Chapter 56: It's New Year's Eve

At this moment, Yin Xun finally realised that he and Lu Qingjiu had not been talking about the same thing from the beginning to the end. Looking at Bai Yuehu's expression of uncertainty, Yin Xun wanted to leave Lu Qingjiu here on the spot and run away. Lu Qingjiu still doesn't understand why Yin Xun's expression is so painful, and he asks, "What did you say about confessions?

Yin Xun covers her face in pain, her face unbearable.

Bai Yuehu sat quietly watching the interaction between the two, his dark eyes flickering slightly as they fell on Lu Qingjiu.

Lu Qingjiu thought he was having his usual fit, so he ignored him and turned his head towards Bai Yuehu, wanting to settle the matter of his tail and find out why it had fallen off. He wanted to find out why Bai Yuehu's tail had fallen off, whether it was because Bai Yuehu's life span was running out, as Su Yan had said, or whether there was another reason.

" Bai Yuehu, are Su Yan's words true" Lu Qingjiu asked, "He said that only a fox whose life span is about to end will have its tail fall off."

Bai Yuehu was silent for a moment, saying, "That's how foxes usually are."

Lu Qingjiu: "Ah"

Bai Yuehu said, "But I'm a special fox."

Lu Qingjiu :""

Bai Yuehu said, "So don't worry about me dying."

Lu Qingjiu was indeed relieved to hear this, and he said, "Really."

Bai Yuehu nods.

Lu Qingjiu said, "That would be great." He smiled and said, seemingly unintentionally

had said, "I almost thought the tail wasn't yours."

Bai Yuehu :""

Yin Xun :""

After Lu Qingjiu said this, Bai Yuehu looked at Yin Xun with no expression, Yin Xun forced a smile, that smile was worse than crying, Lu Qingjiu also followed Bai Yuehu and looked at Yin Xun: " Yin Xun, Bai Yuehu doesn't need to die, why are you crying "

Yin Xun's mind was thinking, "Of course Bai Yuehu won't die, he's the one who died, but of course he didn't dare to say that, he just tried to pull the corners of his mouth and put on a fake smile, "Haha, haha, of course I'm happy for Bai Yuehu"

Lu Qingjiu let out an ooh and finally concluded on the matter, "So Bai Yuehu is actually a special fox and it's okay to lose his tail, right?"

Yin Xun nodded painfully and Bai Yuehu mumbled faintly.

"Then you guys play, I'll go to the kitchen and make dinner." Lu Qingjiu stood up and ended the conversation cleanly, turning around and heading to the kitchen.

Yin Xun wanted to go too, but Bai Yuehu gave him a look that indicated that he should stay, and although Yin Xun was afraid, he could only sit on the bench with trepidation while wailing inwardly.

Lu Qingjiu's back disappears into the living room, leaving Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun looking at each other.

"You know exactly what to say for yourself," Bai Yuehu opens.

"Clearly clear." Yin Xun said firmly, "Brother Bai, I will never expose you." Look at your identity crisis this time, it's not because you met a fake fox tail that is not of good quality.

Bai Yuehu said, "Well, go ahead."

Yin Xun stood up and scurried into the kitchen, not daring to spend another minute with Bai Yuehu.

In the kitchen, Lu Qingjiu was picking vegetables with his head down and didn't turn around when he heard Yin Xun's footsteps. Yin Xun walked gently behind Lu Qingjiu and was about to ask him what he was going to do when he heard Lu Qingjiu, with his head down, ask very calmly, " What is Bai Yuehu? "

Yin Xun :""

Lu Qingjiu continued, "It's not a fox, is it?" He had never seen Bai Yuehu's prototype, so there was no way to tell, he just didn't understand why Bai Yuehu always hid his identity, was his original body very special

Yin Xun got goose bumps on his back because of Lu Qingjiu's words, and he could even feel Bai Yuehu's eyes passing through the wall and landing on his body.

Yin Xun, a helpless, pathetic and weak mountain god, coerced by powerful forces, finally betrays his best friend and betrays what little conscience he already has left, saying, " Bai Yuehu is a fox."

Lu Qingjiu turned his head to look at Yin Xun for a moment.

Yin Xun, pretending to be frank: "What are you looking at me for?"

Lu Qingjiu: "Well although it's not good to be curious, I am indeed quite curious."

Yin Xun :""

Lu Qingjiu said, "Forget it, let's not talk about that." He had a feeling that Bai Yuehu was not a fox, but he really didn't understand why Bai Yuehu was so shy about his true identity, as if something horrible would happen if people knew about it. But since Bai Yuehu was so reluctant to confess, he didn't bother to ask, as long as he knew that Bai Yuehu's life was safe. Lu Qingjiu even wanted to laugh a little when he thought about it.

