Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 88

Mrs. Wen was amused by her serious look, and said, “What are you thinking? It’s New Year soon. I am just letting you go home early for the New Year’s break, and then you can come back after the fifth day of the new year. I would naturally pay this month’s wages to you first.”

“New Year’s break? Isn’t it busy at the beginning of the year? When the time comes, you will entertain guests…”

“I don’t have any guests!” The old man pouted, “I’m so old, who can be higher in the clan than me? Why do you worry, little girl? If I want you to take a break, just take a break.”

Seeing that the old man had made a decision, Gu Yin said, “I will take the money for the month, but I really can’t receive the money for this New Year.”

The old man didn’t force her, just put the five taels of silver in his left hand and put it in a red paper seal, “Since on the Chinese New Year you will not be with me, I’m giving you the New Year’s money in advance. You, don’t you want to accept the New Year’s money given by the elders?”

Gu Yin was mulling a refusal, but the old man didn’t give her that chance at all. He shoved the money into her hand, took out two books, wrapped them in paper, and asked Gu Yin to help give them to the Xu family.

Gu Yin was driven to the outside of the study room, and the voice of the old man came from inside, “Don’t save all the New Year’s money, get something delicious, and take care of yourself. If I see you are still thin and small, and wearing that big black robe again, I’m going to scold you!”

Gu Yin couldn’t help laughing. She first thanked the old man and wished him in advance, and then went back to the kitchen to get her robe.

Chef Xu was boasting about stuffing sausages. When he saw Gu Yin coming back, his men kept going, so he asked, “Are you going back today?”

Gu Yin explained that the old man had asked her to leave early.

Chef Mrs. Xu’s two little apprentices were so envious that their eyes were flushed red – they all knew that New Year’s and festivals were the busiest time for cooks, and being able to rest at this time was the ultimate dream of every cook.

“Go!” Chef Xu drove the two little apprentices aside as if chasing flies, “Do you have the ability? Look not at thieves eating meat, but look at them suffering punishment (No gain without pain)!” After speaking, he said embarrassedly, “I’m a rude person and don’t know how to speak with elegance, little master, don’t care about it. Anyway, what I mean is that you have worked hard these days, and I have eaten so much food that I have never heard of or seen before, so you deserve a break.”

Gu Yin shook her head with a smile, said goodbye to Chef Xu and left Wen’s house.

On the street, the usually lively town became more crowded.

There were stores and stalls selling all kinds of New Year’s goods on the street.

Gu Yin put the 10 taels aside, carried the 5 taels of New Year’s money in her hand, and joined the army of buying New Year’s goods.

She went to the ready-to-wear store first and bought a new set of clothes for everyone in the family. Although Mrs. Wang made new clothes for everyone in the winter, they were all gray and stain-resistant, and they didn’t look very beautiful, especially the child’s one which was made of rags. She had heard Wu’an say the day before that when the two of them went out to play, other children in Jinyi Alley joked that the child was dressed like a beggar.

He didn’t understand anything, and played with them. Wu’an was angry when he came back, so he secretly told Gu Yin.

The four decent ready-to-wear clothes cost almost two taels, and Gu Yin bought some dried fruit snacks that the family was reluctant to eat, some meat, and spent another couple of taels.

With one or two left, she thought for a while and went to the jewelry store.

She still remembered that when she first transmigrated, Mrs. Wang had a small silver hairpin on her head, and her name was vaguely engraved on it. It was just that Gu Yin’s day by day medicine cost a lot, and she didn’t know when the hairpin on her head was gone and replaced with the wooden hairpin.

At dusk, Gu Yin returned to Jinyi Alley with large and small bags.

Mrs. Wang and the two children in a row were waiting at the entrance of the alley.

Seeing Gu Yin, they went up to greet her.

“I was still wondering why you are so late today, did you go shopping?” Mrs. Wang took the things in her hand and left nothing for her, “You gave me the key to the money cabinet before, didn’t you? Where did you get the money?”

Gu Yin squatted down and untied the rope on the hands of the two children, holding one in each hand, and followed Mrs. Wang’s footsteps.

“It was the old man who let me rest for the year, and gave me the monthly wage and some silver taels for the New Year, so I went to buy new clothes and food.”

When she got home, Mrs. Wang saw everything.

Seeing the four clothes, she frowned and said, “You can just buy it for yourself… You can also buy for the two children, but why did you buy clothes for me?”

Gu Yin chose green clothes for herself and Mrs. Wang, but hers was lighter in color.

“Your clothes are all gray. This is for the New Year. Let’s wear bright clothes.”

Mrs. Wang said, “Hey, I don’t like this color. Where did you buy it? Should I change it?”

Gu Yin reported the address of the ready-to-wear shop, and then let the two little guys try on the new clothes.

Xiao Wu’an was given a lake-blue cotton jacket and cotton trousers.

Not only were the colors bright, but they were also well-cut.

It was a little bigger, but it was still a lot more suitable than the one his mother made that could be worn for three years.

His skin was naturally dark, but he looked a lot more energetic.

Wu’an changed it immediately after trying it on, and folded it up squarely, saying that he would wear it during the Chinese New Year.

It was the child’s turn. His jacket and trousers were a bit smaller than Wu’an’s. Gu Yin originally wanted the two children to wear the same color and the same style, but after thinking about it, she bought him an indigo one- the child was so smart, he could climb trees, and drill dog holes. There was nothing he couldn’t do.