Chapter 63: The Lesser New Year

No, how did the conversation end up going in this direction?

This is not what she expected at all!

Shouldn't Wei Ting have flatly denied it, or been forced to admit he gave her the token?

In that case, he would have come here tonight just to steal her belongings!

No, the original intention wasn't even to make him confess to stealing or not. How did an ordinary argument... veer so far off course?

She totally botched this performance!

Alas, Wei Ting was not going to give her a chance to turn the tables.

"I've used it as collateral for you, so the token can be returned to me now, right?"

The night blurred his silhouette, and also blurred the coldness in his tone. His low and magnetic voice, echoing in this quiet world, inexplicably made one's heart soften.

Shao Diandian understood that this body's infatuation sickness was acting up again.

Failing at the crucial moment—that described her perfectly!

Wei Ting was single-mindedly determined to take back the token, but Shao Diandian stubbornly refused to hand it over, leaving the two of them locked in a tense standoff.

"Wei Ting."

Shao Diandian suddenly spoke up.

"Speak."

Wei Ting responded coldly.

Shao Diandian let out a soft "hmph" and reminisced earnestly, "If I wasn't dreaming last time, did I actually touch it or not?"

Wei Ting: "..."

Wei Ting ultimately failed to retrieve the token because little Hu wet himself.

Shao Diandian reacted with timely vigilance. When little Hu started wriggling inside the bedding, she hurriedly fished the little fellow out and shoved him straight into Wei Ting's arms.

Wei Ting was not nearly as fortunate. Before he even had time to process the situation, a warm wave of his son's love rolled across his chest...

Having finished relieving himself, little Hu felt extremely comfortable even in his sleep, proudly raising his little chin. His deeply sleeping little appearance looked utterly triumphant.

Wei Ting walked out with a dark face.

"Haha!"

Shao Diandian laughed until she rolled around on the bed.

--

Before dawn, Shao Diandian crawled out from her soft, warm bedding.

Whether it was because being chubby meant she didn't fear the cold, or because she had three little Diandian hot-water bags keeping her warm, she had slept quite comfortably.

A heavy snow had fallen the previous night, blocking the doors.

The flagstones in the backyard were covered in a thick layer of ice, which would be disastrous for children to step on.

Shao Diandian busied herself sweeping the snow and shoveling the ice, working up a sweat until she finally cleared the hidden hazards from the backyard.

This year's business had concluded yesterday, so she didn't need to set up a stall today, but she still had to make a trip to the town.

First, she wasn't sure if Physician Fu had returned, so she needed to check on Granny Fu; second, Young Master Xiang was due for a follow-up consultation.

She boiled two poached eggs, drained them, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top, blanched a few leaves of Chinese cabbage, and paired it all with an ear of corn—for her current weight, this was a nutritious and hearty fat-reduction breakfast.

She steamed large meat buns for the rest of the family to keep warm in the pot, carried the three sleeping little ones over to Shao Erdian's place, and only then put on her basket and headed out.

The snow on the road was thick and treacherous, making walking extremely difficult.

In weather like this, unless it was a matter of utmost urgency, people generally wouldn't go out.

Yet Shao Diandian happened to run into her maternal aunt, Madam Huang, and her eldest cousin, Chen Haoyuan, right at the entrance of the village.

Madam Huang was dressed quite elaborately today, wearing a brand-new cotton-padded jacket and sporting a rather rare silver hairpin.

Although it was obviously silver-plated, in the countryside, it was already considered a top-tier, formal outfit.

Looking at Chen Haoyuan, he was on vacation, having cast aside the blue academy uniform and changed into a respectable gray-and-white long gown.

In the Zhou State, clothing was a matter of status and one could not overstep one's position. For instance, commoners mostly wore short jackets and were restricted to plain cloth garments—hence why they were referred to as cloth-clad commoners.

The long gown was a symbol of status belonging to scholars or wealthy families.

Chen Haoyuan belonged to the former category.

Clothes make the man, a principle that applied equally to both genders.

