Go back to the Ming Dynasty to be a thousand households

Chapter 252 New Year's Eve

The next day was New Year's Eve. From this day on, not to mention the entire Wuzhai Fort, even the entire Ming Dynasty, were immersed in the New Year's atmosphere.

From the daytime, ordinary merchants, civilians, and military households from Huangfu to Wuzhaibao are busy changing door gods, pasting Spring Festival couplets, hanging New Year pictures, hanging stickers, pasting window grilles, and driving away plagues.There are firecrackers exploding and laughter everywhere.Over the past few years of Wuzhaibao's development, the lives of soldiers and civilians are getting better every day, and the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year is getting stronger every year.

Huang's mansion has also been busy since early in the morning. After the mother Yang went to the capital, the hostess has changed to Gu Yunniang, coming in and out, and the people under her command are circled around by her. The sisters and wives are in the Aside to help.Today is the first time for Gu Yunniang's brothers and sisters-in-law to celebrate the new year in Huang's mansion, which is a little more novel.

In the evening, a sumptuous feast of food and drink has been prepared in the lobby. According to the custom of the new year, the staple food is rice cakes and dumplings, which represent the rise of each year.Non-staple food must include fish, chicken, bacon, braised lion head, but the fish is for viewing rather than eating, which symbolizes surplus every year.Drinking must drink Tusu wine.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Huang Laifu led his younger brother Huang Lingbin and five sons to worship the ancestors of the Huang family.After his father Huang Sihao went to the capital, he is now the male master of the mansion, so the heavy responsibility of worshiping the ancestors of heaven and earth naturally falls on him.Huang Laifu couldn't help feeling that a few years had passed in the blink of an eye.

After paying homage to the ancestors of the Huang family, Huang Laifu smiled and said to his eldest son Huang Dalang, "Dalang, how about letting you set off the firecrackers today?"

After today, Huang Dalang will be four years old. Just like his father Huang Laifu, he has a thick head and a thick body. Hearing this, he said happily: "Okay, Daddy, let's set off the cannon!"

As he spoke, he took a long string of firecrackers from a servant, and walked out the door excitedly.The younger sister Huang Xiurou stood up and shouted: "I will go too!" The remaining four sons of Huang Laifu and a group of children also followed.Several servants are also busy following to take care of them.

Gu Yunniang was a little worried, she blamed Huang Laifu: "Why did you let your son go? That is Wan Zixiang's overlord whip, be careful not to blow him up!"

Huang Laifu didn't take it seriously: "If my son doesn't even dare to let go of the wedding cannon, how will he inherit my family business in the future?"

Gu Yunniang rolled his eyes at him: "My son is still young..."

Before he finished speaking, the deafening sound of firecrackers rang out, and even the faint smell of gunpowder smoke could be smelled in the inner house.It took a long time for the firecrackers to explode, and then Huang Xiurou and a group of children ran back excitedly, everyone was yelling from time to time, everyone looked excited.

After the firecrackers were set off, the doors of the Huang's Mansion were closed to eat the New Year's Eve dinner, and everyone sat around the table, full of joy.There are many people today, besides Huang Laifu and Gu Yunniang, there are Liu Yumei, Liu Erniu, Qu Xiuhe, Meiyue, Liuhuan, and Huang Laifu's five sons.There are Huang Lingbin and Huang Xiurou.There are eldest sister, second sister, third sister, and several of their husbands and children.There are also Gu Yunniang's brothers and sisters-in-law, and their children.A large table was full of people.

Taking Huang Laifu as his honor, sitting on the main seat, his face was full of red, he held up the Tusu wine and said, "Come, come, it's a big day, everyone, let's have a toast."

Everyone responded with a bang, toasting and drinking together.

After putting down his wine glass, Huang Laifu glanced at Huang Lingbin next to him, and said, "Second brother, after the new year, you will be twenty, and it's time to start a family. Is there any girl you like? I know Governor Yang has a daughter. Gentle and dignified, twenty-eight years old, just right for you. Our family is also the chief soldier of the town. Marrying his daughter is considered a well-matched family. You boy, it is considered cheap for you. I have a few sons who have not grown up, otherwise I gave her to my son!"

