Don't be tempted, sir

Today is New Year's Eve. Every household has started to put up spring couplets, hang up red lanterns, tidy up the courtyard gates and decorate the place with lights and decorations. It is very lively.

Shen Yining took the initiative to ask for the only time to go out during this period. Everyone was happy because she finally had something she wanted to do. Meng Qiu went to prepare incense and Xing Yue went to pick the sour oranges as Shen Yining requested.

Madam Shen accompanied Shen Yining, "Yining, go! It's almost New Year, so it's good to go visit Changqing. You can also go out and feel the joy of the streets. Mother hopes that this trip will make you feel more positive."

Shen Yining replied calmly, "Hmm..."

Afterwards, Meng Qiu and Xing Yue accompanied Shen Yining out. There were many children setting off firecrackers on the street. One person lit a fire and a group of people ran away.

The sound of the firecrackers suddenly exploding startled Shen Yining back to his senses.

“It’s snowing…”

Xingyue asked, "Miss, you were distracted and didn't cover your ears just now, what were you thinking about?"

"I... am thinking about the first time it snowed in Yongzhou"

Yongzhou is a place where it rarely snows. That year, Shen Yining was still a child and saw snow for the first time. It was so white! You can’t hold it in your hand, and it melts as soon as you touch it. Shen Yining likes snow very much but doesn’t know how to preserve it. She was reluctant to go to bed until late at night, fearing that the snow would disappear when she woke up. Shen’s mother coaxed her many times, but little Yining didn’t want to sleep, so Shen Changqing sat with Shen Yining in front of the window for a night. Shen’s mother was afraid that the two children would get frozen, so she brought two quilts to wrap them up. Yining couldn’t stand the whole night and was so sleepy in the middle of the night. Shen Changqing looked at Shen Yining who kept dozing off and said with a smile, "Yining, go to sleep... The snow will melt, but it will snow again next year! If it doesn’t snow next year, it will snow the year after next and the year after next. Yining is still young and won’t have to worry about it."

Shen Yining, feeling dizzy and sleepy, murmured, "Hmm... so...sleepy..."

In the following years, as his father was promoted and left Yongzhou, he came to Kyoto where it snowed every year, and it was no longer a surprise to see it every year... But it is still snowing in Kyoto now, but there is no Shen Changqing who is watching the snow all night long.

"Miss, candied haws!" Xingyue excitedly said, "I haven't eaten it for a long time, and only during the New Year's Day, the candied haws are wrapped with white millet."

Meng Qiu took out his purse and said, "You... go ahead."

Xingyue took the money, smiled and ran over to squeeze the candied haws with a group of little kids. "Uncle! I want this, and this and this"

The little kid who was not lucky enough to be taller than the moon looked up and said, "Ah! Sister, we were here first."

Xingyue took the candied haws, stuck out her tongue and made faces at the children, making the group of children scream in anger.

"Miss, please have some candied haws. I worked hard to get them for you."

Shen Yining couldn't help laughing when he saw Xingyue standing straight despite being unreasonable. "It's really hard!"

"The lady smiled, which means I got the right thing." Xingyue felt that it made sense when she saw Shen Yining smile, and raised her head with some pride.

Meng Qiu smiled and said, "Miss didn't say you were right to snatch it. Miss just thought you were immature and snatched things from little kids, and you acted so confidently that I found it funny."

"I don't care, the lady smiled anyway."

Meng Qiu "......"

Xingyue said again, "Miss, is it sweet?"

"Mm, sweet."

The three of them looked around and strolled along the way. It was almost New Year and there were basically no vendors on the street. There were only a few scholars selling couplets, craftsmen selling lanterns, and old ladies selling window decorations.

Xingyue wanted to go again, but Mengqiu stopped her, "Xingyue, you are going out to accompany the lady today, not to have fun."

Shen Yining said calmly, "It's okay. Xingyue and you have been staying with me in the mansion for a long time. I know you are worried about me. Xingyue has also suppressed her lively personality for a long time. It's the New Year, so she should be happy."

Xingyue was somewhat touched, "Miss..."

Shen Yining said gently, "Let's go and take a look together."

"Yes, Miss."

The three of them first walked to the stall of the old woman cutting paper-cuts, and Shen Yining said, "Grandma, you are really good at cutting paper-cuts!"

"Well, young lady, you don't know that I come here to sell for a few days every New Year and other festivals. My daughter-in-law and I have the best skills, but we have the most variety. Young lady, take a look and see if there is anything you like."

Xingyue asked Shen Yining, "Miss, look at this, is it an orange tree?"

