Is this New Year’s? Even getting married isn’t this extravagant!
Although Ji Hong gave Yu Jinnian an unconventional answer in his own way, no matter how good the answer was, it still missed the point. Rarely throwing a little tantrum, Yu Jinnian returned to the noodle shop that night, not preparing Ji Hongโs medicinal soup nor thoughtfully warming up the hot water bottle. He lay in bed, completely ignoring the hand that was teasing his waist.
However, this cold war didnโt last two hours. By midnight, a fierce wind was howling outside. Though it wasnโt snowing anymore, the wind was lifting the snow blanket from the ground. Inside, the brazier fire flickered, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, and even Yu Jinnian’s toes were feeling cold. He got up, added some more fire to the brazier, then returned to bed. By candlelight, he saw that Ji Hong had curled into a ball.
Yu Jinnian sighed and gently pushed his shoulder. โAh Hong, Ah Hong.โ
Ji Hong slowly opened his eyes.
โPut on more clothes before you sleep. Itโll be warmer,โ Yu Jinnian said, helping him put on another layer of underclothes before letting him go back to bed. He blew out the candle, crawled into bed, and mischievously stretched his hands and feet toward the man. Ji Hong, as always, seemed unfazed no matter how much he was teased. He wrapped the younger man up with his limbs and body with a broad heart.
โIs it warm now?โ Yu Jinnian asked.
Ji Hong smiled, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a drowsy, seductive tone. Instead of answering, he asked back, โWerenโt you ignoring me?โ The momentary exposure to the cold outside had dissipated part of Yu Jinnianโs drowsiness. He stared at Ji Hong with his amber-like eyes, as if accusing him of mocking his childishness. Ji Hong chuckled, lifted his head, and kissed Yu Jinnianโs nose before slowly pressing his warm, moist lips against his eyes, forcing him to close them. โItโs warm, very warm. Go to sleep.โ
Only then did Yu Jinnian snuggle back into Ji Hongโs arms.
What does it mean to fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot? Perhaps this was it, Yu Jinnian thought as he drifted off to sleep.
The next day, though they opened for business as usual, it was mostly for appearances. By the twenty-ninth of the lunar month, most people were at home with their families, and few ventured out to eat. Those who did were mostly regulars at the noodle shop, coming to reserve braised pork trotters, chicken feet, or dried meats for the New Year. With Duan Ming and Qing Huan tending the front, Yu Jinnian slept an extra hour. It wasnโt until broad daylight that he lazily got up to wash and dress.
It seemed his constitution was strong. After drinking some ginger soup and sleeping it off, the slight chill heโd caught the day before was gone, and he didnโt even sneeze once.
The morning was neither too early nor too late, so Yu Jinnian went to the kitchen to make some fragrant scallion pancakes. The pancakes were made from flour, eggs, and finely chopped scallions kneaded into dough, then rolled flat with a rolling pin before being fried in oil until both sides were golden brownโcrispy and fragrant. Afterward, he poured a portion of flour into a clean, dry pan and toasted it until light yellow. Then he added a portion of pre-ground sesame powder and a little vegetable oil, mixing them in the pan to make millet mush powder.
When eating, it could be mixed with hot water, and those with a sweet tooth could drizzle honey or rose jam on top. The aroma of sesame was irresistible.
Yesterday, Duan Ming had returned early, but when he arrived at the noodle shop today, he found the third son of the Min family sitting in the front. He was so startled that his soul nearly flew out of him. He had always assumed that his own young master, Ji Hong, was hiding here for some secretive reason, so upon seeing Min Mao, he naturally thought of his cunning second brother, fearing that Ji Hongโs whereabouts had been exposed.
Even though Duan Ming had been living alone and running a blacksmith shop for years, he had not stopped gathering information from the capital.
The eldest son of the Min family was steady but lacked intelligence; the third son was too clever for his own good and ended up foolish. Only the second son, Min Ji, was truly capable, talented, and highly astute, often praised by the emperor himself.
Prime Minister Min was a loyal and upright man. In his younger days, his advice often displeased the emperor, though the young emperor had been patient enough to listen. Now, however, as the emperor approached forty, who would willingly listen to constant criticism? Unfortunately, Prime Minister Min still hadnโt changed his ways. Min Ji, on the other hand, was nothing like his father, preferring to achieve his goals through indirect means. He could extract every detail of your background with just a few jokes, leaving you defenseless.
There was even a popular joke: it was fortunate that Min Ji was a righteous man. Otherwise, with his honeyed words and sharp tactics, who knows what chaos he might have caused?
