The two little girls cleaned and dressed up in the backyard, and after changing into clean and plain clothes, they were like two little flowers, one was a clean and elegant lotus flower, and the other was a simple and atmospheric white peony.

At this point, the two little girls also have new names, Xiaolian and Bai Shao, and since then, they have also been reborn.

Although he is a slave, it is better than being scared in the dental shop and not knowing what the future holds, and it is better than being bought and raised in a flower building.

Before dinner, Meng Hao returned home exhausted. Seeing the two little girls, I couldn't help but sigh: "Madame is really good at picking such two children." ”

Mrs. Meng smiled: "I just happened to catch up, and it is also related to our family." If you're tired of the day, go wash up and get ready for dinner. ”

Meng Hao snorted and went.

After dinner, Meng Ran was thinking about the miscellaneous books that he hadn't finished reading again, and his mother grabbed his ears and said hatefully: "You stinky boy, you know how to read every day, I think you will read stupidly sooner or later." ”

turned around, called Xiaolian and Bai Shao to him, and asked Meng Ran, "Ran'er, look at these two little girls, which one do you like?"

Meng Ran looked at it and asked shyly, "Mother, what are you doing?"

"What else can I do, pick a personal maid for you. Didn't your father order you to have a family affair, and this is about to make a marriage contract, and your mother will choose the maid for you first. ”

Meng Ran was a little puzzled, "I'm still young, where do I need any maids." Isn't it nice to have Sister Xing'er take care of my daily life every day? ”

Mrs. Meng touched her son's head and said softly: "Xing'er is a little older than you, and in a few years, Xing'er will get married. ”

Meng Ran was a little stunned, and asked casually, "Then how old are they, what are they called, and what will they be?"

Mrs. Meng saw that her son understood what she meant, and said to the two little girls with a smile: "You two little girls, just introduce yourself." ”

Then, the first to speak was the white peony.

"Hello young master, I'm Bai Shao, ten years old this year, from Hangzhou, I have studied female red, I can wash clothes, clean up, etc. ”

It's a short introduction, but these are enough, because Meng Ran doesn't like it.

After listening to Bai Shao's introduction, Meng Ran turned his gaze to Xiaolian.

Under Meng Ran's gaze, Xiaolian's cheeks were a little red, she opened her mouth slightly, and said slowly: "Less... Young master, I am Xiaolian, a healthy person, I have studied female red, read a few books, and know some words. ”

The same short introduction, which seemed to exhaust the strength of her whole body, after saying that, fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, and she gasped for air in small gulps.

Mrs. Meng no longer needs to ask her son's opinion, she already knows through her son's performance that her son prefers Xiaolian.

"Then let's do it, Xiaolian will be the young master's personal maid in the future, and Bai Shao will stay in my room. ”

Hearing this decision, Xiaolian breathed a sigh of relief gently, and Bai Shao, who looked like she wanted to defend herself, didn't say anything in the end.

In this way, Meng Ran had his own maid.

Mrs. Meng withdrew from everyone, leaving her son and husband alone, and said in a serious voice: "Ran'er, you can read more in the future, but you can't just read, you can't be a bookworm." Although our Meng family is a scholarly family, but since the ancestors, there has never been a pedantic who only knows how to read, and my mother will not force you to go to the imperial examination in the future and become an official, but at least you can do something else. Now although your father is the lord of the family, but to support a large family, you have to rely on some savings left by your ancestors, if you only study in the future and do not produce, you will only sit and eat nothing......"

Mrs. Meng's remaining unfinished words were interrupted by Meng Hao's cough, only to hear him say: "Ran'er is still young, it's good to love reading, as for the future, he will always have his own life, he will rely on his own talents to settle down, don't instill so much pressure on him." ”

"If you don't tell him, will he listen? You usually only know that you are busy with official business, and you don't care about him at all, and now I care about him, do you still have opinions?"

"I'm not having an opinion, I'm just suggesting. Meng Hao looked dumbfounded.

"Neither is the suggestion. After the New Year, in addition to reading, Ran'er also has to learn piano, chess, calligraphy and painting every day, so that even if she falls down one day in the future, she can still support herself by selling words. Mrs. Meng would not have thought that what she said casually would become a prophecy in the future.

Meng Ran looked at his father and mother with an embarrassed face, so he had to nod and say, "Everything is subject to my mother's arrangement." ”

The family said goodnight to each other in such a not harmonious atmosphere.

As the days passed, the chill grew stronger. In the blink of an eye, the winter solstice has arrived.

Ancient books and clouds, the end of the cathode, the beginning of the yang energy, the south of the sun, the short of the day, the long shadow of the sun, so it is called the "winter solstice".

The winter solstice is one of the eight festivals of the year, and the mainland of China has a tradition of sacrificing ancestors on the winter solstice since ancient times, in order to show filial piety and not forget the roots.

On the day of the winter solstice, Meng Hao led the whole family to the farm where the ancestral tomb was located in the suburbs, first placed three animal meals, three teas and five wines and other tributes to the ancestors, and then sacrificed to the gods of heaven and the god of the land, praying for good weather and good luck in the coming year.

After the ceremony, the whole family went to the tenant Uncle Zhang's house.

