Chapter 12: Lantern Festival

Baskets were being woven to improve the family’s living conditions, and the land temple was gradually being renovated, finally resembling a proper building.

For the New Year, everyone brought food, and together they prepared a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner.

Cao Xi took charge of the cooking, while Li Feng was busy with the fire, and the rest gathered around the stove to watch the excitement.

Before long, the table was full of dishes for the New Year’s dinner. The family sat in a circle, each face brimming with smiles.

Li Feng had just said, “Let’s start.”

Qin Zhao, quick on the uptake, grabbed a chicken leg and placed it into Cao Xi’s bowl.

“Have the chicken leg.”

The chicken was cooked by Cao Xi, two whole chickens in total. Qin Zhao had been eyeing the chicken legs for quite a while.

The sudden appearance of the chicken leg in Cao Xi’s bowl made her cheeks turn slightly red.

There were four chicken legs in total, and Cao Xi was too shy to fight the children for food. But Qin Zhao didn’t care about that; since they had raised the chickens, it wasn’t unreasonable for him to take a leg for himself.

Feeling the gaze of those around him, Qin Zhao arrogantly lifted his chin. “Why aren’t you all eating?”

There were eight people living in the temple, and two chickens were enough to go around. Those who didn’t get a chicken leg were given a chicken wing.

Qin Zhao, relying on the fact that he was Cao Xi’s cousin and that the chickens were from their own farm, grabbed a chicken leg for himself as well.

Looking at the food in Qin Zhao’s bowl, Cao Xi couldn’t help but sigh, “You really don’t let anyone take advantage, do you?”

“When eating fish, be careful of the bones. Don’t be so careless,” Qin Zhao added.

Cao Xi looked at Qin Zhao, who stuffed a whole piece of fish into his mouth, looking a bit concerned.

Qin Zhao’s little face was puffed up from the food.

“It’s fine, I won’t choke,” he reassured her.

Cao Xi knew his little tricks all too well. The fish was caught by Li Feng from the river.

Qin Zhao had complained to Cao Xi for a long time in private, saying he was at a disadvantage by only getting two chickens.

“Look, so-and-so caught two fish from the river, didn’t spend a penny,” he grumbled. “And so-and-so got some tofu, while someone else got a little bit of pork. And yet I ended up with an entire chicken.”

“Drink some soup.”

Cao Xi ladled some tofu soup into Qin Zhao’s bowl. The tofu was from Xiao Chuan.

Xiao Chuan was a year younger than Cao Xi, and despite being weak and delicate, he was already doing quite well at gathering things.

Outside, the sounds of firecrackers were constant. They couldn’t afford such luxuries, so they could only listen to the noise.

After dinner, Cao Xi took Qin Zhao outside to watch the fireworks.

The fireworks that continuously rose and exploded before her made Cao Xi feel as though she were in a different world, as if she were still in her past life.

In her past life, she had been alone, unmarried and childless. Though she had no attachments, she still felt a sense of longing.

“Cao Xi.”

Cao Xi was suddenly hugged by Qin Zhao on the arm. It was the first time he had taken the initiative to hug her.

Cao Xi: ?

Qin Zhao: “What are you thinking? I’ve been talking to you, and you didn’t even hear me.”

Cao Xi: “I was thinking about moving the land temple.”

Having lived alone in her past life, she wasn’t used to living with so many people. Whenever she saved up a little money, she thought about living by herself.

Qin Zhao: “Wherever you go, I’ll go.”

In truth, Qin Zhao didn’t like the land temple. He had his own room since he was little, with servants to wait on him. Now, living with so many people, he couldn’t quite get used to it.

But he knew they didn’t have a choice, so he never complained.

Cao Xi: “Well, when spring comes, we’ll move to the city and rent a small house there.”

Qin Zhao’s eyes grew brighter with each word Cao Xi spoke, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Cao Xi laughed as she ruffled Qin Zhao’s fluffy hair. She had already noticed how uncomfortable he was with their current living situation.

Qin Zhao didn’t like others invading his space. Every day, he kept his sleeping area meticulously clean, and besides Cao Xi, he didn’t let anyone near it.