When Yin Xun saw Lu Qingjiu's uncertain look, he thought he was upset and gave him a bitter apology: "Wine, there are some things you are happier not knowing than knowing."

Lu Qingjiu: "Not insects or reptiles, are they?"

Yin Xun shook his head slightly, "Of course not, it's the fox, it's the fox."

Lu Qingjiu: "Why a fox"

Yin Xun said, "Who wouldn't like a big, fluffy, soft fox." Especially humans who like to look at faces.

Lu Qingjiu actually found this to be true, and although he didn't want to admit it, he was very happy and even a little excited when he first saw Bai Yuehu's big fluffy tail. The lure of those nine fluffy tails was too great!

Lu Qingjiu said, "Okay, we'll have scrambled eggs with green peppers for lunch."

Yin Xun: ""You're a bit quick on the uptake.

Bai Yuehu thought Lu Qingjiu would continue to suspect his identity, but since then Lu Qingjiu has said nothing about it, as if he hadn't noticed anything at all. But one thing that made Bai Yuehu a little upset was how much more gentle Lu Qingjiu was with Tails than he was with him.

At night, Lu Qingjiu also cuddles up under the blanket, rubbing his face against the big tail, and falls asleep.

Bai Yuehu lost his tail and lost his right to sleep on the bed with Lu Qingjiu, so he was persuaded to move to the guest room next to him, where he was not afraid of the cold anyway.

For a few days, Lu Qingjiu is still in Tails' tender place, unaware that one day, while he is still asleep, Bai Yuehu comes into his house and stares at the sleeping Lu Qingjiu with a puzzled look on his face.

The next morning, Lu Qingjiu woke up from his empty nest, feeling as if something was missing from his side.

"Bai Yuehu Bai Yuehu." Lu Qingjiu, still in his pyjamas and slippers, and having lost his big tail, rushed into Bai Yuehu's room and called out, "Something's wrong."

Bai Yuehu said, "What"

"Your tail is gone," Lu Qingjiu said, "I slept with your tail last night, but when I woke up this morning, I found it gone."

Bai Yuehu: "No more"

"It's really gone." Lu Qingjiu said anxiously, "I've searched the whole room and I can't find it."

"Don't worry." Bai Yuehu reassured Lu Qingjiu, "I'll have a new tail again come spring."

Lu Qingjiu: "Ha"

Bai Yuehu: "Let's wait a little longer."

Lu Qingjiu's eyes widened as he realised from Bai Yuehu's tone that he really wasn't joking: "It can grow back."

Bai Yuehu: "Of course."

Lu Qingjiu was stunned, it was the first time he had ever heard of a fox's tail growing back after it had fallen off, could it be that Bai Yuehu's real body was not a fox but a large gecko?

Without his tail, Lu Qingjiu lost his soul and, most tragically, his little fox was taken away by Su Yan, and in one short winter he lost his two most precious soothing treasures.

Lu Qingjiu was dealt a heavy blow.

For lunch that day, Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun had a rare meal of instant noodles.

Yin Xun stared at the box of noodles in front of her, took a bite from her fork and said quietly, "What did you do to offend him?"

Bai Yuehu :""

Yin Xun said, "Wine is in a bad mood, so we have to eat noodles."

Bai Yuehu hesitated slightly, "I took my tail back and told him he would not reappear until spring."

Yin Xun: "Why?"

Bai Yuehu is justified: "He holds his tail every day."

Yin Xun was stunned: "Does he hold you instead of the tail?"

Bai Yuehu: "I don't mind."

Yin Xun: ""But Lu Qingjiu minded"" Of course, he didn't dare to say that, he just took a sip of soup to calm himself down a bit, lest he say something irrevocable, he thought about it and said, "How about this, you get two more ears out, so Lu Qingjiu can touch them You know, he likes furry things."

Bai Yuehu frowns.

Yin Xun said, "Otherwise he would have easily gotten distracted and cut his hand while cooking."

The words finally struck a chord with Bai Yuehu, who nodded in agreement with Yin Xun's proposal.

That evening, Lu Qingjiu, who had been depressed all day, saw Bai Yuehu suddenly sitting down in front of him with a serious look on his face. Lu Qingjiu was taken aback by his expression and was about to ask what was wrong when he heard Bai Yuehu say, "I'll make do without my tail and ears." It was impossible to lose his ears anyway.

At the end of his sentence, two fluffy ears emerged from his head, they were white and soft, and they shook gently, leaving Lu Qingjiu dumbfounded as he said, "Can I, can I touch them?"

Bai Yuehu: "Yes."

Just as he finished speaking, Lu Qingjiu reached out his hands, one left and one right, and firmly grasped the two ears, which were warm and squeezed in his hands, soft and warm, like two hand warmers.