Half of Chen Haoyuan's handsome appearance came from his own delicate and refined features, and the other half came from his dignified and proper long gown and academy uniform.

Shao Diandian had only ever met one man who could outshine even coarse linen clothes with his breathtaking beauty, and that was Wei Ting.

Madam Huang was carrying a basket tightly wrapped in cotton cloth, which looked rather heavy, making her struggle a bit to carry it.

Meanwhile, Chen Haoyuan walked empty-handed by her side.

Chen Haoyuan was a scholar, and the whole family doted on him, refusing to let him do a shred of physical labor.

Shao Diandian felt that boys should be raised like Erdian—tough and resilient, rather than being overly pampered.

The stance of Madam Huang and Chen Haoyuan clearly indicated they weren't looking for the smaller Shao household, and as for who they were actually looking for, Shao Diandian had no interest in knowing.

She walked past with a blank expression.

--

Madam Huang noticed that this damned girl didn't even greet her upon seeing them and grew so angry she sneered aloud, "Did celebrating the Lesser New Year turn you into a blind and mute person? Can't even bring yourself to call me Aunt anymore, huh?"

This aunt of hers was getting quite arrogant these days.

Shao Diandian cast a sidelong glance at her and couldn't be bothered to entertain her.

She had forgotten that today was the Lesser New Year. She needed to go and return quickly so she wouldn't let the three little ones wait and feel wronged.

Madam Huang was ignored once again, feeling as though she had thrown a punch at a cotton ball. It made her stamp her feet in rage as she blocked Shao Diandian's path: "Damned girl! Didn't you hear me talking to you?!"

Shao Diandian said indifferently, "Can't you tell I couldn't care less about you? You just had to step up and humiliate yourself! What? Didn't make a fool of yourself enough last time and want an encore?"

Some people were forever utterly shameless, eagerly inviting insults early in the morning!

Did she really think anyone was afraid of her? Where on earth did her sense of superiority come from?

Thinking of the time Madam Huang had tried to sell her own son to the small Shao household only to fail and be met with mockery, Madam Huang flushed red from neck to face.

What on earth was wrong with this damned girl's brain? She was completely different from before!

Chen Haoyuan frowned slightly, "Daya, my mother is your elder. How can you speak so disrespectfully to your elders?"

Shao Diandian gave a faint smile, "Scholar Cousin, your mother keeps calling me a damned girl, cursing me as blind and mute, and you didn't even make a peep! When it's my turn to say a few words, it suddenly becomes speaking disrespectfully to elders? Oh, so your mother is an elder, meaning she can scold me, humiliate me, and insult me, and I just have to take it? If one day she puts a knife to my neck, am I supposed to obediently let her chop my head off too?!"

Chen Haoyuan was choked speechless on the spot.

At that moment, Madam Fang and Shao Jinniang came over to the well to draw water.

"Oh, it's Xiugu and Scholar Chen, and Daya is here too."

Madam Fang greeted them.

Shao Diandian glanced at the group, instantly guessing why Madam Huang had come.

—It was most likely to propose marriage to Shao Jinniang.

Shao Diandian guessed correctly; Madam Huang had indeed come today for her son's matrimonial prospects.

Madam Huang had no intention of losing face in front of her future in-laws. She gave her son a tug and said sourly, "Never mind, Hao'er, you're someone who's going to study in the prefectural city; don't lower yourself to arguing with your cousin! Your cousin doesn't know a single character, so explaining grand principles to her is useless!"

Madam Fang caught the scent of gunpowder in the air and tried to mediate, "It's early in the morning, let's talk nicely."

Madam Huang retorted, "I'd love to talk nicely, too, but not everyone is like your Jinniang—sensible, virtuous, and smart! Some people only know how to be lazy and gluttonous, incapable of doing a single thing. They can't even compare to one of Jinniang's fingers!"

With that, Madam Huang turned her head, only to discover that Shao plump-girl had already walked far away. She had no idea whether Shao plump-girl had even heard her parting shot.

When Shao plump-girl had cursed her out earlier, she had heard every single word loud and clear, and it had felt like a dagger piercing her lungs!

