Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 278 Family Dinner
Whether in the capital or in Jiangning, during the New Year, Cao Yong had to go to and from various prefectures to socialize; in this New Year in Yizhou, he lived a lot more leisurely.

Although some places do not post pairs during filial piety, according to the custom in the north, purple and blue pairs are still posted outside the gate of Daotai Mansion.Outsiders know that this is a filial family, so there is less entertainment during the festival.

Although the population is not as large as the capital and Jiangning, there are nearly a hundred people in the Daotai mansion, inside and out.

A few days after the new year, it was thirty.Because fireworks and firecrackers cannot be set off, there is a lot less celebration.

At noon at [-] o'clock, the whole family sat down and ate together.

In the hall of the main room of the inner house, there are two tables where the men eat; three tables are placed on the floor in the kang on the west side, where the female relatives eat.

Shandong cuisine is delicious, southern cuisine is light, and Beijing cuisine is fragrant. On this table, there are dishes from three places, and the room is full of fragrance.

At Cao Yong's table in the hall, in addition to Mr. Zhuang and Han Lu's two masters and Wei Hei, there are brothers Cao Yanxiao and Cao Yanwei; at the other table are Cao Fang, Wu Sheng, Zhang Yi, Zhao Tong and Zhao An, Qian Kang and others sat down.

Although according to the rules of a big family, there is no reason for the master and servant to eat the New Year's Eve dinner together, but Cao Yong has no elders here, and Cao Fang's table is filled with people he usually relies on, so there is nothing to say.Among them, Cao Fang, Zhao An, and Qian Kang are the sons of the family in the southern mansion; Wu Sheng, Zhang Yi, and Zhao Tong are from the capital mansion, and they have been with Cao Yong for several years.
On the other side of the main table, although Wei Hei considered himself a servant, he was treated as a guest at the beginning of Cao's house, and his qualifications were higher than that of Mr. Zhuang; The two masters are staff members, and after this year, they can be regarded as a good relationship between the host and the guest.

During the meeting, in addition to talking about the bandit suppression at the beginning of next year, everyone also mentioned the March Longevity Festival.A few days ago, the capital sent back Cao Yong's invitation to An Zhezi, but there was no reply to the bandits he mentioned. The above imperial pen Zhu approved him to go to Beijing to celebrate his birthday next year.

This is really beyond everyone's expectations.It was just a formality in the invitation booklet, saying a sentence of begging to go to Beijing to congratulate Wanshou, but I didn't expect that there was really a decree of grace.

You know, Cao Yong's father was one of the foreign ministers sent by the Ministry of Rites to celebrate his birthday in Beijing, and now Cao Yong also has this grace.

It is also a great honor for two fathers and sons of one family to celebrate their birthdays in the same court.After all, many governors and governors wanted this kind of grace but couldn't get it. They were anxious outside, thinking whether someone was slandering in front of the imperial court, and whether they had lost their sacred heart.

It's fine if people don't go to Beijing. Since they are going to Beijing to celebrate their birthday in person, they have to think about the gift of longevity.If you want to communicate with the Jiangning Weaving Mansion, you can't force it; in addition, you need to find out in the clan that "Heshuo's son-in-law" like Cao Yong has multiple gifts; you must also weigh the official rank. , but better than the chief officials over there in Jinan Mansion.

The birthday ceremony can only be settled if the three parties have weighed it, otherwise it is too high, and it will be suspected of arrogance;

Listening to Mr. Zhuang talking about these gift-giving rules with Mr. Han and Mr. Lu, Cao Yong felt a headache.It seems that they have to spend time and money to curry favor with that "one emperor through the ages".If it weren't for the allusion that "the country and the mountains are unified forever", Cao Yong really wanted to "flatter" and send potted flowers and plants.

There are many officials who will enter the birthday ceremony next year, and there are rare objects in the world, and the designated ones will be sold at sky-high prices.It would be even more boring if you were targeted by those princes above and missed you like a fat sheep.

Therefore, Cao Yong made up his mind to be a "stingy" person, but for a while, he couldn't think of anything novel and affordable as a birthday gift.

On the west side, there is a table on the kang, Chuyu holds Wu'er, and sits with Mrs. Tian at the top, Mrs. Han and Mrs. Lu are on the left, Lianqiu and Xiqiu are on the right, and Xiangcao and Yulong are accompanying the prime minister.

