didn't say that Aunt Zhou and Qiaolian talked, only that Jia Ke returned to his room. Seeing that he was absent for many days, the room was still clean and tidy, thinking that Aunt Zhou and Xia Mai cleaned and tidyed up every day.

As soon as Jia Ke sat down in the room, Chuncao came in and poured him tea and handed him water. Jia Ke and Chuncao glanced at each other, and both smiled on their faces, and everything was silent.

After dinner, Jia Ke went to Mrs. Wang's place to greet her and Jia Zheng.

After Jia Zheng came back, he knew that Jia Ke had arrived home, and he was very happy to see him come to greet him, and he said a lot of homely words to him. Jia Zheng saw that it was not too early and let Jia Ke retreat.

The next day, Jia Ke went to visit Mr. Li in the study.

Due to the approaching Chinese New Year, classes in the study room have been suspended. But Mr. Li did not relax and continued to study hard.

Mr. Li saw Jia Ke coming to visit and let him into the house. After entering the house, Jia Ke first greeted Mr. Li respectfully, which is the proper meaning of being a student. Mr. Li asked him to excuse himself, and then the two of them sat down separately.

Mr. Li first asked Jia Ke: "You can study during this time, don't forget my words again." Every time Mr. Li saw him, he asked about reading, which shows that he attaches great importance to reading.

Jia Ke replied: "Thank you Mr. for your concern. During this time, in addition to the students' spare time, they also read poetry and books for a long time, and also dabbled in military books and war books. ”

Mr. Li nodded with satisfaction and said to him, "You haven't forgotten all my words. Knowing that reading is a good thing, but if you don't get into it for a while, you will always gain something after a long time. ”

After that, Jia Ke asked Mr. Li again: "It's such a time, Mr. is still studying hard, do you have to participate in next year's Spring Festival?" ”

Mr. Li said: "Ten years of hard study is just to go to the science field. ”

Jia Ke said to Mr. Li: "The students wish Mr. in advance here, and the title of the gold list is the best." ”

Mr. Li replied with a smile: "By your auspicious words, I think I should still be somewhat sure of what happened to me." There was a hint of pride in his words.

Mr. Li should have won it last time, but because he forgot to avoid it, he was degraded. This time it was another three years of hard study and three years of preparation, so I don't think there was much of a problem.

The teacher and student said something else, and Jia Ke was afraid of delaying Mr. Li's study, so he retired.

Withdrew from Mr. Li's place, and is currently kowtowing to Jia's mother inside. As for the eldest lord Jia Yu, as he is a concubine, he is not qualified to visit.

After kowtowing to Jia's mother again, when he came back, he met Jia Zhu in the small garden of Rongxi Hall, he didn't change much from before, but the tiredness on his face was obvious at a glance.

Jia Zhu saw Jia Ke go up to salute him, and after Jia Ke returned it, he asked, "I went to Mr. Li's place just now, and Mr. Li said that he would end next year, and Mr. Li's knowledge can be on the list." I don't know if after Mr. Li goes, his father will hire another famous teacher. ”

Jia Zhu replied: "I went to see my father just now, and my father said that after the Chinese New Year, he would let me go to the clan middle school to study first. After that, I will have the opportunity to invite a famous teacher. ”

Jia Ke disagreed with Jia Zheng's decision in his heart, because in the Red Mansion, Jia Zhu was only a showman. Before he could pass the exam, he died of illness. The quality of teaching in ethnology has always been mediocre.

The teacher in the clan study is Jia Dairu, although he is an old Confucian who has accumulated many years, but I have not heard of him having any fame, and I have not heard of him teaching meritorious students in the dream of Red Mansions. I don't think it's a famous teacher, just an ordinary Confucian who eats mixed rice.

Jia Ke had the heart to remind Jia Zhu, but there was a voice in his heart that was stopping him, because if Jia Zhu failed repeatedly, Jia Zheng would be disappointed and would invest more resources in him. You must know that now that Jiafu has declined, the resources they have are limited, and he and Jia Zhu can only do their best to assist one person.

If he reminded Jia Zhu that with Mrs. Wang's energy, Jia Zheng would definitely invite a famous teacher for him. At that time, if Jia Zhu is even in the examination, as Jia Zhu's son-in-law, the resources of Jia Mansion will definitely be tilted towards Jia Zhu in the future, and he will lack help at that time.

Although he has a golden finger, the time to soar will be greatly delayed, and I don't know if he can form a force to influence the situation in order to protect Jiafu.

