In September, autumn begins.

The weather is gradually getting colder, and in a blink of an eye, it has come to the season when the laurel trees are fragrant and the crab roe is fat.

Jingxi meanders in, embracing Xiyin Village in its arms, more than 100 steps away from the stream, there is a small courtyard, here a month ago it was still full of dead leaves, a dilapidated appearance, but now it has been cleaned spotlessly, and it looks new.

In the small courtyard, it was as lively as a market at this time, and the villagers and elders of Xiyin Village gathered together, full of enthusiasm and laughter.

After waiting for about half a pillar of incense, I don't know who shouted at the top of his voice: "Xiucai Gong is back!" ”

Suddenly, everyone looked out of the courtyard in unison, their eyes full of curiosity and expectation.

At the gate of the courtyard, two mule carts were parked, Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi helped each other to get off the mule cart, stood in front of the car with their heads held high, and greeted the villagers with a smile.

Zhang Xu jumped off the mule cart, turned back to Wei Chen with an excited face, and said, "Brother Chen, look, everyone is here to see you, the second talent in our village!" ”

Wei Chen touched Zhang Xu's little head and got out of the car.

When the villagers saw Wei Chen in a shirt, they surrounded him with a hula, and while Brother Chen shouted shortly, he asked the woman to go home and bring all the delicious food in the house.

"Folks, don't be busy, I've been ready for a long time!"

Zhang Ming smiled and waved behind him, and immediately four guys in brown clothes came up, each pushing a small car.

The crowd took a closer look.

Ooh!

Twenty pairs of sake lees chicken, forty catties of herring, forty catties of sauce beef, twenty catties of pig water, twenty catties of sheep groceries, and a full of side dishes and snacks!

When the villagers saw the four carts of hearty food, they secretly marveled in their hearts, the broken settlement of Zhang Ming back then is really not what it used to be!

Wei Ruyi beckoned someone to borrow a dozen square tables from the neighbors' houses, lined them up in the courtyard, and set up two tables for women and children in the house, and the tables were full of wine and delicacies.

Seeing so many delicacies that only appear in dreams, the children suddenly forgot about their naughtiness, and stood aside honestly, staring directly at the fat chicken on the table, with the sound of swallowing saliva, but none of them dared to start eating.

Outside the house, the adults poured the amber-colored wine into the white porcelain bowl while pouring the wine from the large wine jar with water ladles, and exclaimed, "This is wine!" ”

"That's it! I heard that this wine was brewed by the Zhang family, and it was sold very expensively, and the dignitaries and nobles in Jiangning rushed to ask for it! ”

"Really? You'll have to try it for a while! ”

In the distance, several large boilers were set up, and the fire was in full swing, so that the hot oil in the pan clicked and exploded, and the master's face was brightly illuminated.

The guys on the side helped serve the dishes to the table, taro duck soup, red stewed pig's trotters, squirrel mandarin fish, stir-fried shrimp ......, and the table was full of solid hard dishes, and the old and young masters ate with their mouths full of oil.

After eating and drinking for a while, Zhang Ming pulled Wei Chen up from the stool with a flushed face: "Come, Brother Chen, go toast with me." ”

Wei Chen asked, "To whom?" ”

Zhang Ming said in a low voice: "It's the sect elder of the Wei clan. ”

Wei Chen nodded, got up and picked up his wine glass, and came to a table with Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming introduced Wei Chen: "This is your third uncle, and he is also the patriarch of the Wei clan in Xiyin Village, this is your fifth uncle, and this is ......."

After Wei Chen recognized the people, he immediately followed the rules and saluted and toasted to these respected old people in the village one by one.

The elders of the Wei clan also stood up, their eyes were full of smiles, and they praised Wei Chen for having the demeanor of his old man, young and promising, and promising in the future.

Below, Wei Chen toasted table by table, although he was not full, no one came out to find fault with what was not.

The talented and the princess personally toasted us, isn't it enough to have face?

The faces of the villagers were smiling brightly.

After the banquet dispersed, the Wei clan people went to the Wei clan ancestral hall under the leadership of the clan elders to participate in the festival.

Everyone worked together to hang a newly created Xiucai plaque on the lintel of the ancestral hall.

The patriarch shouted, solemn ceremonial music played, and the brocade covered by the plaque was revealed, revealing the word Weichen engraved on it.

Not far from the side, there is also a long-hanging Xiucai plaque, engraved with the name of Wei Chen's father, Wei Mingzhao.

The moment the plaque was uncovered, firecrackers rang out outside the ancestral hall, and the whole clan was beaming with joy and congratulated Wei Chen.

At this moment, Wei Chen saw tears of joy sliding over Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi's faces, and he knew in his heart that winning Xiucai had never been just his own business.

The old patriarch of the Wei clan stepped forward with a cane and gave Wei Chen a piece of lion-head paperweight: "Brother Chen, I have hundreds of people in the Wei clan in Xiyin, since your father Ming Zhao, there has never been any decent character, I hope you will try Lianjie in your hometown, and glorify our ancestors for the Wei clan!" ”

"Third Uncle Xie."

Wei Chen took the heavy paperweight from the old patriarch's hand, and he was also quite emotional in his heart.

A year ago, he was just a young child in the eyes of the villagers, but now, he is the leader of hundreds of Wei people in Xiyin Village.

This is an honor, but it also has an unshirkable responsibility......

After finishing the ancestral hall ceremony, Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi led Wei Chen to the east of Xiyin Village.

At this time, it was September, and the rice in the field had not yet been harvested, and it was very pleasing to the eye.

Zhang Ming was in high spirits and pointed forward: "This is the twenty acres of paddy field I just bought, recorded in your name Brother Chen, how about you take a look?" ”

Wei Ruyi explained beside him: "Brother Chen, you are a student, you have thirty acres of tax-free land, it's not good to waste it, your uncle will buy these twenty acres of land, plus the original few acres of land at home, just use up the free amount." ”

"These are all good paddy fields!"

Zhang Ming squatted on the ground excitedly, grabbed a handful of soil, and let the broken soil fall between his fingers, and then nodded with satisfaction.

This is a good field that the second uncle helped Zhang Luo to cultivate, and the villagers have just reclaimed it together, so they lean on the edge of Jingxi River, and they can fetch water from the stream to irrigate it at any time.

Now relying on the part of the winery, Zhang Ming has no worries about food and clothing, but he still thinks about this little thing in the field, if it is not for the winery where he can't leave, Zhang Ming would really prefer to go back to the countryside to continue farming.

The feelings of the people of this era towards the land are difficult for later generations to understand, and it is better to have land than to have money, which is the universal value.

Therefore, Wei Chen did not blame his aunt and uncle for buying land in their own name, as long as the couple was happy.

"It's just ......"

Wei Chen looked at the twenty acres of fertile land in front of him, and suddenly made a mistake: "Aunt, uncle, our family lives in the city now, what should we do with this field, we can't abandon it, right?" ”

"Don't worry." Wei Ruyi smiled: "I have already discussed with my second uncle that I will hand over the land to the three families in the village to rent seeds, so we don't have to worry about it." ”

Wei Chen shook his head and smiled dumbly.

Yes, he has been promoted to the landlord class.