The Winter Solstice of the Jin Dynasty is a major festival after the New Year's Day. On this day, the emperor will worship the heaven, officials and wealthy families will worship the gods, and the common people will worship their ancestors.
On this day, the city gates at the border will be closed for a truce, the soldiers will have a holiday, the officials will also have a holiday, and even the merchants on the streets will have a holiday and close the market.
Therefore, people will prepare various ingredients one day or two days before the winter solstice to avoid being unable to buy anything on the streets on the winter solstice.
Every year, schools, colleges and other places also have the winter solstice holiday.
When they were in Qili Village, Mr. Zhuang usually only gave them three days off. But when they arrived in Yizhou City, they learned that other schools generally gave them five days off.
Mrs. Liu arrived in Yizhou City on Bai Shan's day off.
This time she brought her daughter-in-law Zheng.
Naturally, it is not easy for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to live in a small courtyard, but their original villa is too far away from here, and it is even further away than the city gate.
Bai Shan was originally worried about where his grandmother and mother would live when they arrived. Who knew that after they picked up the people at the city gate, the convoy went directly to Huanxi Street next to Kangxue Street, and then they stopped in front of a courtyard.
.
Bai Shan jumped out of the car first, looked up at the plaque, and was stunned for a moment when he found the word "White House" written on it.
Mrs. Liu supported Grandma Liu's hand to get out of the car. Seeing her grandson stunned for a moment, she smiled and said, "Don't look at it. This is my home. There will be many opportunities to see it in the future. Let's go in first."
After entering the gate, Man Bao was amazed, walked to Bai Shan and whispered: "Your family has a house in Yizhou City, why have I never heard of you talking about it?"
Bai Erlang also caught up from behind, "Yes, didn't you say that your courtyard is far away, too far from Kangxue Street, so it's inconvenient?"
Bai Shan: "...I only know it myself."
Aunt Liu helped Mrs. Liu go to the main courtyard. This courtyard has three entrances in total, and there are three rows going down side by side. It is very big.
At least Man Bao looked at it, and one courtyard was about the same size as the small courtyard they lived in now, and there were eight such small courtyards here, including the large courtyard in the main hall, which made nine.
Mrs. Liu sat down on the first seat and explained to Bai Shan: "This is a yard that our family just bought. After you were admitted to the Fu School, I made people pay attention to it, and it took a lot of effort to get it."
I bought it and it was repaired not long ago."
Mrs. Liu smiled and asked, "What do you think of this yard?"
Bai Shan nodded and said, "It looks pretty good."
"Then how about you and Mr. Zhuang move in?"
Bai Shan thought for a while and then shook his head, "Grandma, we are used to living in a small courtyard, and it is closer to the mansion school. To go to school in this courtyard, you have to go out first, then enter the square gate, and then go to the main street to go to the mansion school.
So far away.”
Mrs. Liu smiled slightly, patted his hand and said, "Forget it if you don't want to. I won't force you. Just stay here for the next few days and I'll let my servants clean up the house for you."
Then he said: "I will send someone to ask for Mr. Zhuang later. He is your teacher and has helped you a lot. We have just arrived in Yizhou City. No matter what, we must thank Mr. Zhuang properly."
Bai Shan happily agreed.
Mrs. Liu then looked at Man Bao, took her little hand and pulled her forward. After looking at her carefully, she smiled and said, "It's just been a few months since I last saw you, and you've grown taller and more beautiful."
Man Bao's eyes lit up with joy, and he asked repeatedly: "Really, really?"
"Really, I can't ask you Aunt Zheng."
Zheng smiled and nodded, "She is getting better and better, especially her face, which is fair and tender."
As she said that, she couldn't help but stretched out her hand and pinched it.
Man Bao: ...She knew that when she saw Aunt Zheng, she would definitely pinch her face.
Mrs. Liu looked at it with a smile and praised her full of treasures. This time she looked at Bai Erlang and continued to praise, "Erlang is becoming more and more handsome. He is also taller. How is his studies?"
Bai Erlang, who was quite happy to hear the praise, felt a little worried. Why do adults habitually ask about their studies after praising others?
Although Mrs. Liu had just moved in, she had called for people to repair and clean the room in advance. This time she brought many people, so she quickly packed everything up, and the kitchen began to get busy, preparing for tonight's dinner.
Before Mr. Zhuang arrived, Mrs. Liu pulled the three of them to talk, "On the winter solstice, the Bai family on Kangxue Street is going to have a banquet. All three of you will go with us."
She smiled at Bai Erlang and said, "Your father will come over tomorrow too, and we will go together the day after tomorrow."
Bai Erlang: "Why is my father going too? Isn't that a relative of yours?"
Bai Shan: "...Are you stupid? Your surname is Bai too?"
Man Bao laughed heartily and said happily: "Dad Shanbao is your cousin, aren't your cousin's people also your father's people?"
Only then did Bai Erlang react belatedly, and then he said angrily: "My father never told me, didn't Bai Shan memorize some music? I never memorized it. How did I know that Longzhou Zhizi
Whose family is the third bedroom and so on?"
Mrs. Liu said with a smile: "That's your father's fault. I'll tell him later. How can he, a son of a noble family, not memorize the family tree?"
She explained the relationship for them, "Moving to a new house is a great joy. This person who has moved here is your cousin. He is named Yu. He is the eldest son of the third room of Zhizi Hall in Longzhou. He is from the same family as ours.
It’s the fourth server, and your team has been on the fifth server.”
So the blood relationship and relationship are not very close.
Mrs. Liu smiled and said: "Although we are no longer close by blood, we are of the same race and live in a foreign land after all, so we naturally have to connect with each other, so he sent out invitations widely. Since he invited us, we will go."
"But in terms of relationship, his family is closer to my aunt who married to Yizhou City. Bai Yu's father is my aunt's cousin..."
Mrs. Liu said: "Madam, you are going to call me aunt. Her son Qiao Ji is the chief governor, and Bai Yu is the minister of the cavalry."
Bai Shandao: "They are both fifth grade, but Bai Yu is half a grade higher than Qiao Ji."
Mrs. Liu knocked him on the head and said, "I want to call my cousin."
Then he said: "But when it comes to real power, your cousin Qiao is better. But these things are not something you children should consider."
Mrs. Liu smiled and said: "You just need to know these things. When you are a guest at someone's home, just observe the etiquette. For the rest, you should play, eat, and don't fight or mess around. Do you understand?"
Three people responded.
Mrs. Liu then pulled Man Bao and smiled and said: "On that day, you will follow me and your Aunt Zheng. When you first arrive in Yizhou City, you should get to know more girls of the same age so that we can play together."
Man Bao thought of Sister Fu who was far away in the south of the Yangtze River, nodded and said: "I know Grandma Liu, I will be very friendly to people and make good friends."
Bai Shan said from the side: "I think it's a bit difficult."
Mrs. Liu patted him gently and said, "Don't bully your sister."