Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Home is where the heart is at peace.

Xiao Yiheng pondered the sentence carefully, and a place came to mind.

There were no deep palace walls or treacherous people there, nor the masks he was forced to wear.

There was smoke rising from chimneys and laughter.

There was a small, fenced courtyard, less than half the size of the palace, but very warm.

Xiao Yiheng's lips slowly curved into a smile, a genuine smile filled with longing.

He tilted his head back and drank the remaining wine in the pot in one gulp.

He threw the wine pot at the eunuch and walked down the platform.

The eunuch hurriedly caught the wine pot. "Your Highness? What is this...?"

Xiao Yiheng didn't turn his head, his voice light and cheerful.

"Go find my peace of mind."

……

Deep in the mountains, the wind and snow blocked the mountain roads, and it took Lu Ye almost twice as long as usual to get back.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late; New Year's Eve wasn't over yet.

A red lantern hangs on the door, the only trace of the New Year's atmosphere.

Guide him home through the white, snow-covered landscape.

He half-dragged, half-carried a brown bear, its body covered in snow, with traces of congealed blood faintly visible beneath its fur.

When he got to the door, he threw the bear onto the snow with a thud.

The door was pushed open from the inside, and an elderly woman with gray hair peeked out.

"A-Ye is finally back! Come and eat!"

Lu Ye wiped the snow and sweat from his face, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.

He was tall and strong, with coarse cloth clothes clinging to his firm and smooth muscle lines.

An old scar on his brow bone was left from a fight with a wild boar last year.

At this moment, the steam makes it turn slightly red, which doesn't make it look fierce, but rather adds a touch of wild handsomeness.

"Grandma, bear."

He walked over and pushed the old lady into the house, his rough voice barely concealing his excitement.

"The whole bear hide can fetch a good price, and the meat and oil will be enough for us to eat all winter. We can also take the bear bile to the town pharmacy tomorrow and exchange it for a lot of money. We'll be able to have a good year."

"Are you alright?" Grandma tugged at his sleeve, looking him up and down.

Lu Ye let her look at it, smiling憨厚ly, "Grandma, I will make sure you have a good New Year every year from now on."

Grandma's eyes reddened, and she turned her head away to wipe them with her sleeve.

"Silly boy, come in and warm yourself by the fire. Your clothes are soaked with sweat, are you trying to kill yourself?"

Lu Ye responded and bent down to clean the woodshed, intending to do so tomorrow.

The same night, in a village ten miles away.

The thatched hut was dilapidated, with a faint light shining through the paper windows, and there was no aroma of wine or meat inside.

Xue Bi knelt before the simple offering table, on which were placed two memorial tablets.

Three sticks of incense burned in front of the memorial tablet, their smoke curling upwards.

He kowtowed three times, straightened up, and stared at the two memorial tablets for a long time without moving.

On the small table behind the offering table, his New Year's Eve dinner was laid out.

A bowl of cold brown rice and a dish of pickled vegetables.

The faint sound of firecrackers could be heard outside the door; it was other families in the village having a lively time.

As he listened to those sounds, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

He was the village teacher, teaching more than a dozen children to read and write.

Most of the children came from poor families and could not afford tuition, so he would charge them half a bushel of grain, or simply not charge them at all.

The children respected him, and so did the parents.

But this respect couldn't warm the coldness of New Year's Eve.

He gazed at his parents' memorial tablets, "Father, Mother, your son is unfilial. I couldn't give you a good life. Now that you're gone, your son is still the same..."

Before he could finish speaking, a cacophony of children's voices rang out from outside the door.

"Master! Master!"

The door opened, and a group of children rushed in, the oldest being around ten years old and the youngest only five or six.

They were holding, hugging, and carrying all sorts of things, all wrapped up and round, their faces reddened by the wind.

"you……"

The oldest boy in the group shoved dumplings into Xue Bi's hand, grinning as he said:

"Master, my mother said you'd be lonely spending the New Year alone, so she sent over some dumplings! They're pork and cabbage dumplings, just cooked!"

"Master, this is braised pig's head meat made by my mother, please try some!"

"Master, this is rice wine brewed by my father himself; it won't make you drunk!"

"Master..."

The children chattered amongst themselves, vying to stuff things into his hands.

Xue Bi held a large bundle in her arms, her eyes welling up with tears.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by the boy.

"Teacher, please don't refuse! My mother said you teach us without charging us much money, and we remember it all. It's almost New Year's, so please let us show our respect!"

"Yes! Show filial piety!" the children chimed in.

Xue Bi patted the youngest child's head and said with a smile, "You've been accepted by the Master, but on one condition: you must stay and keep him company on New Year's Eve and eat together."

The children cheered.

"Great! Staying up all night at Master's house for the New Year!"

"I'll go get a stool!"

"I'll help the teacher set the table!"

The thatched hut suddenly became lively.

The sound of firecrackers outside intensified, rising and falling in waves, near and far.

Tomorrow is the New Year.

……

As dawn broke, the snow stopped and the wind died down.

Liu Wenying was waking up from a hangover, her body aching and weak. As her consciousness gradually returned, she found herself unable to move.

It felt like a mountain was pressing down on me, no, it felt like several mountains were pressing down on me.

There was a person lying on each side of her. On her left was Pei Dingxuan. His usually dignified and cold eyebrows had lost their sharpness, and he was sleeping soundly. His long arm was wrapped around her waist, and his strength was firm.

On her right was Second Master Pei Zeyu, his clothes loose, his fingertips resting on her wrist, his breathing shallow.

She moved her legs and found her lower abdomen felt heavy.

Looking down, she saw that Third Master Pei Yaojun was curled up in front of her, his cheek buried in her soft belly, his hair disheveled, sleeping soundly.

And there was someone lying next to her legs as a pillow.

The Second Prince, Xiao Yiheng, was still wearing his brocade robe, his cheek resting against her knee as he slept peacefully.

The four men, each with their own unique charm, were all proud and noble.

At this moment, I nestled against her without any guard, free from calculation and competition, only feeling secure and dependent.

Liu Wenying gazed at the roof beams and gently exhaled.

This year is exceptionally lively.

…………

The New Year's Eve bonus chapter is over! This is the fourth update. There will also be a New Year's illustration of the Second Master in the author's notes later. If you like it, please give it a like to show your support!