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“What’s wrong with you?” Aunt Liu said, calling Shanzi: “Hurry up and carry your mother to the bed.”

Shanzi carried his mother to the bed. Aunt Huang closed her eyes and didn’t want to talk. Aunt Liu guessed that the mother and son had some conflict, so she didn’t say much. She comforted her for a few words and left.

As soon as Aunt Liu left, Aunt Huang turned her back and faced the outside with the back of her head.

Shanzi stood by the bed: “Mom, I——”

Shanzi didn’t know what he was going to say. He didn’t think he was wrong.

However, he also knew that he couldn’t mention this matter to his mother at the moment, and he had to wait.

He stood by the bed for a while, thinking secretly that when he went to the city to drive a cart and earned copper coins, he would only give half to his mother. When he saved a few taels of silver, he would ask someone to go to Xing’er’s house to propose marriage.

*

After noon on New Year’s Eve, Gu Zhong’s family, Gu Rong’s family, and the eldest aunt’s family all arrived at Gu Fei’s house.

In previous years, the three brothers spent the New Year together at the eldest brother Gu Zhong’s house because the old lady lived in the old house.

This year, Gu Zhang took the initiative to propose to spend the New Year at his house, and everyone naturally had no objection.

Mrs. Qian didn’t even make lunch, and the family came hungry.

She wanted their stomachs to be empty to eat a lot of good meals at night.

The hall, which usually looked large and empty, was now crowded with people.

Mrs. Chen also generously placed a few plates of cakes sent by Zhang Ze on the table, and some snacks bought in the city yesterday, and the eight-immortal table was full.

Bao’er rushed straight to the table when he came in, and no one said anything to him, because these things were placed there for people to eat.

Hu Zi looked at his mother and waited for Mrs. Li to nod before he walked to the table to get something to eat.

Mrs. Qian had never seen a family with so many snacks during the New Year in her life.
While she was feeling that Gu Zhang had made a fortune, she hurriedly grabbed a piece of crispy candy and stuffed it into her mouth.

She hadn’t forgotten that Gu Zhong hadn’t eaten breakfast either, so she grabbed a piece of plum cake and stuffed it into Gu Zhong.

The whole room was full of people, and it was very lively.

When it was dark, the reunion dinner was ready.

Yesterday, Mrs. Chen led everyone to make dumplings all night, and today she prepared a lot of hard dishes.

There were two tables in the main room, one round table, and the other a square table.

Both tables were filled with food. Two large pots of dumplings stuffed with cabbage and pork were placed in the pot. The rest included swan meat, braised pork, cured chicken, smoked duck, and whole fish.

Gu Rong was so surprised: “Second brother, this is how the Emperor celebrates the New Year.”

Bao’er couldn’t wait to reach out and grab the braised pork, but Gu Sanlang grabbed his collar and pulled him back.

The old lady was sitting at the top. Seeing Bao’er being held in Gu Sanlang’s hand like a little chicken, with both hands still stubbornly stretched towards the braised pork, she hurriedly said: “Sanlang, put your cousin down quickly. Today is the New Year, just let him do what he wants!”

Gu Fei glanced at the old lady and smiled: “Bao’er, there are rules for eating. Children cannot eat before the adults come to the table and use their chopsticks.”

“Also, you have to use chopsticks to eat vegetables, not your hands. Think about it, your hands touch everywhere? How dirty are they? You will have a stomachache if you eat.”

Gu Zhong stood by and listened to Gu Fei’s words, his face turned purple for a while.

The old lady looked at her eldest son standing there at a loss, as if Gu Fei was not scolding Bao’er, but Gu Zhong.

The old lady was unhappy. Gu Fei was a little girl, and she was from the second branch. How could she be qualified to teach her precious grandson?!

 

Xing’er pushed him away: “No, when will you ask your mother to go to my house to propose marriage, I, I will–” Before she finished speaking, Xing’er turned and ran.

Shanzi stood there and looked at her back, and waited until Xing’er turned the corner and could no longer be seen, then walked back listlessly.

Aunt Huang washed the dishes and split lotus seeds in the house.

Lotus seeds were abundant in Jiangnan.

After fresh lotus seeds were picked and dried, the dark blue shell was harder than anything else.

She has to use a special splitting knife to split them on a wooden block.

She can get a few coins for splitting one pound. Aunt Huang has been splitting at home every day recently and can earn dozens of coins a day.