For example, the giant embezzlement scandal in the Ministry of Revenue two years ago, which implicated over 120 officials from the capital to the provinces. The executions left the execution platform stained with blood, and the cries of exiled convicts echoed outside the Great Northern Pass. Even a month later, the execution grounds were still covered in bloodstains, difficult to wash away. Yet the origin of this earth-shattering case was simply a few drunken words Min Ji overheard while drinking with bandits in Xifeng Mountain.
Who would believe that those ruthless bandits, after drinking with Min Ji, had treated him as a brother, even happily sending a carriage to escort him back to the capital?
As Yu Jinnian sipped his sesame tea and munched on his scallion pancake, he listened to the story of his imaginary rivalโs glorious deeds. Casually knocking on the table, he glanced at Min Mao, who was also eating scallion pancakes. Suddenly, he pulled the plate from in front of him. โSo, whatโs your second brother doing?โ
Min Mao, who only cared about three thingsโgood food, beautiful scenery, and his third brotherโconsidered everything else irrelevant. At this moment, he was happily munching on the scallion pancakes Yu Jinnian had fried that morning. When Yu Jinnian took his plate, he looked as if his life had been taken away. He surrendered immediately, saying, โUm, probably tending to his wounds at the inn?โ
โโฆ.โ Duan Ming almost spit his millet mush all over Qing Huanโs face.
Qing Huan, uncharacteristically, gave him a disapproving look.
โWatch your mouth,โ Yu Jinnian said, now acting like an elder brother since Min Ji wasnโt around. โSpeak more respectfully. What you meant to say was โheโs recuperating.โโ
Min Mao nodded in agreement. โWhatever you say, Brother Nian. Can I have my scallion pancakes back now?โ
Yu Jinnian smiled and slid the plate back to him. โWhat do you call me?โ
โBrother Nian, of course,โ Min Mao answered while slurping his sesame tea.
Yu Jinnian shook his head. โYou should call me the same way you call your third brother.โ He leaned close to Min Maoโs ear and whispered, โDepending on how you behave, I might get you an autograph from Ah Hong!โ
Without hesitation, Min Maoโs eyes sparkled as he immediately changed his tone: โGot it! Brother Nian, youโre my real brother now!โ Judging by his expression, it was as if he had gained some huge benefit.
Duan Ming: “…”
Ji Hong brewed some tea for them to cleanse their palates after breakfast. He gathered his robe, sat beside the youth, flipped over an upside-down teacup, poured half a cup of hot tea, and sighed helplessly: “What are you doing, teasing him again?”
Yu Jinnian held the tea cup with an innocent expression, but the words he said were far from innocent: “Of course, it’s fun.”
Seeing Ji Hong had come out and sat at the table with them, Min Mao secretly nudged Yu Jinnian with his elbow, wagging his tail like an eager puppy, his eyes almost popping out of his head. Yu Jinnian, seeing how pitiful he looked, thought, *They’re both sons of the Min family, but why does Min Xuefei get to be so close with Ji Hong while this one doesnโt even dare to speak?*
โFine, just write something for him,โ Yu Jinnian urged under the table, hooking Ji Hong’s fingers with a playful expression.
Ji Hong smiled slightly, “Already getting spoiled so quickly?” Ji Hong was either indifferent to people or doted on them excessively. Now, with the youth tugging on his sleeve twice, any bit of resistance he had completely crumbled. Reluctantly agreeing, he immediately fetched the brush and ink, asking Min Mao what kind of poem he wanted.
Min Mao racked his brain for a while, then a lightbulb went off: โHow about โOde to Scallion Pancakesโ?โ Seeing the strange looks from everyone, he quickly changed the topic, โThen maybe โTasting Sesame Tea on the Twenty-Ninth of the Twelfth Lunar Month.โโ
Ji Hong: โโฆโ
Yu Jinnian suddenly understood why Ji Hong had been so reluctant to agree. In the future, when people recited the poems of the elegant Gentleman Qฤซngluรกn, all they would hear would be lines like “One scallion, two pancakes” or “The fragrance of sesame, the sweetness of sesame.” If Yu Jinnian were Ji Hong, he’d probably want to crawl out of the grave in shame and tear up all those embarrassing verses.
Seeing Ji Hong’s expression turning cold, Yu Jinnian held back his laughter and said, โAlright, alright, let it go. Don’t take him seriously.โ
But poor Min Mao, who didnโt understand what had gone wrong, was left dumbfounded. Everything had been agreed upon, he had even called him brotherโhow could they back out at the last minute? It was just too unfair!
