September is the beginning of autumn.
The weather is getting colder, and in a blink of an eye it’s the season when the laurel trees are fragrant and the crabs are filling their shells.
Jingxi winds its way, embracing Xiyin Village. More than a hundred steps away from the stream, there is a small courtyard. A month ago, the ground was covered with dead leaves and looked dilapidated, but now it has been cleaned up. Spotless and brand new.
In the small courtyard, it was as lively as going to a market. The folks and elders of Xiyin Village gathered together, full of enthusiasm and laughter.
After waiting for about half a stick of incense, someone shouted at the top of their lungs: "Master Xiu Cai is back!"
In an instant, everyone looked outside the courtyard, their eyes full of curiosity and expectation.
Two mule carts were parked at the entrance of the courtyard. Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi helped each other get out of the mule carts, stood in front of the carts with their heads held high, and greeted the villagers with a smile.
Zhang Xu jumped off the mule cart and turned back to Wei Chen with excitement on his face: "Brother Chen, look, everyone is here to see you. You are the second scholar in our village!"
Wei Chen touched Zhang Xu's little head and got out of the car.
When the villagers saw Wei Chen, who was wearing a t-shirt, they cheered and surrounded him. While shouting "Brother Chen, Brother Chen", they asked the woman to go home and bring all the delicious food from home. They were so affectionate and affectionate. Wei Chen couldn't bear it.
"Folks, don't be busy, I've already prepared it!"
Zhang Ming waved behind him with a smile, and four men in brown clothes came up immediately, each pushing a small cart.
Everyone came closer to take a look.
Oops!
Twenty pairs of chicken with distiller's grains, forty pounds of herring, forty pounds of soy beef, twenty pounds of pig offal, twenty pounds of sheep groceries, and loads of side dishes and snacks!
When the villagers saw these four carts of sumptuous food, they secretly marveled at the dilapidated settlement of Zhang Ming in those days. It is really different from what it used to be!
Wei Ruyi asked people to borrow a dozen square tables from the neighbors' houses, and arranged them in a row in the yard. He also set up two tables for women and children in the house, and the tables were filled with fine wine and delicacies.
Seeing so many delicacies that only appeared in dreams, the children immediately forgot about their naughtiness and stood aside honestly, staring at the plump chicken on the table. There were sounds of swallowing, but no one dared to start. food.
Outside the house, the adults used ladles to take wine from the large wine vat, poured the amber-colored liquid into white porcelain bowls, and exclaimed: "This is wine!"
"That's right! I heard that this wine was brewed by the Zhang family. It's sold at a premium, and the dignitaries in Jiangning are all rushing to get it!"
"Really? You have to taste it in a while!"
In the distance, several large boilers were set up, and the fire was booming. The hot oil in the frying pan made a crackling sound, and the master's face was illuminated brightly.
The waiters on the side helped bring the dishes to the table, including taro and duck soup, braised pig's trotters, squirrel mandarin fish, stir-fried shrimps... The table was full of solid hard dishes, and the young and old men had their mouths full of oil.
After eating and drinking for a while, Zhang Ming pulled Wei Chen up from the stool with a red face: "Come on, brother Chen, join me for a toast."
Wei Chen asked: "Who are you toasting to?"
Zhang Ming whispered: "He is the elder of the Wei family."
Wei Chen nodded, then stood up, picked up the wine glass, and came to a table with Zhang Ming.
Zhang Ming introduced Wei Chen: "This is your third uncle, who is also the leader of the Wei clan in Xiyin Village. This is your fifth uncle. This is..."
After Wei Chen recognized the people, he followed the rules and saluted and toasted to the respected old people in the village one by one.
The elders of the Wei clan also stood up, their eyes full of smiles, and they repeatedly praised Wei Chen for having his father's demeanor, for being young and promising, and for having a bright future.
Down below, Wei Chen was toasting table after table. Although the drinks were not full, no one came out to find fault.
The scholar and husband have already toasted to us personally, isn’t that enough to show face?
The faces of the villagers all smiled brightly.
After the banquet was over, the Wei clan members, led by the clan elders, went to the Wei clan ancestral hall to participate in the ceremony.
Everyone worked together to hang a newly created scholar plaque on the lintel of the ancestral hall.
The clan leader shouted loudly, solemn ritual music played, and the brocade covering the plaque was uncovered, revealing the word "Wei Chen" engraved on it.
Not far from the edge, there is a long-hanging scholar plaque, engraved with the name of Wei Chen's father, Wei Mingzhao.
The moment the plaque was unveiled, firecrackers went off outside the ancestral hall. The whole clan, young and old, were beaming with joy and congratulated Wei Chen.
At this moment, Wei Chen saw tears of joy rolling down the faces of Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi. He understood in his heart that winning the title of scholar was actually not just his business.
The old patriarch of the Wei clan stepped forward with a cane and presented a lion-head paperweight to Wei Chen: "Brother Chen, among the hundreds of people in our Xiyin Wei clan, there has never been any decent person since your father Ming Zhao. , I hope you will win consecutively in the provincial examination and help our Wei family to honor our ancestors!"
"Thank you, third uncle."
Wei Chen took the heavy paperweight from the old patriarch's hand and felt quite emotional in his heart.
A year ago, he was just a young boy in the eyes of the villagers, but now, he is the leader of hundreds of Wei family members in Xiyin Village.
This is an honor, but it also comes with an unshirkable responsibility...
After finishing the ancestral ceremony, Zhang Ming and Wei Ruyi led Wei Chen to the east end of Xiyin Village.
It was September at this time, and the rice in the fields had not been harvested yet. It was golden and very pleasing to the eye.
Zhang Ming was high-spirited and pointed forward: "This is the twenty acres of paddy field I just bought. It's in your name, Brother Chen. What do you think of it?"
Wei Ruyi explained from the side: "Brother Chen, you are a student, and you have thirty acres of tax-free land. It's better to waste it. Your uncle will buy these twenty acres of land, plus the original few acres of land at home, it will be just right." Use the credit."
"These are the best paddy fields!"
Zhang Ming squatted on the ground excitedly, grabbed a handful of soil, let the broken soil fall from his fingers, and then nodded with satisfaction.
This is a good field that my second uncle helped cultivate. The villagers just reclaimed it together. It is right next to Jingxi River, and you can get water from the stream for watering at any time.
Now Zhang Ming has enough food and clothing to rely on the wine shop, but he still thinks about the things in the fields. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't leave the wine shop, Zhang Ming would really rather go back to the countryside and continue farming.
The feelings of people of this era towards land are difficult for future generations to understand. Having money is not as good as having land. This is a universal value.
Therefore, Wei Chen did not blame his aunt and uncle for taking the initiative to buy land in their own names, as long as the couple were happy.
"only……"
Wei Chen looked at the 20 acres of fertile land in front of him and suddenly felt a little guilty: "Aunt, uncle, our family lives in the city now, what should we do with this land? We can't leave it uncultivated, right?"
"Don't worry." Wei Ruyi smiled sweetly: "I have already discussed it with my second uncle. We will give the land to three families in the village for rent. We don't have to worry about it."
Wei Chen shook his head and laughed dumbly.
Yes, I have been promoted to the landlord class.
