Aged Ginger Is Spicier Than Fresh Ginger (Part Four)
Gu HuaiJiang said 40, so it was 40.
Before setting out, everyone exited the manor to send them off, as Gu Yi shifted from side to side atop his horse.
It was not a result of having never ridden a horse. Instead, it was because he had never gone on such a long trip before, thus he was filled with excitement.
Despite their age, this was the first time that Gu Xiang would be apart from Gu Yi, and he was not too used to it.
“You need to be careful along the way. Don’t go causing eldest brother any trouble. Also, once you get to JinLing, don’t have so much fun that you forget about home. We will be waiting for you to celebrate the new year.”
On this trip to JinLing, ten days would be enough for a round trip.
Doing some calculations, they would definitely be able to return in time for the new year.
“Sixth brother, these are some pastries that were prepared for you. There aren’t any crab cakes because those will crumble with the slightest movement, so there are only some items that won’t break so easily. At any rate, it will taste better than dried rations.”
Yu Fu lifted a cloth bundle and hung it on his saddle, “Eldest brother, if you get hungry, just eat the pastry. There are the sweet green rice balls that you like the most.”*
Gu Yi: “Then why don’t you hang it from eldest brother’s saddle?”
Yu Fu said earnestly, “Hanging it from eldest brother’s saddle doesn’t look good.”
Gu Yi: “…”
So it was fine if he did not look good, and it was of utmost importance that eldest brother looked good, right?
Gu ShuBai nodded to her, “It’s no longer early. I fear that it will snow soon. Father, we will be setting off first.”
Su YunYan poked her head out through the carriage’s window, “Yu Fu, next time, you come play in JinLing. I will bring you to see Yuhuatai, and the city moat has many beautiful gems! It’s also fine if you can’t come. I will quickly be returning to the capital!”
“Alright, sister Su, until next time!”
Wearing small red gloves, she waved to her.
Watching the procession depart, snowflakes began to fall, and their lines of sight became blurry.
Sure enough, Gu ShuBai was right, as it had begun snowing so soon.
Their journey would definitely be very difficult.
“Let’s all go back inside. JiuGe, your eldest brother is no longer here, so the matters in the manor will be left to you to handle.”
“Eldest brother has advised me of this earlier. Father, please feel at ease to handle military matters. Son will take care of matters in the manor.”
…
There was still more than half a month remaining until the new year, and it was almost time for the school to let out for winter break.
Gu Yi had asked for leave and left. On this day, Yu Fu went to the school with Gu WenQing and Gu Xiang to attend the final class of the year.
Lin FengMiao stepped into the classroom and looked around in good spirits. Not seeing Gu Yi was truly a gratifying thing.
“Once today’s class ends, winter break will begin. When the Lantern Festival has ended, everyone will return to class. This old man knows that you are all burning with impatience, thus I also have no desire to hold classes today.”
The students nearly erupted in cheers.
Not having class was good. Just let them go and play!
“SiDao, bring it in.”
Zhou SiDao brought in a stack of long red paper. Each strip was as long as a person was tall, and he carefully placed them on the table.
“Our Guang Sha Study’s tradition is to have the students write a New Year’s couplet before the winter break. The couplets are then placed all over the classroom. Right now, each person will be given one piece of paper each. Once you have finished writing it and submitted it, you may be dismissed from class.”
They could leave after they finished writing it?
This was great!
Everyone rubbed their hands in anticipation, brimming with impatience. Before Zhou SiDao had even distributed the strips of paper, one person had already dipped their brush in ink.
“Each person only gets four strips, and you must write a New Year’s couplet. Regardless of what the end result looks like, it will be hung in the classroom. I welcome everyone to be thoughtful with their writing.”
Hiss…
Someone inhaled sharply, shakily pulling back the brush that they were about to bring to paper for fear of dripping ink on the paper.
The New Year’s couplets being hung up in Guang Sha Study would be there for the year. If they wrote too poorly, would they not be losing face from the beginning of the year until the next?
They would need to write well for this.
However, it was already too late for some.