At the table on the ground, Nanny Ye and Nanny Zhou made the first head.When I came to Yizhou to take care of Chuyu's four wives, Nanny Zhang and Wei went back to Jiangning with Mrs. Li, and Mrs. Ye would stay by Chuyu's side. Mrs. Zhou was the daughter of Chuyu's birth mother, Nalashi. Accompanying the room, I will return to Beijing when the weather is warmer in the next year.

On the left are Zijing and Cao Fang's family, on the right are Liu's family and Mrs. Yang, and on the bottom are Xiyun and Zhu'er.

Xicai, Xiyan, Xixia, Xishuang, Xilu, and Cui'er sat at another table, along with Wu Sheng's family and Yuying.Wu Sheng's family is the chai'er who worked next to Cao Yong in the early years. He is an old acquaintance with everyone, and everyone can talk about it together.

The other women and maids were led by Zhao An's family and Qian Kang's family to have a banquet in the kitchen.

Except for Cao Yong, Chu Yu, and Tian Shi who were still in the filial piety period, everyone else was drinking, and the banquet was lively.

According to the algorithm of this era, after the new year, Cao Yong will be 20 years old, which is the year of the weak crown.Although he has been an official for several years, he will no longer be regarded as a naive child until he is over 20 years old.

Sitting at the banquet, Cao Yong finally breathed a sigh of relief.The 51st year of Kangxi was over. Although there were some changes in the Cao family, Cao Yin, the head of the family, was still there, and history changed inadvertently.

Like the Yizhou side, the Jiangning Weaving Mansion also had a family banquet.

On the master's side, only two tables were set up in Kaiyang Courtyard.Outside the screen, Cao Song took a few younger brothers and accompanied his uncle to the banquet; inside the screen were Mrs. Li, Mrs. Zhao Jia, and the fourth sister who had more than two birthdays.It was really rare and deserted, so Mrs. Li asked Aunt Feng, Aunt Qian, Baodie and Fei Cui who were serving her to sit at the table.

Cao Yin has always been strict, even the most down-to-earth Cao Song is not reckless in front of his uncle, and sat down in a well-behaved manner.The two brothers Cao Shuo and Cao Xiang are also watching the nose and the nose, and they are very peaceful.Only Cao Fu, the youngest, kept his filial piety for half a year and did not go to school. He often asked his uncle about teaching and learning, and his speech was a little less reserved than his brothers.

These four nephews, the oldest is nineteen, and the youngest is twelve, and they are about to grow up and become the pillars of Cao's family.It is a pity that the younger brother failed to see his sons start a family, marry a wife and have children.Cao Yin sighed in his heart, feeling that the world is impermanent.

Seeing the dull atmosphere during the banquet, Cao Fu seemed to have a look of yearning on Cao Yin's face, thinking that his uncle was thinking about Cao Yong and his son who were far away in Shandong, so he felt a little unhappy.After thinking for a while, he smiled and said, "Uncle, my nephew is reading in your study. I often see poems in many books. I think they are all old works of my uncle. Why don't you compile them into a book for scholars to read?" "

Cao Yin was intelligent and talented since he was a child, and he was quite proud of his poetry and prose. Before he came to Jiangnan in his early years, he made good friends with Nalan Rongruo and other talented scholars in the capital.Although he has many poems, he is not well known to the world just because of his status.

Cao Yin listened to his nephew's suggestion, but he was a little moved, and said with great interest: "Oh, Fu'er, have you read all those poems? Do you remember?"

When the elders asked questions, Cao Fu got up from his seat, stood up with his hands down, and then chanted loudly:

Zixue Mingmeng neem flowers are old, and the frog singing hall is full of green grass;
The prefect of Lujiang visits the old man, and the combination of health and prosperity can be overwhelmed.

Both families are listed as halberds, and the middle-aged will lead the county sooner or later;
There is more than enough literary talent and politics, and I really want to express my embrace when I meet.

At that time, there were also uninvited guests, who sat together in a clean and strict fight.

There is no lack of roasted carp and cold fish, and there is no shortage of steamed pears and jujubes;

Ergui is used to enjoy the past, so it is true, the guest rewards the host, and the drunkenness is rare today.

