"Your Highness, this new yuan is coming, how are we going to live?" Wan'er dangled in front of Zhu Youzhen early in the morning, but Zhu Youzhen was thinking about the people of Yansui and ignored her, she really couldn't help it.

"S$? How to live - Wan'er, it's rare for us not to have a new dollar in the palace once, or else, to live the people's new dollar? ”

"The people's new dollar?" Wan'er's eyes widened, "Then let's make dumplings?" ”

"Making dumplings? Okay, just make dumplings. Wan'er: Do you make dumplings? ”

"Yes, I wrapped it at home when I was a child." Wan'er's eyes rolled, "Your Highness, then hurry up and go to the street to buy materials, there is no meat filling, we can only eat big buns to pass the new yuan." ”

"Well, then you open an order, and I'll ask Mu Jiu to arrange for someone to buy it on the street." Zhu Youjian thought about it, this tomorrow is Chinese New Year's Eve, there is nothing at home, there is no festive atmosphere at all.

Wan'er took out a pen and paper, brushed it a few times, and opened a long list, "Your Highness, take a look, there is anything missing." ”

Zhu Youzhen picked up the list and looked at it, obediently, there were forty catties of pork alone, "Wan'er, don't be so wasteful, right?" The three of us have a new dollar, do you think this is a wedding wine? ”

"Your Highness, isn't the new yuan more lively than the wedding wine?" Wan'er looked puzzled.

"Oh, so be it! Wait, Wan'er, it doesn't seem like there's any new clothes, right? "It's just ordinary people's homes, and they will buy new clothes for their children when they spend New Year. If you don't have new clothes, it's still called Xinyuan?

"Your Highness, wait until you think of the new clothes now, the daylilies are cold." Wan'er threw a roll of her eyes at Zhu Youzhen, "Our new clothes have already been made, and the tailor is still free to make new clothes for you?" ”

"Oh." Only then did Zhu Youzhen remember that at this time in Shaanxi, there was no clothing market, and only cloth was sold in the market, so he had to buy it back and ask a tailor to do it. "With Wan'er, I don't have to worry about these things, I'll let Mu Jiu arrange for someone to go to the street to buy vegetables.

On the last day of the sixth year of the Apocalypse, Wan'er was extremely busy. She couldn't look down on the clumsy soldiers, only Hu Xinxue, a maidservant girl from a young lady, gave her a hand.

After lunch, Wan'er and Hu Xinxue made dumplings. According to the habits of the people in the north of the Ming Dynasty, the dumplings they make should be enough to eat until the seventh day of the first month.

"Wan'er, seeing that you are busy, on this cold day, you sweat so much, you want to catch a cold. Otherwise, I'll help make dumplings too! This little dumpling doesn't bother me. Zhu Youzhen was also distressed when he looked at it, saying that the two of them were working, but in fact, it was mainly Wan'er, and Hu Xinxue was a half-ass.

"Your Highness has the world in mind, so let's be busy with your business!" Wan'er wiped the sweat on her forehead with her cuffs, and looked at Zhu Youzhen's eyes a little confused, "The slave maid usually can't help His Highness, and this matter of three meals a day will not be distracted by His Highness." ”

Hu Xinxue knew that she was not the material to be a maid, so she laughed wryly.

Zhu Youzhen is really idle today, and now the people are all at home to spend the new yuan, who wants to have an uninvited guest at home? Bored, Zhu Youzhen paced into the study and began to sort out the recipes for making perfumes. It's still winter, and the plants haven't sprouted, so it's impossible to pick all kinds of flowers for realization, but the recipe is better to fix it in detail first.

"Your Highness, eat dumplings!" Wan'er wore a white scarf on her head and a floral apron tied around her waist, looking like a housewife.

When Zhu Youzhen came to the dining hall, the table was already full of various dishes, as well as a large plate of steaming dumplings.

"Sister Xue'er, bring the Tu Su wine that Wen gave to His Highness." Wan'er took off her apron as she spoke, and threw it on the hanging rope.

"Okay, Your Highness will sit down first!" Cher agreed, and retrieved a delicate white porcelain flask that was steaming. Zhu Youzhen estimated that if it was to be full, it would probably be able to fill two or three taels of liquor.

