Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 529 - 528: Qingyu, Your Cousin Is So Nice

The daughters of high-born families offer immeasurable help to their husbands’ career paths. Invisible political capital, educational resources, and networks are all incomparable to those of other families.

Not to mention a newly-rich Secondary Fifth Rank Village Lady, even the Emperor’s daughter lacks the allure of a high-born family’s daughter.

Cheng Yaojin married his second wife, a thirty-seven-year-old widow from the prestigious Cui family of Qinghe. After marrying into the Cui family, Cheng Yaojin was overjoyed, not only living lovingly with her until old age but even leaving a will to be buried together upon his death.

According to customary rites, a man should be buried with his first wife, while a second wife is considered of lower status both in life and after death.

But because she was a daughter of the Cui family, the situation was different.

The joint influence of Cheng Yaojin and Ms. Cui helped their son Cheng Chubu, although he could not inherit the title as the youngest son, surpass others to achieve the highest official rank and accomplishments among his brothers.

Great Tang men liked marrying high-born daughters not only for the prestige but also for the future of their descendants.

Thus, both Xiao Ce and Dugu Di disapproved of Xiao Chong and Lin Wanwan’s marriage.

But they were fully aware of Xiao Chong’s strong-willed and unwavering personality and could only suppress their worries and wait for changes.

Fortunately, it was rumored that this Village Lady intended to remain a widow loyal to her late husband and was not planning to marry. They hoped she could maintain her original intention, resist Xiao Chong’s charms, and stay true to herself, ideally giving Xiao Chong a cold shoulder to make him give up voluntarily. Everyone would be happy with that.

Putting aside Xiao Ce’s concerns, let’s talk about the festive atmosphere at the Lin Family Manor on New Year’s day.

The Great Tang’s New Year was a hundred times more intense than in later generations, starting with the drive-away rituals on New Year’s Eve and the lively festivities.

As the saying goes, "Every courtyard is ablaze like daylight; sitting by agarwood fires, playing flutes." Whether you can sing these lines or not doesn’t matter; the key is participation, as joining in the excitement is an essential ritual.

And after New Year’s Eve comes New Year’s Day, every household loves to erect a tall pole hung with long strips of paper or cloth in their yard (this tradition was later adopted by Japan, and their ghostly white carp floats during New Year originated from the Great Tang).

Those with means would prepare Tusu Wine and Pepper Wine, along with a Five Spices Plate containing garlic, shallots, leeks, cabbage, and coriander, serving malt candy and gelatin sweets.

In the Central Plains and northern regions, dumplings may be found, while in Jiangnan it was more common to see rice balls. Recipes were prepared, and doors opened to welcome guests.

Huaxia people have always valued social interactions, and Tang people naturally visited friends and relatives during New Year.

Feasting and greeting started from the first day of the New Year and continued without ceasing, especially in large cities and towns, where every household hosted banquets—not just for friends and family, but neighbors were also welcome to exchange New Year’s greetings, with the tradition of "passing the seats" ensuing.

Of course, this "passing the seats" did not apply in remote and impoverished areas where economic conditions were nonexistent. Many households struggled to fill their bellies, let alone had spare money to buy wine and host feasts.

Yet this year at Lin Family Manor was different. Every household had surplus grain, and spare money.

So today, everyone gathered to drink the clan wine and welcomingly celebrate the New Year, letting the ancestors hear their voices and share in joy.

After breakfast, Lin Wanwan and others either played chess, read, or practiced martial arts, keeping themselves busy.

As for Lin Wanwan, she sat upright in the main hall, awaiting the Manor Guests and servants to come and pay respects, while giving them gifts for the festival.

Besides these, the children from the clan came to Lin Wanwan’s house in groups of three or five to give her New Year’s greetings, dressed in splendid scholar costumes with large cloth pouches made by their mothers around their necks. They’d bow to each elder and gather snacks along the way, earning little fortunes.

Naturally, among these elders, the snacks at Lin Wanwan’s house were most enticing. In addition to snacks, Lin Wanwan prepared lucky New Year gifts for the children, several freshwater cultured pearls bought for a few dozen coins per pound.

The Great Tang did not have the tradition of giving cash as New Year’s money, but families with means would prepare gifts of gold, silver, or copper for the children.

Such gifts naturally held special value for the children of Lin Family Manor, and upon taking them home, even startled their elders.

The Clan Leader quickly heard the news and went to Lin Wanwan’s house to stop her from casually handing out money. With a hundred children, snacks and fruit were fine, but pearls were too valuable to give away so easily.

Lin Wanwan smiled and said, "Clan Leader Uncle, I gathered these from the sea throughout the year. Let the children share our good fortune during the New Year." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"I don’t believe you!"

The Clan Leader glared at Lin Wanwan. This girl spoke without hesitation, what kind of shells could produce so many perfectly round pearls?!

He had been dealing with the sea all his life and had never seen such a thing, only the pearl divers from royal procurement agencies might fish such pearls.

"Alright, keep them for little Qingyu. A copper coin for good luck is already a blessing for the clan children."

Lin Wanwan laughed, "Alright, I’ll listen to the Clan Leader Uncle."

In truth, candy snacks were more expensive than these few pearls for Lin Wanwan. But since the Clan Leader took the trouble to mention it, she naturally followed suit, instructing Hong Yan to prepare some copper coins on trays.

The Clan Leader resolutely put down the five pearls the children of their family brought home, then leisurely wandered through the clan. It was lively today, and he had to oversee it to avoid any issues.

Xiao Chong also prepared a lucky gift for little Qingyu: a set of lifelike animal figurines crafted from pure gold, including a sea eagle, elephant, pony, fox, lynx, black muntjac, kitten, chicken, duck, goose, each corresponding to her animal troupe, exquisitely detailed.

Little Qingyu opened the wooden box, saw the gifts, and found them irresistible, joyfully showing them off to her friends. Yun Shang promptly assigned extra servants to follow, instructing them to keep a close watch, ensuring little lady couldn’t drop the gold figurines.

This kind of gold should not be given for children to play with. But this privilege was just for their little lady!

The children of the clan naturally envied these figurines. Whether they were made of gold was secondary; the vivid and lifelike figurines were toys they’d never seen in their lifetime.

"Little Qingyu, your cousin is really good to you!"

"I wish I had such a cousin too."

The children expressed their sentiments, while little Qingyu proudly raised her brows. Although she felt her tall-legged cousin often competed for her mother’s attention, his gifts were amusing enough for her to decide to appreciate him for a day.