It was already noon when Zhou Yanqing got up from a pile of account books, and it was already midnight.
He stood blankly in the courtyard for a while, his eyes turning around, as if he was looking for any trace of Qiao Mingjin's visit today, but he couldn't find any.
That woman was not like the woman in his backyard who would just throw away a handkerchief or purse.
Zhou Yanqing sighed secretly, twisted his neck, and then turned back to his house.
Shitou, the personal servant, saw him purse his lips and just keep his head buried in moving forward. He didn't dare to say a word and just followed behind quietly.
His master was so busy these days that he didn't even bother to eat. He usually picked out the gifts for Madam Qiao himself, but today he just waved her hand and let him do it in one go.
The two of them got out of the car one after another and walked towards the house.
Not long after, after receiving the news, my aunt and cousins from various families sent maids to come from various courtyards to greet and intercept people.
Zhou Yanqing had a splitting headache, and when several maids were competing to talk about how her young lady or aunt was doing, while preparing rice and tea, she finally became annoyed.
"Didn't I say that I would send them home in the past two days? Why haven't you left yet? Are you planning to celebrate the New Year at Zhou Mansion?"
Shitou didn't dare to breathe after hearing this.
He couldn't even say half a sentence.
How could he command those cousins in the backyard?
He cautiously raised his head and glanced at his master, then said anxiously: "Master, do you want to go see the old lady?"
Zhou Yanqing let out a heavy breath before lifting her legs and heading to the old lady's Chunhui Hall.
Shi Shi wiped the sweat from his forehead and followed closely.
After taking two steps, he looked back and glanced at the dumbfounded maids. Humph. Didn't you see that his master was so busy that his head was almost smoking? Why bother bothering his master? How could his sixth master be so sexual?
When the maids received Shitou's cold gaze, they shivered with fear. Miss, you have pissed Master Six off hard this time, I'm afraid he really wants to go home.
After regaining consciousness, he hurriedly went to various places to report the news.
Inside Chunhui Hall.
Zhou Yanqing no longer crowded on his mother's couch as usual, rubbing his shoulders and beating his legs. He just sat on the high-backed chair at the bottom with a black face.
Mrs. Zhou looked at each other with her mother who was serving behind her, and said to him: "Qing'er, has someone made you angry? Or are you tired during this time?"
Zhou Yanqing glanced at his mother and then said: "Mom, the Chinese New Year is coming soon. Haven't you arranged to go to your cousins' homes? Your cousins are already getting married. It's been less than a year since we spent the New Year at home.
A year later, aren’t you going to let them reunite?"
Mrs. Zhou, who was dressed in a rich and noble manner, was stunned after hearing this, and then laughed again.
Said: "Isn't it? It's really a year that passes. The daughter's family always has to get married. How many times can she be reunited with her parents and sisters at home? Qing'er, you are right, Mom will make arrangements immediately.
But we have to wait for their families to pick them up, otherwise they will think our family is chasing people away."
After Mrs. Zhou finished speaking, she raised her lips. Her son finally figured out that he must have fallen in love with a certain cousin, and he was thinking about his cousin.
"Qing'er, have you decided? Which cousin of yours is it? Although Mom prefers Biyu from your uncle's family to marry in, so that she can have a caring person to talk to. But if you like the girl from your sister-in-law's family,
Cousin Wu Jiao is fine, too. Her father is now an official in the first government. With the help of your uncle, he can be promoted to a higher position in the future. He will only be good to our family in the future. It doesn’t matter who he is, as long as you like it.
Okay, my mother is happy."
Zhou Yanqing felt even more headache after hearing his mother's words.
Which of these cousins is dignified, virtuous, and of good character? She is sour and jealous, and looks like a small family. She is not even comparable to a country girl.
"Mom, didn't I tell you that my marriage is not urgent?"
Mrs. Zhou glared at the little boy and said angrily: "Nonsense. Why are you not in a hurry? You are already in your twenties and you have no heirs yet. Which of your brothers doesn't have both children? My mother is looking forward to you now."
Let’s start a family and give my mother a fat grandson to hold. My previous wife has been gone for a few years, so it’s time for you to let her go.”
Zhou Yanqing became more and more annoyed and took a few deep breaths. He wanted to say that he was not keeping integrity for his former wife, but he was afraid that if he said so, his mother would press even harder.
After trying to take a few breaths, he said to Mrs. Zhou who was sitting at the top: "Mom, all my brothers have nieces and nephews, so you don't need any grandchildren to hold your arms? My son is now in charge of most of the family's property.
Wherever there is leisure time."
Mrs. Zhou glared at him fiercely and said: "It's getting more and more nonsense. When you start a family, you have to get married first and start a career later. Besides, what does getting married have to do with you managing the family's property? You don't want anything to do with getting married.
You worry, you still do your thing, my mother will do it for you."
After a pause, he continued: "Did you not take a fancy to your cousins? Could it be that you have someone you fancy outside?"
Zhou Yanqing flashed in front of Zhou Yanqing's eyes a face of an orchid in the empty valley, her hair and clothes were wet from the rain, but there was no trace of embarrassment or cowardice. She was selling umbrellas to a group of old and young men in a wine shop, neither humble nor arrogant, despite the strong wind.
She stands still...
Mrs. Zhou, seeing Yao'er's appearance, what else doesn't she understand?
There was a lot of joy on her face, and she couldn't wait to say: "Qing'er, which girl is she from? Just tell me and she will hire you herself."
Mrs. Zhou has been worried about her son's marriage since his first wife passed away. She has dated many women for him over the years, but none of them are to his liking.
