Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the village school is on holiday. Cheng Sanping and Li Zhuang do not have to go to school.
The men who built the house did not come today. This was agreed in advance and they also had to celebrate the festival at home.
And Cheng Wan noticed that there were more people in the village today that he had never seen before.
"Those people live in the city on weekdays and will only return to the village during festivals and when something happens. Take the family of Village Chief Wu, his second son and his family opened a small shop in Shuoyang City."
Cheng Erniu has successfully penetrated into Pingnan Village and knows many things about the village by virtue of his clever mouth and his ability to talk to anyone wherever he goes.
Cheng Wan understood that this was a bit like those modern people who go out to work in the city to go home for the holidays.
In the past, the eldest son of Village Chief Jia worked as a shopkeeper in a restaurant in Qingyuan County, and it was like this.
The time during the day passed very quickly. The family sat together and talked, chatted with Mrs. Zhang's family and Mrs. Song's family, did some chores, and had lunch. The sun set.
The focus of the Mid-Autumn Festival is the meal in the evening.
You can enjoy the moon while eating.
In the kitchen of Cheng Erniu's house, Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xiao Lin, and Mrs. Cheng were so busy that their feet never touched the floor.
Cheng Wan originally wanted to join in to help, but she was kicked out by Mrs. Lin as soon as she entered the kitchen.
"I don't need you. You were wearing the same old clothes that morning. If you want to light the fire, I'll let you burn it. But now you have put on new clothes and a hairpin. You look like that fairy girl." Yes, this kitchen is so messy, and it will stain your clothes again."
"If you are really free, go and put the round cakes, candies, fruits and other things at home on the plate. You will eat them later."
Braised pork, braised fish, stewed chicken, scrambled eggs with chili, fried meat with celery, stir-fried vegetables, cold spinach, fried meatballs, fried fish, sugar cake, osmanthus cake...
The four of them, Mrs. Lin, tried their best. The hot, sour and sweet aroma spread from the kitchen to the outside, causing Cheng Xiaoyu and the other children to stand not far from the kitchen and refused to leave.
"Da Niu, Er Niu, San Zhu, you all come here."
Mrs. Lin took off her apron, pointed at the two pots with lids on, and arranged them neatly: "For the last two dishes, all the ingredients have been left out. Once they are cooked, take them out and put them on the plates." "My son, please go outside, and the four of us, the four of us, will go change our clothes."
Mrs. Lin also saw that Cheng Daniu and his three brothers were all wearing decent clothes, especially Cheng Daniu, who was wearing the brocade clothes Cheng Wan had just bought last night.
But isn’t there no one to call on?
Everyone has changed into decent clothes, so the three of them cannot be left behind.
The last two dishes were served, and Cheng Daniu, Cheng Erniu, Li Sanzhu, Cheng Daping, Cheng Erping, and Deng Xiong began to take out the dishes.
There were two tables in the small courtyard. On each table were a plate of round cakes, a plate of fruits, a plate of candied red dates and peanuts, and a jar of osmanthus wine at the foot of each table.
Just when the dishes were about to be served, Mrs. Lin and the others came out of the house after "changing their appearance".
Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Wang are wearing new clothes that Cheng bought for them last night, while Mrs. Wang and Aunt Cheng are wearing new clothes made of fabrics that Mrs. Xu gave them before.
The four of them wore hairpins on their heads and bracelets on their hands, with somewhat reserved yet uncontrollable smiles on their faces.
Everyone in the courtyard who was busy arranging dishes, moving stools, and pouring wine all stared in shock.
Under the moonlight, Cheng Wan looked at Wang, whose body seemed to be glowing, with amazement in her eyes, "Mom is so beautiful, dad, what do you think?"
Cheng Wan didn't hear Cheng Daniu's answer.
She turned her head and looked in the direction of Cheng Daniu, only to see Cheng Daniu looking at Mr. Wang intently, her eyes wide open, and she had forgotten to put down the two plates of food in her hand.
Cheng Wan's mouth twitched, and she silently stepped forward and took the dish from Cheng Daniu's hand.
