Chapter 42: 041 Winter Solstice Greater Than the New Year

The winter solstice was a major festival, and generally everyone got three days off.

Pang Chunlai brought out some silver and cash, sending Zhao Han and the others into town to buy groceries, planning for master and disciples to celebrate the holiday together. He also invited Xu Ying's whole family over, saying they were there to help with the cooking — really it was just another way of quietly helping them out.

Arriving at Hekou Town, not far from the Three Worthies Arch, there now stood, stark and conspicuous, a newly erected Chaste Maiden Arch.

"Aren't they in a bit too much of a rush?" Fei Ruhe grumbled.

Zhao Han muttered, "They can't afford not to rush. The Fei clan's reputation depends on this to salvage it."

Compared with the towering, ornate Three Worthies Arch, the chaste maiden memorial arch was downright shoddy workmanship. The characters had been carved, but the stone's rough edges hadn't even been trimmed before it was hastily erected by the riverbank.

The remaining details were left to the stonemasons, who had set up scaffolding and were slowly finishing it chisel-stroke by chisel-stroke — they might keep polishing away at it for another year or two.

The formalities hadn't been completed either.

The county yamen had already submitted the request for an honorific banner, but the memorial reporting it had yet to reach the capital; at the earliest, court approval would come late next spring.

The whole thing was like child's play, but the local authorities couldn't be bothered to pursue the matter.

A few decades earlier, chastity arches had still been subject to strict review, but by now the trend was already spiraling out of control. Of the thirty-six thousand chastity arches across the Great Ming, half were erected in the late Ming period — as long as you had the money to apply and build one, they'd approve it.

By the Qing dynasty it grew even more rampant: chaste and martyred women numbered in the millions, and over two hundred ninety-six years, the average county had more than three thousand such "exemplary women"!

It was more a form of rivalry between clans, and also a way for local officials to demonstrate their achievements in office.

Take Huizhou alone as an example — the numbers of its chaste and martyred women: two in the Tang dynasty, five in the Song, twenty-one in the Yuan, seven hundred ten in the Ming, and seven thousand ninety-eight in the Qing.

This data, surging forward at breakneck speed, began in the late Ming and flourished under the Great Qing — a glimpse into the grotesque development of ritual orthodoxy.

Fei Ruhe said in a low voice, "That business — it won't be exposed, will it? Fei Yuanjian is hanging around us every day. Does he suspect something? Just looking at him now makes me feel guilty."

"Yeah, I'm scared too," Fei Chun chimed in.

Zhao Han laughed and asked, "What are you two talking about? I've done nothing to feel guilty over, so I honestly can't make head or tail of it."

Fei Ruhe froze for a moment, then nodded rapidly: "Right, right, right — can't make head or tail of it. I've never done anything either."

"Young master, I'm still scared," Fei Chun agonized.

Fei Ruhe immediately snapped, "You didn't do anything bad, so what the hell are you scared of?"

Fei Chun promptly shut his mouth.

Xu Ying asked curiously, "What are you all talking about?"

"Nothing," Zhao Han said with a smile, explaining, "They were peeping at a young widow bathing and nearly got caught in the act."

"I did not! Don't talk nonsense!" Fei Ruhe flatly denied it.

Zhao Han laughed, "Exactly — if you don't admit it, then it never happened."

Fei Ruhe cried out in protest, "I really didn't peep at any young widow bathing!"

……

Sometime around the Chenghua and Hongzhi reigns, the economy began to develop on a large scale, and common folk, too, grew keen on celebrating festivals. Three days before the winter solstice, shops would close their doors one after another, and people bustled about exchanging visits and greetings, as lively as the New Year.

But Hekou Town could not close down — it was a thoroughfare linking eight provinces, a thriving hub of commerce and transport.

Once in town, Zhao Han noticed that even the peddlers and porters were all wearing new clothes, or at the very least had changed into clean, decent garments.

