As soon as the gong sounded, Agui quickly lit the firecracker fuse, and there was a crackling sound and smoke filled the air.
Agui's father, a wrinkled, skinny man, stood there nervously and shouted, "Fellow people from all over the world, distinguished guests and friends, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come and support me. Today is my brother's return home in glory, and long live the Lord's enthronement."
The fifth rank of martial arts was initially awarded to General Ningyuan, and he was appointed as the commander of the imperial camp in Henan Province. He was a military officer with the surname Guo (garrison rank). The saint was particularly gracious. He conferred the title of Tai Yiren on our mother, conferred the title on our deceased father, General Wude, and conferred the title on my sister-in-law, Yiren.
,
Such a great grace is so great that we specially invite our friends and relatives to witness and express our gratitude to the Emperor for his kindness...
I don’t have much to say, but I apologize for the poor hospitality.
There's cigarettes and tea on the table. Please wait. The food is now being served.
The first dish is the golden rooster. The golden rooster brings good news, joy falls from the sky, and the house is full of joy. Everyone who sees it is happy!"
The Chen family uses a large black pottery bowl to hold a braised chicken. The chicken is braised to a golden color, so it is called the golden chicken. The bowl contains a whole big chicken. It is full of ingredients and full of atmosphere.
The big black pottery bowl was very big, and the chicken weighed several kilograms. The bowl was full, golden and golden, it looked good, smelled good, and the color was pretty good.
The banquet was placed directly outside on the drying ground, and the tables were borrowed from the neighboring squares. There were eight people per table, eight large bowls of food on each table, and freshly steamed white flour steamed buns.
Although the villagers say that thanks to the Red Spear Club, their lives have been stable in the past two years, their lives are not easy. Everyone is living a tight life. Who has ever seen such a scene?
Even the county magistrate, mayor and inspectors stationed in the market town couldn't help but drool when they saw this hard dish.
"The second dish is silver carp. Folks, guests and friends, please enjoy."
The second dish is silver carp. People in Yongcheng also love to eat fish. There are several big rivers here. The Yellow River used to flow nearby before it was diverted. There are even four-eyed nostrils in Weishan Lake in Xuzhou not far away.
Carp. So there is no carp without carp. Generally, we use carp from nearby rivers and ponds. If the conditions are good, we use Yellow River carp. If we are more particular, then buy the four-eyed nostril carp unique to Weishan Lake. The surface of carp is like silver scales, so
It's called Silver Carp.
As soon as the silver carp from Weishan Lake comes up, the grade goes up a few notches.
Then the dishes came one after another, all in large black pottery bowls.
The third dish is copper elbow, the fourth dish is jade eggs, the fifth dish is suede, the sixth dish is tofu, the seventh dish is green onions and peppers, and the eighth dish is stir-fried shredded vegetables.
The chef cooking today is the chef specially invited from the big restaurant in Daqiuji. These eight bowls are his specialty, and the owner provides enough ingredients. The chef also knows that Chen Twelve is now prosperous.
, so I worked extra hard.
The dishes come out one after another, full of color, flavor and flavor.
Every dish was portioned out as soon as it was served.
Everyone didn't want to eat at the table, so they all brought things to do in advance. Some brought basins, some brought cans, and some brought buckets. Each dish was divided into one dish.
Some of the tables were occupied by gentlemen, even decent squires and officials, so they parted ways politely, while others were occupied by fellow villagers, who started grabbing them directly.
At this time, everyone no longer cares about who is the uncle and who is the aunt. Everyone shows off his or her skills based on speed. Of course, there are also rules at the table. Hand speed is what matters, but you can't just take away a bowl.
This kind of eating at a banquet and grabbing food to share is an old custom. Chen Twelve, who has seen the world outside, saw it and found it quite friendly.
A son does not think his mother is ugly, a dog does not think his family is poor, and the customs and habits of any place always have their historical origins.
Even if we have to grab food and share it, life is still difficult and the conditions are poor. Even if we go to a banquet, we can't bear to eat it ourselves. We have to take it back to the family to eat together. Even if a good dish is taken back and turned into a pot of stew, it still makes the whole family happy.
share to.
Chen Twelve toasted and scattered cigarettes across the table.
Cigarettes and alcohol are expensive, but today he doesn't care.
He used to bend over hard for a day in the wheat field under the scorching sun, and the most he could exchange for more than ten cents and three meals was no longer the same. A box of good cigarettes worth hundreds of cents was also scattered around, not that he
I forgot about Ben Piao, but he just wanted to express his gratitude to the folks, so that his mother, brother, sister-in-law, and family members could feel proud and share his current success together.
