After nearly three months of hard work by more than 30,000 refugees, as well as thousands of blacksmiths and craftsmen working overtime day and night, the preparation of farm tools, seeds and other supplies has also come to an end. The preparations for spring plowing in Lingshanwei have been roughly completed.
After preparations were made, Pang Gang also decided to start spring plowing in early February.
Spring plowing is a very important festival for China. Chao Cuo of the Han Dynasty said in "On Guigui Su Shu" that "spring plowing, summer plowing, autumn harvesting, winter storage... among the four o'clock, rest on the dead day."
On this day, Pang Gang took almost all the general banners of Lingshan Guard, hundreds of households, scribes, clerks and other civil and military officials and military households all the way to beat drums, gongs, pipes and beats, and asked everyone to carry paper-made spring oxen and plows.
Waiting, we went from Lingshan Guard Station to the fields several miles away.
Along the way, military households set off firecrackers and threw rice, soybeans, etc. at the paper-wrapped cattle to signify a bumper harvest in the new year.
After Zhi Zha waited for the spring oxen to be carried to the thatch factory, Pang Gang burned incense to pay homage to the emperor's thick soil in the sky. He led the three volts and three bows, and all the military households followed behind and paid homage. After paying homage to the gods of heaven and earth and praying, Pang Gang personally helped the plow and performed the demonstration.
Oxen plowed the fields to signify the start of spring plowing, and the shouts of the military households onlookers echoed through the sky.
Countless women, old and young, also sang the spring plowing song that has been passed down for hundreds of years: "Plowing deeply in autumn, plowing shallowly in spring. Plowing in spring is like turning cakes, plowing in autumn is like digging a well. Plowing an inch deep in spring can take up one manure. Plowing in spring is like plowing in spring.
I am busy, and my face turns yellow from hunger after autumn. If I plow well and harrow well, the crops will grow but no grass will grow. The crops will not recognize their father and mother, so they must cultivate more intensively and harvest more grain..."
Amid the eager anticipation of everyone, Pang Gang picked up a plow and followed an ox with a red cloth around its neck to symbolically plow a ridge of land in the field. Finally, the surrounding military households cheered loudly.
It stopped mid-sound.
Finally, the military households lifted the paper-wrapped spring ox and swam it around inside and outside Lingshan Guard for several times, then burned the paper-wrapped spring ox, and the spring plowing ceremony ended.
In the following days, everyone began intense spring plowing. As the saying goes, spring rain is as precious as oil. This shows that people are looking forward to rain during the spring plowing season. Because there are fifty large water trucks, they are constantly plowing from the vicinity of Lingshanwei day and night.
The most troublesome problem in previous years was solved by lifting water from the river. The enthusiasm of the military households who had been allocated fields was maximized at this time. They worked hard day and night. By mid-February, spring plowing had begun.
end.
At this time, Pang Gang was finally ready to face the biggest event in his life, which was getting married.
In the small hall of the inner courtyard of the Qingzhou magistrate's office
Wei Tongnian was having lunch with his concubine Rou Niang and his daughter Wei Man Ting. When they were halfway through the meal, Wei Tong Nian asked: "Rou Niang, Qianhu Pang Gang of Lingshan Guard is getting married tomorrow. I asked you to prepare the congratulatory ceremony the day before yesterday.
Are you ready?"
Rou Niang replied softly: "Master, I have prepared my body. There are a total of one hundred taels of silver, ten bolts of silk and a pair of gold Ruyi. But master, are these one hundred taels of silver a bit missing?"
I heard that Commander Song sent five hundred taels of silver as a gift."
"Huh, I can't compare with Song Xinghe, that rich man. He just received a thousand taels of benefits from Pang Gang last month. It's nothing to pay this little money now. Now the iron man of Lingshan Guard
The mine is producing a steady stream of ore every day, and he owns 30% of the shares. That's all money, how can he not be generous? How can I, a poor prefect, compare with him!"
"Pfft!" With a sound, Rou Niang covered her mouth and laughed, "I am so stingy. Didn't Pang Qianhu also send you dividends from the cement factory last month? Now their cement has begun to grow in Qingzhou.
If you sell it, don’t you still own 30% of the shares there, how can you still get less of your dividends?”
Wei Tongnian blushed and defended himself: "I am different from Song Xinghe. His two sons are underage, but I only have one daughter who is waiting for marriage. I have to prepare a gift for my precious daughter.
I want a generous dowry, otherwise Man Ting will be looked down upon if she goes to her husband's house in the future."
Hearing this, Rou Niang couldn't help but sneered, "Sir, it's true, Man Ting hasn't even found her husband's family yet, so you thought of preparing a dowry for her. You really love Man Ting, I guess."
I’ll take a look, sir, you’d better find a son-in-law who comes to you, so that you won’t be reluctant to part with him.”
Wei Tongnian glared at Rou Niang, "What kind of son-in-law is this? The person our family is going to marry in the future is either a civil servant or a Jinshi. How can a family like this be willing to be our son-in-law?"
Here Wei Tongnian and Rou Niang were talking about Wei Man Ting's marriage, but Wei Man Ting, the party involved, remained silent and just ate the rice in the bowl. She seemed unusually quiet. This situation attracted the attention of Wei Tong Nian and Rou Niang.
