I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

Xiangxi habitually feeds her baby first.

After Bao'er finished eating, her sister-in-law had also almost finished eating. She took Bao'er away, and then it was Xiangxi's turn to eat.

"I'll go order the quilt for your wedding tomorrow. Do you have any favorite patterns?" The sister-in-law was thinking that if the weather was good tomorrow, she would go find a cotton fluffer to have the quilt made in advance for the wedding.

"I'll do whatever my sister-in-law says." Xiangxi had no objection to this.

"Your older brother said he wanted to make a chest for your dowry, but you're getting married in February, and it's probably too late to find a carpenter now. The two chests I brought with me are still usable, so you can choose one. I'll have a carpenter repaint it, and you won't be able to tell." If it weren't to save money on a chest, the sister-in-law wouldn't have been willing to give some of her own dowry to Xiangxi.

Xiangxi looked at the two boxes in the corner and chose the one on top, which had been used more and looked older.

"Okay, let's go with that one." The sister-in-law was reluctant, but there was nothing she could do.

The Little New Year is just around the corner, and the Xiang family's stall is finally closing up, allowing them to finally rest for a few days.

Xiangxi was doing a thorough cleaning of the house when he heard a knock at the door. By the time he came out, his older brother had already opened the door.

Yang Tongchuan came to deliver New Year's goods to their family.

They sent over a quarter of a pig.

"Brother-in-law, you're too kind." Xiang Qiang remembered that the Cheng family used to be butchers, and they had never been so generous as to give away pork like this before.

"It's all the same, my sister-in-law's family also sent these." Yang Tongchuan looked up into the house, and Xiang Qiang knew he was looking for Xiang Xi.

"Brother-in-law, come in and sit down. Xi-ge'er is working inside." Xiang Qiang said, leading Yang Tongchuan to the west room.

They're getting married after the New Year, so it's good for them to get to know each other better.

[It's work again. Why is Xiangxi always working?]

Yang Tongchuan was somewhat displeased, as none of their maids were as busy as Xiangxi.

He noticed it last time; Xiangxi's hands were swollen from the cold, and his ears were almost cracked from the cold. This family was like they were blind; they couldn't see anything.

Once inside the west room, Bao'er played with a cloth tiger on Xiangxi's heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

Xiangxi had just put down the rag in her hand; it seemed she had just been cleaning.

"You two talk." Xiang Qiang took Bao'er away, giving them a chance to talk more.

Bao'er's mother went out to buy New Year's goods today and wasn't home, so Xiangqiang held Bao'er and let her play in the yard.

"You're here. I'll go get you some water." With that, Xiangxi started to walk out.

"No need, I'll be back soon, I have a lot to do at home." Yang Tongchuan reached out and put his arm around Xiangxi, taking his hand in the process.

Thankfully, it doesn't look as swollen as last time.

My ears are scabbed over.

"Did you apply the frostbite cream?" Yang Tongchuan couldn't help but gently rub Xiangxi's knuckles with his fingers.

They're so tired they're practically deformed.

"I applied it before going to bed." Xiangxi was too embarrassed to say that he only applied a little bit occasionally, and most of the time he just held the box in his hand and played with it.

"Apply it a few more times a day, and I'll buy you more when you run out." Yang Tongchuan was a little regretful.

I shouldn't have come in such a hurry this time. I should have gone to the market first and bought more things for Xiangxi to bring back.

"Okay." Xiangxi thought Yang Tongchuan disliked his hands because they were ugly, and felt a little embarrassed, so he tried to take his hands back.

The first attempt failed.

The second attempt also failed.

Xiangxi looked up at Yang Tongchuan, puzzled.

"Hang in there for a few more days, and you'll be all better after the wedding. There are maids and your sister-in-law at home, so you don't need to do so much work. Just take your time to recover, and you'll be fine." Yang Tongchuan's words didn't seem to be directed at Xiangxi, but rather at himself.

"This is my man, my betrothed husband. How dare the Xiang family treat him like this?" Yang Tongchuan unconsciously tightened his grip, making Xiangxi feel a sharp pain.

"Yang Tongchuan, it hurts~" Xiangxi whispered.

Yang Tongchuan realized what was happening, loosened his grip, but didn't let go.

"What did you call me?"

"Yang, Yang Tongchuan." Xiangxi wasn't sure if that was the right way to address him, and she wasn't sure either.

"Don't call me by my full name when we're alone." Yang Tongchuan remembered that his sister-in-law only called his brother by his full name when she was angry; otherwise, she called him "husband."

"What should I call you? Tongchuan, or Achuan?" Xiangxi's voice was soft and sweet, which was very endearing.

"Whatever you want." Yang Tongchuan swallowed, a little regretting that he hadn't asked Xiangxi to pour him a glass of water beforehand to cool him down.

"Then what did you call me?" Xiangxi was a good child; she would ask questions whenever she didn't understand something.

Seeing his coy demeanor, Yang Tongchuan's playful side was aroused.

He deliberately lowered his body and turned his head to Xiangxi's ear.

Her nose lightly touched Xiangxi's earlobe, and she whispered:

"I call you, my darling."

After teasing his husband, Yang Tongchuan was in a great mood, as if he had finally expelled a wad of bad luck.

This was the first time Xiangxi had encountered such a bold rogue, and he was even her fiancé.

I really want to report this to the authorities, but I'm afraid it will be Yang Tongchuan who comes.

"I'm just kidding you. Do less work and just relax and wait to get married."

After teasing Xiangxi, Yang Tongchuan left the house. It wasn't appropriate to be alone for too long.

With a dark expression, he greeted Xiang Qiang in the courtyard and then left.

There was a lot going on at the government office before the New Year, and he still had to go back to his post.

His colleagues in the government office all knew that he was getting married.

Some offered blessings, while others made sarcastic remarks.

Yang Tongchuan accepted everything without question.

A lowly constable of his rank wouldn't dare invite a high-ranking official like the county magistrate to his wedding banquet.

However, when I asked for leave, the county magistrate found out and rewarded me with silver.

Yang Tongchuan couldn't keep all the money, so he gave half to his mother and kept only half for himself.

---------

Xiang family side

When the sister-in-law returned home and saw the quarter of the pork, she was shocked.

"I should have known better than to buy meat." The sister-in-law put down the New Year's goods, thinking that this year would finally be a prosperous one.

"It's almost Chinese New Year, so buying more meat is fine. Xiangxi, come over and help me divide the pork." Xiangqiang sharpened his knife, ready to divide the pig.

Xiangxi's face was still red, but she forced herself to come out and help.

Keep the hind leg for stewing, and trim off the tender meat to use for stir-frying during the Chinese New Year.

This pig is so fat! With such thick layers of fat, it can render a lot of lard.

Xiangxi cooked dinner again.

Potato stew with pork.

In winter, it's mostly cabbage, radishes, and potatoes. Being able to afford a stew of pork is already quite a luxury.

Before the New Year, after a lot of rushing, Xiangxi's dowry was finally all prepared and packed into a large box.

The wedding dress was also ready and placed on top of the chest.

This is Xiangxi's last year here, and also the most comfortable one.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Xiangxi's first words were to herself.

Happy New Year!

Because the sister-in-law had long since severed ties with her family, and neither Xiangqiang nor Xiangxi had any relatives to leave with.

So every year during the Spring Festival, they would rent a stall at the temple fair in the west of the city to sell sugar paintings and candied hawthorns.

At that time, it was much easier to make money than selling flatbread.