The Yu family's mahjong sets, as soon as they hit the market, were snapped up by these people before they even had a chance to develop new customers.
It is said that the Emperor's current leisure activity is to relieve fatigue by playing a few rounds of mahjong with the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Crown Prince.
Where the superiors have a taste, the inferiors will follow it to an even greater degree. Keeping pace with the imperial family, the entire aristocratic circles of the capital welcomed the New Year amidst the clattering sounds of mahjong tiles.
The festive atmosphere of a traditional ancient New Year was naturally incomparable to the modern era Yue Fuguang once knew, where everyone was well-fed and clothed, and every day could feel like a celebration if one so desired.
On New Year's Eve, before dawn had fully broken and while Yue Fuguang was still meeting the Duke of Zhou in her dreams, the Yu mansion was already ablaze with lights everywhere.
In the main courtyard, maids and serving women moved with light, swift steps, their skirts rustling softly as they carried various items through the covered walkways and courtyards, their exhaled white breath mingling with the lingering morning mist.
The Old Madam, attended by two senior maids, put on that stone-blue kesi silk jacket with eight roundels and sable-fox fur trim, symbolizing her second-rank noble consort title. The snow-white fur lining made her face appear even more kindly and dignified.
The eldest grandson's wife, Madam Zhang, wore a brand-new pomegranate-red gold-threaded brocade skirt with a pattern covering the entire fabric. A red-gold ruby-inlaid collar clasp fastened her neckline, and a "Morning Sun with Five Phoenixes" hairpin with pearl pendants trembled gently in her hair as she gave quiet instructions.
Apart from Yue Fuguang, who was still sleeping in the Old Madam's inner chamber, all the young masters and misses of the household had gathered.
The young masters and misses were all dressed in new brocade garments. The boys wore sapphire-blue and indigo arrow-sleeved jackets, while the girls wore peach-red and willow-green jackets and skirts. The red-gold longevity locks and white jade peace knots fastened to their lapels jingled softly as they moved.
Upon closer look, one could see that several pieces of jewelry worn by the sisters Yu Ningxuan, Yu Ningxin, and others were actually fine items from the palace that Yue Fuguang had gifted them recently.
The sisters exchanged knowing smiles as they looked at each other's accessories. Although they chattered away, they consciously kept their voices low.
They were afraid of disturbing the 'golden darling' of their grandparents, who was still snoring soundly inside.
Even the most haughty Yu Ningrong dared not openly provoke Yue Fuguang now.
By this time, the Yu mansion had long been decorated anew. In the center of the main hall, "Hall of Glory and Joy," hung a large gilt-inscribed plaque bearing the characters "Fortune, Longevity, Health, and Peace," personally written by the late Emperor.
Beneath it stood a large rosewood console table carved with cloud and dragon patterns. On the east side of the table stood a vase of blooming red plum blossoms. The vase used was not the customary meiping, but a gilded and painted glass vase gifted by Yue Fuguang.
On the west side, a large pale celadon vase from the official kilns held plump kumquats, symbolizing "Spring Fills the Hall" and "Fortune Fills the Gate."
Gold-sprinkled vermilion couplets and auspicious paper hangings adorned the doors, windows, columns, and beams.
The floor was covered with a thick, crimson carpet patterned with peonies, symbolizing wealth and honor. Stepping on it made no sound.
From the beams in various rooms hung exquisite glass palace lanterns provided by Yue Fuguang, waiting for nightfall to illuminate the entire house with brilliance.
This was the scene of opulent festivity that greeted Yue Fuguang when she awoke.
She had her combined breakfast and lunch in the Old Madam's quarters. The household had grown accustomed to her non-court attendance schedule, keeping her meals warm so she could eat as soon as she woke.
"The pastries in Grandmother's room are still the best," Yue Fuguang said, after finishing her meal, still able to pick up and nibble on two more pastries.
They say a growing boy eats his father out of house and home. She wasn't even that age yet, nor was she a boy, so how could she be so ravenous all the time?
In her previous life, at this age, she ate like a 'bird'. Her grandparents had worried endlessly seeing her eat so little.
"System, is my huge appetite because you're draining my energy?"
