu Shen’s merits and demerits fairly. Finally, Wu Shen was promoted one rank, becoming a probationary Centurion.

A probationary Centurion was of the sixth rank. The next step would be entering the mid-ranking military officer class as a full Centurion. Though their salary was only half of that of a Centurion, they held the same authority, commanding two Zongqi and about a hundred men.

As usual, Wu Shen boasted happily about his achievements and promotion in the letter, but his tone had noticeably matured.

He thanked Qiu Huanian for the New Year’s gifts, saying the woolen clothes were comfortable to wear—light and warm when worn close to the skin. Several colleagues had asked him where they came from.

He also mentioned he had prepared New Year’s gifts for Qiu Huanian’s family, which he would have the Wan Shi Escort Agency deliver once things calmed down.

After reading the letter, Qiu Huanian asked Bao Yi, “Wu Shen wants to recommend you as a Xiaoqi?”

Bao Yi nodded. “My merits are about enough to qualify as a Xiaoqi. Young General Wu said that if I’m willing, I can serve under him as a Xiaoqi.”

A Xiaoqi was the lowest level of military officer in the Yu Dynasty, commanding ten men. Since Wu Shen was now a probationary Centurion, he had the authority to recommend his own Xiaoqi.

Even though it was the lowest rank, a Xiaoqi was still a seventh-rank officer. Although military officers were less valued than civil ones, it was still an official position.

Qiu Huanian finally understood why Bao Yi was willing to become a military household and take his family to the border. Serving under a superior who valued him, with a seventh-rank position waiting, was indeed a promising opportunity.

“I originally planned to tell my family when I got back, but after what happened with Yun Zhe, I held off. Otherwise, separating the family wouldn’t have been so easy.” Bao Yi had become more cunning.

“Those people probably think I’ve only received two shares of the family property and am struggling like them. Wait until they find out I’ve been appointed as a Xiaoqi. Ha!”

…

Two days later, the conscripted laborers who had left Du family village returned. This time, ten people came back, including Bao Zhen’s youngest son, who had broken an arm, and Yun Ting’s younger brother, Yun Lei.

Families welcoming their loved ones were all beaming with joy, while those who didn’t see their loved ones were downcast. After the Laba Festival, the New Year was approaching, and the festive atmosphere spread throughout the small village.

The details of the family separation at the clan leader’s house were handled by Bao Ren and his wife. They did not deliberately make things difficult for Bao Li, allowing him to take clothes, bedding, and enough rice for the winter. However, even after separating from the family, life for Bao Li’s household was still very tough.

Where they once had meat to eat every few days, now there wasn’t even a trace of oil in their stomachs. Where they once didn’t have to sweep the yard in the morning, heat the bed at night, or cook for themselves, now there was work to do everywhere.

Bao Li’s wife lay on the bed resting for a few days, but Bao Li couldn’t stand it any longer and forced her to get up and work. He also assigned tasks to his three young sons. Even though the bruises on Yun Zhe’s stomach hadn’t faded and his right hand couldn’t fully straighten, he still had to carry a basket to the back mountain every day to gather firewood.

After the family split, the last bit of civility between the second and third branches of the family was gone. Yun Zhe harbored resentment toward the second branch, as well as toward the Qiu Huanian family who had helped the second branch.

When he encountered Cun Lan and Jiujiu gathering firewood on the back mountain, he furiously blocked their way, spouting a bunch of vicious words and even trying to push them down the mountain. Unfortunately for him, his physical condition was too poor, and he ended up falling down himself, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

When Cun Lan and Jiujiu returned home and recounted the incident, Bao Yi was immediately furious, while Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse wore dark expressions.

Bao Yi went straight to Bao Li’s house, grabbed Yun Zhe and tied him to a tree to be whipped, causing chaos and making chickens and dogs jump in fright.

Du Yunse wrote a letter to Mr. Sun, the scholar running the private school in town, explicitly detailing Yun Zhe’s vile behavior and asking Mr. Sun to never accept him as a student again. Meanwhile, Qiu Huanian, with a stern face, went to visit the clan leader.

