"What's inappropriate about this? Look, Mingyue spent the New Year here last year." Zhao Hao used his tried-and-tested method of provoking the opponent.
"That's different. She's with your godmother." As expected, Xueying showed a struggling look. "Besides, isn't she your goddaughter?"
"Aren't you the same? Even if you haven't married yet, you are still my dearest sister. Our grandma is out, can I let my sister spend the New Year somewhere else?" Zhao Hao used another trump card.
"My family will be disappointed. I've been waiting for several days." Xueying felt as happy as if she had eaten honey when she heard that, but how could she agree in front of Sister Mili and Xiao Yuner?
"Look, three parties are inviting you to celebrate the New Year. Me, Yangzhou, and Huizhou." Zhao Hao held out three fingers, then bent two and said, "No matter what you choose, you will disappoint the people on both sides. So there is no need to feel burdened. Just go with whoever you want."
He narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Of course I hope you choose me."
"How am I going to explain this to others?" Xueying was persuaded and gave in.
"That's easy. Just say that the evil Zhao Hao ordered you to go to work on the sixth day of the Chinese New Year." Zhao Hao laughed and said, "Ask them to go back and don't come to move you in the future. Because from now on, you will spend every Chinese New Year with me!"
"Alas, there is really nothing we can do about this overbearing brother..." Xueying looked troubled with happiness, and said to Mi Li who was laughing secretly with her hands covering her mouth: "You don't have to pack this box, you go and prepare two New Year gifts, and we will go and apologize to them tomorrow."
"Okay." Mi Li also smiled happily. Zhao Hao's handling of the situation pleased her. "Miss and Master, please go back first. Xiaoyun and I have finished cleaning up here. Let's clean up and lock the door."
"Thank you, sister." Xueying nodded, put on her cloak with the help of Xiao Yuner, and followed Zhao Hao out of the office.
Looking at the young lady's delicate and graceful back, Mi Li nodded with satisfaction.
Xiao Yuner closed the door, turned around and said to her angrily: "Is this reasonable? Is this reasonable? People will gossip about it."
She had been holding it in for a long time, but she didn't dare to say anything in front of the young lady.
"You're just a little kid and don't understand what's more important." Mi Li put the documents from the big box back into the filing cabinet.
"Of course reputation is the most important." Xiao Yuner said as a matter of course.
"In fact, those are all imposed on us women by others." Mi Li sneered and said, "It's just that most people can't break free, so they turn around to protect it and prevent other women from crossing the line. If no one can break free, then they don't look pitiful anymore."
As she spoke, she clenched her fist excitedly and said, "But with your current status, you can certainly break free from the shackles of etiquette and marry freely. Who dares to talk nonsense?!"
"Uh..." Xiao Yun'er was stunned and asked, "Sister Mi Li, who did you learn this from?"
"Professor Li." When Mi Li mentioned that name, her face was full of fanatical admiration and she said, "Didn't you pester me to attend his class last month?"
"Oh, that famous Li Jiaoshou..." Xiao Yun'er was actually curious about why so many girls in Suzhou City went to listen to his lectures, so she asked Mi Li to take her to see him. "That day I just heard you screaming, I didn't hear anything clearly."
"Really? I don't remember it clearly." Mi Li smiled embarrassedly. She was already in her thirties and still screamed along. It was indeed a bit weird.
But any girl who has listened to Mr. Li's lectures should be excited! Because he is the first great scholar in history who spoke up for women and vigorously fought for their liberation.
How could Li Zhi not love him? The women in Suzhou were willing to die for him...
"But don't worry, Mr. Li said that he will build a girls' school to teach girls how to read and write." Mi Li held her hands to her heart excitedly and said, "If that day comes, I will donate all my money!"
She said with infinite regret: "It's a pity that I'm too old, but I will definitely talk to the young lady and ask her to let you go to school."
"I won't." Xiao Yun'er was terrified. After listening to Mi Li's description, she felt that Li Zhuowu was too terrible. Being a student of that kind of person would be a bad thing.
"Hehe..." Mi Li stopped talking nonsense. She had already figured out how to convince the young lady, so there was no need to waste time talking to Xiao Yun'er.
~~
It was late that day, and Master Zhao stayed in Lengxiang Garden.
The next day, the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, is Little New Year.
Qiaoqiao got up quietly before daybreak, checked that no one was watching, and then slipped into the kitchen and bolted the door. She first struck the flint to raise the stove, then placed offerings such as incense, flowers, wine, candles, stove fruits, etc., and burned incense to worship the Kitchen God devoutly.
The reason why she acted like a thief was because there is a saying among the people that "men don't worship the moon and women don't worship the kitchen god". Usually, worshiping the kitchen god is a man's thing and she, a girl, cannot get involved.
But Qiaoqiao felt that she should thank the Kitchen God very much. Without the stove, she didn’t know how to stay with Zhao Hao.
Although Qiaoqiao always smiles and seems to take nothing to heart, she actually has low self-esteem. Not to mention compared with the young county lady and Miss Jiang, even Sister Ma is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is good at poetry and songs. She is also considerate and attentive, and is a good helper that the young master cannot do without for a moment.
As for me, apart from my decent cooking skills, I don’t have any other strengths.
Qiaoqiao felt sad, but suddenly her expression brightened up.
"Oh, I'm older than them all..."
Then she thought of what she saw when she was soaking in the hot spring a year ago, and she became deflated again.