Because someone was sent to greet the tenants' homes in advance, the meal prepared that day was quite sumptuous. In addition to ordinary chicken, duck and fish, there are some rare game in the city, such as hares, pheasants, dog badgers, etc., and seasonal snacks are also prepared, such as red bean glutinous rice, white fungus, walnut kernel stewed wine, longan boiled eggs, etc.

After the meal, we ate rice cakes together. The intention is to grow tall and auspicious.

Meng Hao looked at Uncle Zhang, a tenant who had been busy all the time, and said with a smile: "Uncle Zhang, don't be busy anymore, we have eaten a lot." ”

Uncle Zhang smiled shyly and said: "The old man's family rarely comes, and it is rare to come here today, so naturally I want to taste more wild meat in this mountain village, as long as everyone does not dislike it." ”

Meng Hao touched his stomach and said with a smile: "Look at my belly, I'm afraid it will break if I eat it again." Today's ancestor worship is a rare trip, but it makes you spend so much time. It's really hard work. ”

Zhang Bo waved his hand again and again: "It's not hard, it's not hard, the lord and the lady are so good to us tenants, we just provide a little food in the countryside, how can it be called hard." ”

Speaking of this, Meng Hao changed his expression and asked with a little seriousness: "Uncle Zhang, how is this year's harvest?"

Uncle Zhang hurriedly snapped his fingers and said: "Master, this year's year is good, the harvest of one acre of land is one percent more than in previous years, and there are more than three stones." ”

When Meng Hao heard this, he was happy for them from the bottom of his heart, and said: "This year, the wind and rain are smooth, the harvest is good, and the days will be good." But ah, we should pay attention on weekdays, not because of the harvest is extravagant and wasteful, we must pay attention to saving. ”

Uncle Zhang nodded and said: "That can't be, you have to save it, you can't waste food." By the way, sir, is this year's draw still fifteen?"

Meng Hao's face softened: "Yes, according to the practice of previous years." ”

Uncle Zhang hesitated, and finally gritted his teeth and said: "Master, this year is a bumper harvest year, and the commissions of other Zhuangzi around have increased, is our Zhuangzi also appropriately rising?"

Meng Hao smiled: "Uncle Zhang, other people's rent increases are someone else's business, so let's just not raise them." You've worked hard for a year, and after paying the rent, how many are left after eating, drinking, and Lazar?"

After hearing this, Uncle Zhang was moved, and thanked Meng Hao and made a gesture.

It was getting late, and Meng Hao's family stayed at Uncle Zhang's house.

The next day, after lunch, I slowly returned to the city.

It's cold in winter, and the people in the whole Lin'an City are lazy and don't go out much. In comparison, it seems that only the Meng Mansion is busy.

Meng Hao and his wife thought that since they had already made a marriage contract with Zhang's house, they would hurry up and get things done before the New Year.

For this reason, Mrs. Meng found someone to calculate a good day, and the time was the sixth day of the lunar month. Seeing that the time was approaching, the Meng Mansion was busy, buying relevant items and renovating the house, so as not to lose the etiquette when entertaining the guests.

Just after the sixth day of the lunar month, Meng Hao took his wife, son and matchmaker to Zhang's mansion, and packed more than two carts of fragmentary gifts.

After entering Zhang's mansion, he first exchanged pleasantries and gossip, and then the matchmaker began to mention the marriage contract, saying: "Today, there is a good horse of the Meng family, and I want to conclude a good relationship with Zhang's Meiyu." ”

And they began to take counsel about the matter.

After some etiquette, the matchmaker began to write the marriage book, and after a while, the red paper and black letters jumped into everyone's eyes.

It includes the family of the man and the woman, the names of the parents and the parents, the dates of birth of both parties, the names of the matchmakers, and the time and place of the marriage contract.

The text has:

The two surnames are married, a contract is signed, and the good relationship is forever married, matching the same name.

Look at the peach blossoms burning on this day, it is appropriate to have a room for IKEA, and the melons are full of melons in the year of Bu Ta, and Erchang is blazing.

I would like to take the covenant of the white head, and write to the Hongjian, so that the alliance of red leaves will contain the mandarin spectrum.

This certificate.

The two sides confirmed that it was correct, and Meng and Zhang each held one copy.

Courtesy.

Since then, the Meng and Zhang clans have married. It also laid the groundwork for many things in the future. Leave it at ease.

Meng Hao's family ate and drank freely in Zhang's Mansion. When the lights were on, Meng Hao took his wife and son to the direction of home. As I walked, I suddenly felt something hit my face, wet and cool, and looked up at the sky, and saw some white crystals fluttering in the wind, it turned out to be snowing. Although this snow was expected, it was still a little unexpected.

"It's snowing, it's a great thing, and it's wonderful to wake up the next day and look out the window at the white expanse. Meng Ran thought to himself.

That night, Meng Ran slept extremely peacefully, with anticipation.

In the dream, the snowflakes are scattered one after another, and they descend on the world in an extremely elegant posture.

In the early morning, when I opened the window, I didn't see the heavy snow or the white earth, and my disappointment was indescribable.

Full of anticipation, waiting for disappointment, and then loss and sadness.

Perhaps, without expectation, there is no harm.

It's just that in the depths of Meng Ran's heart, he is still looking forward to the snowy scenery.