Volume One: Flames on the Frontier Chapter Seven: A New Year's Gift

Curious, He Yu pushed open the door to see what was happening. It turned out someone was burning bamboo joints, and so the name "firecracker" was quite literal. His interest piqued, he pulled two bamboo stalks from the courtyard, lit a bonfire, and roasted them in the yard. Deng’er, covering her ears with both hands, watched in awe and fear. The bamboo joints sizzled and bubbled, then burst with loud pops.

The bonfire cast its glow onto the night sky, and a few snowflakes drifted down—it was snowing.

Deng’er reached out, catching snowflakes in the air, as joyful as a young deer.

During the Eastern Jin, there was also the custom of staying up on New Year's Eve. The three generations—grandfather, granddaughter, and He Yu—sat around the hearth, eating dried fruits gathered from the mountains days earlier, sharing jokes and stories. Lin Su, having drunk some wine and grown older, finally couldn't resist his weariness and went to sleep in the east room.

He Yu had been waiting for his grandfather to go to bed; he had a performance planned. Lin Deng’er stoked the fire, shelling mountain walnuts for He Yu.

He Yu cleared his throat, smiling, “Deng’er, tonight is New Year's Eve. I have a gift for you. Close your eyes.”

“A New Year’s gift?” Lin Deng’er had never heard of such a thing, but since it was from Brother Yu, it must be right. She obediently closed her eyes.

He Yu took out a box of rouge and powder, waved it before her eyes, “Alright, open your eyes. What is this?”

“Ah, rouge and powder!” Lin Deng’er often served beside Chen Qingyun and recognized these at a glance. She grabbed them, turning them over in her hands, unable to let go. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes.

Deng’er loved beauty, but family circumstances were tight and she was naturally frugal, so she hadn’t dared to dream of such things. That Brother Yu was so thoughtful made her feel as if a dream had come true.

He Yu smiled mysteriously, speaking softly, “Deng’er, close your eyes again; I have another gift for you.”

Filled with joy, Deng’er stopped thinking altogether, and closed her eyes as told. Her long lashes quivered, betraying her excitement.

He Yu took out a hairpin, shaking it gently in the air, making a pleasant tinkling sound.

“Deng’er, open your eyes.”

Deng’er opened her bright eyes and saw the glittering hairpin at once. She snatched it, too happy to stand still. By day, she worked, by night, she wove, managing the household like a little adult, but at fifteen she was still a blossoming girl. In her delight, her girlish nature shone through.

“Heh, Deng’er, look here, what is this?”

He Yu, seeing her so pleased, struck while the iron was hot, quickly pulling out a thin bronze mirror and holding it up to her.

“Ah!” Lin Deng’er cried out, overwhelmed by a triple wave of joy, and buried her head in He Yu’s arms.

“Wuu... wuu... wuuuu...” she sobbed.

He Yu stroked her hair, feeling utterly happy. Though ancient custom forbade men and women from such intimacy, their true emotions overcame all formality.

He Yu gently tucked the hairpin into Deng’er’s bun, and, unable to help himself, placed a light kiss upon her clear, bright eyes. Lin Deng’er blushed and quivered with excitement, torn between shyness and delight.

After a while, Deng’er managed to calm down, and teased, “Brother Yu, I know you’re good to me, but you shouldn’t buy so many things.”

She spoke as she admired her reflection in the bronze mirror, hairpin atop her head.

He Yu understood her words were half sincere, half reluctant.

He had already heard that after the New Year, the fortress would recruit a batch of retainers. Retainers belonged to the upper tier, their treatment ten times better than ordinary workers, with allotted fields and more free time. The recruitment would focus on skills in archery, horsemanship, blade, and stone-throwing. As a special forces soldier, he had a solid foundation; with a bit of intensive training, he might make the cut. Lin Su’s ancestors were military households, so horsemanship and archery were surely no problem.

The next day was New Year’s Day, then called Yuanri, with customs similar to the modern day: drinking Tusu wine, eating sticky sweets, washing up early, dressing neatly, visiting neighbors to exchange greetings, and bowing to elders, a practice called “kowtowing for the year.”

He Yu finished breakfast, tidied up, and was about to go out to greet neighbors. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the courtyard, and many people poured in, all chattering with New Year’s wishes.

Old Lin Su was well respected, and Deng’er and He Yu were well liked, so neighbors came early to pay their respects.

The three greeted everyone with smiles, offering tea and snacks. A few young relatives knelt and kowtowed to Lin Su, wishing him peace and joy. Lin Su reached out to help them up, his face full of gentle smiles.

He Yu thought, “In modern times, kowtowing to elders means giving red envelopes. That probably wasn’t a custom in Eastern Jin, but more ceremony can only help. It’s festive and earns the family a good reputation, which is beneficial in the long run.”

