That night, Lu Shuo learned how to set off fireworks.
Actually, setting off fireworks wasn't hard at all—as long as you dodged in time, there was no danger.
He successfully lit the first firework of his life. As the sparks blossomed in the sky, he saw Helan Pei looking up and laughing, her hands pressed against her chest, clapping gently.
He set off two in total, because he could tell Helan Chang and Helan Rong wanted to set off more, so he didn't compete with them.
But he was already satisfied.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of saltpeter. Everyone covered their noses and fanned their sleeves, but their exposed eyes were all curved with smiles.
The new year was about to arrive, and everyone was happy.
Once the fireworks were finished, the night returned to stillness. The family moved to the warm pavilion to stay up on New Year's Eve. Servants brought hot tea, dried fruits, and pastries, then withdrew.
Under the glow of the lanterns, they ate and chatted, feeling once again like an ordinary family sharing idle talk.
Though paper and brush were set aside, Helan Pei was too lazy to write, so she only listened and didn't join the conversation.
Helan Zong said, "The Empress Dowager is fifty this year. In principle, there should be a palace banquet for the New Year, but there isn't one this year."
Zhang Yizhu: "Oh? That means the relationship between His Majesty and the Empress Dowager is getting worse."
Helan Zong: "Not surprising. Even blood mother and son can turn against each other, let alone His Majesty being only an adopted son..." He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering there was an adopted son of his own in the room, and awkwardly changed the subject. "The Song Duke Mansion probably won't have a good New Year this time."
"What do you mean?" Helan Rong immediately grew excited. "Has their retribution finally arrived?"
Helan Pei, who was shelling dried fruits, paused and looked up.
Helan Zong: "The Minister of Works will retire next year. Vice Minister Wu was originally supposed to succeed him, but judging by how His Majesty has been picking on Wu lately, it seems he intends to let another vice minister take over. Moreover, a few days ago, an imperial censor impeached one of the Song Duke's cousins for bullying others—forcibly evicting legitimate small merchants from their rented shops to let his own people run businesses in prime locations. His Majesty has already ordered an investigation."
Helan Rong said disappointedly, "That doesn't sound like a major case."
Helan Chang sneered, "This is the capital. The Song Duke Mansion isn't crazy enough to commit a major crime. But small cases add up, and they'll be in trouble soon enough."
Helan Zong nodded: "Exactly. His Majesty doesn't have any deep grudge against the Song Duke Mansion. He's just warning them because they're too close to the Empress Dowager."
Helan Rong: "True. He who sows injustice will reap destruction. It's just a matter of sooner or later."
Helan Zong turned to Helan Zhen: "Has the Ministry of Personnel decided where you'll go for your practical training after New Year?"
"Not yet," Helan Zhen said. "Father doesn't want me to go to the Ministry of Works?"
"Exactly. Wu is still vice minister there, no need to ask for trouble." Helan Zong said, "I'll talk to some people after New Year to keep you out of the Ministry of Works. What do you think of the Ministry of War? I know more people there."
Helan Zhen: "Either is fine. Father has many connections, which makes things convenient, but there's no need to give me special treatment—that would defeat the purpose of practical training."
Helan Zong laughed: "Of course. Young people need to rush and charge. Your father is still busy, so how could I let you go enjoy yourself?"
Lu Shuo was holding a cup of hot tea, listening quietly, when suddenly a pinkish fist extended from across the table. The fist opened, and a handful of shelled nuts clattered down in front of him.
Lu Shuo looked up in surprise at Helan Pei, who was sitting opposite him.
She had been listening while shelling nuts. Beside her hand had accumulated two small piles—one of shells, one of kernels.
Seeing him look over, she smiled at him, withdrew her hand, and popped a kernel into her own mouth.
"Thank you, Miss," Lu Shuo said quickly.
Helan Chang propped his cheek on his hand and tilted his head to look at Lu Shuo. "Lu Shuo, there's something I've wanted to say for a while."
Lu Shuo: "What?"
"We're all so familiar now. Can you stop calling us 'Young Master' and 'Miss' all the time? It makes us feel distant."
Lu Shuo: "..."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Helan Rong chimed in. He rudely grabbed a handful of kernels from beside Helan Pei and tossed them into his mouth, chewing as he spoke. "Why don't we just call each other by name? Or you could call me Third Brother."
Lu Shuo: "This... this probably isn't appropriate..."
Helan Chang snorted: "He's different from me. He just wants to be someone's older brother."
Helan Pei bit her lips, stifling a laugh.
Since she couldn't call him "brother" now, no one could satisfy Helan Rong's desire to be an elder brother.
Hearing her laugh, Lu Shuo glanced at her, somewhat embarrassed.
If he started calling the Helan brothers by brotherly terms, wouldn't he then have to call her "little sister"?
He didn't have that kind of nerve.
A little sister was supposed to be cherished and cared for. But what kind of person was he? Although he was an adopted son of the Duke Mansion, he had made no contributions. How could he bear such responsibility? And how thick would his face have to be to consider himself her brother?
"I... I'm used to it... There's no need to change," Lu Shuo said quietly. "It's not that I'm being distant; I've just gotten into the habit..."
At this, Zhang Yizhu said, "It's just a form of address. We're all of one heart—what does it matter what we call each other?"
On this matter, Zhang Yizhu and Helan Zong had already discussed it privately.
Helan Zong had taken Lu Shuo as his adopted son. Although he hadn't explicitly asked Lu Shuo to change how he addressed them, he had hinted that Lu Shuo could regard him and Zhang Yizhu as parents.
But Lu Shuo either didn't understand or pretended not to—he still called them "my lord" and "madam."
The boy had his own parents, even if they had passed away, so Helan Zong and Zhang Yizhu didn't force the issue. Since he didn't regard them as parents, naturally he wouldn't regard their sons as brothers. Over the past half year, he had been consistently proper and well-behaved, with nothing to criticize.
In a way, Lu Shuo was a very stubborn person. He had a clear sense of his own position and wouldn't change it easily.