Chapter 13 Spring Festival
After the old couple saved the girl, she knew her way around. She knew that if it weren't for the old couple, she would have died in that bridge hole. Although small and weak, she still volunteered to help her grandparents daily.
She cuddled the puppy, her first and only friend, when she had nothing else to do. She picked up the peach kernel whistle around her neck and gently blew a few times; the puppy happily jumped up high and ran around the girl; the girl laughed merrily, and the old couple was glad that this small boat finally had a home-like appearance.
The Zhuo River runs through Zhuo Yi City, and on both sides of the river, quite a few fishermen make their living by fishing for shrimp, and Old Uncle Hu's family is one of them. They have been living in poverty all their lives, except for this small boat; there is also a small courtyard in the southern suburb, two straw houses, half an acre of thin field, a few old hens, planting some fruits and vegetables, living in poverty but also stable.
Days fly by; the girl has come to this home for more than half a year of light. The season has changed from early summer to winter. Zhuo River is so cold that it starts to freeze, so the black-tent boat naturally can't stay any longer. The whole family of three people and a dog lived back in the small courtyard of the grass house to prepare for the winter.
PiDan grew up very fast and was no longer a little puppy. His fur is sleek and smooth, and his eyes gleam with a ghostly blue light. Pi Dan is mighty and usually does not say a word (probably also because Ni Zhong thinks the dog barking is not good; he can not speak then does not say it), but the sound and smell can not escape his sensitive ears and nose, fighting is a good hand. Previously defied both dogs and people, daring to pick a fight will be a look at him as a deterrent to escape. Since then, in the surrounding villages, the dog worshiped Pi Dan as the boss, a meeting on the nodding waist. Thieves and burglars also want to avoid hitting the idea of this family. As long as Pi Dan is guarding the house, the whole family is very peaceful.
Sometimes, the girl followed Grandpa to the mountains to collect firewood; Pi Dan also followed, too much firewood he helped carry. Grandpa often smiled and told the neighbors in the village that since PiDan and Yatou came to their home, and it was like having a son and a daughter, bringing countless joys to them.
The Spring Festival is coming, and the whole family is preparing for it. Both Yatou and PiDan felt very new. Neither of them had the concept of Chinese New Year in their memories, and this would be the first year they spent in this life.
Yatou had grown a little taller, and although she was still skinny, her face was much rosier. Grandma combed the girl's hair with a total horn pendant, wrapped it with red silk thread, and a red dot with rouge cream on her eyebrows to signify good luck. The girl wore a newly made embroidered skirt with a light red jacket on the outside. Where was the dirty look of the little beggar back then? She followed her grandmother to learn spinning and weaving, learning female red paper-cutting and observed playing with her hands in the kitchen, making noodles, burning the fire, and steaming rice grains.
Pi Dan accompanied Grandpa to the river to catch a big fish; the big fish was caught when flopping and almost slipped back into the river. Pi Dan's eyes quickened, and a slap on the fish stunned. Grandpa laughed heartily and stroked its big head as they went home together. On the way, Uncle Hu met a teacher in the village who hadn't seen him for a long time. Hu grew up poor and couldn't afford to study, so he envied and respected the scholar. When he saw the teacher, he bowed and exchanged pleasantries, "Good New Year, Mr. Mo!"
This teacher's surname is Mo, he came to this village only one or two years ago, he looks young, but he always has a severe face and doesn't smile. At first, everyone was reluctant to pay attention to him but later found out that this person not only had a good hand at writing and was quite learned, but also had good martial arts skills. Therefore, this village and many neighboring villages and towns sent their children to him and asked him to teach them.
Mr. Mo returned the salute, "Old Uncle Hu, Good New Year!" He saw the black dog beside Old Uncle Hu at a glance and was shocked. Without any waves on his face, he casually asked, "Is this your family's dog?"
Old Uncle Hu patted Pi Dan's back with pride, "This is the dog I picked up at the beginning of the year, called Pi Dan. My family also has a little granddaughter, so I'll return to prepare and make a good New Year's Eve dinner."
Mr. Mo came to this place for a short time, although not a gossip, but each household's situation for dozens of miles around to feel clear. He did not remember that this older man Hu had a granddaughter at home or that he had any relatives. He looked at the dog again; his heart was clear, so he did not say much. He left after exchanging a few pleasantries.
In the evening, Old Uncle Hu's family happily made a food table: roasted fish, stewed chicken, steamed buns, and a few small dishes. Uncle Hu usually loves to drink two or two small wines; tonight, Happy, the whole family raises a glass to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. Pi Dan is also happy. Their grandfather rewarded him with a chicken leg and gave it many bones. Rarely eating meat, PiDan ate until his stomach was round, leaning back with four big paws contentedly grunted.