"It's so soft." Lu Qingjiu said, "Bai Yuehu, you're so cute." Whatever Bai Yuehu's species was, as long as he could grow ears and a tail, he was the most beautiful fox spirit in his heart. If Lu Qingjiu's thoughts were known to Yin Xun, Yin Xun would probably curse Lu Qingjiu for being such a shallow human.

Bai Yuehu accepted Lu Qingjiu's compliment with openness and said, "Go to sleep."

Lu Qingjiu nods happily.

Finally, with the help of Yin Xun, Bai Yuehu managed to get back under Lu Qingjiu's blanket, though at the cost of exposing his ears for Lu Qingjiu to squeeze, but what price is that, Bai Yuehu doesn't care.

With all this jostling and jostling, the year is almost over.

It was Lu Qingjiu's first New Year here since he returned and he wanted to celebrate. Both Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun agreed, Bai Yuehu said he could bring back lots of fresh ingredients and Yin Xun said he could help Lu Qingjiu in the kitchen.

Before the New Year, Lu Qingjiu also received a phone call from Su Yan, who asked Lu Qingjiu what the woman in Su Xi's hair was.

Lu Qingjiu thought about it for a few seconds before remembering that Su Xi had a little rainmaker concubine hidden in his scarf.

"Su Xi's mother thought Su Xi had fleas," Su Yan says. Su Yan said, "And then a little man came out of his body in the shower."

Lu Qingjiu said, "Sorry sorry sorry, I'll ask Bai Yuehu to fetch her back tomorrow." When they thought about it, it was a bit wrong for them to have ploughed up the grave of someone's Yu Shi concubine and to treat her so roughly.

"Don't bother Bai Yuehu." Su Yan said, "I will send her back to you with Su Xi after the New Year."

Lu Qingjiu: "Well, that's fine."

"Mr. Lu, I wish you a happy new year in advance." Su Yan said.

"Thank you, and happy new year to you too." Lu Qingjiu smiled.

Because of the autumn festival and the harsh winter weather conditions, there was not much of a sense of spring in Shuifu Village. He even bought some red lanterns and window stickers and happily decorated his house with a lot of cheer.

Bai Yuehu went on a trip and brought back a lot of fresh vegetables and meat, most of which he caught from the mountains, while some vegetables he bought directly from the market.

It's just a pity that the TV at home has no signal and the most representative Spring Festival dinner is missing, but it's enough for the family to get together and have a warm New Year's Eve dinner.

Lu Qingjiu drew up a menu for the New Year's Eve dinner and laid out a table of good food. He cooked fish, stewed chicken, stir-fried many dishes and even made his own big bowl of glutinous rice dumplings stuffed with sesame seeds. Dumplings were also served, but Lu Qingjiu didn't cook too many, just a bowl for each person.

On New Year's Day, the weather was fine, at least it wasn't snowing, so Lu Qingjiu set off a firecracker in the courtyard. The crackling sound was extraordinarily lively. It is a village custom for even the poorest families to set off a string of firecrackers on Chinese New Year's Day, to chase away last year's unhappiness and to welcome a new, better year.

The red firecracker confetti fell on the white snow like fading red plums and looked extraordinarily beautiful.

"Do you want to set off some fireworks?" Lu Qingjiu asked.

"Yin Xun is a little curious, as he has not had a lively Chinese New Year since his grandparents passed away. This festival, which is very important to the Chinese, is so commonplace to him that it is no different from any other day.

"Bought it." Lu Qingjiu smiled, "I asked Bai Yuehu to buy them when he went to the city." Since fireworks were not yet banned in this remote area, he asked Bai Yuehu to buy some for the family to make the New Year more lively.

"Let's put it in after we eat." Yin Xun said, "Otherwise the food will get cold."

"That's fine." Lu Qingjiu said, "Come on, Bai Yuehu, let's go for dinner."

The three men and two pigs went back to the house and began to enjoy a delicious New Year's Eve meal. There were a dozen good dishes on the table, enough for all three of them to eat and get drunk, and Lu Qingjiu even brought out a glass of home-made wine and poured one for each of them.

The house was warm, with the sound of laughter and conversation, and the ringing of bells, and so the new year came.

When they had almost eaten, the three returned to the courtyard, one holding a firework. These fireworks, in various shapes and sizes, were lit by a single flame and burst into a glorious light.

Yin Xun was happy as a child, running around in the snow with a smile on his face, Bai Yuehu was standing behind him with a beautiful light in his black eyes. Bai Yuehu Xiao Hua Xiao Hei, one for each of them.

"You're giving me a red envelope, is that appropriate?" Yin Xun said no, but her body was still honest, and she shoved the red envelope into her pocket, showing the cute tiger teeth at the corner of her mouth, "Thanks, Dad."

Lu Qingjiu: "Hey, good son." With these words, he shifted his gaze to Bai Yuehu.

Bai Yuehu cupped the red envelope and looked at Lu Qingjiu, who miraculously understood the meaning of his eyes and couldn't help but smile: "Take it, you don't have to call me dad."

