Chapter 204: Beauty Celebrates Chinese New Year's Eve

From the 30th day of the lunar month to the third day of the first lunar month is the first holiday of the new year, the yamen no longer signs the documents since the 30th day of the lunar month, and the fourth party of the first month re-seals the directors. Therefore, for magistrates large and small, this New Year is not only a rare festival, but also a rare and leisurely season. If there is a person who likes elegance, sit around the fireplace, enjoy the plum blossoms and snow, and enjoy the beauty, but it can also be called a fairy-like enjoyment. It's just that according to the current officials' fortunes, it is rare for Qing officials to be able to purchase all the New Year's goods, but the word "enjoyment" is not mentioned.

Chinese New Year's Eve has always been a family reunion day, and although there is light snow in the evening, there are still sparse firecrackers from time to time throughout Qingzhou City, and occasionally you can hear children's laughter. The officials of the Qingzhou Mansion had already gone back for the holidays, but at this moment, there were many people bustling around in front of the open space at the back door.

Two long strings of firecrackers had already been placed on the ground beside him, and a young man lit the fire medium with flint, and the cat leaned up to put a little on the fuse, and then jumped away. In an instant, the crackling sound exploded.

Although Autumn Scar likes to be lively, he is most afraid of such loud sounds, so he covered his ears early. Rao is like this, looking at the sparks splashing on the snow, she had to hide behind Zhang Yue, until the firecrackers were finished and she saw a few small people carrying fireworks, she forgot to be afraid, and poked her head out and stared intently. In an instant, colorful fireworks flew in the air, and she was amazed when she saw it, and if people who didn't know it thought she was from the countryside, it was the first time she saw this.

Du Juan on the side was wearing a crow green velvet jacket, wrapped in a half-sleeved cloak with a clip on the outside, and forgot about the reserve of the past, holding Chunying's hand to talk and laugh, and his face reflected the color of fireworks and the white of the snow.

When I was at home, I was used to seeing firecrackers and fireworks on Chinese New Year's Eve every year, and I didn't feel anything, but at this moment, everyone gathered together to set off fireworks. Zhang Yue felt that it was something else. Glancing at Du Juan and Chunying not far away, he remembered a letter that Du Zhen had brought a few days ago. The Chinese New Year still left Du Juan in Qingzhou, and what did he say to let him take his junior sister from the Meng family to celebrate the New Year together, and he, the teacher, dared to recognize him as a gentleman who was not in chaos?

The alleys on both sides of the back door have already been sent to hold it, and there are no idle people waiting to come in, at this time there are not only the daughter-in-law of Zhang Yue's family, but also the people from the new prefect's family who came out to see the excitement. In this uproar, the spirit rhino squeezed out of the back door. Seeing Zhang Yue standing there smiling, she handed the oil-paper umbrella in her hand to Lian Sheng, and then snorted at Du Juan.

"Sister Lingxi, how much snow is this, don't you see who has an umbrella here?" When he was at home, Lian Sheng was most afraid of Lingxi, but now that he came out, he found that she was actually very talkative, and he had a little less scruples when he spoke. "Miss Du is wearing a cloak and a snow hat, you can rest assured!"

Although everyone else was watching the fireworks, Zhang Yue had been paying attention to his surroundings, so he had already discovered the spirit rhino. Seeing her talking to Lian Sheng, he walked over. As soon as he glanced at the oil-paper umbrella, he smiled and said: "You are just fine to others and rude to yourself, and you only wear a small jacket on this cold day, and you don't wear a big coat!" Amber has easily improved. Don't get sick! ”

"Look at what you said, young master, how can Sister Lingxi be so delicate!" Qiu Zhen didn't know when he came back, and saw that Lingxi was only wearing a pine-colored silk jacket, so he hurriedly pulled her to the courtyard, and said with a smile, "On this cold day, there is already a patient at home, and he really can't afford to toss." It's better for me to accompany my sister in and add a dress! ”

Seeing that Lingxi was helplessly pulled away by Qiu Scar, Zhang Yue stood in place for a while, and then walked to Du Juan's side. After looking at the "silver snake out of the hole" running all over the ground for a while, he said: "Although it is the proper duty of the chief secretary to provide disaster relief, someone must mention it. If it weren't for the teacher's strong advocacy for disaster relief this time, just Shouguang, Anqiu, and Zhucheng, I don't know how many people would die of cold and starvation. Shouguang Anqiu is okay, and the official roads of Zhucheng are almost cut off. Food almost couldn't get in. ”

"Food prices are skyrocketing on snowy days. In fact, it is not that the grain store does not have enough grain, but the first is that the businessmen are greedy for profit. Second, it is also because the foot power money is too expensive. This time, the people of Zhucheng spontaneously came out to transport grain, so they solved the dilemma, but the two big merchants in Zhucheng also contributed a lot. ”

On such a colorful Chinese New Year's Eve, Zhang Yue himself felt a little out of place to talk about such a big scenery. But Du Juan naturally replied, and he was relieved. He squinted at Chunying who silently took two steps back, and couldn't help but think of the chirping little five, and suddenly felt that if there was that babbling girl at this time, it would be more lively.

After letting go of the firecrackers and fireworks, it's time for a reunion dinner. When he left Beijing, Zhang Yue brought 20 long-term entourage, including two cooks, all of whom were accustomed to the old man's cooked dishes, and when he arrived in Xinditou, he learned a few new dishes, and he rarely had to show his hand at this time.