Everyone laughed and looked at Huang Lingbin jokingly. Huang Lingbin blushed from irritation, but kept silent.

Gu Yunniang smiled and said: "Sir, don't mess with the mandarin ducks, my uncle has a sweetheart!"

Huang Laifu let out a cry of surprise, and said, "Which family is the girl from, why don't I know?"

Eldest sister Huang Zirou smiled and said: "Little brother, you are busy with military town affairs all day long, how can you know what is on your mind? The girl she likes is Fang Jieyu, the daughter of Mr. He is quite handsome, no wonder my little brother was fascinated all day long after seeing him!"

Huang Lingbin blushed and argued in a low voice: "I'm not fascinated..."

The older sisters all laughed at him: "Little brother, we grew up watching you, so your sisters don't know what's on your mind?"

Gu Shiyin's wife Zhao Shi said with a smile: "I don't blame the brother-in-law's heart. I have heard of that girl Fang. She is very good-looking. She is also a well-known talented woman in Kelan Prefecture. She is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. I also have some friendship with her mother, Mrs. Fang." , if Brother Jin is interested, I will go and talk to her."

The eldest sister Huang Zirou is the most enthusiastic about these things, she said: "Yes, I will go with you when I have time."

Although Huang Lingbin was still shy, but his own happiness was at stake, he finally plucked up his courage, but hesitated: "Mr. Fang likes me very much, but Miss Fang doesn't seem to pay much attention to me...I heard that she likes that kind of beauty." An imposing man..."

His voice became lower and lower, and if it wasn't for everyone's good hearing, they might not be able to hear him.

The third sister Huang Biju said: "The younger brother is also very handsome."

Eldest sister Huang Zirou didn't take it seriously: "When is it her turn to make the decision of the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words?"

Huang Laifu said: "Second brother, don't be afraid. I have experience in chasing girls. As long as you have a thick face and a dark heart, you will eventually embrace the beauty. Isn't this how I chased your sister-in-law? Later, elder brother will teach you a few tricks, including You got your wish."

Everyone laughed, Qu Xiuhe and all the girls covered their mouths and laughed, only Huang Lingbin's shy smile was interested in Huang Laifu's words.Gu Yunniang's cheeks were flushed, and she gave Huang Laifu a shy look: "What are you talking about, I'm already a father, so I'm not ashamed to say such things. My uncle is a decent person, so be careful not to spoil him."

The elder sister Huang Zirou also laughed for a while, pointing at Huang Laifu and said with a smile: "My younger brother is strange to say, he was not so glib in the past." When Huang Laifu was silent, she turned her head and said to Huang Xiuju next to her: "My little brother Sister, after the Chinese New Year, you are also a big girl, and it is said that a boy should marry a girl and a girl should marry, but do you want my sister to find a good husband for you?"

The younger sister Huang Xiurou turned her face, her mouth was flattened, and she said, "No, I will follow Big Brother from now on."
Gu Yunniang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, the parents of girls always want to marry when they grow up."

Huang Xiurou just pursed her mouth, Huang Laifu couldn't help smiling when she saw her, it's normal for children to have love for their mother, brother, and father, just grow up.He raised his glass and said, "Come on, let's drink, drink."

Everyone toasted together again, and then everyone talked and laughed, and had a very happy New Year's Eve dinner.

After eating, everyone stayed up late to watch the new year. Huang Laifu, as the head of the family, distributed lucky money to his sons and a group of children, and distributed New Year red envelopes to people in the mansion.Think about it, father Huang Sihao, mother Yang and others distributed lucky money to him in the past, and now it's his turn to distribute it.

The whole night, except for Huang Laifu getting up at five o'clock to burn incense and see off the Jade Emperor, he was playing dumbfounded with everyone, pushing Pai Gow for fun.For a moment, the entire hall became a battlefield.The children were kicking shuttlecocks and riding bamboo horses, and everyone was very happy.

