Stay up all night on the 30th and have a good time on New Year's Day.
The sound of firecrackers signals the new year. The first thing the villagers talk about during the reunion dinner is the New Year gift Zhan Feiyu received. Ordinary people in a family of seven or eight cannot save fifty taels of silver in a year.
But Zhan Feiyu received hundreds of taels as a gift.
The second thing people in the village talked about was that the Zeng family in Baofeng Buzhuang had been freezing cold!
On the 29th, Tao Baihu from the Nanxuan Prefecture Guards led a group of soldiers and surrounded the Zeng family. More than 60 members of the Zeng family were arrested.
The Zeng family's house and shop were sealed, and that night, Zeng Yuquan, several direct relatives of the Zeng family, the shopkeeper, the accountant, and others were put in shackles and taken away in a prison car overnight.
The servants, servants, and maids of the Zeng family were all sent to the county jail. After a few years, the Zeng family's case was investigated and handed over to County Magistrate Chen for prosecution.
"Dad, since the Zeng family is all over, can the eldest brother come back?" Zhan Laoer put down his chopsticks, his expression filled with guilt and a little more anticipation.
Old man Zhan, who was just about to pick up the food, was startled. In the morning, he learned from his youngest son that something had happened to the Zeng family. He only thought that his second son was safe and no longer had to live in fear, but he didn't think about Boss Zhan.
Little Yao had been ridiculed by the villagers for the past two days, and he was jealous of the annual gifts that Li received. He immediately echoed: "The Zeng family was unreasonable and wronged us. My eldest brother was also sympathetic to the head of the family. He took seven stabs to replace the head of the family who was exterminated."
, it’s okay now, and my eldest brother can come back and celebrate the New Year with us.”
When he thought about it carefully, it was indeed the case. A smile appeared on Old Man Zhan's face like dry tree bark, and his voice became louder than before, "You're right, Third Brother, go and call your eldest brother back. He's all alone."
Why don’t we bring out the wine at home during the Chinese New Year and let the four of us, father and son, have a good drink!"
The Zhan family all laughed and seemed to be looking forward to the return of Boss Zhan.
"Ahh..." The gloomy-looking old lady Zhan on the side raised her head, grabbed the arm of Zhan Laosan with her skinny hands, shook her head at him, and shouted twice more.
Zhan Laosan was stunned for a moment, "Mom, what are you doing? I'll call my eldest brother to come back for the reunion dinner!"
Emotionally speaking, Zhan Laosan is closer to his eldest brother. His eldest brother has protected him and let him go since he was a child. Zhan Laosan cannot bear to let Zhan Laosan spend the New Year alone in the wooden house.
Intellectually, Zhan Laosan wants Boss Zhan to go home, so that no one can do the work in the fields or do the housework.
Although Ma's and Yao's sisters-in-law can also cook, they argue every day and it hurts the ears. The key is that they are not as quick at work as Li, and the cooking is not good and sloppy.
The most important thing is that Zhan Feiyu is not what he used to be. There is no one in the village who is not envious of those annual gifts worth hundreds of taels. Zhan Laosan is also tempted. With so much money, why does he need Fengli?
People come and go in the rain to haul goods at the dock.
"Mom, are you confused? Why are you stopping the third child?" Ma stuffed a mouthful of meat into her mouth, swallowed it in a few times and said, "Eldest brother is back, and sister-in-law will definitely come back too. There are so many pastries.
, cloth, and maybe some silver!"
If it weren't for the fear of Muramasa and the old patriarch, Mrs. Ma would have wanted to come and rob her of a few hundred taels of silver. Then she would be like Landlord Zhu, eating meat for every meal and having servants to serve her.
Mrs. Zhan firmly grabbed Mr. Zhan's wrist and refused to let him go. The force was so strong that her sharp nails dug into his flesh.
"Mom, let go!" Mrs. Ma looked at Mrs. Zhan dissatisfied. She didn't even want the money she brought to her door. Mom is really old and confused!
Seeing that Mrs. Ma dared to encourage Mrs. Zhan to call for help, Mrs. Zhan looked ferocious, grabbed the bowl with her left hand and threw it at the chattering Mr. Ma.