Since the “Ode to Scallion Pancakes” wasn’t happening, they settled for writing couplets and “Fu” characters for the Lunar New Year instead.
Yu Jinnian brought out red paper, already cut to the proper size, and spread it on the table while crouching beside Ji Hong to grind the ink. Since the noodle shop was a small business, Ji Hong intended to write something like “Prosperous Business,” but Yu Jinnian wasnโt satisfied with that. He preferred something about blessings, safety, and health for everyone, rather than focusing on wealth.
Once the couplets were written, Yu Jinnian went to the back kitchen to cook up some paste.
When he was young, people in his neighborhood used flour paste to put up their couplets. At that time, paste sold in the market was scarce and expensive, and not everyone could afford to buy it. Ordinary people mixed flour with water, heated it over a flame, and the resulting paste worked just as well as the store-bought kind. Once applied, it stuck so well that you couldn’t tear it off even the next year. Later, with the advent of all kinds of glue, making flour paste became a rare tradition. Whenever his adoptive father made paste, the house would fill with the smell of cooked flour. It was one of the moments Yu Jinnian most looked forward to in his childhood. He would always sneak a spoonful to eat whenever his father turned his back.
Making paste wasnโt difficult, but it required the right touch. Too much water, and it wouldnโt thicken; too little, and it would clump. Yu Jinnian lit a small flame, stirring as it cooked. Before long, two greedy eyes peeked through the doorframeโone belonged to Min Mao, and the other to Sui Sui, who had just woken up. Both stared longingly at the paste in the pot.
Yu Jinnian, with a smirk, gave them each a tiny spoonful to taste. After they licked it up in a hurry, he cheerfully said, โItโs paste, you knowโitโll glue your intestines together.โ
Terrified, the two of them bolted out of the room.
By the time the paste was ready, Ji Hong had finished writing a table full of โFuโ characters, both large and small. Qing Huan was busy standing on chairs, hanging up banners for luck, while Yu Jinnian came out to stick up the couplets. He noticed that neighbors along the street were also out replacing their red banners. They exchanged cheerful greetings of “Happy New Year!” as they passed.
Ji Hong took on the risky task of climbing the ladder to paste the couplets on both sides of the door. Yu Jinnian stood below, holding the ladder, giving unhelpful directions: “Left a bit, right a bit, it’s crooked!”
Besides the couplets, there were door gods and “Fu” characters to hang. The door gods’ images were vibrantโShen Tu and Yu Lei, with their battle axes in hand, dressed in black robes, glaring fiercely with an imposing air. Mischievous children, too impatient to wait for the thirtieth, ran out to set off firecrackers early, only to be dragged back by their parents, who pointed at the door gods and warned, โDisobey again, and Shen Tu and Yu Lei will feed you to the tigers!โ
Red lanterns hung high along the street, and wealthier households displayed six-sided or eight-sided gauze lanterns. The lanterns were modeled after palace designs, the most luxurious ones made from glass, while others were crafted from thin silk like cicada wings. The lanterns were adorned with images of graceful ladies or beautiful landscapes. At night, they resembled two bright moons suspended in the sky, casting a glow on the snowy streets below and drawing people to stop and admire.
Yu Jinnian hadnโt experienced such a festive New Year in a long time, and he was filled with excitement, as if he had been injected with adrenaline. He eagerly dragged Ji Hong around to hang โFuโ characters everywhere. A large one was stuck outside, while smaller ones were hung inside the house. Even the well, stove, and duck egg jars werenโt spared, each adorned with a red โFuโ paper. He even stuck a pair of them on the window frames.
Min Mao returned from the inn after digesting the paste in his stomach and checking on his brother. When he came back, the entire front of the shop was covered in red “Fu” characters, and the beams were hung with “Hundred Blessings” banners. He exclaimed, โAre you celebrating New Year or getting married? Even weddings arenโt this over the top!โ
Yu Jinnian, kneading dough in the back kitchen, heard his loud complaints and promptly slapped a palm-sized โFuโ character on Min Maoโs forehead with a bit of paste on the corner. โQuit your yapping! Go paste up the โGood Luck as You Step Outโ banner at the door!โ
Like a zombie, Min Mao mumbled โOkayโ and obediently ran off with the banner. After finishing the task, he returned to the shop and found Sui Sui and Qing Huan playing a game of five-in-a-row. He was immediately drawn in, and after figuring out the rules, he rolled up his sleeves and challenged Qing Huan to a few rounds. Only after half an hour did he suddenly remember something. He shouted toward the back courtyard, โBrother Nian! My second brother seems to be in a lot of painโyou should go check on him!โ
โโฆ.โ *Now that’s a true brother!* Yu Jinnian thought. *By the time you remember, your brother could already be buried!*
Yu Jinnian wiped his hands, then quickly ladled out a bowl of porridge, placed it in a food container, and went to check on him with Ji Hong. As they entered the inn, they saw Min Xuefei gripping the railing, struggling to climb the stairs. His legs were practically giving out, and his face was deathly pale. Shi Qing and Hua Yi were cautiously following behind him, afraid he might tumble down.