After Qiu Huanian left, the clan leader let out a long sigh. The bit of sympathy he had felt from Bao Li and his three grandsons’ daily tearful complaints hardened back into indifference.

Wu Shen’s New Year’s gifts also arrived, including an entire deer hide, two pure white fox pelts, and a box of fine deer antlers.

The area around Jingshan Guard was full of deep mountains rich in hides and medicinal herbs. In the short letter Wu Shen sent along with the gifts, he said the hides and antlers were things he had hunted in his spare time, and Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian should feel free to accept them without worrying about their value.

The family already had enough clothes, so Qiu Huanian carefully stored the hides away for future use. In ancient times, hides were as valuable as silk and served as hard currency. It never hurt to save some in advance.

The night the wolves invaded the village, Qiu Huanian had been both frightened and worried, constantly running around to make sure everything was fine. In the end, he caught a bit of a cold and had been feeling listless for the past few days.

Du Yunse was worried about him, so he simply stopped going to the study and spent his days in the main room accompanying Qiu Huanian, reading books to him.

Bored with nothing to do, Qiu Huanian dug out the neglected Ma Diao cards to play with. With four family members, it was the perfect setup for a card game.

Although Du Yunse didn’t enjoy card games, he would accompany Qiu Huanian whenever he wanted to play. With the New Year approaching, Qiu Huanian generously gave the children a holiday from their schoolwork, allowing them to truly enjoy the New Year break.

The news that Bao Yi was going to be promoted to a Junior Flag Leader couldn’t be kept secret because Magistrate Wang sent yamen officers to deliver congratulations and invited Bao Yi’s family to a banquet in the county town.

Magistrate Wang was well-informed and had already heard about Bao Yi’s achievements at the border and the rewards he received. As soon as the official document from Jingshan Guard converting Du Bao Yi’s status to a military household arrived, he promptly sent the congratulatory gifts he had prepared in advance.

It wasn’t easy for Zhang County to produce a local military officer. At thirty-three years old, Du Bao Yi was in his prime, with a bright future ahead. Magistrate Wang naturally wanted to befriend him.

After hearing the reason for the gifts from the yamen officers, the clan leader felt both joy and sorrow.

He was happy that his second son had gained official status and could step out of Du family village and into a broader world. But he was sad that such a major event had been kept from him by Bao Yi, his own son, which clearly showed how deep their estrangement had become.

Bao Li’s family had been consoling themselves with the thought that “Du Bao Yi is going to be a military household, so life will only get harder for him.” But with the arrival of the yamen officers, their final mental defense completely crumbled.

Ye Taohong couldn’t care less about the sour words. The congratulatory gifts from the magistrate included not only silver and fabric but also some marinated cooked food and pastries. Ye Taohong packed them up and distributed them to friendly households in the village, allowing everyone to share in their joy.

For Bao Zhen’s family, whose youngest son had a broken arm, Ye Taohong specially gave them extra. As for Bao Li’s family, Ye Taohong didn’t even bother visiting and didn’t give them a single piece of pastry.

Ye Taohong, Cun Lan, and Yun Ying put on their best clothes and went with Bao Yi to the county town for the banquet. Ye Taohong felt uneasy and came to consult Qiu Huanian before leaving.

Qiu Huanian told her that although Magistrate Wang enjoyed literature, he was not a pedantic person. The banquet was organized specifically for Bao Yi, and he wouldn’t make things difficult for Bao Yi’s family, so she could rest easy.

Cun Lan had Jiujiu fussing over her, even lending her own jewelry, afraid that Cun Lan might suffer any grievances.

The magistrate sent a carriage to fetch Bao Yi’s family in the morning, only returning them late at night. Bao Yi had drunk a bit of wine and laughed loudly at the door. When his eyes swept over Yun Zhe, who was secretly watching from not far away, Yun Zhe was so frightened that he turned and ran, only to fall flat on his face.

Ye Taohong had also sipped a little wine. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were bright, and she completely forgot to scold Bao Yi for making noise.

That was the county magistrate, the parent official of Zhang County. And those were the families of prominent figures in the county town, all speaking to her kindly and going out of their way to praise her. Who would have imagined such a thing just a few days ago?

