Early on the morning of New Year’s Day, the pale, cold light of dawn slipped through the window lattice and crept quietly onto the serene, beautiful face of the person still fast asleep.
A tingling, warm breath brushed against his cheek. Su Chi slowly opened his eyes to find Xie Yushu leaning over him, gently pecking his face. Seeing him awake, she curved her lips: “Awake?”
Seeing it was her, the last remnants of sleepiness faded. He didn’t rush to get up—instinctively looping his arms around Xie Yushu’s neck, he mumbled, “Did I… fall asleep last night?”
Xie Yushu found him adorable like this and let out a soft laugh: “Quite obviously. And you slept very soundly.”
Last night, during the New Year’s vigil, Su Chi had leaned against her chest, hooking his fingers through hers as he chattered about his daily interactions with the neighbors. They rarely had such long, unhurried talks. When he was in good spirits, he couldn’t stop talking—and Xie Yushu listened patiently to everything.
By the latter half of the night, his eyelids were drooping, his head bobbing like a chick nodding off. Seeing how exhausted he was, Xie Yushu had coaxed him into bed.
And so he’d slept soundly until late morning.
Su Chi immediately buried his face in her chest, his voice muffled with frustration: “How could I have fallen asleep?”
“It’s only natural,” Xie Yushu said, suppressing a smile. “I stayed up anyway. You sleep in peace.”
“Then doesn’t that mean… I owe you a wish?”
“Mm.” Xie Yushu kept her expression neutral, but inside she was thrilled. She wished Su Chi would owe her wishes upon wishes.
“Time to get up.” Xie Yushu patted his back gently. “Father’s waiting for us to eat. We need to pay him New Year’s respects after breakfast.”
Xie Yushu hadn’t forgotten it was the first day of the new year—they couldn’t laze in bed as usual.
Su Chi murmured a soft agreement, and the two of them got up.
Before heading out, they both changed into new clothes—soft fabric lined with thick, fresh cotton. The light colors made them look vibrant and perfectly matched.
Wang Wen had also changed into his new winter clothes, with a new padded jacket over them. He sat at the table beaming, waiting for them.
The young couple had already made him winter clothes before, and now these new padded jackets were a New Year’s joy. He wore them happily, feeling warm inside.
After they’d finished eating, Wang Wen smilingly handed out two red envelopes.
Su Chi took his with a sweet “Thank you, Father,” and felt the heavy envelope—at least a couple of strings of cash. His heart ached a little: “Father, you’ve spent too much again.”
“It’s nothing, nothing,” Wang Wen waved his hand, his eyes crinkling with laughter. “It makes me happy to give these to you.”
Before he’d married, Su Chi had given his father ten strings of cash to spend as he wished. He knew his father was frugal, never spending on himself, and had assumed it was money his father had saved on his own. What he didn’t know was that Wang Wen had also been given another twenty strings by Xie Yushu a while back.
Wang Wen had tucked that money away without touching a single coin, waiting for today to give it back to them in the form of red envelopes.
If he gave too much, they might not take it; too little, and it wouldn’t show his heart. One or two strings was just right.
One or two strings was no small sum for an ordinary household—enough to support a family for most of the year. It wasn’t a small amount to him either, but he was happy to give it.
How could he be stingy with his own children?
New Year’s Day was a time for visiting relatives, but the Su family’s kinship ties were thin, and they had no desire to interact with Su Ping’s family. Their good neighbors were back in the village, so they found themselves with a quiet day instead.
They’d just wait for the neighbors to finish their own rounds, then get together and chat.
As for Su Ping and her husband? Wang Wen didn’t mention them at all, afraid of bringing bad luck on the first day of the year.
Last time, after Ye Youchun had whipped Su Ping and her husband, they’d been too scared to hold a grudge. They’d crawled back home, locked themselves in, and hadn’t shown their faces since.
Wang Wen hadn’t known what happened at first, assuming they’d just offended someone and gotten what they deserved. Later, he heard they’d been beaten, but he didn’t ask further—he just felt satisfied.
After lunch, a few guests trickled into the Xie household—neighbors they’d gotten along with over time.
Su Chi had long prepared an array of snacks and treats, filling an entire table: peanut candy, sesame crisps, brown sugar cakes, freshly roasted melon seeds, cut fruit—sweet and savory, so many varieties it was dazzling.
Everyone grabbed a handful, chatting, laughing, and eating away the entire afternoon.
While the adults chatted, Su Chi hadn’t forgotten about the children either.