Seeing him in this state, Yu Jinnian knew the abdominal pain was caused by the medicineโs effects. He stepped forward to support Min Xuefei and asked with a smile, โHave you expelled the pus and blood yet?โ
Min Xuefei was in great distress. Though his stomach pain had improved significantly, and he could now get out of bed and walk a bit, the medicine had drained the life out of him. His stomach was completely empty, and just seeing Yu Jinnian reminded him of the agony of that enema-like medicine delivery method. Instantly, his body felt weaker again, and he muttered with a touch of resentment, โYoung Master Yu truly is a divine healerโฆโ
The second son of the Min family had made a name for himself at a young age and was used to being flattered by others. However, in Xinan County over the past few days, he had truly experienced the helpless feeling of relying on someone else. Lying in bed, clutching his aching and hungry stomach, he longed for the young owner of the Yu family to show some kindness and give him something edible. When he saw Yu Jinnian approaching with a bowl of watery porridge, with just a thin layer of rice floating on top, he almost blacked out.
Shi Qing and Hua Yi exclaimed, “Second Young Master!”
โItโs not that I wonโt let you eat,โ Yu Jinnian said sincerely, โThis is for your own good. Eat lightly today, and youโll recover faster tomorrow.โ
Ji Hong kindly tucked Min Xuefei into bed, saying, โListen to Jinnian.โ
Min Xuefei groaned inwardly: You two must be conspiring to torture me.
Yu Jinnian just smiled and said nothing. He watched as Min Xuefei slowly drank the warm porridge water. Then, Yu slightly adjusted the dosage of the medicine, reducing the amount of the rhubarb and moutan decoction because Min Xuefeiโs pus and discharge had begun to turn into thin stool. He stopped the use of the major qi decoction and switched to a combination of angelica, the four-substance decoction, chicken blood vine, frankincense, and myrrh, grinding them into a powder and mixing them with warm wine to make a paste, which he applied hot to the area of pain on Min Xuefeiโs right abdomen to promote blood circulation and relieve pain.
After another day of treatment, he estimated that Min Xuefei would be well enough by New Yearโs Eve to eat a bowl of noodles at the inn and welcome the new year.
After instructing Shi Qing and Hua Yi to fetch the medicine, Yu Jinnian noticed that Min Xuefei and Ji Hong seemed to have something to discuss, so he tactfully left the room, not wanting to get in the way. Carrying the empty food box, he headed downstairs. Just as he stepped out of the Fang familyโs inn, he spotted a skinny figure loitering at the mouth of the alley across from his noodle shop. The small figure had been hiding in a corner, making it hard for anyone to notice, but the bright red cloth bundle he was holding made him impossible to miss.
The little figure furtively approached the noodle shop, just about to place the bundle down when a loud voice shouted from behind, โAh Chun!โ
Ah Chun flinched, dropped the bundle, and ran off. Yu Jinnian, dropping the food box in front of the innโs entrance, immediately gave chase. Glancing at the familiar note wrapped around the cloth, he was taken aback. Using his longer legs to his advantage, he managed to catch up with Ah Chun after two streets.
Ah Chun tripped and was about to fall onto a protruding stone when Yu Jinnian grabbed him, pulling him into his arms and shifting to the side so that Yu himself fell on the snowy ground, protecting the foolish boy.
