Chapter 426
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Chapter 426: New Year’s Visit in January
In this world, there is also a holiday in December, similar to Christmas, but with a different name. But the specific name doesn’t matter.
Christmas originated from a religion, but in the Alliance, there is basically no religion. Although there are some beliefs, they are only limited to certain races.
For example, the witches’ Golden Faith, Earth Dragon’s Ancient Dragon Faith, the Bloodline’s Blood Saint Faith, and so on…
The Natural Alliance also doesn’t have the concept of Christmas.
It’s also fortunate that there is no Christmas, otherwise Bai Wei would have to split himself into several pieces on that day.
Yingzhou is still in a state of being close to modernization. Industrialization is not yet complete, technological development is not fast, and there is no possibility of celebrating foreign festivals.
But this feeling of luck quickly disappeared.
Because soon it arrived on December 31st, approaching the first day of the second year.
No matter which country or culture you are from, there will always be a similar festival to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
In the Ming Country, they call it New Year’s Day, and this term first appeared in the book "Jin Shu." However, the Ming Country’s reaction to New Year’s Day was very plain, at most taking one or two days off.
In Yingzhou, they call it the Lunar New Year, and according to tradition, they need to pay a visit during the first month of the new year.
Europa also calls it New Year’s, but the way they celebrate varies in different regions.
Some regions choose to drink all night until dawn; some regions chop trees and plant new ones; some regions light firecrackers and fireworks, with every household going out to dance; while others may build huge trees adorned with lights or light bonfires, with everyone dancing around the fire.
Undoubtedly, the first day of the new year holds special significance for the people of Europa. It means the end of December and the crimson moon, a great reason to celebrate.
But this cause for celebration meant that Bai Wei had to rush around.
The East is ahead of the West in terms of time, and there is a time difference of about twelve hours between Edo and the Tulip Academy.
In other words, when it is early morning on the first day of January in Edo, it corresponds to noon on December 31st in Europa.
Bai Wei thought, "It’s like celebrating two festivals at once."
The first thing to prepare is Yingzhou’s Spring Festival. My body and people are here, and my social circle is here too.
From December 31st, we started preparing for the Spring Festival.
For the people in Yingzhou, the Spring Festival is also a big event. We belong to the East Asian cultural circle, and the persistence towards the New Year’s Eve dinner has been inherited.
Bai Wei adapted to the local customs. Since he couldn’t go back to the Ming Country for the Spring Festival due to the ash tide, he celebrated the New Year here.
He went to the hospital in advance to pick up Sakurai Shiru and bring her home. He spent half a day decorating her small room.
The girl was very happy, her face was blushing. She just had a small request, she wanted to set up a memorial tablet for her father in her room.
Bai Wei had already considered this and prepared the memorial tablet and shrine. They were placed in another cabinet, ready to be opened. But it’s just a memorial tablet, the ashes are already arranged in the cemetery.
On this day, every family celebrates with their loved ones.
There weren’t many sword witches on the shrine side, so everyone gathered together and didn’t feel lonely.
At the Yagyū residence, Bai Wei and Yagyū Simozi prepared a lot of dishes, mostly from the Ming Country. They made too much that they couldn’t finish.
They were full from lunch and dinner. The main dish for dinner was buckwheat noodles.
After it got dark, the three of them sat in front of the sofa and watched the Red and White Song Battle on TV. It’s a type of TV program similar to a Spring Festival Gala, but without skits, only singing. Both the red team and the white team sang various classic songs. It’s a recognition for singers to be able to perform on this stage. The current Yingzhou music industry doesn’t have established families yet, so the three major songstresses of Reiwa didn’t show up, but they could see many new faces.
As expected, Hatsurai Wagaizuma also made an appearance. She amazed the audience with four songs right from the start, two classic covers and two of her own original songs. This is a period where it’s worth watching the songs.
Bai Wei wasn’t very interested in song battles. He preferred watching magic performances and comedy acts. But Yagyū Simozi and Sakurai Shiru were fans of Hatsurai Wagaizuma, so he couldn’t change the channel. He could only listen to the songs and close his eyes to rest… That’s how it is in a household.
He also had to peel oranges for his two younger sisters. Peeling oranges often happened in cartoons because fruits in Yingzhou were really expensive, especially after the shipping was temporarily halted. They managed to buy a few oranges that were not very sweet. Yagyū Simozi also complained, saying she wanted to eat a seedless watermelon without salt. Bai Wei nodded and agreed, saying they should bring some back from the Ming Country when summer comes.
On the television, Hatsurai Wagaizuma’s makeup image was slightly changed. She didn’t wear heavy makeup or look overly glamorous. Presumably, if she had the intense visual impact of her previous appearance as a snake demon with green scales, she would definitely be criticized at the song battle. So her look was more like a pure and innocent fairy, which was quite trendy in the neon 80s. Her hair was plain black and straight, and she swayed along with the rhythm, without any dance moves.
There was also a broadcast accident during the show. Hatsurai Wagaizuma was about to go on stage to sing when she heard that the intro was wrong. She immediately rushed down from the stage and handed the microphone to another singer, saying, "Next, please listen to Miss Shengzi singing ‘Autumn Colors’."
The singer didn’t realize at first, but when he heard the wrong song, he took the microphone and started singing his famous song without any preparation. He was a very famous idol.
