Chapter 166

The first day of the year has come as scheduled. Xu Yi and the others have to have a good time while they are away.

On this day, everyone got up early, and A Xu went to the kitchen to boil water before dawn.

In about half an hour, buckets of hot water were brought out of the kitchen. Erqing and Axu were both boys, and they were very strong. They first carried the hot water to Xu Yi's house, and then gave half of it to Ajin's house.

On this day, both ordinary people and court officials must bathe and change clothes at home.

After washing up, I put on brand new clothes for the festival.

At this time, A Xu moved a big table and took out the ingredients prepared in the past few days one by one.

Xu Yi changed his clothes and came out, and he came face to face with Ah Jin wearing a white rabbit fur scarf and a bright red skirt.

Ah Jin had a pear-shaped face, smiled and pulled up Xu Yi's sleeve, and shouted happily: "Lang Jun, come on, come on, we are making money."

This year, there are more people making money.

When Erqing saw Xu Yi coming, he stood up with the dough in his hand and opened his mouth to call: "Doctor Xu, I, I was brought here by Brother A Xu."

"Yes." Xu Yi sat down with a smile. .

A Xu handed over a basin for washing hands and a handkerchief for wiping hands. Xu Yi slowly cleaned his hands and followed them to make money.

There are a lot of ingredients on the table, and there are many varieties. There are several kinds of meat, including mutton, beef, pork, rabbit and chicken.

Among them, the beef happened to belong to a family whose farm cattle were too old to farm, so they went to the Yamen to get the paperwork approved, and they were slaughtered and sold before Yuan Day.

Shopkeeper Qin got the news and came to ask them if they wanted to buy beef.

When Xu Yi came to the Song Dynasty, he had eaten beef only a few times. He heard that there was beef for sale, so how could he miss such a good opportunity?

Naturally, A Xu was asked to come back with money and buy a few kilograms of shank meat.

This tendon meat cannot be fried, so Xu Yi wanted to eat braised tendon. As for how to braise it, it was left to A Xu.

A Xu lived up to his expectations. He divided the braised beef tendons into two parts, sliced ​​one part to eat, minced the other part for seasoning, and mixed it into slot fillings.

Erqing had never seen such a sumptuous slot banquet. Not to mention the three years he lived alone, even when his father was here, he had never seen more than a dozen kinds of slot fillings.

And these are what they eat for the festival today.

Erqing swallowed and looked at A Xu with frighteningly bright eyes.

"By the way, I laundered three copper coins and put them into coins later."

After Xu Yi slowly wrapped up a few coins, he thought of the copper coins he had prepared last night.

Wrapping copper coins in the coins was a way of playing that Xu Yi had just thought of. After all, there were few people in the past and it was not fun to play.

This time there is an extra second celebration, and they can play a game.

After hearing this, Ah Jin quickly ran to get the laundered copper coins: "Lang Jun, what's the way to play?"

Xu Yi said: "There are only three copper coins here, so someone is destined to not be able to eat it, and the person who can't eat it is destined to be , He will perform a talent show for us tonight."

"Talent?" A Xu and Er Qing were stunned.

"Mr. Lang, can I have any talent?" Ah Jin rubbed his hands, already excitedly looking forward to it.

Xu Yi nodded, any talent is acceptable.

If he is not good at his craftsmanship, he will give the copper coins to A Xu, so he will not be able to cheat.

A Xu took the copper coins and was very nervous under the expectant eyes of everyone, for fear that the man would not be able to get the coins with the coins in the evening.

"Bang bang bang -"

It was night, and the sound of firecrackers sounded outside the courtyard wall. They were the firecrackers lit by the famous Zhu Yuanwai's family on South Street.

From time to time, a burst of flashing light will fly across the sky, which is two kicks that can fly into the air.

Ah Jin and Er Qing loved watching firecrackers the most, and they held Yi up to look at the night sky, which was even brighter than before.

Behind him, looking at Xu Yi who they were yearning for, he said warmly: "Didn't I ask you to buy some from the firecracker shop? Do you want to keep them until next year?"

Ah Jin looked back at him with bright eyes. : "Lang Jun, you haven't taken the slot yet, can you play now?"

"Go." Xu Yi glanced at A Xu who was cooking the slot in the kitchen.

They couldn't be of much help anyway.

After getting Xu Yi's approval, Ah Jin couldn't wait any longer and waved to Er Qing, pointing him to carry the firecrackers placed in the room.

Erqing always listened to her and took out the firecrackers without saying a word and went outside the yard happily.

So, the sound of the firecrackers they lit soon attracted many children wearing buns.

These children, who usually wake up with runny noses and dusty cheeks, are all wearing decent clothes tonight, with clean cheeks and hands, which makes them very pleasant to look at.

They gathered in groups at the door to watch the firecrackers. Xu Yi was afraid of hurting them, so he let them come in and watch in the yard.

The children all knew that Dr. Xu came to their alley.

