The Qin family's twins' first birthday party was held with great solemnity by everyone in the family.
Su Yi specially worked with Wen Tang to teach the two delicate little kids how to do the "Zhuazhou" ceremony.
This is a good start for the one-year-old celebration. The items prepared on the spread-out red velvet cloth represent the utmost joy, wealth and a bright future.
Xia Jie'er was given an exquisite jade ruyi, a small rouge box, an exquisite embroidery frame, and music sheets symbolizing talent. In front of Huai Ge'er, there was an exquisite wooden sword, a brush and inkstone symbolizing fame and success, and a small seal model.
In the past few days, Wen Tang often caught the two children and put them on the ground, placed those small objects in front of them, and led them to crawl over and grab them.
But every time it was just set up, a furry little figure would come uninvited. The well-fed Yuanbao would know it was a good time to play when he saw this scene, and would come over wagging his tail to make trouble.
The little guy was a furry ball, and his voice was sweet and tender, instantly grabbing the attention of Xia Jie'er and Huai Ge'er.
After three unsuccessful attempts, Wen Tang reluctantly stood up and, with a stern face, tried to pick up Kai Yuanbao. As soon as his hand touched its back, the little creature started whimpering, its big, wet eyes looking extremely pitiful.
Last time, Yuanbao was frightened by having his tail pulled, so Wen Tang indulged him and let him run wild inside and outside the house.
At night, Yuanbao refused to leave the house and only whimpered tentatively a few times. Wen Tang softened his heart and held it at the door, hesitating for a long time, but finally couldn't bear to lock it outside.
Yuanbao, a cunning thief, realized this trick always worked, and he became even more arrogant. After nightfall, he not only dominated the room, but also squeezed in next to Wen Tang, and even played hide-and-seek with Xia Jie'er and Huai Ge'er. When Qin Gong returned to his room, the dog and the two children were playing happily.
As soon as Qin Gong's tall figure entered the room, Yuanbao slipped behind his legs and followed him closely.
Every time Qin Gong took a step forward, it followed, obviously determined to stay in the house.
After Qin Gong came out of the shower and changed his clothes, he leaned on the couch to read a book. Yuanbao squatted on the footstool, tilted his little head back, stared at him with his round eyes, and wagged the tip of his tail tentatively, looking as if he was eager to jump onto the couch.
Qin Gong refused with a stern face. When he woke up the next morning, Yuanbao, who had been staying in the house, urinated in his shoes.
Afterwards, Yuanbao regained his alert look as he had when Qin Gong brought him back home. When he saw Qin Gong from afar, he started barking.
Yuanbao has grown a lot, and his voice, which used to be soft and gentle, has become deep and full-bodied.
When Wen Tang was barking, he confused it with Da Huang's barking. Da Huang was a dog who hated Qin Gong. Even if Qin Gong offered him a bone, Da Huang would still be eager to bite Qin Gong.
When the grabbing of the first month of the lunar year exercise failed for the third time due to Yuanbao's disruption, the little guy used the same trick again, lying down on the ground with a "plop", turning over his soft belly, showing his pink paw pads, and started to act pitiful again.
This time, Wen Tang refused to buy it and deliberately put on a stern face with a threatening look in his eyes.
The two little kids each hugged Yuanbao on one side.
Wen Tang stroked his forehead and sighed, "I've practiced this so many times..." His tone was helpless, but not impatient at all.
Wen Tang was a very gentle and patient mother. She leaned over again and patiently guided her, "Xia Jie'er, be good and grab this."
She gently placed a small and warm jade ruyi in her daughter's palm, then turned to her son and said, "Brother Huai, look, this is it." She then handed the exquisitely carved wooden sword to her son's chubby little hand.
Over and over again, the two children seemed to understand, but they were still learning. Yuanbao lay on the side with his tongue hanging out. When Wen Tang finally got the two children to grab the object, he wagged his tail vigorously again.
"Grandma, the Duke's wife wants you to come over," the maid announced. The opera troupe was due to arrive at the mansion, and the Duke's wife was looking for Wen Tang to discuss which plays to perform.
Su Yi stayed to look after her nephews and nieces.
Sure enough, as soon as their mother's figure disappeared at the door, the two little guys immediately let go of the things in their hands and rushed to the gold ingots on the ground with cheers.
From the stage in the front yard came the sound of warming up vocals; I guess the troupe was rehearsing.
However, it's also possible that the Duke of Qin was inspired to have someone sing a verse on the spot. A fierce general in his youth, now retired from the battlefield, he loves to reminisce about those glorious days.
