Great Tang Idyll

Counting, counting, counting the coming fortune, Going out of the west gate and looking to the east – the winter's snow, the bridge in the east, and the crowded market in the east. There were many people and the place was noisy. The cheery New Year has arrived. People woke up just before dawn, which was not too early. Sellers carried their goods on their shoulders; selling New Year paintings, selling garlic plants, and selling rice cakes.

The wind was tight, and the snow was still floating, floating, floating. Floating to the head and floating to the feet. Floating into the forest– beautiful pines and conifers. In the distance, horses were neighing. Horses neighing, horses neighing, horses... so many horses have come. Who are these people? It was almost New Year, who is coming here with a group?

Zhang Xiao'bao was performing ‘Counting Coming Fortune' for Wang Juan when a lot of horses and two carriages were approaching. Zhang Xiao'bao stopped and stood there blankly watching. Wang Juan was also stunned.

After a while, Wang Juan patted the snow off her head and stomped her feet. She said to Zhang Xiao'bao, "Maybe he didn't prepare food for the New Year at his home and there isn't much time left so he's going to the Between the Water And Clouds to eat. But the Between the Water And Clouds is closed during New Year. Xiao'bao, do you think what I said is correct?"

"I think it sounds about right. If not, then perhaps he doesn't have a place to stay at home and they came here to rent a few rooms at the market. Later, when totalling the cost, tell Xu'si and Er'gou to give them a discount. It's not easy for them to come here from so far away."

Zhang Xiao'bao also made guesses. Today was the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month. At the Between The Water And Clouds, there were only a dozen or so wanderers who lived far away. They couldn't return home so they found a place to live in the courtyard at the back of the restaurant. There was no one else there. The market was lively right now, but perhaps after two more days, no one would come anymore.

Zhang Xiao'bao and Wang Juan stood on the side of the bridge. They were wearing clothes so thick that they couldn't stick their arms close to their bodies. Their arms were raised like they were penguins. They wore a round furry hat on their head. If its white color was changed to another color, then looking from a distance, people would believe the two were mushrooms— two penguins with a mushroom cap.

Shi'liu, Ying'tao, Xiao'hong, Er'niu and Hu'zi were standing beside them. Just when they wanted to hear more after listening to Zhang Xiao'bao talk about something amusing, people came over. Shi'liu quickly squatted down and hugged the two mushrooms. She said to Er Niu, who was beside them, "Go have a look."

Er'niu and Hu'zi each took a child into their arms and ran. Shi'liu and the two others covered them. The people over there also saw the situation here. An old man looked at them and laughed. He said, "The two most fun little children are the little masters of the Zhang and Wang families."

Since it was still snowing, they could only see two small children, each being carried by a running person. By now, the two children could no longer be seen. They were blocked by the people who were holding them. A person got off a carriage and frowned while saying,

"My lord, their family is so ignorant; they let the two children go outside just like that. Not to mention that there are no carriages, they should have sent more people to protect the children. If something goes wrong, it's not enough for them to die a hundred times."

Hearing this voice, it was obvious the speaker was a woman. She should be quite old; her clothes were neat and apart from a mink scarf around her neck, her outfit was not so fancy.

The old man laughed and said to this person, "What can go wrong? I heard that the two little children are smart, sensible and obedient. They have never cried since they turned one year old. They are not like other children who do not know things and keep causing trouble for the servants who are supervising them."

"My lord, if the people on our side are bad people and we rush over to kidnap the two children, what's the use of being sensible?" The woman seemed to disagree with the old man's words.

At this time, there was no need for the old man to speak. A guard next to him said aloud, "Aunt Wang, we would not be able to approach them. Look at the roof of the houses in the market. The houses have a tiny room on top of the roof. Inside that room is a person with a hunting bow that is pointed in our direction. Take another look at the people at the market. Do you see that quite a few people have left the crowd and have walked to the side of the road?"

The woman listened to the guard and looked over there and it was just like how the guard described. Feeling puzzled, she asked, "So what?"

"Aunt Wang, if we rushed over to the children just now, they would stop us. From the moment when the two children were picked up and they turned around to run, the people in the market moved. They are all residents from their manors. The two families' residents are different from ordinary residents. They will fight to the death to protect their master."

The guard explained again.

"It's enough to try to fight to the death? Even if they run back into the main yard, they could still be kidnapped. With so many of you, you still wouldn't be able to approach them?" The woman continued.

"Haha." The old man smiled and said, "If that's the case, it doesn't matter whether the children come out to play or not. Let's go, let's go to The Between The Water And Clouds. I'm not feeling well these days. It's New Year soon. You're the most ignorant one."