The last dish of stir-fried cabbage was served and everyone divided it as usual.
After dividing the vegetables, I started eating the steamed buns with the remaining juice at the bottom of the bowl.
Chen Twelve had also expected such a scene, so today there were eighty white-faced steamed buns per table, ten large steamed buns per person, all of which were extremely delicious.
In addition to steamed buns, soup is also prepared.
It's called soup, but it's actually full of ingredients, including large meatballs, broken-bone chicken, corn, tofu, radish, cabbage, shrimp, mutton, pork bones, etc. Stewed into a large pot, a large bucket is placed on each table for everyone to drink soup.
In fact, I know that everyone has shared the eight bowls and is just eating steamed buns here.
No one expected the Chen family to be so particular. They were full of praise. In the end, they ate and drank enough. They also carried a few cigarettes and carried the distributed dishes home. In addition to the eight large bowls, there were seven or eight steamed buns, but they were not eaten in the end.
The finished stew was divided into large basins and taken away.
Returned with a full load.
"Uncle, Zhang Xiancheng and Inspector Liu from Daqiu Jishang, Deputy Envoy Liu from the Taxation Department, Deputy Envoy Zhao from the Hebo Office, Deputy Envoy Wucang, Station Master Zhu from the Town Grain Station, Mayor Ma, Chen
The deputy mayor, Chen Baozhang, He Shuli, etc. all came with gifts."
Chen Twelve was a little drunk.
Very happy today.
The Chen family used to be extremely poor. Even several brothers could not go out at the same time in the winter because there were not enough cotton trousers. They would have nothing to wear when they went out. They even wore straw sandals in winter and covered them with wheat straw and reed flowers.
All kinds of hardships are painful to recall. Because of poverty, seven of his dozen brothers and sisters died in childhood. Some became sick and had no money for medical treatment, some died of starvation, and one died of freezing.
Chen Twelve could survive because of his fate.
Who would have thought that Chen Twelve could now become a fifth-grade military attache.
What Agui is talking about are the reputable people in the town. As the birthplace of the Red Spear Club, Daqiu has good industrial and commercial development. Daqiu Town was established here last year. Not only did the town mayor and deputy mayors be sent here, but the county also sent a special
A county magistrate came to open a government office to garrison, and an inspection office was set up in the town, which sent inspections and archers.
They also built a posthouse, a delivery shop, a postmaster, etc. here, and also recruited dozens of postboys.
There are also purchasing depots, granaries, charity warehouses, etc. here, and even the county's tax department, river station, etc. have sent deputies to garrison here, and there are many officials and officials.
These people came to Daqiu to take up posts and had also visited the Chen family earlier. They knew that Chen Twelve now had a status in the Guide regiment training, but this time Chen Twelve was directly ranked as the fifth grade. He even studied in the Jiangwu Hall and became the emperor's sword.
disciples, which was extremely unexpected to them.
So as soon as I heard the news, I took the initiative to come and even gave gifts.
"Invite them all to come and have a cup of tea," Chen Twelve said.
Invite all these people who are eating from the government.
"This is the tea I brought back from Tokyo. Yunwu tea from Tiantai Mountain in Taizhou, the place where the sage Longxing was born. It tastes pretty good. Let's try it."
There was no tea set, so I just poured the boiled well water into the black pottery bowl I had just eaten in, and then grabbed a handful of tea leaves in it.
Chen Twelve is still wearing the uniform of a military attache, and the big bear on his chest looks like he is showing his teeth and claws.
A group of people are very careful.
In fact, they are basically all from Henan, and they are basically all appointed by the original patrol officer Zhao Hongsheng and Master Zhao, and some are even directly appointed by the prefect of Guide.
In troubled times, there are not so many rules to follow.
Some were from local gentry, some were former subordinates, some were from local rich families, some were former bandits, and some were even former members of the Red Spear who were injured and transferred to the local area.
Generally speaking, except for County Magistrate Zhang, Inspector Liu, Mayor Ma, and Deputy Mayor Chen, the rest of the people are actually outcasts or miscellaneous workers with no rank, or even directly subordinate staff.
In today's Henan, especially in Guide and Yongcheng, this three-thirds of an acre of land, whether you are an official or a local official, you can actually breathe with the help of a red gun.
There were very few officials who were actually sent by the imperial court.
