"Where did the old shopkeeper go?"
"Hey, why is the young lady still covering her face? She hasn’t gone out for so long, and even now that she does, we can’t see her..."
"She slls so nice, hehe, she just walked past ..."
Seeing the old shopkeeper and Wu He’s Junior Sister leave, the staff felt sowhat strange. They especially regretted not being able to see Wu He’s Junior Sister’s pretty face. Of course, so of the more sensitive ones felt a little odd inside.
The Shopkeeper had always lived in the inner courtyard. Although he seldom appeared, with soone so capable present, they felt secure. Suddenly, he had gone out, and at night too. It made them feel indescribably strange.
"Stop standing around."
Hu Ma, seeing the situation, said, "There’s no night patrol tonight, but we still need to light the lanterns."
With the Shopkeeper gone, Hu Ma was in charge of the Manor. The staff dared not be careless and quickly went to take down the lanterns.
There were three lanterns in total in the Manor: one large and two small. The two smaller ones, which burned for about two hours, were usually carried during night patrols. The large one was usually hung at the Manor’s entrance.
It seed to be made from so kind of leather. It was extrely resilient, yet as thin as a cicada’s wings and crimson as blood. Inside, there was an oil lamp filled with specially-made oil paste; a single refill could burn for a long ti.
Currently, there wasn’t much oil left in the lanterns, so Hu Ma imdiately ordered soone to refill them.
The lanterns were soon lit. But instead of having them hung back where they belonged, Hu Ma brought them into the inner courtyard, chose a high pole, and hung the large lantern there, casting a red glow over the surroundings.
Looking up at the red lantern hanging overhead, the n exchanged glances, a chill creeping into their hearts.
Although they knew nothing, seeing the old shopkeeper leave and Hu Ma instructing the lanterns to be hung within the courtyard also made them feel the atmosphere was a bit uncanny.
"Hu... Manager Hu..."
Soone gathered the courage to ask softly, "Is sothing happening tonight?"
As soon as he spoke, the others quickly turned to look, their eyes flickering with apprehension.
"No..."
Hu Ma, smiling, turned towards them and said, "It’s just that the year-end is approaching, so the Shopkeeper has made so arrangents. Naturally, the rules are a bit different now."
"Right, about those things you were concerned about before, I asked on your behalf."
He said this, looking very pleased, "Even though we’re all new here, we’re allowed to go ho for the New Year this year. Not only that, but we’ll receive money and grain too! Everyone can return ho with their heads held high."
"Huh?"
The staff had always worried about this. Hearing the news now, they were overjoyed and completely caught by surprise.
Just being allowed to go ho for the New Year’s Eve dinner was already incredible. They could actually bring money and grain back too?
For a mont, they thought they were dreaming. But seeing the genuine joy on each other’s faces confird it was real, and their excitent threatened to burst through the heavens.
Hu Ma was very pleased with their reaction.
He had no other choice. If he’d told them beforehand what was about to happen, this bunch would have let their imaginations run wild, scaring themselves witless. Their courage would have faltered, the stove fire would have burned low, and they’d have been vulnerable to any evil spirit that might take advantage.Even the boldest among them could be spooked by the others; fear, after all, is contagious. But by telling them sothing joyful, their spirits lifted, and the stove fire blazed brighter, which was the best way to ward off evil spirits. A happy occasion certainly lifts the spirits; that’s the principle at work here.
For a ti, everyone forgot about the lantern hanging above their heads. They crowded around Hu Ma, eagerly asking when they could leave and how much money and grain they could take, causing the n’s faces to light up with enthusiasm.
But then, just as this excitent had spread to everyone, they suddenly heard the sound of a rattle from outside the courtyard wall.
At this ti, night had fallen and everything was silent. The sound of the rattle was exceptionally clear. Simultaneously, a faint glow, looking very strange, appeared from where the sound originated.
The staff hurried to stand on stools and peek outside the Manor, and were imdiately shocked.
In this small town where they resided, people usually went to sleep early.
But now, along the dirt roads of the town, several lanterns were lit. In the distance, it looked like an old man was performing a shadow puppet show, using the light from the lanterns.
And he wasn’t the only one. Further away, there was a perforr juggling large jars, another with a monkey show, and even soone selling candied hawthorn.
This small town had a population of just over a hundred households. It mostly catered to the passing trade caravans traveling to and from Mingzhou Prefecture. Now, with fewer rchants coming and going, and this not being a city, why had so many perforrs suddenly appeared?
Such lively performances, yet with no audience—who were they for?
Especially since they were performing so enthusiastically, but there wasn’t a single spectator around. Every household had its doors and windows tightly shut.
The stark contrast made one’s heart instinctively tighten. The n who had climbed the wall to look out ca down pale-faced, wanting to speak but unable to find the words.
Hu Ma didn’t even need to look. Just hearing the sound of the rattle told him what was happening.
Seeing the staff’s hesitation, he intentionally joked, "Perforrs need brains too. The people in this town are too stingy to give them any reward money. Aren’t they just performing for ghosts?"