At this moment, he was stroking his beard, watching with great interest, even imitating the movements of the martial artist on the stage, and even reciting the lines, "Hey! Who are you? Tell me your name! What's your name?"
He imitated the martial artist's movements, bending over, moving his hands, twisting his body... He suddenly stopped and his expression became a little strange.
"Hey! Hey! Hey..." Xia Jie'er, who was held in Su Yi's arms, opened and closed her little mouth and started muttering in imitation of Su Yi.
Su Yi lowered his head in surprise, "Oh, our sister Xia can call me daddy now?"
Before she finished speaking, her heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself that something was wrong. She looked up and saw, as expected! Her father-in-law was holding his old waist, staring at her with a rather unpleasant expression, his mouth tightly tightened.
Su Yi quickly lowered her head, wishing she could bury her face in Xia Jie'er's clothes. "I didn't see it, I didn't see it, I didn't see anything..." She hugged her niece and tried to slip away from the stage.
The woman holding Huai'er hurried to catch up. Seeing his sister screaming happily, Huai'er also opened his little mouth and cried, "Hey! Hey! Hey..." His voice was childish but particularly loud.
It would be hard for Duke Qin not to hear these sounds.
His expression was unfathomable. He slowly lowered his hand from his waist and put it behind his back. With a dignified attitude, he asked the servant beside him, "Just now... when did the second wife come?"
The servant standing beside him was a simple-minded young man who answered honestly, "My Lord, just now when you were engrossed in the play, the Second Mistress came over with the young lady and the others."
The Duke only felt that his old waist was more painful and his old face was burning.
The Duke's wife came over and saw her old man holding his waist and grinning, trying to imitate the young people twisting their waist!
The Duke thought his second daughter-in-law was sensible and left immediately. Just as he had regained some dignity, he looked up and met his old wife's undisguised, frivolous eyes. His eldest daughter-in-law, Wen Tang, was also standing beside his old wife.
Duke: ...There's a feeling of depression stuck in my chest, neither going up nor down.
"Nephew and niece, you two are amazing!" Su Yi held Xia Jie'er in his arms and teased her, "When your eldest cousin comes back later, remember to call him daddy loudly. I guarantee he'll be so happy that he'll be beside himself!"
In her mind, she recalled her eldest cousin who always loved to hold a child in each arm. When he heard the word "Daddy", his stern face instantly melted into a doting smile.
Su Yi couldn't help rubbing his arms, thinking: My sister-in-law is such a gentle person. When she sees my cousin's worthless smile, she won't kick him off the bed, right?
--
Zhang Yao's marriage was finally settled.
Jiang was relieved and happy when she heard the report from the servant she sent to inquire about the matter, saying that the two of them met in Linjiang Tower and had a very pleasant conversation.
She turned and pulled out an exquisite brocade box from the depths of her dressing table. Opening it, she found two red strings lying quietly inside. The strings were simply but sturdily woven, and clearly meant to be worn on the wrists of little children.
These were the two extra strings she had requested when she had last gone to the temple to pray for her son's marriage. The red strings, blessed by a high monk, symbolized peace and prosperity, and long-lasting blessings, protecting her son from illness and disaster, ensuring a smooth life.
Wen Tang, the little girl who used to be under her nose, is now the mother of two children.
The last time she visited the Qin residence, she almost didn't recognize him at first sight. The lively and clever little girl in her memory, who would wait eagerly at the village entrance, with her hands on her hips and angrily scolding others, now exuded a gentle and calm grace, her eyebrows and eyes full of the softness and tranquility of a wife and mother.
No matter whether it is winter or summer, whenever Zhang Yao returns home during the holidays, he can always see Wen Tang's small figure under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.
In spring, willow catkins are flying, in summer, cicadas are chirping, in autumn, leaves are golden, and in winter, the wind is biting cold.
Zhang Yao was wearing a cleanly starched blue cloth robe. From a distance, he could see Wen Tang standing on tiptoe and waving at him vigorously, and the big yellow dog beside him was jumping up and down excitedly.
The heavy bookcase weighed on the boy's thin shoulders. In the summer, sweat soaked his back, and Wen Tang always handed him a handkerchief. Winter was the most difficult time.
The country paths were frozen solid, and Zhang Yao's return home was often delayed. Wen Tang, wrapped in an old coat, his little face red from the cold, paced back and forth at the village entrance to keep warm, stamping his frozen feet from time to time.