Many porters were carrying loads on shoulder poles, delivering them to cargo boats or inns.

These loads were all packed with gifts, commonly called "winter solstice trays." Humble households could simply carry a food box — the gesture itself was what mattered. Great and powerful clans, however, had to use shoulder-pole loads to deliver their gifts; anything too shabby would mean a loss of face.

There were always some merchants from out of town who could not return home for the solstice, and between business partners, proper courtesy had to be observed.

So the town's restaurants specialized in "winter solstice tray gift packages," offered in different price tiers, and they even provided home delivery.

Walking along the riverbank, Zhao Han saw a porter carrying his load aboard a boat.

The assistant manager, dressed in silk, cupped his hands toward the merchant on the boat and said, "On behalf of Changlong Firm, I have come to pay winter respects. We wish your esteemed master ever-expanding wealth, and also wish Brother Liu great fortune and prosperity."

"Manager Fei is most thoughtful. A small token — hardly worthy of mention," the merchant replied, immediately presenting gifts in return.

Even the porters carrying the loads each received a gratuity.

Passing through the docks and into the town streets, Zhao Han had to admit that Jiangnan, on the whole, was still very prosperous.

A deformed kind of prosperity.

Many of the common folk coming and going were either landless unregistered households or household slaves of the great clans, and their lives were not bad at all. At least, they looked fine on the surface — getting them to rise up in revolt was out of the question.

Unless there were successive years of great disaster, and the court raised taxes even higher!

Prices had gone up a bit; the money Pang Chunlai had given wasn't enough, so Zhao Han and Fei Ruhe made up the difference out of their own pockets. They bought several jin of glutinous rice flour, one jin of pork, two carp, a big rooster, and some dried fruit and vegetables, then headed back to Pearl-Embracing Mountain in high spirits.

Fei Ruhe was especially excited — he had never bought groceries himself before, and everything he saw at the market felt novel.

On the way back, they also encountered some farming households paying winter visits.

No matter how poor these farmers were, they still had to wear their best clothes and carry a "winter solstice tray" to visit relatives and friends.

It was entirely possible that inside their boxes was nothing more than a bowl of coarse rice.

"Young master, that's our family's sedan chair!" Fei Chun suddenly pointed into the distance.

"It really is!" Fei Ruhe immediately grabbed the big rooster and ran after it.

Fei Yinghuan's wife, née Lou, was at that moment riding in a litter sedan, heading straight for Pearl-Embracing Academy.

The procession was long; there were two more litter sedans, carrying Fei Yinghuan's daughters.

There were also more than ten porters, carrying loads on shoulder poles all the way — all gifts for teachers and fellow students.

"Mother! Mother, wait for me!" Fei Ruhe ran joyfully.

Madam Lou hadn't heard him yet, but the little girl on the litter sedan cried out, "It's big brother! Big brother is behind us!"

Madam Lou hurriedly called for the sedan to stop, gazing happily at her son.

Fei Yinghuan had two daughters. The elder was named Fei Rulan, thirteen this year, already betrothed. The younger was named Fei Rumei, seven this year, and right beside her at this moment stood Zhao Zhenfang.

There had been two more children before them — one miscarriage, one died in infancy.

Zhao Zhenfang stood beside the Second Young Miss, dressed in brand-new clothes, gazing at her second brother from afar and grinning foolishly.

"Mother, Elder Sister, Little Sister, what brings you here?" Fei Ruhe asked.

Madam Lou gently stroked the top of her son's head and smiled. "Your father sent word that he won't be returning for the winter solstice this year — he needs to shut himself away at the academy to study. He also said you've made progress and have been studying hard lately. He'll bring you home together after the New Year. I couldn't set my mind at ease, so I brought your sisters along to see you."

"Then will Mother spend the festival at the academy too?" Fei Ruhe asked.

Madam Lou said with a smile, "We'll head back this afternoon. Tomorrow the household has to celebrate the solstice as well."