Why was it that when it was her turn to scold Shao plump-girl, Shao plump-girl just walked away?

Had she wasted her breath for nothing?!

Madam Huang felt her chest clog up with frustration!

Madam Fang continued to play the peacemaker, "I don't think Daya is that kind of person. She has become a lot more sensible lately."

Madam Huang scoffed, "If she had even half of Jinniang's sense, I wouldn't have to worry... After all, she's my sister-in-law's own flesh and blood. I originally thought that once Hao'er went to study in the prefectural city, he could look after her a bit—"

"Is Scholar Chen really going to study in the prefectural city?" This was the second time Madam Huang had brought this up, so Madam Fang couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.

Madam Huang boasted, "Of course? Only those who pass the provincial imperial examination are qualified to be recommended to the prefectural academy!"

Chen Haoyuan said nothing, seemingly tacitly accepting that he was fully capable of passing the imperial examination.

Madam Fang's attitude toward the two of them instantly underwent a qualitative shift.

Originally, given Shao Jinniang's looks and reputation, she wouldn't have trouble marrying into a good family, but even the best families hadn't produced a master who was a successful imperial scholar.

It seemed this marriage alliance was all but certain to be sealed.

Madam Fang smiled, "It's cold out here, let's go inside to talk."

At this, Madam Huang finally felt a sense of relief settle in her heart.

That damned girl didn't take her seriously, thinking she was all that just because she married a handsome husband. Hh, isn't he still just someone who scratches a living out of the dirt? Could he possibly compare to her son?

Her son was a future imperial scholar gentleman!

Shao Diandian was blissfully unaware of Madam Huang's rich inner monologue. Today's itinerary was rather tight, and with the roads being so difficult to traverse, she needed to hurry to the town if she wanted to return early.

She simply didn't have the time to keep listening to Madam Huang's unhinged behavior.

Today was the Lesser New Year, and most of the shops on the street were closed, but the doors were plastered with festive couplets and characters for good fortune.

In ancient times, paper was expensive, and couplets written by literati were even pricier. Therefore, it was rare to see any household in the village posting couplets.

In Shao Diandian's memory, when Madam Chen was still alive, she had put up couplets once or twice, but after her passing, they never had them again.

Shao Diandian suddenly felt an impulse to buy a couple of couplets to take back, but unfortunately, none were left for sale.

--

When Shao Diandian arrived at Spring Willow Alley, the courtyard gate of the Fu residence was ajar. In the snow, there were a few sets of small-sized footprints tracking in and out.

Shao Diandian immediately deduced that Physician Fu still hadn't returned last night.

"Granny Fu, I'm here."

Shao Diandian pushed open the courtyard gate and went into Granny Fu's room.

Granny Fu was sitting on the bed taking her medicine. The moment she heard Shao Diandian's voice, a flash of awkward panic crossed her features. She hurriedly shoved the medicine box onto a stool nearby and turned her face toward the inner side of the bed.

Yet, suddenly feeling it improper to leave it outside, she scooped the medicine box back up and tried to hide it under the quilt.

By the time Shao Diandian crossed the threshold, Granny Fu had already turned her head toward the inside wall, stubbornly presenting Shao Diandian with a completely unyielding profile.

Shao Diandian walked over to the bedside with an amused expression, "Granny Fu, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm not dead yet!" Granny Fu replied crossly.

Shao Diandian laughed, "Oh, your vital breath is quite strong! It seems the medicinal effect is working well; you're not uncomfortable anymore, right? Your complexion has flushed a bit; did you sleep very well last night?"

Granny Fu hummed coldly, "Sleep well? What sleep well! Didn't you see my leg is broken!"

Shao Diandian countered, "I gave you painkillers, remember?"

The painkillers were leftovers from Wei Ting. That fellow didn't seem to care about pain at all, so Shao Diandian had saved the pain medication.

"Hmph!" Granny Fu stubbornly insisted, "Your medicine had no effect!"

"No effect? Then where did the medicine I left you go?" Shao Diandian asked, looking at the completely empty stool.

