Chapter 299: Chapter 121 Miss Lu San_3
Lu Tong froze in place.
The bronze tray in front of her reflected a hazy brilliance under the candlelight of the small courtyard.
The woman sitting at the table stared at the large plate at her feet, piled high with persimmons and tangerines, her eyes slightly vacant.
Many years ago, when she was a little girl, on New Year’s Eve, her mother would also set out a large plate like this, letting the children in the family break cypress branches in turn.
"Cypress, persimmon, tangerine," symbolizing "all is well."
Being young at the time, she always clamored to be the first to break a persimmon, but her small strength often made it difficult, resulting in juice all over her hands and dirtying her new dress.
She puckered her lips to cry, but her mother sternly stopped her, "It’s New Year’s Eve, crying brings bad luck!"
Lu Rou then leaned over and quietly pushed the dumpling wrapped with coins from her bowl into hers.
Before Lu Tong could break into a smile, the dumpling was swiftly snatched from her bowl by Lu Qian, who made a face at her and said, "Thanks a lot!"
"Waah," she wailed.
The tears she had been holding back finally flowed out.
Lu Tong’s memories of New Year’s Eve were always lively until she left Changwu County.
Lady Yun, aside from trying out medicines and administering antidotes on schedule, was mostly absent from the mountain. Lu Tong spent seven years on Luomei Peak, and every New Year’s Eve during those seven years, she spent alone.
In the first few years at Luomei Peak, Lu Tong always secretly hoped that this year would not be spent alone. Sometimes, she would rather have Lady Yun stay on the mountain to have her try medicines than spend New Year’s Eve alone in the solitude of the mountain.
The pain of trying medicines was always preferable to the loneliness of staying up late alone.
In those lively moments, one’s solitude is infinitely magnified.
But in the end, she could only arrange some picked twigs and a few immature wild fruits together in an iron basin, break them apart with force, and whisper to herself—
All is well.
"All is well," the courtyard echoed with laughter.
A flash of inexplicable emotion passed in Lu Tong’s eyes.
After many years, for the first time, she was not alone in telling herself "all is well."
Yin Zheng approached with a bowl of wine, her cheeks flushed red from drinking, her eyes bright and shining as she gazed at Lu Tong.
"Miss," she asked, "is it too noisy?"
Lu Tong shook her head.
Yin Zheng sighed with relief, "That’s good. I was worried that you like quiet, and with so many people making noise, you wouldn’t be happy."
Lu Tong cast her eyes down, her voice very soft, "No, I won’t be."
She had stayed on Luomei Peak for too many years, wished herself a Happy New Year too many times, almost forgetting that she actually loved the bustle.
She was originally afraid of loneliness.
Du Changqing was still clamoring at the other end, "Let’s wish Doctor Lu a startling success at the spring examination, outshining everyone!"
Miao Liangfang doused his enthusiasm, "With so many Imperial Medical Bureau disciples there, outshine them? That’s boastful."
"Why not? As the saying goes, disappointment in love leads to success in exams. Our Doctor Lu has had a rough path in love; that worthless betrothed and Young Master Dong, one more unreliable than the other. Who knows, the examination might just bring success!"
"What? Doctor Lu has a betrothed? When did this happen?"
"Hey, that’s not important. What man can compare to a promising future?"
"That is true."
Ah Cheng looked up at the night sky above the courtyard, muttering, "Tonight at midnight, Dechun Terrace will set off fireworks; we can see them from our yard."
"Great," Du Changqing slurred with drunken eyes, pointing to the sky and jesting, "The rich spend money, the commoners enjoy the benefits. A fool would pass up such an opportunity; tonight we must stay up until midnight!"
They couldn’t make it to midnight for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Du Changqing was drunk.
The young master had put on an act of being immune to alcohol; before finishing a jar of Tusuzui Wine, he had slid under the table.
Just that could have been overlooked, but he had a bad drunk habit—once intoxicated, he vomited all over the place, disgracing the courtyard with filth.
Miao Liangfang couldn’t stand it, telling Lu Tong, "He’s a young man; it’s improper for him to spend the night drunk in your courtyard. Gossip won’t be kind if others find out."
With that said, he called Ah Cheng, and together they propped up the drunken Du Changqing and headed home.
After the three of them left, the small courtyard suddenly became much quieter. Yin Zheng stood up unsteadily, "I’ll clean up the house..." but Lu Tong stopped her.
Yin Zheng, who had also had quite a lot to drink, was probably happy inside. Ever since she had followed Lu Tong, she had always been living on tenterhooks, but New Year’s Eve always allowed one to set aside everything and immerse in this temporary joy.
Lu Tong helped Yin Zheng to her room, removed her shoes and socks, cleaned her face, and finally tucked her into bed, then left the room, gently closing the door behind her.