soul shifting

Chapter 14 New Years

It doesn’t often snow in winter in the south of the Yangtze River, but this year it fell for more than a week for the first time.The snow on the ground was nearly three feet thick, and when you stepped on it, you could go straight to your knees; there were crystal clear ice skates hanging on the branches of the trees, and the leaves frozen in the ice were still emerald green.

In Chiyuan Town, the boss of Qionglou was sitting behind the counter, fiddling with the abacus, checking the accounts for this year, when the door of the shop was suddenly pushed open, and a few small snowflakes that melted on the ground were brought in.

The boss was taken aback—he opened the door for fresh air because the windows were frozen, but he didn't expect that there would be guests today.

Today is the [-]th day of the twelfth lunar month, the New Year's Eve of the year of Gengchen.

There were two teenagers who came, one was wearing a dark red jacket, the other was wearing a gray fox fur cloak.

"Boss," the boy in the cloak rubbed his cold fingers, "Can you still cook?"

"This... the cook has returned to his hometown for the New Year, so it may be inconvenient to cook."

"Ah?" The cloaked boy exaggeratedly cried, and touched the jacketed boy with his shoulder: "Jai Ming, what should we do? There are no other restaurants open on the street."

Cassia shook his head: "I don't know."

The boss threw down the abacus and account book: "How about I cook a few dishes for you? Although it is not as good as the cook's cooking, it is not too bad." The nature of the businessman makes him unable to sit back and watch the money delivered to the door without being indifferent.

"Then... let's do it," the cloaked boy took out a piece of silver from his pocket, "Have some fish and meat, the richer the better."

"Okay! Just wait a moment, it will be ready soon!" The boss smiled and went to the kitchen.

His "immediately" will last for an hour. Fortunately, the final product looks and smells quite good, and the two teenagers have waited for so long.

Several families in the town set off firecrackers, and the crackling sound was deafening, and could be faintly heard in the Huoyun Villa on the top of the mountain outside the town.Xia Ming pasted up the couplets and horizontal batches, jumped down from the ladder, and saw Qiu Ziyan and Cassia Ming coming up from the steps carrying two insulated food boxes.

"Senior Brother Qiu, Junior Brother Jue Ming, you are back." Xia Ming smiled.

"Well, the New Year's Eve dinner is settled." Qiu Ziyan shook the food box: "Junior Sister Xia...why didn't you wear the cloak I gave you? Is it inappropriate?"

"No, it's very suitable." Xia Ming touched the half-worn jacket on her body: "It's just Chinese New Year today, so I want to wear this dress made by my grandma, as if she is still by my side."

"Your grandma..."

"Passed away years ago."

"Oh, oh..." Qiu Ziyan rubbed the back of his head, trying to comfort her but didn't know what to say.

"Where are Hall Master Shen and Brother Xiu Yu?" Jue Ming changed the subject.

"There are lanterns hanging on the roof over there." Xia Ming pointed in the direction of the hall master's private courtyard.

On the eaves, Shen An wore a Tibetan silver crown with hair tied on his head, and a blue satin embroidered jacket with snow rabbit fur decoration on the cuffs and necklines. Seeing Jueming and Qiu Ziyan come back, he smiled at them: "Have you bought the New Year's Eve dinner yet?"

"Well, there are fish and meat." Caesar said.

Shen An's eyes lit up.

On New Year's Eve, Elder Shen was originally scheduled to come to Huoyun Villa to cook New Year's Eve dinner with Shen An and the others. However, the snow fell too much last night, and the flower shelf collapsed. Elder Shen is busy now. He didn't have time to come over to take the spoon to rescue his few young Tianshan snow lotus seedlings, otherwise the Huoyun Villa's New Year's Eve dinner would not have been prepared so hastily and arduously.

Han Xiuyu was wearing a small red cotton waistcoat, his eyes were like cold stars, his temples were like knives, and he looked like a handsome young man.He hung the lantern on the long pole and handed it to Shen An who was squatting on the roof. The two cooperated quite tacitly, and quickly finished hanging the entire row without a single one being crooked.

Xia Ming looked at Han Xiuyu with straight eyes.She didn't quite understand what Hall Master Shen said about the Yaoluo tribe and Pococoon, but she only knew that Han Xiuyu suddenly changed from a child to a young man, and... he was amazingly handsome.Xia Ming touched the little rabbit-like chest, and thought to himself: "Am I being too careless? I obviously like Junior Brother Wu!"

……

On New Year's Eve, Huoyun Villa was brightly lit, rows of lanterns made everyone's cheeks glow red, and the aroma of big fish and meat permeated the dining table wantonly.

"Well, these Sixi meatballs taste really good." Shen An picked up one to taste, and then picked up a plate to share one with each disciple, but when it was distributed to Han Xiuyu, it happened to be gone.

Han Xiuyu blinked and pouted coquettishly.

Shen An: "..."

This expression was exactly the same as when he asked for candy before, Shen An thought that he would be able to make a little progress when he grew up.

"Let's eat it for you." Shen An put the meatballs into Han Xiuyu's plate.Han Xiuyu smiled, cut the meatball in half, and put half back on Shen An's plate: "Uncle Shen will eat it too."

"Okay." Shen An put the half of the ball into his mouth, chewed it carefully, the corners of his lips slightly raised.

When I grow up, I am really more sensible than before.

Qiu Ziyan poured a glass of wine for Shen An: "Teacher Shen, I hope you will give me more advice on practicing martial arts in the coming year. My disciple respects you. Do it first!" A cup of Gladiolus spring drank down.