There was a bang! The large porcelain bowl hit Ma's head, then fell to the ground and broke into pieces. Ma's screams of pain followed.
She covered her head and felt bleeding. She put down her hand and saw that there was bright red blood between her fingers. She stood up and yelled angrily, "Mom! You are crazy, why are you hitting me!"
The rest of the Zhan family were also dumbfounded. No one expected that Mrs. Zhan would go crazy.
But when he looked up, under the light of the candle, he saw the skinny and mean old face, the deep nasolabial folds, and the murderous look in Mrs. Zhan's eyes. All Zhan's family were shocked.
Little Yao was so happy to see Ma's misfortune, with a gloating smile on his face, and blurted out the sarcastic words, "Mom just made a mistake, sister-in-law, how come you, the daughter-in-law, are yelling at your mother-in-law!"
However, little Yao was also jealous of the New Year gifts that Li received. If her eldest brother had not eliminated the clan, Li had not moved out, and her parents were holding her down, more than half of those good things would have gone into the second bedroom's pocket.
"Mom, I know you are angry. After the eldest brother eliminated the clan, he stopped treating us as a family, which hurts your heart." Little Yao came over and patted Mrs. Zhan's back comfortingly, "But mother and son
There is no such thing as an overnight feud. Mom, my eldest brother is the most filial to you. Knowing that you are still thinking about him, your eldest brother will definitely..."
Bang! There was a crisp round of applause. Little Yao still had a self-righteous smile on his face, and he was completely stunned.
Mrs. Zhan was so strong that she slapped little Yao's face away. In the blink of an eye, her face swelled up and her five finger prints were clearly visible.
"Ah!" She yelled hoarsely. Mrs. Zhan's skinny old face was ferocious and twisted, staring at Xiao Yao and Ma. It seemed that she would kill anyone who dared to call Mr. Zhan!
Zhan Erlang and the other children trembled in fright, looking at the ferocious old Mrs. Zhan with trembling eyes.
Old man Zhan was a little annoyed, but he didn't dare to confront Mrs. Zhan.
Ever since he couldn't speak, Old Man Zhan felt that this old woman was like a ghost. She was as cold as a ghost and the way she looked at people made people panic. Every night after lying down, Old Man Zhan was afraid that Old Mrs. Zhan would get up in the middle of the night.
Choke him to death.
"We've all eaten. Let's talk about anything after dinner!" Old Zhan started to speak, and the others didn't dare to speak.
Besides, of the two daughters-in-law, one had his forehead smashed by a bowl and the other received a slap on the face. This was not a good time to call Boss Zhan back.
The crazy Mrs. Zhan finally calmed down, but she looked at the two daughters-in-law with a sinister and ghost-like look in warning, and then she picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
Old Mrs. Zhan has not left the Zhan family's house since she became mute, but with little Yao and Mr. Ma here, Old Mrs. Zhan also knows that Zhan Feiyu has received many annual gifts, all of which are valuable and good things, which add up to at least several thousand dollars.
One hundred taels.
But when she thought that she had been poisoned and mute, Mrs. Zhan was really scared. She was afraid that Mr. Zhan and the others were plotting against Zhan Feiyu, and it would be too late if they angered those people and lost their lives.
…
On the other side, Zhan Feiyu, who had had the New Year's Eve dinner, seemed not to notice Mrs. Li's absent-mindedness, "Mom, I went back to my room to study, and I haven't written the article assigned by the Master yet."
After coming back to her senses, Mrs. Li hurriedly said: "Okay, mother will bring you the charcoal basin in now. Don't let it freeze."
Although the price of black charcoal is not cheap, Zhan Feiyu has to study hard every night, and the family is not short of money, so Li bought fifty kilograms of charcoal from a charcoal maker in the village.
When Zhan Feiyu warmed up his hand and started to pick up the pen to write, there was a slight sound of the door opening outside. Zhan Feiyu smiled, gathered his mind and continued to copy the art writing in his hand.
Yin Wuyan was given two boxes, one large and one small. The small boxes contained not silver ingots, but silver used by wealthy families as rewards.
The specially made silver comes in the shape of plum blossoms, gourds, or naked silver coins. A box is estimated to contain more than one hundred taels, which is enough for Zhan Feiyu to support his business.
