Today was New Year's Eve, and Ming Xi woke up earlier than usual. Ling Cang was still asleep when Ming Xi shook him awake.
"Ling Cang, Ling Cang, help me braid my hair. We need to put up the Spring Festival couplets later, and I want to wear my wool hat."
The wool hat was woven by Ling Cang using magic. It was bitterly cold outside, and yesterday Ming Xi had insisted on putting up the couplets today. Worried he might freeze his ears, Ling Cang had woven him a hat.
Shaken awake, Ling Cang sat up, bare-chested, revealing his firm muscles.
"Come here," he said, his voice hoarse and low.
Ming Xi crawled over and nestled into his embrace.
Ling Cang gathered Ming Xi's ink-black hair to the left side and began braiding it.
"Xi'er, it's too cold outside. How about I use a spell to put them up directly?"
he attempted to persuade him again, but the result was the same as yesterday: Ming Xi shook his head. "The couplets have to be put up yourself."
Ling Cang acquiesced, carefully braiding Ming Xi's hair. It was the Divine Emperor's first time braiding hair, and he was somewhat clumsy, taking quite a while to finish. Ming Xi took the Qiankun Mirror from under the pillow to look and was immediately displeased, but he didn't want to criticize Ling Cang. He could only pout and look at him.
Ling Cang cleared his throat lightly to cover up his embarrassment.
"Give me some time to practice."
"Never mind. This is something Dad should do," Ming Xi said, putting on the hat.
"Does it look good?"
The hat was light orange, complementing Ming Xi's snow-white skin. Nestled in Ling Cang's arms, he looked up to ask, the marks on his neck faintly visible.
Ling Cang's eyes darkened. "It looks good."
He reached out, pulled Ming Xi's waist closer, and leaned down to kiss him.
Ming Xi's face instantly flushed red, but he didn't shy away, gently closing his eyes. Ling Cang's kiss today was tender and deep, as if time had stopped in that moment.
After a long while, Ling Cang released Ming Xi, looking at his shy expression with a doting smile curling his lips.
"Wait for me to get up, and I'll join you."
Ming Xi, blushing, lowered his head. "Mm."
When the two went outside, the sun had just climbed above the branches, making the snow gleam with a dazzling light.
"Ling Cang, is it straight?"
Ming Xi, wearing his wool hat and a thick coat, stood on a stool putting up the Spring Festival couplets.
Ling Cang held the couplets in one hand and a ball of paste on the fingers of the other, stepping back to assess.
"A little to the right."
Ming Xi moved the couplets to the right.
"How about now?"
Ling Cang smiled. "That's good."
He then walked over. "Come down now."
Ming Xi suddenly turned and leaped towards Ling Cang. Ling Cang, with only his left hand free, dropped the couplets and immediately caught him, supporting his bottom and lifting him up.
"Anything else to put up?" he asked.
Ming Xi looked around.
"The courtyard gate is done, the kitchen is done..."
"That's all." Ming Xi nodded.
"Then let's go back inside. The sky's clouding over; it might snow soon."
He carried Ming Xi into the house.
Tonight, they were going to eat dumplings. Ling Cang was chopping meat on the board with a rhythmic thud. Strangely enough, just before New Year, an antelope and a wild boar had run down from the mountains and crashed into a tree at the crossroads, dying. Ling Cang had dragged them back, saying they'd use the meat for dumpling filling for the New Year.
Ming Xi was also very happy—he could grill lamb skewers.
Ming Xi took off his hat, tied his hair up with a ribbon, rolled his sleeves up high, and was kneading dough in a basin.
"We can make more and freeze them outside. When we want to eat them, we can just bring them in and boil them," Ming Xi said, remembering his father doing the same.
Ling Cang nodded.
Once the filling and dough were ready, wrapping them was troublesome. Ming Xiwrapped a few that were crooked and bloated, like fat maggots.
"Ling Cang, you... you do it."
Ling Cang stepped forward and tried a few, but they were still ugly. The omnipotent Divine Emperor of the Three Realms was stumped by a few pieces of dough.
Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal and opened a spiritual channel to the Cao residence in the capital.