Sometimes when she looked up, she found Zhang Yao standing in front of her without her knowing when. He silently took her cold hand and placed it in his large palm, which was rough from years of hard work, copying books in winter, and carrying bags, but was unusually warm. He lowered his head and breathed out warm breath to warm her.
Wen Tang was not forgiving at all. "Who told you to come back so late? The message you sent was not accurate at all! I won't wait for you next time. Look, Da Huang's dog head is frozen silly, and now he is not saying a word."
Zhang Yao did not argue, but just silently turned aside. Wen Tang followed his gaze and saw Da Huang sticking his butt out, fluttering excitedly in the snow, and wagging his tail happily.
Wen Tang: "…."
He put down the heavy bookcase and, like a magic trick, pulled out a small package carefully wrapped in oil paper.
Wen Tang said "No," but she couldn't help but glance over. When Zhang Yao peeled back the oil paper, revealing the small, delicate crab soup dumplings still steaming, she reluctantly took them.
"What a waste! This thing is so expensive." Wen Tang saw what it was and stamped his foot in pain. "A crab roe soup dumpling from a restaurant in the city costs twenty coins each. It's worth as much as my mother and your mother could embroider several fine handkerchiefs! Don't buy any more!"
She counted on her fingers, her delicate brows tightly furrowed.
Zhang Yao had already handed a small soup dumpling to her lips, "Eat it while it's hot, it's delicious."
"It's not expensive," he said in a low voice. "I earned it by copying books for others. I didn't use any money from home."
When Wen Tang heard this, he became even more unhappy and took his hand to look at it carefully.
Sure enough, the calluses on her palms had thickened, and there were new red marks on her knuckles. How could she just be copying books? She must have been to the dock again. Her face sank, and even the tempting aroma of crab roe lost its appeal. But she still ate it in small, cherishing bites. Such an expensive thing would be wasted if it got cold.
In the countryside, winters are always chilly inside. Jiang once peeked through the crack in the door and saw Yao Ge'er holding Wen Tang in his arms, his rough but warm hands tightly wrapped around Wen Tang's red little hands.
"If you keep doing this, your hands won't look good anymore, and I won't want you anymore!" Wen Tang poked the calluses on his palms with her fingertips in dissatisfaction. Unlike his handsome face, his hands were rough and large, and they really weren't good-looking.
Zhang Yao obediently warmed her hands, and only let her go to read after her fingertips were warm. But Da Huang, who was standing nearby, suffered.
Wen Tang took a step forward, caught the dog that was trying to run away, and without saying a word, stuffed his hand under its warm belly.
Dahuang was dissatisfied and protested, but Wen Tang knocked him on the head and he became obedient.
Jiang looked down at the red ropes she had begged for for the two children. This was her token of appreciation.
May these two children live a peaceful, happy and worry-free life.
--
It was lunchtime at Linjiang Tower, and the place was bustling with people.
Ah Fu was standing outside the private room on the second floor, listening to Zhang Yao, Zhou's parents and Miss Zhou talking for almost an hour.
Just now, he had caught a glimpse of the Zhou family's parents' gaze towards their master. It was clearly the look of satisfaction a father-in-law and mother-in-law would have on a son-in-law. Ah Fu thought to himself, this matter is almost certain to be a done deal.
The atmosphere in the private room is harmonious.
Mrs. Zhou sat opposite Zhang Yao and became more and more satisfied with the second son of the Zhang family the more she looked at him.
The young man was polite, modest, and well-spoken, possessing neither the arrogance nor the formality of a child from an aristocratic family. Their daughter, a pampered only child, was somewhat shy, and today she was especially quiet. When Zhang Yao took the initiative to greet her, she paused for a moment before coming to her senses. Mrs. Zhou was apprehensive, fearing that Zhang Erlang would find her daughter's manners inappropriate.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yao looked normal, his words were measured and measured very well, and he had a reassuring and comfortable way of interacting with others. After the meal, Mrs. Zhou could not find any fault with him.
Both parties are satisfied, and the next step is to discuss the wedding date.
Hearing the noise inside, Ah Fu hurried forward and opened the curtain.
Zhang Yao walked out first and bowed to the Zhou family, "Goodbye." He was very polite and personally sent the Zhou family downstairs. He also considerately opened the carriage curtain for Miss Zhou and watched her get in the carriage.
Ah Fu looked at his grandfather's smooth and flowing etiquette, and his grandfather really wanted to settle down this time.
The young lady of the Zhou family is not the most beautiful, but she is dignified and pretty, with good manners and a gentle temperament. She will definitely be a suitable person to marry and take care of the rear house and serve the parents-in-law.