Aunt Huang was chopping lotus seeds with great concentration when she heard Shanzi’s muffled voice: “Mom…”

Aunt Huang turned around and said: “Why did you come back early when you went to play with Sanlang?”

Shanzi sat down sullenly, lowered his head, and hugged his head: “Mom, I want to get married.”

“What?” Aunt Huang was so excited that she didn’t hold the lotus seeds firmly, and the lotus seeds almost rolled at her feet.

Shanzi raised his head and said: “I want to marry Xing’er. Mom, please ask someone to go to her house to propose marriage.”

Aunt Huang threw the knife away and said: “What marriage? How can the family afford to marry you now?”

“You don’t need a betrothal gift for marriage?”

“Can’t you see that my hands are all cut by splitting lotus seeds? How can you say that now!”

Lotus seeds were round and hard to chop. If one was not so skilled at the beginning, she could cut her hand.

Shanzi straightened his neck: “Don’t we still have more than 10 taels of silver?”

“Young Master Su is not urging us to pay back the silver now, this money is enough for the betrothal!”

Aunt Huang was very angry, she closed the door with her backhand, and said sternly: “I tell you, forget about marrying Xing’er, it’s impossible!”

“Her mother is not a good thing, and Xing’er is not a good girl either. If she is a good girl, she won’t flirt with you!”

She softened her voice again: “It’s not that mother doesn’t want to marry you a wife. If Xing’er is half as capable as Xiao Fei, I would have gritted my teeth and married you. Xing’er is stupid and lazy, she’s not even worth a little finger of Xiao Fei!”

Although Aunt Huang now dares not to dream of Gu Fei as her daughter-in-law, she unconsciously regards Gu Fei as the standard for choosing a daughter-in-law.

Shanzi’s eyes were red, staring at his mother: “Don’t mention Xiao Fei to me, I hate her! I want to marry Xing’er, give me the money, I will find someone to propose marriage to myself!”

Aunt Huang stared at her son blankly. People say that a man forgets his mother after marrying a wife. He hasn’t even married a wife yet, but her son looks like he wants to eat her!

She was a widow, and she would depend on her son for the rest of her life. She usually thinks that her family was a loving mother and a filial son, but she didn’t expect her son to be so disobedient today.

Aunt Huang was furious and pointed at Shanzi: “You, how——”

She shook twice and fell softly to the floor.

When Shanzi saw his mother fainted, he panicked and threw himself on her, shouting: “Mom, Mom——”

After shaking for a long time, there was no movement. Shanzi hurried out and ran to the opposite side to shout to Aunt Liu: “Aunt Liu, my mother fainted in the house, come and take a look.”

Xing’er was just coming out to splash water. When she heard Shanzi’s shout, she was extremely panicked and turned around and went in. When she entered the door, she tripped over the threshold and almost fell.

Aunt Liu came out after hearing the sound and hurried to Shanzi’s house.

When they went in, they saw Aunt Huang lying on the ground. Aunt Liu squatted down and pinched her philtrum hard. Aunt Huang exhaled a long breath and slowly opened her eyes.

 

Gu Zhong took a few breaths and lowered his voice: “Isn’t my third brother’s family poor too? He told me yesterday that his family has a debt of 50 taels of silver!”

“When did you see the third brother’s wife always wanting to take advantage of others like you?”

“I don’t give you less food or clothes. What others have is theirs. Why are you jealous?”

“The Emperor eats meat every day. Do you think you have that blessing?”

“Why don’t you look at yourself in the mirror.”

Xing’er hugged Bao’er and huddled in the chair, not daring to breathe.

Gu Zhong glanced over, and both of them lowered their heads quickly.

Gu Zhong sighed deeply: “I will go and earn money for the family’s living. There are many rich people in Ping’an City, and money is easy to earn. It won’t take a year or two to pay off the money owed.”

“Don’t think too much at home, take good care of Bao’er, Xing’er is grown up, you should also ask around to see if there are any suitable families nearby.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Qian forgot to continue crying: “You want to marry Xing’er here? Then we won’t go back in the future?”

“We still have a house and land at home!”

Gu Zhong was silent for a while: “It’s hard to say now. Even if we go back, it will take a few years. Xing’er will be 16 after the New Year. If we delay for a few more years, she will become an old lady.”

Xing’er became nervous and grabbed Bao’er’s clothes hard.

Bao’er twisted his body: “Why are you grabbing me!”

