Lin Yu got dressed and got up. When he went to the kitchen to make breakfast, Zhao Yueniang was already stoking the fire and cooking. “Brother, let’s eat pancakes this morning. I’m making some porridge.”

“Okay.”

After the three ate breakfast, Lin Yu started making dumpling filling, Zhao Yueniang rolled out the wrappers, and Wei Qingshan moved the fire bucket from the main room to the kitchen.

The finished dumplings were placed on bamboo trays. They made quite a few extras to eat again tomorrow morning.

Both Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang knew how to make dumplings. Wei Qingshan’s dumplings were crooked, and some filling spilled out; Lin Yu laughed watching him make them.

Wei Qingshan felt a bit embarrassed. Before the family split, during New Year at the old courtyard, they also made dumplings, but since the Wei family members gave him less meat, he only got a bowl—never enough to feel full.

Last year, he spent the New Year alone. He slaughtered a wild pheasant and ate simply, getting through the year by himself. But this year was different; he had his little husband, and his little husband knew how to live well. This year’s New Year’s felt especially lively.

Although none of the three were talkative people, each had a smile on their face.

After making dumplings, Lin Yu mixed some batter. The snow outside continued falling nonstop. “Qingshan, Qingshan, bring out the couplets.”

Wei Qingshan went inside and brought out the couplets. He also grabbed Lin Yu’s rabbit fur hat, since the snow was still falling, which could protect his head from the wind and snow.

At this time, the sound of firecrackers from the village had already started. Wei Qingshan held the batter and brushed it onto the door. Lin Yu stood beside him, handing him the couplets. Only Wei Qingshan could read, while Lin Yu didn’t recognize the characters but happily guided him, “It’s tilted, tilted, move it a little to the left.”

Wei Qingshan obediently moved the couplets a bit east. They first pasted couplets on the main room door. Lin Yu stepped back and looked—the bright red couplets pasted on the wooden doors looked quite nice.

“Qingshan, what do these say?”

“Smooth sailing, lucky stars arrive; all things as wished, fortune comes to the door.”

Lin Yu smiled with his eyes curved, “It’s written really well.”

The two also pasted couplets on Zhao Yueniang’s room, and even on the mule stable and chicken coop in the backyard. They also put up some small single strips. Lin Yu didn’t know what the words said, so he asked Wei Qingshan where to paste them.

Wei Qingshan explained one by one, “This one means ‘prosperity of the six livestock’, paste it on the backyard pillars.”

“Okay!” Lin Yu brushed the glue and pasted it himself. Then, eyes sparkling, he held another red paper and asked Wei Qingshan, “What about this one?”

“‘Bountiful harvests of five grains’, paste it on the east granary of our house.”

“That scholar writes really well. Everyone fits my heart’s desire.”

Lin Yu was very happy seeing all these couplets filled with auspicious words. Wearing a brownish-gray rabbit fur hat, his face looked especially small.

Wei Qingshan thought his little husband was just a soft little rabbit, especially when he held couplets and looked at him with admiration. Wei Qingshan couldn’t resist and secretly pinched the little husband’s rabbit fur hat. He felt a bit regretful that the hat didn’t have double ears like a child’s tiger head hat.

At last, the two went to paste couplets on the courtyard gate. While they were pasting, He Daniang came over. “You’re just putting up couplets. IIt’sgood timing, I brought some window paper cuttings for you.”

“Thank you, Aunt He.” Lin Yu quickly took them. These would look great pasted inside their house.

He Daniang handed over the window paper cuttings and was about to leave, but Lin Yu quickly said, “Aunt He, you came just in time. This afternoon, I was going to send you some stewed offal. Now you can bring them home.”

Lin Yu went inside and served two bowls. The two brothers from the He family each got a bowl. “I just made it yesterday, just heat it when you get home.”

He Daniang was very pleased. “Yu-ger, you’re too kind. I’ll bring the bowls back to you later.”

“Okay.”

With the couplets up, the whole courtyard was bright red. Lin Yu was very happy, thinking back to when he married out of the Zhao family—they didn’t even spare a couplet for him, but the red looked so festive.

At noon, the three ate lamb dumplings. The filling was packed full. When biting down, the juicy oil flowed out. Lin Yu also liked it very much. “Lamb dumplings taste really good.”

“Brother, these lamb dumplings really do taste different from pork ones—fresher.”

The three of them didn’t eat much. Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang ate a bowl and a half each, while Wei Qingshan ate two and a half bowls. After finishing, their bodies all warmed up.