The system was taken aback by the question. "Host, didn't I tell you? The higher my level, the more energy it consumes. A large portion is the system's own energy, but as the host, you also expend a small amount."
"You never told me! You sound like a demon that sucks people's vital essence!"
"Host, don't slander a good system! This system would never suck your essence. The energy consumed is like what you expend when you work—it's energy converted from food, not your vital essence, blood, or spirit."
"No wonder I'm getting greedier and less ethereal. So that's the reason."
"The system mall has fasting pills. Do you want to try those? One pill keeps you full for two days, guaranteed to make you feel ethereal."
"Fasting pills cost points! I'm not going to be that sucker. With plenty of food and drink at home, I'm not wasting points on that.
At least not for the next few years. Besides, with my current 'golden status,' even if I declared myself not an immortal descended to earth, these people probably wouldn't believe me.
I don't need an ethereal aura to bolster my immortal identity."
Hmph, she had seen through the system's tricks. It couldn't fool her into spending a single extra point.
The New Year's Eve feast was set for dusk. The men and women of the Yu family were seated according to precedence. Unsurprisingly, Yue Fuguang was pulled to sit at the adults' table.
Her elder brothers, seated at the children's table, watched with envy.
Maids carried large trays, serving dishes in a continuous stream. Well, over half the dishes used stir-frying techniques and ingredients from her own greenhouses!
Scallion-braised sea cucumbers glistened darkly, deer tendon stewed with quail yielded a rich broth, wine-marinated steamed shad fish had gelatinous fat under its scales, and there was that jujube-red, fall-off-the-bone braised pork hock. The Old Madam had specifically ordered Yue Fuguang's down-to-earth dish name changed to "Harmony and Unity." Wealthy families always insisted on associating everything with good fortune.
The pastries were even more exquisite: lotus flower crisps, ruyi rolls, jujube paste and yam cakes, lotus seed paste cakes, all shaped like various flowers and fruits, served on sweet white porcelain plates, delicate and lovely.
During the feast, everyone shared tusu wine, infused with herbs like tusu grass and cinnamon. The drinking order, however, went from the youngest to the oldest, symbolizing the young gaining a year and bidding farewell to the old.
Of course, at this time, Yue Fuguang, like her sisters, had child-friendly drinks like milk tea or fruit cordial in her cup.
After the feast, the remnants were cleared, replaced with fragrant tea and fruit platters.
Servants lit a massive "pine basin" in an open area of the courtyard—a pyre built with pine and cypress branches. The flames roared, filling the air with the scent of pine. This "burning the pine basin" was meant to drive away evil spirits and welcome auspiciousness.
Yu Chongshan looked at their family's greatest 'auspicious sign'—Yue Fuguang stretching her chubby hands to warm them by the pine basin—his face brimming with irrepressible joy.
After warming themselves, Yue Fuguang joined her brothers and sisters around the fire basin to set off firecrackers, their laughter and cheers filling the air.
"System, if we had some fireworks right now, it would be absolutely perfect!"
"Then hurry up and promote the development of gunpowder. Couldn't you set them off next New Year?"
Yue Fuguang shook her head. "It's not the right time yet, and I don't plan to let them obtain black powder directly. This matter requires caution. It's better to proceed step by step."
For Dayan to consider military campaigns abroad, it would need to accumulate strength for at least another three to five years.
As the hour of Zi (midnight) approached, the whole family gathered in the ancestral hall. Yu Chongshan personally took incense sticks and led everyone in performing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, reporting to the ancestors and praying for the family's safety and enduring blessings in the coming year.
Well, at this moment, Yue Fuguang felt a bit awkward. While everyone else bowed solemnly to the ancestors, she alone held incense sticks and bowed with a slight bend at the waist.
The Old Master had an excellent memory, remembering even now that she must not kneel.
Yu Chongshan thought to himself, if he let his granddaughter kneel, it wouldn't be thanking the ancestors for their blessings—it would be delivering a fatal blow to the ancestors!
He wouldn't have to worry about the ancestors coming to settle scores with him in the middle of the night. If Yue Fuguang knelt now, the ancestors probably wouldn't even have a chance to come up!
That would truly be the epitome of filial piety—in the worst way possible!