They have all seen Dr. Xu. He is very good-looking and has a good temper. They are not afraid of him at all.

After entering the courtyard, they all called for people.

"Doctor Xu."

"Hello, Doctor Xu." "Hello, Doctor Xu."

"Hello, Doctor Xu." Among them, those who went to private schools already knew how to salute.

They followed the example of adults and saluted Xu Yi, but their bright black eyes kept looking towards Ah Jin and the others.

Looking at the crackling firecrackers, I was curious and scared.

Xu Yi grabbed the candies on the table and asked them with a smile if they wanted to eat.

The temptation of candies is so great that even children who understand some principles will inevitably salivate when they see the candies wrapped in paper.

"Can we eat?" the tallest child asked in a low voice.

Xu Yi said softly: "Okay, these are bought for you to eat."

After saying this, the courageous child did not hesitate, thanked Xu Yi and took the candy in his hand. Someone started, and others followed suit, opening the paper and putting the candy into their mouths.

The candy made from honey is fragrant and sweet when you eat it. It is so delicious.

At this time, the adults in the neighboring squares heard the sound of firecrackers and came out to watch the fun.

Seeing their own children begging for sweets from Xu Yi, they were all embarrassed to come and get them.

Xu Yi smiled and exchanged New Year greetings with these parents.

Before they were about to leave, Xu Yi took out a handful of copper coins that had been prepared in advance. Each copper coin was tied with a red string, and distributed them to these children as lucky money.

Neighbors are very grateful, and the New Year's money represents the blessings of the elders.

With many blessings from doctors, their children will be safe and sound in the new year.

...

Not long after, Ah Jin and Er Qing finished lighting the firecrackers they bought.

They came back still unfinished, and Ah Jin showed Xu Yi the few extra copper coins in his hand.

"Look, sir, this is the New Year's money given to me by those aunts."

Ah Jin got the New Year's money, and Er Qing also got some, but not much. He was not as pleasant looking as Ah Jin, and he also liked to have a cold face. Those aunts thought he was not good enough. He's easy to talk to, but he doesn't want his children to play with him.

But Erqing didn't know that he was holding the only two copper coins in his hand, his cheeks red.

At Xu's hour, A Xu brought the cooked coins into the house.

This year's reunion dinner is more lively than in previous years, with not only eating slots but also drinking Tusu wine.

Tusu is the name of a grass, and the wine brewed with it is called Tusu wine. After the wine is brewed, Chinese medicinal materials such as cinnamon twigs, rhubarb, and Sichuan pepper are added to it for soaking. [Note 1]

Tusu wine was very popular in Zitong and even throughout the Song Dynasty. During the Chinese New Year, every household would buy Tusu wine, starting with the youngest one in the family.

Everyone turned their attention to Er Qing, the youngest.

Erqing blinked, picked up the Tusu wine in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.

Then...

he drank too much and covered his mouth "cough, cough, cough" and choked.

"How can anyone drink like you? Let's see how I drink." Ah Jin laughed at him for a while.

Then it was her turn to drink. Not stupid, she only took a sip.

After Ajin had a drink, he put down his cup and blinked at Erqing who was in a daze, his eyes seemed to say, "I learned it."

Xu Yi did not advocate alcoholism. He had trained the two brothers and sisters to drink. Everyone’s wines are pretty good.

When it was A Xu's turn to drink, he, like his sister, ordered until the end.

Er Qing's face turned slightly red: "Can this be the case?"

"Well, Mr. Lang doesn't like us drinking too much." A Xu looked at him sincerely, "You should drink less in the future."

Er Qing's head was dizzy, instinctively Nod.

Xu Yi looked at him like this and smiled.

The next step is to play slots, and everyone’s eyes fall on the plates of slots.

Except for the uniqueness of the coin wrapped by Xu Yi, the rest of the coins looked exactly the same, and it was impossible to tell which one contained copper coins.

Even A Xu, who was cooking the coins, didn't know which plate the copper coins were on.

The two brothers and sisters said at the same time: "Lang Jun eats first."

Hearing this, Xu Yi was not polite. He stretched out his hand and picked up a beef filling. When he bit it open, juice popped out.

The braised beef shank has a strong sauce aroma, accompanied by the aroma of chopped green onion inside, making it unforgettable to eat.

It's a pity that I didn't get any copper coins.

After he finished using his chopsticks, A Xu and the others also started to use their chopsticks.

The coins A Xu packed were so delicious that Erqing immersed himself in eating and forgot about the existence of the coins.

"It's a copper coin!"

A Xu was the first to eat the copper coin. He raised his head in surprise and spit out the copper coin in his mouth.

The copper coins are not small. You can feel them when you put them in your mouth. You don't have to worry about them being swallowed.

With him at the beginning, Ah Jin suddenly felt nervous and couldn't care less about looking like a lady, so he started to take advantage of the situation at a faster pace.

Xu Yi wanted to laugh when he saw this scene.