There were plenty of children in the lane, so he’d prepared a basket of candied pastries for any child who came to pay New Year’s respects.
Whenever a child passed through the Xie household’s gate, Su Chi would smile and hand them a handful.
Their little hands couldn’t hold it all—some tucked treats into their shirt fronts, others quickly stuffed them into the pockets their fathers had sewn for them, afraid of losing a single piece.
The children of the lane all knew the Xie household always had good food, and New Year’s Day was no exception. They also knew Su Fulang was gentle and generous. Their courage grew, and they crowded around him, sweet-talking him with well-wishing phrases, earning themselves a full handful of delicious treats their own families would never buy.
Su Chi watched these little gluttons with their eyes fixed greedily on the basket, afraid the candy would run out any second. He couldn’t help but laugh, soothing them that there was plenty—everyone would get some.
News of the Xie household’s candy giveaway spread among the children: the beautiful fulang of the Xie family was handing out pastries, and any child could get some.
The children who came later ran in a panic, afraid they’d miss out, their well-wishes all jumbled up—and it delighted Su Chi to no end: “No rush, no rush—there’s plenty, lots left.”
Su Chi’s generosity toward children was well-known in the lane. Any household with a child could get something from the Xie family. Many families weren’t the type to take advantage, and they gave back generously—sending dried vegetables, dried fish, handmade handkerchiefs or socks, or even a bowl of braised fish or meat.
Though these weren’t valuable things, and the Xie household lacked nothing, the sincere gestures meant a lot. Su Chi enjoyed interacting with these families and always accepted their gifts graciously.
That’s how neighbors were—you share a handful of candy, they send a basket of vegetables. Life might not be wealthy, but in this give-and-take, there was a warm, lived-in glow.
That evening, Wang Wen was in high spirits after hosting so many neighbors and went to bed early.
At the start of the New Year, firecrackers rang out ceaselessly outside the lane. The Xie household had set off two rounds about a quarter of an hour ago, and by evening, only scattered pops remained.
Su Chi didn’t slack off on the evening of New Year’s Day either. By lamplight, he spread out a large sheet of paper and carefully wrote out several pages of calligraphy. Setting down his brush, he let out a breath and pulled out the household account book.
Besides the shop’s ledger, Su Chi kept a separate small account book for household expenses and income—recording the spending of the two of them.
Every expense—rice, oil, salt, cloth, lamp oil—was clearly noted, with dates and amounts. But when it came to what each expense was for, some characters were still too complex, and since he hadn’t learned all his characters yet, he couldn’t manage that for now.
He took out the money chest from the cabinet, unlocked it, and lifted the lid. The sight of the packed pile of copper coins, shimmering in the candlelight, was almost dazzling.
Somehow, they’d saved up this much. Su Chi’s brows curved into a smile.
He took everything out and counted—over two hundred strings, enough to exchange for four fifty-tael silver notes.
This was the household savings—both what he’d earned and what Xie Yushu had earned.
His own shop brought in several qian a day after costs, sometimes even a full string—already a lot for an ordinary family, and he was content with it. But compared to Xie Yushu, it didn’t quite measure up; his wife had contributed the bulk of it.
And clearly, Xie Yushu had earned more than this—half went to the base’s accounts for operating costs, and half was handed to Su Chi for household use.
Xie Yushu came back from the warm room and saw him grinning at the money chest: “What are you doing?”
“Counting.” Su Chi didn’t turn around, completely absorbed.
Xie Yushu bent down and tapped his nose: “Little money-grubber.”
Su Chi didn’t argue, happily putting the strings of coins back in order.
“Yushu,” Su Chi took her hand, “with the household income growing so much, the money chest is getting full. I think we should exchange some of this for silver notes—it’ll be more convenient.”
Xie Yushu agreed: “Good. Next time I go to the county, I’ll exchange them.”
Once in bed, Su Chi couldn’t help remarking: “We really do have so much money.” More than he knew what to do with.
“A lot?” Xie Yushu wasn’t entirely satisfied with this amount—it was far from enough.
This wasn’t nearly enough to buy a house in the county—they were still short. She’d need to land several more big orders before they could afford a place there.
Slowly—these things couldn’t be rushed.
But seeing her fulang so easily content and adorably silly, Xie Yushu couldn’t help but feel happy right along with him.
Those few days off had been wonderfully restful for Xie Yushu. Su Chi was by her side every day, the house was lively with visitors coming and going, and Su Chi and his father were cheerful from morning to night.
