Chapter 334 Meng He's Wedding
That night, the snow fell exceptionally heavily at the Duke of England's residence.
Standing under the eaves, Zhou Congxian looked at the desolate courtyard and listened to the faint sound of firecrackers in the distance. He felt that this mansion was like a magnificent tomb.
It trapped everyone inside.
...
at the same time.
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
But it was a completely different, bustling scene.
"Bang! Smash!"
"Hahaha! Uncle, look! This rocket is flying so high!"
In the courtyard, Fu'er was wearing a brand-new red jacket and skirt, with a white fox fur cloak over it. Her little face was rosy from the cold, and she was excitedly shouting and jumping.
Meng Xingjiang held a long incense stick in his hand and was carefully helping her light the next firecracker.
Little Fatty covered his ears, his big, dark eyes wide with a mixture of wanting to play and being too scared to.
She cried out anxiously, "Sister! Order one for me too!"
Meng Yushan and He Ran sat in the warm pavilion to the side, watching the group of children play with smiles.
"Grandpa! Aunt! Look!"
Like presenting a treasure, Fu'er held up a small "firecracker" in her hand and threw it hard on the ground.
With a crisp "snap".
"whee!"
Meng Shilan came out of the kitchen carrying steaming dumplings. Seeing her daughter's naughty appearance, she shook her head helplessly and affectionately.
"Fu'er, be careful, don't hurt yourself."
"Okay, Mom!"
Fu'er responded crisply and then ran off to pester Meng Xingjiang for new firecrackers.
"Alright, alright, come inside, let's eat dumplings!"
Meng Shilan shouted.
The family sat around in the warm, spring-like flower hall, the table laden with a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
On the largest plate were freshly cooked dumplings, plump and white, steaming hot.
"Come on, everyone, have a taste. Let's see who's lucky enough to find one with a copper coin inside!"
He Ran smiled and put a few on each person's plate.
"I'm sure I'll get to eat it!"
Full of confidence, Fu'er picked up a dumpling, blew on it, and took a big bite without waiting.
Ouch!
The little girl suddenly covered her mouth and frowned.
"What's wrong?" Meng Shilan asked anxiously.
Fu'er opened her mouth and spat out something shiny.
It was a copper coin that had been cleaned thoroughly!
"Wow! I found it! I found a copper coin!"
She happily held up the copper coin, beaming with pride.
But then she exclaimed "Eh!" and stuck out her little tongue to lick her gums.
"mother……"
Her little face fell, and she began to cry.
"My tooth... my tooth fell out..."
Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that her previously neat baby teeth now had a small gap.
And that gloriously "sacrificed" little tooth, along with the dumpling filling, was spat into her palm.
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
Immediately, a burst of laughter erupted.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Meng Xingjiang laughed the loudest, "Our Fu'er is so lucky! She ate a dumpling and not only gained good fortune, but also lost a tooth!"
Fu'er was a little embarrassed by the laughter, and her little face turned bright red.
She held the tiny baby tooth, then looked at the copper coin in her hand, pouted, and her big eyes instantly filled with tears.
"My teeth..."
Meng Shilan quickly hugged her and wiped away her tears, feeling both amused and annoyed.
"Silly child, why are you crying?"
"Losing baby teeth is a good thing, it means our Fu'er is going to grow into a young lady."
Meng Yushan smiled and stroked his beard, looking at her with affection.
"Yes, there's an old saying: 'If you lose a tooth, you should throw it on the roof so that the new tooth will grow in quickly and well.'"
Fu'er raised her head, sobbing, her big, tearful eyes blinking rapidly.
"Really, Grandpa?"
"Of course it's true."
The little girl then stopped crying and started smiling.
She carefully put the little baby tooth away, then grinned, revealing the gap in her gums, and gave everyone a bright, slightly slurred smile.
"Mom, look! Don't I look good like this?"
In the candlelight, the girl's smile was innocent and pure, untouched by any worldly dust.
The room was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, shutting out the wind and snow outside the window.
The warmth and happiness of this moment felt as real as a dream.
Meng Shilan looked at her daughter's slurred laughter, her brother's hearty laughter, and her grandfather's loving smile...
She laughed too.
As she laughed, her eyes welled up with tears.
Past lives and present lives, this is her hope.
"Father!"
A clear, slightly lisping child's voice rang out.
Like a butterfly flitting among flowers, Fu'er rushed out of the warm pavilion and threw herself into his arms.
"Father, you're back!"
The little girl tilted her head back, grinned, and proudly showed him her cleft gum.
"Look, look! Fu'er has lost a tooth! Great-grandfather says Fu'er is going to grow into a big girl!"
Because of the draft, her speech was a little unclear, but she was so cute that it melted everyone's heart.
Zhou Congxian's nerves, which had been tense all night, completely relaxed in the sight of his daughter's innocent and carefree smile.
He smiled and reached out to tap her little nose.
"Yes, our Fu'er is a grown-up now."
He took his daughter's hand and said, "Come on, Daddy will take you to have breakfast."
Little Fatty Xi also ran out to join in the fun, shouting, "Daddy, hug me!"
Zhou Congxian bent down and lifted his son above his head, letting him sit on his shoulders.
Meng Shilan didn't ask anything.
She simply took off his snow-covered cloak, ladled out a bowl of steaming rice porridge, and gently placed it beside him.
Drink it while it's hot.
A thousand words can be contained in this bowl of porridge.
Zhou Congxian held her hand, looking at the faint concern in her eyes. The loneliness and coldness he felt last night vanished in that moment.
This is where he belongs.
...
The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year gradually faded as the ice and snow melted.
Life in the capital returned to its former order.
Before we knew it, it was the eighth day of the first lunar month.
That day, after breakfast, Meng Yushan summoned Meng Xingjiang, Meng Shilan, and Zhou Congxian to his study.
The old man was wearing a dark blue brocade robe today and looked very energetic.
He took a sip of tea, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three younger generation before finally settling on his eldest grandson.
"The New Year is over, and it's time to officially start planning your marriage to the He family girl."
Meng Yushan's voice was steady and powerful.
Meng Xingjiang's face flushed red instantly, and his ears were burning.
Upon seeing this, Meng Shilan couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
"Brother, this is such a wonderful thing, why are you blushing?"
Meng Xingjiang glared at her, but then looked embarrassed.
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