Recalling the Mingguang Palace of Suwei in the past, the people of Langjia Mountain are beautiful;
Ma Cao and the dog prison laughed at each other, but now they are sore and haggard.

Mr. Zhang is the only one left in friendship, and I met Shi Juntong later;
If you hear a lot, you will be forgiven for replying to your doubts. This joy is not different.

Shijue poetry and writing is a smooth road, if you don't prevent the hub of the car, you should be sloppy.

Every family competes to sing the song of drinking water, how much does Nalan know about his mind?
Who is with Ban Si Kuo Luo?It's been a while since I've been quiet and famous.

After reciting it in one breath, Cao Fu sat down again.

Cao Yin was moved when he heard this.What Cao Fu recited was indeed his old work "The Picture of Talking at Night in the Neem Pavilion", which was written in the 34th year of Kangxi.Mr. Zhang in the poem is his old friend Zhang Chunxiu, and Mr. Shi is Shi Shilun, the prefect of Jiangning at that time.The three of them talked at night while holding candles, remembering their old friend Nalan Xingde who passed away ten years ago.

Cao Xiang studied poetry and books hard in the past few years, and he admired this talented Nalan who sang "Drinking Water Ci" from the bottom of his heart, and asked in a low voice: "Did uncle and Mr. Rong Ruo work together with the Long Live Lord in the early years?"

Cao Yin nodded, and replied: "Yes, that's true. He is older than me. He was over [-] years old when he entered the palace as a bodyguard. Since then, he has been serving as an errand for Long Live God until he died of illness."

Seeing the melancholy faces of the uncle and the two younger brothers, Cao Song felt depressed, and some complained that the younger brother was ignorant, what would a dead person do in this new year.

However, since Nalan's family was mentioned, Cao Song thought of a puzzling thing, and asked, "Uncle, Brother Fusen is the son of Mr. Ruorong, why doesn't he have any status in Nalan's mansion? I don't know if he lives in a separate courtyard." , life is also tight, and it doesn't look like a child of everyone."

Cao Yin also knew about Nalan Fusen's situation, but these were private matters of Nalan's family after all, and it was not easy to discuss them behind the scenes, so he didn't answer, and asked Cao Song, "Song'er won't be able to catch up with Enke next year. If we still take the imperial examination The road will have to wait for 54 years. How did Songer plan? If you want to enter the army, you can wait for your filial piety and ask your brother to help you plan, and you can be an official one year earlier."

Where did Cao Song think about it carefully?Just as he was about to raise his hand to scratch his head, he felt disrespectful. He lowered his hand and got up and said, "My nephew just wants to do my best so that I can help my brother in the future. I was looking at the champion of martial arts, the champion of Wu Jinshi, He was very honorable, so he wanted to take the road of imperial examinations; in the past two years by my brother's side, I saw a lot and heard a lot, and everyone's promotion and disgrace do not depend on their births, for these people, it is only the road to promotion .After the filial piety period expires, I will look at my brother and arrange it if it can be arranged. If not, I can wait a year for the imperial examination!"

Seeing that the nephews were stiff, Cao Yin waved his hands and said, "You don't have to get up when you sit down and talk. For the New Year's Eve dinner, save yourself the etiquette."

Hearing this, Cao Song didn't sit down, picked up the teapot at hand, poured tea for Cao Yin, and said naively: "Uncle has taken care of our father and son brothers all these years, but now he has to worry about our brothers' future, This... really makes my nephew feel guilty, here we replace wine with tea, toast uncle, wish uncle well, and enjoy the blessings of my brother and our brothers in the future!"

After hearing what Cao Song said, Cao Shuo, Cao Xiang and Cao Fu also stood up, raised the teacups at hand, and followed their elder brothers in respect.

Cao Song has been simple and honest since he was a child, but he is a little frizzy when he grows up, and he likes to hang out in the market.

For this elder nephew, Cao Yin was still somewhat worried, fearing that he would become a dude.It's just that his parents have both, so it's not his uncle's turn to discipline him.Unexpectedly, after looking at it for the past six months, although everything is not right, it still has the demeanor of the head of the family.

Now, listening to the two conversations he said, he has grown up, and he no longer has the youthful innocence.Cao Yin nodded, and looked at the other nephews. They are stable, sensible, intelligent, tall, and they are all good. Thinking of the year of the weak crown, they have already become the sons of the fourth rank , I felt a sense of pride in my heart.

