As the year drew to a close, even the bitter winter cold could not dampen the enthusiasm of Yang Family Village's villagers. Many went to the market town or county seat to purchase New Year goods, or visited relatives and friends bearing holiday gifts.
Yang Zhengshan was no exception. Besides taking Yang Mingcheng and the others to study, his trip to the county seat was also for buying New Year goods.
A whole ox cart was filled with New Year goods—bolts of cloth, furs, tea leaves, meat, and more. These goods cost Yang Zhengshan over twenty taels of silver.
Upon returning home, Yang Zhengshan immediately sorted and stored the New Year goods.
Some were for his own household, while others were gifts for visiting relatives and friends.
The next day, the Yang Family began delivering New Year gifts. The eldest, Yang Mingcheng, accompanied Wang back to her parents' home; the second, Yang Mingzhi, accompanied Li back to hers. Yang Zhengshan took Yang Minghao around the village, delivering gifts to everyone senior to him in rank or older than him in age.
Following the principle that no one blamed a man for being overly courteous, Yang Zhengshan was never stingy when giving gifts. Of course, he would not slap his face swollen to pretend he was fat—he handled matters according to however much money he had.
Each household received some pork and cotton cloth. It was practical without seeming too cheap. In truth, Yang Zhengshan's gifts throughout Yang Family Village had cost only three taels of silver, with the clan head, Yang Zhengxiang, taking the lion's share.
Naturally, Yang Zhengshan could not leave out his father-in-law, Lu Songhe.
The original owner's wife was gone, so visiting Lu Songhe fell upon Yang Zhengshan's shoulders.
Yang Zhengshan personally took Yang Mingcheng, Yang Minghao,