45. Double Happiness?
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Yueyan Mountain...
The days breezed by, and the New Year came around.
Luoyin could never be accused of being an irresponsible son-in-law, so he sent over New Year gifts for Lord Xu and Xu Weiyan!
Meanwhile, Yinying spent most of his time with the cub, which had become so active that Yinying often had to chase him round the entire Xu mansion!
Luoyin had officially introduced Yinying to Lord Xu as 'a granduncle with more knowledge', so Yinying's visits had become a norm.
But for Luoyin himself, the festive season held no joy, and he strolled about the household, sighing here and there, or simply staring into his yard's frozen pond...
The day before New Year, Yinying insisted on spending the eve with Luoyin, but Luoyin firmly shook his head.
"Did you forget this will be the Little One's first New Year?!" He tossed an urn over. "Here! Take this with the little one! He should like it!"
Yinying sniffed. "Xiaobai! This is-!"
"Hmm, hmm!" Luoyin nodded. "Red Winter Pill!"
During winter, most divine beasts hibernated, but the tamed divine beasts didn't have that luxury, and they simply lost their sense of smell and taste during the season.
This was depressing, as both mortals and immortals celebrated, but the beasts wouldn't be able to smell or taste anything, and though Yinying didn't say anything, Luoyin knew the cub had already lost his sense of smell and taste, which would be worsened by the festive air around him...
Long ago, one particularly festive winter, 'Bailong' had invented the 'Red Winter Pill' to cheer Yinying up- a pill which reawakened those senses for a few days!
"Take as many snacks as you can!" Luoyin was saying at present. "Let his first New Year be an explosive one!"
An excited Yinying thanked Luoyin and then turned invisible, hurrying off to the Xu Residence.
After that, Luoyin handed fat red envelopes to Meng Qiu and the other servants, ordering them to return and celebrate their families!
Then he withdrew to his garden pagoda in the biting snow, with several urns of wine, a pipa, and an empty chess board as his only companions.
It was how he had spent almost every New Year for the past thirty thousand years...
Alone, with the memories of a love, whose face he couldn't recall.
Several empty urns later, night had fallen.
The sky was brightened by countless fireworks, as people welcomed the New Year, and numerous Greetings filled the air.
Luoyin simply sighed and held out a hand, catching some drifting snow. 'Yan Liwei, how could you leave me behind?'
He glanced at the chessboard. 'Didn't you promise to master chess and defeat me?!'
The only reply was the wind.
"Happy New Year, 2nd Disciple Zhang."
The voice cut into Luoyin's solitude, and he turned to see Xu Weiyan standing there.
'Ei? Is it a mirage?' Luoyin wondered, but as he watched, Weiyan walked over and began unpacking a stepped lunchbox, laying down a central dish of fish and dumplings for good luck and prosperity.
This was followed by a dish of rice, a few sides, and two more urns of wine. She placed an empty bowl before him, setting down a pair of chopsticks atop it.
And then she simply sat across from him and began to eat.
Thankful for the dim lighting, Luoyin watched Xu Weiyan in awe, more surprised at himself than her...
For thirty thousand years, no one had dared approach him on the New Year, except perhaps for Yinying who had been sleeping in his inner realm...
So why was he simply watching Xu Weiyan serve food and eat?
But as his eyes strayed to her shoulders, on which rested an elegant white fur cloak, a flood at warmth settled in his cheeks.
It was the New Year gift he had personally sent over for her.
He had spotted the immaculate snowy cloak in the market, and instantly thought of her, though he never really believed she would wear it.
But here she was, the cloak making her resemble the beautiful likeness of freshly fallen snow...
He sighed in resignation, reaching for his bowl and chopsticks.
"What are you doing here?" He grimaced at the fish, but reached for a dumpling and some spiced vegetables. "Shouldn't you spend this festive time with the Xu family?"
"I was tired of the noise." Weiyan simply replied, pouring them both a cup of wine.
"Tch!" Luoyin lifted his cup. "Well, Happy New Year to you!"
Weiyan lifted hers, the hint of a rare smile on her lips. "Happy New Year to you."
And then she mentally added, 'I wish you the blessings of the New Year, Zhang Luoyin!'
...
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It wasn't long afterwards that the *'Three Friends of Winter' ushered in the spring!
(*Plum blossoms bloom late winter, and with bamboo and pine which remain green through winter, the three symbolize resilience and friendship during the harsh winter months.)
As the snow melted, the air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and Peach blossoms attracted bees and butterflies. The Peach blossoms and their pretty pink petals joined the Plum blossoms, which were putting up a last fight before disappearing for the year.
But after the initial awe of the season, a new excitement was growing in Yue City...
The Sect Tournament was about to begin!
The Sect Warriors and disciples were all delving into some last minute cultivation or the other, and the Pill Pavilion was flooded with requests for Qi Enhancing pills, Qi Stabilizing pills, Qi Absorption pills, or the like.
This made Luoyin extremely happy!
