In this era, people didn’t take the New Year as lightly as in later generations.
Regardless of wealth, everyone paid special attention to the day and celebrated it with great ceremony.
This was Han Zheng and Meng Chuyue’s first time celebrating the New Year together in this life and the next, and they decided to follow local customs to prepare well, just like the people around them.
Medicinal Food Hall also planned to close a few days before and after the New Year... No matter how tasty the medicinal diet was, it was still medicine, and taking a holiday for the New Year was considered more auspicious.
They planned to close after the Little New Year and reopen on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month the following year.
Of course, they weren’t planning to spend the New Year at the Medicinal Food Hall.
This was not about being auspicious, but rather that it was inconvenient to stay there, and they were not short of other places to stay.
This time, they chose a courtyard house with three sections to celebrate the New Year.
The reason for this choice was that although the courtyard was part of one property, it could be separated, which would be convenient for accommodating people like Han Muchuan and others when the time came.
Before Meng Chuyue returned, Han Zheng had already had the house arranged.
Meng Chuyue was not demanding about her living conditions, and Han Zheng didn’t go out of his way to fuss over it, leaving it to others to arrange everything uniformly.
Only one thing was arranged for both he and Meng Chuyue to stay in the rear section— he in the main house, Meng Chuyue in the wing-room to the left, and further to the left was Zhao Xiaoxin’s room.
In the wing-room on the right stayed Shen Ci, and further to the right was Han Muyang.
Rooms in the West Cross Court were arranged for Han Muchuan, Lee Mi, Han Xiao, Han Muchuan, and Lin Muyun.
Both the east and west cross courts were ready, just waiting for them to come and choose.
Han Muchuan and Lin Muyun had moved in quite early.
However, instead of choosing the sunnier East Cross Court, they opted for the more gloomy West Cross Court.
Although every room had a heated brick bed and was not cold, stepping outside was cold.
Han Zheng called them foolish, and Han Muxuan laughed and said, "We just didn’t want to live with Han Muchuan and Lee Mi."
Lin Muyun agreed, "Right, when they say the East Cross Court is warmer and insist on moving there, we won’t be able to refuse."
Han Zheng had to laugh, "Alright then, just wear more clothes when you go out."
The day after Meng Chuyue returned, she moved into the courtyard house with everyone.
Then she handed over the Medicinal Food Hall to Zhao Xiaoxin and Han Muyang, and she, along with Shen Ci and Han Zheng, began to enthusiastically purchase New Year goods.
They shopped for three days...
Actually, they didn’t buy much, as most of the items came from her space.
Three days later, the Medicinal Food Hall closed, and she directed everyone to prepare various festive foods while also making one of the New Year gifts she was giving everyone— a hat and a scarf for each person.
This wasn’t something Meng Chuyue had taken upon herself to do.
Everyone had seen the beautiful hats and scarves she made for Shen Ci and Han Zheng and had earnestly begged her for them.
On the afternoon of the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month, Han Muchuan, Han Xiao, and Lee Mi finally arrived at the Imperial.
Before coming, Han Muchuan and Lee Mi, having heard that Han Zheng asked them to stay with him, were overjoyed.
After meeting and finding out they were staying in separate cross courts, their faces fell.
The main house clearly had enough room; why make them stay in the cross courts?
They immediately began to scheme.
Han Muchuan forced a laugh and asked, "Where are big brother and second sister staying?"
Could it be that Han Zheng’s purpose for the division was solely to exclude him, Lee Mi, and Han Xiao?
"West Cross Court. There are rooms available in both the east and west cross courts, choose whichever you like."
Upon hearing this, Han Muchuan and Lee Mi felt a bit better.
Han Muxuan and Lin Muyun staying in the West Cross Court was clearly a consideration for their preferences.
Being considerate enough not to leave them the worst options, they were satisfied.
Nevertheless, both didn’t dare to live in the West Cross Court.
Though Han Muxuan and Lin Muyun were not talkative, both were quite biting in their remarks, so they didn’t want to humiliate themselves.
Han Xiao actually wanted to get closer to Han Muxuan and Lin Muyun in the West Cross Court.
But remembering a task given by Meng Chuyue, he reluctantly followed Han Muchuan and Lee Mi.
Unbeknownst to him, Lee Mi didn’t want Han Xiao to be a third wheel between her and Han Muchuan and persuaded Han Muchuan to send him over.