Chapter 428 All things are inferior
Early in the morning, Cheng Wanwan was awakened by the aroma of mugwort.
Cheng Yuanyuan placed the mugwort cut from the fields in every corner of the yard, and burned a handful to repel mosquitoes and insects. The fragrance of mugwort filled the air.
Every household is preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival, and the village is bustling with activity early in the morning.
Cheng Wanwan asked Zhao Ergou to deliver holiday gifts to the Cao and Shen families. Relatives exchange gifts and visit each other during holidays to maintain good relationships.
Because of the holiday, the whole family was on holiday, and the Zhao family would gather together for a meal, which naturally took place at Cheng Wanwan's place.
The Zhao family brought over chickens and ducks, along with some dried vegetables. The two families cooked together, with Wu Huiniang and Wen Shi as the head chefs, and Wei Hongying, Cheng Fang, and Chunhua assisting on the side. The four of them worked efficiently, and a sumptuous holiday meal was quickly prepared.
Just as the food was served, a horse-drawn carriage stopped at the gate of the courtyard.
"Godmother, we're back!"
Shen Zheng got out of the carriage and jumped off even faster than Afu, followed by Cheng Zhao.
The three looked travel-worn, clearly having gotten up early to travel and make their way back to Dahe Village before noon.
Cheng Wanwan's face was full of joy: "Why are you two back?"
"The official school is taking a three-day break so everyone can go home for the festival." Shen Zheng said with a grin, picking up the things in his hands. "These are fresh meat rice dumplings that I specially bought from Huzhou. Godmother, please have a good taste later."
Cheng Wanwan took the things and asked, "You didn't come directly to my place and haven't gone home yet?"
Shen Zheng coughed: "My grandmother eats vegetarian food every day, so my father is definitely not home. It would be cold and deserted if I went home, so I don't want to go back."
"I'll give the holiday gifts to my aunts and teachers first, then I'll go back." Cheng Zhao took out what she was holding. "These are double-yolk salted duck eggs from Huzhou. I heard they taste really good."
He took out three portions, one for Cheng Wanwan, one for Cheng Yuanyuan, and one for Master Yu.
"Come in and eat first." Cheng Wanwan led the three children inside. "You've all lost weight since you went to Huzhou less than a month ago."
Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng sat down at the table, and Old Mrs. Zhao kept piling food onto their plates.
Afu sat down to the side with a bowl in his hand. Soon after, Old Man Zhao also sat down with Afu. If you listened carefully, you could hear that the old man was talking to Afu about carpentry. Afu explained some difficult techniques in great detail, and Old Man Zhao nodded frequently, carefully writing down every word.
Sun, holding a bowl, approached Cheng Zhao and asked solicitously, "Zhao'er, are you tired from studying?"
Cheng Zhao put down her chopsticks, cupped her hands, and said, "Thank you for your concern, Third Aunt. Studying isn't tiring."
As soon as Sun bent over, Old Mrs. Zhao knew what she was about to do. She said with a stern face, "Third son's wife, what kind of trouble are you up to now?"
"I'm just looking for a good teacher for Xuanxuan, aren't I?" Sun said with a smile. "Zhao'er is so good at studying, so outstanding. She's the best student in our Dahe Village. I want Zhao'er to be our Xuanxuan's first teacher..."
Cheng Wanwan: "..."
Before she had a son, Sun seemed not to care about education. But now that she has a son, she suddenly has the idea that "all other pursuits are inferior, only studying is superior".
However, Xuanxuan was only born a month ago, and it seems a bit too early to start his education.
"You really have a dream!" Old Mrs. Zhao retorted mercilessly. "What is Zhao'er's status now? He's the most outstanding scholar in Huzhou, and he'll soon become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). How dare you ask a Juren to educate your son? I really don't know what you're thinking!"
Sun looked aggrieved. Wasn't she just hoping that Xuanxuan would bring honor to the Zhao family? What had she done wrong?
“Ahem, Third Aunt, Xuanxuan is still young, there’s no rush.” Cheng Zhao said gently, “Children can start their education at three years old, and can be sent to the village school at three. Master Yu is truly amazing at teaching and nurturing people.”
Sun pursed her lips. If Master Yu were truly capable, he wouldn't be holed up in some remote mountain valley as a teacher.
However, seeing the disapproving looks from everyone in the room, she had no choice but to suppress her thoughts. After all, her son was still young, and she could plan things out slowly later.
After the whole family finished their meal in a lively atmosphere, Cheng Wanwan saw Old Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Wen taking Zhao Dawang to the Wang family's house, carrying a lot of gifts.
It was during the Dragon Boat Festival, and relatives and friends in the village would exchange gifts, so it didn't attract much attention.
If the marriage is arranged, everyone is happy; if it doesn't, there won't be any bad rumors spreading.
"Xiao Zheng, you can go back later." Cheng Wanwan rolled up her sleeves and said, "Da Shan and I are going to the lake to pick some lotus roots. You can take them back for your grandmother to try. Vegetarians will definitely like to eat this. Zhao'er, you can wait a while too."
Her relationship with the Cheng family has recently improved, so it's fine for her to have Zhao'er take some food back with her.
Shen Zheng also rolled up his sleeves: "Godmother, I'll go with you."
The lotus pond is in the backyard. Just open the door and you'll find a boardwalk. Walk across the boardwalk and you'll soon reach the edge of the lotus pond.
"So this is lotus." Shen Zheng said in surprise, "I heard that Dahe Village survived the famine last year thanks to this."
Cheng Wanwan nodded. "The lotus leaves are all growing now. In half a month, there will be buds, and then they will bloom and produce lotus seeds. In autumn, we can eat lotus shoots."
"Will the flower buds only appear in half a month?" Shen Zheng pointed and said, "Godmother, look over there, aren't those pink ones lotus flowers?"
Cheng Wanwan looked up and sure enough, in the middle of the lake, amidst the round lotus leaves, stood a beautiful pink bud. This lotus flower had actually bloomed so early.
"Green leaves rejoice in the swaying wind, red blossoms delight in the sunshine." Shen Zheng couldn't help but exclaim, "So lotus flowers really are this beautiful."
There are no lotus flowers in Huzhou, and the local people don't recognize lotus roots, so last year, Dahe Village had no idea that the mud in the lotus pond contained abundant grains.
Shen Zheng had been to many places, but he had never seen lotus flowers in person. He had only seen them in some poems, songs, or paintings.
Cheng Zhao stood on the bank and nodded, saying, "When the scorching summer arrives, this lotus pond will be breathtakingly beautiful."
“Isn’t it beautiful to have a lotus flower standing out from the crowd?” Shen Zheng’s eyes flashed. “Yesterday, Zheng Wangfeng said he was going to hold a poetry gathering in Yunxi, Fenghuang County. I’m tired of going to Yunxi to see the apricot blossoms every year. Why don’t we invite everyone to Dahe Village to appreciate the lotus flowers that we’ve never seen before? Brother Cheng, what do you think?”
Cheng Zhao frowned slightly: "Yunxi Apricot Blossom Garden receives literati and scholars, but Dahe Village..."
“Of course, scholars are welcome in Dahe Village as well.” Cheng Wanwan splashed water in the pool. “Just tell me what you need me to prepare.”
The village market is gradually becoming more lively, but the flow of people is limited to villagers, men from neighboring villages who come to work in the village, and some government officials; the overall flow of people is still too low.
By attracting visitors to tourist attractions and gradually building a reputation, the market in Dahe Village may one day become a distribution center for nearby villages and towns... Of course, this is a long process and cannot be rushed.
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