After eating the dumplings, the family went to the courtyard to watch the fireworks. It was the New Year's fireworks from the highest place in the city, the "Moon Pavilion." Although it was designed for the royal relatives to celebrate the Spring Festival, the people around the area could also enjoy the festivities.
The girl wrapped her arms around Pi Dan's neck and excitedly watched the fireworks. Following the fireworks, this person and a dog rose excitedly into the sky. Especially PiDan, after turning into a dog, although it is pretty inconvenient to move, there is an advantage that it is more intimate with the girl. Sometimes, he even thought, if at this moment the girl is still fox Xiao Xian, or that little fox without transformation, and he is a puppy, maybe happier. He smiled, wagged his tail at the girl, and licked her face affectionately, and the girl was tickled and laughed.
As night fell, the grandparents, who had had a few more drinks, went to bed early. The girl was in the other room, wrapped up in her quilt, looking at the stars; after the moon went down, it was dots of stars set in the blue velvet sky. She felt she had watched the stars thousands of times but couldn't get enough of them. Pi Dan ran to her feet and squatted down, looking at her and then at the sky. He understands that she has always wanted to go to the sky to see, and he will be able to help her realize this.
The girl and PiDan have lived together for a long time and can always understand each other's meaning with a look or expression. She stroked PiDan's head and quietly fell asleep. The sleeping girl smiled sweetly. She felt incomparably happy with love and affection, the world's goodwill.
This quiet and peaceful beauty of the world is all seen in the eyes of Mr. Mo. He quietly left Hu's house's roof and returned to his room. In the cold winter months, he opened the window and stood with his arms folded, looking up at the sky full of stars and pondering for a long time.
On the first day of the new year, according to etiquette, the younger generation should get up early to kowtow to the elders and say some auspicious words to celebrate. The girl cleaned up properly and kowtowed three times to her grandparents, "Happy New Year, grandparents; granddaughter pays her respects to the two old men!" The older man and wife smiled from ear to ear, having never received such a significant gift in his life; the child is good and kind and more pleasing to the eye.
Grandma brought a small ceramic plate from the kitchen, on which was a piece of caramel candy wrapped in dried reed leaves. This was made yesterday by boiling some malt sugar and drying cinnamon flowers while making pasta. Their family's life is hard, and there are not many snacks for children to eat, but the girl has never craved these, much less taken the initiative to ask for them. Grandma's heart ached as she watched the child become more and more understanding. She took out a piece and fed it to the girl. She also broke off a bit and fed it to PiDan.
It was so sweet! It is soft and fragrant in the mouth. The girl and PiYan's eyes were so happy after eating the caramel that they were wide open.
Grandpa also prepared a small gift; he used bamboo and straw paper to tie a small windmill; there is a small drum made of clay, and the windmill will move with drumsticks with a "da da da da" sound. He lovingly touched the girl's head and handed her the toy. The girl was so excited that she thanked her grandparents and played outside. In the end, she was still a child. Even the little fox at the beginning was not growing into years.
The girl took the small windmill, running in circles in the yard ~ that windmill kept rotating, and the small drum was also ringing non-stop; Grandpa dyed the paper on the windmill in green and flowery colors. The girl looked at the sunlight through the colorful windmill, and suddenly, red, gold, and green. She had never laughed so carefree before, and this happy time became a treasure as precious as jewels in her memory and left a touch of happiness that could comfort her for all the hardships she had suffered afterward.
The girl was so focused on playing with the windmill in her hand that she didn't notice a person standing outside the yard. Pi Dan became alert; he watched the stranger, and the stranger also quietly looked at the big black dog. No one made a sound, and the stranger and PiYan began a conversation that no one else could hear.
"Who are you?"
"Naturally, you don't know who I am, but I know you very well and who this little girl beside you is ..."
"Could it be that you are not human either? Are you a demon or a god?"
"I can't reveal too much to you, but I'm not a demon and won't hurt you guys."
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to make a deal with you."
"We have nothing now, and all our mana is gone; she can't even remember what happened before; what do we have to trade with you?"
"I need you guys to do something for me, and of course, I'll protect you for the rest of your lives."
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because this little fox and I have known each other before." The stranger turned his eyes to the girl.
Pi Dan was shocked; this stranger not only knew their identities, he even saw the girl's previous original form; the spells seemed ordinary.