Fei Chun, whose hands were carrying the most things, finally caught up together with Zhao Han.

Fei Chun said glibly, "Chun'er pays winter respects to Mother, pays winter respects to Sister Lan, pays winter respects to Sister Mei!"

Zhao Han merely set down the pork he was carrying, bowed with clasped hands, and said, "I pay my respects to the Young Madam, to the First Young Lady, to the Second Young Lady."

Xu Ying hurriedly followed suit and bowed. "I pay winter respects to the Madam, and winter respects to the two Young Ladies!"

Madam Lou was thoroughly delighted and said approvingly, "All of you are good children."

Yingchun immediately came over to hand out money — not a reward, but winter solstice festival money.

Xu Ying was about to decline, but Zhao Han secretly kicked him. After accepting the money, he bowed again in thanks.

The party continued on its way.

Zhao Han walked over beside Zhao Zhenfang and said quietly, "Little Sister, have you been well these days?"

Zhao Zhenfang said happily, "Very well indeed! The Madam, the Young Lady, and all the grannies and older sisters in the inner courtyard — every one of them treats me wonderfully."

Zhao Zhenfang was now the Second Young Lady's playmate. As long as the inner-court maids weren't fools, they absolutely dared not mistreat her in any way.

Zhao Han asked again, "How many teeth have you lost?"

"After Second Brother left, I only lost one." Zhao Zhenfang bared her gap-toothed mouth.

"I'm losing teeth too."

The Second Young Lady, Fei Rumei, suddenly spoke up, and even deliberately opened her mouth wide for Zhao Han to see clearly.

Zhao Han offered casual flattery: "The Second Young Lady's teeth are coming in beautifully — even and white."

Fei Rumei studied Zhao Han curiously. "So you're Chunfang's brother? Chunfang tells stories all the time, says you were amazing in Tianjin, even beat up and chased off a whole bunch of bad men."

"Second Brother, I'm called Chunfang now." Zhao Zhenfang was a little uneasy, afraid she'd be scolded for the name change.

Chunfang?

What a vulgar name.

But it didn't really matter — she could just change it back to her original name when she grew up.

Zhao Han smiled. "Chunfang sounds quite nice."

"Hey, Chunfang's brother," Fei Rumei spoke up again, "you're just a kid too — aren't you scared of grown-ups? How did you have the nerve to chase bad people away?"

Zhao Han answered, "Bad people were bullying my little sister. Of course I had to chase them off."

"Then you're really good," Fei Rumei said, pouting. "My brother isn't good at all. All he knows is playing tricks on me. Last time he came home he even scared me with a caterpillar."

Zhao Han said, "I'll beat him up for you."

"Really?" Fei Rumei's eyes went wide. "But you're his study attendant — how can a study attendant beat up the young master?"

Zhao Han said, "If he dares bully you, I'll definitely beat him up."

Fei Rumei clapped her hands in delight. "Then it's settled — no lying."

"No lying," Zhao Han said.

Zhao Zhenfang said proudly, "My second brother is really formidable."

Fei Rumei, seated on her sedan chair, stretched out her arm. "Just saying it doesn't count. Let's pinky-swear."

Humoring a little kid — easy as anything.

Once the pinky-swear was done, Fei Rumei suddenly shouted, "Brother, you're not allowed to bully me anymore, or else your study attendant will beat you up!"

Zhao Han was speechless and pretended he hadn't heard.

Everyone, including Madam Lou, turned to look at the sound.

Fei Ruhe raised his fist and said, "He can't beat me — all he knows is running away."

Fei Rumei said, "Chunfang's brother is really formidable. He chased off a whole bunch of bad men in Tianjin!"

"I can beat up bad men too!" Fei Ruhe refused to be outdone.

Zhao Han felt thoroughly helpless. He'd transmigrated into a little brat, and now he had to deal with a whole pack of little brats.

(End of chapter)