Sensing the concern in Yuanyuan’s words, Yan Jin really wanted to say that she wasn’t afraid of the dark. But seeing how worried Yuanyuan was, Yan Jin still felt very touched.

“It’s okay, Yuanyuan.” Yan Jin said softly, “As long as you’re by my side, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Yu Shu sweetly said, “Me too.”

When the hole was dug, Yan Jin threw in the dough snake, cooked beans, and eggs from the package. They filled the hole with soil and stomped on it together to make it firm, while chanting, “If the snake moves, illness moves; if the black beans sprout, illness sprouts; if the chicken eggs hatch, illness hatches.”

Only when this snake crawls out from the soil, when the beans sprout, when the chicken eggs hatch into chicks, will our whole family get sick.

This was a custom Yu Shu had learned from the neighbors. Originally, Yan Jin had planned to just eat something simple to celebrate the New Year.

But seeing how earnest Yu Shu was, she gave up her original plan and diligently prepared the New Year goods, cleaned the house, and cooked the New Year’s Eve dinner together with Yu Shu.

After doing all this, Yan Jin took the willow branches Yu Shu had brought home yesterday and inserted them into the door rings and window lattices. Then she prepared to nail peach wood wedges on either side of the front door.

While Yan Jin was nailing the peach wood wedges, Yu Shu was afraid she would hit her hand with the hammer and wanted to help her. But Yan Jin felt she could handle this small task herself, so she didn’t let Yu Shu help and told him to go make the paste for pasting up the New Year pictures, window decorations, and couplets.

By the time Yan Jin finished nailing the peach wood wedges, Yu Shu had almost finished making the paste.

Originally, when Yan Jin saw the shop selling ready-made paste, she suggested buying it.

But Yu Shu insisted that since this was their first New Year together, making the paste themselves would feel more meaningful.

For such small matters, Yan Jin always listened to Yu Shu. Since Yu Shu wanted to make it himself, Yan Jin didn’t force buying the paste.

After Yu Shu finished making the paste and pasting up the window decorations and door gods, he handed the brush to Yan Jin according to An Kingdom customs, letting the head of the household write the Spring Festival couplets.

The total word count of this book is: 1,155,280 words. “I’ve never written Spring Festival couplets before. Teacher Yu, teach me like you taught me to write before, hand in hand.” Yan Jin said with a smile.

Yu Shu smiled and walked up behind her, gently grasping Yan Jin’s right hand that was holding the brush. “Your force isn’t quite right. Follow me once first.”

After he said that, they both laughed.

Even though a few months had passed, they both recognized this as the first thing Yu Shu said to Yan Jin when he was teaching her to write hand in hand.

“I’m not the beginner who needed Teacher Yu to hold my hand and teach me to write anymore.” Yan Jin said with a smile, “How can Teacher Yu still say that about me?”

“Although Student Yan has made great progress, you haven’t graduated yet.” Yu Shu lightly pinched the back of Yan Jin’s hand. “I’ll guide you through it again.”

With that, just like the first time he taught Yan Jin to write, Yu Shu held her hand and led her to finish writing a pair of Spring Festival couplets.

Seeing this, the neighboring husband who came out to paste couplets pinched his Wife-master. “Look at them!”

The innocently pinched neighbor glanced bleakly at the affectionate Yan Jin and Yu Shu who had to embrace each other even while writing couplets.

The young couple’s affection was all well and good, but being so lovey-dovey like this really made old couples like them feel the disparity in their own relationships.

Welcoming the New Spring, the rivers and mountains are splendidly beautiful; Bidding farewell to the old year, all matters are prosperously glorious.

Yu Shu looked at the Spring Festival couplet he wrote together with Yan Jin on the front door and smiled with satisfaction.

Yu Shu turned to Yan Jin with a smile. “Xiaoxiao, Happy New Year!”

“Didn’t we already say Happy New Year to each other yesterday during the meal?” Seeing Yu Shu raise an eyebrow, Yan Jin consciously changed her tune. “But as long as I’m with Yuanyuan, every day is a New Year worth celebrating to me. I have to say Happy New Year to Yuanyuan every day.”

A muffled laugh came from the side. It was the neighbor who came out to paste couplets.

“The young couple’s affection is really good.”

“It’s just that the husband is a bit fierce.”

Yu Shu blushed and unconsciously lowered his voice. “You turned the conversation around so quickly. People who don’t know better might think I’m usually very harsh with you.”

“Our A-Yu is the gentlest. He always speaks softly and has never raised his voice.” Yan Jin knew Yuanyuan wanted her to come out and vouch for him, so she hurriedly praised him in a loud voice.

“Our A-Yu is also incredibly thoughtful. He knew I wanted to eat shrimp dumplings, so even though he didn’t know how to make them, he still made them for me. Those shrimp dumplings tasted so good, one bite and your tongue would almost be swallowed by the freshness.”

“I must have accumulated blessings for ten lifetimes and burned premium incense for ten lifetimes to be able to find the perfect A-Yu as my husband in this life!”

[I just entered the livestream room and was shocked. Does Yan Jin have a fever? She’s suddenly praising Yu Shu to the skies in public?] [I’ve seen Yu Yuanyuan showing affection plenty of times, but this is the first time I’ve seen Yan Xiaoxiao doing it.] [Yan Jin is actually showing off their love. This scene is so strange. Let me look again.]

The neighbor who let out the muffled laugh was just marveling at the young couple’s great affection. Thinking young people are shy, he deliberately made a sound, wanting to tease Young Master Yu a bit.

Who knew Madam Yan would act unconventionally and directly start praising her husband for being oh so wonderful out in the open.

It was so sickeningly sweet that even he, an old man, couldn’t stand listening anymore. He subconsciously wanted to see the reaction of the other party involved.

Young husbands would always be a bit more bashful, so his earlier muffled laugh served a purpose.

Young Master Yu’s face was all red and his eyes were shining brightly as he looked at Madam Yan. Even his tone of voice matched the shyness he expected.

However, after the neighbor heard Young Master Yu’s words clearly, he couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

“No way. It’s our A-Jin who’s wonderful in every way!”

“She has a gentle and considerate personality and has never raised her voice at me.”

“When I first started learning to cook, the fish slice congee I made was a complete mess. If it were any other Wife-master, they would have scolded their husband long ago. But our A-Jin is different. She didn’t scold me at all and even drank that whole pot of fish slice congee.”

“I must have accumulated virtues for ten lifetimes and had green smoke rising from my ancestral graves for eighteen generations to be able to be with A-Jin in this life.”

[Seeing Yu Yuanyuan praise Yan Xiaoxiao, I’m leaving with a satisfied heart.] [This is the flavor! Although Yu Shu’s praises are similar to Yan Jin’s, the compliments coming from his mouth just sound a bit more natural.] [Well, that’s because we’re used to hearing Yu Shu show affection in public.]

“Knowing that I’m with A-Jin, even my ancestors appeared in my dreams to praise my good fortune, mmph!”

Yu Shu wanted to keep praising, but Yan Jin beside him had already covered his mouth. “Enough, enough. Yuanyuan, you’re overdoing it.”

The Spring Festival customs are from “Living an Elegant Song Dynasty Life” by Li Kaizhou.

The Spring Festival couplets were found online, not original.