Bai Yuehu now silently put the red packet away.

Who would have thought that the richest person in the family would be Lu Qingjiu, an ordinary person?

After the Chinese New Year, in another ten days or so, this difficult winter will come to an end, the snow will melt and everything will come back to life. Something new, always full of hope, makes you look forward to the new year to come.

Lu Qingjiu has many more plans, he plans to raise a colony of bees next year specifically for the family's honey, and to plant some fruit trees around the yard, which in a few years time will be full of red and yellow fruit in autumn, which will look beautiful.

As the night wore on, Yin Xun and Lu Qingjiu said goodbye and went home. Lu Qingjiu was a bit sleepy after the night, so he asked Bai Yuehu to clean up the table tomorrow, so that he could burn the bed and go to bed.

Lu Qingjiu cupped Bai Yuehu's ear and chatted with him under the warmth of the blanket: "Doesn't it tickle you when you're squeezed like this?"

"No." Bai Yuehu said, "I don't feel it."

Lu Qingjiu was silent for a moment before asking again, "In the spring when the tail

Let's have President Bar back."

Bai Yuehu nods.

Lu Qingjiu was now relieved, half of his face was tucked into the bedding, just a pair of drowsy eyes that looked as if he was about to fall asleep, he said, "That's good that the tail is gone it really scared me"

Bai Yuehu is lying next to Lu Qingjiu, and with a slight sideways glance, you can see Lu Qingjiu's face.

Lu Qingjiu is a pleasant person to be around, warm but not hot, one who wants to be close and not burned when one is close.

Bai Yuehu encountered such a human being for the first time.

He has gone through long years and still has not succeeded in integrating into the human world. It was not that he could not, but that he would not.

Bai Yuehu is too lazy to do this kind of work.

Like him, there are many gods and great demons who think this way. The only thing that interested him was human food, which was sometimes mixed with many other things, and that made people lose their appetite.

But what Lu Qingjiu did was pure, he never made any demands on Bai Yuehu from the beginning to the end, let alone held any kindness in return. Some of the people Bai Yuehu meets change their attitude a little when they learn he is not human, some become more intimate, only this intimacy is tinged with ingratiation, others become indifferent and begin to fear and flee.

Lu Qingjiu is the only one who continues to treat him as an ordinary tenant.

Bai Yuehu was slightly helpless, but in the end he did not remove Lu Qingjiu's hand and let him go.

It's always good to start a new year with something new.

Lu Qingjiu woke up in the morning and cooked four round dumplings for each of them. The dumplings were different from the usual ones, one was as big as half a fist and was filled with a dark sesame seed filling, which was sweet and sticky when you bit into it.

The four dumplings are a custom that Lu Qingjiu's grandmother told him about when he was a child, meaning that the four seasons of the New Year would be full and smooth, and that they would pass in a single roll.

After eating the dumplings, Lu Qingjiu also gave them a bowl of dumplings with pork and cabbage and pork and sauerkraut, the cabbage being a bit milder but more delicious, and the pork and sauerkraut being so appetising that even Lu Qingjiu could eat more than twenty in one sitting.

After eating, Lu Qingjiu planned to go and clean the graves. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, the time for ancestor worship, and although Lu Qingjiu was not very particular about this, he wanted to go and clean the family graves.

Yin Xun wanted to go with him, but Lu Qingjiu refused, saying that he wanted to go alone. Yin Xun looked at Lu Qingjiu and said no, but when he saw that Lu Qingjiu was determined, he agreed.

Luckily it was a nice day, no snow, and although the hills were difficult, the cemetery was near the village and there was no need to worry about it being too much trouble.

Lu Qingjiu set off with a bag containing paper money and joss sticks for her grandmother.

Lu Qingjiu didn't see anyone in the village on the way, but then again, since the beginning of winter, the whole village seems to have gone into hibernation and no one goes out. But it's only natural, as there's nothing to do out in the middle of winter, so it's better to stay in your own yard.

The cemetery was almost completely covered because of the snow, so Lu Qingjiu had to use his memory to find his grandmother's tombstone. Luckily, he was lucky and soon found the tombstone. He cleaned the snow off the top, then lit joss sticks and burned some paper money underneath.

"Grandmother, what have you given me." Lu Qingjiu said to the tombstone as he burned the paper, "A monk called Xuan Yu came to the house, he said he knew you, was he a friend of yours from before"

Naturally the grandmother on the stone tablet does not speak, but in the black and white photograph she is rejuvenated, still with a gentle smile in her eyes, just as Lu Qingjiu was.

The author has something to say: Lu Qingjiu: Bai Yuehu without the furry, not worth mentioning

Bai Yuehu.

Yin Xun: Damn it Bai Yuehu, don't fucking shave my hair!