I thought my son was a long-term lover and never forgot his ex-wife. Seeing that his smile had lost a little bit over the years, I didn't dare to push him too hard.
I just kept scratching my heart and scratching my liver. Seeing that my eldest grandson was about to get married, and the child had not made any movement yet, and his knees were empty, I became more and more anxious.
This time it doesn’t matter which family it is, as long as the family is clean and the son is happy.
The more he thought about it, the deeper the smile on his face became. He leaned forward and said, "Qing'er, tell me which girl this girl is from, so that I can marry you. It's best if you are young."
We have made a decision before the New Year, and we will get married right after the Chinese New Year.”
Zhou Yanqing came back to her senses and said with a helpless look on her face: "Mom, don't worry about your son. You know your son's affairs yourself. If you find someone you like, you must tell your mother."
Mrs. Zhou's face dropped when she heard this. She didn't like it.
But he quickly came to his senses and said to Zhou Yanqing: "Is it possible that I didn't take a fancy to you in Qingchuan City? It doesn't matter, mother will send a letter to your clan uncle in Beijing and ask them to give it to you in Beijing.
Take a look. The ladies in Beijing are certainly much better raised than those in our small place."
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.
Qing'er often travels to Beijing, so she must have disdain for women from a small place like Qingchuan. Although their family is a businessman, they have an uncle who is a Beijing official. They are afraid that they will not find an official girl raised in Beijing.
?
The more she thought about it, the hotter her heart became. She turned around and wanted to tell her mother behind her to prepare some pen and ink. She wanted to personally edit a book and send it to Beijing. Qing'er was so thin-skinned that she had no nerve to open her mouth about such a thing.
Seeing her mother like this, Zhou Yanqing didn't know what her mother was planning. She raised her hand and pressed it down: "Mom, don't listen to my mother."
Then he said to Mrs. Zhou: "Mom, I have my own ideas about my marriage, so please don't cause any trouble. I'm so busy at this time that I don't even bother to eat lunch, so I'll go down to eat first."
After saying that, he hurriedly left.
Mrs. Zhou looked at her son's retreating back for a while before she came back to her senses. She remembered that her son said that he didn't have any use for lunch. She repeatedly scolded the little maid who was waiting on her, and ordered the maid to go down to the kitchen to prepare her son.
The meal went...
Not to mention how the Zhou family, mother and son, sent their cousins home for the New Year, let’s just talk about Qiao Mingjin and his party.
After returning from the city, I led Sister Xiu and Ming Qi to happily work in the kitchen for two hours that day, preparing a table of good meals for Ming Jue and Ming Heng brothers.
In the evening, I invited Sister Xiu and her family to come over and have dinner together.
After having a warm dinner and seeing Sister Xiu and her family off, the family huddled on the couch in the side room, warming themselves by the fire, eating roasted seeds and nuts, chatting and laughing.
Listening to the two brothers talking about life in the city, listening to Mingheng talking about how he conquered Liu Qi.
Then the family played with Wan'er and Xiao Yunluan again until late at night.
The next day, before work ended in the afternoon, Qiao Mingjin gathered all the masters together, discussed the arrangements for the New Year, encouraged everyone, affirmed their achievements this year, and hoped that they would continue to work hard next year.
She also handed over the wages and bonuses to all the masters in the workshop. She just said that she was busy on Saturday, so she had the authority to do it for her.
Each of the masters held their own heavy bonuses and smiled happily. Who cares who is in charge?
Even Yue Dalei, who just started, got twenty or thirty taels of silver, not to mention the masters Wu Yong, He Fu and others.
Everyone was smiling happily. He Xia and He San even asked Qiao Mingjin if he could come back to work early if he had nothing to do during the year. He just wished he could plunge into the workshop to exchange for more money.
In addition to the master of the workshop, Shi Gen, Yue Dongzhi, He family and Ma family who helped with the work also received an extra five taels of silver New Year red envelopes.
After dividing the bonuses, Qiao Mingjin picked up some fabrics, dry goods, candies, snacks, etc. from the cart of new year goods that Zhou Yanqing had given yesterday and distributed them to everyone.
He's father, Wu Yong and others were not much affected, but Shigen, Yue Dongzhi and Ma were very happy.
Even though they have had a fixed monthly income from the workshop in the past six months, and their family's life has been much better because of it, they are still reluctant to buy these fine goods.
He took the portion of cloth, bacon and other items and thanked Qiao Mingjin again and again.
That night, Mr. He, Mr. Ma, Sister Xiu and Qiao Mingjin prepared two tables of good food for the masters in the workshop, opened two jars of good wine and drank it happily together as a reward for them for the year.
…
Early the next morning, all the masters packed their bags and came to bid farewell to Qiao Mingjin.
Qiao Mingjin sent Yun Jin and Mingheng Mingjue to take them out of the village using the family's horse-drawn carriage and ox cart.
After Master Wu and others left, the He family's father and son, his two apprentices, Yun Jin's family, Mingjue, Mingheng and Mingqi all wanted to go home as well. Qiao Mingjin asked Yun Jin and Mingjue to drive the family's ox cart and carriage.
He said that he would send the carriage here after two days, and the ox-cart would be kept at home.
Before leaving, I asked Mingheng and Mingjue to take most of the new year's goods bought yesterday to her parents' house.
Mingqi has been reluctant to leave, fearing that her sister will be too busy. Sister Xiu just came to see them off, so she told her that she would come over often to help. Then the three brothers and sisters frequently turned around and left. (To be continued. If you like
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