Just as they were full, Lin Yu thought about going to deliver some things to a few families, treating it as a stroll.

“Yueniang, do you want to come with me to deliver the stewed offal to Dong-ger and the others?”

Zhao Yueniang shook her head to refuse, “Brother, you and Qingshan-ge go. I’ll stay home to watch the house.”

“Alright, put out the fried snacks we bought yesterday to eat.”

“Got it, Brother. You’d better go quickly.”

Since her brother and his husband were going out to deliver things, it would be a bit awkward if she followed. She decided not to go.

Lin Yu and Wei Qingshan each carried a basket filled with several bowls of stewed offal. They first delivered a bowl to Sang Niang, who lived closest, then went to He Dongdong, Chun-ger, and the others.

Though it was snowing outside, children came running out to play in the village, making it livelier than their place.

Lin Yu carried the basket around, and when they returned, it was filled with sunflower seeds, peanuts, and other snacks, plus a handful of dried fruit specially given to him by Dong-ger.

They sat and chatted for a while. By the time they headed back, it had been quite a while. The snow was falling heavily now, and the streets were almost empty, everyone hiding inside by the fire.

Wei Qingshan held the basket with one hand and held Lin Yu’s hand with the other. His little husband was dressed thickly, but his hand was still warm.

Before, Lin Yu would never have let Wei Qingshan hold his hand on the street. It would be too embarrassing if anyone saw. But now, since there was no one on the road, Lin Yu didn’t care anymore. Blushing, he let Wei Qingshan hold his hand as they walked.

Dinner that night was exceptionally plentiful: stewed lamb soup, sliced roasted goose, roasted wild chicken, salted vegetables with pork slices, simmered winter melon, stewed bamboo shoots, plus sunflower seeds and other fried snacks. The purchased pastries were all laid out on the table, filling it.

Zhao Yueniang’s mouth hung open, “Brother, I’ve never eaten so much meat in my life!”

“Me neither.”

Not just that they hadn’t eaten so much meat before—the table probably had more food than the households of wealthy masters. A fire bucket burned beside the table, and each of the three had some wine poured in front of them. Lin Yu didn’t drink much; even Wei Qingshan only drank occasionally. Lin Yu took a small sip and immediately felt a bit lightheaded. Wei Qingshan, afraid he might get drunk without eating enough, fed him some food, “Drink after you finish eating.”

After dinner, there was no need to clear the table. They made so much food to stay up all night for New Year’s Eve. The elders said the food from this year should be left for next year, symbolizing “year after year having surplus.”

Each of the three got one of the lotus-shaped pastries. Lin Yu bit into his, catching the flaky crust that fell with one hand. Such an expensive pastry mustn’t be dropped on the floor.

The crust was very crispy; crumbs fell as he bit in. Inside was red date paste filling. Lin Yu thought it wasn’t as tasty as the cloud cake, but it was sold at a high price, mostly for the fancy appearance. Since no one had tried it before, tasting it was worth it.

Zhao Yueniang sat in the main room for a while, then went back. Lin Yu refilled the hot water bottle and sat on the bed. “Qingshan, come sit on the bed, it’s cold down here.”

Wei Qingshan moved the fire bucket to the west room, took off his shoes, and sat by the bed. From inside his chest, he took out something wrapped in red cloth and gave it to Lin Yu. “This is for you.”

“What’s this?”

Lin Yu took it and opened it. Inside was a silver hairpin. On top of the pin hung a small, delicate silver fish. When he shook the pin, the little silver fish swung with it.

Lin Yu touched it, a bit disbelieving. “When did you buy this?”

“A few days before the New Year. Do you like it?”

Lin Yu hugged Wei Qingshan’s neck. “I like it, I really like it.”

This small fish hairpin was specially made by the jewelry shop at Wei Qingshan’s request. It cost two taels of silver. Though expensive, it was very beautiful, and Wei Qingshan was particularly satisfied with the dangling little silver fish.

Lin Yu hugged Wei Qingshan, feeling a bit emotional. How could Wei Qingshan treat him so well? “Qingshan, I feel like I’m dreaming. I never dared to imagine this kind of life before.”

Not only did he wear warm clothes, but every meal had meat. Although they didn’t have land yet, their life was already much better than most in the village.

Wei Qingshan patted his back. “You like it that much?”

Lin Yu rubbed his face against Wei Qingshan’s neck and murmured, “I like it, I really do.”