The other box is full of books, ten of which contain excellent works of art and literature from various prefectural and provincial examinations in recent years, as well as outstanding art and literature written by students of the Imperial College.
The most important thing is that these articles all have comments. Although the handwriting is different, looking at the handwriting of a calligrapher, Zhan Feiyu knows that these comments are all written by great scholars. For Zhan Feiyu, these ten books are
Making art textbooks!
Not to mention that Zhan Feiyu was obsessed with learning how to write art articles. Li took two baskets and went out. The snow outside had not melted yet, and the moonlight did not make it look dark.
"Fengyu?" Boss Zhan who opened the door stared blankly at Mr. Li outside the door. After he came to his senses, a look of ecstasy appeared on his dark face, "Why are you here? I...you..."
Mrs. Li handed the basket in her hand to Boss Zhan. Seeing that he was so excited that he was almost speechless, he finally relented and walked in.
The old Orion's wooden house has only two rooms. The one on the right is divided into two. The front is the kitchen and the back is the bedroom. The one on the left is the main room with tables and chairs. There is a wooden partition behind the table for storing food and sundries.
Small warehouse.
"Hurry up and sit down." Boss Zhan put the two baskets on the table and pulled out a chair for Li to sit, but he looked very embarrassed looking at the messy room.
"You haven't eaten yet?" Ms. Li looked at the dishes on the table.
Probably for a good idea, six plates were placed, one plate with scrambled eggs, bacon with fried garlic, a piece of fish, fried cabbage, flour and radish balls, and stewed tofu.
The food was not even touched with chopsticks, and the heat was gone for a while. Mrs. Li felt a little sad for no reason.
Looking at the nervous Boss Zhan, Li asked choked with sobs: "Are you happy now? For the sake of Boss Zhan, you ignored me and Xiaoyu, Dashan Zhan, you deserve it!"
"I..." Boss Zhan opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say.
When he replaced the second brother to exterminate the clan, it was because the second brother was not in good health after being stabbed seven times, and his mother cried violently. Dalang Sanlang knelt down and begged him, the uncle. Boss Zhan knew that he was sorry for his son and daughter, but he really didn't think so.
I made a mistake.
But now, he lives alone in a wooden house. When he works in the fields, no one brings him water. When he comes back to the house, the pot is cold and the stove is cold. At night, he sleeps alone in bed. The quilt is so cold that it makes people feel sad.
panic.
This day-to-day life was torturous, and when he rolled over in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep, Boss Zhan regretted it. Parents are important, brothers are important, but they don't need a wife or a daughter more.
Especially the little Yao family who was running around in the village all day long, talking bad about Li family and Zhan Feiyu everywhere. Boss Zhan was honest and careless, but whether it was the village leader, the clan elder, or his peers in the village,
As everyone talked more, Zhan Lao Er gradually realized that his younger brother Zhan Lao Er was not as good as he thought.
If the second child really respects his eldest brother and sister-in-law and loves his niece Zhan Feiyu, then why does he never restrain little Yao? When Ma makes nonsense, Zhan, the third child, yells angrily and tells her to shut up.
After a while, Boss Zhan, who seemed to be weighed down by a huge mountain, said in a low voice, "I can't help you and Xiaoyu!"
Only after losing it did I realize my regret. Everyone else was reunited with their families, but he was the only one who didn’t even have anyone to talk to during the Chinese New Year.
Mrs. Li suddenly laughed, "You're not sorry for us. Xiaoyu can study after being adopted. After moving out, I don't need to serve a whole family, nor do I have to let my two younger siblings have good food and drinks."
I can give everything to Xiaoyu, and we two have a much better life than at your Zhan family."
Because she is the eldest sister-in-law, Ms. Li has suffered many grievances and losses over the years, but what can she do? She is a man of a certain temper, and her mother-in-law prefers two or three bedrooms. Ms. Li can only swallow her anger, and she only cares about the family home.
peaceful.
Boss Zhan looked at Ms. Li blankly. She was wearing a new cotton coat and a silver hairpin on her head. Because of her smile, she looked more gentle and kind.