Gu Zhong glanced at Xing’er and shut up.

This kind of thing shouldn’t be said in front of his daughter. He just said something out of turn.

After dinner, Xing’er passed by Shanzi’s house, coughed lightly, and walked away quickly.

Shanzi was still eating. Seeing Xing’er’s figure flashing through the door, he felt anxious. He finished his meal in two or three bites and threw the bowl away: “Mom, I’m going to Uncle Gu’s house to play with Sanlang.”

Aunt Huang sat with her back to the door and didn’t see Xing’er passing by. She was very happy that Shanzi was approaching Gu Fei’s house: “Then go ahead. Don’t forget to thank your Uncle Gu when you see him. Sanlang sent a smoked duck to our house today.”

Shanzi agreed and ran away quickly.

Shanzi went out of the gate and ran along the courtyard wall.

Then turn to the corner and see Xing’er’s figure in the distance.

He ran to Xing’er and grabbed her hand with a happy look on his face: “Xing’er, do you miss me?”

Xing’er pulled back her hand, looking unhappy: “My father told my mother to find a family to marry me nearby.”

Shanzi was anxious: “How can that be, we will get married.”

Xing’er pursed her lips: “Didn’t you say that you would ask your mother to come to my house to propose marriage?”

Shanzi grabbed Xing’er’s hand again: “I, I haven’t mentioned it to my mother.”

“My mother said a few words that day, saying that I was still young and would only be seventeen after the New Year. I should pay off the money borrowed from my family in the next two years, and then go home to talk about marriage after the drought is over.”

Xing’er looked at Shanzi: “I’ll be 16 after the Chinese New Year, how can I wait for 2 more years, don’t you want to marry me at all?”

Shanzi was so anxious that he talked incoherently: “If I don’t want to marry you, I’m a dog!”

Xing’er stamped her feet: “Then why don’t you tell your mother quickly, it will be too late when my mother marries me off!”

Shanzi gritted his teeth: “I’ll, I will tell my mother when I go back.”

He looked at Xing’er eagerly: “Xing’er, let’s go to the grove–”

Xing’er shook her hand away: “You only know how to take advantage of me–”

Shanzi hugged her and breathed quickly in her ear: “Let’s go, we haven’t been there for several days, I, I miss you so much.”

 

Gu Zhang smiled and nodded: “Just wear it. You haven’t enjoyed much in these years with me. Now that you have a good thing, don’t waste it.”

Mrs. Chen still refused: “I don’t need it. I don’t go out. Don’t waste such a good thing.”

She wanted to wear it in her heart.

But if she wore it, what would the old lady do?

The daughter-in-law couldn’t wear silk, while her mother-in-law wore coarse clothes, right?

That would make people point fingers at her.

Should she make one for the old lady too?

Forget it. Even if she makes one for the old lady, she won’t appreciate it. She might even criticize her for being extravagant. Besides, she can’t bear to part with it.

This brocade was all money. It’s better to exchange it for silver and hold it in her hands.

Chen waved her hand, “Okay, okay, let’s go, do what we need to do, Xiao Fei stay.”

Everyone reluctantly left the main room. Mrs. Chen looked at the things on the table: “Put all these in your place first. I always feel that it’s not as safe to hide things anywhere else as it is to put them in your place.”

Gu Fei smiled: “Okay, then I’ll put them away.”

*

In the village, every household received the New Year’s goods sent by Mrs. Chen’s children today, and everyone was in a good mood.

Mrs. Qian looked at the Eldest Aunt hanging the cured chicken and cured fish under the eaves, and suddenly felt something was wrong.

Gu Qing brought a suckling pig and a cured fish over, saying that the suckling pig was for the old lady to eat.

Then wouldn’t it be a fish for her family?

Her eldest sister-in-law was a married woman, but she got so much. Why their family didn’t receive something good as a married woman?

Mrs. Qian can’t eat this loss.

She gritted her teeth, went into the house to find Gu Zhong, and said: “Your Second Brother is looking down on you, the eldest brother.”

“He sent a chicken and a fish to the eldest sister’s family, and also to your third brother’s family. While our family only has one fish. You are all brothers and sisters, so why does our family receive less than them?”

Gu Zhong didn’t even raise his head: “Didn’t he also send a suckling pig? A suckling pig is much more valuable than that chicken.”