“Uh oh, teacher Lin, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
One voiced their complaints, and everyone turned to look at him. On one of Gu ChangMing’s pieces of paper, the word spring had already been messily written down.
It was immediately evident that he had begun writing without much thought.
Yu Fu covered her mouth and secretly laughed then looked over at Gu WenQing. He had already begun writing.
His posture was calm and relaxed, and he looked like he had a well-thought-out plan.
Gu Xiang was still nibbling on his brush while deep in thought. He knew just how talented his older brother and younger sister were. He would need to get a little more serious. He could not lose to them by too much.
Not long later, Yu Fu also thought of a fitting couplet and wrote it down on some spare paper.
Gu Xiang tilted his head to take a look, “This is a good idea. Why did I not think of it? Write it down first to take a look before copying it over to the red paper.”
The students nearby that heard him all ignored the red paper and picked up pieces of scrap paper.
Zhou SiDao nodded his head in satisfaction and gave Lin FengMiao a look.
To be so thorough in her approach to things at such a young age, Yu Fu was the youngest in the class, but she did not fall behind at all when it came to the classes.
Even more, she had a cleverness that others did not.
Gu WenQing was the first to stop writing. He had drafted things up while writing and did it very smoothly.
Blowing lightly on the ink then writing his name below the couplet in small font, he then handed it to Lin FengMiao.
“Silvery-white snow heralds the end of the year; Gentle winds and light rains are omens of a good year. Good, very good, your work has always been like this, gentle and refined. Your handwriting is also neat and elegant. Let’s hang it up in the corridor to the backyard.”
Everyone looked up. It was written so well, so why was it being hung up in the backyard where it would not be seen?
Lin FengMiao slowly looked around, and everyone suddenly realized.
He wanted to stick the ugliest one in the place where it would be seen the most!
When it comes to ginger, older really is spicier. This trick really was vicious!
TN: Title is an idiom meaning that older people can be harder to deal with because of their experience with many things.
*TN: Sweet green rice balls are balls of glutinous rice stuffed with red bean paste. They get their green color from mugwort
Aged Ginger Is Spicier Than Fresh Ginger (Part Four)
Gu HuaiJiang said 40, so it was 40.
Before setting out, everyone exited the manor to send them off, as Gu Yi shifted from side to side atop his horse.
It was not a result of having never ridden a horse. Instead, it was because he had never gone on such a long trip before, thus he was filled with excitement.
Despite their age, this was the first time that Gu Xiang would be apart from Gu Yi, and he was not too used to it.
“You need to be careful along the way. Don’t go causing eldest brother any trouble. Also, once you get to JinLing, don’t have so much fun that you forget about home. We will be waiting for you to celebrate the new year.”
On this trip to JinLing, ten days would be enough for a round trip.
Doing some calculations, they would definitely be able to return in time for the new year.
“Sixth brother, these are some pastries that were prepared for you. There aren’t any crab cakes because those will crumble with the slightest movement, so there are only some items that won’t break so easily. At any rate, it will taste better than dried rations.”
Yu Fu lifted a cloth bundle and hung it on his saddle, “Eldest brother, if you get hungry, just eat the pastry. There are the sweet green rice balls that you like the most.”*
Gu Yi: “Then why don’t you hang it from eldest brother’s saddle?”
Yu Fu said earnestly, “Hanging it from eldest brother’s saddle doesn’t look good.”
Gu Yi: “…”
So it was fine if he did not look good, and it was of utmost importance that eldest brother looked good, right?
Gu ShuBai nodded to her, “It’s no longer early. I fear that it will snow soon. Father, we will be setting off first.”
Su YunYan poked her head out through the carriage’s window, “Yu Fu, next time, you come play in JinLing. I will bring you to see Yuhuatai, and the city moat has many beautiful gems! It’s also fine if you can’t come. I will quickly be returning to the capital!”
“Alright, sister Su, until next time!”
Wearing small red gloves, she waved to her.
Watching the procession depart, snowflakes began to fall, and their lines of sight became blurry.
Sure enough, Gu ShuBai was right, as it had begun snowing so soon.
