358 Little New Year's Eve Engagement Ceremony
Ping'an had no idea that his stepmother would have a conflict with his biological father over his engagement.
If I knew, I would say she was overthinking it.
These days, many of the master's shopkeepers have been summing up their annual income and expenditure. If nothing unexpected happens, he will earn tens of thousands of taels this year. If all the properties that the master and the husband have helped him to buy are added up, he should have at least 100,000 taels.
Getting married is a big deal. The betrothal gift doesn't need to be paid now as it will have to be paid in a few years. He has already prepared the engagement gift. It was Uncle Ming who took him to Qianjinfang to order the jewelry.
The engagement ceremony in the Great Zhou Dynasty was not complicated. He and his master had initially agreed that on the 26th, his master and Uncle Zhang would go to propose marriage together. He was not sure how to do it specifically, and his master said that he did not need to worry about it and that his master and his master would take care of everything.
Because they were planning to leave on the 16th day of the first lunar month, many rituals were kept simple, and the engagement ceremony was certain to take place on the 8th.
Fortunately, it is still early to get married, so many gifts can be given slowly. He will give Awu everything that she deserves.
How could he empty out his own father’s house? What kind of person is he then?
On the morning of New Year's Eve.
Wu Qiwen followed his master to his courtyard.
"Ping An, this is Master Wu, Master's good friend."
Ping An understood as soon as he heard it, this person was the father of the six-fingered baby.
He bowed and saluted: "I greet Master Wu safely."
Wu Qiwen raised his head and said, "It's safe, no need to be polite."
He took off the jade pendant and said, "This is for you as a gift. Your master and I have been friends since childhood. You can call me Uncle Wu."
"Uncle Wu, I'm safe, thank you Uncle Wu." He took it with both hands, "Master, Uncle Wu, please sit in the main hall."
The three of them sat down.
Sun Sicheng said, "Ping An, your uncle Wu came here mainly to discuss the surgery for the child tomorrow. Tomorrow is the 24th, and there are some family matters on the 26th. There are only a few days left until the end of the year."
Wu Qiwen frowned and said, "We really don't dare to delay. By the time you return from Yong'an, it will be early October. By then, the child will be much bigger and his bones will have grown bigger."
"Uncle Wu, it's the best time for your child to have surgery now, but your child's condition is special. Both hands and feet are affected, so he will have to undergo four surgeries. Ten fingers are connected to the heart, which is very painful. I dare not use too much anesthesia, because too much will damage the brain."
Wu Qiwen's eyes instantly turned red: "In a family like ours, with a legitimate son, how could he not study and take the imperial examinations in the future? If we let him be like this, even if he doesn't take the imperial examinations, he can't stay at home, right? It's better to love him for a while than for a lifetime."
Sun Sicheng sighed, "Brother Qi Wen, Ping An and I have agreed to go to your house at noon tomorrow. We will clean up a room, put a two-foot-wide bed in the middle, and put two clean tables next to it.
Ping An and I will not leave until after the 15th. By then, the baby's stitches will have been removed. It's just that your family will suffer a lot during this year. Don't worry, Ping An and I will get through it too."
Wu Qiwen smiled bitterly: "You guys are holding a wedding in the first month of the year, and if my family does this, then..."
Sun Sicheng patted him on the shoulder and said, "Brother Qi Wen, no one wants this to happen. The child is important. Besides, it won't delay our work. Let's go. Today is the Little New Year, and Ping An still has to go to his father's house.
Ping An, I will pick you up tomorrow morning, pack your medical kit today."
"Understood, Master."
*
After lunch, Ping An took a short nap, then took Fang Wu and Lin Feng with a lot of bags to his father's house.
Chang Chunfeng had already been waiting for his son at home.
The Little New Year's Eve dinner is usually eaten in the afternoon, and no one will eat it with lights on.
"Dad, are you getting impatient?" Ping An saw his father as soon as he got out of the car.
Chang Chunfeng smiled and said, "Why are you here now? Is the clinic busy?"
"Well, I discussed some things with the master. I usually take a nap at noon, so I came a little late."
