Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 460: December 3, New Year's Eve is here

"Although Xiao Zhuzi is small, he listens to Yucheng and Dundun very much. Just tell him to follow them and don't run around."

Zheng Sanniang then nodded timidly.

Doctor Sun said, "Sister-in-law of the Shen family, Miss Yuzhi, I think I won't go. After all, I am an outsider."

Shen Yu shook his head and said, "Uncle Sun, come with us. It's too boring for you to spend the New Year alone at home."

"Besides, the two masters are also there. You can take this opportunity to formally thank Master Liu. What do you think?"

When this was mentioned, Li also said, "Yes, Doctor Sun, it is not convenient for us to thank him before the trial, and it is even more inconvenient at the county government during the trial."

"If we go together tomorrow, this would be an opportunity."

"If it weren't for Master Liu's rich experience, we wouldn't be able to celebrate the holiday so easily right now, and we wouldn't know how to worry about the case."

Doctor Sun thought this made sense and said hurriedly, "That's right. We ordinary people don't have the chance to see them on weekdays. I'll go with you tomorrow."

Yutao asked Shen Yu: "Sister, besides food, can we also cut some paper-cuts to bring over?"

"You said that the county magistrate wanted to have more fun. I guess he missed his family and the fun of celebrating the New Year at home because he was an official here."

Shen Yu agreed, "That's a good idea. We still have a lot of red paper. Let's cut some more today."

"I also bought some red lanterns to hang when the inn opens, and I'll bring them over then.

Li and the others were also very excited and went to prepare the ingredients to be taken over tomorrow.

In the evening, everyone discussed for a while what dishes to cook for the next day, and then washed up and rested.

The next day was the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the end of the year, New Year’s Eve.

Early in the morning, the sky was overcast, but not cold.

Doctor Sun usually gets up early, and it's the same when he comes here.

When he heard some noise coming from the courtyard behind, Doctor Sun came over from the courtyard in front, stood in the courtyard and looked at the sky and said, "Looks like it's going to snow."

Li and his friends were busy making breakfast in the kitchen, so they said with a smile, "That's great. I've heard people say that if there's snow at the end of the year, there will be a good harvest next year."

"If there is a heavy snowfall at this time, the crops will definitely grow well next year."

Doctor Sun shook his head and said with little confidence: "I hope so."

"This summer, the drought was so severe that many households in the village had no harvest."

"I don't know if I can raise enough money to buy seeds next spring."

Li sighed when she heard the past, "Fortunately I listened to Yuzhi and rented out the land, and came out to sell food."

"If this had stayed in the village, I don't know what would have happened."

Doctor Sun thought about the villagers who had no harvest and could only sigh helplessly. He walked to the well and helped fetch water.

Although Doctor Sun is over fifty years old, he has always been in good health. He has taken several prescriptions of medicine these days, and has eaten three meals a day. He is in a good mood, and his injuries have healed by about 80%.

Apart from the fact that he still walks a little unsteadily, the bruise on his forehead has almost faded, and he has also started to do some physical work.

Shen Yu knew that he was busy treating patients and going up the mountain to collect herbs, so he didn't stop him.

Fortunately, there is no heavy work in the restaurant, so I can just treat it as exercise.

Sure enough, just after breakfast, fine snowflakes began to fall.

Li and her friends cleaned up the yard, then pulled Xiaobai into the stable of the inn, tied him up in the innermost place where the snow couldn't reach him, and gave him some hay and water.

Just as I had finished packing, I saw two horse-drawn carriages sent over from the county government.

The people who came back this time were not the county magistrate's servant, but two runners on duty in the county government office.

Both yamen runners had smiles on their faces.

After they bowed and greeted Shen Yu, one of them said, "The county magistrate sympathized with our hard work in the yamen and specially invited Miss Shen's family to the county yamen for the New Year's Eve dinner."

"This year's New Year's celebration is very lively. Unlike previous years, other people's homes are full of hot pots and warm beds, and there are laughter and joy."

"We sat on the benches in the county government office and ate pancakes, but it was so cold and lonely and we couldn't go home. It was very hard."

Another yamen runner also said: "Yes, our county magistrate really loves the people like his own children."

"This year, thanks to Miss Shen, we can eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year."

Having said that, without anyone in the restaurant having to do anything, he loaded all the things they needed onto the carriage and then invited everyone to get on.

Li and Shen Yu walked around the shop again, checked that the doors were locked, and then got on the carriage one by one.

Braving the flying snow, two carriages, with the sound of crisp horse hooves, went towards the county government office one after another.

When they arrived at the county government office, Shen Yu and Li went to see the county magistrate together.

Lu Zheng and Yang Chi were playing chess in the study.

When he saw Shen Yu and Li coming over, he said a few polite words and then said cheerfully, "Let your children come over to my place to play."

"They can write or play chess. Lord Yang will tell them a lot of stories and I guarantee they won't get bored."

"As for the New Year's Eve dinner, I'm counting on you to prepare it. Don't forget to invite us to eat after it's done."

Shen Yu agreed with a smile, and then returned to the kitchen with Li.

Then a servant came and invited the children to go to the study in the back hall to spend some time.

Yutao and Dundun hurriedly picked up the prepared window decorations, lanterns and other items. Yucheng led Xiaozhuzi, and the four of them happily followed the servant to the back court.

Shen Yu and Li and the others started preparing the New Year's Eve dinner.

Although Chef Jiang was the cook of the county government, his family was waiting for him to go back to celebrate the festival. Now that he saw Shen Yu's whole family coming over and talking lively while working, he was even more eager to go home.

Seeing that there was no one around, he rubbed his hands and asked Shen Yu quietly: "Miss Shen, I want to discuss something with you. When the food is ready, can I leave first? My family is waiting for me to put up couplets and set off firecrackers."

"During the Chinese New Year last year, I came here early in the morning, prepared the food and kept it warm in the steamer, and then went back."

"There are few people in the county government these days, so there is no need to guard here all day."

"Who knew that the governor would come this year, but he didn't eat the food I cooked. I have nothing to do here, so I want to leave for a while."

Shen Yu didn't dare to make his own decision, so he quietly gave advice to Chef Jiang: "Chef Jiang, our whole family can cook here, so we have enough manpower."

"You could have gone home earlier and spent the holidays with your family."

"But I am just a little cook called by the county magistrate to cook. I dare not make this decision."

"Why don't you go ask Master Qian? Isn't he in charge of these matters on weekdays?"