"The premise is that Miss Zhang is not counted, but how is that possible? Sister Ma is still trying to create a three-legged tripod..."
At this moment, there was a snapping sound in the furnace and the firewood exploded.
"Hey, what am I thinking about?" Qiaoqiao was startled, then she came to her senses and hurriedly clasped her hands together, saying she was guilty.
~~
After offering sacrifices to the kitchen god, Qiaoqiao prepared New Year's soup for Master and Miss Jiang according to Huizhou customs.
The so-called "year soup" is a kind of rice flour paste. Eating year soup means that the family was frugal and poor in the past, and they ask the kitchen god to report "truthfully" and pray that God will have mercy on them and grant them a good harvest next year.
However, wealthy families can also make their New Year's soup more fancy, by adding dried and fresh vegetables, sea cucumbers and dried scallops to it to enhance the flavor. It is so delicious that it can make the kids next door cry.
So the Kitchen God is really pitiful. Not only is he burned like a Bao Gong all year round, but he can finally be sent to heaven for a show of splendor on the Little New Year? But first his mouth is sealed with sticky maltose, he is not allowed to talk nonsense in front of the leaders, and he has to lie for the rich... Is this reasonable? Where is the dignity of God!
Zhao Hao didn't sleep in as planned. He got up early, dressed and had breakfast.
Qiaoqiao served him the New Year's soup and asked curiously, "Are you going out?"
"Ah, yes." Zhao Hao put down the 324th issue of Jiangnan News in his hand. Because it coincided with the completion of the group's headquarters and the convening of the second group meeting, the font of this issue of the internal newspaper was all red.
The front-page headline was news about the second group conference, and the full text of Mr. Zhao’s important speech was published.
"I was just about to ask you, why aren't you leaving yet?" Zhao Hao scooped up a spoonful of the rice soup, blew on it and took a sip, praising it, "It smells so good."
Her parents are both here, so she has to go home to celebrate the New Year.
"I'm leaving now." Qiaoqiao thought to herself, aren't you worried that the New Year's soup made by others may not be to your liking?
"Eat first and then leave." Zhao Hao ate while flipping through the second page of the newspaper. He also said to her, "What are you standing there for? Sit down, eat and leave quickly."
"I've eaten, I'll pack up and leave now." Qiaoqiao felt sad and almost cried. How could you chase someone away?
After saying that, he turned and was about to leave.
"Wait, wait, I haven't eaten yet." Zhao Hao hurriedly concentrated on eating the soup, grimacing from the burn.
"Take your time eating. Why are you in such a hurry?" Qiaoqiao's heart was as soft as tofu. Even though she was sad, she still cared about him.
She stopped again, picked up a soup bowl, and prepared to pour him some to cool it down.
"Of course... I'm in a hurry... to send you back." Zhao Hao spoke intermittently while taking a deep breath.
"Ah?" Qiaoqiao almost smashed the bowl by mistake when she heard that. She quickly held the bowl with both hands and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't delay your return to Kunshan to worship the Kitchen God."
Normally, the Kitchen God Festival is held in the evening, but Qiaoqiao left early to avoid being seen. Besides, merchants in Huizhou also have to worship the God of Wealth on this day, so they can't afford to delay.
"It won't delay us." Zhao Hao said unconcernedly, "If it does, we can just go to Suzhou to worship the Kitchen God. We have many places to live."
"This is Miss Jiang's house." Qiaoqiao said with a wry smile. This is too uncouth.
"It's okay, we scientists don't believe in that!" Mr. Zhao's science, like Schrödinger's cat, is uncertain.
He ate a few mouthfuls of Nian Gengyao, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, stood up and said to Qiaoqiao, "Let's go."
"No need for you to send me off." As long as he had this intention, Qiaoqiao was very satisfied. She waved her hand and said, "It's not far. I can get there in no time."
Fang De has made great efforts to develop the catering market in Wuzhong and is still in charge in Suzhou.
"I'm not sending you back to Nanjing." Zhao Hao said with a smile, "Wei Ji Xian is so close, how can I not send you back?"
"Really, that's not necessary." Qiaoqiao waved her hand and said, "My parents would be nervous if you went there."
"Nonsense, I'm the one who should be nervous." Zhao Hao shook his head and said with a sad face, "You kidnapped someone's precious daughter for a whole year. If I don't show up, won't Uncle Fang break his legs?"
Then he raised his voice and said to the person outside the door: "Brother Gao, have you prepared all the eighteen gifts?!"
"Nonsense..." Qiaoqiao glanced at him shyly, blushing and no longer objecting. She just didn't have the shrewdness of Ma Xianglan, but she was not stupid at all. How could she not know that Zhao Hao was worried about her?
I am also a virgin, but I am still the daughter of the boss of Weijixian.
Everyone knew that she had been following Mr. Zhao, and everyone envied her. But how could she come to Zhao Hao's house at the beginning of the year and go home at the end of the year? Was she here to work for Zhao Hao?
Although I don't care, and my parents won't be dissatisfied with my benefactor, there is no guarantee that some wicked ghosts will spread some unpleasant words...
But after Zhao Hao did this, everything was different. No one would gossip about it anymore.
"It's ready." Brother Gao's reply came belatedly.
~~
Sure enough, when Zhao Hao personally sent Qiaoqiao back to the Wei Jixian flagship store with lots of gifts, Fang De and his wife were overjoyed.
Now the family can celebrate the New Year with pride.
Hey, why does it seem like there’s someone missing?
Who is it?
So confusing...