Xiao Jin Yu nodded gently, "Thank you."
Chu He looked down at Xiao Jin Yu's legs and gritted his teeth, "If you weren't like this... you'd definitely become a high-ranking official, nailing all those corrupt officials into coffins. I'd build the coffins for free!"
A warmth spread through Xiao Jin Yu's heart, "Heaven sees all deeds... it's only a matter of time. Keep building those coffins and wait."
"Right!"
As soon as Chu He left, the guard approached, carefully observing Xiao Jin Yu's pale face, "Wang Ye..."
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head slightly, lowering his voice, "It's fine... Continue monitoring the Prince of Wu's Estate. We can't afford any trouble during the New Year period... It would cause complications if word reached the capital."
The guard nodded, "Understood."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"You flatter me, Wang Ye," the guard looked up with a smile, "I may not know how to build coffins, but I can at least nail the lids shut."
Xiao Jin Yu smiled faintly, "I'll catch the coffin-fillers as soon as possible."
As night fell, Chu Chu's father set up an incense altar in the courtyard, brought out several ancestral tablets, and lit a bundle of incense. Though Grandpa Chu had initially been resistant, watching Xiao Jin Yu struggle to stand with his crutches and kneel before the Chu family ancestors to meticulously kowtow nine times instantly dissolved all his displeasure.
Others might not know, but he was well aware that after cadaveric poison flare-ups, Xiao Jin Yu's rheumatism would inevitably act up for three to five days. Kneeling like this must be excruciating. Seeing Xiao Jin Yu endure the pain while performing the kowtows so seriously made Grandpa Chu's heart ache. The moment Xiao Jin Yu finished, Grandpa Chu rushed over ahead of Chu Chu to help him back into the wheelchair, taking the opportunity to mutter quietly, "We have medicated wine at home. Let Chu Chu massage you with it tonight."
"Thank you, Grandpa..."
When they entered the house and sat at the dining table, Grandpa Chu moved the charcoal brazier closer to Xiao Jin Yu, had Chu Chu fetch a cushion for his lower back, and wrapped a quilt around his legs. Being fussed over so conspicuously made Xiao Jin Yu blush deeply, though he didn't dare refuse.
Seeing Chu He grinning broadly, Grandpa Chu shot him a stern look, "What are you laughing at! Rheumatism has no cure—it requires careful nurturing. This kid is too reckless... All of you better keep an eye on him from now on!"
Chu He stuck out his tongue, "Yes, sir!"
"Thank you, Grandpa..."
Grandma Chu brought out a jar of wine from the backyard, but Grandpa Chu waved it away, "Not this one, not this one... Let's drink the one my son-in-law bought!"
Grandma Chu smiled knowingly, "Who was it that said they didn't want it earlier?"
Under Chu Chu's pouting gaze, Grandpa Chu grew flustered, tapped his cane, and fixed his eyes on Chu Chu's father, "Who... who said that!"
Chu Chu's father was taken aback, then hurriedly said, "Ah... ah! I, I must have... mistaken it for that jar we used to hold intestines during the autopsy the other day, thought we'd forgotten to bury it..."
Grandpa Chu gave him a satisfied glare, "No memory at all!"
Noticing Xiao Jin Yu's face had turned pale, Chu Chu's father chuckled, "Don't worry, we usually don't keep those things indoors. You won't come across them... But if you do happen to see one, just call us. Don't touch it yourself."
"Alright..."
Grandma Chu brought over the wine Xiao Jin Yu had purchased. Chu He poured it into a wine warmer to heat it briefly, then started serving from Grandpa Chu's cup. When he moved to pour for Xiao Jin Yu after serving Grandpa Chu, Grandma Chu, and Chu Chu's father, Grandpa Chu tapped Chu He's calf with his cane, "How can a sick person drink alcohol!"Chu He scratched his head, looking at Xiao Jin Yu with sympathy. "Even during the New Year... you still can't drink?"
Chu Chu's father chimed in, "Just a little bit shouldn't matter... This is our son-in-law's first time celebrating New Year with our family."
Chu Chu anxiously tugged at Xiao Jin Yu's sleeve beside him. He gently patted her hand resting in the crook of his arm. "Since this is my first visit, I haven't yet proposed a toast to the elders... I suppose a few small cups won't hurt."
☆ Chapter 50: Four Happiness Meatballs (Part 9)
Seeing that Grandpa Chu remained silent, Chu He cheerfully filled both Xiao Jin Yu and Chu Chu's cups.
Xiao Jin Yu proposed toasts in turn - first to Grandpa Chu and Grandma Chu, then to Chu Chu's father and Chu He. After four cups of wine, his stomach began to feel warm. Noticing his slight frown, Chu Chu quickly brought him a bowl of soup and served him some dishes. Xiao Jin Yu insisted on waiting until both Chu Chu and Chu He had proposed their toasts to the elders before finally picking up his chopsticks to eat slowly.
Though they had agreed on just a few cups, the three men of the Chu family, caught up in the festive mood, kept drinking with Xiao Jin Yu. He didn't refuse, drinking cup after cup with apparent ease. Chu Chu was initially quite worried, but seeing that Xiao Jin Yu remained unchanged after several cups, she relaxed and busied herself helping Grandma Chu with various tasks.
Xiao Jin Yu's father had passed away when he was two, and his mother had followed the imperial decree to be buried with him. In his memory, New Year celebrations were either grand affairs - like when hundreds of officials offered congratulations, or when ancestral worship was held at the Temple of Heaven, or when the generals at Prince An Manor created chaos - or completely solitary occasions, like when he buried himself in Three Thoughts Pavilion handling urgent cases, or lay unconscious on the sickbed in One Heart Garden.
This family gave him a feeling... as if he had never truly had a home, never properly celebrated New Year.
Amid the casual chatter and plentiful drinks, surrounded by this family's liveliness, his heart felt both warm and empty - so empty that no amount of wine seemed able to fill it.
Xiao Jin Yu couldn't remember how much he had drunk, nor how he had left the dining table and ended up in bed. He only felt someone carefully wiping his face with a warm towel. Blinking open his bleary eyes, he saw Chu Chu's gentle silhouette in the dim lamplight and immediately pulled her into his embrace.
Chu Chu was startled, letting out a small cry as she fell into his arms.
"What are you doing!"
Xiao Jin Yu showed no intention of letting go. Raising his other hand, he caressed Chu Chu's delicate, rosy cheek, his slender, cool fingers gently tracing her elegant features. In a slightly hoarse voice, he whispered, "When can I marry you..."
The touch tickled Chu Chu, who laughed and grabbed his hand to stop him. "You're drunk... You were vomiting so badly earlier, are you still feeling unwell?"
Xiao Jin Yu seemed not to hear her, his gaze dazed yet intense as he stared directly at her. "Marry me..."
OpenNovel