Shen An picked up the wine glass, not wanting to lose face, and poured it with his head up like him, but he coughed because of the heat, and a hazy watery light appeared in his eyes, which caused the disciples at the table to laugh together.

Taoli Chunfeng a glass of wine, if you are not blessed to enjoy it, it can only be spicy enough.

When it was near, Elder Shen finally came, carrying the frozen dumplings wrapped in advance, along with Elder Yao, Wu Yi and Wu Yi's younger sister.The people at the table in Huoyun Villa were all drunk, and they didn't ask why they didn't celebrate the New Year at their own house. They just dragged them to the table to eat and drink together.Shen An drank too much wine, fell asleep with his head down while eating the dumplings, and didn't have time to swallow the half of the dumplings in his mouth.

In the sound of firecrackers, the year is gone, and the spring breeze still needs to wait to bring warmth.

In the early morning of the first day of the new year, Shen An was woken up by the sound of firecrackers. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a square brocade box next to his pillow.

The brocade surface of the box is embroidered with a big blessing character with gold thread, which looks like a New Year's gift at first glance.Shen An opened it to look, there was a white jade tassel pendant inside, the jade color was transparent, the stream light was warm and moist, it was a high-quality suet jade.

Jade is good jade, but the carvings on the jade are really rough, crooked like children's paintings, if someone who loves jade sees it, it will be very distressing.

Shen An carefully looked at the carvings on the jade pendant. Although it was ugly, he could still tell what the carvings were.

A courtyard was carved on the jade, and there were two people in the courtyard.One is a young man who is talking and laughing, shaking a folding fan with his right hand, and the other is a child, who is held in the arms of the young man, holding a small grasshopper made of dogtail grass in his hand, and it can be seen that his eyes are closed. with.

Shen An chuckled twice, guessing who gave the gift: "Xiao Yu, I really can't compliment your carving skills."

Han Xiuyu got out from behind the screen, and approached Shen An: "The carving is not good, it's also a wish. Does Uncle Shen like it?"

Shen An rubbed his eyelashes with her fingers, and said with a smile: "I like it, I like whatever you give me."

Shen An tied the white jade pendant to the end of the chilling cicada, the black black iron fan handle matched with the warm white jade, unexpectedly elegant.

"I've also prepared a gift for you." Shen An pointed to a long gift box on the table: "Quickly open it and have a look."

Han Xiuyu pushed the box away, and on the lining paved with red silk, lay a shining iron sword.Han Xiuyu touched the simple pattern on the scabbard, and couldn't help being startled.

"This sword is called Han Yu, which matches your name quite well." Shen An said: "Didn't you say that you will learn kung fu after your eyesight is healed? Your aptitude is suitable for practicing swords, so you can use it as a weapon in the future."

Han Xiuyu seemed very happy, holding the cold feather and refused to put it down: "Did Uncle Shen buy this? Or did you ask a craftsman to make it?"

Shen Anxin said how could I have so much money: "I asked for it from Elder Shen. This is a famous sword, it is hard to find, you have to use it well."

"Hmm! I must seriously practice swords!"

Being toasted by his disciples in turn last night, Shen An was so hangover with a headache that he was dying. After the morning firecrackers were set off, he immediately fell asleep again. He slept so darkly that he didn't even get up for lunch.

In the evening, someone knocked on the door, and Shen An said half-deadly: "Come in."

The door creaked, and Han Xiuyu took a tray and walked to Shen An's bed, followed by Wu Yi and Wu Yi's younger sister.

"Uncle Shen," Han Xiuyu picked up a small medicine bottle and handed it to Shen An: "This is the hangover medicine prepared by Elder Yao. You should take it quickly, and you won't feel uncomfortable after taking it." He poured it on Shen An With a cup of hot water, I took out the lean meat porridge and stir-fried vegetables in the tray and put them on the bedside: "Drink some porridge after taking the medicine."

The medicine is very bitter, but the effect is very good. After taking it, Shen An immediately felt a lot lighter in his head.He took a sip of the porridge and looked at Wu Yi: "Wu Yi, didn't you go home for the New Year? Why did you come back again? Is this little girl your sister?"

Wu Yi nodded: "Master Shen, can you take my sister in?"

Han Xiuyu came over with a mouthful of stir-fried vegetables, Shen An tilted his head to accept it, and after swallowing, he said, "Tell me what's going on first."

"Before, my sister was sold to be a maid. Thanks to the generous help of the hall master, I was able to redeem her. Who knew that my father owed a lot of debts from gambling. They said that this year's money should be paid off this year. He came to our house last night. , My father didn’t pay, yet he wanted to sell his sister to repay the debt..." Wu Yi frowned, and bowed deeply: "Can you take her in? My disciple begs you."

When the little girl saw her brother bowing, she knelt down all of a sudden. Shen An was startled, and quickly reached out to help her: "Get up!" Shen An sighed: "Oh, how about this? In Huoyun Villa, I will ask Elder Shen to have a look at your aptitude, if it meets the standards of Wujinhuo disciples, you can practice martial arts with everyone, okay?"

The little girl nodded.

"What's your name?" Shen An asked.

"Wu Wen."

Han Xiuyu glanced at Wu Wen, but couldn't tell what kind of look it was.

After he was full of vegetables and porridge, Shen An lay down again, and continued to sleep in the dark, not even feeling that Han Xiuyu helped him change his clothes at night.

In this way, the year of Gengchen was forever left in the past amidst firecrackers, lanterns, dumplings and drunkenness.

The author has something to say: The happy and idle life in Huoyun Villa ends here (?-ω-`)

Starting next year, they will face the hardships of life.

Of course, there is also the beauty of life (=?ω?)?