[Cao Residence]
Cao Jun had already had people put up the couplets and fúzì (character for 'fortune'). The whole family was together wrapping dumplings. Ming Li, having truly inherited his father's skills—and even surpassed them—wrapped them round and perfect, without a single flaw.
Cao Jun, watching him wrap so meticulously, couldn't resist teasing: "Dumplings are for eating. Why make them so pretty? Saving them for next year?"
Shu ge'er placed a dough wrapper in the center. "Don't mind your father. He's just jealous our son wraps them so well."
Ming Li smiled, warm as spring breeze. "I know Father is missing those two."
Cao Jun shuddered at his smile. "Don't smile like that at home; it's creepy."
Ming Li leaned towards Shu ge'er. "Daddy~"
Cao Jun: "Brat, let go of your daddy."
*Fizz, crackle...*
The image transmitted.
"Daddy! Father!" Ming Xi said joyfully.
"Xi'er!" Shu ge'er exclaimed happily.
"I was thinking of contacting you tonight. Have you wrapped the dumplings?"
Ming Xi: "Yes, but they're not pretty."
He moved aside, revealing a dozen or so crooked dumplings on the board.
The three of them looked and couldn't help but laugh.
Shu ge'er said dotingly, "This is what you get for not learning properly usually."
Cao Jun: "The ones on the left that look like worms must be Tuanzi's (Ming Xi's nickname). The ones on the right... could it be Ling Cang's?"
"They're too ugly."
Ming Li looked at Cao Jun: "Dumplings are for eating. Why do they need to be so pretty? It's not like we're keeping them for New Year."
Ming Xi nodded repeatedly.
Cao Jun: "I can't eat ones this ugly. In previous years, all the ugly dumplings Tuanzi made were fed to Ming Qi."
Ming Li: Good thing I can wrap them well myself.
Shuge'er: "Xi'er, don't listen to them."
Ling Cang smiled. "How should dumplings be wrapped? I've never seen it. Xi'er said you wrap them well, so we came to learn."
Shu ge'er smiled. "I see. Let Ming Li teach you. He wraps the best here."
Ming Li picked up a dough wrapper. "It's simple." He demonstrated for Ling Cang.
After just one, Ling Cang said, "Alright, that's enough."
Ming Li was stunned. "You learned it?"
Ling Cang nodded, picked up a dough wrapper, and in a few moves wrapped one that was almost identical to Ming li's.
Cao Jun looked at Ming Li. He learned faster than you.
Ming Li smiled and shook his head.
"I received the greeting gift. I will use it for the people of Qing. Such great kindness need not be spoken, but thank you."
Ling Cang nodded. "How you use it is up to you. Once given, it's yours to handle as you see fit."
"Might I ask, does the gentleman know where Ning Huaiyu is now?" Ming Li stood up, asking tentatively.
Ling Cang looked at him.
"He is in the Prince Cheng's Manor."
Prince Cheng was the late emperor's only surviving son. After Ming Li ascended the throne, he spared his life, letting him be an idle, powerless prince in the capital.
Then he added: "The dungeon."
Ming Li's hand instantly clenched. Just knowing where he was was enough. Asking more would be pressing his luck; as the saying goes, divine secrets cannot be divulged.
He bowed to Cao Jun and Shu ge'er. "Father, Daddy, please forgive your son for not being able to celebrate New Year's Eve with you. I must go save him."
Shu ge'er stood up. "The dungeon might be hard to break into."
Cao Jun also stood. "Shu'er, don't worry. Li'er has shadow guards with him; he won't be hurt."
"Brat, tell me, who is he to you?" Cao Jun asked.
"Father, Daddy, he... he might be your future daughter-in-law," Ming Li stated frankly.
"I like him. It has to be him!"
Ming Li had been strong-willed since childhood, and no one could change his mind once it was set. It was unclear whom he took after.
"Then go quickly. Don't keep him waiting," Cao Jun said, no longer dissuading.
"Prince Cheng cannot be touched for now."
"If it's inconvenient in the capital, he can stay at the Cao residence first," Shu ge'er said.
Ming Li nodded, glanced at Ming Xi and Ling Cang, and went out.
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