I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1568 Pasting Spring Couplets

When the bell rang signaling the end of the shift, all the staff of the yamen rushed off, eager to go home for their New Year's Eve dinner.

With Lord Sun in charge, I really didn't want to stay in that treacherous government office for even a quarter of an hour.

These officials are worse off than the prisoners in the jail. At this very moment, the prisoners have already eaten their New Year's Eve dinner and are leisurely picking their teeth in their cells.

Gui-ge ran in cheerfully: "Shan-ge, you're off duty? Auntie's asking if you're done?"

Sun Shan solemnly sealed the official seal and said with a smile, "Here you are."

As soon as I stepped into the backyard, I saw a chubby little girl wearing a red jacket and skirt.

Little Fatty was crying yesterday, but today, I don't know if she has new clothes to wear or a big gold bracelet to wear, but she was so enthusiastic when she saw Sun Shan.

He took long strides with his chubby little legs and came running over hurriedly, calling out from afar, "Dad, are you off duty?"

Sun Shan fell head over heels in love with the chubby little girl dressed in bright red.

Even the hair accessory is red, making it look like a ten-powerful firecracker we played with as kids—a "ground cone"!

Sun Shan disregarded the little girl's weight, struggled to pick her up, kissed her cheek, and gently asked, "My good girl, you look so beautiful today."

The chubby girl's smile reveals two dimples, making her look like a little fairy.

She happily hugged Sun Shan's neck and said, "Father, Xiaoxiao's new clothes were made by Mother."

Sun Shan carried the chubby little girl into the living room. He asked affectionately, "Xiaoxiao, did you take a shower?"

The little girl nodded: "Father, Grandma made it for Xiaoxiao."

She paused, then said with a pitiful expression, "The water is so hot, Xiaoxiao doesn't like it."

The little girl was taken away by Su Shi to take a bath early in the morning, and the little girl's face turned bright red after being washed in hot water.

Sun Shan walked into the living room and saw Sun Bomin, Uncle Sun, and De Ge'er leading Hu Ming to put up Spring Festival couplets everywhere.

Hu Ming came running over excitedly and said, "Godfather, this is a couplet I wrote for the Spring Festival. I'm going to put it on my lintel."

Sun Shan looked at it and saw that it read "Academic progress".

He couldn't help but laugh: "Good son, well written. The couplet is well written, it suits you best."

Hu Ming then took out two more cards and said, "Godfather, this one is for Xiao Xiao and Xiao Hei Mei."

It says "Grow up healthily" on it.

Sun Shan smiled and said, "That's right, it's perfect for younger girls."

He paused, then asked, "Huming, it's just that my sister doesn't have a bedroom, so she can't put it up."

Little Fatty mostly slept with Su Shi and Sun Bomin, and occasionally with Sun Shan and Sister Yun.

Little Black Girl's life was even simpler; she slept with Gui Ge'er and Li Jinhua.

Therefore, there's nowhere to paste the Spring Festival couplets that Hu Mingxie wrote.

Hu Ming then realized that his two younger sisters did not have their own bedrooms, and he was disappointed.

The little girl noticed that her brother could put up Spring Festival couplets in his bedroom, but not in her own.

She cried out, "Brother, I want one too!"

The little black girl, always a tagalong, also clamored, "Brother, me too!"

Hu Ming shook his head and said, "I also wrote the name of Grandpa and Grandma's bedroom: 'May you have good fortune, longevity, peace, and health.'"

Sun Shan's bedroom was described as "high-ranking official's advancement." Gui Ge'er's bedroom was described as "wishes come true."

So the couplets written by Little Fatty and Little Blackie were in vain, with nowhere to be posted.

Little Fatty was unhappy and pestered Sun Shan, shouting, "Daddy, Xiaoxiao wants to sleep alone. Xiaoxiao wants to put up Spring Festival couplets in her bedroom."

The little black girl also wanted a bedroom, but she was much more sensible and didn't dare to make a sound.

There was nothing in the government office, just lots of houses.