Mrs. Qian was anxious: “That doesn’t count. Dalang said that it was for the mother to eat, so doesn’t it mean that the fish is ours? Why? ”

Gu Zhong raised his head and frowned at Mrs. Qian: “Then tell me, what did you give to my second brother’s family?”

Mrs. Qian didn’t understand what Gu Zhong meant for a moment: “What would I give them? There is nothing at home, and even if there is, I won’t give it to him!”

Gu Zhong suddenly stood up and slapped Mrs. Qian in the face: “Then you still have the nerve to say that!”

“You also know that it was given to you by others!”

“People kindly gave you something, but you didn’t even give a return gift. And here you are, still dare to complain that they didn’t give you enough?”

“Did Gu Laoer owe you anything?”

Mrs. Qian covered her face in confusion, Gu Zhong yelled: “Didn’t I tell you not to think about other people’s things?”

“If my eldest sister didn’t stop you today, you would have instigated my mother to go to Laoer to make trouble. I’ve told you so many times to stop being like this, but you didn’t listen. You don’t want to live here, do you?”

Mrs. Qian secretly hated her eldest sister-in-law for complaining, covered her face, and cried: “What can I do? Our family has nothing. We have no house, no land. If I don’t make plans, how can we live?”

Gu Zhong became more and more angry, and kicked the chair heavily: “I only have this much ability, and I can’t raise a promising daughter. I can’t afford to eat white flour or meat! I can’t even afford to buy a house and land!”

“If you don’t want to live with me in poverty, then get out! You only know how to embarrass yourself every day!”

Mrs. Qian collapsed on the ground and cried: “When did I blame you, when did I——”

 

Zhang Ze saw that Gu Zhang didn’t say anything else, so he hurriedly asked the driver to move the things inside.

Several people moved the things to the hall, and Zhang Ze said goodbye and left.

The family gathered around the things on the table in the hall with their eyes wide open.

There were four-color cakes and four red lacquer boxes on the table.

Four pieces of silk and four brocade purses.

Mrs. Chen stretched out her hand and trembled to touch a piece of brocade with a green cloud pattern on the table: “This, this is satin.”

She retracted her hand halfway: “My hands are rough, I will scratch them.”

Gu Fei opened a red brocade purse and saw a gold ingot and two silver ingots inside.

The gold ingot was made in the shape of a small fish, and the silver ingot was in the shape of a lotus, which meant that there would be a surplus every year.

Gu Sanlang looked at the side and reached out to take a small fish: “Is this gold? Why does it look like a small fish?”

Gu Fei nodded: “This is used by wealthy families to reward people during the New Year, or to give New Year’s money to children.”

Mrs. Chen took the silver ingot and looked at it carefully: “Is this silver? I didn’t expect it could be made like this, it’s really rare.”

Gu Qing laughed beside him: “Now that we have come to Ping’an City, we have opened our eyes. We never knew there were such things before.”

Li Chunhua hugged Xiao Cao and stopped her from grabbing the purse on the table: “That’s right since sister-in-law came home, our life has been getting better and better.”

Now she eats white rice and white bread every day. She didn’t dare to think that she could have had such a good life before.

No wonder, when she was a child, the blind fortune-teller passing by said that she had a good life and would marry into a rich family in the future.

Mrs. Chen liked to hear this. She smiled and said: “That’s right. My daughter is so lucky. If it weren’t for Xiao Fei’s wine, she wouldn’t have received this reward.”

She glanced at the blue brocade and said: “Husband, this satin has a good color. I’ll make you a robe to wear. You should be presentable when you face people.”

Gu Zhang waved his hand and said: “I don’t like to wear this. It’s not convenient for me to work.”

Gu Fei blinked and said: “Dad, you don’t need to wear it when you work. But when you go out to talk business with people in the future, you should wear it elegantly so that people won’t look down on you.”

Gu Zhang naturally understood this, but he just couldn’t bear to do it.

After his daughter said this, he rubbed his hands and said: “Then make one for me to wear?”

“Okay!” Gu Fei nodded with a smile.

Gu Sanlang handed the gold ingot to Gu Fei and opened the box on the table.

It was divided into several small grids, filled with various dried fruits.

Without thinking, Gu Sanlang took a peeled longan and stuffed it into his mouth.

Mrs. Chen slapped him and said: “You are a reincarnated starving ghost. How can you eat this? You have to save it for gifts.”

Gu Sanlang put the longan in his mouth, his cheeks bulged, and he said vaguely: “Mom, are you stupid? Good things should be kept for your family.”