Their journey would definitely be very difficult.
“Let’s all go back inside. JiuGe, your eldest brother is no longer here, so the matters in the manor will be left to you to handle.”
“Eldest brother has advised me of this earlier. Father, please feel at ease to handle military matters. Son will take care of matters in the manor.”
…
There was still more than half a month remaining until the new year, and it was almost time for the school to let out for winter break.
Gu Yi had asked for leave and left. On this day, Yu Fu went to the school with Gu WenQing and Gu Xiang to attend the final class of the year.
Lin FengMiao stepped into the classroom and looked around in good spirits. Not seeing Gu Yi was truly a gratifying thing.
“Once today’s class ends, winter break will begin. When the Lantern Festival has ended, everyone will return to class. This old man knows that you are all burning with impatience, thus I also have no desire to hold classes today.”
The students nearly erupted in cheers.
Not having class was good. Just let them go and play!
“SiDao, bring it in.”
Zhou SiDao brought in a stack of long red paper. Each strip was as long as a person was tall, and he carefully placed them on the table.
“Our Guang Sha Study’s tradition is to have the students write a New Year’s couplet before the winter break. The couplets are then placed all over the classroom. Right now, each person will be given one piece of paper each. Once you have finished writing it and submitted it, you may be dismissed from class.”
They could leave after they finished writing it?
This was great!
Everyone rubbed their hands in anticipation, brimming with impatience. Before Zhou SiDao had even distributed the strips of paper, one person had already dipped their brush in ink.
“Each person only gets four strips, and you must write a New Year’s couplet. Regardless of what the end result looks like, it will be hung in the classroom. I welcome everyone to be thoughtful with their writing.”
Hiss…
Someone inhaled sharply, shakily pulling back the brush that they were about to bring to paper for fear of dripping ink on the paper.
The New Year’s couplets being hung up in Guang Sha Study would be there for the year. If they wrote too poorly, would they not be losing face from the beginning of the year until the next?
They would need to write well for this.
However, it was already too late for some.
“Uh oh, teacher Lin, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
One voiced their complaints, and everyone turned to look at him. On one of Gu ChangMing’s pieces of paper, the word spring had already been messily written down.
It was immediately evident that he had begun writing without much thought.
Yu Fu covered her mouth and secretly laughed then looked over at Gu WenQing. He had already begun writing.
His posture was calm and relaxed, and he looked like he had a well-thought-out plan.
Gu Xiang was still nibbling on his brush while deep in thought. He knew just how talented his older brother and younger sister were. He would need to get a little more serious. He could not lose to them by too much.
Not long later, Yu Fu also thought of a fitting couplet and wrote it down on some spare paper.
Gu Xiang tilted his head to take a look, “This is a good idea. Why did I not think of it? Write it down first to take a look before copying it over to the red paper.”
The students nearby that heard him all ignored the red paper and picked up pieces of scrap paper.
Zhou SiDao nodded his head in satisfaction and gave Lin FengMiao a look.
To be so thorough in her approach to things at such a young age, Yu Fu was the youngest in the class, but she did not fall behind at all when it came to the classes.
Even more, she had a cleverness that others did not.
Gu WenQing was the first to stop writing. He had drafted things up while writing and did it very smoothly.
Blowing lightly on the ink then writing his name below the couplet in small font, he then handed it to Lin FengMiao.
“Silvery-white snow heralds the end of the year; Gentle winds and light rains are omens of a good year. Good, very good, your work has always been like this, gentle and refined. Your handwriting is also neat and elegant. Let’s hang it up in the corridor to the backyard.”
Everyone looked up. It was written so well, so why was it being hung up in the backyard where it would not be seen?
Lin FengMiao slowly looked around, and everyone suddenly realized.
He wanted to stick the ugliest one in the place where it would be seen the most!
When it comes to ginger, older really is spicier. This trick really was vicious!
TN: Title is an idiom meaning that older people can be harder to deal with because of their experience with many things.
*TN: Sweet green rice balls are balls of glutinous rice stuffed with red bean paste. They get their green color from mugwort