"Ping An is here, come in quickly, it's cold outside."
Zhang Jinyu's face was full of smiles. Her husband basically didn't talk much to her these past two days, unless it was absolutely necessary. He also slept in the study, and when she went to find him, he always said he was busy.
But she was really wronged and didn't say anything. Maybe she had some selfish motives, but who doesn't have selfish motives?
When they arrived at the main hall in the front yard, Ping'an asked Lin Feng and Fang Wu to bring the things in, and then he went to his own yard to rest.
"Ping'an pays his respects to his mother." Ping'an bowed politely.
"We are all family, no need to be polite. Jin'er, Yan'er, call me brother."
The two children called him brother.
Ping An smiled and took out two gift boxes from his arms, giving one to each child: "Jin'er, Yan'er, do you like them?"
The two children really opened up and immediately broke into smiles.
The little girl was given a box of pearl flowers, and next to it was a small box containing a pair of golden bell bracelets, which made crisp sounds when gently shaken.
The little boy was given a bell of the same model, but it was a pendant that he wore around his neck.
These two items alone would cost a lot, but he bought a lot yesterday, and the shopkeeper gave them to him directly as a bonus for his master's sake.
Ping An took out another package and handed it to his stepmother: "Mother, these two pieces of fabric look good. I'll give them to you to make clothes."
Zhang Jinyu smiled more sincerely: "How can I let a child like you always buy gifts?"
Ping An handed it to her and said, "Mom, this is nothing, just a small token of my appreciation."
He still couldn't pronounce the word "son".
He glanced at his father, seeing his eager look, and picked up another package: "Dad, this is what your son bought for you. I asked Uncle Ming to help me with the reference. Can you try it on and see if it fits you?"
This set of clothes cost him sixty taels of silver, and another brocade rabbit fur cloak cost him twenty taels. In addition, a pair of fine deerskin boots and a very exquisite brocade fur hat cost him exactly one hundred taels.
Chang Chunfeng grinned, unable to let go: "Look at you, kid, why are you spending money like this? You got so much money with so many gifts. You should stop doing this in the future, okay?"
"Dad, your son bought this for you. It will keep you warm."
Chang Chunfeng chuckled and said, "You are the only one who can say, Ping An, Dad has been waiting for you for the whole morning just to discuss the engagement gift with you."
Ping An then opened a suitcase beside him and said, "Dad, Mom, yesterday I asked Uncle Ming to accompany me to buy an engagement gift at Qianjinfang. Do you think it's suitable?"
When Zhang Jinyu saw them, her heart ached: a pair of jade pendants, a pair of jade bracelets, a pair of jade combs, a set of gold jewelry, a set of pearl jewelry, and a jade ruyi.
"Ping An, why did you buy so much? Engagement gifts usually don't require so many gifts. A lot of gifts are only needed on the day of the engagement."
Ping An shook his head: "I don't know much about these. I'll just buy it. The jade pendant is a token of love, and the rest is just for Awu to play with."
Zhang Jinyu said nothing more. He was afraid that these things could not be taken without one or two thousand taels of silver.
If Ping An knew what she was thinking, he would really admire her. He really spent a total of 1,800 taels and even gave her the remainder.
The pearls of the Great Zhou are a bit expensive. Madam Hou gave him a bag of them, but it is too late to customize them now, so he can only buy ready-made ones. In the future, he will definitely go to the coastal areas and buy more things like this. In the future, besides Awu, he will also have two younger sisters, and it will also look good on their mother wearing the pearls.
"Ping An, these things should have been prepared by your father for you."
Ping An smiled and said, "Dad, we are father and son, what does this matter?"
"That won't work. At least the jade pendant should be prepared by the Chang family. I'll give you as much as you buy."
Zhang Jinyu said, "Yes, otherwise how would outsiders view the Chang family?"
In the end, Ping An had no choice but to let them pay for the jade pendants. The price of the jade pendants was not cheap, and it cost him three hundred and eighty taels of silver.
Zhang Jinyu felt a little painful.
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