The staff tried to laugh along with him but could hardly manage it.
Yet, Hu Ma seed entirely indifferent to it. He waved his hand grandiosely and said, "We n ought to give them so reward money, but since the Shopkeeper said we’re not allowed outside, we’ll just have to enjoy the free show tonight."
"Li, Hu, how’s the food coming along?"
He asked loudly as he turned towards the kitchen, "With the Shopkeeper absent today, I’m in charge."
"You two, forget the pickled vegetables, tofu, and cornal mush. Slaughter a sheep! Cut the at! The Shopkeeper has a few jars of wine in his room; I’ll fetch them. We’re celebrating New Year’s early tonight!"
"..."
"What?"
The staff were dumbfounded upon hearing this, almost thinking they were dreaming.
Most who ca to this Manor were from poor families; even those from slightly better-off families rarely ate at more than a few tis a year.
They had been told there would be Blood Food provided at the Manor. In reality, it was just a tiny bit each day, hardly enough to satisfy them. Besides, Blood Food tasted quite different from the pork, beef, and mutton they craved.
Simply put, their bodies were accustod to a vegetarian diet; a month could go by without a hint of at. The last ti Hu Ma had brought so sheep from the village, they were for show, not for eating.
So when Hu Ma suddenly made this decision, the joyful surprise felt unreal.
Seeing Hu Ma’s smiling face and confirming he wasn’t joking, they beca ecstatic and rushed to get to work.
Fetching basins, sharpening knives, boiling water, coaxing the sheep to the basin.
Even Li and the few others working in the kitchen were stunned. They had been here for so long but never imagined they would be preparing such a grand feast today.
Knowing it would end up in their own bellies, they too revitalized their spirits. They used all the ingredients they usually hesitated to use, filling up the pots. Hu Ma really did bring out several jars of wine from the inner courtyard and even instructed them to prepare a pot of brown sugar water for later to help with the alcohol.
Not only that, Hu Ma went into the kitchen specifically to check. He saw a clay pot containing about two or three jins of frozen at—this was the Blue Tai Sui ant to be supplied to the Manor’s staff.
Though it seed like a lot, it was actually nearly all of their monthly rations. So he waved his hand grandly, telling Li to prepare it all and assuring the staff they could eat and drink to their fill today. "Tomorrow, I’ll just tell the Shopkeeper and get another piece!"
With mutton to eat and such a large piece of Blue Tai Sui, the staff were even more excited than they would be for the actual New Year, bustling around with zeal to help.
Amidst the excitent, only Zhou Datong’s expression was peculiar. He couldn’t ask directly but shot Hu Ma a aningful glance.
Hu Ma didn’t explain, rely nodding at him. Zhou Datong imdiately understood. He stepped forward, kicked one of the n, and cursed, "Look at you, acting like you’ve never eaten anything good in your life!"
"What do you an, cut it into small pieces and stew it?"
"Today, Brother Ma Zi is treating us! We have to roast the whole sheep and carve the at straight off with knives. That’s the way to eat! So fragrant!"
"..."
"Which family is rich enough to eat a whole sheep like that?"
The staff listened to this thod of eating, and just imagining it made their mouths water profusely.
Listening to this, Hu Ma beca more certain of one thing: Zhou Datong’s grandfather must have embezzled quite a bit in the village. How else could he have afforded to eat whole roasted sheep?
Yet, Zhou Datong’s suggestion was imdiately t with unanimous agreent. They quickly built a stone stove in the courtyard, chopped plenty of firewood, lit a fire, and mounted the sheep on a spit.
The n holding knives eagerly got them ready, itching to carve the mutton. Those without knives grabbed kitchen cleavers. Zhao Zhu even brought over a dung fork but was forcefully made to throw it aside by the others.
"Alright, open the wine; let the feast begin!"
Two tables were set up in the courtyard, laden with delicacies rarely seen in the Manor. Beside them, a large fire blazed, with the sheep roasting over it.
Hu Ma silently calculated the ti. Seeing it was about right, he laughed, raised his wine bowl, and led the n in a large gulp. Then, they began to feast joyously on the at.
As the night deepened and silence fell all around, the crimson lantern hanging overhead cast an undeniably eerie atmosphere. However, the n’s hearts were filled with genuine joy. They shouted and jostled, laughing and grabbing for food, their boisterousness completely dispelling any gloom.
The revelry reached its peak. Everyone was engrossed in eating and drinking, completely forgetting about the perforrs outside. Suddenly, the main gate creaked. The heavily latched door swung open as if blown by the wind.
From the pitch-black doorway, a deathly pale face suddenly peeked in, glanced around, and then quickly withdrew.
The n were startled. The hands holding their wine cups froze.
Hu Ma sensed the change in mood. He suddenly chuckled, "Well, now, whose little lady is that? Is she lonely and looking for a man? Wanting to co back with us for the New Year, perhaps?"
The staff hesitated for a mont, and then burst into laughter again.
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