Wan'er filled Zhu Youjian with a glass, "Your Highness, neither Sister Xue'er nor I can drink." Let's drink some dumpling soup and symbolically accompany His Highness to drink. ”

"Wan'er, that's not going to work. I heard that I drink soup on the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, and when I go out this year, I will catch up with the rain. Zhu Youzhen especially likes to see Wan'er's surprised appearance of opening her mouth and staring at her.

"Your Highness, what should I do? Why don't you let Captain Wang come over and have a drink with His Highness? Wan'er really hit the trick.

"There's no need for that, Captain Wang is usually by my side, and he's busy enough, so let's let them go crazy for one night today!" Zhu Youzhen's goal has been achieved, "I'll drink some by myself, you guys eat dumplings first, don't get cold." ”

"Wait, Your Highness, make a wish first." Wan'er clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and said something in her mouth.

Zhu Youzhen was puzzled, "Wan'er, what is this for?" ”

"Your Highness, Sister Wan'er put a copper purse in the dumplings. She said that whoever eats this copper coin will be able to fulfill the wish she made, and Your Highness may have a wish! Hu Xinxue smiled shyly at Zhu Youzhen.

"Oh, that's right!" Zhu Youzhen learned from Wan'er's appearance, and also folded his hands and made a wish: I hope that Shaanxi will have smooth weather in the coming year, and there will be no more major droughts.

In the end, Hu Xinxue may have made a wish, and the three of them began to eat.

Zhu Youzhen took a dumpling, put it in his mouth, and chewed it, "This dumpling ......"

"Your Highness, what's going on? The slave maid hasn't made dumplings for a long time, and I don't know if it suits His Highness's taste. Wan'er was looking forward to it, and she forgot to chew the dumplings in her mouth.

"Well, yes, the skin is thin but not broken, chewy; The filling is neither dry nor greasy. Not bad, not bad. Wan'er's craftsmanship is good. Zhu Youzhen swallowed the dumplings in one bite.

Wan'er's eyes sparkled, "Your Highness......"

"Haha, come, drink. Oh, I drink, you eat vegetables and dumplings. Zhu Youzhen tilted his neck and drank a full cup.

Zhu Youzhen took a piece of deer breast, put it in his mouth, and chewed it twice: "Xue'er, you burned this deer breast, right?" ”

"Yes! Your Highness. Hu Xinxue saw that Zhu Youzhen's face was wrong, and she also took a piece of deer breast and put it in her mouth, frowning lightly.

"Your Highness, this wild deer belongs to the mountain treasures, but it has some peculiar smell, you must put more wild peppers to get rid of the peculiar smell." Wan'er thought that Zhu Youzhen said that the deer breast was too spicy, but when she tasted it, she found that it was too salty, "Huh? Sister Xue'er, did you put salt? I thought you didn't put it, so I added a little. ”

"Huh?" Zhu Youzhen looked at Wan'er's flickering gaze, "Isn't it?" This deer breast is not fresh, do you still need to add salt to the braised and pickled deer breast? ”

Wan'er, what's wrong? Before I went to Xi'an, my relationship with Xue'er was like a soft-shelled turtle and Chinese cuisine, why did I maintain Xue'er in a blink of an eye? Want to unite against yourself? Hehe, they're not their own opponents alone anyway.

"This deer breast can't be eaten tonight, but it doesn't matter, it can be eaten anyway." Zhu Youzhen picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and didn't look at the two of them.

"Your Highness......" Wan'er sneered.

Xue'er was full of wine for Zhu Youzhen.

"Boom." Zhu Youzhen bit a very hard metal, Yi, what is this?

"Huh? His Highness has eaten the copper filling. Hu Xinxue was so excited that she was about to applaud.

"Really?" Wan'er was pleasantly surprised at first, and when Zhu Youzhen spit out the copper coin from his mouth, she looked a little depressed. "Your Highness's wish is about to come true, what is Your Highness's wish?"

"What else could it be? Of course, I hope that the wind and rain in Shaanxi will be smooth, the people will have enough food and clothing, and the government will have abundant taxes, and we will be able to return to Beijing as soon as possible. ”

"Your Highness's promises are all important things for the country and the people." Wan'er's brows furrowed.

After eating dumplings, Wan'er and Xue'er went to clean up the dishes, while Zhu Youzhen sat by the fire and dried his hands.

"Your Highness, what are we doing now?" Wan'er had already packed up the dishes and came out with Hu Xinxue one after the other.