Inside the screen, Mrs. Li and Mrs. Zhao Jia were also chatting about their daily life.Zhao Jia's body is much haggard, but her spirit is still good.

Aunt Feng took Zhaojia's youngest daughter, the fourth sister, and Aunt Qian coaxed her to eat vegetables and snacks.The Feng family and the Qian family are both Cao Yin's concubines. They are the housemates that Cao Yin took in in the early years. They are much older than the Li family. They have no children under their knees, and they love Si'er very much.

Bao Die has a son by her side, so she is not jealous; Fei Cui is extremely uncomfortable, her eyes are red.When Cao Quan was gone, she was already pregnant, but because she hadn't moved for more than ten years, she didn't know she was pregnant.After Cao Quan passed away, she waited on Zhao Jia's bedside and was so tired that she knew she had a miscarriage after seeing the red.

Mrs. Zhao Jia is not as harsh as before, and she chatted with Mrs. Li a few gossips, nothing more than talking about her nephew and daughter.

Seeing that Mrs. Zhao Jia did not eat much, Mrs. Li personally put her favorite food of flower mushroom, duck's foot and Hericium erinaceus shark's fin into her bowl, and said, "Eat a few more mouthfuls, you must keep your body healthy." Better."

With a smile on her face, Zhao Jia was about to say that she had eaten a lot when she saw Fei Cui staring at her fourth sister in a daze.She was slightly taken aback, then sighed inwardly, and said to Mrs. Li: "Sister-in-law, there is something else that I was thinking of mentioning to you!"

Mrs. Li put down her chopsticks, took out her handkerchief, wiped her mouth, and said, "What's the matter? Tell me!"

Mrs. Zhao Jia hesitated for a while before she said, "Sister-in-law, it's about Wu'er. Although her father is gone, I am still here as a mother after all, and there is no reason to bother her elder brother and sister-in-law. In summer, My sister-in-law loves me so much, and my siblings know it too, so I am very grateful." Having said this, he paused and said in a low voice, "It would be a lie to say that I don't blame her in my heart, but I blame myself even more." Evil will be rewarded', this is half true. If I hadn't had bad thoughts, I wouldn't have retribution on the master. Before the master died, he was still talking about the third girl, even if it was for the master, I will do my best to bring up Wu'er." At the end, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Mrs. Li really didn't know how to comfort Mrs. Zhao Jia. After thinking for a while, she said, "Wu'er is your daughter. I asked her brother to take her to the north at the beginning. I was just afraid that you would be troubled when you saw her. Since you want to Understood, I will send someone to pick it up when the weather is warm. The matter of Yi'er...times have passed, and the siblings don't need to blame themselves. She is a good child who is filial and courteous, and she will not deny you, the aunt."

Zhao Jia tried tears with a handkerchief, and after listening to Li's words, he smiled wryly and said, "How thick-skinned I am, you want the third girl to recognize me? Looking for it, you don’t have to make people bored! What do you want these vain gifts to do, just hope the girl is well, and save the master from being in trouble.”

It is really sad to say these things in the new year, so Li changed the subject and talked about the Miss Sun and Miss Biao in Zhaojia Mansion.Although they all have the hurdle of drafting, but after all, only a few can keep their brands, and most of them still have to make their own marriages.

In the future, if the brothers in the second room are relatives, it will be either the Li family, the Sun family, or the Zhaojia mansion.The Sun family has already married a girl, and if they marry a daughter-in-law again, it will be regarded as a marriage exchange, which is not pleasant to say.The daughters of the Li family are older, and they are all married. The granddaughters of the Li family are younger than the younger ones here, but their seniority is wrong.

When the women talked about these things, they became interested.Mrs. Zhao Jia licked her hair and said: "Although Ying'er has a grandson and granddaughter, I still don't feel like a grandmother in my heart; seeing that my sons are all grown up and going to marry a wife, I realize that I am old!"

Mrs. Li said with a smile: "Look at what you said, do you still think that you are an eighteen-year-old girl? The people outside, at our age, are all old women."

Watching the two mistresses change the subject, both Baodie and Fei Cui heaved a sigh of relief.Otherwise, let's hurry up and talk about some unpleasant things. It's nothing right now. Wait for Zhao Jia to recover his vitality after a few days.

**
(End of this chapter)