The next day, Cun Lan went to return the jewelry to Jiujiu and told her about the banquet. After Cun Lan left, Jiujiu thoughtfully went to find Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian was idly sketching at his desk, planning to make a little picture book for fun. He put down his brush and asked Jiujiu, “What interesting thing did Cun Lan encounter at the banquet?”

Jiujiu sat down properly. After spending so much time with Chi Qinghe, and being immersed in poetry and music, her manners had become increasingly refined and elegant. With a change of clothes, she could easily be mistaken for an official’s daughter.

Jiujiu recounted the conversations from the banquet, leaving Qiu Huanian chuckling.

But then, Jiujiu brought up something else.

“By the way, Hua-ge, Cun Lan said she saw Yu Chuan at the banquet.”

“Yu Chuan, the granddaughter of Madam Zhuang?”

“Yes.”

Qiu Huanian nodded, his thoughts drifting to the child who had once been offered as a gift and whom he had accidentally let go.

After Jiujiu finished talking about the amusing events, she brought up something else.

“Oh, right, Hua-gege, Cunlan said she saw Yuchuan at the banquet.”

“Aunt Zhuang’s granddaughter, Yuchuan?”

Since Zirong left with her two children taken away by Wei Dexing, she never returned, nor did she ever send anything to Widow Zhuang. Widow Zhuang now hides from everyone, barely stepping outside during the day. Only the white smoke rising from the kitchen at mealtime proves that she is still alive.

The rice, flour, grain, and oil Zirong bought back then were still there, and Qiu Huanian knew Widow Zhuang could survive, so he didn’t interfere.

Although he was kind, he was not a pushover. By now, whatever ties existed had long been cut.

“Cunlan said that Yuchuan came along with Wei Dexing. Wei Dexing introduced Yuchuan as his own daughter and didn’t bring anyone else besides her.”

“Yuchuan’s clothing and appearance were very different from those of her peers at the banquet. She even wore makeup. If Cunlan hadn’t known her age beforehand, she would have thought Yuchuan was already fourteen.”

“Hua-gege, did Zirong end up becoming Wei Dexing’s… concubine?”

Qiu Huanian nodded, “Zirong is young and beautiful, and she can’t stand living in poverty. To her, becoming Wei Dexing’s concubine isn’t something that would hurt her pride.”

As for Yuchuan…

Qiu Huanian recalled what happened a few months ago at Xiefang Garden, where he accidentally walked in on Weili, whom Wei Dexing had treated as a mere gift and tried to send away without any dignity.

After Weili’s disappearance, Wei Dexing must have been furious. His years-long plan to use the child to climb the social ladder had abruptly failed. There’s no way he would just give up so easily.

At this moment, Zirong arrived with Yuchuan, who had the delicate looks of a budding beauty.

Given how Wei Dexing treated his own son, Weili, he would certainly be even less restrained with Yuchuan.

The current favor and affection he showed Yuchuan were nothing more than a tactic to raise her value when the time came.

Jiujiu furrowed her delicate brows and pondered, “Hua-gege, Wei Dexing treats Yuchuan like his own daughter, but why do I feel something’s not right?”

“Tell me what you think?” Qiu Huanian encouraged Jiujiu to think.

“Step-mothers are common, but step-fathers are rare. However, human nature should be the same. If a child isn’t their own and they haven’t spent much time together, how could he possibly be so fond of her? Even if there’s some affection by association, the relationship between Zirong and Wei Dexing doesn’t seem that deep.”

Jiujiu had been learning for almost a year now. With Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse’s joint teaching, her reasoning abilities were growing stronger and stronger.

Qiu Huanian nodded in approval, “So Wei Dexing must stand to gain something; that’s why he’s showing such affection toward Yuchuan.”

“Stand to gain something…”

Jiujiu murmured, “Hua-gege, I’m so lucky to be born into our family, to be the little sister of you and Brother.”

Qiu Huanian couldn’t help but laugh, tapping her on the nose, “What’s gotten into you today? Our Jiujiu is actually being affectionate?”

