The Yuan family is a wealthy family in the county town, but compared with the Lu family, it is a bit inferior.
Both Yuan Ziwen and Yuan's father had a somewhat arrogant temperament. They were afraid that the Lu family would think their betrothal gift was too small, so they spared no expense in the betrothal gift and wanted everything to be the best. As a result, the money they had accumulated in the past few years was somewhat insufficient.
The Yuan family had more land, so they sold some of the land, which made their money much easier.
When Shen Xiu heard Wei Yan say that the Yuan family had a lot of land, she was immediately envious.
When she was going to bed at night, Shen Xiu was thinking about how soon she would be exempted from the land tax on more land when Wei Yan won the election. She would also buy more land like the Yuan family, so that future generations would be able to protect it.
With these fields, I can be a small landowner who doesn't have to worry about food and drink.
Shen Xiu thought about good things and soon fell asleep.
When she got up early the next morning, Shen Xiu knew that Wei Yan was already up without touching her side.
Although it is the end of the year, the county examination is in February, and there is only one month left to complete the test.
Therefore, Wei Yan had to get up earlier than usual and work hard.
Yang also knew the importance of next year's county examination, so Shen Xiu didn't have to do anything but take care of Wei Yan.
With Yang's words, Shen Xiu cooked three meals a day for Wei Yan in various ways, and at the same time cooked the ginseng he brought back into various tonic soups.
Once when she was putting ginseng whiskers into chicken soup, Mr. Yang caught her.
Yang immediately asked: "Where did this ginseng come from?"
Shen Xiudao: "Mom, do you recognize this?"
Yang said: "When the second child was seriously ill, the doctor prescribed ginseng. He said that he knew that we would definitely not be able to afford ginseng, so we could just buy a few ginseng whiskers. I bought the ginseng whiskers myself, so I recognized this thing.
.This thing is not cheap, one piece costs several taels of silver!"
Shen Xiu couldn't tell her that she actually bought a whole ginseng root, so she said that she also bought the ginseng root from a drugstore to replenish Wei Yan's health.
"Mom, you just need to know about this. Don't tell your husband, I'm afraid he won't drink this tonic soup in the future."
Yang was still unclear about her son's character, so she hurriedly said: "I know, and I won't tell him."
The second child doesn't like to cause trouble to the family. If he knew that this ginseng was so expensive, he would definitely not drink it again.
In addition to ginseng chicken soup, Shen Xiu also often boils some tonics such as astragalus and dangshen.
These things soon took effect. Although Wei Yan worked harder than when he was in the academy, his spirit became better day by day and his body became much stronger.
When New Year's Eve was approaching, under Shen Xiu's careful care, Wei Yan not only did not lose weight, but was even fatter than when he came back.
Shen Xiu took out a newly made dark blue cotton robe embroidered with silver bamboo leaves and let Wei Yan try it on. He looked around and said, "Fortunately, I saved some size, and it fits just right now."
Wei Yan said: "Don't let me eat those fat chickens and ducks anymore. If this continues, your husband and I will become a big fat man."
Shen Xiudao said, "My husband is just in good shape now. He was too thin before. But he is really tired of drinking chicken soup all day long. What do you want to eat at night? I'll give you another idea. How about making wontons?"
Of course Wei Yan would not say anything bad. Now all he was thinking about was the county examination next year. After taking off his cotton robe, he went to study.
The next day was New Year's Eve. Yang and Father Wei got up early in the morning and began to post couplets.
The couplets were all handwritten by Wei Yan, using an upright willow script. Each character is the size of a palm, which looks particularly eye-catching.
While the old couple posted couplets, Shen Xiu and Daya were busy chopping stuffing in the kitchen.
While Yang was away, Shen Xiu chopped up all the ten kilograms of pork left behind, added some cabbage and green onions, and mixed the meat filling.
Dumplings are eaten on New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve. Except for Wei Yan who was studying in his room, the whole family stayed in the kitchen and made dumplings for a long time.
Mr. Yang saved enough dumplings for dinner, and put the remaining dumplings outside to freeze. After the dumplings were frozen, they were put into a clean vat. As long as the weather didn't get warmer, the dumplings in this vat could be stored forever.
To the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
On New Year's Eve, the family gathered in front of the stove and had a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
Father Wei was so happy that he asked Yang to get sorghum wine and pour a glass for everyone.
Shen Xiu brought Daya's glass of wine to her. The sorghum wine was brewed by Wei's father himself, and it was extremely spicy as soon as he took it in his mouth.
Wei Yan hurriedly gave her a piece of chicken, "This wine has a strong stamina, drink it slowly."
Shen Xiu took a bite of the chicken and felt relieved, "The wine made by my father is really sweet and mellow, it's even better than the shochu sold in the county."
Yang smiled and said, "Your father's brewing skills have been passed down from generation to generation. According to your grandmother, our ancestors originally ran a tavern."
Shen Xiu originally wanted to say that Father Wei's wine was so good that he could open a wine shop in the county. But then he thought that Father Wei might not have such an idea as he was old, so he put the idea aside.
Before the New Year's Eve dinner was finished, firecrackers were already going off outside.
This New Year's Eve is no different from the New Year's Eve celebrated by Shen Xiu in later generations. After the sound of firecrackers, there is a stay-at-home ritual.
During this period, Da Ya couldn't stand the sleepiness and fell asleep leaning on Shen Xiu.
Shen Xiu was energetic in the first half of the night, but in the second half of the night, she was infected by Da Ya and could hardly open her eyes, so she squinted for a while.
When she woke up, it was still dark, but Wei's father and Wei Yan had already gone out to pay New Year's greetings.
Shen Xiu stayed at home with Yang and received groups of villagers who came to pay New Year's greetings.
Everyone was wearing new clothes that they were reluctant to wear on weekdays, saying auspicious words, and their faces were beaming with joy.
Shen Xiu and Yang brought out melon seeds and peanuts to entertain everyone. Everyone sat for a while and then left. Next, they had to go to other houses to pay New Year greetings.
As daybreak approaches, the number of people paying New Year greetings gradually decreases.
When Wei's father and Wei Yan came back, Wei Ping also came with them.
Yang didn't see Zou coming and didn't care. She asked Shen Xiu to go to the kitchen with her and start cooking dumplings.
Shen Xiu was afraid that her clothes would get dirty, so she planned to go back to her room and change her clothes.
As soon as I walked to the door of the room, I heard Wei Ping ask in the main room: "So, the family has indeed bought Feng Laoshi's land?"
Then I heard Father Wei say: "I bought this land. Is this why you came here today?"
Wei Ping said dullly: "That's not entirely true. Of course I'm here to pay New Year's greetings to my parents."
Father Wei said: "Since you are here to pay New Year greetings, don't say anything. Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I don't want to quarrel with you. Go back after you finish eating the dumplings!"
Wei Ping felt a little aggrieved. Why was the family buying the land hidden from him? Could it be that, as outsiders said, Wei's father didn't regard him as his eldest son at all.
When Shen Xiu heard this, she also understood what happened. She knew that if the matter was not explained clearly, Wei Ping would definitely blame the two elders in his heart.
"Brother, please come to the kitchen. Mom wants to see you if I need something." Shen Xiu went to the room to change clothes, then made an excuse and called Wei Ping out.