“Then will you give your husband a kiss?”

Lin Yu blushed and kissed Wei Qingshan’s face. Wei Qingshan was just teasing his little husband. He knew his little husband was shy and thin-skinned, especially about things like this. He hadn’t expected Lin Yu to actually kiss him.

Wei Qingshan was surprised and hugged his little husband, kissing him firmly. Lin Yu obediently tilted his neck up, letting him kiss freely.

Wei Qingshan held his little husband for a while and said, “Alright, no more mischief today.”

Lin Yu’s face was red, his hand clutching Wei Qingshan’s clothes. “—I’m done.”

“Good boy, I was afraid you couldn’t take it.”

“N-No, it’s fine, I—I like it too.”

Wei Qingshan couldn’t hold back; he leaned onto the tent covering. In the end, on this New Year’s Eve night, only he was left guarding while his little husband, exhausted, had curled up asleep against his waist.

The firewood in the fire bucket crackled, and the oil lamp in the room flickered with sparks. Wei Qingshan gently smoothed the strands of hair from his little husband’s cheek. His heart melted completely. How could he have such a good little husband?

Lin Yu’s New Year passed in plenty, but over at the Zhao family, things were much harder. No food to eat, no clothes to wear, and Yao Jinling had gone into town once and never returned.

Zhao Dazhi angrily pounded on the bed. Everyone in the village knew that Yao Jinling had gotten involved with a traveling merchant in town and, after giving him a green hat, had never come back!

Zhao Dazhi went looking for her but was kicked out by the merchant. His wife, Yao Jinling, was dressed all in fine silks and satins. When he went to his father-in-law’s house to demand an explanation, Yao Mazi kicked him out again. It was clear he knew exactly what his daughter was doing.

On New Year’s Eve, Zhao Jiazhu and the other two were so hungry their heads spun. Zhao Dazhi’s voice was weak, “Father, mother, is there any food left at home?”

“There’s not even a mouse in the house. Go outside and eat some snow.”

The three lay on the bed without moving. They were already cold and hungry, and going outside to eat snow would only freeze them to death.

“Then father, when it’s dawn tomorrow, go ask the village for some food.”

Zhao Jiazhu snorted, clearly unwilling to go. Because Zhao Dazhi had passed the Tongsheng exam, their family had been proud for years. Anyone who met him would flatter him. Now he had to beg for food, and he couldn’t bring himself to lose face.

That day, every household ate better food. The smells of meat floated from neighbor to neighbor. They were already hungry, and smelling the aroma only made them hungrier.

They endured the whole night, but when dawn came, none of them could hold out any longer. They pushed and shoved each other, but none wanted to go begging. Cai Chunhua was well-known in the village and might be refused if she tried. It was best if Zhao Jiazhu, hungry enough to carry his cane and bowl, went.

Zhao Dazhi sat at the door of the main room, hands in his sleeves, eagerly watching outside, waiting for his father to bring him food.

Zhao Jiazhu’s begging was not easy. During the New Year, beggars at the door were considered bad luck. He knocked on several doors, but as soon as people saw it was Zhao Jiazhu begging, they closed their doors.

They were tight on grain themselves; how could they spare extra to feed the Zhao family?

Zhao Jiazhu begged in one village and managed to get two steamed corn buns. He ate one himself and hid the other in his bosom, intending to save it for later when hungry again.

He returned holding the empty bowl. Zhao Dazhi limped over, “Father, did you get any food?”

“No, nobody wanted to give.”

Zhao Dazhi saw crumbs on his mouth and reached to feel Zhao Jiazhu’s chest, finding a steamed bun there. He took it, holding it with both hands, and ate big bites.

Zhao Jiazhu tried to grab it back but couldn’t. Cai Chunhua came out, “My son, give your mother a bite.”

Zhao Dazhi pretended not to hear and finished it in a few bites. Choking, he gasped and grabbed snow from the ground to eat. After eating the bun, Zhao Dazhi regained some strength. “Father, how about we sell our yard? We could get twenty taels of silver.”

“Sell the yard? Where would we live?”

“Father, I want to eat meat.”

Zhao Dazhi looked at Cai Chunhua, and Zhao Jiazhu immediately understood. Yeah, if they could sell Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang, why couldn’t they sell her too? Although she was old, she could still be worth a few taels of silver. That was better than Yao Jinling running off with someone else.

Zhao Jiazhu’s eyes gleamed. “Chunhua, how about we go beg in town today? Nobody there knows us; we might get more food begging.”

