TATSD Chapter 120

The night before “Little New Year” in West Alley was especially lively.

With “Little New Year” arriving the next day, people in Ji Wei’s hometown traditionally honored the Kitchen God by offering sugar cakes and biscuits. Since the Ji family had a long-standing tradition of making confections, the entire household would roll up their sleeves during this time every year to prepare these treats. Some would be kept for their own family, while others would be gifted to relatives and friends.

This yearly tradition was deeply ingrained in Ji Wei, and with “Little New Year” approaching, he decided to uphold it.

One reason was his homesickness, and the other was his intention to use these sugar cakes and biscuits as wedding treats for his upcoming marriage.

The concept of wedding treats was uncommon in this area, as sugar was a luxury item. For most families, sugar was reserved for special occasions, with cheaper alternatives like peanuts and seeds being the standard. Only wealthy families could afford to distribute sweet confections at weddings.

The preparation for these sugar cakes and biscuits had started several days earlier. Initially, Ji Wei had planned to marry Liu Yimian before the end of the year.

However, upon discovering Liu Yimian’s pregnancy—which wasn’t yet visibly showing—Ji Wei realized the timing was tricky. If they delayed the wedding until after the New Year, the festive season would make finding a good date difficult. Furthermore, suitable auspicious days in February were rare due to the need to calculate both their birth dates and zodiac signs, meaning the wedding might have to wait until March. By then, Liu Yimian’s pregnancy would be apparent, creating more complications.

So, Ji Wei decided to stick to the original plan: to marry on an auspicious day during “Little New Year,” combining the joy of marriage with the festival celebrations. It would also allow them to spend their first New Year together as a married couple.

To achieve this, the workers had been working overtime for days, often continuing well into the night.

Besides using sugar cakes and biscuits as wedding treats, Ji Wei also introduced them as a seasonal specialty in his shop. Advertised as a must-have for the “Little New Year” festival, these confections became a hit, increasing the workers’ workload significantly.

Thankfully, Ji Wei and Grandpa Zhang were fair employers. Workers were paid generously, with overtime calculated at double the usual rate. The promise of higher wages kept everyone motivated, and no one complained.

By the eve of “Little New Year,” dozens of workers had finished packaging the cakes and biscuits in beautifully designed festive bags. They managed to complete everything just in time.

The next morning, just before dawn, Aunt Zhou came knocking on Liu Yimian’s door. Traditionally, a bride would depart from her family home, but as Liu Yimian had been sold into the Ji family, he had no family home to return to. Aunt Zhou had arranged for Zhao Hu to vacate his room, turning it into a bridal chamber so Liu Yimian could leave her home instead.

Liu Yimian was too nervous to sleep, despite Aunt Zhou urging him to rest. Lying in bed, his mind was filled with memories of his time with Ji Wei. Before he knew it, it was already time to get up.

Hearing the knock at the door, he quickly got up, put on an outer robe, and opened the door.

Outside, red lanterns cast a warm glow. Aunt Zhou, seeing Liu Yimian’s bright and energetic face, chuckled and pinched his cheek playfully.

“You didn’t listen, did you? I told you to get a good night’s sleep!”

“Auntie, I couldn’t fall asleep,” Liu Yimian admitted, his cheeks flushing as he stepped aside to let her in. A cold breeze blew in, carrying a few snowflakes, and he shivered. Aunt Zhou quickly shut the door.

“Get dressed quickly,” she urged. “We’ll wash you up so you can put on your wedding clothes.” She pulled a heavy outer robe from the rack and helped Liu Yimian into it.

Once he was bundled up, she opened the door again and shouted, “Is the water ready yet? Hurry up!”

Zhao Hu and Zhao Dalong came in carrying a large wooden tub, half-filled with warm water sprinkled with colorful flower petals. They placed it in the room under Aunt Zhou’s direction.

The whole West Alley was festively decorated for Ji Wei’s wedding. Red lanterns hung from every house, adding a joyful atmosphere. Even in the early morning, the alley was alive with the sounds of workers preparing the wedding venue.

In the Ji family courtyard, five large tables were set up to welcome invited guests. Additionally, tables were arranged along the length of the alley to serve neighbors and passersby. Ji Wei wanted the wedding to be lively and festive, believing it would bring good fortune to his unborn child.

After the bathwater was brought in, Aunt Zhou retrieved the wedding attire from a cabinet. The red silk garment was embroidered with phoenix patterns and had taken four skilled embroiderers ten days to complete. The matching golden phoenix coronet, adorned with pearl tassels, was a masterpiece commissioned by a renowned craftsman.

Holding the coronet carefully, Aunt Zhou marveled, “That Ji Wei is thoughtful. Willing to spend so much silver on this shows he truly cherishes you, Mianmian. You’re a lucky one.”

