Chapter 62 [VIP]
According to the local custom, the bride's family members should also go to the groom's side to sit at the banquet and join in the fun.
Li and Chen Rong stayed at the old house because they were tired, while the rest of the people went to the new house.
The procession was lively with gongs and drums, showing that Cao Kun took the marriage very seriously, leaving no stone unturned. This marriage was quite prestigious in the county.
After parading around the streets, they arrived at the new house and saw a group of porters waiting at the door from afar.
"The bridal sedan chair is here! Quick, set off firecrackers!"
The crackling of firecrackers echoed through the sky as adults and children cheered for the newlyweds' return.
Most of the people attending the wedding today were porters and old neighbors; only a few were relatives of the Cao family.
The Cao family was also small. Cao Kun's father passed away when he was six years old. His mother never remarried and raised him alone.
It was quite difficult for her as a widow raising a child alone, and most of her relatives stopped visiting her because they thought she was poor. It wasn't until Cao Kun became the second-in-command of the porters' guild that some relatives started to try to befriend her.
Jiang wasn't stupid; she knew what these people meant by coming so eagerly. As long as things were polite enough, that was fine. If they actually wanted her help, the old lady would pretend to be confused and change the subject. Over time, not many relatives came to her door on their own initiative.
The sedan chair stopped, and the person in charge of the wedding ceremony helped lift the curtain, saying auspicious words, "My lord, step down with graceful steps, may you have a long and happy marriage."
Lin Qiu was helped down from the sedan chair. He couldn't see anyone because of the veil on his head, but he could feel someone holding his hand and leading him forward.
They stepped over the brazier into the courtyard and made their way to the main room where the wedding ceremony was to be held.
Wang Ying wasn't tall enough, and being pregnant, she didn't dare to squeeze in; she had to stand on tiptoe to see the newlyweds' wedding ceremony.
Chen Qingyan stood protectively by his side, and seeing the newlyweds bowing to each other, he said with some regret, "On our wedding day, we didn't have a wedding ceremony or drink the nuptial wine. It's such a pity."
Wang Ying teased, "I wasn't there to bring good luck, so it would be strange if we even got to drink together. Besides, when we first met, you couldn't wait to send me back home, so why would you drink the nuptial wine with me?"
Chen Qingyan chuckled, "It's been so long, you still remember?"
After the wedding ceremony, Jiang gave Lin Qiu a large red envelope containing a full twenty taels of silver.
Wang Ying nodded in satisfaction. He was so shallow. The fact that Cao Kun's mother was willing to give money meant that she had accepted Qiu Di in her heart. There was no need to worry this time.
The newlyweds were led to the bedroom to drink the nuptial wine, while the others were invited to sit down and prepare for the banquet.
Wang Ying was already starving. Ever since she became pregnant, her appetite had been growing. In the past, she could only eat two steamed buns the size of her palm in one meal, but now she couldn't resist three.
And I get hungry quickly. I ate a few snacks to fill my stomach when I went out in the morning, but now I'm starving.
As the bride's family, they were seated at the head of the table in the courtyard, and the dishes were the best available. There were eight dishes, six of which were meat dishes, and the portions were generous and filling. Adults and children alike ate until their mouths were greasy.
Cao Kun's two good brothers came over to keep him company while he drank. Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai could only drink a small bowl before they couldn't take it anymore and quickly waved their hands, saying, "We can't drink anymore."
The two men didn't force anyone to drink. Cao Kun had already told them that the husband's family were scholars, unlike these roughnecks, so they shouldn't be urged to drink.
After dinner, Wang Ying and the others went to Lin Qiu's bedroom to check on him. When they arrived, several young women were with him in the room.
Upon seeing her family members arrive, one of the older members stood up and said, "Young Master Qiu, we'll go out first. If you need anything, just have someone call me."
"Oh, thank you, Sister-in-law Song."
After everyone left, Lin Qiu quickly invited Wang Ying and the others to sit down, asking, "Where are my mother and aunt?"
