The new house was almost fully furnished.

The residence was neat and tidy, both inside and out. The lacquer was fresh, the furniture newly crafted, and the window paper recently replaced. Everything, from the inside out, exuded a sense of new beginnings.

During breaks from his official duties, Chen Song had even hired two diligent older women to give the house and yard a thorough cleaning, not missing a single spot. As a result, the entire courtyard looked even more bright and spacious.

As the family entered the bright, spacious residence, they felt an indescribable sense of ease. Even Chen De’an, who had been relegated to driving the cart alone, had no more complaints.

He called over to Zhao Jing, and the two of them dug out the firecrackers they had prepared from the ox cart. They moved a ladder to the entrance and hung the long string of firecrackers from the eaves.

With a touch of flame, the firecrackers CRACKLED AND POPPED. Just like that, their move into the new house was official.

The neighbors had known for a while that the house next door had been sold to a county official. Seeing people coming and going to clean up over the past few days, they figured the new owners would be moving in any day now.

And sure enough, when they heard the firecrackers early in the morning, they all guessed the new owner was moving in before the year’s end.

He was an official, after all. Even if they didn’t go out of their way to curry favor, staying on his good side could only be to their benefit.

And so it began. One neighbor brought a plate of fragrant, crispy fried dough twists, another carried a basket of golden, crunchy fried sesame leaves. Some brought braised beef, others gifted their own hand-cut paper window decorations. A steady stream of visitors came and went, and for a good while, the flow never ceased.

Just when the last of the neighbors had paid their visit and the house finally grew quiet, Mrs. Ying arrived with two young maids in tow.

The end of the year was a prime time for business, and Mrs. Ying was so busy she was constantly on her feet.

Her shop specialized in ready-made clothes for young ladies and new brides. With the New Year approaching, everyone needed a couple of nice outfits—whether for visiting relatives, meeting potential suitors, or simply looking respectable.

If you didn’t wear new clothes for the New Year, people would start to wonder if your business had failed or if your family had fallen on hard times.

It was all about keeping up appearances. No one wanted to seem less well-off than their neighbors, so as long as they could afford it, buying new clothes was a must.

Besides, Mrs. Ying was a savvy businesswoman. Her shop didn’t just sell clothes for young ladies and new brides; it also offered various bolts of fabric and matching accessories like sachets and handkerchiefs.

The synergistic effect was far greater than the sum of its parts, and you needed only to look at Mrs. Ying’s chapped lips and her voice—so hoarse she could barely speak—to know it.

Mrs. Ying coughed several times before finally speaking. "I can’t stay long. It’s packed at the shop, and I can’t afford to be away. I’ve left your housewarming gift here, but I’ll have to skip the meal. Anyway, now that you’ve moved in, I’ll come over for a proper dinner when I have some free time."

Xu Su Ying readily agreed.

Mrs. Ying was truly generous. Her gift was ten bolts of fabric. There was red, black, cyan, and pink; cotton and silk. All of it was high-quality material, and making it into clothing would be incredibly practical.

After Mrs. Ying left, no more visitors came.

It was still early, so Xu Su Ying called her son and son-in-law to help her move some things into the main hall, then sent them off to unpack in their respective rooms.

Chen Wanqing had also brought clothes for herself and Zhao Jing, as well as some of her rouge, powder, and scented face cream.

They had agreed to stay the night, and it wouldn’t have felt right without her usual things. Besides, they would likely be staying here for a while after the New Year, so bringing her belongings over now would save them trouble later.

Three rooms in the rear courtyard had been set aside for the two of them.

The central room served as their living quarters. The east room had been opened up to serve as Zhao Jing’s study, while the west room was reserved for her incense-making and for storing her fragrant materials.

The furnishings inside were all arranged according to Chen Wanqing’s wishes.

The large cabinets in the east and west rooms were especially impressive, reaching all the way to the ceiling, with more than enough space for any number of books and fragrant materials she might acquire.

Moreover, small pots of narcissus and wintersweet had been placed inside. Their pale yellow and pink blossoms added a splash of color to the quiet winter, and their delicate floral scent made the room feel wonderfully pleasant.

Of course, the rooms had been empty for a long time and were still quite cold, so Chen Wanqing only put her things away roughly before calling Zhao Jing to head back to the front of the house with her.

As they walked into the courtyard, Chen Wanqing turned her head to look at the rabbit hole.

The rabbit hole had been blocked up, but they had never managed to catch the gray rabbit. She wondered where it had run off to, and if it had ever come back to steal food.

As for the small vegetable seedlings under the straw, they looked a bit wilted from the lack of care over the past few days.