Granny Fu declared, "Threw it out!"

Shao Diandian pressed her lips together to hold back her laughter.

"What are you laughing at!" Granny Fu glared at her.

Shao Diandian puckered her lips, signaling Granny Fu to take a look at her own bedding.

Granny Fu looked down, only to discover that the quilt wasn't tucked properly, exposing several packets of medicine.

"Haha!"

If something was funny, you just had to laugh. Shao Diandian was certainly not going to pass up the opportunity to watch the elderly lady experience secondary social death.

Granny Fu's face turned the color of a pig's liver!

To be honest, she hadn't believed at first that the medicine Shao Diandian provided could possess miraculous effects.

Firstly, Shao Diandian was just a village girl and couldn't possibly understand medicine.

Secondly, she had never seen those strange little pills before. Her husband practiced medicine, and her son practiced medicine too; even if she wasn't a physician herself, she had absorbed enough through exposure to have more discernment than ordinary people. Yet she had never witnessed any treatment method like Shao Diandian's.

However, when night came, her feelings of palpitations and heart-fluttering had vanished, her headaches lessened, and when she shook her head, it didn't trigger the dizziness she usually experienced.

As for the pain in her leg, it hadn't felt overly severe either.

By the time she woke up after sleeping soundly until dawn, she realized she had finally gotten a proper night's rest.

She couldn't even remember when the last time was that she had slept through the night.

"When people reach old age, ailments are inevitable. It's not a sudden terminal illness, but rather something that accumulates bit by bit, growing heavier day by day. That's the law of nature—birth, aging, sickness, and death. You can't cure it."

Her husband had practiced medicine for many years and cured countless people, yet in the end, hadn't he still died of illness?

Her husband's initial symptoms had been identical to hers. He had tried countless prescriptions; at first, they indeed showed some efficacy, but before long, the efficacy faded, and in the end, no prescription worked at all...

Shao Diandian took out her stethoscope and sphygmomanometer to measure her blood pressure: "You've only just started improving, so don't be so pessimistic. A good state of mind is very important, too."

Granny Fu's condition required long-term management, but as long as it was properly controlled, she could live a long and healthy life.

In her past life, the elderly grandmother living upstairs from her was also a hypertension patient. She was over eighty years old and spent her days playing with and enjoying her grandchildren.

Having witnessed her husband's death from illness firsthand, Granny Fu's willpower had been shattered by wave after wave of disappointment. She didn't want to experience that a second time.

Therefore, even though she had experienced slight improvements, she refused to believe she could ever fully recover.

Shao Diandian completely understood the mindset of a patient, and she wasn't in a rush to persuade her with mere words; time would reveal the truth eventually.

Shao Diandian smiled, "You've eaten breakfast already, right? Was it sent over by the neighbors? Was it delicious?"

Granny Fu snapped, "You're so noisy!"

--

When Shao Diandian left Granny Fu's house, her basket contained an extra bag of sesame seeds.

A follow-up consultation naturally required a consultation fee, after all!

Immediately afterward, Shao Diandian headed to the Wutong Academy.

Young Master Xiang's compliance was much higher; he obediently let Shao Diandian examine him.

"You're recovering very well," Shao Diandian said. "Keep taking the herbal medicine. Your diet should also remain light—don't throw caution to the wind and indulge in a gluttonous feast just because it's the New Year. Most importantly, you must not drink alcohol!"

Young Master Xiang gave a warm, gentle smile, "Alright."

Standing beside him, Changping rolled his eyes. Who do you think you are, speaking to our young master in that tone?

Shao Diandian pointed right at Changping and immediately snitched, "He's rolling his eyes at me!"

Young Master Xiang said with deadpan seriousness, "Then I shall have his eyeballs gouged out to offer an apology to Miss Shao."

Changping was so terrified he nearly did the splits on the spot!

Umm...

You're a sickly beauty, why are you being so savagely fierce?

Shao Diandian was stunned into muttering, "...That really won't be necessary."

Watching the dumbfounded expression on the little chubby girl's face, Young Master Xiang couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.