The next morning, Zhou Jiao paid special attention to her three sons. Seeing that they were full of energy again after a night, she put her worries aside.
Every naughty kid has a bad day.
When Zhao Yuanyuan and Zhang Yuntao came with their children, the pig from Zhang Qingfeng's house was stabbed with a knife and was screaming in fear.
Accompanied by Zhao Yuanyuan's loud shouting like a tape recorder, "Jiaojiao, I'm coming, Jiaojiao, I'm coming...", the picture is particularly funny.
Meeting an old friend again, Zhou Jiao couldn't help but walk quickly to greet him.
"Okay, just the two of you kissing. Hum, you've forgotten about me, haven't you?"
A mournful voice sounded, and Zhou Jiao, who was tightly hugged by Zhao Yuanyuan, followed the movement and saw several familiar figures at a glance - Hu Xiaohui and Li Qinglin had also arrived.
Zhou Jiao's heart suddenly blossomed, and she looked at her with a smile on her face. "When did you come back? I heard you were on a business trip when I went to work last weekend."
"She died a few days earlier than you." Zhao Yuanyuan held Zhou Jiao with one hand and waved to Hu Xiaohui with the other. She lowered her voice and said, "Linzi's grandfather just passed away."
Zhou Jiao realized it was Hu Xiaohui who had returned for the funeral. No wonder she hadn't mentioned going back to her hometown. First, it was Lin Zi's maternal family, and second, it was a funeral, so it was normal not to mention it.
After Zhang Yuntao and Li Qinglin appeared that day, Zhang Guoqing's old friends from his hometown began to come to his door one after another, just like turning on a faucet.
These people were different from the social gatherings in official circles. Everyone gathered together to drink and reminisce about the past, exposing each other's shortcomings and joking around, which actually amused each other and added to the festive atmosphere.
On New Year's Eve, people who had come to visit during the first month of the lunar year stopped walking, and Zhou Jiao, who was busy steaming bean curd and steamed buns, also stopped her kitchen work.
According to the rules of the Zhang family, the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner would undoubtedly be a gathering of the three families in the old courtyard.
It was a bit funny that Zhou Jiao could rest early. She didn't have a daughter-in-law yet, but she enjoyed this blessing. The Zhang family's New Year's Eve dinner was prepared by the grandchildren's wives.
Together with the wild boar and roe deer contributed by the three Ping'an brothers to the village, the old captain who took over the position of clan leader made up his mind - the whole clan would have a dinner together on the first night of the New Year!
So she just needs to have simple meals at her house these two days.
When it comes to New Year’s Eve, we have to talk about ancestor worship.
In Zhang Dad’s mind, the most important event of the year is to welcome the “ancestors home for the New Year” and give them “pocket money” on this day.
In the past few years, the old customs were suppressed, and Father Zhang could only do it secretly. Now he can do it openly. He would ask his wife to check whether the offerings were complete from time to time when he got up early in the morning.
Zhang's mother didn't mind seeing this, and whenever her husband asked, she would cheerfully count on her fingers and read out the things one by one to him. In the end, she could almost recite them at will.
Father Zhang did not mention whether his grandsons Liuyi and Wuyi, who were adopted by his in-laws, wanted to go up the mountain with him, but when Zhou Jiao gave them new clothes and pants, it was clear that he was thinking about it.
The old lady was also suspicious. Zhou Jiao would not object to her two young sons going to worship the Zhang family ancestors. Although they were surnamed Zhou, they were also descendants of the Zhang family and her husband's sons.
At this time of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, we express our filial piety to the ancestors of the Zhang family and pray that the ancestral spirits can bless the descendants and make them prosperous.
Isn’t this a good wish?
If the Zhang family ancestors were still alive, Zhou Jiao would have wanted her sons to pay homage to them more often to bless them with a safe life.
For this reason, after she listened to Zhang's mother report the sacrifices to Zhang's father, she quietly returned to her own yard and added another sacrifice and paper money.
Seeing Zhou Jiao, who was fine at first, become depressed, Zhang Guoqing quickly asked about other things to divert her attention. At this moment, he also thought of the deceased old lady Cheng.
In previous years, a few days before the New Year in Beijing, the surviving old ladies would quietly prepare paper money for them, and their family would secretly go up the mountain with the Cheng family to burn paper money for the ancestors of several families.
Now that she's gone, there's no one who would bother looking for incense, candles, and paper money for them anymore...
When the time came, Dad Zhang couldn't hide his smile. He led a group of men in his family and ran to the door of Uncle Zhang and Old Uncle Zhang's house to cheer them up and go up the mountain.
Of course, he wouldn't say he was showing off to Uncle Zhang: "Aren't you laughing at me for adopting two little grandsons? Look, they are still my grandsons!"
The only person who understood his thoughts might be Zhang's mother. After watching her husband and his friends leave, she patted Zhou Jiao, who was holding her arm, and invited the women in the family into the yard.
Yes, the woman of the house.
There is a rule in Zhangjia Village for ancestor worship that only male family members can go, and female family members cannot participate. This is a custom passed down from ancient times.
Of course, it wasn't just Zhangjia Village; it was probably the same across the country. It was like Zhou Jiao was the only child of the Zhou family, or rather, Zhou Xiaozheng never considered his precious daughter any less valuable than his son.
The number of descendants of the third branch of the Zhang family is estimated to be the largest in Zhangjia Village. They take turns to pay homage to their deceased ancestors at the graves with their fellow clansmen.
Arriving at the graves of Grandpa Zhang and Grandma Zhang was the highlight for the third branch of their family.
Uncle Zhang, the oldest and most senior person, would draw a circle on the snow in front of the grave first, and then he, Father Zhang and Uncle Zhang would put the folded "ingots" and paper money from the three families on the grave.
Looking at the "ingots" and paper money which were obviously more than twice as much as those of the two rooms, Uncle Zhang did not react at all. Instead, Uncle Zhang glanced at Father Zhang with a half-smile.
But is Father Zhang afraid?
He won’t!
It’s not his fault that he gives his parents more pocket money.
Other brothers can be polite to each other, but the eldest son gives pocket money to his grandfather who raised him. This is the filial piety of the children. Who asked the eldest nephew not to give a share?
"Dad, Mom, my two younger brothers and I brought the children to see you. How are you doing? This time, I'll give you two more pocket money. Just go ahead, don't be reluctant..."
Uncle Zhang finished his speech and told Father Zhang and Uncle Zhang, "You should also have a good chat with your parents."
"Okay, big brother, take care of yourself first." Father Zhang responded casually, turning around and directing the three Zhang Guoqing brothers, "First brother, light the fire, second brother, throw paper money in, and fifth brother, come over here. Your grandfather must miss you the most. He loves you the most. He hasn't seen you for so many years, he must miss you so much..."
Uncle Zhang was originally thinking about his parents facing the grave, feeling a little sad inside, but he couldn't help laughing when his second brother said this.
When he smiled, the younger ones kneeling behind him no longer had to hold back their laughter and laughed along with him.
For a moment, Uncle Zhang, who was pouring a cup of wine on the ground, was a little amused and helpless. He looked around and glared at everyone, asking them to be serious.
Burn the paper money.
The elders walked in front, and the younger generations kowtowed behind them. Afterwards, a series of firecrackers were set off, and the third branch of the Zhang family went down the mountain in an unusually cheerful manner.
Especially the children under the Ming generation, they are even more excited to celebrate the New Year. What kind of feelings can these children have for their deceased ancestors?
Uncle Zhang and his two brothers did not try to stop them. I think their parents are still in spirit in the afterlife, and they would be happy to hear the cheers of these children.
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