"They said they were too tired to come and stayed at the old house." Actually, Chen Rong was afraid that if they came, she would feel sad. On this joyous day, Lin Qiu also shed tears.
Lin Qiu looked somewhat forlorn; he had only just gotten married and was already missing home.
Wang Ying quickly reassured them, "They'll be here tomorrow. We'll stay in the county town for a few days before going back."
"Okay, then you'll all stay here tomorrow!"
Lin Sui spoke with him alone for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, the group returned to the Cao family's old courtyard.
Li and Chen Rong had been waiting anxiously. As soon as they entered the room, they pulled them aside and asked how the wedding was going and whether Qiu'er had been given any difficulties.
Wang Ying recounted the wedding process in detail to the two of them, and exaggeratedly described the large red envelope given by Cao Kun's mother, making them laugh non-stop.
"This mother-in-law is really generous, giving so much money."
Li said, "Now you can rest assured. I knew Cao Kun was a methodical person and would never make a mistake."
Chen Rong nodded and asked again, "Did you meet that person at your wedding?"
Wang Ying knew who she was talking about. "No, we didn't see a single person from beginning to end."
"That's good, that's good." Chen Rong finally felt relieved; she was afraid that Lin Changbin would cause trouble.
After the wedding, the group stayed in the county town for three days. Since they had other matters to attend to at home and could not stay any longer, Cao Kun rented a car to take them back.
Before we knew it, it was late October.
The millet in the fields has all been harvested. This year's harvest is good. The rent is still 40%, but it is more than 20 shi (a unit of dry measure) higher than in previous years. After selling it to the grain store, I will receive nearly 100 guan (a unit of currency).
As usual, Wang Ying deposited part of the money in the experimental fields and used the rest for daily household expenses.
After Lin Qiu left, the shop's business was handed over to Chen Rong and Li Shi to manage.
Wang Ying was worried that Chen Rong would overthink things if she stayed at home all the time, and that she would definitely become anxious over time, so she found her some work to do and earn some money for her retirement.
Chen Rong understood her nephew-in-law's meaning and appreciated his kindness. This child was truly considerate and likable from the bottom of her heart.
Wang Ying and her group did not linger in the town for long and soon returned to the village.
When I saw Old Master Liang again, I found that there was another person in the house. This person was Liang Boqing's son, Liang Shuo.
He was twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with a mustache, wearing a dark blue scholar's robe and a sash, looking more mature than his actual age.
Chen Qinghuai recognized him and excitedly stepped forward to greet him, "Brother Liang, when did you arrive!"
“You’ve been here for a few days now. Father has been talking about you every day. This must be young brother Qingyan.”
Chen Qingyan quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Brother Liang."
Liang Shuo bowed slightly in return, "No need for formalities. I haven't yet thanked you for taking care of my father during this time."
Inside, Liang Boqing was already impatient. "What are you dawdling for? Come inside! Let me test you all to see if you've been eating your meals along with your lessons these past few days!"
Everyone exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile, then quickly went inside to help Old Liang with his lessons.
Wang Ying took the opportunity to go into the experimental field and cut a bunch of fresh chives, planning to make chive and egg dumplings for dinner.
I also asked Uncle Chen to kill a chicken, and he personally cooked a slightly spicy Sichuan-style chicken dish.
I remembered this Sichuan-style chicken dish when I was eating in the county town. There was a similar dish in the restaurant, but the flavor was a bit bland, not as spicy and numbing as the Sichuan-style chicken of later generations.
Wang Ying had done this several times in her previous life, so replicating it wasn't difficult. She stir-fried twice-cooked pork, stir-fried bok choy with garlic, and made a cold cucumber salad, and dinner was ready.
While helping, Uncle Chen said, "Young master, you're pregnant, so don't do it next time. Leave these chores to me."
"It's alright. I've been idle all day and my bones have become lazy. I'll cook something to exercise my muscles and bones." Mainly, it's because Old Master Liang loves his cooking, and I'm making sure to satisfy the old man's cravings after being away for so long.
