The ultimate rebirth of the abandoned woman

Chapter 137 New Year's Eve ([-])

It was getting late, and the sound of the drum behind closed doors came from the imperial city, announcing the end of the day.

As the night grew darker, the [-] drums sounded, the gates of the [-] squares and the east and west cities were all closed, and the entire capital entered a curfew.

Even though today is New Year's Eve, there is still a curfew.

Throughout the year, there are only three exceptions, which are the [-]th, [-]th, and [-]rd days of the first month, which are the three days before and after the Shangyuan Festival.

New Year's Eve is not in the category of 'exception'.

But the curfew does not affect people's enjoyment of celebrating the festive season.

In Rongkang Hall, in the courtyard between the atrium and the main hall, the servants of the Cui family have already set up a fire in the middle of the courtyard. The firewood is piled up like a hill, and the raging flames illuminate the entire courtyard very brightly.

Next to the fire, there are grills, copper tripods, and various cooking utensils. The cook in a brown robe is rolling up his sleeves to direct the servants and women to carry ingredients and prepare seasonings.

Different from the randomness of Chenguangyuan, the layout and architecture of Rongkang Hall are very orthodox and rigorous. The rooms are distributed symmetrically, and every two main houses are connected by corridors with mullion windows.

At this moment, on the corridors on both sides between the atrium and the main hall, there are burning torches hung in front of each window, illuminating every corner of the courtyard.

The corridor is also bright as day, and from time to time there are groups of maids and women walking through with various things.

Although the people in the courtyard were so busy that their feet didn't touch the ground, there was no noise. In such a large courtyard, only the sound of crackling firewood burning and the occasional whistling wind could be clearly heard.

Even the steward who explained the errands lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of disturbing someone by making a noise.

"Butler Cui, everything is ready, when will it start!"

The cook wiped the sweat off his brow with an oily sackcloth, and asked Cui Zhong in a low voice.

There is no way, although it is winter now, but there are big fires and small torches in the yard, which makes the whole yard warm. Can be hot and sweaty.

Cui Zhong followed the cook to the fire and checked them one by one:

A sheep has been skewered on the grill, but it has not been roasted;

In the large copper tripod, the secret soup ingredients included in Cui's recipes were added, and a strong fragrance was wafting out with the rolling soup at this moment;
And the piglets fed with medicinal herbs sent from the farm have already been taken care of properly, waiting for the owner to come and cook them on the spot.

There are also ingredients such as bear fat, venison, fish, chicken, etc., which have also been packed, and the required ingredients and vegetables are also fully prepared.

Cui Zhong nodded in satisfaction, "Very good. When the day of Shuo arrives and the masters have worshiped their ancestors, they can start cooking.

Remember, please do the errands well for me. I will reward everyone after the hard work these few days.If someone makes a mistake, then don't blame me for disregarding the past love! "

Seeing several cooks and stewards in charge of the kitchen surrounding them, Cui Zhong said solemnly with a straight face.

"Yes, butler, just don't worry, we are not working in the first year, how can we not know the rules."

"No, don't worry."

"That's right, we've prepared several times for this New Year's Eve banquet, and it's always a happy ending."

"It won't break the rules, let alone disturb the master's interest."

When several people heard the words, they hurriedly patted their chests and expressed their opinions in a hurry.

Cui Zhong warned a few more words, not because he is worried about these old servants, but because food is too important, if one is not careful, let alone being poisoned, or the ingredients are not fresh, let the master have a big holiday It's because he, the housekeeper, didn't manage well.

After looking at the time, Cui Zhong strolled down the corridor again, and called a young steward, "Is the Taofu ready?"

The little steward nodded repeatedly, "It's been done a long time ago, and I'm waiting for your order. Why don't you take a look first?"

As he said that, the little steward waved his hand back, and the servant behind him hurriedly handed him a scroll of calligraphy and painting.

At this time, the peach charms were not the door gods carved with peach wood in the traditional sense, but the two gods Shentu and Yu Lei were directly drawn, which belonged to the simplified version of peach charms.

Cui Zhong didn't pick up the peach talisman, but glanced in the direction of the ancestral hall, calculated the time, and said, "Well, it's almost there, you arrange a few people to replace the new peach talisman."

The little steward quickly agreed, and then asked, "Are you going to light the firecrackers too?"

Cui Zhong nodded, "Well, of course we are together. But you have to keep an eye on the time, don't be too early or too late, if you miss the time and spoil the master's business, none of you and I will forgive."

"Hey, don't worry, Chief Steward."

Seeing that Cui Zhong had no other orders, the little steward led several seventeen or eighteen-year-old servants, carrying new peach charms and newly-made firecrackers, and ran out joltingly.

Today's firecrackers are absolutely veritable firecrackers.

In fact, it has been improved compared with the previous dynasty. A few years ago, someone proposed to fill the small bamboo tube with nitrate, and then detonate the bamboo tube, and use the smoke produced by the nitrate explosion to drive away evil spirits and avoid evil, thus improving firecrackers.

You must know that during the Chinese New Year a few years ago, people still made torches with pine branches and bamboo, and burned the bamboo directly to make it make a crackling sound to drive away evil spirits.

But now, people are trying to fill the bamboo tube with paint or wrap the bamboo tube with colored paper or cloth strips. When the bamboo tube explodes, more vivid colors and novel patterns will be produced.