Before he could react, the stranger gently pushed open the fence gate and shouted, "Old Uncle Hu! I've come to pay my respects to you two!" He once again looked at the black dog PiYan and said to him in his heart, "Actually, as I see it, your previous appearance is not as good as the current one, which is more to my liking."
My previous appearance? What I used to look like, I don't even remember myself. I only remember that Fox Xiao Xian used to be a fox, but I don't remember what it looked like. How does this person know everything? Ni Zhong was very puzzled.
Old man Hu went out to return the greeting and warmly welcomed the stranger to his home, invited him to the upper seat, and shouted to his wife to bring refreshments for the guest. He familiarly exchanged a few pleasantries with the guest and then called for the maid.
"Yatou ah! This is a famous teacher from several nearby villages and towns, Mr. Mo. Quickly come and bow to Mr. Mo and pay your respects!" Grandpa smilingly embraced the girl. The girl looked at this. Mr. Mo is still more or less constrained, so she obediently bowed and whispered, "Mr. Mo is good! The girl pays her respects to you." Then she stood beside her grandfather with her head lowered and stopped talking.
"This girl of mine is still young and shy. Mr. Mo is not to blame."
"It doesn't matter. Old Uncle Hu is polite." Mr. Mo looks at the girl and proposes to Old Uncle Hu: "I see that your granddaughter is quite well-behaved and understanding; why not send her to my Cao Tang to study for a few years after the new year?"
Hu's old uncle faces difficulty: "This ... good is good. My old man's life does not recognize a few words; all his life is looked down upon. But my girl is a girl; I have never heard of Mr. previously accepting female students, ah? And my home, as Mr. looked at, poor really can not afford to pay for her ..."
"Elder Hu, don't worry; it's also because I have a destiny with this child. So I can make an exception, accept her as a disciple, and teach her to read, write, and practice self-defense skills. This child is still young, born in this chaotic world, and can have a little skill in the future, more or less can turn misfortune into good fortune. What do you think?"
Old man Hu and the older woman looked at each other. The old woman nodded, and he sighed: "Alright! Just follow Mr. Mo. Mr. Mo rarely looks down on our bitter child. We rescued this child from a bridge hole; when we first rescued her back to the boat, she was covered in wounds, and her body was skinny. Ask her how old she was. I asked her how old she was and where her home was. She didn't remember anything. We are old, and I'm afraid we won't live for many years. I'm afraid we won't live for many years. We need to prepare for this child's future." Grandpa lovingly touched the girl's head, and the girl looked into Grandpa's eyes, tears falling.
"Grandpa, you and Grandma are both hard; we will never be separated for the rest of our lives." Said the girl as she wrapped her arms around her grandfather's neck and cried.
"Don't cry, don't cry, girl, don't cry, this New Year's Eve, let's not talk about mourning! Come on, kowtow to Mr. Mo, even if you pay your respects. In a few days, I will send you to Mr. Mo's private school; you follow Mr. Mo, work hard, and grow more skills!"
The girl wiped her tears and gave Mr. Mo a big bow to pay respects to his teacher. Grandma wrapped up half a roasted chicken, a bowl of grains and rice, and a few eggs; this was already the most expensive thing they could get for this family. Grandma solemnly handed it to Mr. Mo as the girl's tuition fee.
Mr. Mo accepted this disciple and said, "My son, when you walk in the world, your character is the most important thing; you must walk straight and stand straight; don't learn those sneaky, deceitful, world-defying businesses. The teacher will strictly control you in the future, and I hope you can become an adult. Even though you are a girl, you should also have the style of a gentleman, remember?"
"Remember, thank you, teacher!"
"Since you call me a teacher, let me give you a proper name! The girl is your breast name at home; outside, you will be called Hu Cangcang later. Taking the 'reed, white dew for frost,' I hope you can grow as ordinary and luxuriantly hard as a reed in this life."
"Many thanks, teacher, for the name!" From then on, Fox Xiao Xian was considered to be established in this life, with a real name; she had the key to her destiny; it's just that she always felt that this poem seemed familiar; where did she hear it?
Mr. Mo glanced at the black dog PiYan, who had been squatting outside the house and said to Hu LaoBo: "My grassy hall is not far from you here. It is not appropriate for a girl to stay at school, but it is better to go home to live on weekdays! Letting this black dog accompany her to and from school will also protect Cang Cang's safety from being bullied by others."
The two elderly members of the Hu family said yes repeatedly, and Mr. Mo should think it through. After sending Mr. Mo away, PiDan was alone in the sun, thinking about his thoughts. That poem was recited by Fox Xiao Xian in Feng Xi Jian back then. Could this be a coincidence? What kind of person is he? In the future, I have to pay more attention.