At four o'clock in the morning, the foot of the north mountain of Zhangjia Village began to be noisy. Today, the old Zhang family's three rooms, all the old and the young, gathered at the house of Zhang's second father. Just because today is the full moon of their old Zhang family's grandson Xiao Ping'an.

The men of the Zhang family were busy clearing the snow in the front and back yards, building earthen stoves, setting up tents, and carrying tables. The two large stoves in the kitchen were boiling, and in the kitchen and by the well, Zhang's mother and her women were busy cleaning the dishes and chopsticks borrowed for the banquet, the meat dishes needed for the banquet, and preparing the steamed nest in advance.

Kiko took a few older children to run errands in and out of the yard, and the younger ones ran into the house with their eyes fixed on them and went to sleep. The sound of moving, washing, talking, and children's cries in the entire Zhangjia yard blended together.

Zhou Jiao was in a daze and was woken up by some sounds every few minutes, only her son was lying and sleeping beside her, and Zhang Guoqing was no longer visible. After washing up, I looked outside, and I was startled, didn't I say that I wouldn't go to the big one? What are so many people going to make a fuss about?

Zhang Guoqing ran to the provincial capital early yesterday morning, picked up his mother-in-law and Cheng Lin's two guests, and accompanied them to the military region and returned to the county seat. He hurriedly took his leave and left. As for the mother-in-law, she said that there were still eggs to be delivered to the village the next day. He didn't take it to heart when he heard it.

He was so busy informing the barber and the photo studio master that he didn't stop. Fortunately, the dishes and drinks at the banquet a few days ago have been consulted by the chef. As soon as he arrived home, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he was dragged by his father to the village and personally invited the village elders and elderly people to come to Zhang's house for a drink the next day.

Finally, after dinner, Zhang's mother saw that it was dark, and every family should finish dinner. In a hurry, the three brothers began to move tables and stools to the agreed people's homes. The three brothers ran all over the village, and when they were finally done, his father and mother dragged them to discuss the reception.

Finally, I lay down on the bed and fell asleep for a while, and my son woke up. Before he could squint a little longer, there was movement in the courtyard. This is even more tiring than his marriage, but fortunately, only the eldest son of Ping An has such a grand ceremony.

This time, Daddy Zhang spent a lot of money. In addition to the eggs and nests in return, the family also killed a pig a few days ago.

Zhang Guoqing looked at this posture and always advocated simplicity and didn't set up more than a dozen tables. After being reprimanded by Zhang's father, he honestly obeyed his arrangement. This will make him do whatever he wants, and be obedient to his father.

Dad Zhang said very reasonably. so that he could not refute. Uncle Zhang Guoqing, uncle's sons, and daughters all came over, and both tables were crowded next to each other. There are also old relatives in the family, two uncles, aunts, aunts, cousins, cousins, and Zhang families, and it is not enough for a family to have two tables for one person, not to mention those with children?

plus the Cheng and Lin families, his godfather and his wife, Zhao Dashan, Zuo Lin, and others, it is not good that there are still people who join in the fun. There are also good friends in the village, Zhang Guoqing's brothers, and the old people in the clan, who will make jokes without twenty tables.

This is still a small calculation, if all his iron buddies come over, even the good friends of the master bricklayer come, fifty tables will not be even. At the beginning, Zhang Guoqing became a family and had to open dozens of tables.

Zhang Guoqing has been moving vegetables and meat to his home for the past few days. As soon as I heard that it was really going to be twenty tables, the first thing that came to mind was that the whole family was going to gnaw corn dregs again.

Zhang's mother looked at him worriedly, and secretly pulled him to mutter, on the day of washing the third day, there were more than 300 bowls of washing the three sides alone. Last time, many people didn't come, and they brought gifts to them, but this time there will only be more people, not less.

Frightened, Zhang Guoqing hurriedly pulled his father to the master to discuss again. When the dishes were finally ordered, he was greatly relieved. It's getting bigger and bigger.