The old woman took one look and said, "Yes, girl, you have good eyesight. This is a rabbit looking at the moon, and the tree next to the rabbit is the orange tree."

Shen Yining: "Meaning of Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Meng Qiu continued, "No wonder you said it's the most complete, there are also Mid-Autumn Festival ones."

The old lady was a little embarrassed and said, “This wasn’t sold out last year, hahahaha”

Xingyue looked at the lifelike window paper-cuts and said, "Sister Mengqiu, buy some. It doesn't matter if it's Mid-Autumn Festival or Spring Festival. Miss likes orange trees."

Shen Yining ordered, "Buy it, it's pretty nice."

Meng Qiu took out the money, and the old woman happily took out money from her pocket to give Meng Qiu some supplies. "Yes, yes, yes, liking it is the most important thing. Miss, take a look and see if there is anyone else you like?"

Shen Yining smiled and replied, "Thank you, it's cold, grandma, please go back early."

"Hey, miss, take care. If you like me, come back during the Lantern Festival."

Then the three of them went to buy lanterns. The lantern vendor was concentrating on making lanterns and didn't look up at the three of them. Shen Yining looked at the lanterns and felt that they were a bit boring. He asked the craftsman, "Shopkeeper, do you have other styles of lanterns?"

The craftsman put down the lantern in his hand and politely said, "To answer your question, young lady, I only know how to make lanterns. As for the styles... these are rather monotonous. If young lady is not satisfied, I can also make fan lanterns, gauze lanterns, Ruyi lanterns or other shapes and styles according to the style you specified."

Xingyue pouted, "But aren't these all hanging here? But what kind do you want, miss? Aren't all lanterns like this?"

Xingyue was a maid bought after they came to the capital. She didn't know what happened in Yongzhou in the past. Meng Qiu knew something but not much.

Shen Yining spoke again, "When we were in Yongzhou, there were many flowers and plants in the fields, and there were different flowers and plants in every season. When my mother came back from the fields, she would pick some and put them in a vase, but they would wither soon. My father saw that my mother liked them but they were difficult to preserve, so he dried the flowers and plants and put them in the pulp for making lantern paper, and made them into flower lanterns and hung them everywhere in the garden. When candles were lit, the flowers and plants in the lanterns came alive and looked very beautiful. After coming to Beijing, my father got busy and had no time to make them."

Xingyue listened attentively, "Oh~ No wonder the master and his wife are so affectionate, and the master is also good at coaxing people."

Meng Qiu: "Lucky Moon! Don't be rude"

Shen Yining smiled and said to the craftsman, "Peddler, why don't you cooperate with the young man next to you? You can't paint or write, and he can't make lanterns. Although flower lanterns are rare, you two can also make the popular painting and calligraphy lanterns in Beijing."

The craftsman rubbed his hands in embarrassment and said, "Miss, I am just a rough man. How can I talk to a scholar, let alone cooperate with him?"

Xingyue replied, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Meng Qiu replied, "Scholars read books, and a small number of them claim to be extraordinary, and think that everything other than books is vulgar, so they may be a little bit aloof."

Shen Yining said to the craftsman, "Take this one!" Shen Yining picked out an ordinary rectangular lantern.

Meng Qiu paid.

Shen Yining walked up to the scholar with a lantern and asked politely, "Can you help me write or paint?"

The scholar was wearing thin clothes in the snow, and he felt cold, so he put his hands under the table and sat upright. When he saw the person in front of him asking, he stood up and bowed, "I am not talented, but what do you want to draw, Miss?"

Shen Yining replied, "Haitang..." and then handed the white lantern to the scholar.

The scholar took the lantern and started painting seriously. Although the weather was cold, he held the pen firmly and painted a few branches of crabapple carefully, stroke by stroke.

Xingyue was surprised. "Miss, he painted it as if the crabapple tree was inside the lantern. Is it the same with the grass flower lantern?"

"The flower lanterns don't look like this, but the scholar's painting is indeed very good," Shen Yining affirmed.

The scholar was concentrating on painting the lantern and looked up to ask, "Do you want me to write an inscription?"

Shen Yining took the lantern and thought, "Can I borrow some ink?"

The scholar hurriedly replied, "Miss, please go ahead."

Shen Yining picked up the brush on the table: The flowers fall helplessly, and the familiar swallows return. I wander alone in the fragrant path of the small garden.

The scholar read the lyrics and wondered, "In "Huanshaxi", the young lady is sighing."

Shen Yining smiled and asked without replying, "How much?"

"One cent" Meng Qiu gave the money.