Yu Jinnian let out an โouch,โ feeling like his backside had split into eight pieces, and looked down at the boy in front of him. โI called you. Why did you run?โ
Ah Chun wriggled out of Yu Jinnianโs arms, visibly anxious. โIโฆIโฆBrother Xiaonian, could you pretend you didnโt see me?โ
Yu Jinnian raised an eyebrow. โWhy?โ Suddenly, he remembered. โWere those previous thank-you gifts from you? The duck eggs, the ham?โ
Ah Chun stubbornly refused to speak. Yu Jinnian stood up, rubbing his backside, and pretended to walk back. โAlright, Iโll go back now and shout that Ah Chun brought the cloth! Oh, and the green-shelled eggs tooโโ
โBrother Xiaonian, Brother Xiaonian!โ Ah Chun quickly scrambled up, grabbing Yu Jinnianโs sleeves with both hands, his large eyes welling up. โPlease, Brother Xiaonian. If my brother finds out Iโve been discovered, he wonโt come backโฆBrother Xiaonian, I can do anything. Just pretend you didnโt see me. Iโll make silk flowers for you! I can even sing songs!โ
Yu Jinnian carefully observed the foolish boy. He seemed a bit thinner than the last time they met, his chubby cheeks sunken, and he appeared somewhat haggard. His untidy hair was tied in a messy knot at the back of his head, and his neck had a thin layer of grime. His clothes were filthy, clearly not washed in a long time.
Yu Jinnian asked in confusion, โHow long has it been since you bathed? Where is your brother?โ
Ah Chun lowered his head and twisted his fingers. โMy brother is the one who bathes me. I donโt know where he went. He said he was going out to take care of something and told me to stay home and wait. Itโs beenโฆโ He counted on his fingers for a while but couldnโt figure out exactly how many days had passed, so he said hesitantly, โItโs been as long as three gift deliveries.โ
Three deliveries meant at least over a month. Yu Jinnian frowned. โSo, youโve been delivering these things?โ
Ah Chun paused for a moment, then nodded before suddenly becoming excited. He gestured to Yu Jinnian, โMy brother is so smart! He made me a small booklet and told me to tear off one page every night before I go to sleep. When I reach the page with a circle, I should deliver something to you! He said I must not be discovered. Once I tear off all the pages, heโll come back!โ
โSoโฆcould you pretend you didnโt see me?โ Ah Chun pleaded, blinking his large eyes. โThere are only a few pages left. I miss my brother so much. I think about him every night before I sleep.โ
Perhaps Jing Zhong feared that Ji Hong would refuse the gifts outright if he knew they were from him, so he devised this method. Yu Jinnian patted Ah Chun on the head and gently asked, โAh Chun, how have you been eating and sleeping during this time? How will you spend the new year?โ
โBrother left me lots of delicious food!โ Ah Chun smiled innocently, clearly not understanding Yu Jinnianโs question. He didnโt seem to grasp that New Yearโs Eve was meant to be a time for family reunions. To this little fool, loneliness was probably as simple as โmissing someone very much.โ
And for him, waiting was as easy as tearing off a page with a circle.
Yu Jinnian couldnโt bear to leave the foolish boy alone in an empty, cold house for the new year, so he decided to take him back to the noodle shop. โDonโt tear any more pages. Come spend the new year with us. We have more delicious food, meat, candy, and even fireworks.โ
Ah Chun naturally liked Yu Jinnian. He could make good food and heal people. โButโฆI promised my brother I wouldnโt wander around. If he comes back and doesnโt find meโฆโ
Yu Jinnian stopped and said sternly, โAh Chun, you have to listen to your brother, and your brother has to listen to Ah Hong. Ah Hong has to listen to me. Now, think carefully, who should you listen to in the end?โ
Ah Chun spent a long time thinking, squatting down to draw a strange shape in the snow with a stick, mumbling as he thought. After a long while, he looked up and answered seriously, โUm, Ah Chun should listen to Brother Xiaonian.โ
Yu Jinnian couldnโt help but laugh. โThatโs right. So can you come home with me now?โ
Ah Chun nodded, reaching out to grab Yu Jinnianโs pinky, obediently following him. Yu Jinnian wasnโt very tall, and Ah Chun was even shorter. Ah Chun, with his youthful and adorable appearance, looked very obedient and charming. Their hand-in-hand figures looked a bit strange, as if Yu Jinnian were leading a well-behaved child, though Yu Jinnian saw Ah Chun as mentally immature and considered him a child. He had no inappropriate thoughts.
But just because he didnโt, didnโt mean others didnโt.
They hadnโt even entered the front hall when the loudmouth Min Mao, snacking on sunflower seeds by the doorframe, shouted, โHey! Third Brother Ji! Xiaonian is back, but whoโs that heโs holding hands with? Theyโve been holding hands the whole way! And that boy is quite good-lookingโฆโ
Yu Jinnian, exasperated, bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, and threw it straight at Min Maoโs face. โLooking for a beating, huh? Shut your mouth!โ