As the sky gradually became clearer, the gate of Zhang's house was open, and people came and went. There are also a few tables in the main hall and the right wing room that are prepared for the elders of the clan and the mother's family, and the front yard to the back yard are full of tables. A few stoves set up at the leeward of the backyard, the master of the spoon has already started to work with his hands. The cut cold cuts are all placed on a boxy wooden shelf set up on wooden boards, and the fire on the stove has begun to stew and steam.

At seven o'clock, Lin Lishan took Cheng Lin's sisters-in-law and sister to drive the car, followed by a carriage to the courtyard of the Zhang family, followed by the three military vehicles that drove over quickly Zhao Chuanguang and his wife and Zhou Xiaozheng's brothers and wives.

A few cars had just stopped, and the gifts on the wagons had not yet been unloaded. Later, Zhao Dashan and his wife took their youngest son and little daughter to stop outside the gate in a carriage.

It was close to eight o'clock, and Aunt Zuo and three female comrades came over one after another with bamboo baskets and gift boxes wrapped in red paper.

Relatives and friends who came to congratulate the gift came one after another.

At the gate, Zhang Guoqiang and his eldest brother Zhang Guofu greeted the guests from seven o'clock. Zhang Guoqiang saw that it was almost eleven o'clock, turned his back, rubbed his face, and laughed so early this morning, his face was numb with laughter. He didn't know how many people hadn't arrived, but he felt that the twenty tables were enough.

He finally caught Zhang's father, pulled him to avoid people, and said in his ear: "Dad, how many people are there?" I don't think twenty tables will be enough. Have you discussed it with Xiao Wu? ”

Dad Zhang laughed in a low voice: "Hehe, Xiao Wu said that five or six tables are enough, and there is no need to prepare more than a dozen tables." Wait for him to arrange. After saying that, the two fathers and sons laughed.

Father Zhang reminded him in a low voice, "Your uncle has a number, and he will let the guests sit first." Be clever and don't leave any guest behind. ”

Seeing him nodding, Dad Zhang was busy going to the master in charge, and he had to let him see if he had added some hard dishes? Xiao Wu has always asked for a simple reduction in influence, he is already simpler than Xiao Wu's wedding banquet wine, but this time the county and the city are all dispatched, and he has to discuss with the master in charge. Xiao Wu was entertaining male guests, his wife took the little girl Zhang Luo to return the gift, and the eldest girl accompanied the female guest. The whole family can only be arranged by him.

Zhang's mother took her little girl in the east wing, Xizi's study. What used to be an empty room is now piled up on the floor. A few days ago, Zhang Guoqing went to Yangliutun and ordered 200 small bamboo baskets. A small piece of red paper was pasted on the outside of each small bamboo basket, which happened to be filled with a pound of brown sugar, four red eggs, and two nests. The small and delicate bamboo basket looks very delicate and beautiful.

Zhang Meimei widened her eyes and looked at her mother incredulously, "Mother, this is too exaggerated, right?" He has two hundred catties of brown sugar. Where did it come from? ”

Mother Zhang shook her head, "Go back and ask again." Pack the eggs and the nest head first, wait for your eldest sister to come over, put the gift money given by the other person into it, and write the name on the red paper. Make no mistake. ”

Zhang Guoqing this time, except for the Cheng family, the Lin family, and the Zhao family, all the gifts were returned, and only the children's clothes were accepted. I have told my family in advance. These two hundred small bamboo baskets are just in case, in order to stuff red envelopes. As for brown sugar, the couple felt that the most in the space was brown sugar, or high-quality brown sugar. Nowadays, brown sugar is a precious product, just a good gift in return.

"As soon as the gift money is returned, it is a big loss. In the future, will the relationship between people still be red envelopes? Mother, why don't you persuade them? That's not how they spend their money. ”

Mother Zhang hurriedly looked outside, found that there was no one, breathed a sigh of relief, glared at her, and whispered to her, "You don't understand the Tao here." Don't talk nonsense. I'll understand when I go back and listen to what your parents-in-law have to say. Now do what Xiao Wu said. Don't mess around. ”

After speaking, he muttered, "How did I give birth to sons who are all smart, and daughters who are more stupid than the other." ”