During the New Year, Cao Xi and Li Feng teamed up to buy some paper and wax oil. They planned to make small lanterns and sell them at the temple fair during the Lantern Festival.

Li Feng was very skilled with his hands. As long as Cao Xi had an idea, he could make it a reality. Cao Xi had already fallen in awe of his abilities.

Seeing this, Qin Zhao rolled his eyes countless times. Every time he saw Cao Xi staring at Li Feng as he worked, he couldn’t help but feel a bit displeased.

Driven by these emotions, Qin Zhao’s own craft skills began to improve as well.

After finishing the lanterns, Qin Zhao would always show them off in front of Cao Xi, which left her both amused and exasperated.

Li Feng and Qin Zhao were in charge of weaving the lantern frames, while Cao Xi applied white paper to the frames. One by one, little white rabbit lanterns were made.

“Li Ge, when spring comes, Qin Zhao and I will move out,” Cao Xi said as she busied herself with the task.

Li Feng paused his work, his hands stopping for a moment. “Why?”

Cao Xi replied, “After the New Year, I’ll be of age, and Qin Zhao will be seven. It’s not convenient living with the family anymore.”

Li Feng asked, “Have you decided where you’ll live?”

Cao Xi answered, “We’ll move to the town. There are more ways to make a living there, and it’s easier to earn money.”

Li Feng simply responded with an “Oh” and didn’t say anything further, seemingly lost in thought.

Cao Xi asked, “Li Ge, would you move with us?”

Li Feng replied, “I can live anywhere by myself. I’ll save up money, and when I have enough, I’ll buy a small courtyard for myself.”

Cao Xi raised an eyebrow. “You’ve already thought about your own place?”

Cao Xi was quite surprised. In her eyes, Li Feng was still a child of just four years old, yet here he was, already thinking about marriage.

Li Feng said, “By the time you’re four, those with parents are already getting engaged.”

Cao Xi could sense the sadness in Li Feng’s tone. It seemed like he was thinking about his own parents.

Logically, when he had been kidnapped and sold, he should have remembered it, but after escaping, he never returned home and had been wandering ever since. The reasons for this remained unclear.

On Lantern Festival, the family brought their goods to the temple fair to sell. Each person was assigned a booth.

Qin Zhao, now old enough to manage his own stall, was literate, knew multiplication tables, and was exceptionally smart—he picked up anything quickly. He had already become a small business owner in practice.

Taking advantage of his good looks, Qin Zhao had charmed quite a few eccentric ladies into buying his lanterns.

Within less than an hour, his stock was sold out, and he immediately stuck to Cao Xi like a piece of candy.

They had agreed to go together to the temple fair and admire the lanterns after selling everything.

Since Qin Zhao had grown a little older, Cao Xi had stopped being so hands-on with him.

Now, it was Qin Zhao who clung to Cao Xi, seeking comfort and attention, occasionally even holding her hand.

“How did your sales go?” Li Feng asked, having finished selling his own lanterns and now meeting up with Cao Xi.

Cao Xi said, “Just one more left, then we’ll be done.”

Li Feng replied, “Then let’s go to the temple fair together afterward.”

Qin Zhao spoke up quickly, “You go ahead. Cao Xi still has to wait a bit.”

Li Feng had been getting closer and closer to Cao Xi over the past six months, and Qin Zhao found it increasingly annoying. He was always worried that his position in Cao Xi’s life might be threatened.

“You’re so against me,” Li Feng remarked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous because I’m Cao Xi’s child husband.”

Qin Zhao’s hostility toward him stemmed largely from Cao Xi. Anytime Qin Zhao grew closer to her, Li Feng would jump in to disrupt things.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Qin Zhao retorted, his face and ears turning red with embarrassment. For a moment, he couldn’t think of a response and could only glare at Li Feng.

Li Feng shot back, “Why do you keep treating me like some kind of thief? Always guarding against me?”

Qin Zhao felt a little embarrassed after Li Feng pointed out his thoughts, his words lacking conviction.

“I’m not avoiding you,” Qin Zhao said, trying to explain himself. “We do need some more time, that’s why I told you to go ahead and take a look around first.”