Cai Chunhua was so weak from hunger that she agreed, thinking it was a good idea, and followed Zhao Jiazhu to town to beg.

On the way back, Zhao Jiazhu carried a half-eaten roasted chicken in his hand, oil all over his mouth. Zhao Dazhi saw it, snatched it, and took a few bites. “Father, where did you put mother?”

“Who knows? She was old and ugly, she was only worth two taels. I sold her to the slave traders.”

Instead of buying grain first, Zhao Jiazhu spent the two taels on a roasted chicken to eat.

Zhao Dazhi’s mouth was greasy from eating too. “If I’d known earlier, I would’ve sold that bitch Yao Jinling. She’d be worth way more than mother, at least twenty taels. Now she’s run off and given me a green hat!”

The first day of the New Year was a day off. Since there was a lot of leftover food from yesterday, they just reheated and ate it. They didn’t have any relatives to visit or anything, so the food was all for themselves.

On the first day, the three all put on new clothes. Lin Yu’s winter clothes were all newly made, as were Zhao Yueniang’s. Wei Qingshan’s cotton jacket had been refurbished by Lin Yu during the summer. For the New Year, Lin Yu also made him a new short coat to wear over the cotton jacket.

After getting up, Lin Yu changed into his usual new clothes he saved for working in, then stood by a basin of water inside the room, tying up his hair. Before, when he tied his hair, he used the small peach wood fish hairpin Wei Qingshan had given him. Yesterday, Wei Qingshan had bought him a new small silver fish hairpin, which he had half-tied into his hair now.

Zhao Yueniang also changed into new clothes today, wearing two round, plump double buns in her hair, each adorned with two new silk flowers, making her look very charming and cute.

Lin Yu carried the wash water and poured it into the yard. As he moved, the small silver fish on his hairpin swung back and forth. Wei Qingshan’s gaze involuntarily followed the little fish’s movement. The silversmith’s craftsmanship was quite good; this little fish was made especially lively and vivid.

As soon as Zhao Yueniang came out of the house, she saw the hairpin on Lin Yu’s head. That swinging little fish was really eye-catching. She exclaimed, “Brother, you bought a silver hairpin!”

Lin Yu felt a little embarrassed and replied with a “Mm.” 

“Your Qingshan-ge bought it for me.”

Zhao Yueniang circled Lin Yu once. “Wow, Qingshan-ge has really good taste. This little fish hairpin is so beautiful!”

Wei Qingshan smiled at the corner of his mouth. This hairpin was worth buying. Even during meals, he couldn’t help but look at the hairpin on his little husband’s head. Whenever his little husband moved, the little fish would start swinging. While Zhao Yueniang was not around, Wei Qingshan secretly fiddled with it several times.

Lin Yu looked up at him in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Wei Qingshan cleared his throat lightly. “Nothing, your hair got tangled. I’m just fixing it for you.”

“Oh.”

Today was the first day of the lunar year. The snow had stopped by now, and every household was fine. Lin Yu went out visiting with Wei Qingshan. They first stopped at the He family’s house, then went to visit He Dongdong at the Shi family.

He Dongdong was sitting idly at the door of the main room, cracking sunflower seeds. Because of the snowy day and fear of falling, he didn’t move around. While others were running and playing for the New Year, he was stuck inside, feeling bored.

When he saw Lin Yu coming over, his eyes almost popped out. “Yu-ger, hurry up, come over, I’m so bored I’m about to die.”

“Where’s Yueniang? Why didn’t she come along?”

“Yueniang said it’s cold outside. She’s at home.”

Actually, Zhao Yueniang wasn’t really afraid of the cold outside. It was because her brother’s husband was also accompanying her brother today. She felt a bit embarrassed to follow along to play. This brother-in-law, besides being very gentle with her brother, was rather indifferent to others. She was a little scared of Wei Qingshan.

Shi brought out some stools for the two of them to sit on. He Dongdong immediately noticed the silver hairpin on Lin Yu’s head. “Ah, a new hairpin! It’s really beautiful!”

“Mm, Qingshan-ge bought it.”

He Dongdong peeked a few times, “And it even has a little fish pendant. How did Qingshan-ge find that? It’s really pretty.”

“I don’t know either.”

During the New Year, He Dongdong also wore a silver hairpin, but his didn’t have a pendant. It was a betrothal gift from Shi Tou when he got engaged. He treasured it a lot and only wore it on festivals.