Boss Zhan suddenly remembered that when he first met Mrs. Li many years ago, she smiled like this, warm and comforting.
"There are dumplings in the basket. You can cook them for you tomorrow morning. The remaining three dishes are also your favorites." Mrs. Li ignored the basket and dishes and turned around to leave after speaking.
"Fengyu, I..." Boss Zhan came to his senses and quickly grabbed Li's arm. The burly man was as nervous as a child, and his dark face was full of reluctance.
"I know you want to live with us two, but let me ask you Zhan Dashan, if your mother, your brother, and your nephew come to you to complain about your poverty, borrow money, fabrics, pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, what should you do?
manage?"
Li's voice was clear and fast, and she seemed aggressive, "That's my daughter's thing, why should I give it to others?"
Withdrawing her hand forcefully, Mrs. Li strode out without waiting for Boss Zhan to answer.
The cold wind poured in from the open door. Boss Zhan thought about what Li said and how many gifts Xiaoyu had received. Boss Zhan knew that the fabric was enough to make twenty or thirty pieces of clothes.
If it were in the past, he couldn't watch his niece and nephew wearing rags during the New Year, but Xiaoyu had endless new clothes to wear. And even if he didn't ask, his mother would ask for it, and the two younger siblings would argue. In the end, Zhan boss
There must be a compromise.
But he satisfied his nephew and niece, but it was his own daughter who was wronged! Boss Zhan wiped his face hard. Fengyu was right. They moved out and their lives were better. They no longer had to be wronged. But why?
He felt so uncomfortable.
…
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, after eating dumplings, Zhan Feiyu and Mrs. Li first went to the patriarch’s house to pay New Year greetings, carrying New Year’s gifts. A jar of good wine, half a catty of tea, and four kinds of pastries were definitely considered important gifts in the countryside.
.
"Grandpa, Happy New Year, Xiaoyu wishes you good health and all the best." Zhan Feiyu was wearing a bright red cotton-padded jacket, with two small hairpins combed with two hairbands hanging from the ends.
The pearls are swaying slightly, looking luxurious yet childlike.
"Haha, my great-grandfather is in great health. He is still waiting for you to have wine after you are named on the gold medal list, and will build a memorial arch for you in the future!" The old patriarch laughed loudly and was in a very good mood.
When the daughter who got married on the second day of the Lunar New Year returns to her parents' home, I believe everyone in the countryside knows that Magistrate Chen has given Xiaoyu a New Year gift. Who will dare to underestimate the Zhan family in the future! When Xiaoyu takes the exam again, the Zhan family will
It’s going to be prosperous!
Zhan Feiyu then went to Cunzheng and the hometowns of several tribes. There were also several elders in the Zhan family who were very kind to Li. Zhan Feiyu was very nice. She also went there one by one to pay New Year greetings, but the gifts she carried were a little lighter.
Although Boss Zhan was exterminated, he still lives in the village, especially when the Zeng family were imprisoned. Boss Zhan also went to several elders' homes to pay New Year's greetings, and was enthusiastically invited to stay for dinner, but Boss Zhan declined.
.
"Haha, you three brothers have a tacit understanding." In the room, the clan elder who spoke laughed and asked Boss Zhan to sit down. "You came just as the second and third brothers sat down."
Boss Zhan put down the pastry and said, "Uncle Wutang."
The five clan elders are the cousins of old man Zhan in the next room. The two families are close to each other. Boss Zhan and his children come here every year to pay New Year greetings, but this year, boss Zhan is alone.
"Brother." Zhan Lao Er and Zhan Lao San also called people quickly.
Compared to the two brothers' warm communication, the elder Zhan seemed dull and cold, and nodded without saying a word.
"Dashan, the Zeng family has been arrested by the government, and the story of your extermination can be over. In two days, I will go to the clan leader and record your name in the family tree!" The five clansmen were touched.
He touched his beard and let out a long sigh, "At the beginning, the clan had no choice. The Zeng family was so powerful that I had no choice but to wrong you. Fortunately, God has opened his eyes."
Whether you are exterminated or rejoined, the clan has the final say. In the past, you were afraid of revenge from the Zeng family, but now you no longer have this worry.
"Brother." Mr. Zhan looked at Mr. Zhan eagerly, just waiting for him to nod.