"Master, can we go back and tell Madam and discuss the wedding date?" Ah Fu couldn't help asking when they returned to the restaurant.
"Yeah." Zhang Yao responded.
Marry sooner or later, you'll have to get married eventually. Is he going to be single forever? He seemed to have a thought. As he turned around, his gaze strayed through the crowd of people across the street and landed on a strikingly bright color on a distant street corner.
The figure stood in the crowd, glaring and eye-catching.
That face becomes more and more beautiful as it grows older.
Zhang Yao leaned against the door frame of the restaurant, and suddenly he didn't want to go in. Because he clearly saw that the person opposite him had obviously noticed him. The bright smile on her face disappeared without a trace, and she turned her head and said something quickly to the person next to her.
Zhang Yao had good eyesight and could see clearly that the lip movements clearly showed three words: "What bad luck!"
The man opposite felt disgusted if he looked at him any longer, so he turned around quickly and walked quickly into the shop across the street.
Zhang Yao folded his arms and leaned against the door of the noisy restaurant, but his vision gradually became blurred, and everything around him seemed to be covered by a layer of mist.
--
The Qin family's twins' first birthday party was packed with guests. The gates of the family were bustling with traffic and the sound of congratulations was endless.
In the inner room, Wen Tang reviewed the one-year-old ceremony with his two children for the last time.
The two children were well-behaved. They followed their mother's instructions and crawled over obediently to grab the objects they were supposed to grab. Xia Jie'er grabbed the jade ruyi and Huai Ge'er grabbed the small wooden sword. Then they couldn't wait to reach the ingot that was being held tightly by the old woman next to them.
Wen Tang felt slightly relieved after seeing that the rehearsals had gone smoothly. Nanny Zhou cheerfully entered, holding a brocade box. "Grandma, the gift from Madam Yuan has arrived."
Opening the brocade box, she found two red strings inside, identical to the ones Yuan had obtained from the temple for young Wen Tang. Wen Tang had actually always worn one on her wrist. Yuan and Jiang had gone to the temple together to obtain one. The temple master had given them each one, saying that wearing one for children would bring the Buddha's blessing, ward off evil spirits and ward off disasters, lock in good fortune, and ensure that the child grew up healthy and free of illness. Wen Tang's string had faded somewhat.
"Xia Jie'er, Huai Ge'er, come and look. This is the blessing rope that grandma specially went to the temple to ask for you. It will bless our baby with peace and happiness." Wen Tang squatted down, his voice as soft as water, and gently showed the red rope to the two little ones who looked up curiously.
The two children seemed to understand, but they both stretched out their chubby little wrists obediently.
The outer courtyard was already bustling with activity.
Qin Gong was surrounded by guests who came to congratulate him. Most of them would chat with him enthusiastically for more than ten sentences before he would just say a few words or respond briefly.
A large, embroidered scarlet velvet rug had been laid out in the center of the main hall, and the items for the "Grasping One's Birthday" ceremony were neatly arranged. These were things the two children were already familiar with, and to ensure that nothing went wrong, Wen Tang cruelly locked up the Yuanbao, who was most likely to disrupt the situation, inside the room.
When Wen Tang came out carrying Xia Jie'er, Qin Gong finally freed himself and walked over to his wife and children. Duke Qin and his wife, their faces flushed, stood at the front and waved their hands, "The auspicious time has arrived, and the 'Zhuazhou' ceremony begins."
All the guests in the room suddenly fell silent, their eyes fixed on the two delicate little figures on the carpet. Naturally, they could not help but shower praises on the Duke's Mansion's Qilin'er, and tacitly waited to see the boy grab the wooden sword that symbolized the son of a general.
Xia Jie'er seemed to have little interest in this crawling fun. She raised her little hand and slapped her brother on the forehead. Huai Ge'er immediately protested with a babbling sound.
Wen Tang didn't expect that Huai'er wanted to come first, so he signaled the wet nurse to put Huai'er on the brocade carpet first.
Wen Tang took advantage of the situation and gently pushed his son's little butt, "Brother Huai, go and grab what you like."
Huai Ge'er was wearing a festive red jacket, twisting his chubby little body, sticking out his little butt, and crawling forward using his hands and feet. He had a clear goal and went straight to the most conspicuous small wooden sword in the middle. This was his masterpiece that he had practiced many times.
Duke Qin's hand, stroking his beard, revealed a sense of satisfaction. Although Qin Gong knew this was the result of rehearsal, seeing his eldest son so understanding, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
Huai'er grabbed the wooden hilt of the sword with his little hands and waved it happily.
