A Gallop on the Embankment with Spring Breeze

Chapter 44: The New Year’s Eve

Translator: Zhou Yang

Proofread by Fu Tianying

 

As for the origin of the New Year’s Eve, there are many kinds of stories. A popular story among people is that Nian (Chinese expression of year), or Xi, was a kind of monster that would harm the world on New Year’s Eve. People naturally wanted to fight against it, but they were not capable of beating the monster. Knowing that the monster was afraid of fire and thunder, they thought of a way: they were dressed in red clothes and set off firecrackers. Before firecrackers were invented, they burnt bamboo and made use of the popping sound of bamboo burning. When the beast Xi came to see that the world was full of fire and thunder, it would run away, so this day is also called New Year’s Eve.

Different from the folk tale, there is also a record in the book that the New Year’s Eve came from the custom of “Da Nuo” (In Qin and Han dynasties, hundreds of boys were gathered to be dressed up as twelve animals to drive away evil spirits.) People were often helpless in the face of epidemics, so they had to imagine that the epidemics were caused by ghosts, and hoped that superstitious rituals could bring peace. In Nuo sacrifice, people would wear strange masks, dance a specific Nuo dance, and strive to drive away the imaginary God of plague. “On the day just before new year, fireworks, gate gods carved from peach wood, nooses and cypresses are placed in front of the door, and the blood of a killed chicken is on the door, so as to exorcise epidemic diseases.” In the morning of the day just before new year, making fireworks and gate gods carved from peach wood are made by all the descendants of Nuo, aiming to “exorcise”. Of course, later, people didn’t want to kill chickens and make gate gods, so they directly hung peach branches and peach boards. In fact, no matter which way, the purpose is to pray for blessings and do exorcism.

In a flash, it was New Year’s Eve. The members of Ma Family sat together. It’s the so-called New Year’s Eve when people sit around the stove without sleeping until they reach the end of the day, which is called guarding the year. After eating dumplings and chatting about the family routine, Ma Chaosheng went to take a rest because he could not stay up too late as he was not in good health this year..

Wu Zhong did not return to Jiangnan and could not stay up for New Year’s Eve with Ma Family, so he was still reading in his room in the small courtyard.

The sound of firecrackers outside was incessant, and the fireworks illuminated the sky. The more lively, the more lonely. Thinking about the period of studying in the capital, it was surprising that so many things had happened. Wu Zhong thought that when he was in Jiangnan, if it was New Year’s Eve, the whole family would also sit around and have dinner together. Spring Festival couplets at home were always  written by himself. Since he was not at home, his father had to write them by himself. Thinking about it, he put down the book unconsciously. It seemed that he still could not keep his mind still.

“Sir, I’m in.” With a crisp voice, Ma Tian’en pushed the door open with a food box.

“Tian’en, why are you here?” Wu Zhong was both pleased and surprised.

“Of course, I’m here to accompany you. Look, what did I bring for you?” In the opened food box, there were all southern dishes, and two small bowls of Tangyuan, sweet round-shaped dumplings made of glutinous rice flour. Ma Tian’en looked at Wu Zhong proudly and put the food on the table. Of course, there was also liquor.

Wu Zhong, who was always eloquent, didn’t know what to say. His eyes were still wet. After a while he calmed down, and said, “Tian’en, you are so considerate.”

“Of course I do. By the way, these were prepared by Concubine Zhao. She also came from Jiangnan. I think you should have similar taste, so I turned to her. ”

“Well, Mrs. Ma doesn’t want you to contact Concubine Zhao, right?” Wu Zhong failed to know why he didn’t want Ma Tian’en to be too close to Concubine Zhao, either. He thought that Concubine Zhao had something strange.

“You think I’m stupid? I will not let my mother know. Concubine Zhao won’t hurt me. You think too much. I tell you that I have a talent that as long as someone approaches me, I will know whether he is good or bad to me as I smell. Concubine Zhao doesn’t mean anything bad to me. I can feel it. Look at Guo Qi…… Bah, don’t mention him on New Year’s Eve. Come on, have a taste. ” Ma Tian’en poured a glass of liquor for Wu Zhong. Of course, she also poured one for herself, because she was not allowed to drink in front of Wu Zhong, especially after Wu Zhong knew that she was a woman. In fact, what was the difference between men and women? She failed to understand.

“Well, I won’t say anything unhappy today.” Wu Zhong held up his glass, and Ma Tian’en took the opportunity to hold hers and smiled at Wu Zhong.

“Wish you all the best next year.”

“Then I wish you get the first place in the three-year examination and be famous all over the world!” The Ma Tian’en drank it all at once after saying that.

“Sir, if you become an official, what kind of official do you want to be?” She didn’t know what kind of official her teacher would be if he became an official one day.