Although you can earn money by going to the dock to pull goods, you have to leave early and come back late. In winter, the dripping water turns into ice. Zhan Laosan felt that his face was cracked by the cold wind, and his hands and feet also suffered from frostbite. Moving goods made his back and legs hurt, and his mouth was hot.
There is no water.
Once the eldest brother comes back, he has so much money, and he will not be short of the money he earned from selling goods. It is easy to follow his father as a cook and make banquet noodles. It is also a hot spot in summer, but the wind cannot blow, the rain cannot, and the
Can eat good food.
Zhan Lao Er choked with sobs and looked at Boss Zhan with red eyes, "Brother, it's me who can't help you, it's all because of my body that doesn't live up to expectations!"
"Brothers in the family, you have broken bones and tendons. The boss also knows that you have been stabbed seven times and your body can't bear it." The elder of the five tribes looked a little sad and said to Mr. Zhan in a serious voice: "You are the eldest brother. From now on, you will
My parents still have to rely on you to support them in their old age, Dashan, we as elders all know your grievances, you are a good person!"
Thinking of what Li said last night, Boss Zhan was silent for a moment and then spoke: "Uncle Wu Tang, I will not return to the clan. This is good. Every year, I will give you the same pension as the people in the village where I am separated."
The expressions of the second brother Zhan and the third son Zhan suddenly changed. They did not go to the village leader or the old patriarch. They came to Uncle Wutang's house to wait for their eldest brother. They knew that his eldest brother was soft-hearted, but they did not expect that the elder Zhan refused without even thinking.
"Brother, don't be confused. Let me put it bluntly. You won't be buried in the ancestral graves when you die. Do you want to be a lonely ghost?" Zhan Laosan said in a hurry, wishing he could return to the clan instead of Zhan Lao San.
.
"Brother, are you blaming me?" Zhan Lao'er's originally pale face was even more pale now, and he looked like he might collapse at any time.
"Brother, I'm afraid of death. I should have been the one to exterminate the clan, but I'm afraid that my bones will be useless and I will die by then, leaving Da Lang San Lang to suffer." Zhan Lao Er stumbled forward.
He walked to Brother Zhan's chair and knelt down with a plop. Brother Zhan pressed his forehead against the cold ground, "Brother, come back. I'll ask dad to divide the second room. Come back, otherwise I won't be able to rest in peace even if I die!"
"
Zhan Laosan has always disliked Zhan Laoer during this period and felt that he was too evil-minded. But when he saw Zhan Laoer kneeling on the ground and kowtowing, Zhan Laosan couldn't bear to look away. After all, they were brothers who grew up together.
The clumsy Boss Zhan stared blankly at the second brother Zhan, who couldn't kneel down. He didn't know what to say, but he always remembered what Li said last night, so Boss Zhan said: "Second brother, I don't blame you.
, you get up, but I won’t come back.”
If she doesn't go back, her parents will no longer be Fengyu's elders, so she won't have to suffer any injustice; Xiaoyu has already been adopted, and Boss Zhan knows that Zhan Feiyu will never return to his name no matter what, and he has no daughter.
So if I don’t go back, both mother and daughter will live a good life, and the Zhan family will not change much, and there will be no more quarrels. Boss Zhan is not smart, and he also wants to escape. If he doesn’t go home, he doesn’t have to be caught in the middle.
Difficult.
No one expected that Boss Zhan was determined not to return to the clan. No matter how the third brother Zhan and the elders of the five tribes tried to persuade him, no matter how the second brother Zhan knelt down to apologize, Boss Zhan, a dull and honest man, would just say: he would not return to the clan.
When old man Zhan, little Yao and Ma saw the two brothers coming back with ugly faces, their expectations were suddenly dashed.
"That treacherous son! If you don't come back, you'll die outside!" Old Man Zhan cursed angrily, turned around and walked back into the house, sitting on a chair and smoking a cigarette. He also developed resentment towards the most filial and obedient Boss Zhan.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
I checked and found that in addition to referring to a married woman and a divorced woman returning to her natal family, Guizong can also refer to a side branch returning to a direct branch, or a person who has been eliminated from the clan returning to the clan.