Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Couplets
The red paper was bought at the department store.
Unlike modern times when ready-made Spring Festival couplets are available, couplets then couldn’t be written casually; they needed to reflect the characteristics of the current era.
So by the end of the year, the homes in the village with a little calligraphy skill started to get lively. Neighbors would bring their red paper to have couplets written.
In past years, Gu Lingling would follow Gu Juan around all day, feeling melancholy and hardly speaking. She didn’t even write her own family’s couplets, let alone for others.
But this year was different. Gu Lingling had already agreed early on to help several families write couplets, using the ink they usually practiced large characters with.
Her calligraphy was good, and she was well-read in the red books and the poems of great figures, so her couplets were mostly derived from those quotes.
"Our Lingling’s handwriting is really good," the old village chief praised.
Once the couplets of the Gu Family and the old village chief’s house were put up, even more villagers came to ask Gu Lingling to write couplets, and she didn’t refuse anyone.
As long as they brought red paper, she would help write.
But Gu Chunhai’s face grew darker each day.
His daughter had only gained a bit of weight, and now she was busy all day writing couplets, not even having time to eat unless he insisted on it.
This wouldn’t do.
So when another group of people came, Gu Chunhai, with a gloomy face, turned them away. "Zhuzi, didn’t you get yours written just the day before yesterday?"
Coming again today for couplets, do they think his daughter is made of iron?
"Well..." The man called Zhuzi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yesterday my brother-in-law came over and liked the couplets so much he nagged until he took them. So..."
Gu Chunhai’s face was black as coal. "Lingling hasn’t eaten yet. Wait until she’s free before asking again."
Don’t think he didn’t know, there were indeed some who came for a second time.
Gu Lingling felt warm inside, being protected by her father like this felt really nice. She squinted her eyes and hugged a hot water bottle as Gu Chunhai shooed her to the kang to warm up.
"Dad, I need to go out this afternoon." Gu Lingling said, drinking the brown sugar water Gu Chunhai made for her, feeling warm all over.
"Why go out in such cold weather? Tell Dad if you need anything, and I’ll handle it," Gu Chunhai said while cooking in the kitchen, instinctively objecting to Gu Lingling’s words.
It’s too cold outside.
"Dad, you can’t just keep me in all the time. I’ve been stuck at home for days," Gu Lingling pouted, "Grandpa, don’t you agree?"
"Yes, let her go out for a change of scenery. If she stays at home this afternoon, even more people will come asking for couplets," considered Old Sir Gu. Just let her write for close families.
Writing for every family in the village, it’s hard on his granddaughter.
"Exactly, I want to go to the army to deliver couplets to Yating’s and Brother Yang’s families, and a few ’Fu’ characters too," Gu Lingling said while speaking.
"Alright, Dad will go with you this afternoon," Gu Chunhai said from the kitchen. "Have you finished writing the couplets for your grandmother’s house? We’ll deliver those tomorrow."
And bring some New Year goods to his in-laws’ as well.
Even though it hadn’t snowed now, and the previous snow had mostly melted, he still worried. So even if his daughter wanted to go out, he intended to go with her.
Gu Lingling smiled sweetly, "Okay."
Being pampered like this actually felt nice.
Moreover, she noticed that her father’s awareness was improving, showing a bit of a tendency towards being a doting father.