During dinner, Bailee helped speak up for Lorrie a few times and praised him a lot. Haven also added in now and then, saying their younger brother had done well today, stayed committed, and didn't give up halfway. He ended his sentence with a deeper meaning.
Bailee knew his younger brother could be a bit difficult sometimes, and that past incident had been some time ago. Julie hadn't gone into Lorrie's room since then. Even though Lorrie never said anything out loud, he probably still felt a little sad about it.
Lorrie knew he was wrong before, and now he felt a bit embarrassed. But since Julie hadn't acted upset, he didn't feel as nervous. His two older brothers were family, so he didn't feel like he needed to compete for affection.
Things just stayed awkward like that.
Bailee hoped Julie would visit his younger brother's room sometimes. As the eldest, he cared about his brother and wanted to help him. As Julie's husband, he also felt bitter and sad about the situation. No man could watch his wife go into another man's room and feel nothing—unless he didn't love her at all.
But Bailee did love her. It wasn't a possessive kind of love. It was more like, "If you turn around, I'll be right behind you. If you need me, I'll give you warmth and lasting love." Sometimes, sleeping alone, he felt cold feet and missed her embrace. But he would smile in his sleep, knowing she'd be with him in just a few days.
Julie had always treated him well, and he appreciated it. He was happy—this was enough for him. With her, his brothers, and maybe one or two children, that would be a complete life.
Julie glanced at Lorrie's hands. They were a bit red but not badly hurt. She was about to say something but stopped when she saw Lorrie quietly eating with his head down—not sure if it was because the food was too good or because he was too shy to look up.
Julie paused for two seconds, then said nothing and walked away.
On New Year's Eve, the three brothers each got busy preparing food for the New Year's dinner.
By noon, Julie had put up the Spring Festival couplets she'd written herself.
Around 5 p.m., they sat down for dinner. Mr. Leng joined them too, as suggested by Bailee. Normally, it was fine for Mr. Leng to eat in the kitchen, but on New Year's Eve, it felt right to eat together, so he wouldn't be alone.
Julie didn't object and quietly agreed.
At home, Julie usually let Bailee manage everything. He handled it all with care, keeping the household in good order. Aside from being a little stingy—or rather, thrifty—he was great.
The New Year's dinner was especially rich.
The table was filled with dishes: meatballs, sweet and sour ribs, braised pork with radish slices, stir-fried venison, stir-fried chrysanthemum greens, smashed cucumbers, braised chicken with chestnuts, and yam bone soup.
The chicken came from their own coop. The chicks they bought earlier had grown and started laying eggs. Naturally, they thought about cooking an older hen.
Lorrie collected the eggs every morning. He knew which hens laid eggs regularly and which didn't. Of course, he had some in mind.
Mr. Leng didn't want to join the table at first, thinking it wasn't proper, but Lorrie dragged him over and made him sit beside him. After that, Mr. Leng stayed quiet like a background prop.
Because the younger husband had shocked him so much during the "hair incident," Mr. Leng felt nervous every time he saw him.
Julie was always quiet. Before the meal, she simply said, "Happy New Year."
Then she silently pulled four coin pouches from her robe and handed one to each of them. Each pouch held 100 coins—not much, but it carried good wishes.
It was a New Year's red envelope, meant to bless them with a smooth and lucky new year.
Bailee and Haven often sat in the main hall. When they weren't busy, they embroidered. Especially before the new year, they made many pouches for Julie. She stored them in a cabinet, so she had plenty.
At first, she didn't understand why they kept making her pouches when she already had enough.
This New Year, she finally realized—they weren't too many after all.
None of the four—Mr. Leng included—expected Julie to give them money.
Different dynasties had different names for it, but the meaning was the same.
It couldn't be refused. It represented good fortune and blessings. Rejecting it would mean pushing away luck, which was considered unlucky.
Julie didn't say much more and told them to keep their gifts safely.
Then she was the first to pick up her chopsticks and took a meatball. The men quickly followed and dug in happily.
This meal lasted for almost an hour.
After everyone was full, the men started cleaning up—some took the dishes to the kitchen, some washed them, some wiped the table, and some swept the floor. Each had their task and got busy.