"Xiao'zao, look at those residents. They are all wearing the same clothes? Why did they think of making the same clothes for themselves? They look quite organized when dressed like that. With one glance, you can tell which one is a resident and which one is an outsider."

One of the two maids whispered to the other, and pointed to the other side with her hand. The one called Xiao'zao also took a look and said curiously,

"Really, it's the same. Even the little baby is wearing it. I can't see what it is made of? It shouldn't be hemp, or it won't be that color."

The old man was not far away, and when he heard the two maids talking, he put away his stern demeanor and said to the two maids, "This is why Guard Pi said it would not be easy to approach them."

Guard Pi immediately followed up, "What our lord said is correct. The masters of the Zhang and Wang families specially made clothes for their residents. Although it is not expensive, it is not that cheap. This year, they also made clothes for working and clothes for daily wear. When the children go to school, they would change into another set of clothing that is more loosely fitting.

They even built houses for the residents, and on holidays, they would give them rice, flour and meat. They also helped their residents raise livestock and poultry, and helped them sell the farm animals. The residents' life is not that different compared to some small wealthy families. If someone tries to attack their little masters, how could the residents not fight to their death?"

"Ah? They're that nice to their residents? Then, are they even nicer to the servants in the house? Da'zao, how different do you think the servants are treated compared to the servants of our household?" Xiao'zao opened her mouth in surprise.

Da'zao didn't dare to ask the old man, so she could only ask Guard Pi next to her, "Brother Pi, tell us about the affairs of their house. Do they normally get rewarded with a few coins?"

"This...I don't know either." Guard Pi shook his head and looked at the other person next to him. This man was not a guard; he was dressed like a student. Seeing the guard looking over, he said,

"I know a little about this, and it took me a lot of days to find out. The servants in their house are divided into several different grades. The servants are similar to the servants in other houses. All servants sign life-long contracts. They are usually paid monthly, depending on the star ranking. I didn't find out how much was given maximally, but I hear that they are given at least one hundred coins a month.

There are also a few special ones that I know of, such as those two people who just left with their two little masters. One of them is named Ying'tao; she's responsible for hatching the chicken eggs. Normally, if she ever needs to leave the house to do errands, people would follow her. That hairpin in her hair is worth at least seventy strings of coins.

The other one is named Shi'liu. She has two bracelets on her hands; together, the two bracelets are worth at least three hundred taels. There is another man who has left and has not come back yet— his name is Song Jing'gong. He is also a scholar. I can't tell what his family background is like. At the Little Luo'shui, he is known to be a man of his words. If he wants to eat a meal, countless merchants will take the initiative to pay for his meal. If he wants to travel around, countless talented people will follow him around. "

"So much money, Da'zao. We can't compare ourselves to others. Bracelets worth three hundred taels, a hairpin worth seventy strings of coins. If we can work in the Zhang and Wang families' house, then with what we know, we…..."

"Huh?" Before Xiao'zao finished speaking, Aunt Wang turned her head back and glared at her.

"Aunt Wang, I'm talking nonsense." Only then did Xiao'zao realize that she said something that shouldn't be said.

"Humph! You don't respect the rules. The Zhang and Wang families also don't respect the rules. How could servants have hairpins and bracelets? Thinking about this all day, can you still do things? Can she still do work while wearing bracelets worth three hundred taels? Raise her nothing?"

Aunt Wang started to nitpick at problems. She didn't know that Shi'liu didn't need to do too much work and that she only needed to take good care of the wood fungus and white fungus. Compared with the goods in the warehouse, the two bracelets were nothing.

The two maids didn't dare to speak anymore. They looked at the side across the Little Bridge with envious eyes, then quickly turned back and walked with their heads lowered. Xiao'zao looked at her bare wrists as she walked, and looked up a hairpin that was worth five strings of coins on Dazao's head. She used to be envious of Da'zao because of that hairpin. Now she pouted her lips even more.

As soon as they walked into The Between The Water And Clouds, Guard Pi moved closer to the old man, "My lord, are you really going to celebrate the New Year here? What about your family...?"

"I sent people to go pick up my family already. My health is getting worse and worse. Spending New Years there, I have to welcome others and send people off. After being busy, there would be nothing else to do, so I might as well come here to have a leisurely time. After the New Year, I plan to retire and return home."

The old man sighed, tried to straighten his waist, and said helplessly.

Guard Pi naturally knew that the old man's body was truly in bad condition. Looking at The Between The Water and Clouds, he thought that the scenery here was better, and the food was not that different from any big restaurant in the capital, and there was a special yard in the back, which also felt nice. However, he suddenly thought of something, and asked again,

"My lord, it's New Year, and others have gone home, so who will cook for my lord? Is it possible that our family's servants can use the restaurant's kitchen?"