The Zhang family’s full moon banquet started at around 11:00 am and lasted until the sun was about to set in the afternoon.
Many people didn't care whether the food on the table was heated, seizing this rare opportunity to drink and chat with friends. Normally, the villagers worked their way up to the farm, and banquets were a popular place to gather and chat. Time flew by as everyone drank and chatted.
The four tables in the Zhang family's main hall and right wing were occupied by the village elders and close relatives and friends. Zhao Chuangguang and his family were from the woman's family and had been given a lot of wine today.
In the front yard, the tables occupied by the women and children were already a buffet. Meat was a rare treat, and even the day's hunger was unsatisfying. The village children came to watch the fun, refusing to leave, the adults pulling them along, the children pulling them along. This continued until all the prepared food had been cleared, the chef lit the wok, and the women of the village pulled their reluctant children away. Only then did the feast end.
After the banquet, the guests and relatives who had traveled far away were sent away. Seeing that Zhao Chuangguang and his family were about to leave, Zhou Jiao quickly pulled Lin Lishan and Zhang's mother to discuss the matter.
In the main bedroom, Zhou Jiao looked at them eagerly.
Zhang's mother saw that Lin Lishan was similar to her daughter, completely clueless about the ways of the world. Since they were going to be relatives, she couldn't be careless about the return gift. If something went wrong with the return gift, it might make the other person feel uncomfortable.
"Big sister, I think you and the child's father will definitely do favors with them in the future. What do you think? Just accept the few cents in their red envelopes and return the rest to them. That counts as accepting them. And accept all the other things, like the child's clothes. If you feel bad about it, just prepare a bigger gift for the New Year."
Lin Lishan nodded. She remembered accepting all the gifts from those people when she got married. According to her thinking, it didn't matter if she accepted all the red envelopes.
Zhou Jiao was afraid of the trouble of pushing it back and forth, so she secretly stuffed it into the bamboo basket. If it wasn't lost, it would be fate. She would just consider it as having accepted the gift.
In the small living room, Zhao Chuangguang pulled Zhang Guoqing aside and whispered. He and his wife planned to have Zhou Jiao and her husband take the child to the provincial capital, as if they were moving back to her parents' home. This time, because they were bringing other brothers along, they hadn't brought many things with them and were just waiting for the child to arrive. Seeing Zhang Guoqing's refusal, he desperately tried to lure them in.
Zhang Guoqing was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Even if Zhou Jiao was sent over by plane, let alone a sidecar, she would not stay at the other party's house for a few days.
"Godfather, how about this? Aren't we going back to Beijing at the end of the year? We can go to your place in advance. Forget it this time. The child is too young to bother with it. Moving is just a custom. Let's not make a fuss about it. Are you still worried that we won't go after that? Do you think being my father-in-law is that easy?"
Seeing his determination, Zhao Chuangguang decided to let it go. Since the young couple didn't care about these customs, Jiaojiao wouldn't be saddened by the sight. He also didn't agree with taking the child away just one month old. Who knew if he would adapt to such a sudden change of environment? His own son had stayed put, returning to his grandfather's house after a hundred days. As for the gift, he would wait for someone to bring it back to him in the provincial capital tomorrow.
"Then remember to come see me tomorrow when you go to the provincial capital, and visit our old man and old lady while you're there. I originally promised them that you'd go to the provincial capital. Now that things haven't been done, you have to talk to them in person." Zhao Chuangguang saw that he agreed and checked his watch, thinking it was time to go. His brothers had to rush back to report, so they couldn't afford to delay.
Before they parted ways, Huang Huimin held onto Zhou Jiao, insisting she agree to move back to her parents' home. Eventually, Zhang's mother agreed to let them stay there for a while when the child was older, and only then did they reluctantly get into the car.
After seeing off this group of people, Zhang Guoqing breathed a sigh of relief. Now, only his mother-in-law and the women from the Cheng and Lin families were home. After seeing them off and getting on the train tomorrow, the long-awaited full moon banquet would finally be over. As for next year's first birthday, there wouldn't be any celebration, even if he wanted one.
Zhang Guoqing's cousins were not at the table, but were busy serving dishes and moving wine jars. Now they had to wait for the women to clean the tables so they could deliver them before everyone in the village had dinner.
As soon as Zhang Guoqing saw them, he quickly pulled them into his kitchen and asked his mother to prepare some simple dishes so they could fill their stomachs. He'd been busy since early morning, his legs were worn out. A banquet at home was a lively occasion, but the rest was a mess. Zhang Guoqing couldn't imagine what would have happened today without them.
After cleaning up the mess and returning the borrowed table, chairs, and dishes, the Zhang family slumped in the main room, no one wanting to move. Zhang Meili had anticipated this and had asked her husband to take the children home first. The last time Zhang Guoqing got married, she was so busy she slept on the kang for a full day and night.
Zhang Meili pulled Zhang Guoqing to sit beside her and whispered, "No one from the Zhou family came today. Even the head of the Zhou family asked his daughter-in-law to come over with a basket. Isn't that strange?"
Zhang Guoqing had truly forgotten about the Zhou family. Ever since his father-in-law's background was exposed, he hadn't seen them. Plus, with so many people busy today, he really hadn't noticed who was missing?
"If they didn't come, then they didn't come. We'll see what Jiaojiao says later. Big sister, who else hasn't come? I think everyone is here except my aunt, right?"