“Just buy some for gifts.”

Mrs. Chen closed the box quickly: “It’s easy to say, but it’s free?”

Her eyes fell on the pieces of brocade again: “This pink satin is beautiful, make clothes for my daughter.”

Lanzhi quickly responded: “Auntie, I’ll make it for Xiao Fei, and make it the most fashionable style in Ping’an City now.”

“I remember the style when I bought clothes that day.”

She then pointed to another piece and said: “Aunt, this crimson purple one suits you.”

Mrs. Chen shook her head: “I don’t deserve to wear this.”

Gu Fei walked over, picked up the crimson-purple brocade, and compared it with Mrs. Chen’s body: “Mother, look, this color makes you look much whiter, you can make a set to wear, dress up more energetically, and my father will be happy to see it.”

 

The brocade box was opened, and inside were two one-foot-long, sky-blue jade bottles. The two bottles were the same size, without any flaws. The bottles were covered with fine ice cracks, with a warm luster, and the texture was almost comparable to the best jade.

Zhang Ze came in with a wine bottle, and when he saw the bottle on the table, he was amazed: “My goodness, they sent a Ru kiln bottle!”

“This bottle is so beautiful, this pair of bottles must cost thousands of taels of silver! The young prince is willing to spend.”

Su Chen pursed his lips: “Put it in the warehouse.”

The maid closed the brocade box, and the two carefully carried the brocade box away.

Zhang Ze saw that the young master was in a bad mood, so he shut up and left, and took the wine bottle to report to Prince Qi.

After hearing Zhang Ze’s reply, Prince Qi nodded repeatedly: “No wonder this wine tastes so unique, it was brewed with five kinds of grains, the brewing technique must be extraordinary.”

“What a pity, the winemaker is no longer here, I never thought there would be such a master among the people and such good wine!”

Zhang Ze knelt on the ground: “Second Young Master Gu refused to accept the money, so I didn’t give out the banknote.”

Prince Qi lowered his eyes and stared at him slightly: “Didn’t ask for money?”

“Since the Gu family fled here to escape famine, they must be poor and refused to accept money, do they have something to ask for in exchange?”

Zhang Ze hurriedly said, “No, the Gu family is kind. Young Master Su has been taken care of by them along the way. They don’t know the young master’s identity, let alone the prince’s identity.”

Prince Qi’s lips curved into a smile: “This is rare.”

“Go to the housekeeper and tell him that I ordered him to pack a few things and send them over, saying that it is a reward for them. I can’t just ask for their good wine for nothing.”

Prince Qi paused: “You also go to the housekeeper to get 20 taels of silver as a reward.”

Zhang Ze was a guard of the Su Family. Naturally, he should be rewarded for doing things for him.

“Yes.” Zhang Ze bowed his head and responded, then stood up and left.

After receiving the reward, the housekeeper asked Zhang Ze to run another trip.

Zhang Ze had no choice but to drive the carriage with a coachman to go out of the city after lunch.

Gu Fei and Xiao Cao were playing with deer in the front yard.

This deer should be artificially raised and not afraid of people. Xiao Cao held a handful of dry corn stalks in her hand and fed it.

Hearing someone knocking on the door, Gu Fei went to open the door and was stunned to see Zhang Ze. Why was he here again?

He has run three times this day.

Zhang Ze also smiled bitterly and bowed: “My young master’s uncle likes your wine very much, so he sent me to bring some gifts.”

Gu Fei looked embarrassed: “Brother Zhang, we really can’t accept it. Young Master Su has given us gifts for so many years, and we are already unworthy of it. Please pull the carriage back quickly.”

Xiao Cao saw someone coming and hurriedly ran to the backyard to call her grandfather.

“Grandpa, the uncle who sent the deer is here again.”

Gu Zhang quickly put down the book in his hand and walked out.

Zhang Ze didn’t know what to do. Seeing Gu Zhang coming out, he quickly bowed and said: “Second Uncle Gu, these things are rewards from my uncle. You have to accept them no matter what. If you don’t accept them, I’m afraid I will have to make another trip.”

Gu Fei didn’t say anything when she heard the word “reward”.

Giving and rewarding were different.

Giving was an equal relationship while rewarding was condescending.

It can be estimated that Young Master Su’s uncle was of an extraordinary status.

Gu Zhang also figured out the meaning of the word “reward”. He can refuse the gift, but he can’t refuse the reward.