A silver hairpin costs at least one or two taels of silver. If the workmanship was finer, it could be seven or eight taels. Lin Yu’s hairpin looked expensive.

Lin Yu chatted idly with He Dongdong, eating some fried snacks while talking. He Dongdong also told him some fresh village news he had heard.

“By the way, I heard that Zhao Dazhi’s wife ran away, following a traveling merchant in town.”

Lin Yu was a bit surprised and didn’t know what to say for a moment. “Is that so?”

“Tsk, who knows what’s really going on. That merchant left after the New Year. Who knows? That kind of woman has a vicious heart. Not good, not good.”

He Dongdong knew the Zhao family matters even better than Lin Yu. His mother and older sister-in-law would tell him everything when they came over. His information was sharper than Lin Yu’s.

Lin Yu and Wei Qingshan sat there for a while before going back. On the way, they greeted people from the village who were out visiting with “Happy New Year.” At the street corner, a fire was burning, with many people gathered around warming themselves.

People walking by kept watching Lin Yu. “Look, Yu-ger’s wearing a new silver hairpin on his head.”

“Must be worth three or four taels of silver. Their lives are getting better and better.”

“Who were the ones saying it wouldn’t? Back then, people laughed at them for being poor, mocked Yu-ger’s meager dowry. But look, Yu-ger does embroidery and even sells pig offal; his business is just as good as Wei Qingshan’s.”

“I heard yesterday that when sending New Year gifts, someone gave a bowl of braised offal to others.”

“Xia Hehua, did Wei Qingshan’s family send you some yesterday?”

Xia Hehua pursed her lips, “What’s so good about pig offal? That smelly stuff—I wouldn’t eat it.”

“Don’t say that. It sells well in town. People want to buy it but can’t get it. I saw a lot of people lining up when I went to the market in town.”

“What’s so good about it? Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn’t eat it.” Xia Hehua snorted, “It’s just a silver hairpin. What’s there to show off?”

“He’s not showing off. If you bought a silver hairpin, are you just gonna keep it away like it’s going to lay eggs?”

When those words came out, the people warming by the fire all laughed. Wei Laotai’s family splitting from Wei Qingshan’s was really like “stealing the chicken but losing the rice.” Look at Wei Qingshan: ever since he split and got married, life has gotten better day by day.

Xia Hehua bit her teeth angrily, “What’s so good about it? It’s just a broken silver hairpin.”

“You don’t even have one yet.”

Looking around, among these seven or eight people, only a few had silver hairpins on their heads. Only an elderly woman had one, and nobody knew how many years she had been wearing it without changing it.

On the second day of the lunar new year, Xia Hehua went back to her natal home. Taking advantage of Wei Laotai’s inattention, she secretly slipped several eggs into her basket, covered it with a cloth, and headed out. But she hadn’t even left the yard when Wei Laotai called out, “What are you carrying? Let me see.”

“What else could I be carrying? What do we have at home?” Xia Hehua snorted.

Wei Laotai quickly lifted the cloth covering the basket, revealing a basket full of peanuts with seven or eight eggs inside. She immediately took them out. “Who told you to take my eggs!”

“Aren’t those our chickens? What’s wrong with me taking a few eggs?”

“What do you mean by ‘our’ chickens? Those are my chickens! I bought the chicks and raised them. The eggs they lay are mine!”

Xia Hehua snorted again and walked away carrying the basket. The family’s silver was all controlled by that old witch. What good was her little bit of silver? She couldn’t even take a few eggs home.

Xia Hehua had no choice but to carry a basket of peanuts back to her mother’s home. On the way, she met other married women from the village returning to their natal homes. In their hands, some carried a box of fruits, others a jar of wine, or generously carried a chunk of meat. Everyone seemed afraid that others wouldn’t notice, so they held these things clearly in their hands as they walked.

Xia Hehua carried a basket covered with a cloth. Anyone with eyes could see she definitely hadn’t brought anything good back. Otherwise, she would have shown it off by holding it in her hands.

“Hehua, what did you take back to your natal home this year?”

“Nothing much, just some fruits and meat.”

“You’re still so generous this year.”

The woman who asked smiled lightly, clearly seeing through the lie. Xia Hehua loved to show off the most. In the first two years after she got married, during every festival, she carried wild chicken or wild rabbit in her hands, practically letting the whole village know. Everyone knew that her family had split from the eldest Wei’s family, so life was no longer so well-off.