Chapter 525: Chapter 524: What Happened to Staying Up All Night?

Xiao Chong dipped his brush in ink and wrote the names of the door gods, “Shentu” and “Yu Lei,” in one continuous stroke on two peachwood boards. Lin Wanwan, sitting on a crescent stool nearby, watched intently.

Compared to writing Spring Festival couplets and the character for fortune in the afternoon, writing these two pieces of peach wood charms was much easier.

After finishing, Xiao Chong put down the brush on the brush stand, glanced at Lin Wanwan, as if expecting her to create some mischief.

But Lin Wanwan didn’t this time; she just gazed at the freshly made peach charms and sighed, “I didn’t expect Cousin’s Qin Seal script to be this good.”

With the Qin Seal script enhancing the two peachwood boards, they instantly took on a simple elegance, full of historical charm. The magic of calligraphy is truly wondrous.

Xiao Chong wasn’t swayed by Lin Wanwan’s flattery and calmly said, “It’s nothing much, Cousin praises me too highly.”

“Let me try too, Cousin teach me.”

Xiao Chong was somewhat surprised and laughed, “Alright.”

Lin Wanwan eagerly picked up a brush, took a sheet of paper, dipped it in the ink just prepared by Xiao Chong, and began to copy.

Back in elementary school, she learned basic skills with regular script styles like Ou Yang, Liu, and Zhao, but hadn’t touched upon others.

Later, when she progressed to middle school, the extracurricular activities were virtually non-existent, everything giving way to exam-focused education, and she no longer had access to free calligraphy classes.

However, having taken six years of calligraphy classes, she was somewhat familiar with other scripts in the calligraphy world, though she hadn’t learned them and couldn’t write them well.

Since she had already planned to stay up all night for the New Year’s vigil, finding something to do, like practicing calligraphy, was a good way to pass the time.

With such a great opportunity to learn one-on-one from a master calligrapher like Xiao Chong, how could she afford to miss it?

Xiao Chong and a few of his companions, being strangers in this foreign land, had come to Lin Family Manor with the intention of spending New Year’s together here.

If they remained at the county government office staring at each other, it would be too lonely.

The writing desks of Tang Dynasty scholars were different from modern desks and not as high.

In terms of comfort, modern ones are certainly better, but Lin Wanwan liked this ancient style a lot, so her home was still crafted with the prevalent long desks of the Great Tang, not the modern style.

Low desks paired with crescent stools were both elegant and not tiring, and now the schools were all equipped with this style of stool.

The two of them practiced calligraphy in the study for quite a while, and it was only when Lin Wanwan grew weary that this “Qin Seal Calligraphy Class” ended.

Lin Wanwan’s unfamiliarity with seal script, lack of recognition of Qin Seal, and her overall fluctuating knowledge were something Xiao Chong had long noticed.

It seemed her knowledge system was entirely different from what the ordinary students of the Tang Dynasty learned, but it wasn’t bad, just unique in its own strengths.

What kind of civilization could support a brand new vast knowledge system like this? Lin Wanwan claimed she learned with her master in the mountains, but Xiao Chong had reservations.

“Ha~” Lin Wanwan covered her mouth with her hand and yawned, forcing out two tears.

It’s so much easier to stay awake browsing a phone or reading a novel; why is it so hard when it’s about practicing calligraphy?

“It’s still bustling outside; the Great Tang’s New Year’s Eve is truly lively.” Lin Wanwan remarked.

It was near midnight by this time, but outside, the sounds of firecrackers and music continued unabated.

The song and dance exorcism ritual had ended, but the noise persisted.

For the people of Lin Family Manor, this year was a rare bountiful year, with every household having surplus grain and living in new homes.

Today, they even received distributions from the clan of mutton, pork, chicken, duck, goose, their eggs, silk, and millet, able to have a dignified New Year’s, and staying up till dawn was a must.

For the whole family to stay awake until dawn was a bit difficult, but family members could take turns to keep watch until daylight.

To stay alert, some young people took out copper coins to play a leaf game (similar to playing cards, invented in the Tang Dynasty).

In aristocratic families, leaf games were more often a pastime for women, as men preferred drinking wine, reciting poetry, and playing drinking games. But in ordinary people’s homes, this game wasn’t restricted by gender.

As everyone had low literacy, they couldn’t compose poems, and couldn’t afford to drink all night, what else could they do but play cards!

Gambling a little for fun was something they only did during New Year’s to come together and relax, and after all, it was all within the family, and wins or losses were among themselves.

In modern understanding, seeing the new year through to midnight past zero would count as the next day. But from the various poems left by the literati of the Tang Dynasty, it could be seen that the New Year’s vigil lasted until dawn.

By the lively commotion throughout the night, they drove away the year beast and the exorcism spirits, ensuring good fortune and health in the coming year.

“Cousin is tired; you might as well go rest first.”

“No! We agreed to stay up for the New Year, we must stay till the sun rises!”

“There’s no need, I can keep watch for you.”

“No! I am the head of the household, I should keep watch myself.”

Below the writing desk, Lin Wanwan unceremoniously stretched her legs to relax, then propped her chin with her hand and said, “Cousin, how come you have such energy? Since you do, why not play a few tunes? It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such heavenly music.”

Xiao Chong cheerfully agreed, “Alright.”

“There, in the wooden case.” Lin Wanwan lazily pointed.

She was so sleepy she had given up on maintaining any decorum and was slumping in her seat.

The Jiaowei Zither gifted by Xiao Chong was kept in this study. Lin Wanwan didn’t practice the zither much, she preferred the konghou instead.

But this zither was precious and had to be placed in the most solemn place in the house to prevent being damaged by little Qingyu.

Little Qingyu least liked coming into the study, whether it was Lin Wanwan’s study or the one especially prepared for her, she stayed as far away as she could.

So placing the ancient zither here was the safest.

The ethereal and distant sound of the ancient zither began to play under Xiao Chong’s fingers, and listening to his music instantly blocked out the outside noise, like entering a celestial realm.

Who knows how much time had passed before Xiao Chong glanced up from the zither desk to find Lin Wanwan had fallen into a deep sleep at the writing desk.

Xiao Chong chuckled softly, stood up, put the zither away, walked over to Lin Wanwan, hesitated for a moment, then picked her up and headed to the side chamber where incense was burning.

Lin Wanwan’s residence was designed by Wang Dulei, with underfloor heating on the first floor of the main building. In winter, with the charcoal fire constantly burning, the house was warm, even the temperature on the second floor was high.

Hence, whether the study, the side chamber or the main hall, after closing the doors and windows and drawing the curtains, wasn’t particularly cold, similar to the effect of using modern oil heaters.

Comparatively, the side chamber, with its best insulation, was naturally the warmest, similar to a typical warm pavilion.

Keeping watch there for the New Year was naturally a smart choice.

Hong Yan, who was standing outside the study, saw Lin Wanwan was carried to the side chamber and quickly switched places too.

Xiao Chong placed Lin Wanwan on the Imperial Concubine’s Couch, and Hong Yan fetched a nearby blanket to cover Lin Wanwan.

“You guard your mistress to prevent her from falling off.” For some reason, Xiao Chong felt Lin Wanwan seemed like someone with a restless sleeping habit, the narrow Imperial Concubine’s Couch might not hold her.

“Understood.”

After settling Lin Wanwan, Xiao Chong sat on a meditation cushion nearby, closed his eyes, and meditated.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep