Chapter 47 – It’s Almost New Year

Uncle Chen Jiu chuckled and said, “That’s right. Yingzi’s five-spice tofu and these dried mushrooms are absolutely delicious!”

When Xu Xia ran over to tell the Zhao family, Aunt Zhao and Qin Ying naturally couldn’t turn him down.

Fortunately, all the ingredients were ready. The mother and daughter rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

Afraid that the two couldn’t handle everything on their own, Uncle Chen Jiu called over Second Sister-in-law Chen, who lived nearby, to help out.

Halfway through, Zhao Hu came over holding a tearful An’an in his arms.

But the moment she saw Zhou Yu, the little girl immediately stopped crying and broke into a smile, stretching out her little hands for a hug.

Zhou Yu grinned and took her into his arms, carrying her into the inner room.

Second Sister-in-law Chen looked on with envy. “Lord Zhou really dotes on An’an! But then again, An’an is such an endearing child!”

Aunt Zhao, in a cheerful mood, praised An’an again. “This child is truly a blessing sent to repay kindness. She’s so easy to care for—sleeps when she’s full and always has a smile on her face…”

“It’s all because Yingzi has a kind heart!” Second Sister-in-law Chen sighed. “Back then, with how things were, who would have dared to take in a child and raise her?

“Still, An’an was lucky. If she had run into someone else… Aunt Zhao, have you heard? Those bandits call little kids ‘soft-bone stew,’ saying if you boil them in a pot, even the bones melt.”

Aunt Zhao shuddered, her entire body breaking out in goosebumps. “Where… where did you hear something so terrifying?”

Second Sister-in-law Chen let out a long sigh. “Aunt Zhao, you know I’m from Jiudaowan, right?”

Aunt Zhao’s body went cold. Jiudaowan wasn’t far from the bandits’ hideout.

“I was sold off by my family for a string of coins,” Second Sister-in-law Chen quickly explained, afraid of being misunderstood. “They think I’m dead. I’ve never gone back.

“It was the second year after the famine started. My nephew suddenly came to take my daughter and me back home…”

Chen Er, her husband, was a simple and honest man. The nephew said that Second Sister-in-law Chen’s elderly mother was dying and wanted to see her one last time. So he urged his wife to go with him.

But Second Sister-in-law Chen was sharp. On the road, she chatted with her nephew and realized something was off. She took her daughter, used a bathroom excuse, and hid.

When the nephew couldn’t find them, he had a falling out with his accomplices who came to help. In the heat of the argument, he spilled the truth.

Second Sister-in-law Chen sighed again. “They called the people they were going to eat ‘two-legged sheep.’ Older folks were called ‘needs stoking’—meaning the fire needs to be stronger or the meat’s too tough.

“Young girls and newlyweds were called ‘envy-free sheep’… absolute beasts!”

Aunt Zhao trembled again and again, finally blurting out, “Stop, stop! I thought I was brave, but I’m scared out of my soul now!”

“That’s why—” Second Sister-in-law Chen patted her arm, “Aunt Zhao, when those two bastards were dragged out of your house, I was so scared I couldn’t sleep for two nights!”

Aunt Zhao was shaking all over, unable to do any work.

Qin Ying held her hand and gently helped her sit on a small stool. “Mom, take a breath. It’s okay. It’s all in the past now, isn’t it?”

In truth, Qin Ying herself had broken into a cold sweat. That incident back then… just thinking about it was terrifying!

Second Sister-in-law Chen felt very guilty. “It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have brought up something like that out of nowhere.

“Aunt Zhao, it’s over now! Don’t be afraid! Don’t we have Lord Zhou now? He already sent people to wipe out the bandit den!”

Inside the house, Zhou Yu instructed Xu Xia to bring over a bundle. He opened it, pulled out some new clothes, and held them up against An’an. “Look, pretty, right?”

Zhao Hu rubbed his hands nervously. “Lord Zhou, we can’t accept this! We really can’t take your things!”

“I’m not giving them to you,” Zhou Yu said, still holding up the clothes to compare sizes for An’an. “I’m asking if An’an likes them.”

The little outfits were exquisitely made and in beautiful colors—one bright red, one pink, both with matching hats and tiny shoes in the same color palette.

An’an hugged the clothes and giggled. She liked them! Who doesn’t like pretty things?

Look at the big yellow flowers and blue butterflies on the clothes—so delicate and pretty!

Zhou Yu gently stroked An’an’s soft hair. Since she had been taken in by Qin Ying, her hair hadn’t been cut. It had grown over two inches long. Qin Ying had tied it into two little buns with red ribbons.

He rummaged through the bundle and pulled out two sets of hairbands that matched the clothes, each ending in a tiny copper bell.

He chose the red ones and tied them to An’an’s hair buns.

When An’an shook her head, a crisp “jingling” sound rang out, and she let out a cheerful baby laugh.

Zhou Yu was in a great mood. He said to Zhao Hu, “See? It’s not like the fabric is anything special—just colorful. It’s not expensive.”

Zhao Hu stepped up and examined the clothes. Sure enough, the outer fabric wasn’t much different from their everyday clothes. But the lining was very soft, and just one touch revealed that it was stuffed with fresh cotton.

Still, he spoke seriously. “Lord Zhou, even if it’s for An’an, she’s part of our family. She’s too little to decide—her guardians have to make the call.”

Zhou Yu chuckled. “You’re still just a kid yourself!”

“I’m not!” Zhao Hu puffed up his chest and declared, “I’m the only man in the house! I’m the pillar of our family!

“From now on, my mother, my sister, and An’an all depend on me to protect them!”

“Silly boy,” Zhou Yu laughed softly and didn’t argue. “Then go ask your mom and sister if they’ll accept it.”

Zhao Hu actually turned and went out.

Taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Yu slipped two silver bracelets onto An’an’s wrists. “I should’ve given you a pair of jade ones, but I heard silver is better for children.

“When you grow up, I’ll get you jade ones. For now, I’ll keep them saved for you.”

Energy Value +0.02

An’an giggled at Zhou Yu, her expression a little dopey.

Zhou Yu couldn’t help stroking her head again. It seemed that this child wasn’t always mystical. Right now, wasn’t she just like any ordinary little girl?

To be honest, if he had a child of his own, he’d prefer an ordinary one.

After all, a child with special traits would look like a juicy piece of meat in the eyes of bad people. If anyone with ill intent targeted her, the consequences would be unthinkable.

He sent Xu Xia out and leaned down to whisper in An’an’s ear, “An’an, from now on, never reveal your uniqueness to anyone. Otherwise, it’ll bring harm to you and your family.”

I know that!

An’an blinked her bright eyes. People with bad character don’t get to be close to this System!

Zhao Hu, though simple, wasn’t dumb. Seeing that Second Sister-in-law Chen was still outside, he swallowed the words he was about to say and went back into the house.

That little heartless An’an—who knows when she got charmed by that pretty boy!

Wait, no, Lord Zhou wasn’t just a pretty face. He was a good official!

But even the best official couldn’t just steal away his beloved niece!

That niece belonged to his family! Her surname was Zhao!

Come to think of it, his sister hadn’t given An’an a proper name yet. Maybe it was time to name her during the New Year?

Aunt Zhao and the others had made nine large dishes, along with two big pots of assorted steamed buns. Not only was it enough for Uncle Chen Jiu and his family, but also for the neighbors on both sides of the courtyard.

They even specially fried radish balls and tofu puffs that could be stored and eaten slowly.

After cooking, they still had a good amount of oil left from frying. The three women discussed it and decided to save the clean oil for stir-frying, and use the oil with residues to make dumplings.