Therefore, Jia Ke listened to Jia Ke's words, and he was silent. After that, the two chatted a few more words and let go.

Jia Ke walked away with his back to Jia Zhu, as if they had gone the opposite way. At this time, Jia Ke only had a few ancient sayings in his heart: If people are not for themselves, the heavens and the earth will be destroyed. I can only bear the people of the world, and Hugh will let the people of the world bear me.

Jia Ke thought at this time that bad people are sometimes not born bad, maybe they were forced by the situation, and he had to do it.

In the next few days, Jiafu began preparations for the New Year.

First of all, Zhuangzi from all over the country sent items for the New Year's tribute. Like what deer, roe deer, roe deer, Siamese pig, soup sheep, dragon pig, wild boar, domestic pig, wild sheep, green sheep, domestic soup sheep, domestic style sheep, sturgeon, live chicken, duck and goose, wind chicken, duck goose, bear paw, deer tendon, sea cucumber, deer tongue, beef tongue, dried razor clams, hazel peach and apricot pulp, large prawns, dried shrimp. Silver frost charcoal, firewood charcoal, as well as Ota rouge rice, blue glutinous, white glutinous, slightly slight, variegated beams, all kinds of dried vegetables, etc.

And Wang Jiatun also sent Jia Ke a New Year's filial piety according to the example of previous years. It's just some deer, roe deer, sheep and the like, and some rice noodles. Aunt Zhou happily dealt with these things in person. These things alone are enough for them to eat for a year. Aunt Zhou kept sighing, it was different to have her own Zhuangzi. Now they are considered wealthy in the whole family, not only have an annual income of two thousand silver, but also have filial piety during the New Year's holidays. In the past, Aunt Zhou couldn't think of it.

Next, it is time for Jiafu to open the ancestral hall and worship the ancestors. In the entire Jia family, the Ningguo Mansion has inherited the patriarch for generations, so the ancestral hall of the Jia family is in the Ningguo Mansion. The ancestor sacrifice is also organized by Jia Zhen.

But he said that Jia Zhen opened the ancestral hall, cleaned it up, packed up the offerings, invited the gods, and cleaned the upper room to prepare for the hanging of the true image of the confession. At this time, both inside and outside the Rongning Second Mansion were busy and did not dare to slack off.

The ancestors of Ningrong Erfu are different from other people's families. Ning Rong's second ancestor was worshipped as an ancestral god, and his status had surpassed that of the family elders, Jia Ke didn't know why.

On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, the two mansions began to be busy, changing the door gods, spring couplets, and then opening the main gate, and lighting two columns of vermilion high candles on both sides, the momentum is extraordinary, just like "two golden dragons".

On the thirtieth day, Jia Mu and other wives with the title first entered the palace to celebrate the New Year, and then came to the Ningguo Mansion to start the official Chinese New Year's Eve ancestor worship ceremony with the clansmen waiting here.

During the ancestor worship ceremony on Chinese New Year's Eve, the order in which everyone stands is fixed, and there is no confusion; Music, dedication, salute, incense, toast, every procedure is strict, and no one dares to slack off.

The men of the Jia family all attended, and even Jia Jing, who was dedicated to cultivation and completely indifferent to secular affairs, rushed back to preside over this Chinese New Year's Eve ancestor sacrifice.

First of all, the male priest of the Jia family, the main sacrifice of Jia Jing, the accompanying sacrifice of Jia Amnesty and Jia Zheng, the sacrifice of Jia Zhen, the offering of Jia Lian and Jia Cong, the offering of silk, Jia Ke, Jia Zhu holding incense, Jia Ling Zhan worship carpet, and guard the burning pool. Tsing Yi music, three dedications, worship the end, burn the silk and drink the wine, finish the ceremony, stop the music, and quit.

Then there is the offering, which is also in order, and there can be no confusion. Every dish arrived, passed to Yimen, Jia Xun and Jia Zhi took it, and passed it to Jia Jing at the bottom of the stairs. The female dependents are in the threshold, and every Jia respects the dishes, and the people inside pass it directly to the table, and the party passes it to Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang passed it to Jia's mother, and Jia's mother held it on the table. Mrs. Xing is in the west of the offering table, standing in the east, and offering to Jia's mother.

After that, Jia's mother bowed down with incense, and everyone knelt down together, and the ancestor worship was completed here.

But the ancestral hall was still closed, and the main gate was not closed until the seventeenth day of the first month.