In the countryside, when he was young, his family also stayed up on New Year's Eve, but there was nothing fun to do, and the weather was freezing, so it was somewhat boring. He would feel drowsy before midnight. But tonight, Lu Shuo felt that time had flown by, and before he knew it, a new day had arrived.
Occasionally, sounds of fireworks and firecrackers came from other houses, celebrating the arrival of the new year. Helan Zong led the family outside, cheerfully giving red envelopes to the servants and New Year's money to the children.
Lu Shuo held the heavy string of copper coins tied with red cord, looked at the flickering lanterns under the eaves, and couldn't help touching his chest.
Father, mother, this New Year's Eve wasn't cold at all. If only you could have come and experienced it too...
After the New Year's Eve vigil ended, everyone returned to their own rooms.
The children left the courtyard together. Helan Zhen naturally walked in front, Helan Chang and Helan Rong jostled and played in the middle, and Lu Shuo and Helan Pei walked at the back.
Helan Pei also carried a string of New Year's money coins, swaying as she walked, making a clattering sound.
Helan Chang turned around and said to Helan Pei, "Can you give me that whistle of yours? I'll exchange it for a good one."
Helan Pei looked confused.
Helan Chang said, "It sounds terrible, I want to use it against Helan Rong."
"Why persecute your own kind!" Helan Rong exclaimed. "Pei'er, where did you get that whistle? I'll buy ten!"
Helan Zhen turned back and stared at them darkly for a moment.
Helan Chang and Helan Rong shut up.
Helan Pei grinned, and Lu Shuo couldn't help smiling too.
They reached Helan Pei's courtyard. She stood at the gate, waved at Lu Shuo, and without waiting for him to wave back, turned and ran inside.
Lu Shuo's half-raised hand dropped silently, and he continued walking with the brothers.
Finally back in his own yard, Lu Shuo washed up briefly and lay down on the bed.
With the lights out and no one around, the surroundings suddenly became much quieter. The drowsiness from staying up all night finally hit, and Lu Shuo drifted off to sleep.
He had a dream.
He dreamed that he and his parents were all living in the Duke Mansion. Their family and the Duke's family were having a New Year's Eve dinner together, lively and festive. After dinner, the adults chatted in the house while the children set off fireworks outside.
Somehow, in the dream, the Fourth Miss could speak. Her voice was sweet and crisp, and she smiled as she taught him how to set off fireworks, even telling him he could make a wish while watching them.
He asked her, "What wish did you make?"
She said, "I won't tell you."
He asked, "Why won't you tell me?"
She said, "I just won't."
"But you used to tell me, and you'd whisper to me," he said. "You'd come find me at night and write me a long letter, but you'd burn it before I could finish reading. I've always wondered what you wrote. Now that I can finally read all the characters, why don't you write to me anymore?"
She just looked at him, giggling, and didn't answer his question.
Not far away, Helan Chang and Helan Rong called them over to play together. Helan Pei lifted her skirt and ran over. Lu Shuo wanted to follow, but someone grabbed his shoulder.
He turned around. It was Helan Zhen.
Helan Zhen looked down at him, a faint smile on his face: "You're so far behind Pei'er; she even has to correct your homework. Why does she still have to write all sorts of things for you? Why do you always trouble her?"
Lu Shuo was speechless, stammering without daring to speak.
Just then, the fireworks that Helan Chang and the others had set off exploded with a bang. A blinding white light spread everywhere, and all the stars, lanterns, and sparks instantly vanished, leaving only a vast white world.
...
Lu Shuo's eyes snapped open.
There was no strong smell of saltpeter at the tip of his nose, only the morning breeze that had slipped in through a window that was not properly closed, carrying a faint scent of grass and trees, causing the bed curtains to sway slightly.
He turned his head and, through the window gauze, saw a pale white light outside.
Hugging the quilt, he slowly sat up.
This was the umpteenth time he had had such a dream.
Over the past two years, he had dreamed of that New Year's Eve every few months, even though he had spent more than one New Year's Eve at the Xuan Duke Mansion.
Each time, the dream's plot was slightly different, but the background was always that same New Year's Eve night, unchanged.
Nothing particularly special happened that day; even Lu Shuo himself didn't understand why he kept thinking about that night.
He looked down at his palms. He had lived in the Duke Mansion for nearly three years. His palms were no longer rough. Because he hadn't done heavy labor for so long, the calluses from childhood had diminished considerably. Instead, new thin calluses had formed where he held his writing brush.
He got out of bed and called for Tianqing.
As Tianqing arranged the toiletries, he said, "Young Master, word came from the front courtyard just now. Sir Jiang's illness hasn't improved yet, so there will be no classes today."
Lu Shuo said, "I understand."
Over the past half year or so, perhaps due to his age, Sir Jiang had become more prone to illness. Although not serious, he always had a headache or a cold during season changes, requiring two or three days off from teaching.
Tianqing added, "The front courtyard also said that after breakfast, you should go to Madam's place. Madam has something to discuss."
Lu Shuo paused while washing his face, then said, "I understand."
After washing up, he began to change clothes.
The mirror reflected the boy's slim, upright figure. He was now fifteen and had grown rapidly in the last few years, almost as tall as Helan Chang and Helan Rong.