Jiujiu’s face turned bright red, “Hua-gege!”

She had barely shown a bit of her genuine feelings when Qiu Huanian interrupted her. Puffed up with anger, she glared at him in silent reproach.

Qiu Huanian grabbed a few pieces of popcorn to coax her, “Alright, alright, New Year’s Eve is almost here. Little girls shouldn’t pout, or their faces won’t look pretty.”

Hearing this, Jiujiu immediately straightened her expression, only to realize a moment later that the words made no sense. Clearly, Hua-gege was teasing her again.

Jiujiu wanted to find Du Yunse to take her side, but when Qiu Huanian raised his eyebrows, Du Yunse turned his head and continued grinding ink, his face serious, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

“…”

Jiujiu stomped her foot and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

…

The next few days slipped by quickly in anticipation of the New Year, and in the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Qiu Huanian clearly remembered he intended to get up early, but he still overslept. The winter air was cold outside and warm inside, and with the lack of sunlight, it was easy to feel lazy and sluggish.

Since it was already late, he didn’t rush to get up after waking. Lying lazily on the mattress filled with soft cotton, he stretched and looked around at the freshly changed window paper decorated with auspicious patterns, the clean and tidy brick-paved floor, the cozy stove burning firewood, and all the furnishings brimming with the breath of life.

Qiu Huanian rolled over again, feeling a deep sense of fulfillment. This was what life was all about.

Outside the window came Chunsheng’s deliberately suppressed exclamation, sounding like someone had delivered something. Qiu Huanian snapped back to reality, got up, dressed, and went outside. In the light snowfall, he saw Bao Yi and Cunlan, the brother and sister.

It turned out Wu Shentong had learned about Bao Yi’s family situation through letters and had sent him a month’s salary in advance, asking the Wanshi Escort Agency to deliver it.

The monthly salary of a junior banner bearer was twelve taels, enough to have a prosperous New Year. After battling on the edge of life and death for several months, Bao Yi deeply cherished the time spent with his family and asked Cunlan and Yunying what they wanted for the New Year.

Both children wanted to play with firecrackers. Bao Yi wasn’t stingy and went to town early in the morning to buy firecrackers worth five qian of silver, letting them play to their heart’s content and even sent some to Qiu Huanian’s family.

Jiujiu was indifferent to firecrackers, but Chunsheng was overjoyed. Yunying was too young and could only watch the others set off firecrackers, so Chunsheng volunteered to act as her helper.

Qiu Huanian reminded him to be careful not to burn his hands, smiling as he watched the children set off firecrackers in the courtyard.

Some were lighting firecrackers with incense sticks, some were running away and looking back with their ears covered, some pretended not to care, and others were constantly giving instructions. All of them wore brightly colored new clothes, standing out vividly against the snowy landscape.

The red firecrackers burst one after another, their lively sounds merging together, and the air filled with a faint scent of gunpowder. It was just like Qiu Huanian’s distant childhood memories of celebrating the New Year in the countryside.

Qiu Huanian took out cut red paper and copper coins, wrapped two coins inside each piece, folding them into beautiful ingot shapes to give as lucky money to Cunlan and Yunying.

These two children were the first to come over and thus were the first to receive lucky money from Qiu Huanian.

Cunlan pulled Yunying over and, with utmost seriousness, gave New Year’s greetings and spoke auspicious words to Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse. Since Cunlan was considered Du Yunse’s student, Du Yunse specially gave her a set of writing brushes and ink, reminding her not to neglect her studies even after reaching the border.

Jingshan Guards were still waiting for Bao Yi to return, and once the New Year was over, his family would have to leave. Who knew when they would return, or even if they would meet again?

Both Cunlan and Jiujiu were facing the parting from their friends for the first time, and for the past few days, they had been gloomy every time they thought about it.

Qiu Huanian didn’t deliberately try to comfort Jiujiu; he believed she could get through it. This was a growing pain that she had to experience.

The ingredients for the New Year’s Eve feast had long been prepared. The outdoor winter air in the Northeast served as a natural large refrigerator. Food, once wrapped and placed outside, would freeze rock-hard in less than half a day, making spoilage impossible.

