Chapter 418: Chapter 216 New Year’s Day_2
"I’ll help Dad and go grab it too." Lian Manman was already dressed in her clothes and shoes, spiritedly declared, even though she had no idea what they were supposed to grab, or who they were competing against.
"I’m going too." Xiao Qi and Wu Lang also got up, dressing even faster than Lian Manman.
"I won’t go, I’ll fold the blankets for you, and later help Mom cook." Lian Zhizhi also got up and said with a smile.
"Then let’s hurry, otherwise, others will beat us to it." Lian Shouxin called out as he took the lead, picking up a water bucket and leaving, while Wu Lang and Xiao Qi each carried a smaller bucket, and Lian Manman quickly grabbed a thick stick from the wall corner, and the family members walked out of the house.
"What’s this about grabbing the first water?" As they walked outside, Lian Manman asked.
"... On the first day of the lunar new year, the first bucket of water drawn from the well is the ’first water.’ Grabbing the first water is a sign of good luck for the entire year," Lian Shouxin explained to Lian Manman.
Ah, so that’s it. It’s about grabbing a sign of good fortune. Lian Manman nodded. The well wasn’t far from their home, and they had woken up so early, the chances of getting the first water were high. However, they had to be quick.
Lian Shouxin took big strides, and the children ran to keep up. When they left the gate, it was still dark outside; only in the eastern sky was there a faint twinkle of stars. Lian Manman looked around and saw that there was no one by the well, she felt a burst of joy, then turned her head and saw a shadowy figure coming out of an alley nearby, also heading towards the well, and it seemed that the person was even closer to the well than them.
"Dad, we’d better hurry, someone’s about to beat us to it." Lian Manman quickly raised the alarm.
The father and sons immediately started running, finally arriving at the well before the other person.
"Old Fourth, you’ve snatched the first water again this year," the person was Wang Liu from the back street. He knew Lian Shouxin, and said with a smile, "I just closed my eyes for a moment, oh. Why is your daughter Manman carrying a stick? If someone had beaten you to it, was she planning to whack someone with it?"
"Uncle Liu, this stick is for me and my brother to carry water with, not for hitting you. Don’t be afraid, Uncle Liu," Lian Manman said with a laugh.
"Why didn’t you say so earlier. As soon as I saw the stick, I got scared, ran slower, and let you guys get ahead of me," Wang Liu said half-jokingly.
Wang Liu was known for his humor and jokes, and not only Lian Manman, but also the few people who came later to draw water, were amused by him.
After drawing water from the well, Lian Shouxin carried a full large bucket, while Wu Lang held half a smaller bucket, and Lian Manman and Xiao Qi jointly carried another half-filled small bucket. They all returned home in high spirits, and Lady Zhang, seeing them, knew they had managed to get the first water.
After they had breakfast, daylight began to truly break. Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi had already tidied the house spotlessly clean and taken out new clothes. All the family members changed into their new outfits. Lady Zhang styled her hair into a round bun today and wore a newly purchased phoenix-tail gilt silver hairpin. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled, pleased with her reflection.
Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi also took out their small jewelry boxes, and each put on their gold clove earrings. These were purchased before the new year but had never been worn until now, saved to don with the new clothes on the first day of the new year.
The family was now neatly dressed, so they headed to the Upper Room to pay respects to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou.
Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou both sat up straight on the kang, with several straw mats laid on the ground in front of them. First came Lian Shouren from the Main Wife with his family, kneeling down to kowtow to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, followed by the families of Lian Shouyi, Lian Shouli, and lastly that of Lian Shouxin.
Old Master Lian’s face was filled with joy as he had everyone stand up. He then arranged for each of his sons to visit various houses to wish them a happy new year.
"Erlang, you’ve come of age this year. You should take your wife and visit those few houses," Old Master Lian specially instructed Erlang at last.
Lian Xiuxiu also paid her respects to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, and then sat next to Lady Zhou. Her eyes, however, kept darting around Lady Zhang, especially around the ears of Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman, and her lips pursed as if they could hang a soy sauce bottle.
"Aunt Gu, you look really smart today in your outfit," Lady Gu at the side commented with a smile, "Is the hairpin new? It’s so brightly golden and pretty. The earrings on Zhizhi and Manman are made of solid gold, aren’t they? They look valuable."
Everyone had seen Lady Zhang’s hairpin, and Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman’s gold cloves, and prompted by Lady Gu’s comments, they all turned to look at the mother and daughters.
Working hard to get rich, the proceeds of labour, nothing to be ashamed of being seen. Lian Manman thought to herself.
"Aunt Gu, we just have these few things, and we wear them on our heads. Unlike Aunt Gu, who keeps all her good stuff stashed away in her trunk, why don’t you take them out sometime and show them to us, give us a treat for the eyes," Lian Manman said with a smile.
"What good stuff do I have?" Realizing she had drawn attention onto herself, Lady Gu said that one sentence and promptly fell silent.
Zhao Xiue held Niuniu in her arms, placing her next to Lady Zhou.
Niuniu threw herself onto Lady Zhou’s lap, in her baby voice, "Grandma, Happy New Year, lucky money."
Lady Chiang shot a quick glance at Zhao Xiue and walked up, picked up Niuniu.
"Dear Niuniu, who taught you to say that?" Lady Chiang cooed to her daughter, "Nobody in our family speaks like that."
After leaving the Upper Room, Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi went back to the West Wing Room. On the first day of the lunar new year, people in the village were visiting one another’s homes to wish them well. Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang, taking Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, went around for New Year’s greetings, but the two girls did not have to go. Being of lower status, there was nobody to pay them visits, so the sisters called over Lian Yeye, went back inside, took out sweets, peanuts, sunflower seeds, snacking and chatting away.
"Yeye, yesterday Mom sent Auntie over to our place asking for sugar, was there any talk after that?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"Sister Manman, I was just about to tell you that." Lian Yeye quickly said, "It wasn’t Mom who sent Auntie. It was Sister-in-law Xiu E."
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The weather turned cold, and I got woken up by the cold in the middle of the night.
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