This action made Hatsurai Wagaizuma very popular again, gaining more fans.
When the two girls’ eyes sparkled, it was clear that they had been captivated.
When the singing event ended, it was the perfect time for New Year’s prayers.
One hour ahead of time, Yagyū Simozi took Sakurai Shiru to the room to start getting ready in traditional Japanese clothing.
Kimonos are different from yukatas; yukatas are casual kimonos often seen in anime summer festivals. However, kimonos are very complex to wear, with many layers that one person cannot put on alone. They are also expensive, so many people cannot afford to buy them and have to rent. There are also many different types of kimonos.
Since Yagyū Simozi was a girl from the Yingzhou region and a proper lady, Bai Wei couldn’t help much. He could only watch the singing event and wait.
Simozi chose two sets of authentic furisode kimonos, one for herself and one for Sakurai Shiru. Married women wear furisode kimonos with long sleeves, so they are different from unmarried women’s kimonos. Simozi actually wanted to wear a full furisode, but it was inconvenient to walk in, so she had to change to a medium length kimono. Sakurai Shiru wore her own kimono called ‘Yoshino Sakura,’ matching the character ‘Sakura’ in her name. The one Simozi chose for herself was a set named ‘Mizu no Tsuki’ with cool tones.
The two girls took forty minutes to put on their kimonos. When they walked out, they knelt on the tatami mats and faced the mirror. They helped each other style their hair, to make elegant updos and fastened them with hairpins. They also attached gold patterns on peach wood combs and inserted them as a finishing touch to their hairstyles. Afterward, it was Bai Wei’s turn.
He started to do makeup for two girls, because there was only a little over twenty minutes left and he had to do it quickly. But because he had prepared in advance, his speed and efficiency improved a lot. The idea of making his sister beautiful also motivated him to perform exceptionally well. He finished the makeup in just fifteen minutes, and the two girls looked like gorgeous figures stepping out of a painting.
Yagyū Simozi, who was naturally beautiful, looked at herself in the mirror and turned around. She couldn’t help but show a self-pitying expression and softly said, "I seem to see my mother’s shadow…"
Yagyū Simozi’s mother was also a stunning beauty, otherwise she couldn’t have given birth to such a good-looking daughter.
Just as Bai Wei was about to comfort her, he heard his sister continue, "But my mom was not as pretty as me now."
…a good daughter.
Bai Wei folded his hands in front of the shrine, afraid that some resentment would come out from it.
Sakurai Shiru was also beautifully dressed, and Bai Wei tended to give her a cute style of makeup, just like he did with the azalea flower in the past. He did a great job on this and mischievously added a lotus mark to her forehead, adding a touch of elegance to her cuteness.
"So pretty." Little Shiru looked at herself in the mirror, speechless. The girl’s love for beauty was revealed in her bones. It was the first time in her life she saw herself looking so good. In the past, Sakurai Shiru was actually very afraid of looking in the mirror, afraid of seeing her own emaciated and pale face. So she harbored a sense of inferiority towards all the beautiful sisters and subconsciously wanted to please them, not in a flattering way, but out of self-doubt.
Now Bai Wei transformed her into a beautiful girl with his own hands, also telling her that she was already a beautiful girl and didn’t need to feel inferior to anyone. She should have more confidence in herself, and she could also look good. Because confidence needs to be built and it’s a process of slow accumulation. It’s not something that others can give you. Only your own achievements can build confidence, and looking good is also a kind of success.
Bai Wei gently touched her face and smoothed the makeup on her cheeks. With a smile, he said, "My little sister looks really beautiful… You’re still young, but you’ll definitely become even more beautiful in the future."
Sakurai Shiru nodded vigorously, revealing her neat teeth. Then she remembered the saying about smiling without showing teeth, so she quickly pressed her lips together and tried to put on a dignified expression. But her narrowed eyes and unconsciously curved mouth still betrayed the joy that was almost crinkling her face.
Bai Wei didn’t need any extra fancy clothes, just plain pants, shirts, and a jacket from the Ming Country.
Before leaving the house, they hung peach charms and gate pines at the doorway. The peach charm on the left corresponded to the customs of the Ming Country, while the gate pine on the right was related to the customs of Yingzhou. It was a powerful combination.
The time was just nearing dawn, and families were getting ready to visit the New Year. The time from midnight to 3 a.m. was the busiest. The shrines would definitely be crowded at this time, even the neighboring Hana Ougi Shrine in Harisencho would probably be packed. There weren’t many entertainment activities during this time, but everything became lively and festive easily.
Bai Wei leaned towards Sakurai Shiru with his left hand, while Simozi wrapped her arm around his right.
He asked, "Where should we go for the New Year’s visit? Somewhere not too far away, preferably."
But as soon as they walked out of the alley, a car stopped at the intersection. The sight of this familiar car made Bai Wei’s eye twitch… And then the car door opened.
Hokusinn Kichyō was wearing a luxurious kimono called "Yaezakura" with a moonlit white background. She blinked at Yagyū Simozi, whose brow was furrowing with anger, and gracefully bowed, saying, "明けましておめでとうございます~!" (Translation: Happy New Year… Yes, just these four words.)
Then she stepped aside and pointed to the back seat of the car, "Mr. Bai, would you like to go together for a New Year’s visit?"