“What kinds of officials are there?” In fact, Ma Tian’en was still confused about being an official. She knew few officials, most of whom were high-ranking. They talked the same nonsense as if they didn’t say anything while those words still sounded very dignified. Especially last time the affair with Hu Chunqiu left her bad impressions on the government officials.

“The emperor values the heroes, and reading teaches you how to win the favor of the emperor. One farmer in the morning can become an official at night. The most difficult thing for a scholar who has read for many years to keep in office still remains true to his heart. There are three kinds of officials: honest ones, mediocre ones and corrupted ones. It’s the easiest to be a mediocre official. You can get salary and follow the crowd. When you see something, you hide. You don’t do anything and don’t make any mistakes, either. To be a corrupted official, you can exchange official positions for wealth, bribe your superiors, collude with people from all walks of life, and earn a lot of money. All you should notice is not to be caught in this life. As for the next life, it does not matter when you are scolded. The most difficult is to be an honest official. The salary of our Dynasty is meager. If you are only a pure official, you may just barely make ends meet and you have no money to dredge up the superior and make friends with other officials. In addition, you have to be not afraid of power because you want to be a pure official, and you may be wronged when you speak out directly. Therefore, it is the easiest to be a mediocre official, the most enjoyable to be a corrupted official, and the most difficult to be a pure and honest official. What kind of official do you want me to be? ”

“Well, it seems that corrupted officials are more comfortable. But I still hope that you can be a honest official who will consider and make decisions for the people. Think, although corrupted officials can make much money, they will be scolded for hundreds and thousands of years by later generations. While honest officials can be praised for their steadfast life. As a student of an honest official, I have honor. Besides, it doesn’t matter whether you have money because I have and I can raise you. If you lack money, you can ask me for it. I will make a lot of money. ” After drinking a few glasses of liquor, Ma Tian’en said more. Her face was a little red, and her eyes were bright, as if she had taken some of the stars from the sky.

“Will you support me?” Wu Zhong suddenly wanted to reach out to touch Ma Tian’en’s face, but he remembered that she was a girl, so his hand retracted back.

“Yes, of course, I want to support you, sir, and what you need to do is to study hard.” Ma Tian’en said, and blinked at Wu Zhong.

Wu Zhong took another sip of liquor. Why was today’s liquor so strong and intoxicating?!

Then fireworks and firecrackers outside sounded again. Ma Tian’en pushed open the window and saw fireworks flying in the sky, some being like blooming flowers, some like meteors passing by, and some like immortals floating. Ma Tian’en could not help shouting excitedly.

“Sir, I’m going to set off fireworks!”

There are hundreds of varieties of fireworks in the capital. The ones wrapped in mud are called “casseroles”; the ones wrapped in paper are called “flower tubes”; the ones wrapped in baskets are called “flowerpots”; the ones that only make a sound are called “loud guns”; the ones that can fly up to the sky are called “fire”; the ones that make a sound after flying up to the sky are called “three-level waves”; the ones that rotate on the ground are called “ground mice”. Some powerful families invite craftsmen to make all kinds of fireworks every year. They set off fireworks all night on New Year’s Eve. It costs hundreds of taels to set off fireworks in a year alone. This time, the Ma Family spent thousands of taels just to seek auspiciousness and show their strength.

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Looking at Ma Tian’en, Wu Zhong suddenly realized what happiness was like.

Concubines were servants, and they could not stay up together with the master and his wife. Concubine Zhao’s courtyard was particularly deserted. The master didn’t come and his wife didn’t pay attention to her. There were two servant girls who were perfunctory. Fortunately, Concubine Zhao had a good disposition and no one would be particularly embarrassing her. It’s only when Ma Tian’en came that the courtyard got a little more lively.

Although Ma Tian’en just asked Concubine Zhao to make a table of food and then packed it and went away, she did bring some window flowers and spring rolls of venison for Concubine Zhao. She also pasted the window flowers on the door and the window for Concubine Zhao, which was quite lively. When Concubine Zhao was cooking in the small kitchen, she was asking Concubine Zhao how the southerners celebrated the new year and what was the difference from the north. Concubine Zhao liked Ma Tian’en doing such things. Every time she saw her, she looked like a swallow in spring, a flower in summer, a red fruit in autumn and a warm sun in winter.  She knew that she was the “son” of Mrs. Ma, and that if she hurt her, Mrs. Ma would be in despair more than if she hurt Mrs. Ma herself, and that the woman killed her son, and that an eye for an eye was the best revenge, she knew that…… But, she didn’t want to and she couldn’t. Seeing Ma Tian’en calling her aunt with a smile, she would think that if her son didn’t die, what he would become and how he would think, and he would be just as good as Ma Tian’en.

Concubine Zhao stroked the baby clothes out of the package again and again.