"Everyone I don't know is here, who else is missing? My eldest aunt even asked someone to bring gifts for her third day of her wedding, but now there's not even a trace of her. I wonder if something happened to her? I think my father and the others are worried. Don't mention my eldest aunt to them. I guess my father and the others will go to her house these days." Zhang Meili said a few words worriedly to him.
Seeing the whole family present, Father Zhang glanced at Mother Zhang. Mother Zhang pulled a handkerchief wrapped in money from her pocket and placed it on the kang. She said to Zhang Guoqing, who was currently chatting with one another, "Xiaowu, these are gifts from the villagers today. They're all for our safety. It's not much, but just a token of appreciation. Please keep this for the child."
Zhang Guoqing quickly shook his head, "Mom, we agreed. All the favors in the village belong to you and Dad, so it's up to you to handle. Keep this money to repay the favors later. Put it away quickly. Even if you give it to Jiaojiao, she won't want it."
Father Zhang knew that the child did not understand these rules. "This money must be accepted and given to the child. It's not for you, but for Ping An. You take it first. This money is different from ordinary favors. You paid for all the expenses today, even for the pig slaughtered at home, and Dad didn't refuse it. Why would I be polite to you for such a small amount of money? This is the rule. If you don't believe me, ask your brother and sister-in-law. How many months has Xizi been full-month old? Did your brother and sister-in-law accept the favor?"
Father Zhang had intentionally said this in front of the entire family, to avoid making his two daughters-in-law jealous of his son's room full of gifts. Although his son hadn't accepted any money, he had sent a good amount of food and clothing.
Hearing his eldest daughter say that the young couple's inner room was so packed with things they could barely turn around, he knew it must be quite a lot. He had to explain that even before the family split up, his eldest son had already paid for the pig slaughtered. This time, the eldest son paid for the wedding banquet out of his own pocket to avoid future conflicts between the brothers and the sisters-in-law.
Seeing that he had said so, Zhang Guoqing took the money handed to him by Zhang's mother. When his two brothers said that they wanted to return the money to him, Xiaoxiao refused.
Just kidding, besides his hunting to supplement the family income, this pig is the family's biggest income. Not to mention that he and Zhou Jiao have never even touched the pig hair, it is all taken care of by the two sisters-in-law. How could they take advantage of the good intentions of not dividing the family property?
As for the grain allowance from the family, he didn't ask since his father hadn't mentioned it. He had the highest work points in the family, and with the fine grain his mother-in-law brought him, he knew the amount.
Brothers should settle accounts clearly. Don't let the current good brotherly relationship lead you to act arbitrarily. If he really doesn't handle it himself, his two sisters-in-law will definitely be upset. It doesn't make sense to have such a grand celebration for their own son's full month, while their child is treated as inferior. It's better to settle accounts clearly before dividing the family. Let his parents suffer a little loss, so that they can live with themselves.
After Zhang's father finished taking care of his eldest son's affairs, he turned to his second son, "Second son, how's your yard cleaning going? I see you can't do it yourself since you work every day. You should make arrangements early and find people to help you if you need them. Otherwise, you'll be late and miss the move. You have to be aware of this."
"Dad, Xiaowu and I prepared the window paper, door curtains, and firewood for the main house a few days ago. We'll prepare the wing rooms when the weather warms up next year. Now we just have to move the things in the house over so we can start living."
Father Zhang nodded. He knew his sons were reliable. Ever since the bricklayer's suggestion, his two sons had begun work on the three main rooms in the courtyard as soon as they were finished. Since they were a small family, they could finish the side rooms next year. He planned to ask the clan leader for an auspicious date to separate the family as soon as possible. Seeing that Xiaowu was getting better and better, he thought living together would easily lead to jealousy and quarrels, so he decided to keep them apart and have a blind date.
Zhang Guoqiang had been busy all day and was exhausted, but he was very happy. There's no harm without comparison. He had already given up hope on his Yue family. He hadn't expected his father-in-law and mother-in-law to behave so well after meeting Xiaowu's Yue family today, even saying they felt guilty towards their son-in-law.
Oh, it's really not easy. No matter how true or false their words are, this is enough. He doesn't ask for much. As long as they don't cause trouble, he will not neglect his filial piety.
At this point, Zhang Guoqiang still didn't know that his wife's family, who had been receiving public subsidies since he was born, were worried that he would dislike his wife and break off the marriage. The old couple, along with their son and daughter-in-law, had conspired for a long time before coming to a conclusion. Seeing their son-in-law's rise to prominence, they weren't worried about a lack of young women marrying him. They had to curry favor with him, not offend him. If they maintained a good relationship, they wouldn't worry about him not supporting their wife's family. Who would be as foolish as the Zhou family? They'd cut off a promising path.
The arrival of Old Man Lin and his wife today had been even more shocking. All the prominent figures in the village had arrived, and then there was the display of Zhang Guoqing's in-laws—the carriage-load of gifts, the several bamboo baskets of eggs. He had never seen such a fuss over a baby's full-month celebration. And not to mention the relatives of the in-laws, who were clearly military officers.
The whole family was gathered in the outer room, watching his wife and the others grinning as they gathered around the gifts. He finally came to his senses. After raising so many money-losing things, he finally found someone useful. Thinking of the gift his little girl had secretly slipped him, he couldn't help but laugh.
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