Grandma Li's voice reached Gu Lili's ears.
Gu Lili quickly turned around and saw that her grandmother had arrived with the whole family.
Gu Lili quickly wiped her hands and led the person to sit down at the table.
"Grandma, Grandpa, please sit down!" Gu Lili said with a smile.
Grandma Li stood up with Gu Lili's aunt and said, "What are you doing? Your aunt and I will help you cook!"
"Oh, Auntie, guests are always welcome. You're a relative of ours, why would you need to lift a finger here? Just sit down and wait to eat!"
Before Gu Lili could speak, Aunt Zhang next to her burst into laughter.
"Yes, yes. Auntie, you rest, we'll take care of the cooking!"
Everyone echoed what was being said.
Grandma Li was surprised that the villagers took such good care of Gu Lili and the others, which put her at ease.
Although everyone said that, the restless old lady Li still rolled up her sleeves and joined the cooking team.
Soon, Grandma Li became one of the group, and her laughter echoed in the air.
It certainly suits this auspicious day.
With many people, there is great strength. Before long, an enticing aroma filled the open space.
The children who were playing in the stream stopped and gathered around the cooking pot to watch.
Even when Master Yuan was writing red couplets, the village heads would occasionally glance at the stove.
"You kids, go play somewhere else, or you'll drool in the pot!" Aunt Zhang laughed as she shooed the children away.
The children laughed and ran off to play elsewhere.
Gu Sigou was among them; it seemed that what happened that day no longer affected his mood.
Today's dishes include braised pork belly, pork rib soup, stir-fried bracken fern, scrambled eggs with shallots, braised lion's head meatballs, braised sea fish, cold seaweed salad, and cold houttuynia cordata salad.
Looking at the entire Gu Village, the food here is truly exceptional.
Moreover, the "raising the beam wine" has been very important since ancient times. The craftsmen who are raising the beam must be well-fed and well-drinked so that they can work diligently and attentively.
However, Gu Lili didn't think much about this.
After all, it was the uncles and elders in the village who came to help; how could they possibly harm their own family?
These dishes were all made by Gu Lili using various seasonings and spices she bought in her space, and they tasted absolutely delicious.
The fragrance drifted on the wind to the school gate across the street.
Since today was the day the roof beam of the school was raised, Han Mingyue also came.
Smelling the aroma of food wafting from across the street, Han Mingyue suddenly felt that the food she had ordered from the restaurant didn't taste as good anymore.
"Young Master, the food across the way smells so good!" Yuanbao took a deep breath and exclaimed.
Han Mingyue looked at the food in front of her, and at the two tables of construction workers.
He glanced at the lively scene across the street, his eyes darting around, and said with a smile, "Yuanbao, we'll be living here for at least two or three years. Since the people across the street are our neighbors, why don't you prepare some money and we go over to offer our congratulations?"
Yuanbao really wanted to give his young master two thumbs up. As expected of a scholar, his method of getting a free meal was excellent, practically flawless.
After the master and servant had discussed it, they walked towards the other side.
Today, Gu Lili's house was bustling with activity. About thirty-four families had come to drink, all of whom had taken care of the siblings.
Looking around, there were about a dozen tables next to the empty space.
Since Gu Lili has no elders, her maternal grandfather is handling things today.
Old Zhao had his three sons bring over two tables, and then covered them with the red cloth that Gu Lili had torn off yesterday.
Then, Gu Lili placed the pig's head, the rooster, some fruit, snacks, and wine bowls she had prepared on the table.
Gu Erniu then took the red couplets that Master Yuan had written and dried, and pasted them on both sides of the courtyard gate.
Living in a blessed place brings prosperity and good fortune to the family.
With everything prepared, the beam-raising ceremony is about to begin, and the meal will only be served after the beam is raised.
On the site, apart from a few people who were cooking, everyone else gathered at the entrance to watch the beam-raising ceremony.
The craftsman raising the roof beam held a rooster and chanted, "The newly built hall is filled with joy, I hold a golden rooster to touch the wooden beam, today I raise the beam, may the purple crape myrtle shine brightly in all directions..."
After the craftsman who was raising the roof beam finished reciting his blessings, he offered the wine from the bowl to the ground.
After completing these steps, we can begin raising the roof beam.
Once the beam is in place, it's time for the ceremony everyone loves: throwing the beam.
The task of throwing the beam was to be performed by the head of the household or the eldest son, so Gu Erniu was chosen to do it.
The children eagerly gathered below, waiting for Gu Erniu to throw down what he was holding.
Gu Lili had already prepared everything yesterday: maltose blocks, dates, and some cakes, along with several copper coins.
As Gu Erniu grabbed handfuls of things and threw them down, the adults and children below all scrambled to grab them.
"Hey, I got a coin!"
Wow, this candy is huge!
"......"
While everyone was scrambling for candy, Li Qingshan outside the door lit the bamboo piled up at the entrance.
The bamboo made a crackling and popping sound, creating a lively atmosphere.
After the cannon beam was finished, it was time to officially start eating.
The men were responsible for arranging the chairs, while the women were responsible for serving the dishes one by one to the table.
Gu Lili also asked Gu Erniu to bring out the peach blossom wine he had made that day to entertain everyone.
Since children can't drink alcohol, Gu Lili thoughtfully prepared maltose tea for them.
When Han Mingyue arrived with her page, it was just in time for lunch.
"Lili, come and take a look, is this someone's relative?"
Gu Lili, who was busy serving dishes, heard Aunt Zhang calling her and hurried over to check.
As he walked up to Aunt Zhang, the smile on his face instantly froze.
Gu Lili wondered to herself, "Isn't this the man who flirted with me the other day? What's he doing here?"
At this moment, Han Mingyue did not recognize Gu Lili, because Gu Lili had dressed up specially today.
Wearing a light green gauze dress, her hair was styled in a flowing cloud bun and decorated with a matching hair ribbon, giving her an ethereal appearance.
Han Mingyue was unconsciously stunned. "Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any artifice," that perfectly described Gu Lili, a girl who didn't wear makeup.
Gu Lili grew increasingly displeased as she looked at the dazed man in front of her, and Yuanbao, who was standing next to her, quickly nudged his young master with his elbow.
Han Mingyue then came to her senses and stammered, "Oh...Miss...I am Han Mingyue, from the Han family school next door. I came here today to congratulate you on the raising of your roof beam."
Gu Lili then realized that the person in front of her was the young master of the Han family that Grandpa Lizheng had been talking about a few days ago.
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