Chapter 134: The Zhao Family's Happy Housewarming...
The Zhao family did not plan to hold a grand housewarming party, but according to the customs in Beijing, they still had to invite a few good friends to come to the house to have fun, so that the house would be popular in the future.
Zhao's father and Meng's mother had just arrived and didn't have many friends in the capital. Zhao Mingsheng's plan was to invite the grandmother of the Marquis of Pingyuan and some of her close friends from the younger generation. Huang Yuexin, one of Zhao Mingsheng's few close friends in the capital, was also a must-see. Beyond that, she didn't know who else to invite.
In order to add some popularity to the housewarming party, and also thinking that his brother had just arrived in Beijing and needed to socialize with his classmates in the academy, Zhao Mingsheng asked Zhao Qingyue to send a message to his classmates in Chongshan Academy.
The day of the housewarming party.
Early in the morning, Zhao's father sent people to clear away the thin layer of snow that had fallen last night. As for the snow hanging on the branches in the courtyard and the red lanterns, they complemented each other and were not swept away.
In front of the Zhao Mansion, the vermilion gate was wide open. Although there were no carriages like dragons or sedan chairs in front of the gate, there were a few rather imposing carriages and sedan chairs parked there, which was rare in West Street where not many nobles lived.
Huang Furen was out on business, so although he couldn't attend the Zhao family's housewarming party, he specially prepared a generous gift for Huang Yuexin to deliver.
The gift-giving procession advanced. Ten strong men, draped in red silk, carried five large boxes of housewarming gifts, accompanied by music and drums. Several obviously luxurious carriages were parked nearby, and distinguished guests dismounted to pause and observe, creating a bustling atmosphere in front of the Zhao residence.
Looking at the lively scene before them, the classmates and friends invited by Zhao Qingyue to congratulate him were dumbfounded. What happened to the agreement that they were all students from poor families?!
This was the scene Li Ao witnessed as he disembarked from the carriage with a few of his classmates. It was a scene comparable to the housewarming celebrations of a wealthy family. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously, wondering if he had come to the wrong place. In his impression, Zhao Qingyue usually dressed simply and had never seen him wear a jade pendant. He didn't look like he came from a wealthy family.
Li Ao, the only son of a third-rank official, prided himself on his noble status and naturally disdained to associate with less privileged students. But today, unable to resist the invitation of several close friends, he had condescended to attend the Zhao family's housewarming banquet.
Before he could say anything, his envious classmates whispered in his ear, "Don't look at the size of these boxes. They might just be there to show off. Who knows if they're filled with cotton or real gold and silver?"
This classmate Chen Sansi's family was once wealthy in his early years, but has fallen on hard times in recent years. He looks good on the outside but thinks others are just superficial.
Li Ao sneered and did not respond.
Those guys who delivered the gifts were all eight feet tall and strong. They were so tired after carrying the gift boxes all the way that they were panting like cows, sweating, and their collars were wet. You can tell at a glance whether the things in the gift boxes are of the right weight; they cannot be faked.
He did not associate with students from poor families, but he also disdained to belittle others.
Zhao Qingyue was at the door directing the servants to move the large boxes into the yard first. He caught a glimpse of his classmates coming and came out to greet them.
"Congratulations, Brother Zhao, on your new home."
"Brother Zhao's new house looks very luxurious!"
The classmates came to their senses and came forward to congratulate him. Before they could say a few words of courtesy, someone who was not tactful jumped out.
"Hey, Brother Zhao, you are celebrating your new house, but why are you reluctant to even wear the jade pendant?" Chen Sansi mixed in the crowd and said sarcastically.
Zhao Qingyue was stunned for a moment. After coming to Beijing, Zhao Mingsheng had given him a few jade pendants, but he did not know that it was customary for men to wear jade in Beijing, so he never wore them on weekdays. He did not expect that someone would bring them up and make a fuss about it today.
Chen Sansi looked Zhao Qingyue up and down, as if he had finally found some flaw, and he couldn't wait to jump out and speak.
"I'm afraid you can't even afford a decent jade pendant!"
Zhao Qingyue was not angry at the clown's words. His expression remained unchanged and he spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Since ancient times, jade has been used to symbolize a gentleman, and a gentleman's virtue is compared to jade. The original intention of the ancients to wear jade was to encourage a gentleman to walk with moderation and achieve the purpose of self-discipline. If a gentleman is self-disciplined in his heart, why should he be bound by external things?"
After saying that, he glanced at the fake jade on Chen Sansi's waist and changed the subject.
"Besides, the value of wearing jade does not lie in proving one's moral character. A gentleman is like jade; even without wearing jade, he can still shine brightly. A villain is like gravel; even wearing jade cannot hide his dusty nature."
"Well said!"
As soon as Zhao Qingyue finished speaking, applause broke out.
They were all students of Chongshan Academy, all of them were very knowledgeable. Many of them were also from poor families. Their families had worked hard to save up tuition for their studies, but they had to suffer the customs in Beijing and spend their limited money to buy jade pendants. Zhao Qingyue's long talk really touched their hearts.
