In the backyard of the three-bedroom house, while waiting for the chickens, ducks and geese to eat, Yang Ruoqing and Xiaoduo sisters also came to the nearby well to fetch water, wash their hands and talk.
What they said was mainly about discussing the Dragon Boat Festival for two days.
Yang Ruoqing said: "...You have two choices. On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, you and I will go to Ga Gong's house to deliver Dragon Boat Festival gifts, and then we will stay at Ga Gong's house for dinner together."
"Are Xiaojie, Zhang Ban, their husband, wife and children coming back?" Xiao Duo asked.
Yang Ruoqing thought for a while and said, "According to past habits, it should be yes. After all, Xiaojie is a married daughter. She must take her husband and children back to her parents' home to celebrate the festival during such a festival!"
Moreover, Zhang Ban now goes to teach in the county academy. The treatment in the county academy is better than that in the town school in all aspects, and there are also two or three days off during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Xiaoduo said: "Forget it, I'll bring a jar of realgar wine to Grandpa and two packs of cakes, so the meal won't be left at Grandmaster's house."
There were so many people and it was noisy. The grandson-in-law, the grandson-in-law, and the whole family were noisy.
The main reason is that Xiang Shengnan and Zhang Banjie are not from the same place at all. They are both educated Juren, and Xiang Shengnan cannot read a single Chinese character. It would be awkward for everyone to sit at the same table and wait for the meal. Tough.
Yang Ruoqing saw Xiaoduo's difficulty and felt the same way.
How should I put it, going to Sun's house for a dinner party is different from going back to Lao Yang's house for a dinner party in the third room.
Let's put it this way, Da'an is the number one scholar, Xiao'an works as an errand in the Ministry of War, Luo Fengtang is the general, and even Da Zhi is a young scholar...
When we get together, if Xiang Shengnan is there, even if everyone can't chat with Xiang Shengnan, everyone will change the way they chat because of Xiaoduo's relationship. and topic, go and make do with Xiang Shengnan.
He will find some topics that everyone can talk about to take care of Xiang Shengnan's feelings.
When going to the Sun family, Zhang Ban and Dajie are not only brother-in-law and brother-in-law, they are also classmates.
So when they have a family reunion dinner together, the content of their chat must revolve around themselves.
They and Xiang Shengnan were separated by a slap in the face. In the presence of each other's wives, they might exchange a few words to take care of their wives' feelings.
When they saw them from a distance in the market outside, they would probably turn their heads in tacit agreement, pretending not to know each other.
"Duo'er, how about this?"
"On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, we will go together to give gifts to Grandpa. When we are done, you, your husband, your wife and your children will come to my house for dinner."
"Sister, is that really okay?"
"Hey, what's wrong with that? Anyway, I'm home alone, and it's even more lively when you come over!"
"Okay, it's settled. On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, we will go to your house to celebrate the festival in advance. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, on the Dragon Boat Festival, you come to the grassland for dinner, and we will celebrate the festival together!"
"By the way, sister, are you going to have guests over in Zhoujiacun during the Dragon Boat Festival?"
"Well, that's okay. Cousin Zhou Wang usually sends something over two days in advance to honor my uncle,"
"My uncle is not at home this year and has gone to Huguang County. When cousin Zhou Wang comes, I will just cook him tea and entertain him."
The Zhou family is currently running a chicken farm and is very busy.
Eighty percent of the sales of these chickens, ducks and geese are sent to Yang Ruoqing's restaurant, so the Zhou family is basically the after-sales service of Yang Ruoqing's restaurant.
Cousin Zhou Wang came over to give gifts, and Yang Ruoqing simply entertained him. The reason why the relationship between the two families has been so stable over the years is partly because of the brother-sister relationship between Luo Tiejiang and Luo Da'e.
But for Yang Ruoqing and Zhou Wang, this kind of cooperation in terms of interests is actually the most effective way to stabilize their relationship.
The night passed quickly.
Early in the morning on the third day of May, as soon as Yang Ruoqing got up and opened the courtyard door, cousin Zhou Wang from Zhoujia Village hurried over in a carriage.
Not only did they bring the sorghum wine that Blacksmith Luo loves to drink, but also the realgar wine that is popular during the Dragon Boat Festival.
I brought snacks, some of which were whole packs bought from snack shops on the street.
Some were snacks made by Xiaohuan herself. She brought some of each and put them together into a thick pile. The top snack box had a piece of red paper as big as the palm of her hand attached to it. It is tied with a red rope and is carried in the hand. It is heavy and pleasing to look at.
In addition, Zhou Wang also tied up an old hen, a hemp duck, and a quacking big white goose.
"Cousin Zhou Wang, your nephew's gift to honor his uncle is too rich, it's just in time for the Chinese New Year!"
Even if many married girls go back to their parents’ homes to give New Year gifts, they can’t give them to this extent.
This level of ceremony usually occurs at engagement ceremonies.
Zhou Wang was a little embarrassed when he got Yang Ruoqing's expression.
These things he gave were nothing compared to the Luo family's wealth if it was kept closed.
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Zhou Wang also learned from Yang Ruoqing the whereabouts of Blacksmith Luo and the others.
"I haven't had time to inform you of the impromptu decision I made yesterday," Yang Ruoqing added.
Zhou Wang said: "That's okay. My uncle and aunt rarely go out to play. This is a good thing."
Yang Ruoqing nodded: "Yes, I have been staying at home for many years. If the children didn't need their care this time, I probably wouldn't have gone to Huguang County."
It is also because the transportation conditions and public security are not as good as those of later generations. Otherwise, depending on the family's conditions, it is still very good to arrange for the elders and children to travel to several places every year to relax and experience different customs!
Since Blacksmith Luo and the others were not at home, Zhou Wang had to leave after delivering the things.
Yang Ruoqing stopped him, "I'm going to make some tea. I'll have a few bites before I go back."
Zhou Wang waved his hand: "I won't eat. I'm very busy at home, so I didn't plan to eat when I came."
Yang Ruoqing thought about it, "Then I'll let you go. When my uncle and the others come back later, your whole family will come over to play."
Yang Ruoqing had a 100% premonition.
The uncle and the others came back from Huguang County after celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. The uncle would definitely bring a gift to Luo Daye, the sister he cared about most.
Moreover, there is no need to inform Zhoujia Village. The uncle will take the initiative to visit his sister with gifts.
After sending Zhou Wang away, Yang Ruoqing settled down the things he brought over.
Chickens, ducks and geese are all alive, so keep them first.
The next day, the fourth day of May, Yang Ruoqing and sisters Xiaoduo went to Sun's house to deliver gifts.
Xiaojie, Dajie, their brothers and sisters all returned to the Sun family with their husbands, wives and children. The Sun family was very lively.
The arrival of Yang Ruoqing and Xiaoduo is the icing on the cake.
Lao Suntou was very happy, but when he heard that the sisters were not coming to have lunch with him, he immediately lost his temper.
Da Sun, Xiao Jie, and Huang Mao also helped persuade: "It's a festival, why don't we have a meal together?"