Qin Zhao’s pouty, fierce expression was rather endearing, and Cao Xi laughed as she stepped forward to block him. “Don’t bully my little brother.”

Li Feng sheepishly scratched his nose and smiled at Cao Xi. “I’ll wait for you. We can go to the temple fair together.”

Hearing this, Qin Zhao clenched his teeth, frustrated. He couldn’t keep pushing people away, so he sulked quietly instead.

……………………………

After Cao Xi sold the last lantern, she joined the family to stroll through the temple fair.

The ancient night market had a unique charm, not brightly lit like modern ones, but instead illuminated by the soft glow of stars, with one stall after another creating a lively, bustling atmosphere.

“Here, Cao Xi.” Li Feng had somehow bought some steamed buns and handed one to each person.

Cao Xi took the bun. “Thank you, Li Ge.”

Over the past six months, Li Feng had changed from being his usual tight-fisted self. After selling things, he would always bring something back for Cao Xi.

Sometimes it was food, other times it was useful items, and Cao Xi would return the favor to keep the balance.

Qin Zhao glared at Li Feng, who was being so considerate, and angrily took a bite of his bun. His expression looked like an angry little lion—fierce, but with no real threat.

Li Feng smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

Cao Xi quickly added, “Don’t buy me anything in the future. Save the money to buy a house.”

She couldn’t handle him always bringing her things.

Li Feng chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m almost done saving for the house.”

Qin Zhao watched the two of them chatting happily, feeling a bit left out. He wanted to interrupt but couldn’t find the right moment, so he just silently ate his bun.

After strolling around for a while, they rejoined the others and headed back to the land temple together.

In the evening, Cao Xi began setting up their bed and preparing to rest. Their bed was surrounded by cloth partitions, and Xiao Chuan also had a similar setup.

Once the bed was ready, Cao Xi took Qin Zhao to the small river nearby to wash up.

“Is there something going on between you and Li Feng that I don’t know about?” Cao Xi asked.

Recently, Qin Zhao had been making things difficult for Li Feng. Cao Xi was worried about Li Feng and feared her child might feel wronged, so she asked when they were alone.

“No, there’s nothing going on,” Qin Zhao said, washing his face without fully understanding Cao Xi’s concern.

Cao Xi continued, “I’ve noticed you’ve been hard on him lately. Weren’t you always fond of him, learning craft with him?”

Qin Zhao lowered his head, feeling a bit downcast. He felt like something he treasured was being taken away by someone else, and it made him uncomfortable all over.

“He can’t take me away. You’re also one of my most important people,” Cao Xi said, gently patting Qin Zhao’s head.

“Ca—Cao Xi.”

Qin Zhao tightly wrapped his arms around Cao Xi’s waist, burying his head in her chest.

Recently, he had been feeling very uneasy, constantly afraid that Cao Xi would abandon him and choose someone better to live with.

He knew he was young and limited in what he could do, unable to make money like Li Feng could.

Cao Xi returned the hug but pinched his waist, feeling the extra flesh. “Hmm, you’ve gained weight.”

She kept pinching him, and by the time Qin Zhao reacted, her hand had moved to his bottom.

“Let go of me!” he said.

Cao Xi was teasing him, and Qin Zhao, flustered and embarrassed, quickly pulled away from her embrace.

His face turned bright red, and he pointed at Cao Xi, his emotions running high. “You’re a rogue!”

Cao Xi awkwardly scratched her nose and muttered, “I was just pinching the fat.”

Seeing her look of not being sorry at all, Qin Zhao grew even angrier. “Men and women should not be so close!”

Cao Xi nearly asked, Then why did you sleep with me that night?

They shared a bed, and when the weather turned cold, Qin Zhao would instinctively snuggle into Cao Xi’s arms.

Cao Xi didn’t dare to ask, fearing it would upset the young boy, as trying to comfort him once he was upset would take a lot of effort.

“Don’t pinch, don’t pinch. Let’s go back to sleep,” she said, turning to head back.

Cao Xi paused, feeling a bit conflicted. Qin Zhao, however, had already forgotten about his earlier discomfort. In a huff, he followed Cao Xi back to bed, ready to sleep.