Except for Chen Sansi, whose face turned as red as a pig liver, everyone else looked at Zhao Qingyue with admiration.
There were also students from academy whose families were more affluent present. They knew that Zhao Qingyue had been admitted to the academy with the help of a letter of recommendation. They had always thought that he did not live up to his reputation, but now they had a little more respect for him.
Even Li Ao put away his previous disdain and looked at the man in front of him thoughtfully. After a moment, he took off the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Zhao Qingyue.
"I came in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts." Li Ao's tone was more formal. "If you don't mind, please take this jade pendant as a gift to congratulate the Zhao family on their new home."
"And mine! This calligraphy and painting isn't anything valuable, so please don't despise it."
Everyone gave their gifts.
The gift may be small but the sentiment is great. Zhao Qingyue doesn’t care whether the gift is valuable or not.
After sending the jade pendant away, Li Ao looked at Chen Sansi, who was standing there in a daze without preparing any gifts, and said with a faint smile, "Didn't you just say that something happened at home and you were in a hurry to go back?"
"When did I..." Chen Sansi was about to open his mouth to argue, but was frightened by Li Ao's eyes and said angrily, "Yes, I'm leaving now."
After saying that, he left in shame.
Without the annoying guy, the remaining classmates chatted and laughed, and walked into the mansion under the guidance of Zhao Qingyue.
Huang Yuexin happened to step out of the carriage at that moment. Looking up, she saw a man in a bamboo-green robe. Against the backdrop of the vermilion gate, his features looked even more refined and picturesque.
Zhao Qingyue was also stunned when he saw Huang Yuexin.
On this chilly day, the woman wore a light yellow, cross-collared jacket, draped over a pure white snow fox cloak. Her fingertips, poking out from the sleeves, were slightly red from the cold. A gentle breeze blew, and the fluff at the collar of the cloak brushed against her slightly red cheeks. It was as if all the ice and snow around her had melted into the warm light yellow, making her look even more beautiful.
Zhao Mingsheng, who came across the gate to pick someone up, couldn't help laughing when he saw the two of them staring at each other in surprise.
"I've been waiting for you forever, but you never showed up. So you're playing the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl here!"
Huang Yuexin came back to her senses, her ears instantly reddened, she glared at Zhao Mingsheng shyly, and said angrily:
"I came here on my father's orders to celebrate your housewarming, but you're teasing me instead. I'm holding the housewarming gift in my hand, so be careful I'll take you back with me."
"I wouldn't dare," Zhao Mingsheng replied with a smile, caressing Huang Yuexin's shoulder upstairs. "It snowed yesterday, and even though the sun is out today, it's still a bit chilly. Come with me to the warm room to warm up. Your favorite almond tea with milk is bubbling away."
Upon hearing about the almond tea with cream puffs, Huang Yuexin grabbed her wrist and walked into the house. "For your feast today, I even ate more than usual for breakfast, saving some for this meal. Just giving me almond tea with cream puffs won't do. Tell me what else you made today? What does this taste like..."
Before he could finish his words, a draft brought the aroma of barbecue, which just happened to trigger the inaudible rumbling of his stomach.
Zhao Mingsheng's agate earrings trembled from trying so hard to contain his laughter. He hurriedly pushed her toward the warm room, fearing that the greedy girl would wander off. He followed the aroma to the kitchen. "The roasted whole lamb I made today was marinated early this morning. It needs to be roasted over low heat for a full two hours. It's not quite done yet. You'll have to enjoy a few more bites when the meal starts. It's absolutely the best roasted whole lamb you've ever had."
Seeing Huang Yuexin still looking eagerly in the direction of the kitchen, Zhao Mingsheng said with a smile: "Don't worry, I have prepared a lot of delicious food in the warm room, so you won't starve."
"Okay, okay, let's go quickly." When Huang Yuexin heard that there were delicious foods in the warm room, her eyes lit up and her pace quickened.
The two of them walked faster and faster.
Zhao Qingyue, who was left far behind, shook her head helplessly. These two greedy girls were really good sisters. When it came to delicious food, one of them walked as fast as the wind.
Zhao Mingsheng installed floor heating systems throughout the mansion, which kept the house warm in winter. He also built a half-person-high earth pit next to the boiler that heated the floor heating system, which came in handy today.
The lambs that are not yet one year old have tender meat and a natural frankincense. They are slowly roasted with pear charcoal. During the two hours of slow roasting with pine branches, the aroma of the pine branches has already penetrated into the tender lamb bit by bit.
The whole lamb is roasted to the perfect degree of doneness, and the chef's delicate knife skills make it sliced into evenly thick and thin slices. The roasted lamb is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth.
The dish is even more delicious when paired with Zhao Mingsheng's carefully crafted dipping sauce: ground Sichuan peppercorns, thoroughly ground turmeric, cumin, and a pinch of sesame, creating a spicy, savory flavor.
Today's main dish is this delicious roasted whole lamb.
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