"Where did the old shopkeeper go?"
"Ah, why is the young lady covering her face? She hasn't been out for so long, and now that she's out, we still can't see her..."
"She smells so good, hehe, she just walked past me..."
Seeing the old shopkeeper and Wu He's junior sister leave, the workers felt a bit strange, especially regretting not being able to see the junior sister's beautiful face.
Of course, some sensitive ones felt something was off.
The shopkeeper had always lived in the inner courtyard, rarely showing himself, but having such a capable person around made them feel secure.
Suddenly, he left at night, which made them feel inexplicably uneasy.
"Don't just stand there," Hu Ma said.
"We won't patrol tonight, but we still need to light the lanterns."
With the shopkeeper gone, Hu Ma was in charge.
The workers didn't dare to slack off and quickly went to fetch the lanterns.
There were three lanterns in the manor—one large and two small.
The small ones were used for patrolling, while the large one usually hung at the manor's entrance.
Made of some kind of tough, thin, blood-red material, it contained a special oil that could burn for a long time.
The oil in the lantern was running low, so Hu Ma ordered them to add more.
Soon, the lanterns were lit, but instead of hanging them back, Hu Ma had them placed in the inner courtyard on a tall pole, casting a red glow over the area.
Looking up at the red lantern hanging above, the workers exchanged uneasy glances.
They didn't know what was going on, but with the shopkeeper gone and the lanterns moved, the atmosphere felt strange.
"Hu... Hu steward," one worker dared to ask softly, "Is something happening today?"
As soon as he spoke, the others turned to look, their eyes filled with unease.
"Nothing's happening," Hu Ma smiled at them.
"It's just nearing the end of the year, and the shopkeeper has some arrangements. The rules are a bit different now."
"Oh, and about what you've been concerned about, I asked for you," he added, looking pleased.
"Even though we're all new here, we can go home for the New Year. Not only that, but we'll also get money and food to take back. Everyone can go home in style."
"What?"
The workers had been worried about this, and hearing such good news, they were overjoyed.
Just being able to go home for New Year's dinner was already a big deal, but to also bring back money and food? It felt like a dream.
Seeing the excitement on each other's faces, their joy soared.
Hu Ma was satisfied with their reaction.
If he had told them what was really going to happen, they might have panicked, and their courage would have weakened.
Fear is contagious, after all.
But by giving them good news, their spirits lifted, and their morale soared, which was the best way to ward off evil.
As they chattered excitedly, asking when they could leave and how much money they'd get, Hu Ma answered them one by one, keeping their spirits high.
But just as the excitement reached its peak, a sudden clapper sound came from outside the courtyard.
In the quiet of the night, the sound was sharp and clear, and a faint light appeared in the distance.
The workers climbed onto stools to look outside and were shocked.
The small town, usually asleep by now, had several lanterns lit along the dirt road.
Under the lanterns, an old man was performing a shadow puppet show.
Further away, there was a juggler, a monkey trainer, and a sugar-coated hawthorn seller.
The town was small, with only about a hundred households, mostly serving merchants traveling to and from Mingzhou.
With fewer merchants passing through, how could there suddenly be so many performers?
The lively performances had no audience.
Who were they performing for? Especially since all the houses were tightly shut, with no one watching.
The stark contrast made the workers uneasy, and the one who had climbed the wall to look came down pale, unable to speak.
Hu Ma didn't need to look.
Hearing the clapper, he knew what was happening.
Seeing the workers' hesitation, he deliberately joked, "These performers must be out of their minds. The people in this town are stingy; no one's giving them money. They must be performing for ghosts."
The workers tried to laugh along, but it came out forced.
Hu Ma ignored it and waved his hand.
"We should give them some money, but the shopkeeper said we can't go out. So today, we'll just enjoy the free show."
"Kids, how's the food coming?" he called toward the kitchen.
"With the shopkeeper gone, I'm in charge today. Forget the pickled vegetables and corn porridge. Slaughter a sheep, cut some meat, and bring out the wine from the shopkeeper's room. Let's celebrate early."
"What?"
The workers were stunned, thinking they were dreaming.
Most of them came from poor families, and even those with some wealth rarely ate meat.
In the manor, they were supposed to have blood offerings, but it was barely enough to taste, and it wasn't the same as the pork, beef, or lamb they craved.
In short, they were used to a vegetarian diet, with little meat throughout the month.
The last time Hu Ma brought sheep from the village, they were for show, not for eating.
But now, Hu Ma's sudden decision made them doubt it was real.
Seeing Hu Ma's smile and realizing he wasn't joking, they erupted in joy and got to work.
They fetched basins, sharpened knives, boiled water, and led the sheep to the basin.
Even Li Wa and the kitchen staff were stunned, never expecting to prepare such a feast.
Since it was all going into their stomachs, they put their all into it, using ingredients they usually saved.
Hu Ma even brought out several jars of wine and had them prepare a pot of sugar water to sober up later.
Not only that, Hu Ma checked the kitchen and found a jar with about two or three pounds of frozen meat—Qingtai Sui, usually reserved for the workers.
It was enough for everyone for a month, but Hu Ma waved his hand and told Li Wa to cook it all, promising the workers they could eat and drink to their hearts' content.
He'd just ask the shopkeeper for more tomorrow.
With lamb and Qingtai Sui, the workers were more excited than during New Year, bustling around in high spirits.
Amid the excitement, only Zhou Datong looked puzzled.
He glanced at Hu Ma, who nodded slightly, and Zhou immediately understood.
He kicked a worker and scolded, "You've never had good food, have you? Why cut it into small pieces and stew it? Today, Brother Hu Ma is treating us. We're roasting the whole lamb and cutting it with knives. It's delicious!"
"Who's rich enough to eat lamb like that?"
Just thinking about it made the workers drool.
Hu Ma, hearing this, realized Zhou's grandfather must have been quite corrupt in the village to afford whole lambs.
Zhou's suggestion was met with unanimous approval.
They built a stone stove in the courtyard, gathered enough firewood, lit the fire, and set the lamb on the spit.
Those with knives eagerly waited to carve the meat, while those without grabbed kitchen knives.
Zhao Zhu even brought a manure fork but was forced to throw it aside.
"Alright, open the wine, let's feast!"
Two tables were set up in the courtyard, laden with rare delicacies.
A fire burned nearby, roasting the lamb.
Hu Ma silently calculated the time and, when it was right, raised his wine bowl, leading the workers in a toast before they dug into the meat.
As the night deepened and silence enveloped the area, the red lantern hanging above cast an eerie glow.
But the workers were genuinely happy, laughing and shouting, their joy overshadowing the strange atmosphere.
Just as the excitement peaked and they were completely absorbed in the feast, the manor's gate creaked open, pushed by the wind.
A pale face peeked in from the dark outside, then quickly disappeared.
The workers froze, their wine bowls trembling in their hands.
Hu Ma, sensing their fear, suddenly laughed.
"Hey, whose wife is that? Is she lonely and wants to join us for New Year?"
The workers stared for a moment, then burst into laughter again.
(End of Chapter)