Because people don't have to abide by so many rules at home, Zhang Yue ordered four tables to be set up in the first two rooms of the flower hall, and the people of the Zhang family and the Du family gathered together to eat, and a small table was set up in the small room of the flower hall for a few housekeepers' daughters-in-law and servants. In the upper room, a pear round kang table was set up on the kang, and all the masters and servants sat together, which was warm and lively.

Du Xuanyuan also felt a little embarrassed to spend the holiday with Zhang Yue, so Zhang Yue said that she would be less restrained when she pulled a few girls together, and she was happy. Yiying's diet is light and limited, so Zhang Yue instructed the kitchen to be attentive, and brought a piece of amber, which was slightly better, and let her lean against the wall and cushion the backrest, and her legs were covered with blankets, but she was not afraid of being cold. After a while, Li Jiadi of the Cui family brought the food box and put it on the kang table.

Six cold dishes such as bad goose paws, mixed winter bamboo shoot slices, tofu skin, three fresh deer tendons, minced pepper mutton, stir-fried pork trotters, fresh fish roast, mushroom soup and other eight hot dishes, plus bean paste stuffed steamed buns, steamed flower rolls, jujube paste yam cake, crystal dumplings and other four dim sum, are full on the kang table like a bead. After the Li family of the Cui family was laid out, Zhang Yue sent a message to keep them, and the two of them were happy, so they simply begged for the errand of scalding the wine, and set up two chairs on the side of the kang to serve.

Qiu Zhen has always loved to laugh, and he didn't dare to raise his voice because Du Juan didn't dare to raise his voice, but he let go of the two glasses of wine, and took advantage of the excitement to propose that everyone guess for fun. Although Lingxi was steady, he was saluted three times by Zhang Yue, and his face was also hot at this time, so he agreed in a daze, and the two of them actually guessed that they were sitting and clenching their fists. Zhang Yue saw that Amber was always smiling, and her spirit was good, and the honest Chunying stared at the autumn scar Lingxi with envy, so she asked the Cui family to fetch the pitcher.

The room was full of laughter and laughter, but as soon as the pot was put on the table, it was noisy after only two or three rounds of play. When Du Juan was at home, he only saw relatives who came to the door to fight in the autumn wind, and there were no other brothers and sisters, even if they were cousins and sisters, they didn't have much contact, but this was the first time to see this kind of fun in the game, the original faint laughter gradually turned into a happy laugh, and the happy laughter turned into a big laugh, and in the end, Lingxi and Autumn Scar drank two more cups, and the cheeks suddenly showed a different kind of beauty.

"It turns out that Miss laughs like that......"

Hearing Chun Yinghan, who was already a little drunk next to him, say this, Zhang Yue couldn't help but glance at Du Juan's face again. At this time, seeing her smile and throw an arrow into the pot accurately, and then gently slapped her face in exclamation, he couldn't help but smile. Unexpectedly, Qiu Scar suddenly turned around, stretched out his slap and shook it in front of his eyes.

"Young Master!" Qiu Zhen has been drinking a lot since she was a child, although she has drunk a lot at this time, and her face is also red, but she is still a little sober, "Look at Mr. Du's appearance, I thought that Miss Du had always been cold, and she didn't think of anything to fight, and her smile was even more kind." It's strange to say, Miss Du doesn't speak and looks a little like Amber! ”

Although she can't drink alcohol or touch greasy things during her illness, this does not prevent Zhang Yue from filling Amber with half a bowl of fresh fish soup, and when she reluctantly uses some and stuffs a hot tea for her to hold. Hearing Qiu Zhen's words, Amber, who had just swallowed half a mouthful of tea, suddenly choked, coughed twice and put the tea cup on the kang table angrily, and then looked at Qiu Zhen angrily.

"Sister has to speak in a measured manner, isn't it a joke for Miss Du to hear it?"

"Autumn marks are right, you do look a little like you usually talk a little." Zhang Yue casually pulled the blanket down onto Amber's lap, and said with a smile, "This winter is coming to an end, and your illness is getting better day by day." When the Dragon Boat Festival is held, if the yamen can spare time, we will call the girl to climb Mount Tai together, and also appreciate the beauty of the mountains, and come to Shandong in vain. ”

"Why don't you come to Shandong once?" Du Juan threw the pot to win the autumn marks, only heard the first few words, sat on the kang and asked before smiling, "Mount Tai is a famous mountain in the world, it is indeed worth visiting." It's just that the senior brother said this early, Amber's illness will definitely be cured by then, but you are the same acquaintance who just took over on the thirtieth day of the lunar month, and now the Qingzhou Mansion is supported by you and the prefect, and the judges are all short of people, even if the Dragon Boat Festival holiday is only afraid that you will be able to take leisure. This is still an ideal situation, and it would be difficult to say if there were a few things in between! ”

"It turns out that the young master is talking cheap and coaxing!"

Qiu Zhen pursed her lips angrily, seeing that Amber was not a trace of annoyance, she couldn't help but feel so bored, just when she jumped out of bed angrily and picked up those arrows and was about to throw the pot, there was a sudden shouting outside, listening to the voice as if it was a certain housekeeper's daughter-in-law who was working in the original mansion, and now she should have been eating wine in the flower hall.

"Sister-in-law Cui, go out and see what's going on."

Although the Cui family was already half drunk, they still stood up and moved out step by step, and after a while, they came in, holding a letter in their hands, and there was a little more smile on their faces: "Young master, it was a letter from the third master and the third wife from Nanjing, and four people were added to the young master, and now they are waiting in the flower hall outside." ”

It is not uncommon for his father to send a letter over, but his father sent someone over, but Zhang Yue was puzzled. Leaving the girls and entering the inner room next door, he took out the letterhead and hurriedly browsed it, and he was slightly stunned.