The successful installation of Su Tangyi's eye brought a slight improvement to Su Muqing's mood and boosted her confidence. The dejected and self-blaming expression she had worn previously was no longer visible on her face.
Over the next two days, the entire city was busy preparing for the New Year. Su Muqing and her group also managed to transport the fish and meat from Mu Cang County into the city early on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Those who had already settled in began queuing at various settlement points early on the twenty-eighth to collect supplies distributed by the city, after which they could celebrate the New Year happily with their families.
To prevent disputes arising from overeating or undereating, new arrivals or those who had not yet moved into their new homes were to have their meals uniformly prepared by designated cooks before distribution.
On New Year's Day, as people sat around their tables, raising their glasses to celebrate their survival, their eyes welled up with tears. They could never have imagined that just a few months prior, they were all consumed by the terror of fleeing for their lives, unsure if they would survive. Now, they could sit with their families, enjoying a reunion dinner.
Su Muqing and her team were also incredibly busy, with invitations to eat coming from everywhere. From the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, they had been constantly on the move.
The twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month was a day for a joint meal with people from various sects in the former no-man's-land. They were now all minor officials in Huaxia City.
Although they no longer managed as many disciples as before, their current responsibilities were no less, and their authority and duties were just as significant.
Despite this, no one complained of being tired or of wanting to quit. On the contrary, everyone found their lives to be more hopeful and fulfilling.
As the work of distributing supplies to the settlement points was still ongoing, this gathering, unlike the previous one, could not include everyone. After finishing the distribution of supplies, they could return home to reunite with their families.
Even so, there were still several dozen tables of people dining together. The City Lord's Mansion had also hired many helpers in the preceding days, primarily for kitchen work and cleaning the mansion.
As for Su Muqing herself, she had not appointed any new maids or governesses to serve her. Lin Rongrong and Madam Zhou were temporarily filling in. However, she had always been accustomed to doing things herself, so she rarely needed their assistance.
Starting from the evening of the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month, the City Lord's Mansion was busy throughout the night. The kitchen continuously exuded various aromas from braising, frying, stewing, steaming, and boiling.
They first processed the more complex ingredients that would be needed the next day, which would make the subsequent preparation much easier and save more time.
Early on the morning of the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, all available helpers arrived at the mansion to assist with the afternoon gathering. All the women remained in the kitchen to help.
Under the leadership of Lu Yuzhi, the men carried wide waterproof cloths and support poles to erect a tent in the plaza capable of accommodating dozens of tables for dining. Floodlights were to be hung above every two rows of tables.
Starting from two o'clock in the afternoon, attendees of the gathering began to arrive sequentially at the City Lord's Mansion. It wasn't mealtime yet, so people gathered in small groups, playing cards, chess, practicing martial arts, and engaging in various other forms of entertainment.
Most of them had come early because they had heard about the City Lord's Mansion's "Three Musketeers" pets.
Some of them had been stationed elsewhere and returned to hear others speak so highly of the pets. Upon personally seeing the fat black bear and the eagle, they were all filled with awe, remarking that hearing about them was indeed not as impactful as seeing them in person.
As winter days darkened early, the gathering commenced at four-thirty in the afternoon. A variety of delicacies were successively brought to the tables. Braised pork, boiled fish, spicy mixed noodles, seafood congee, steamed spareribs with rice flour, Mao Xuewang, lamb soup, beef patties, seasonal side dishes, sweet rice wine soup…
There was a prevalence of heavily seasoned dishes. In the cold winter, eating some warm, spicy dishes would help warm the body.
Despite the cold weather, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was lively. The meal lasted for several hours, and people did not leave until past nine in the evening, with some men still wanting to continue drinking.
Seeing that they were still not entirely satisfied, Su Muqing simply had the cold dishes on the tables cleared and then brought them hot pot and accompanying dishes so they could continue eating.
After finishing her meal, Su Muqing played cards with everyone for a while before bidding them farewell and taking the two children back to rest.
Neither of the children caused any trouble and soon fell asleep. After seeing that Su Tang was also asleep, Su Muqing gently removed the mask from his face, preparing to change his dressing again.
When she uncovered the bandages covering his left eyelid, Su Muqing was astonished to find that the wound on Su Tang's eyelid was actually beginning to heal slowly! It had only been a day, and the effects of the products from the Future Mall were simply astonishing.
After carefully cleaning the wound, disinfecting it, applying medication, and bandaging it, she looked up to see that Su Tang's forehead was already beaded with sweat from the pain. Considering he was only ten years old and could endure such pain, Su Muqing felt a sense of admiration for him.
Perhaps sensing that she had finished her work, Su Tang slowly opened his right eye and gazed intently at Su Muqing without blinking.
Just as Su Muqing expected him to have no significant reaction this time, Su Tang actually opened his mouth. Although he still couldn't speak, he had shown an intention to communicate verbally.
This significant change made Su Muqing overjoyed. When she had performed a full physical examination on Su Tang previously, she had specifically checked his throat and vocal cords, finding no issues with either.
This meant that Su Tang's speechlessness was likely due to post-traumatic stress disorder. If this were the case, active patient cooperation would be essential for treatment.
Su Muqing gently patted Su Tang's head and encouraged him, saying, "Do you want to say something? Let's take our time, don't rush, say it one word at a time…"
Su Tang pursed his lips and tentatively opened his mouth again. This time, he emitted a tiny "Ah!" In fact, this sound was more like a breath of air, but for Su Muqing, it was a significant improvement.
However, for Su Tang, being unable to articulate his thoughts was a source of frustration, especially given his autism. People in such situations found it difficult to calm down once their emotions were stirred.