"Hello......" Zhu Youzhen let out a long yawn, "Wan'er, I'm sleepy, wash my feet and sleep." Why are you more tired at home these days than running to Xi'an a few days ago? ”

"Then you still ...... every night" Wan'er rolled her eyes, but turned away, "Never tonight, it's either me or Sister Cher'er." ”

"Wash your feet first." Zhu Youzhen did not argue.

"Your Highness, today is Chinese New Year's Eve, and the people will keep the New Year at night." Hu Xinxue didn't know if Zhu Youzhen was really tired.

"What do you do when you keep the New Year? How long will it take? ”

"When you keep the New Year, you don't do anything but sit and wait for the day, at least, until after midnight. Is Your Highness really tired? ”

Zhu Youzhen estimated that it was now midnight, and it would only be more than an hour, "Then the New Year is coming!" "Anyway, it's not going to be okay these days.

"Sister Xue'er will make a pot of hot tea for His Highness, and I'll prepare some dried fruits." Wan'er opened her teeth lightly and got busy again.

In Zhu Youzhen's bedroom, the charcoal brazier had already been lit, which was the first batch of coal produced in Yansui Coal Mine.

Wan'er filled the small square table with apples, tribute oranges, almonds, melon seeds, candied fruits, etc., "Your Highness, eat an apple!" Eat apples for the New Year, and the New Year will be safe. ”

Zhu Youzhen picked up a red apple and took a bite, "Wan'er, Xue'er, what wish did you make when you ate dumplings just now?" ”

"Don't sue you!" Wan'er blushed and didn't dare to look at Zhu Youzhen.

This Wan'er, why blush when you make a wish? Looking at Hu Xinxue again, she also lowered her head and looked at the charcoal brazier in a daze. Are they trying to single themselves out? Think about it unlikely, it's useless to ask anyone for this kind of thing.

"Wan'er, Xue'er, do you want to go back to Beijing?"

"Where Your Highness is, where the slaves and maids are, it doesn't matter if you go back to Kyoto or not." The blush on Wan'er's face gradually faded.

Hu Xinxue's face was lonely, she looked at Zhu Youzhen, but she didn't say a word.

"Oh, does Cher miss her brother?" Jingshi does have many sad things about Hu Xinxue, but Hu Tingyan's crime is conclusive, and it is a royal case, and Zhu Youzhen can't rehabilitate him for a while, "Otherwise, after we return to Beijing, we will redeem your younger brother and put him in the palace to raise." ”

Hu Xinxue's eyes lit up for a moment, "Your Highness, if you can redeem my brother, you don't need to put it in the palace, just send it to my uncle." "She is only a maidservant girl in the palace, how can she put her brother in the palace? But Zhu Youzhen's words still made her infinitely grateful.

The three of them were silent for a while, and suddenly there was a "crackling" sound of firecrackers outside.

"Your Highness, it's midnight, let's set off firecrackers too!" Wan'er clapped her little hands, and she was already excited to stand up, she hadn't experienced this familiar Xinyuan atmosphere for many years.

Hu Xinxue brought a long list of firecrackers, but she and Wan'er only dared to look at them but didn't dare to let them go.

Zhu Youzhen opened the middle door and lit the firecrackers on the bamboo poles with candles, and the pungent smell of gunpowder flowed rapidly in the air.

"Your Highness, until now, let's go outside and see the sky!" Hu Xinxue lightly held Zhu Youzhen's big hand.

"Okay, let's go, let's see the sky."

The three of them all went out of the middle gate, the smell of gunpowder had not completely dissipated, the sound of firecrackers outside was one after another, and the dark night sky was illuminated by an unknown number of firelights.

"Your Highness, Sister Wan'er, there has been a white fish belly in the east." Hu Xinxue excitedly pointed to the night sky in the east, where a little bright color appeared.

"Yes, but it's hazy, I can't see clearly." Under the guidance of Hu Xinxue, Zhu Youzhen barely saw a glimmer of light.

"Your Highness, hazy is good, hazy is exactly what Your Highness needs, it seems that Your Highness's wish tonight will come true." Hu Xinxue pinched Zhu Youzhen's big hand hard.

"Cher, what do you say?"

"Your Highness, the old man used to say, 'The night is hazy, and the rain rushes; The sky is clear, and the drought kills the wolves'. Hu Xinxue looked lonely again, Zhu Youzhen's wish came true, then her and Wan'er's wish to conceive a child as soon as possible would be in vain.