Liu Yimian bit his lip and nodded softly. Once he removed his outer robe and hung it by the bed, he glanced shyly at Aunt Zhou.

She laughed. “Child, I’ve watched you grow and think of you as my own. Let me help. Besides, you’re pregnant. If you catch a chill or slip, what would we do?”

Though the room was well-lit with several lamps, Aunt Zhou was determined to ensure everything went smoothly.

Liu Yimian had never undressed in front of anyone except Ji Wei since growing up, so his ears turned red with embarrassment. Aunt Zhou, noticing his bashfulness, chuckled and teased him gently before turning away to give him privacy.

Hurriedly, Liu Yimian removed his clothes, climbed into the tub, and sat at the bottom. The floating petals covered his body entirely, finally allowing him to relax.

Since arriving here, he had come to regard Aunt Zhou as family. Yet, his unique condition made him hesitant to expose himself in front of others—it was deeply unsettling.

Once the splashing noises stopped, Aunt Zhou returned with a coarse cloth and a small container of fine powder. She used it to scrub the areas Liu Yimian couldn’t reach. The powder, though small in quantity and as costly as gold, had a subtle and lasting fragrance, perfect for such an important occasion as a wedding.

After helping scrub his back, Aunt Zhou sat to the side and let Liu Yimian finish bathing himself. Despite the brazier in the room and heavy curtains blocking the cold wind, the winter air was still chilly.

Not wanting to linger in the water, Liu Yimian washed quickly and climbed out of the tub after only 15 minutes. Wrapping himself in a thick, soft cotton cloth, he dried off and began dressing, layer by layer, starting with his undergarments.

A faint, mysterious fragrance clung to his skin, even soaking into his clothes as he dressed.

Aunt Zhou dried his hair with a cloth and couldn’t resist inhaling the scent. “This ‘Thousand Gold Fragrance’ lives up to its name. It’s expensive, but it’s truly exquisite and not overwhelming. I heard from Da Lang that it’s very popular outside,” she remarked.

As Aunt Zhou chatted about the preparations Ji Wei had made for the wedding, Liu Yimian listened quietly. Although he was aware of most details, the separation during this period had kept him from fully understanding everything. Hearing from Aunt Zhou now, he realized just how much effort—and money—Ji Wei had spent on this event.

Liu Yimian felt a mix of shock and sweetness, a warmth bubbling in his heart and spreading like little wings of happiness.

By the time his hair was mostly dry, half an hour had passed. Though Aunt Zhou wasn’t a professional matchmaker, she had helped several young girls prepare for their weddings and knew the process well.

Her movements were initially a bit clumsy but soon became more practiced. She styled Liu Yimian’s hair, applied light makeup, and finished just as the sun began to rise.

From a short distance away, the sound of drums and horns came from the Ji family’s house, where hired musicians were starting their performance. The festive atmosphere was already filling the air.

Liu Yimian began to grow nervous again. His hands clasped tightly, his fingers ice-cold and his palms damp with sweat.

“You’ve got it tough,” Aunt Zhou said, steadying him. “No eating this morning—you’ll just have to endure it. Once the time comes, Da Lang will come to pick you up. If you’re tired, you can lean against the bed for a bit.” She guided him to the bed, tucked the blanket around him, and encouraged him to rest.

Liu Yimian sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the quilt. Aunt Zhou felt a pang of sadness. “Your family is so heartless. On such an important day, they should have come to see you off. Now you’re getting married, but you’re all alone without anyone from home…”

She sat beside him and took his cold hands in hers.

His hands were freezing, and Aunt Zhou was startled. Feeling the clammy sweat on his palms, she smiled gently. “You’re nervous, aren’t you? That’s normal. It’s your only wedding day—who wouldn’t be? Lean on me and close your eyes for a bit.”

Liu Yimian shook his head, obediently squeezing Aunt Zhou’s hand in return. “I’m not alone. Ah Qiu said he’d come, but he’s five months pregnant now. Traveling early might be too tiring, so I told him to come later.”

As they spoke, there was a commotion at the door, followed by knocking. Zhao Hu’s voice called out, “Mom, someone named Ah Qiu is here to see Xiao Liu.”

Liu Yimian’s lips curved into a smile, a soft dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth. “It’s Ah Qiu. I told him to come later, but he’s already here.” His words carried a hint of joy.

Aunt Zhou tucked Liu Yimian’s hands back under the blanket and got up to open the door. The wind swept in as she opened it, carrying a chill. She quickly ushered the visitor inside and shut the door behind them to keep the cold at bay.

Thank you for reading.

THE END OF THE WHOLE NOVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!