Sun Shan was thinking that if Little Fatty wanted a bedroom, then so be it; he could just tidy one up, it wasn't a big project.

Sister Yun was busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen when she heard Little Fatty making a fuss from afar.

When she asked for a bedroom, he shook his head repeatedly: "Brother Shan, a young girl like you is too young to sleep alone. You can sleep by yourself next year or the year after."

The chubby girl was unhappy and pouted, saying, "Mother, Xiaoxiao wants a bedroom, Xiaoxiao wants to sleep by herself."

Yun Jie'er was unwilling and glared at her: "Xiaoxiao is still too young to sleep alone. She can sleep alone when she's older. Good girl, be good and stop making noise."

If Little Fatty could be obedient, she wouldn't be Little Fatty. She continued to make a fuss: "Mom, Xiaoxiao wants to sleep by herself, Xiaoxiao wants a bedroom, Xiaoxiao wants to put up Spring Festival couplets."

Sister Yun was busy from morning till night, and she saw that Little Fatty was so unruly.

Without saying a word, she raised the feather duster high and said fiercely, "I'm too busy today to clean your bedroom. Besides, you're still young, how can you sleep alone? If you make any more noise, your mother won't be so polite!"

Little Fatty's eyes were wide open, and her chubby body trembled as she hid behind Sun Shan, peeking curiously at Sister Yun.

I dare not argue anymore, but I feel so wronged.

Sun Shan thought for a moment and then said, "Xiaoxiao, Mother is right. You're still too young to sleep alone. How about we put up the Spring Festival couplets in Father's study? You can borrow Father's study for now, okay?"

Hearing this, the chubby girl was pleased.

He nodded at the chubby little head: "Okay, Dad, put up a couplet with Xiaoxiao's picture in your study."

He paused, then added, "Xiaoxiao wants a bedroom next year, so we'll put it in Xiaoxiao's bedroom."

Sun Shan then said to Xiao Hei Mei, "Xiao Hei Mei, your couplets are the same as Xiao Xiao's. Let's put them up in Shanbo's study, okay?"

The little black girl sweetly replied, "Okay, put them all up in Uncle Shan's study."

So Sun Shan put up three Spring Festival couplets in his study.

The sticker in the middle reads "Great Ambitions," while the stickers on either side read "Healthy Growth."

When Hu Ming, Xiao Hei Mei, and Xiao Fei Mei saw this, they laughed heartily, and the entire yamen was filled with laughter.

Hu Ming also wrote "May wealth flow in" for De Ge'er.

Dege was so happy that he picked up Huming and jumped around.

He said with a grin, "Good tiger roar, as you wish, may Deber have abundant wealth and rise to higher positions in the new year."

Hu Ming said earnestly, "De Bo, he definitely will."

Dege patted Huming's little head and said happily, "When Dege makes a lot of money, he'll buy you gifts. You can buy whatever you want."

Hu Ming shook his head repeatedly and said sensibly, "Der Bo, you don't earn money easily, you don't need to buy it for Hu Ming."

These words warmed Dege's heart to the core.

Because this is what the chubby girl and the dark-skinned girl said: "Derber, we want a big gold bracelet. Derber, you have to buy it for us. Derber, you can't go back on your word."

See, without comparison, there is no distinction between good and bad.

If Tiger Roar is so ignorant, then which little mosquito is so sensible?

Uncle Sun then asked Hu Ming to write down "Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness, and Wealth" for him.

Hu Ming:......

He forced a smile and said, "Third Grandfather, Spring Festival couplets don't have five characters; they're always four. This one has five characters..."

It means it's against the rules.

Uncle Sun said nonchalantly, "Huming, we have to be flexible in our dealings with people. Four words are fine, why can't we have five? Hurry up and write it for Third Master."

Hu Ming couldn't find a rebuttal for a moment.

I had no choice but to write a five-character couplet as Uncle Sun suggested.

Uncle Sun put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily: "I want good fortune, I want a bright future, I want longevity, I want happiness every day, I want wealth every day, hahaha, I want it all!"

Guangdong pasting Spring Festival couplets