The affairs of the An Family did not affect the festive atmosphere of preparing for the New Year at the Weiyuan Prince Residence.
On the twenty-second of the twelfth lunar month, servants at the Prince Residence began hanging lanterns and festoons. Daozi and Xiao Moreng, on their way back to the main courtyard after practicing martial arts, curiously approached to watch people hanging red lanterns.
Watching rows of red lanterns being hung under the eaves, Daozi beca intrigued and said to the servants, "Give the lantern, I want to try as well."
But the servants dared not hand the lantern to Daozi: "Little Prince, hanging lanterns can be dangerous, we can’t let you take such risks." If anything were to happen to the Little Prince, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough to compensate.
Daozi was visibly upset: "You’re lying to , I just watched you hang them, it obviously looks very simple."
The servants replied with a wry smile: "Little Prince, it only seems simple to you because this is what we do, and we are practiced at it. But you are still young, and should you fail to secure the ladder properly, you could fall."
Daozi loathed being told he was too young, and seeing that the servants were not obeying him, he felt extrely angry: "Just you wait, I’ll tell my mother about this, that you aren’t listening to ."
With that, he dragged Xiao Moreng towards the main courtyard.
Along the way, Xiao Moreng saw Daozi pouting fiercely and teased, "Those servants just now were only looking out for your best interest. You’re still quite young, and even I am not allowed to do these dangerous tasks at ho."
Daozi frowned, his face still showing heavy displeasure: "But I just want to try it."
In the midst of speaking, they reached the main courtyard.
Daozi dashed into the room and saw Daohua sitting on the bed’s bench reviewing the list of gifts. He eagerly trotted over to her side and said aggrievedly, "Mother, the servants in the residence aren’t listening to this Little Prince."
Daohua diverted her attention from the list of gifts, glancing at Daozi with composure and asked, "What did you want to do now?"
The servants in the residence wouldn’t neglect her son unless he wanted to do sothing ’inappropriate’ again.
Daozi pouted: "Mother, I want to hang red lanterns, but they won’t allow ."
Daohua looked at Daozi: "Then why do you think they won’t let you hang them?"
Daozi huffed: "They say hanging lanterns is dangerous, but I clearly watched them doing it, and it looked very simple." Saying this, he shook Daohua’s arm.
"Mother, I want to give it a try."
Daohua knew that a child’s curiosity could not be altogether suppressed; otherwise, the more you forbid them from doing sothing, the more they would want to try it. If she refused him this ti, the next ti he encountered sothing that piqued his curiosity, he might secretly attempt it.
After so thought, Daohua said: "The eaves of our house are several tis your height. If you were to fall from there, it would be very painful. Knowing this, do you still want to try?"
Daozi hesitated for a mont, then confidently nodded: "I want to hang lanterns for you, and also for our ancestors, grandmother, and Grandfather Chu."
Daohua smiled and ruffled Daozi’s hair: "Alright, mother agrees, but you have to wait until your father returns."
Xiao Moreng saw that his aunt had actually agreed to his little cousin’s request, feeling sowhat surprised.
He rembered, when he was seven or eight years old, how the Emperor had given a few palace lanterns to the Fourth Prince Residence. He too wished to hang them up for his father and mother, but was sternly refused by his mother.
He knew his mother ant well, but still, there was so lingering regret in his heart.
For his benefit, he had been prevented from doing many things since childhood, including quite a few tasks for which he never even knew the reasons.
Observing his aunt speaking softly to his little cousin, Xiao Moreng felt a sudden surge of envy.
His mother was busy and rarely had the ti to accompany him like his aunt did with Daozi.
Impatient by nature, Daozi beca restless after getting the permission from Daohua and kept asking when his father would return so he could go hang the lanterns.
Daohua pulled out a storybook for him to help him settle down and when she glanced up, noticed Xiao Moreng’s forlorn expression. She smiled and walked over, "Are you getting hosick?"
Xiao Moreng snapped back to reality and looked up to see a pair of eyes brimming with concern: "Auntie, I’m fine."
Daohua chuckled and pulled Xiao Moreng to sit down: "Missing ho is nothing to be ashad of, are you afraid I’ll laugh at you? If I were you, I’d miss ho too."
Xiao Moreng showed a bashful expression.
Daohua laughed: "When your father cos back, ask him to take you and Daozi to hang lanterns. It gets boring in the winter, and it’ll be good for you to move around a bit."
Seeing Daozi’s eager gaze, Xiao Moreng smiled and nodded: "Alright."
As the New Year was approaching, the Governor’s Office had fewer matters to attend to, and Xiao Yeyang returned earlier than usual. As soon as he arrived, Daozi hugged his legs.
"Dad, mom said you should take and fourth brother to hang lanterns."
Xiao Yeyang looked toward Daohua, and she smiled and explained: "The little guy is curious. If his curiosity isn’t satisfied, he’ll keep thinking about it. Consider it a way to entertain them."
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daozi: "I can take you to hang lanterns, but we need to establish so rules. For things that are dangerous like this, do not attempt them without permission. You must have an adult’s consent first, understand?"
Daozi nodded earnestly.
Xiao Yeyang changed into his casual clothes before taking Daozi and Xiao Moreng around the Prince Residence to hang lanterns.
Despite Daozi’s young age, he was well-nurtured and tall, almost catching up to the six-year-old Xiao Mobao. With a solid physique, after practicing martial arts with Chu Lang for a while, he was very stable on the ladder, and his hands were strong when bracing it.
Having hung the lanterns in the main courtyard himself, Daozi was thrilled with curiosity fulfilled.
"Fourth brother, let’s go hang red lanterns in our ancestors’ courtyard."
After filling up the Gujian Courtyard with red lanterns, the two of them moved on to Guo Ruoi’s and Chu Lang’s courtyards.
Half a day later, looking at the red lanterns hanging high in the courtyards, both Daozi and Xiao Moreng felt a great sense of achievent.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve. Early in the morning, Xiao Moreng went with Xiao Yeyang’s family of three to pay a New Year’s visit to Gu Jian at Nanshan Hall.
With red envelopes from the elders, both Daozi and Xiao Moreng were delighted.
"Fourth brother, make sure you keep your red envelopes safe. This is your dowry fund."
Hearing Daozi’s words, Xiao Moreng’s face turned awkward. He knew the aning of dowry fund, but weren’t these all prepared by father and mother?
Also, Daozi was only four years old. Wasn’t it too early to be thinking about such things?
Daozi had already deftly stuffed the red envelopes into his pocket, muttering: "The more you save for the dowry fund, the more options you’ll have."
Xiao Moreng couldn’t help but laugh: "Are you worried Uncle Prince and Auntie won’t take care of you?"
Daozi pondered for a mont: "What’s theirs is theirs. If I used their things, would I choose what I like or what they like? Therefore, it’s better to save my own."
Xiao Moreng was taken aback and after a while asked: "Why do you think like that?"
Daozi shrugged and spread his hands, a look of sadness on his face: "That’s what my mother said." Straightening his back and imitating Daohua scolding him, he raised his little finger: "If you eat mine and drink mine, you’ll have to listen to ."
Xiao Moreng looked at Daozi in surprise, giving him a thumbs up: "You’ve learned it quite well."
Daozi cockily raised an eyebrow: "Of course, I am my mother’s son after all."
Reviews
All reviews (0)