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At the moment of the child, the sound of firecrackers in Wuzhai Fort resounded through the sky, and the sound of firecrackers welcomed the new year, and the new year came.

After Zishi is New Year's Day, which is the first day of the first month in the 23rd year of Wanli, and the time has entered February 1595th in 2 AD.

From the fifth watch on this day, incense and paper cannons will be burned in the Ming Palace, and the palace people will use the door bolts to throw three times on the courtyard, which is called falling a thousand pieces of gold.Early in the morning, civil and military officials had to go to the palace to congratulate the emperor.And in the local yamen, the vassal kings from all over the country, the hundreds of officials and generals from all states and counties will also go to the yamen where they are, and hold ceremonial activities of looking at the palace and congratulating them.

Early this morning, Huang Laifu dressed up and put on the bright red official uniform of the Ming Dynasty. First, he burned incense in the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors of heaven and earth, and then paid homage to his parents in the direction of Beijing. , with a flying goose made of black gold paper stuck in his head, and went to the Wuzhaibao official office.And a group of women in the mansion, also with enchanting makeup, came to Gu Yunniang's room to salute.

Walking on the street, Wuzhai Fort is filled with the festive atmosphere of firecrackers and smoke.Every street is full of Wuzhaibao merchants, civilians and military households playing such as Baixi, Liubo, Touhu, and stilts.The children in Yiqianbao put on new clothes and played romping games on the street, such as kicking knuckles, spinning tops, and eagles catching chickens.From time to time, groups of children lit a firecracker and threw it far away, making a crisp cannon sound.

And no matter men, women, old or young, each of them has a "noise" made of black gold paper inserted on their heads, in various shapes, such as flying geese, butterflies, grasshoppers, etc., as big as a palm and as small as money.Some people even put "noisy" all over their heads.This was the custom of Ming Dynasty at that time.

Huang Laifu's carriages and horses passed by, people saluted Huang Laifu one after another on the street, and children also greeted Huang Laifu with innocent voices under the guidance of their parents.

Huang Laifu also bowed to everyone with a big smile on the horse, greeting the New Year, and his servants and guards were also busy distributing red envelopes to everyone.

When they arrived at the official office, all the officials and generals of Wuzhaibao had arrived, waiting for Huang Laifu to arrive.Everyone is beaming, and they are all in official uniforms.As soon as Huang Laifu's chariots and horses arrived, He Chaoxun, Jiang Dazhong and others all came to see Huang Laifu.

Huang Laifu greeted everyone with a smile on his face, and then under the leadership of Huang Laifu, everyone set up an incense table, faced the direction of Beijing, danced and shouted, performed fourteen salutes, and congratulated the emperor verbally on the new year, and finally completed The ceremony of "Wang Que Congratulations" was held.

After the Tower Watching Ceremony ended, the Huang Mansion ushered in a frenzy of New Year greetings.From this day on, the head of Huang's family was very busy receiving worship stickers, visiting the door book and so on.There are countless officers and merchants in the fort, generals and officials in the outer fort, officials and generals in Ningwu Pass, and there are countless people who serve the festival.Most of these people, Huang Laifu, handed over to Butler Yang to take care of them.

Most of the officials and generals in the outer castle couldn't come in person, so they sent famous cards to congratulate them.At that time, among the officials and folks of the Ming Dynasty, posting name posts to celebrate the New Year spread all over the place, even if they didn’t know each other, they would post them everywhere. This name post is a kind of red paper bag with the owner’s surname written on it, which is called "door book", which is convenient for everyone to accept. .In the Huang Mansion alone, Huang Laifu didn't know how many invitations he received from people he didn't know.

Of course, in addition to other people giving Huang Laifu New Year's greetings, Huang Laifu is also busy giving New Year's greetings to others, to his own battalion generals, to his relatives, as well as his parents in Beijing, the adoptive father of Kelanzhou, Governor Yang of Ningwu Guan, and the governor of Shanxi. , and even Huang Laifu sent famous cards and gifts to various ministries in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)