For the new year, she already had clear plans—the base’s cultivation farm was already in the works, just waiting for Aunt Hong to find a few experienced farming masters to get started.
More than a month later, Xie Yushu received a message and an invitation from the Tang family: she was invited to the Spring Merchant Alliance meeting in Tang’an County.
The so-called Merchant Alliance meeting was actually an annual tea gathering hosted by the county. On the surface, it was just tea and conversation, but in reality, it was where prominent business owners in the county gathered to discuss trade, share information, and decide what goods would move well that year, what should be priced higher, and what should stop being purchased—a proper commercial assembly.
The messenger put it politely: since spring was coming, they’d like her to come have tea, discuss what goods to sell with everyone, and prepare for the new year.
There were many business owners in Tang’an County dealing in all sorts of trades. Only those with a name in the county could attend. Her small operation, which only sold goods at the ferry, ordinarily wouldn’t have qualified for this gathering.
To have received this invitation, it must have been Tang Zhiyi who recommended her.
It was a great opportunity to expand her network—and to introduce her delicious laver to other places beyond the Tang family’s reach.
Xie Yushu accepted the invitation without hesitation, promising to arrive on time.
When she told Su Chi about it, he wasn’t nearly as anxious and flustered as the first time she’d gone on a long trip. Still, before she left, he prepared plenty of food for her to snack on along the way.
This time, Xie Yushu brought Ye Youchun again. Ye Youchun had strength in her arms, and if there were any disputes or bandits on the road, bringing her along put Xie Yushu’s mind at ease.
After comforting her fulang, Xie Yushu set out for Tang’an County for the second time, loaded with snacks.
As soon as they arrived in Tang’an County, Tang Zhiyi received them and said they’d be staying at her home for the next few days.
Xie Yushu didn’t stand on ceremony—she’d been planning to avoid looking for an inn anyway, so this suited her perfectly.
This time, Tang Zhiyi seemed even more radiant than before, beaming and chatting more freely.
They arrived in the evening, and Tang Zhiyi had prepared a lavish dinner for them.
Their luggage had already been carried to the guest rooms by servants, but Xie Yushu still held a few clay jars in her hands—pickled side dishes Su Chi had made before she left.
Tang Zhiyi glanced at them with interest and asked what treasures she was holding.
“It’s some oil-preserved side dishes my fulang made. He was afraid I wouldn’t eat well on the road and would go hungry, so he made a few jars of savory vegetable dishes to go with rice.” Xie Yushu opened one of the jars and tentatively offered: “Would Boss Tang like to try some?”
Tang Zhiyi nodded.
She’d already decided that if she wanted to do long-term business with someone as outstanding as Xie Yushu, she’d need to be accommodating.
Even if these pickled dishes were awful, she resolved to praise them.
A servant discreetly brought a small white porcelain plate, scooped a few bites onto it, and handed it to Tang Zhiyi.
“Hmm—the minced meat in here is savory and flavorful, excellent with rice.” Tang Zhiyi’s eyes lit up after the first bite—it was genuinely delicious; she didn’t have to force her praise.
The Tang family’s cook was excellent at elaborate dishes but less skilled at these simple sides. Tang Zhiyi asked curiously about the recipe.
Xie Yushu didn’t hold back, recalling Su Chi’s cooking methods: “It should be stir-fried in lard mixed with some vegetable oil, seasoned, with fresh ingredients and sun-dried mushrooms—simmered in the jar until the flavors really soak in. Naturally, it tastes good.”
With that, under Tang Zhiyi’s expectant look, she offered her another bite.
Each spoonful pained her—Su Chi had made these for her, and now they were ending up in someone else’s mouth.
It was her own fault for showing off her fulang’s cooking skills in front of Tang Zhiyi. Who knew the woman wouldn’t be shy at all, eating one bite after another without stopping, until the jar was nearly empty.
The two of them finished most of the meal with Su Chi’s side dishes and a table of hearty dishes. Only after she’d eaten her fill did Xie Yushu think to ask: “Isn’t Jiang Fulang joining us?”
At this, Tang Zhiyi’s joy overflowed: “My fulang… he’s not feeling well these days.”
That sentence, combined with Tang Zhiyi’s blissful expression, made Xie Yushu immediately understand. She grabbed Ye Youchun and offered congratulations: “Congratulations!”
So Jiang Fulang was pregnant and couldn’t eat with them—his meals were likely on the blander side, so it made sense he couldn’t join.
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