Time flies and it's already entered the twelfth lunar month. Zilu brought back Zishou and Zixi a few days earlier, just in time for Laba porridge. Every time Ziqing heard the doorbell ring, she thought to herself if it was Lin Kangping returning home, because he promised her that he would rush back for Chinese New Year. Until the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month, Zifu returned from school, where he had been discussing next year's imperial examination with his fellow students for two months. However, there was still no sign of Lin Kangping, and Ziqing felt rather disappointed.

  This year, transportation is inconvenient and communication is also inconvenient. I don't know if Lin Kangping has been doing well or safely this year. Zi Qing's heart is filled with anxiety, looking forward to his return but worried that he might have a hard time accepting the thing that happened after all, he is still an old-fashioned man at heart.

  However, Zi Qing's heart didn't have much fear. After all, she was a modern person, and she could feel Lin Kangping's sincerity. She just hoped that this matter would be settled as soon as possible, hoping that the stone would fall quickly, not liking the feeling of being suspended in mid-air. Mainly because Zi Qing didn't want to face her parents' worried and guilty eyes every day. At first, Shen Shi and He Shi were still worried that Zi Qing wouldn't be able to bear the humiliation, so they accompanied her every day. Once Zi Qing understood their intentions, she made it clear that she would absolutely not do anything desperate, and Shen Shi later saw that she was really eating and sleeping as usual, living life as before, only then did she put down her suspended heart.

  On the first day of the new year, Ziqing helped Shen's family pluck chicken feathers. Zifeng took his younger brothers and sisters to the study room to write couplets. At this time, the doorbell rang. Seeing that they were all busy, Shen said: "It might be your father and grandparents who have returned. You go open the door."

  Ziying had just opened the door and hadn't yet made out who the visitor was when she was tightly wrapped in their arms. Just as Ziying was about to struggle free, she heard a low whisper in her ear: "Qing'er, it's me, I'm back, Qing'er, my Qing'er, I'm back."

  Ziying's tears slowly overflowed, and the grievances of these days suddenly burst out. Ziying pulled Lin Kangping's collar and choked with sobs. Lin Kangping's face was buried in Ziying's shoulder. Suddenly feeling a warm liquid, he quickly lifted his head to look at Ziying, carefully wiping away Ziying's tears from the corner of her eyes with his fingertips, smiling: "I didn't expect you to miss me so much. As soon as you see me, your tears flow like a river, and my hard work day and night hasn't been in vain."

  Who knew that the more Lin Kangping wiped away Zi Qing's tears, the more she cried. Lin Kangping laughed and said: "If you keep crying, I'll have to use my mouth to suck them up." Zi Qing suddenly felt embarrassed, quickly pushed him away, and used her handkerchief to wipe away her own tears.

  Lin Kangping held onto Zi Qing's hand and asked: "What exactly happened? What grievances did you suffer on the days I wasn't around?"

  As soon as he asked this, Zi Qing's tears came out again. Lin Kangping hurriedly hugged Zi Qing and kept saying "Don't cry, don't cry, I'm back."

  Zi Qing was worried that outsiders would see her at the door and gossip, struggling to close the door, Lin Kangping said: "There are still things outside."

  Ziying looked outside and saw another horse carriage, Lin Kangping let go of Ziying. He took out his handkerchief to help Ziying wipe away her tears and drove the carriage over. At this time, Old Master and the others also came over. Zeng Ruixiang said: "I saw a carriage parked at the entrance from afar and wondered who it could be? Zhou Zhanggui's things have all been taken away, and there's really nothing left to take. Your aunt even said that maybe it was someone delivering New Year's goods."

  "Yes, brother-in-law, isn't it just sending New Year's goods?" Lin Kangping said with a smile.

  Zeng Ruixiang listened silently, looking at Zi Qing's reddened eyes. Lin Kangping looked suspiciously at Zeng Ruixiang, then glanced at Old Master and Tian Shi. The gazes of Old Master and Tian Shi involuntarily dodged. At this time, they arrived at the inner courtyard gate. Lin Kangping suppressed his doubts and began to unload the things from the carriage. Zi Qing lifted the curtain and saw that there were half a carriage full of various pastries, dried fruits, fabrics, fur hats, six pieces of jade, and so on. Zi Fu and others heard the commotion and came out to help, moving the things directly into the study. Tian Shi stared at them with wide eyes, while Old Master took her into the hall to warm up by the fire. Shen Shi had brewed tea and brought some pastries from Beijing for them to try first.

  After dinner, Shen's family sent off the two elderly people and gave them two boxes of soft pastries to take away. The whole family sat on the woolen rug in the study, playing with the things Lin Kangping brought back from Beijing. Shen's was a pure black fox fur scarf, Zi Qing's was white, Zi Yu's was still small, so he got a white rabbit fur one. There were four pieces of satin fabric, four pieces of fine cotton fabric, and for each of the four children who studied, there was a set of pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. Zeng Rui Xiang had a jade paperweight and a jade pen holder. There were ten new-style silk flowers from Beijing, and Zi Qing also got a pair of boots made of deer skin, which was said to be both lightweight and waterproof. Zi Qing was overjoyed, as she had always thought it was inconvenient on rainy or snowy days, but fortunately, she hadn't been going out much in the past two years, otherwise, she would have been bothered to death. Now she could finally use them.