However, the Cui family is an old family, and they don't appreciate these flashy and weird things, and they only set off bamboo tubes with nitrous powder every year.

Cui Sanniang opened the ancestral hall with her two younger brothers.

The child time has come, and now it is the New Year's Day of the Jiachen year, which is the beginning of a new year.

The three brothers and sisters of the Cui family led all the male members of the Cui family to offer sacrifices to the ancestors together.

At the same time, the sound of cracking bamboo tubes came from afar, as if accompaniment to the ceremony.

After the offering, it is a toast.

Cui Sanniang, Cui Shouren and Cui Shouyi each held a cup of Tusu wine and knelt in front of the spirit tablet of Cui's ancestors, praying for the ancestors and gods, and blessing the descendants of the Cui family to be safe, prosperous, prosperous and prosperous.

After the three elders prayed, many juniors toasted.

However, the toasts of the juniors were replaced by the three elders.

The three brothers Cui Ze, Cui Hong, and Cui Hai took the lead, followed by Dalangjun Cui Yanbo (Rong Kangtang), Dalangjun Cui Yibo (Rongantang), Sanlangjun Cui Shubo... until the grandchildren Cui Lingyuan, Cui Lingwen and other small beans, They also held Tusu wine and toasted the three parents one by one, wishing the elders a long and healthy life.

Seeing the growing population, the three Cui Sanniang siblings were filled with emotion. They remembered that when the three of them left their hometown, there were only three people in the family. Now there are many children and grandchildren in the house, and the four generations live under the same roof, which can be regarded as a prosperous family.

only……

Cui Shouren and Cui Shouyi brothers looked at each other, then nodded secretly.

After toasting, Cui Sanniang personally took the genealogy and prepared to register Cui Qing's family and Cui Lingshen in it.

Under the corridor outside the ancestral hall, all the female family members of the Cui family also lined up according to their seniority. They sat on the floor in rows, and everyone stood upright, waiting for the ceremony to end.

After Cui Qing's family heard the call, Cui Qing and Cui Sibo fully dressed and entered the ancestral hall. Mrs. Yao came and sat down next to the third wife, Xiao Lu, and Cui Xuan sat down next to the fourth wife, Cui Heng.

As for Xiao Nan and other young wives, they sat neatly in the second row with solemn expressions. As for what was going on in their hearts, they couldn't know one by one.

For a long time, the legs of the women kneeling in the corridor were numb, and no one from the ancestral hall came out.

Xiao Nan's ears are so good that she even heard faint arguments.

Hiss~~ can't you?
If there is any objection, those who celebrate the Chinese New Year can't stop? !

After another half an hour, the sound of firecrackers around gradually disappeared, and the door of the ancestral hall was opened.

Cui Sanniang, Cui Shouren, and Cui Shouyi's three sisters and brothers walked out slowly without any signs of happiness or anger.

The second, third and fourth generations followed suit.

Perhaps the young man has no city mansion, when Cui Youbo came out, his face was very ugly, as if he had been reprimanded by his ancestors.

All the female relatives hurriedly stood up to greet each other, and looked at their respective men with inquiring eyes.

Xiao Nan saw Cui Youbo's miserable appearance like a small cabbage in the water, and was a little stunned at the moment. He quietly approached him and asked in a low voice: "Lang Jun, what's the matter? But what's wrong?"

Cui Youbo raised his head and forced a smile, "It's nothing, my lady doesn't need to worry."

No wonder!
But now is not a good time to speak his mind, Xiao Nan suppressed the doubts in his heart, nodded, "It's fine if nothing happens."

On the other side, Cui Ze said a few words to Zheng Shi, Zheng Shi's eyes widened and he almost got violent on the spot.

Cui Ze knew his wife very well, and coughed twice after speaking, suppressing any exclamation or correctness that Zheng Shi might have uttered.

Mrs. Zheng also understood Xianggong, seeing his behavior, she knew that the deal was done and there was no possibility of change, so she gritted her teeth and swallowed the words that came to her lips.

The old lady saw that everyone was gathered around the ancestral hall, two and three talking together, and all of them had different expressions, and there was no festive celebration at all, so she was a little unhappy at the moment, and said in a high voice: "Okay, It's getting late, it's time for us to eat and watch the night!"

Watching the night on New Year's Eve is a custom, and the Cui family is not exempt from it.

"Yes!"

Seeing that the elder had spoken, everyone stopped talking and agreed in unison. After the three Cui brothers and sisters went first, they slowly followed out of the ancestral hall.

Xiao Nan pretended to have something in his heart, and went out with the flow.

I didn't pay attention for a while, and actually walked to my mother-in-law's side.

Zheng Shi's complexion was very ugly, but because of the rules, she couldn't get angry immediately, but it's a pity that one of the good veils has been twisted into twists by her.

Suddenly seeing Xiao Nan following her side with a worried face, Zheng's full of anger suddenly had something to vent.

"Why are you here alone? Where's Hachiro? Ah? Do you know the rules and the way to be a wife, and you actually walk ahead of your husband? Hmm? Didn't your mother-in-law teach you what three obediences are? For the four virtues?"

The severe reprimand, like a Jiao Lei, slammed into the quiet corridor with a 'crack', causing the rest of the Cui family to stop and look at the lost Zheng in amazement.

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(End of this chapter)