The Attendant Student didn’t look down on the poverty-stricken life at home; following the young Master, the more money he earned, the better the chance to improve his family’s living conditions and afford meat for the Chinese New Year.
He could also provide new clothes for his brothers, and more importantly, the opportunity for them to study would be better.
"Are you craving food again? You act as if your family doesn’t feed you enough!"
Tang Shunyan tapped the table, on which sat a warm teapot and some snacks, and considering the cold weather, a stove had been placed in the carriage.
"He’s just a glutton, where does all the meat from his meals go to?" Chunxiang giggled behind her hand.
"Maybe it’s been eaten by the worms in his belly, otherwise, how could he eat so much without getting fat? If he were a farmer, their pigs would be doomed, pah, am I right?"
Qiu Xia, usually so composed, had become more relaxed these days and felt brave enough to joke around.
The Attendant Student wasn’t annoyed by the teasing, and still responded with a good-natured smile:
"Hehe, that was just a snack, I might crave a lot, but I can’t spend money on food. I’m just talking, I’ve already eaten my fill at the mansion."
As servants, they also received new clothes and shoes for the New Year, their usual work attire, but now in fresh and festive colors.
The spirit of the New Year filled everyone with joy, especially the children, who looked forward to the gifts and variety of foods.
Only a few adults felt anxious about the festival, which was due to their lack of money to celebrate.
The two maids by Tang Shunyan’s side were not locals and couldn’t go home to see their families.
The Attendant Student was different, though; he could go home once a month and was the envy of those who couldn’t see their loved ones.
The Tang Mansion actually had many more house slaves, all their families working for the mansion. Some stayed at home, while others followed their masters out, and during the festivals, not all could reunite.
The carriage arrived at the field on the outskirts where many carriages and ox carts were parked. There were also plenty of young ladies, young masters, and idle people who had walked to watch the ball game.
This year’s ball game was organized similarly to previous years. If it were spontaneously set up by the locals, not all players would be country lads from rural areas.
Those with leisure and sophistication, mostly managed to learn and play ball games at the academy, and then played with friends on festive days.
Tang Shunyan alighted from the carriage with the help of a maid. As his carriage came to a stop, his peers, including those he read with at school, classmates and close friends, ran over, waiting for him to join them to watch the match.
Even though others who were not in his study group were also considered friends, they all anticipated him getting out of the carriage to join them in watching the game.
Tang Shunyan might have entered the academy, now in the intermediate class, but he still participated in physical sports activities essential for robust health.
For example, playing ball. He and some partners had learned a bit of the rules by now; however, kids their age couldn’t compete with the bigger ones, lacking the physical strength and height.
This group mostly consisted of wealthy young masters who, besides studying, had to partake in games on the field.
They even organized to play during the academy’s monthly days off.
However, Tang Shunyan found himself tied up most of the time, unable to join his friends as often as he liked.
He wanted to play with his peers, but a little girl had kept him busy. Fortunately, that little girl had recently moved away, hehe!
"Tang Shunyan, why have you just arrived?"
"Yeah, Tang Xiyue has been here for a long time. The older brothers’ match is almost over."
One by one, his friends chirped in agreement, and Tang Xiyue himself nodded along.
"Sorry, what have you learned from watching? You couldn’t possibly outdo me!"
When it came to Combat Power, Tang Shunyan’s peers varied in size, all claiming proficiency in both study and play, but could they really compare?
"Hehe, who wants to compete with you? But since you’ve rested for a while and we’ve been playing these days, let’s find a time to compare and see if you’ve fallen behind," Tang Xiyue said with a smile.
A group of little boys burst into laughter as they reached the edge of the field, just as they arrived at the venue.
Another carriage pulled up, looking quite ordinary, not nearly as luxurious as Tang Shunyan’s or as spacious as his friends’.
It was plain and modest, similar to an outer-hired carriage, and even a bit worn out.
The driver was a middle-aged man whose appearance didn’t seem local, with a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, dressed in foreign-looking attire, not Hanfu. As the carriage came to a halt, a maid with a minority ethnic decoration on her head helped a chubby six or seven-year-old girl down.