Ah Jin will always refuse to admit defeat in strange places. She likes things like playing lottery the most.

At this time, Erqing reacted and stared nervously at the coins in front of him, not knowing which one he wanted to take.

The corner of Xu Yi's mouth was slightly raised, and he lowered his eyes and bit the coin: "Huh?"

Upon seeing this, A Xu shouted happily: "Lang Jun also got it!"

"It seems that I am lucky." Xu Yi put the copper coin Beside him, he said meaningfully, "I wonder who will eat the remaining copper coins."

"Ah, I'm almost full." Ah Jin curled his lips and looked at him with envy. Xu Yi.

When she was looking at the remaining coins, Ah Jin felt as if they were trying to eat her.

Why not, should she give up?

Unexpectedly, as soon as this thought came out, Er Qing, who was sitting in front of her, continued to eat dimes.

Ah Jin bit her lip, no, she couldn't lose to Er Qing.

Next, Ah Jin kept staring at Er Qing. When he saw Er Qing pinching one, he followed suit... But he forgot that there was A Xu next to him who continued to take advantage of the opportunity.

After a while, A Xu suddenly exclaimed.

In the eyes of his sister's disbelief, he slowly spit out the copper coins in his mouth.

A Xu looked at Lang Jun and his sister innocently: "I ate it..."

"Ah - brother, why did you only get two copper coins!"

A Jin was about to cry because of his brother's good luck.

A Xu pulled her sleeve in a panic and coaxed her: "Sister, I didn't mean it. I really didn't expect that copper coin was in this corner. If I knew, I, I would definitely not eat it." "

Hmph." Ah Jin pulled his sleeves and didn't want to talk to his brother anymore.

Xu Yi suppressed a smile to avoid clapping, and joked: "Okay, you two haven't eaten, it's time to perform."

Ah Jin immediately put away her temper, it was just a talent show, she knew a lot of things.

"Lang Jun, you said earlier that any talent is acceptable, right?" Ah Jin asked him again to confirm.

Xu Yi nodded, naturally.

Ah Jin said slyly: "Then I will perform a boxing show. Mr. Lang, please let me change my clothes."

After that, she stuck out her tongue at her brother and flew back to the house like a brisk swallow.

All that's left is Erqing.

With Ah Jin at the beginning, Erqing also knew what talents he could perform. He blushed and hesitated and said that he could perform archery.

Xu Yi Zhiyi: "..." Damn it, they got stuck.

Fortunately, Erqing's performance is very interesting.

After drinking, his face was red, but as soon as he picked up the bow and arrow, his eyes changed instantly. His half-lidded eyes glanced at the cold light and looked at the target hanging on the opposite wall. His fingers that pulled up the bow and arrow shook slightly, and he shot an arrow, hitting the center of the circle.

Swish, swish, swish -

ten arrows were shot out, and the arrows hit the target, pricking the target into a hedgehog around the center of the circle.

Ah Jin's eyes sparkled when she saw this energetic side of him, and the look in her eyes that fell on him was full of surprise.

"Er Qing, your archery skills are even better than Lang Jun's."

Er Qing, still holding a wooden bow in his hand, was stunned when he heard this: "Doctor Xu know archery?"

Xu Yi said calmly: "I have practiced with my friends before.

" Qing was stunned and couldn't help but think, Doctor Xu can even shoot arrows, so what is there that he can't do?

If Xu Yi knew that he thought this way, he would definitely make him sigh and talk for a long time about what he didn't know.

...

Tonight it was the middle of the night, Xu Yi called them into the house and gave them lucky money.

A Xu and the others are already familiar with this process.

They knelt down on the futon to kowtow to Xu Yi to pay New Year greetings, and then were given heavy red envelopes.

Erqing also has it.

Erqing wanted to imitate his brother and sister and kowtow to him, but Xu Yi stopped him.

"You don't have to." Xu Yi smiled and didn't explain much.

After giving away the new year's money, Xu Yi sent them back to their houses, leaving him alone to keep vigil in the house.

When Erqing crossed the threshold and left, he looked back at the house and saw Xu Yi's shadow reflected alone on the wall.

For some reason, he saw himself in Xu Yi.

A few days later, Yu Qiulin, who was far away in Yanting County, was celebrating the festival. Under the ruthless urging of some people, he reluctantly said goodbye to his family, wife and children. Under the reluctant eyes of his wife and children, he hurriedly got on a donkey cart and went away. .

After traveling for two days, he knocked on the door of the small courtyard, carrying a heavy package on his back.

The package he was carrying on his back weighed hundreds of kilograms and contained everything. They were all brought to Xu Yi from Yanting.

Xu Yi watched Yu Qiulin rubbing his shoulders and taking out items from the package, and took a deep breath.

He said: "Brother Qiu, thank you for your hard work."

Yu Qiulin raised his eyes and looked at him quietly: "It's not hard, but Brother Yi, can you tell them

not to be so hasty next time?" He and his wife had only been together for a few days before they were driven out to do business.