Wang Ying is almost five months pregnant now, and apart from being a little bigger than before, she hasn't changed much. She's no longer experiencing morning sickness, is full of energy every day, and looks even better than before she was pregnant.
After examining his three apprentices' studies, Chen Boqing stroked his beard with satisfaction. "Your knowledge is quite solid. In a few months, you will be taking the county examination. You must not slack off."
"yes."
This year, Chen Qinghuai will take the county-level examination to become a scholar, and Chen Qingsong also plans to take the preliminary examination to see if he can become a student. Only Chen Qingyan looks dejected. He has a wealth of knowledge but no opportunity to use it, and he is very sad.
Old Liang saw what he was thinking and wrote a line on the paper: "The winter plum does not compete with a hundred flowers, but blooms alone in the frosty sky."
"Take this and study it carefully. Come back to me when you've figured it out. What delicious food has Wang Xiaolang made this time? It smells so good."
Chen Qingyan held the paper, seemingly wanting to say something but then hesitated. In the end, he shook his head helplessly, smiled, folded it, and tucked it into his book.
During the gathering, everyone learned that Young Master Liang was actually on his way to take up his post in Changting County, Jizhou, and was just passing through to visit his father.
Liang Shuo did not inherit his father's talent. He only passed the imperial examination last year, ranking at the very bottom. He had never held a real position before. This year, he was appointed as the magistrate of Changting County. Coincidentally, Liang Boqing was also in the area, so he happily came to take up his post.
Mr. Liang was angry at his son's lack of ambition, but he was powerless to help him. This child was less intelligent than other children from the beginning of his education. While others could memorize the Thousand Character Classic, he could only read it with difficulty.
Passing the imperial examination was pure luck, and Liang Boqing didn't expect him to amount to much. He just wanted him to be a local official and raise his children well.
Liang Shuo only stayed there for two days before leaving, and the house returned to its usual state. Every day, Old Master Liang would carry a ruler and instruct the three of them on how to teach them.
*
Time flies, and it's already the end of November. For some reason, this year seems warmer than usual. The winter solstice has arrived, but there's still no sign of snow, and what's more, the wheat in the fields is showing signs of sprouting.
This is not a good thing, because winter wheat has a special growth cycle. It needs to go through the overwintering period and turn green again in the spring of the following year before it can grow smoothly.
If wheat seedlings grow too tall, they will not be able to survive the winter. When the temperature drops, they will be damaged or die from frost, which will definitely reduce the yield next year!
The experienced elders were already worried, and Wang Ying also took the problem seriously. She quickly called a meeting with the villagers to teach them how to control wheat growth.
Based on past experience, methods to control the growth of winter wheat include pressing, chemical regulation, inter-row cultivation and hilling, controlling fertilizer and water, hoeing, and watering before freezing.
Putting chemical regulation aside for now, pressing and soil covering are the main methods.
Suppression involves artificially damaging the wheat plants to a certain extent, inhibiting the growth of the seedlings at the top, and promoting the root system to grow downwards to prevent spring frost damage. This is the simplest and most effective method.
There are also conditions for compaction. It is necessary to compact the wheat on sunny days but not on rainy days, on dry land but not on wet land, and at noon but not in the morning or evening. Only in this way can the survival rate of wheat seedlings be guaranteed to the greatest extent.
Wang Ying instructed the villagers to use stone rollers to press down the wheat seedlings in the field, flattening down the wheat that had sprouted green stubble.
For wheat seedlings that are growing too fast, suppressing them is no longer effective; it is necessary to use a hoe to cut off part of the root system to control nutrient absorption.
The villagers busied themselves, but Wang Ying felt a vague sense of unease. Kyoto and Jizhou were geographically similar; if Jizhou experienced a late spring cold snap, Kyoto would likely suffer the same fate.
The wheat seeds I sent myself will definitely have a lower yield...
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