"Man Ting, what's wrong with you? I see that your face is not very good. Are you feeling unwell? Do you want to ask a doctor to take a look?" Wei Tongnian asked with concern.
"It's nothing. Please don't worry, dad. My daughter is in good health. You don't have to worry about it." Wei Man Ting raised her head and smiled reluctantly, then lowered her head and plucked the rice in the bowl.
"This..." Wei Tongnian was a little depressed. He looked up at his concubine, but Rou Niang gave him a helpless look, which meant that she didn't know either.
After noticing that her daughter was in a bad mood, the atmosphere in the small hall became a little dull. Wei Manting hurriedly finished her meal and returned to her embroidery building. Sitting on a stool and carefully looking at her daughter's back, Wei Tongnian asked strangely:
"Rou Niang, what's wrong with Man Ting? I see that she seems to be in a bad mood. Could it be that she has something on her mind?"
Rou Niang shook her head: "I don't know about this either. She seems to be a little unhappy since the day before yesterday. I don't know what's going on."
Wei Tongnian sighed helplessly. His daughter had grown up and had her own worries. As a father, he didn't want to ask too many questions. Soon Wei Tongnian also put down the bowls and chopsticks and walked into the study.
The time soon came to the next day, February 16th of the ninth year of Chongzhen
This day is Pang Gang's wedding day. The big boss of Lingshan Guard is getting married, which is a big event. Everyone in Lingshan Guard is busy. There are lanterns and colorful lights everywhere, loess paving, military households from ten miles and eight towns and their original families.
Hundreds of households guarding various forts and officials at all levels also came from all over to Lingshan Guards Station to have a wedding banquet.
On this day, Pang Gang was pulled up early in the morning by Li Xian, who was responsible for preparing the wedding. He put on a bright red wedding dress, a top scholar hat, and thick-soled boots. Then Li Xian told Pang Gang
There are a lot of things to pay attention to, which makes our Pang Qianhu’s head as big as a bucket.
"Li Chandian, I am not the number one scholar, but also a military attache. Isn't it inappropriate to wear this number one title?"
"Sir, you are the groom today, and you are allowed to wear this hat according to regulations."
"Then what is this bag? Why does it smell strange?"
"Sir, that is a sachet. It contains peanuts, lotus seeds, red dates and other things. It is for good luck. You should bring it with you today."
"Okay, I'll bear it, but I'm a man. Why are you putting makeup on my face? You really think I'm Jia Baoyu! What, you don't know Jia Baoyu? Well, Cao Xueqin hasn't
Was born."
After struggling like this for an hour, our Pang Qianhu finally broke out. Someone brought a basin of hot water and a towel. He quickly wiped off the messy things on his face and walked towards the house with big strides.
In the lobby of Qianhu Mansion, only Li Xian and a bunch of old ladies were left with a wry smile.
Pang Gang started to greet the guests at the door of the hall, thinking that this would be better than being tormented by them in the room. He never thought that because there were too many guests, Pang Gang smiled at the door with a smiling face for an hour, and then his face began to cramp. Finally, Pang Gang started to cramp.
I had no choice but to come to the hall and sit down to rest. Someone immediately served hot tea. I took a sip and sighed, then rubbed the muscles on my face and lamented how complicated it is to get married in this era. Suddenly our
Pang Qianhu began to miss the simple customs of later generations. As long as the two of them went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get the red book, they would be a couple protected by national law. If it didn't work out, they could still have a trial marriage. If it didn't work, they could continue with another person.
Try it, it’s not as ink-stained as it is now, it’s almost exhausting you to death.
Just when Pang Gang calmed down, a servant came to report that the Qingzhou magistrate and the commander arrived at the same time. Both of them were senior officials than Pang Gang, so they had to be greeted at the gate.
When Pang Gang walked to the gate of Qianhu Mansion, he saw Wei Tongnian and Song Xinghe getting off the sedan and walking side by side towards Pang Gang. Behind them were more than a dozen sergeants carrying boxes.
and Yamen.
Pang Gang hurriedly went up to greet him and said with cupped hands: "Master Song, Master Wei is here to come. It is an honor to hold such a humble position."
Song Xinghe laughed and said: "Pang Qianhu doesn't need to be polite. Today is your big day, so let's not do that. No, I know you are a rich man now, but this is my wish, so you can
Take it." After saying that, Song Xinghe took out a red list of congratulations from his sleeve and handed it to Pang Gang.
"Also, this belongs to me, you can take it too!" Wei Tongnian on the side also smiled and handed over his share.
These two people really gave face. On this happy day, they did not call themselves officials but used folk titles. This in itself proved the hidden meaning of their words, that is, they came to Pang Gang's wedding in a private capacity.
, Pang Gang has to accept this face.
Pang Gang took the congratulatory gift and handed it to the serving servant behind him and said with a smile, "Boss, I would like to express my gratitude to you for being able to attend your wedding in person. Please sit inside."
Accompanied by Pang Gang, Wei Tongnian and Song Xinghe walked into the Qianhu Mansion and came to the hall. At this time, the guests and military households in the hall saw that even the prefect and the commander were giving face to their own Qianhu.
Everyone was honored to come to support them in person. In the lively atmosphere, a banquet was quickly set up in the hall, and everyone began to exchange glasses...