'Heh! Immortal Kai will be proud!' He thought, as he refined cultivation pills far better than Yue City had ever seen, and he even introduced a new pill, bright red with orange streaks, which could give a cultivator a temporary boost of power during a fight.
These were called Qi Heightening Pills, and they flew off the Pill Pavilion's shelves, making Luoyin dance with glee as chests upon chests of gold were secretly delivered to his house!
'Secretly', because no one but the Head Alchemist knew who the 'mystery refiner' was.
But Luoyin's joy was shattered when Lord Xu suddenly 'summoned' him to the Xu Residence...
"Xiaoyin, what's this I hear about *Xiaolian frequenting your house?!" Xu Fengyan complained in his usual gruff voice. "Are you having unclear relationships with other women?!"
(*Xiaolian = Xu Lian)
"Ei?!" Luoyin had frozen.
Xu Lian indeed frequently visited with Xu Min or Xu Wen, and she usually came bearing gifts of fruit or pastries... But Luoyin barely noticed, as he often made up an excuse to run off and refine more pills, and Xu Lian's 'offerings' were most likely eaten by Xu Min or Xu Wen!
"Ahem! Sect Leader Xu, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" Luoyin explained. "Xu Lian only accompanies Xu Wen, or Xu Min!" He hastily drank from his tea cup, but...
"Tch! 'Xu Lian'?! How familiar! And why is she asking me to cancel your engagement to Yanyan', so she can marry you??!!"
Luoyin spurted out the tea! "You said?!!"
A sudden angry aura washed over him, and a slight twinge on his wrist alerted him to the Spirit-Binding Oath and Xu Weiyan's presence.
'Aiya! How can a well-respecting young lady eavesdrop like this?! She won't cancel the engagement, will she?!'
But then...
"Father, I brought some tea." Weiyan suddenly appeared from nowhere, holding up a teapot.
'There's already tea here!' Both men thought.
"Father, I think it will be good to settle the marriage before the Sect Tournament." She suddenly turned to Luoyin. "In case of any future accidents during the tournament."
Lord Xu thought, 'Shouldn't it be the other way around?!'
Luoyin thought, 'She's surely cursing me!!'
Either way, the matter was settled after some clarification, withLuoyin promising to draw a line with Xu Lian, and...
Get married in five days!
"I already checked!" Lord Xu began, after Weiyan left them. "Five days from now is an Auspicious day... Or were you simply saying empty words when you proposed?"
"Er, no no no! Five days is more than enough!"
Luoyin did not want to believe Xu Weiyan was still eavesdropping, but somehow the Spirit-Binding Oath arrow had calmed down...
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By Noon, word of the marriage had spread, and Yue City readied itself for yet another celebration!
"But how can our 'White Swallow' marry that lump of garbage?" One hawker said to another, as he stuck candied haws into a standing straw mound.
"Aiya, there's no accounting for Love's blindness!" Another chirped in, rearranging iced watermelons on a wooden table. "The two simply found each other again!"
"My eyes have been opened! Where can I find this kind of pure love?!" A third jumped in, but the other two slapped their foreheads.
"OLD MAN, YOU'VE MARRIED THREE WIVES ALREADY!!"
There was another target to the rumours... Zhang Cheng!
Since the Eye-eater incident, the Zhang Family had done a lot of good work around the city and donated generously to the poor, which had 'white-washed' their good name back to prime quality.
But now, jokes were flying about how Zhang Cheng had allowed his *'cooked duck fly away'!
(*When something secure or certain suddenly slips away or escapes!)
"I mean, the White Swallow was right in his hand, but she somehow flew to his brother!"
To save the family's face, Zhang Furen moved again, quickly suggesting that Zhang Cheng and Xu Linhua get engaged at once, and Madam Xu readily agreed.
The next day, the ink on the engagement letter was still wet when Madam Zhang called Linhua aside.
"A-Lin, you will soon become like my own child, so why not make it sooner, rather than later? Why not wed on the same day as your sister?"
And that was how Linhua had insisted she and Zhang Cheng marry on the same day.
"Nonsense! Yanyan's wedding is so soon, and your engagement was just finalized today!" Lord Xu berated. "When will you stop trying to undermine your younger sister?!"
But Linhua fell on her knees.
"Father! You yourself say she's my younger sister! Mei mei has surpassed me in everything, and now she will even marry before me?!
"Since Cheng gē ge and I were originally engaged years ago, why must we wait now? Lord Zhang and Zhang Furen already agree with me, and I'm not getting any younger.
"Weiyan's wedding day is an auspicious day. Since we're sisters, why can't we share the day?!"
Lord Xu remained hesitant, but Madam Xu pointed out the truth in Linhua's words...
And so, with no serious reason to object, Lord Xu finally gave in.
Back at home, Luoyin scowled when he heard the news.
"What is this?! *Double Happiness?!"
(*For weddings, it's auspicions to hang up the 'double happiness' symbol (shuāng xǐ-囍), or tag it on any surface or decoration possible! This is a play on the term)
Luoyin sighed.
Wasn't this another ploy to embarrass him and Weiyan?!
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