Qiu Huanian had divided the cooking tasks over several days. The pork shank, chicken, duck, and meatballs — these hearty dishes had already been prepared in advance. All he needed to do was bring them inside to thaw and reheat them by steaming or frying.

On New Year’s Eve, Qiu Huanian only made one new dish essential for the reunion dinner: fish. It was the family’s favorite, a sour and spicy pickled fish.

Fish had been selling especially well these days. Hu Qiuyan’s family broke the thick ice over their fish pond and fished out the winter fish stored inside, making a fortune.

At the New Year’s Eve dinner table, there were nine dishes and one soup, symbolizing perfection and completeness. The portions of each dish were kept small to avoid waste.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse offered incense to their ancestors, then had Jiujiu and Chunsheng kowtow with them before closing the door to wash their hands and eat.

Qiu Huanian had already bought a jug of sweet wine meant for New Year’s Eve. Du Yunse allowed him to drink a bit more than usual. Before long, Qiu Huanian, leaning against Du Yunse, began to talk nonsense.

The two children cleaned up the dishes and couldn’t stay still, wanting to go outside and set off firecrackers. Du Yunse reminded them to dress warmly and be careful before staying indoors to keep Qiu Huanian company.

Du Yunse added firewood to the stove and turned around to see Qiu Huanian, half-drunk and half-awake, leaning against the back of his chair. His head was nodding, his rosy, delicate lips slightly parted, mumbling something incomprehensible.

Feeling helpless, Du Yunse went over and tried to carry him to the heated brick bed. Qiu Huanian wrapped his arms around Du Yunse’s shoulders and stared blankly at his face for a moment before suddenly laughing.

“Little Dragon Man, so handsome…”

Du Yunse was puzzled by the comment. Qiu Huanian rubbed himself against Du Yunse’s chest, making him stay alert to avoid accidentally dropping him.

As he laid Qiu Huanian down on the brick bed, he lowered his head and asked, “Hua-ge’er, what are you talking about?”

Qiu Huanian looked up at him, his hands still on Du Yunse’s shoulders. “I’m saying you’re a Little Dragon Man.”

In ancient times, dragons were often used as special metaphors, so this was something they only dared to say behind closed doors. Du Yunse knew Qiu Huanian’s “Little Dragon Man” didn’t mean that at all, so he asked, half-curious and half-indulgent, “Why do you say that?”

Qiu Huanian boldly touched Du Yunse’s face and said frankly, “Because you’re handsome!”

“Good-looking! Elegant! Ethereal! Like a fairy!”

“…”

Du Yunse chuckled softly. He usually appeared calm and reserved, but tonight he was truly happy, and his laughter was carefree.

The prosperous and abundant year for Du Family Village was nearing its end. On the last night of this fruitful year, they held each other close, with endless memories behind them and countless dreams for the future ahead.

Du Yunse lowered his head and kissed Qiu Huanian’s moist lips deeply. Qiu Huanian blinked, wrapped his arms around Du Yunse’s neck, and playfully bit him back. It wasn’t forceful, just a gentle, ticklish nibble that felt more like a coquettish gesture.

Outside, fine snowflakes began to fall again, landing on the window paper and making a soft rustling sound.

Chunsheng was having a wild time setting off firecrackers, while Jiujiu was lecturing him. The children’s clear voices were chattering and clashing, but Qiu Huanian couldn’t make out the exact words anymore.

The kiss lasted so long that Qiu Huanian’s brain began to feel deprived of oxygen. He unconsciously pushed against Du Yunse’s chest before Du Yunse finally let him go.

Qiu Huanian panted softly and, after a long moment, lightly hit Du Yunse. “Du Yunse, y-you used your tongue!”

The root of his tongue felt weak and numb, and just thinking about it made his face flush and his heart race.

Du Yunse chuckled and hugged him even tighter.

“Hua-ge’er, another year has passed with the spring breeze gently brushing our clothes.”

Wishing to invite the bright moon to share in frost and snow, the spring breeze gently brushes our clothes once more.

[End of Volume One: Tales of the Bountiful Year Village]