  Finally, Lin Kangping opened two large packages, which were various dried seafood, including cuttlefish, squid, sea cucumber, abalone, seaweed, and a big bundle of kelp. When Shen saw these things, she repeatedly said: "This is too extravagant! I've never seen such things before, let alone know how to eat them. Buying them would be a waste, who knows how much silver this costs? A family doesn't need to be so formal with each other, especially when you're just starting out and should be saving money. Don't do this again in the future."

  "Mother, we are all family, why must we distinguish between each other? I've already asked clearly how to do it, and they're all bought directly from the fishermen by the sea. I have another request, I'm no longer a servant of the Wen family now, and besides, most people in the Wen family have gone to Beijing, I want to stay at home with you and spend the New Year together, I know that according to reason, son-in-law cannot stay in his wife's family for the New Year, but after all, Zi Qing and I are not yet married, and I'm a person without a home, so I dare to make this request, do you think Father and Mother can agree with my request?"

  "Since that's the case, let's just stay for now and have a lively and joyful New Year's celebration as a family. In the future, if you'd like, you can come back home to celebrate before getting married. Don't be so polite, and don't say anything else; it's actually us who owe you an apology." As she spoke, Shen's eyes reddened, and Zeng Rui Xiang quickly grasped her hand, shaking his head. Lin Kangping saw this but could only pretend he hadn't noticed, his inner doubts growing heavier instead.

  "I understand, thank you, Mother. By the way, I've carefully selected these six pieces of jade, one for each of my brothers and sisters, as well as for Father and Mother-in-law. After we get married, whoever wants to keep them as jewelry or decorations can do so as they please. This green jade is already selling at a high price in the capital, and it will only become more expensive in the future. Mother, would you please take care of them for now and give them out after we get married?" Lin Kangping said.

  "That's settled then, we've already given you a big gift in advance. In the future when you get married, we won't have to give any more gifts. I said it early on, this piece of rock is worth several hundred taels of silver, and you still don't believe me." Zi Qing interjected.

  "You little scoundrel, I've spoiled you rotten." Zi Fu heard this and messed up Zi Qing's hair again.

  "And I, Bai Ge, caught so many pheasants and loaches for you, whenever you said you wanted to eat them, didn't I rush around to get them for you?" Zi Lu also said.

  "Exactly, elder sister always makes me help her do things, I've made several nanmu wood small boxes, carved and painted, but I don't know what kind of treasure elder sister wants to put in them." Zi Shou said.

  "What's the point of ganging up on me? I've spent money and still have to suffer from your bullying. Mother, you're not even managing this." Zi Qing said deliberately, pulling on Shen Shi's sleeve.

  "Is it really so expensive? Didn't Qing'er just buy it for five taels a piece?" Shen Shi asked doubtfully.

  "Mother, I call that picking up a bargain. They didn't know the thing was valuable. Now they know it's valuable, who would still sell for five taels of silver? By the way, mother, what do you plan to do?"

  "Look at you, Zi Qing, you still have two pieces that haven't been touched. Are you trying to trick me? How many loose ones do you have in your hand? Don't think you can deceive me! Tell the truth, what are you planning?"

  Zi Qing saw Shen's defensive expression, and with a flattering tone, she handed her mother a cup of water, smiling and saying: "Mother, I just want to give you some advice, don't make any more jewelry, the ones I gave you are enough. Why not carve it into a whole white radish? White radish is a symbol of wealth, isn't it? Placing it at home would be great, it's like having wealth as soon as you enter the door. Of course, if there are any leftover scraps, you can give them to me too. I'm not wasteful, I can make something out of it for you."

  "Mother, let me try! I can carve seals now," Zi Shou exclaimed excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

  "Go, wait for your own family to try it in the future, don't waste this good stuff. However, carving a seal on the edges and corners is still possible." Zifeng said.

  "You practice for another ten years, and by the time I get married, it'll be just right for me to consider letting you carve something." Zi Xi said with a pat on his third brother's shoulder.

  "It's really unfair, in five years when I get married, you have to carve a seal for me." Zirong chimed in.

  "Get lost, I can now sell my carvings for money, why wait until later? In the future, you'll have to beg me to carve. It's just that I haven't practiced with large pieces yet, mainly because I don't have the materials." Zi Shou said with a self-satisfied expression, and then turned to Lin Kangping: "Brother-in-law, next time bring some defective jade stones for me to practice carving, okay?"

  Lin Kangping was stunned by this "brother-in-law" and hastily nodded.

  "Third brother, I want a butterfly like sister's. Can you carve one for me?" Zi Yu asked in a small voice. Suddenly, Zi Shou was at a loss and could only scratch his head awkwardly, saying "Wait until third brother learns how."

  Everyone in the house burst out laughing. After they had laughed enough, Zi Lu said, "Alas, it's New Year's Day, why isn't anyone organizing a game of mahjong?"

  This suddenly reminded everyone, except for Zi Yu, who all wanted to get on the table. Zeng Rui Xiang said: "Children should not play, you can't even recognize mahjong tiles, wait until you learn to recognize characters in the future, and then we'll talk about it, you several from big to small."

  The child in the rain said: "Then I will never be able to play."

  Shen said with a smile: "Let's take turns drawing lots."

  After playing a few rounds of mahjong, Ziqing was too busy to chat with Lin Kangping privately. She tidied up the west wing, let Lin Kangping wash up, and they each retired for the night.