The Twenty-seventh Day of the Lunar New Year

On the last day of school in the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, after completing their daily lessons, the children stood respectfully and offered their New Year greetings to Master Sun. The private school would not reopen until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and Master Sun had assigned them ten essays to complete during the break—an average of one every two days. To Wei Guangde, this did not seem overly difficult.

Wei Guangde welcomed his first holiday—and his first New Year—since arriving in the Ming Dynasty. For the impoverished, the New Year was like a trial by fire; those in debt or arrears on rent had to settle their accounts before the turn of the year, which was why it was often called the "New Year Pass." Of course, such struggles had nothing to do with Wei Guangde.

In the days leading up to the festival, his elder brother, Wei Wencai, made two or three trips between the county seat and the town to prepare provisions. He would hitch the large cart early in the morning and often not return until dusk. This was not because their family was wealthy enough to splurge, but because the entire military household garrison needed to purchase supplies. By pooling their resources to buy in bulk, they could secure better prices for the community. This year, the military families of the Bengshan Garrison had received more silver than usual, so they were naturally prepared to celebrate a bountiful New Year.

On the 28th, the garrison slaughtered several pigs for the festival, truly ushering in the holiday spirit. Once the pigs were dressed, the officers naturally took the prime cuts, but the common military households received their fair share, which explained the excitement among the children in the fort. Wei Guangde had gone to watch; a crowd of children had gathered to gaze at the plump, clean-shaven carcasses laid out on benches, many unable to stifle their drool. There were many children in the garrison, though most did not have the privilege of attending a private school like Wei Guangde. Fish and pork were common enough, but other meats were rare, reserved only for the officers and the local hunters.

From New Year's Eve onward, the sound of firecrackers set off by children could be heard throughout the fort, adding a touch of joy to the atmosphere. However, as they were in the Bengshan Garrison, there were no grand celebrations, making it far quieter than the city.

On New Year's Eve, Wei Guangde joined his parents and elder brother in paying respects to their ancestors. As he knelt before the ancestral tablets, it was the first time in either of his two lifetimes that he had performed the kowtow. In his previous life, while kneeling was sometimes mentioned, it had largely been replaced by bows; he had knelt as a child, but never in such a formal ritual. Afterward, his father recounted the history of their family line. He had done so in previous years, but Wei Guangde had paid little mind. Now, he listened carefully to realize that their family did indeed originate from Fengyang Prefecture.

Over the last six months, having heard little of their extended family, he finally gained a clearer understanding. Their ancestors had arrived in Jiujiang a long time ago, and the family had naturally branched out. However, due to the poor transportation and communication of the era, and the fact that military households were strictly bound to their registers, they had few choices; those who left mostly went to frontier towns to bolster the garrisons. As time passed, contact faded. By the generation of his father, Wei Meng, the family had become a single branch, particularly after suffering through the ravages of war. Wei Guangde took mental note of the general destinations of those distant relatives his father mentioned.

On the first day of the New Year, Wei Guangde rose early to kowtow to his parents. After the ritual was completed, he received his "lucky money." In his recovered memories of previous years, his parents would each give him a string of fifty cash, totaling one hundred copper coins. Unlike parents in his modern past who would often confiscate such money under the guise of "saving it," his parents here were different. Perhaps because the family had received more silver this year, he was gifted two small silver ingots, each weighing about one tael.

In the Jiajing era, the cost of living was not particularly high. A few copper coins were usually enough for a snack in town. Receiving two taels of silver at once was a significant sum. According to the current exchange rate, this could be traded for two thousand high-quality copper coins, or perhaps as many as three thousand if the coins were of lower quality. Having been here for some time, Wei Guangde knew that the currency system in the Ming Dynasty was somewhat chaotic. Official government coins were high in copper content and quality, trading at a thousand to one tael of silver, whereas private, illicitly minted coins—much like counterfeit money—required more to reach the same value. To Wei Guangde, the industry of counterfeiting seemed to be a profession with a long and storied history.

In the early Ming period, the circulation of gold and silver had been strictly prohibited, but as times changed, those laws had long since been relegated to the dustbin of history.

"Thank you, Father and Mother. You are the best to me," Wei Guangde said with a sweet smile as he accepted the silver.

"Study hard," his father said, stroking his beard with a meaningful look, while his mother lovingly patted his head. His brother, Wei Wencai, received the same amount and was equally delighted. Two taels was a massive fortune; a laborer in the city might have to work for two or three months to earn as much. This, in fact, was a primary reason for the desertion of military households in the Ming Dynasty, as they were forbidden from seeking outside work, and any labor they performed for their superiors was usually unpaid. While his father, Commander Wei Meng, was not above embezzlement, he at least ensured that the rations for the households under his command were barely sufficient.

In the Ming Dynasty, consumption was simple. Once the problem of food was solved, there were few other expenses. A single tael of silver could sustain a military family for quite some time. Since all the daily needs of Wei Guangde and his brother were provided by the household, this money was truly a significant amount of personal spending power.

Soon after, the squadron leaders and platoon leaders of the garrison, including Zhang Dayong, arrived at the main residence to offer their New Year greetings, staying on for a banquet. In the garrison, there was little need for excessive formality.

On the morning of the third day, Wei Wencai busied himself hitching the cart, as the family was set to visit the Wu family at the thousand-man garrison, a trip long since planned. As they exited the fort, his father smiled at the platoon leader, Li Dayong, who had come to see them off. "The fort is in your hands for the next half-month. I will be away a bit longer than usual, so please be extra diligent."

Wei Guangde and Wei Wencai stood silently behind their father. Their mother, already seated in the cart—as this was a visit to her maiden home and an occasion to discuss a marriage for their eldest son—occasionally lifted the curtain to observe the scene outside.

"Do not worry, sir. I will look after the fort," Li Dayong replied, cupping his fists. A man of few words, he was known for action over speech.

His father nodded with a smile and turned to Wei Wencai. "Let us be on our way."

With that, he and Wei Guangde climbed into the carriage, while Wei Wencai swung onto a horse nearby, leading a few servants as they set off into the distance.