After 9 PM, firecrackers and the sounds of kids laughing and playing could be heard from all over the village.
Before midnight, Julie lit her own firecrackers at the door. She had bought them ahead of time from a fireworks shop. After lighting them with a fire starter, she quickly went back inside and closed the door.
As soon as the door shut, the loud crackling of firecrackers rang out.
The men all gathered around and covered their ears, but their faces were full of joy and excitement. Even Mr. Leng, who was usually calm and cold, couldn't resist the cheerful atmosphere.
The firecrackers lasted for about seven minutes.
When things outside quieted down again, Julie grabbed a broom and dustpan and went outside to clean up.
Since it was freezing, she didn't ask the men to help. She quickly cleaned the doorway herself and then went back inside.
In her heart, she thought about how her first year here had passed just like that.
New Year's Eve was a time to stay up late together. The men sat around eating roasted sunflower seeds, peanuts, and preserved fruits that their wife had bought from town. There was also tea prepared for them.
With snacks and a light atmosphere, time passed quickly.
Julie saw that they weren't bored, so she went back to her room and started meditating.
At around 3 AM, Julie came out for a quick break and saw the men still sitting in the main room, resting their heads on the table, looking sleepy.
She checked the time—it wasn't morning yet, but it was close. She told them to go rest, that staying up wasn't necessary. Health came first.
She put out the fire in the stove and returned to her room.
She stayed awake until sunrise, then went to sleep.
She slept deeply and skipped lunch.
Bailee, Haven, and Lorrie woke up around 1 PM.
Without waking their wife, they quietly began preparing dumplings and wontons.
Dumplings weren't very common in their area, but Bailee remembered Julie mentioning them once, so he kept it in mind.
They made two types of dumpling fillings—shepherd's purse with pork, and bok choy with pork. The wontons were filled with just pork.
Working together, the three of them finished quickly.
In about an hour, they wrapped over 400 dumplings, shaped like silver ingots and crescent moons. They also wrapped about 200 wontons, each plump and slightly smaller than regular ones.
After 5 PM, Haven knocked on Julie's door to tell her dinner was ready.
Julie had slept well. When she came out and saw the dumplings, she wasn't surprised.
Changing things up was normal, and eating dumplings for the New Year was a good tradition.
Not every family could afford dumplings often. For many common folks, even eating them once or twice a year was lucky, since dumplings required white flour and meat.
Maybe because she skipped lunch, everyone ate a lot.
Julie had nearly fifty dumplings. Bailee and Haven ate thirty-eight each. Lorrie had forty. They left almost forty for Mr. Leng, who finished them all.
On the second day of the new year, snow started falling again. But the villagers had cleared their roofs on time, so no houses collapsed or caused any injuries.
Julie thought to herself that this group of villagers was pretty responsible—easy to manage.
The next couple of days were spent eating and relaxing at home. Julie didn't go anywhere.
Not having relatives had its perks—no need to visit anyone. But it could feel a little lonely too. It depended on the person. Some liked the noise and gatherings, others felt more tired from socializing than working.
During this time, a few villagers came by and gave small gifts—some eggs or homemade snacks. They weren't fancy, but they were thoughtful.
No matter what Julie thought inside, she accepted everything and asked Bailee to prepare return gifts that were slightly more generous.
Her attitude toward the villagers was always to live peacefully and simply.
If someone crossed the line, she wouldn't hold back.
Over these few days, she stayed in her own room every night.
On the fifth day of the new year,
Bailee didn't seem different at first, but if you looked closely, you'd notice he was wearing his white robe embroidered with flowers. On his head was the jade hairpin Julie had given him before. He didn't use rouge, but he had drawn on his eyebrows, adding a cool and graceful touch to his appearance.
Julie noticed the difference right away. Her eyes briefly showed a flash of amazement, but quickly returned to normal.
Bailee looked especially good in white. His entire aura seemed both ethereal and alluring.
Julie sat down to eat as usual. After the meal, instead of leaving right away, she took out a jade bracelet from her sleeve and handed it to him. "Happy birthday."
Then she added, "You look beautiful today. This outfit suits you well. Next time we go out, I'll buy you more of this style. It really fits you."