At this moment, a furry, yellow dog's head suddenly emerged from the pile of objects in front of him.
Huai'er's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the sword and crawled towards the dog's head, grunting.
Just as they were about to get closer, a slender, powerful hand took the lead and picked up the curious little yellow dog. The person who bent down and picked up the dog was a young man with a handsome figure.
Huai'er tilted his little head back, looking at the man who had snatched the dog. He imitated his grandfather watching a play, raised the sword with his chubby hands with great effort, and called out in a baby voice, "Dad."
A loud "Dad" echoed throughout the venue. The guests who were about to cheer "son of a general" and "brave and extraordinary" paused. The eldest son of Lord Qin was calling "Dad" to Lord Zhang.
Su Yi, who was standing next to Wen Tang, glared and then looked at his eldest cousin who was standing with his hands behind his back.
Mrs. Zhou went forward and tried to take Huai Ge'er away from Zhang Yao, but the little ancestor was still thinking about the puppy in her arms. When he was picked up, he continued to shout in the direction of Zhang Yao, "Daddy, Daddy..."
This child has never properly called his biological father.
The chubby Huai Ge'er was carried in front of Wen Tang. He seemed to feel the gaze of his father next to him. He squinted his eyes ingratiatingly and showed a sweet, milky smile.
Wen Tang patted his forehead lightly without any hesitation.
Huai Ge'er imitated Qin Gong's behavior and tried hard to put on a stern face. His expression was so similar to Qin Gong's cold face that the ladies who were nearby couldn't help laughing.
--
Lunch began, and the atmosphere was filled with joy. Two dogs were particularly active, running and playing between the table legs. One was Yuanbao, who had been let out for some fun, and the other was the little yellow dog Zhang Yao had brought with him.
After the two children had eaten and drunk their fill, they were taken away by the old woman to rest.
Wen Tang was at the women's banquet. Because of the great joy today, she was persuaded by several ladies she knew to have a few more glasses of fruit wine. She was prone to getting dizzy after drinking alcohol.
After a few drinks, her cheeks were flushed with intoxicating colors, her eyes became hazy, and her moist lips looked even more beautiful.
After forcing herself to attend the social event for a while, she stood up and left the table, intending to go to the corridor to get some fresh air to wake herself up. Halfway there, she felt her legs go weak and she felt too lazy to move.
Leaning against the vermilion railing, the cool breeze brushed across my hot cheeks, which was very comfortable.
She lay there in a daze, even the voice of Zhou's mother whispering to her was too vague to hear clearly. It was not until a shadow fell that she raised her head in confusion, only to see Qin Gong blocking her way like a mountain.
Wen Tang's eyes were hazy from drunkenness, and she saw double. She raised her hand in dissatisfaction and said in a commanding tone, "Don't move."
"Stand still."
The little hand patted his strong shoulder without any hesitation.
But the figure in front of her was still swaying. Wen Tang was annoyed and tried to stand up by holding the railing, but her body was unstable. A pair of strong and powerful hands supported her in time.
What followed was the rich smell of alcohol on the man's body mixed with the familiar, reassuring cold aura on him.
Bastard, it smells so bad.
Wen Tang wrinkled his nose, his voice unclear, and carried the naiveté of drunkenness.
At the corner on the side, the shadows of the trees were swaying, and the light was fragmented by the dense branches and leaves, and suddenly became dim.
Zhang Yao leaned against the cold wall, his figure almost blending into the shadows, his head tilted slightly upward. The suppressed, subtle sound of lips and teeth rubbing against each other, and the woman's nasal, faint, refusing moans due to difficulty breathing, clearly penetrated his ears.
The source of the sound was deep in the corridor in front of him.
The woman was completely enveloped and imprisoned by the man's tall body.
Wen Tang was pressed against the vermilion railing behind her. Her face was forced up, flushed red, and her small hands pressed in vain against the man's broad chest. The force of her rejection was so weak that it was almost like a struggle, like an ant trying to shake a tree, and was easily suppressed.
The man's kisses came down densely, carrying unquestionable possession and the passion of alcohol.
Wen Tang felt uncomfortable and had difficulty breathing. Taking advantage of the gap when Qin Gong buried his head in her neck, Wen Tang was able to turn her head with difficulty, gasping for breath, and regained consciousness briefly.
She raised her eyes dreamily,
However, when he raised his head, his gaze was unexpectedly caught in the thick shadow not far away.
There, a person stood silently. The light was dim, and the face could not be seen clearly, but only a gaze pierced the gloom, a gaze that seemed to have substance.