Year's End

After giving the house a thorough cleaning inside and out, the family began making tofu the next day. The soybeans had been soaked the day before, filling a huge basin to the brim. Since both Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Yuanbo loved tofu, and there was a new addition to the family, Zhang Shi was making far more tofu this year than in previous years.

Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Yuanbo ground the soy milk. There was a stone mill in the courtyard, one Liu Yuanbo had had made only a few days earlier. Liu Da boiled water, while Zhang Shi and her daughter-in-law Li Shi strained the ground soy milk and poured the liquid into a large pot to boil into tofu. The bean dregs were spread out in the yard to dry; once dried, they could be mixed with cornmeal to make bean-dreg flatbreads.

The soy milk was soon cooked. Zhang Shi took out a small porcelain jar and poured out something resembling a chunk of ice the size of half a fist. This was nitre, used to set tofu. Zhang Shi dissolved the nitre in a bowl of water, then, once the soy milk in the pot had cooled a little, began setting the tofu. As the nitre water slowly poured in, yellowish-white tofu curds gradually precipitated from the soy milk. At once, tofu's distinctive fragrance drifted through the air. Liu Yuanzhou, standing nearby, unconsciously swallowed, his lips smacking.

"It'll be ready soon. Go mash some minced garlic," Zhang Shi instructed Liu Yuanzhou. Upon receiving the order, Liu Yuanzhou hurried off to pound garlic juice.

Once the tofu curds were poured into molds and pressed to remove the moisture, the tofu was done. After all the tofu had been pressed, Li Shi cut the freshly made, still-steaming tofu into small pieces and served everyone a bowl. The family set aside their work and gathered around to eat tofu. Fresh tofu dipped in garlic juice—there was no greater delicacy in the world.

After making tofu at noon, there was little left to do at home that afternoon. Liu Yuanzhou slowly strolled over to Third Master's house. After standing in stance for a while and practicing several sets of punches, he boiled a kettle of water and brewed himself a cup of hot tea. Sitting on the heated brick bed, Liu Yuanzhou thought about the future.

Ever since Entering Samadhi, Liu Yuanzhou's stance training had progressed by leaps and bounds. At this rate, he might be able to hold more than twenty sections by next March or April, at which point he could begin comprehending Whole Strength. According to Miss Qin, Whole Strength emphasized accumulation. Comprehending it was not difficult; it was something that came naturally when the water flowed and the channel formed.

What would he do after becoming a martial master? One thing was certain: he had to go out and make his mark. As for where he would go and when he would leave, he had yet to decide. He still had quite a few choices. One was to become a household martial master for a wealthy family. It was stable, but his future would practically be set in stone, because there would be no further techniques to learn. The Ming Jin Realm would be the end of the road.

The second option was joining a martial arts school or an escort agency. Both places were desperately short of martial masters. So long as one's background was clear and one was not a criminal, joining was generally possible. Since it was an employment or cooperative relationship, martial arts schools and escort agencies would not pry into one's lineage or origins. Yet if he wanted to advance further along the martial path, this road would still be difficult.

The third option was joining a sect. Sects possessed complete systems of martial technique inheritance, and offered the best prospects. But there were two problems. First, sects were difficult to join; without someone to recommend him, it was generally hard to enter. Second, his own martial arts had origins that were somewhat unclear. Miss Qin and Bage were involved, making the circumstances complicated and unable to withstand scrutiny.

After turning it over and over in his mind, Liu Yuanzhou still found it hard to decide. The second choice was the safest, yet he was unwilling to resign himself to it. Who did not want to climb the higher peaks of the martial path?

"Ah, forget it. It's giving me a headache. I'm still far from becoming a martial master, so why am I thinking about this?" Liu Yuanzhou shook his head and sighed. Sometimes, having too many choices was its own kind of trouble. Before he had learned martial arts, he would not even have dared dream of becoming a household martial master for a wealthy family. Now, though, he looked down on it instead.

Over the next four or five days, apart from practicing martial arts, Liu Yuanzhou helped the family prepare for the New Year. His mother Zhang Shi and his sister-in-law Li Shi hurried to mend clothes and bedding: making everyone a new outfit, taking apart and washing quilts and cotton-padded clothes, and patching old garments.

As the saying went, new for three years, old for three years, patched and mended for another three years. This was how ordinary rural families managed their households and lived their lives. And since the New Year was a day for casting off the old and welcoming the new, everything that needed washing was washed and everything that needed clearing was cleared before the year's end, in hopes of a fresh new outlook for the coming year.

The three men of the Liu family also took advantage of the fine weather before the New Year to gather firewood in the mountains. There was still a thick layer of snow on the shaded side, while the snow on the sunny side had already begun to melt.

They worked until the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month before father and sons finally stopped. Looking at the stacks of firewood that nearly encircled half the courtyard, Liu Da smiled and said to his two sons, "Even if we burn it freely, it'll last us until next spring. No need to fear the mountain being sealed by heavy snow and leaving us without firewood."

The twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month was Crouching Tiger Slope's market day, the final market day before the New Year. The market would not open again until after the twentieth day of the first month next year. Thus, the market was exceptionally bustling that day, with everyone rushing to make one final round of purchases before the year ended.

Liu Yuanzhou arranged to go to the market with Liu Chuang and Zhang He. Since the family had held a wedding feast for Liu Yuanbo last month, they still had plenty of frozen meat, wine, and the like—enough to last through the New Year. So this market day, Liu Yuanzhou's family mainly needed fresh vegetables, firecrackers, and a few other things. There was not much to buy, so Liu Yuanzhou had little to do.