Thinking so, He Yu gave each kowtowing junior ten coins, a total of over a hundred and fifty coins. (Eastern Jin currency was chaotic, but the standard was the five-zhu coin. According to research, one five-zhu coin was worth about 0.2 to 0.4 RMB today, but its purchasing power was much greater. So ten coins was quite a lot.)

He Yu felt his pockets—less than thirty coins left—so he emptied them and scattered them in the courtyard. The children cheered, scrambling to pick them up, making the adults laugh.

Having played the generous child, all the two hundred coins he’d saved for New Year were spent. But He Yu didn’t mind; his modern view was that money is meant to be spent, and in ancient times, after food and clothing, there wasn’t much to spend it on anyway—might as well enjoy the liveliness.

Lin Su, seventy years old and world-worn, was unconcerned about money. Lin Deng’er, however, was distressed, tugging He Yu’s sleeve several times. He Yu pretended not to notice, chatting with the neighbors.

Once the crowd dispersed, Lin Deng’er pouted, sulking against the wall. He Yu snuck over, blowing gently in her ear, “Money is but a worldly possession, little lady Deng’er, why so stingy?”

Deng’er, amused by He Yu’s antics, finally couldn’t keep up the act and burst into laughter, as vivid as a flower. She wasn’t really stingy, only frugal out of necessity. But seeing Brother Yu happy and everyone in good spirits, she felt proud—the most joyful New Year since she could remember.

Lin Deng’er rolled her eyes at He Yu, then brought out pepper-cypress wine (made from pepper leaves and cypress leaves, believed to ward off illness and bring blessings), and peach broth (made from peach branches, leaves, and stems, thought to drive away evil).

The pepper-cypress wine was to be drunk first by the youngest, so Deng’er drank first, then He Yu, and finally Lin Su. After the peach broth, Deng’er served Tusu wine and sticky sweets. (Tusu wine is medicinal, made from rhubarb, cinnamon, windproof herbs, pepper, aconite, and other ingredients. Drinking Tusu wine was a New Year's tradition in ancient times, believed to ward off evil and awaken spirits, as Wang Anshi wrote: “Amidst firecrackers, a year passes; spring breeze brings warmth into the Tusu.”)

With the sweets finished, the New Year was complete. Though material things were lacking compared to modern times, Deng’er’s capable hands made He Yu’s first New Year in this era warm and full of ceremony.

After New Year’s, the villagers resumed their labors. He Yu had two plans for the year: “First, renovate the house and add a room. Men and women should have separate quarters; Deng’er had ceded her room to He Yu, sharing with her grandfather, which was inconvenient since she worked at night and disturbed the old man’s rest. Second, quickly learn archery, horsemanship, blade, and stone-throwing to pass the retainer recruitment and enter the upper level of the fortress.”

He Yu calculated that renovating the house would cost four to five thousand coins; if he and his grandfather worked hard for half a year, they could nearly save enough. The retainer recruitment was set for Lantern Festival, the fifteenth of the first month—time was tight, and he had to prepare immediately.

At dinner, He Yu shared his plans. Lin Su and Lin Deng’er listened in silence.

Both fully supported the house renovation, but when it came to becoming a retainer, they grew heavy-hearted.

He Yu couldn’t fathom why.

Finally, Lin Su spoke, his tone somber: “Yu’er, you haven’t been here long, but you know I once had three sons and seven grandsons—all died on the battlefield, their bodies never returned. Being a soldier means tying your head to your belt, licking blood from the blade... I’m old now, no longer a military household, and I’m truly afraid... I am a man without virtue, all my descendants lost early. Meeting you has given me comfort in my old age. If you and Deng’er stay home safely, I can die in peace.”

A line of tears slid down the old man’s deeply wrinkled face, sticking to his beard.

As he spoke, Lin Su undid his robe, baring his torso. His body, still sturdy, was covered in scars, layered and overlapping, each a mark from his years of battle.

Lin Deng’er, her eyes full of tears, anxiously said, “Brother Yu, the master’s household was the same. Three generations, dozens of men, all died in battle, leaving only Master Chen... Retainer wages are high, but they're paid for with lives. I’m afraid... I’m afraid...”

She couldn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear: she feared for He Yu’s life. Having lost her family so young, she couldn’t bear to lose Brother Yu.

Their worries were not unfounded, but after all he’d seen and heard these days, He Yu thought it was still worth trying for the retainer post.

He Yu analyzed calmly: “Grandfather, Deng’er, I understand your fears and will be extra cautious. But in these chaotic times, can we really be safe just by hiding at home? Our family was once a military household, looked down upon, but ordinary folk don’t have it any easier. Rather than living in fear, at the mercy of others, it’s better to take a bold step—maybe it’s a chance at a better life.”

His words were reasonable, hard to refute. And indeed, that was the reality.