Chen Ahfu looked back and saw Dabao standing on the bed, wearing a red jacket, red pants, and a small red melon-shaped hat. He looked like a bright red bell pepper, incredibly pretty. She went over, held Dabao's face, kissed him twice, and said with a smile, "My son is the one who outshines everyone else."
Chen Dabao was so delicate that he couldn't even speak straight. He hugged her neck and said, "I can't compare to mother, I can't compare to mother..."
Chen Afu bent down and put on the little red boots for Chen Dabao with her own hands, and then washed his face. Then the mother and son walked out of the west wing hand in hand.
There was still heavy snow in the sky. Even though the servants had just swept a path through the yard, it was now covered with snow again. Not only was the yard covered with a layer of white, but also the roof, the branches outside the yard, and the lanterns were all covered with a thick layer. At a glance, it was all covered in silver.
Fortunately, we now live in a big tiled house. If it were an old thatched house in the old yard, we would have to worry about the heavy snow crushing the house.
The two men came to the upper room, where Chen Ming, Wang Shi and A Lu were already sitting inside wearing new clothes.
Chen Ahfu led Ahlu and Dabao to kowtow to Chen Ming and Wang, who were sitting in the upper seats, and the two smiled and gave each of them a red envelope with six silver ingots in it. Then, Ahlu bowed to Chen Ahfu, and Dabao kowtowed to Chen Ahfu, and Chen Ahfu smiled and gave each of them a red envelope with six silver ingots in it.
Then, the servants came in and kowtowed to their master and wished him a happy new year. The master gave the servants red envelopes containing two silver ingots.
These red envelopes were prepared by Chen Ahfu in advance. He also prepared a few red envelopes containing two silver ingots for Chen Ming to give to the younger generations of the Chen family who came to pay New Year's greetings.
After a lot of joy and excitement, they sat down to eat.
After dinner, accompanied by Xue Dagui, A Lu led Dabao to pay New Year's greetings. They first went to Tangyuan, then to Luo's house, and then to the village.
Chen Afu talked with Chen Ming and Wang for a while. They discussed Chen Ming's trip to Xianhu Village on the fourth day of the New Year. They decided to go to Wang's eldest uncle's house to pay New Year's greetings and inquire about the whereabouts of Wang's younger brother Wang Cheng.
The eldest uncle was quite powerful. It was he who led people to beat up Wang's biological father and stepmother.
Wang's heart also became lively. She also wanted to go back. She wanted to know the whereabouts of her brother. She had been thinking about it for more than 20 years but had never dared to go back to inquire. Now she could finally do so. Of course, she wanted to find out as soon as possible.
Chen Ahfu said, "If mother really wants to go back, take Brother Xue and Aunt Zeng with you. Brother Xue is very capable, and Aunt Zeng is eloquent. With them, you won't be afraid of being bullied."
As they were talking, people came to pay New Year's greetings.
The first wave to come were the brothers Chen Agui and Chen Ayu. They were the real juniors and had to kowtow. Chen Ming also gave them red envelopes and asked them to take the red envelopes given to other juniors back home. Then came Luo Yuan, then Hu Wei, and then another wave after another, including the servants in Tangyuan, the villagers of Xiangluo Village, and the people of Shangshui Village...
Chen Ahfu hid in the west wing because she was a female member of the family. She washed the tea bowls she had taken out of the space, and then poured the water used to wash the tea bowls into the backyard, where there was a fenced-off area that would be a vegetable garden in the future.
She looked at the tea bowls and realized that they were useless even if they were washed clean. But today was the first day of the Chinese New Year, so it seemed that she couldn't throw away the garbage. So she put the tea bowls under the bed and would throw them away after the Chinese New Year. She couldn't throw them away at home yet, because the frugal Chen Ming and Wang would definitely pick them up and use them.
Suddenly, I heard the surprised voice of old man Zeng in the yard, "Oh, my sister is here."
Chen Ahfu came out of the bedroom and saw Chu Hanyan, who was wearing a pomegranate red hooded cape, had already entered the room. When she saw Chen Ahfu, she hurried over, clasped her hands together, and said, "I wish you a happy New Year... and everything... goes well."
Then, he raised his head and looked at her, with an expression as if asking for praise.
Mother Song corrected her, "Sister, you have to wait until aunt is seated before you wish her a happy new year." She had taught her sister many times when they were in Tangyuan, but her sister was anxious to show off as soon as she saw Master Chen.
Chen Ahfu smiled and said, "It doesn't matter." He then said to Chu Hanyan, "Sister is really capable. Come to wish your aunt a happy new year. Your aunt has prepared a big red envelope."
He gave her the red envelope containing six silver ingots that he had prepared long ago, took off her cloak, and offered her some snacks and candies. When he heard that the guests who had come to pay New Year's greetings in the upper room had left, he took the little girl to the upper room and paid New Year's greetings to Chen Ming and Wang.
Chen Ming and Wang were extremely happy that the noble lady wished them a happy new year, and they quickly gave her a red envelope each.
The little girl smiled happily and counted on her fingers, saying, "I have... one, two, three, four, oh, five, five red envelopes."
Miss Chu didn't have many relatives here, and servants couldn't give red envelopes to their masters. This time she got so much at once, which made her very happy.
Chen Afu took her to the west wing to play for a while, and the little girl left reluctantly.
At noon, A-Lu and Da-bao came back. The two boys received several red envelopes each, which were given by the old Marquis Chu, Chu Lingxuan, the old lady Chen, Chen Ye and Chen Shi. The grandfather and grandson of the Chu family gave six and four gold ingots of the first place in the imperial examination respectively, Chen Shi gave a hundred coins, and the others gave fifty coins.
Old Lord Chu actually gave Chen Afu a red envelope and asked Dabao to bring her eight golden peanuts.
Dabao said, "I kowtowed to Grandpa Chu on behalf of my mother, wishing him good health and longevity."
Chen Ahfu praised, "Well, son, you did a good job."
It was the first time that Dabao had so much money, and he smiled. He handed it to Chen Afu generously and said, "Give all this money to mother, and use it to buy flowers to wear."
Everyone was very happy. Chen Ahfu said with a smile, "Mother has money to buy flowers. This money is Dabao's private money, mother will keep it for you. If you like something, come to mother to get the money." She took out twenty coins and put them into his purse, saying, "Dabao, use this money to buy candy."
Ah Lu was much more shy, and he also gave all the red envelopes to Wang, but he was too embarrassed to say sweet words. Wang also said that this was his private money and she would help him keep it. In the end, she still gave him twenty cents of pocket money.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, we cooked fermented glutinous rice eggs and steamed buns. Chen Ahfu suddenly remembered to make fermented glutinous rice on the twenty-seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and since the time was right today, he asked Aunt Mu to make it.
Chen Ahfu made a large jar and two small jars, and sent one small jar to Tangyuan and one to Luo Guanshi's house. Southerners like to eat this, but I don't know if northerners like it, so I didn't send more.
It was the first time for Chen Ming and his friends to eat it, and they all said it tasted fragrant and delicious. Chen Ahfu also thought it tasted better than in his previous life, perhaps it had something to do with the quality of the water in his home.
Today was the day to go back to their parents' home. None of their daughters went back to their parents' home, and Wang had no parents' home to go back to either. The whole family was crowded on the kang in the west room of the upper house, chatting and laughing. A-Lu and Dabao would occasionally run outside to set off firecrackers or run a few laps.
At about 9 o'clock in the morning, Wei arrived.
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