By the time the three arrived at the market, the sun was already three poles high. Both the temporary market and the street of shops were packed shoulder to shoulder. Hawkers' cries rose and fell without pause, and shopkeepers had simply set up stalls in front of their stores to sell their wares.

The three followed the stream of people, looking as they walked. Whenever they spotted something novel, they stopped to examine it for a while. Liu Yuanzhou saw a large crowd gathered ahead, watching something. When the three approached, a wave of startled cries erupted from the crowd. Liu Yuanzhou asked someone what was happening inside, and the man said someone was selling talismans. The three stood on tiptoe to look, but could not see a thing.

"I'll go in and take a look," Zhang He said. He was small, and as he spoke, he squeezed into the heart of the crowd.

Liu Yuanzhou shot Liu Chuang a look and shouted, "Hey, whose wife is that? She's really pretty!"

Catching on, Liu Chuang quickly echoed, "Yeah, yeah, she's gorgeous!"

Hearing there was a pretty girl, many in the crowd instinctively turned to look behind them. Taking the chance, Liu Yuanzhou and the other two bent low and slipped into the mass of people.

In the center of the crowd, a white cloth had been spread on the ground, with several bright yellow talisman papers laid out in rows. A man sat behind the cloth stall, holding a burning talisman in his hand. The moment Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Chuang saw his face, they froze. When the man noticed three people had suddenly appeared before him and looked up, he too was stunned.

The stall owner was actually Wang Wu. The talisman in his hand was about to burn out when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his fingers. Instinctively, he flung the talisman forward. Only after it left his hand did he come to his senses and reach out to grab it.

Seeing a ball of flame flying toward him, Liu Chuang thought Wang Wu was attacking with a talisman. He recoiled in fright and shouted, "Wang Wu, what are you doing?"

Liu Yuanzhou saw clearly that it was merely a burning talisman drifting lightly toward him, so he flicked it back with a wave of his hand. By then, the flame on the talisman had gone out, turning it into a dull gray scrap. Wang Wu snatched it up, then puffed on it again. Right before everyone's eyes, the talisman paper that had burned to ash immediately returned to its original state, its inscriptions all clearly visible.

The crowd could not help letting out another cry of amazement.

Wang Wu had recovered his composure by then. Holding up the talisman, he looked smugly at Liu Yuanzhou and the other two and laughed. "Haha! You've been struck by my talisman. Disaster will befall you within three days. If you want to avert it, hurry up and kneel to kowtow. If I'm in a good mood, I'll lift the curse for you."

"Bullshit!" Liu Chuang was frightened inside, but his words remained hard.

"Why are you trying to harm us?" Zhang He asked fearfully.

Naturally, Liu Yuanzhou did not believe Wang Wu's nonsense, but he did not want to linger either. Wang Wu had the White-Haired Taoist behind him, and who knew what they were plotting? Liu Yuanzhou remained deeply wary of that White-Haired Taoist.

At once, Liu Yuanzhou pulled Liu Chuang and Zhang He out of the crowd. Before leaving, he gave the smug Wang Wu a deep look.

Once outside the crowd, Liu Yuanzhou saw Liu Chuang and Zhang He wearing long faces and snickered. "You actually believe his ghost stories?"

"But..." Zhang He started to say, only for Liu Yuanzhou to cut him off. "If he really had that kind of ability, would he be selling talismans in the street?"

Zhang He and Liu Chuang were still half-believing and half-doubting. They thought that once they returned, they would go burn incense at the Dragon King Temple in the village to drive away the bad luck. The three continued browsing the market.

Running into Wang Wu was only a minor interlude.

The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month: New Year's Eve.

Early in the morning, Liu Yuanzhou set off firecrackers. Then he and his elder brother pasted couplets onto the doors and windows, while their father Liu Da swept the courtyard. Zhang Shi and her daughter-in-law Li Shi busied themselves preparing the New Year's Eve feast. This year, Zhang Shi had prepared an exceptionally lavish meal: fried meatballs, braised pork, stewed chicken, braised carp, beef, mutton, and more. Of course, there was also the indispensable tofu and vermicelli stew.

After breakfast, Liu Da took his two sons to meet up with his younger brother Liu Jiahong and Liu Jiahong's two sons. Together, they went to burn paper offerings at their parents' graves.

At dusk, just as the sun set, the New Year's Eve feast began. Every dish was brought to the table, and the family gathered around. Liu Yuanzhou poured wine for everyone. Liu Da raised his bowl as if he wanted to say a few words, but in the end only said, "Let's eat." Then he drained his bowl in one gulp. The whole family followed suit and drank their wine.

Liu Yuanzhou laughed. "Dad, at least say a few words."

Whether from drinking or something else, Liu Da's face reddened. He only focused on eating and did not reply.

Zhang Shi rapped Liu Yuanzhou with her chopsticks. "Eat your food."

Seeing her father-in-law's awkward appearance, Li Shi covered her mouth and laughed as well, earning a glare from her husband.

Zhang Shi laughed too, and soon everyone was laughing.

After dinner, Liu Chuang and Zhang He came running over to invite Liu Yuanzhou out for drinks. By local custom, on New Year's Eve everyone visited one another to drink, not stopping until dawn. Zhang Shi had also prepared some drinking snacks and wine.

The three walked along the village roads. Firecrackers crackled one after another without end, while groups of children ran wildly all over the village carrying lanterns, laughing and shouting.

Screee—boom! A huge firework shot into the sky and exploded. Li Laocai's family had begun setting off fireworks.

Watching the dazzling blaze of light, Liu Yuanzhou could not help thinking, Where will I be for next year's New Year?