Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 52 Chinese New Year

"Good, good child." An elder's eyes were slightly red. "Our Lu Family Village has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel."

Meanwhile, home is a different kind of warm and cozy place.

When Lu Shouye took out the few warm meat buns from his pocket and handed them to Xiaoman, who was staring at him expectantly, the little girl's eyes widened instantly.

The delicate fragrance of the white flour and the juicy meat filling were flavors she could only dream of.

"Father, this...this is really for me?" Xiaoman shrank her hand, wanting to take it but not daring to.

Lu's mother smiled and patted her lightly: "Come on, take this. Your father and brother are in the city, and they brought it to you specially."

Xiaoman carefully took it, as if holding a rare treasure, taking small sips and mumbling indistinctly, "Brother, this is so good, the bun smells so good."

Looking at his daughter's appearance, Lu Shouye's heart melted completely.

He took a sip of hot water and told his wife in detail about what he had seen and heard in the county town, especially Lu Chuan's humble yet confident demeanor as a scholar in front of the bookstore, and how he wanted to save the steamed buns to take home.

Hearing this, Lu's mother wiped away her tears: "This child is so sensible, it breaks my heart. Studying away from home is mentally taxing, he must not be eating enough."

The heavy snow stopped the day before Lunar New Year's Eve.

The morning sunlight spread across the rooftops of Lujia Village, refracting a halo of light.

In the main hall, the silver charcoal in two large charcoal braziers burned bright red. Lu Chuan rolled up his sleeves and began grinding the charcoal.

Lu Xiaoman got up earlier than anyone else today. He sat down at the table and, despite his clumsy hands and feet, he carefully helped Lu Chuan cut red paper.

Outside the door, the village's teenagers, hearing the news, gathered at the entrance, rubbing their hands together and breathing out white breaths, their eyes full of curiosity.

Because the younger sister finished writing the couplets a few days ago, most of the households in the village still hadn't received theirs. So when the door to this main room opened today, half the village's attention was drawn to this place.

"Brother Chuan'er, the paper is cut!" Lu Xiaoman wiped his nose and placed a neatly cut stack of long strips of red paper next to the inkstone.

Lu Chuan picked up his pen and dipped it in thick ink.

The first one he wrote.

The brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, penetrating the paper:

First line: The door welcomes blessings from spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The second line reads: "The household receives wealth from all directions."

Horizontal scroll: Good fortune and happiness

"What a fine character! It exudes wealth and prosperity; even the sound of it brightens the day." Uncle Qi stood to the side.

Lu Chuan smiled slightly, his pen never stopping.

For the family with the most prosperous population in the village, he wrote: "May Heaven add years to your life and may spring fill the universe and may blessings fill your home."

For families whose children have learned to read, he wrote: "May your family be blessed with peace and happiness, and may all people across the world enjoy a prosperous spring."

Lu Chuan insisted on writing all the couplets for the more than one hundred households in the village by himself.

When his wrist got sore, he took a sip of the hot ginger soup that Xiaoman handed him.

The written couplets covered half the courtyard.

The children spontaneously divided into several groups and happily delivered the goods to each household.

Lu Chuan was afraid that the naughty boys would paste the characters upside down or not be able to distinguish the upper and lower couplets, so after finishing the last one, he followed Lu Hewang and the others into the village lane.

At each household, the clansmen greeted them with smiles and accepted the bright red couplets.

"This couplet, 'May the five grains bring abundant harvests and the family prosper, and may a hundred flowers bloom in the beautiful spring,' is a wish for your good health and overflowing granaries next year." Lu Chuan's clear voice echoed in the alley.

Those clansmen who usually only knew how to work hard and were illiterate, listened to Lu Chuan's detailed explanation and looked at the brand-new Spring Festival couplets on the door, still smelling of ink. They felt the festive atmosphere of the New Year instantly seep into their hearts.

"Sixth Aunt, this painting, 'May peace and happiness embrace the whole family, and may wealth and prosperity be cultivated for generations to come,' is meant to express our hope that your family's life will become more and more prosperous."

Aunt Liu smiled so broadly that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes widened, and she grabbed Lu Chuan: "Oh my, look at what Chuan'er is saying, it makes my heart feel bright, it's much more spiritual than those bought in town."

To express their gratitude, almost every family brings out their most treasured New Year's goods: a handful of fragrant roasted melon seeds, a few pieces of precious maltose, and even freshly fried golden glutinous rice balls.

Lu Chuan never refused; it was the heartfelt wish of his fellow villagers.

But he turned around and shared the snacks with Lu Xiaoman and his friends who ran errands and ground ink.

The children's pockets were full of food, and their laughter echoed throughout the entire Lujia Village.

The scholarly and harmonious atmosphere brought by these young students transformed the usually bleak winter into a scene of vibrant beauty.

The old clan elder, Lu Deshou, stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall, leaning on his cane, watching this harmonious and lively scene.

He said to the elders beside him with emotion, "Look at this, this is what a scholar is like. He can unite everyone as one. This money was well spent; he produced a scholar, and now our whole village has a strong backbone."

Another elder, looking at the still-damp Spring Festival couplets on the lintel, nodded in agreement:

"Yes, in previous years when we went to town to ask those scholars to write a couplet, we not only had to be mindful of their attitude, but we also didn't like the words they wrote. But when Chuan'er writes a couplet, whether we can read or not, just looking at it makes our hearts feel warm as if they're burning with joy."

Lu Dehuang stroked his beard, a smile of the most contentment he had shown since Lu Chuan topped the list, and concluded in a deep voice:

"Since everyone sees this child as someone who can turn our lives around, then next year, and even in the years to come, we have to keep supporting him. This investment not only cannot be reduced, but must double."

He stood up, his piercing gaze sweeping over the group of elders:

"If Chuan'er goes to the prefectural city to take the exam in the future, the public account should start preparing for the travel expenses and carriage arrangements now."

The New Year was spent in a lively and festive atmosphere filled with the sounds of cooking and fireworks.

On New Year's Eve, the Lu family ancestral hall was filled with the smoke of incense as Lu Deshou led all the male members of the clan to kneel and worship their ancestors.

At midnight, deafening firecrackers rang out from one end of the village to the other, crackling and popping, the smell of gunpowder mingling with the coolness of snowmelt, lingering for a long time.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the first rays of dawn appeared.

Red debris left from last night's revelry covered the village lanes.

According to the traditions passed down from generation to generation in Lujia Village, the most anticipated event of the year for the children, "going door to door to collect red envelopes," has officially begun.

Lu Xiaoman changed into a thick, faded cotton-padded coat and, calling out to her friends, knocked on Lu Chuan's door.

Lu Chuan was already dressed neatly, wearing a refreshing blue cloth long gown with a thick padded jacket over it, making him look even more upright and handsome.

"Brother, let's go quickly and kowtow to our uncles!" the little sister shouted excitedly.

The children ran in groups on the muddy, frozen road.

Upon entering each courtyard, the clear, childlike voices of children rose and fell in waves:

"Happy New Year, Sixth Uncle! I kowtow to you in gratitude!"

The adults also changed into their best clothes, their faces beaming with smiles.

In addition to their own fragrant roasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, many families also added sesame candy and golden-brown, crispy fried dough twists bought from the county town.

Only when encountering a close nephew or a beloved grandchild would elders take out three or five copper coins strung together with a red string from their pockets, stuff them into the child's hand as New Year's money, and say "May you live a long and healthy life."