If he didn't take it, Cheng Wan was worried that he wouldn't be able to eat it if the two plates of food fell to the floor.
"Mom, you are so beautiful!"
Cheng Xiaoyu's face turned red. It was the first time she realized that her mother could look so good just by dressing better and simply wearing some jewelry.
"Mom, you look good too!"
"My mother is pretty too!"
Cheng Hua and Li Yuan praised loudly.
The two children were led by Cheng Xiaoyu to become more and more lively and relaxed.
The three men, Cheng Daniu, were just staring at their wives, but Cheng Daping and the others didn't have the guts at all.
As a result, no one praised Mrs. Lin.
Cheng Wan quickly put down the dishes, trotted up to Old Mrs. Lin, held Old Mrs. Lin's arm, guided Old Mrs. Lin to her seat, and said loudly with a smile: "Mistress, you look like the one from that wealthy family today." She looks like an old lady, so beautiful and imposing! You have to wear it often, don’t be reluctant, we will buy it for you later, in other colors and styles."
Mrs. Lin felt even more beautiful, and the folds on her face folded together in laughter.
She glanced at Cheng Daniu and the others, and said in her heart: "Humph, they are all useless things, and together they are not as good as my eldest granddaughter!"
Cheng Daniu and others came to their senses instantly. They rushed into the kitchen with some embarrassment and brought out the last few dishes.
Wang, Xiaolin and Aunt Cheng were also a little embarrassed.
They had been married for many years, and their hearts were still beating wildly, as if they had just gotten married.
The food was placed and the whole family quickly sat down.
The tablet of Mr. Cheng was invited again, and the table where Deng Xiong was sitting had an additional tablet of Deng Xiong's grandmother, Mrs. Gao.
Mrs. Lin gently touched the memorial tablet next to her, with a smile in her loud voice.
"Come on, let's do it first for our big family. Those who can drink will drink, and those who can't drink will drink tea."
After the crisp sound of bowls colliding with each other, everyone raised their heads and drank up the wine/tea.
Mrs. Lin put down her tea bowl, picked up the wine bowl in front of Mr. Cheng's memorial tablet, flipped her hand over, and the wine fell to the ground.
"Old man, you haven't tried the fine osmanthus wine your son bought. You have to try it today."
"Eat vegetables, eat vegetables!"
"This braised pork is so delicious! Nai's cooking skills are even better!"
“This fish is delicious too!”
…
"Hey, today's festival is really enjoyable. In the past, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was already considered a big deal to have a bowl of white rice."
"Yes, I am getting more and more energetic these days. Come on, come on, have another drink."
…
"Xiaoyu, Huahua, Yuanyuan, and Sanping and Zhuangzhuang, please pay attention to your clothes and don't get oil on them. If they get stained, they won't be able to be washed off."
"Don't be anxious, eat slowly. You are not hungry at all. Why do you feel like you have been hungry for ten days and a half?"
…
Under the silvery moonlight, in the small fenced courtyard, people at two tables were chatting and laughing while eating, and the laughter was endless.
Different from the bustle in Cheng Wan's place, the courtyard where Gu Yan lived in Yishu Courtyard was quiet.
Beside the stone table, Gu Yan was holding Gu Yu, and his uncle and nephew were looking up at the moon.
Shaoqing stood not far away, accompanying them quietly.
"Suisui, do you remember your grandparents and your parents?"
The expression on Gu Yu's face froze, fear and longing flashed in his eyes.
"Grandpa, grandmother, father, mother, they...where did they go?"
Gu Yan closed his eyes in pain. He tried his best to control his emotions and said warmly: "They went to a very far place, to the sky, and they are watching Sui Sui from the sky. Sui Sui must be safe and healthy." grow up."
Gu Yan changed Gu Yu's position and held him so that the little baby was face to face with him.
"Suisui, the sky is a little far away from us, so we can't see my grandfather and the others, but don't forget them, okay? Otherwise, my grandfather and the others will be sad."