Chen Twelve is not only a fifth-grade military officer, he is also Zhu Zhongyi's lieutenant general. He is an absolute confidant. Although Zhu Zhongyi was Xu Dingguo's adopted son before, he was originally a senior brother of the Red Spear Club, and was later awarded by the emperor.
With the surname of the country, he was adopted as the adopted son of the emperor, so he was trained in the regiment of Gui De, and soldiers from the imperial camp had been joining him for a long time.
This has long since become a direct lineage of the emperor.
Chen Twelve is naturally different from ordinary fifth-rank officials.
Everyone even felt a bit honored to have such a big shot under their control. Coming to the banquet was not only to show their support, but also to take the opportunity to give gifts and strengthen the relationship.
"grown ups····"
Just as Liu County Cheng, who had the highest status among the crowd, spoke, Chen Twelve interrupted him with a smile and waved his hand, "I came to Beijing for the second time and trained in the martial arts hall for three months. I was also fortunate to hear the saint teach in person. After three months in Beijing,
It didn't take long, but I felt deeply and learned a lot.
Let's just talk about this title. In recent years, in order to compliment and please, people often use honorific titles that surpass the other person's status. This trend is especially popular in Henan.
In the past, the chief officials of the imperial court, such as the minister, the censor of the capital, the general envoy, the minister of Dali temple, as well as the chief officials of the local provinces, such as the governor, Bujian, etc., were respectfully called "Lord".
But later, some people called the governor the Grand Master. In Henan, even Bu Yin respectfully calls the Governor the Grand Master, and even now some people refer to Daotai and county magistrates as Tai Laoye.
Juren, Gongsheng and other people who have not yet obtained official positions are all called uncles, and even scholars are called masters.
He even felt that this lord, lord, lord, and lord was not enough of a compliment, so he even started to call me “sir.”
When I was in Beijing, I also went to the Imperial College and listened. The old masters in the Imperial College said that in the Tang Dynasty, the word "sir" was used to address fathers. Fathers can also be called "sir" directly.
Nowadays, many of us call officials "sir". Not only that, but "sir" is also called "sir" like "sir". It has become more and more common. At first, he was just called minister minister, governor and governor, and later he was called magistrate Daotai. Now, as long as he is an official
, are all called adults, and anyone who has a reputation, regardless of whether he is a scholar or a scholar, is called Lao Ye.
We in Henan are particularly prosperous.
But this situation is rare in Tokyo now, and the atmosphere is much more upright. The saints have personally written articles in the Beijing News, saying that calling officials and scholars is a big mistake and should be corrected."
Liu Xian Cheng did not expect that the moment he opened his mouth, General Chen would refute him so loudly that he quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake.
"From now on, everyone will directly address each other according to their positions. You can call me Chen Zhongjun, you can also call me Chen Shoubei, or you can call me Chen Twelve, Liu Xian Cheng, I will directly call you Liu Xian Cheng, or Liu Zanfu, Liu Zuotang
, Liu Eryin, I won’t call you Mr. Liu anymore.”
"What General Chen taught you was a minor rudeness."
Chen Twelve drank the tea brewed in a black pottery bowl and found it tasted equally fragrant.
"There is another thing that deeply impressed me in Beijing this time, and that is this gift. In the past, it was normal for people to exchange favors, but now many officials use the red and white events to give official gifts under the banner of gift.
Official gifts are very sensitive, and if they cross the line, they can be regarded as bribes.
So giving gifts and bribes are just a matter of a thin line.
In the past, there were many bad rules in the officialdom, and all kinds of etiquette were very particular. The emperor has denounced these behaviors several times, such as charcoal and ice, Chengyi, year, festival, joy, makeup, and so on.
Men's respect, follow's respect, compensation's respect, Fei's respect, etc., there are countless others.
He even gave him three hundred taels of silver and called it a poem by Mao Zedong.
This kind of gift-giving has actually become a ritual, with a certain number, what is the official number, and what title. This kind of behavior is strictly prohibited by the Emperor of Pilgrimage, and these bad habits must be eradicated. Your Majesty will increase the salary and welfare of the officials.
We also provide subsidies such as money for raising money and money for food, just to stop everyone from engaging in such messy things.
Tokyo is doing very well now. This time I went to Beijing with Mr. Guo Xing, and I also brought some specialties from Henan, but the officials from various yamen and ministries in the capital confiscated them, and even gave them to the yamen instead of individuals.
They don't accept local products.
Because once you open this hole, you won't be able to close it.
In the end, most of the souvenirs we brought were sold, and only a few were left behind to give to friends, none of which were worth more than one silver dollar.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Everyone, Henan is lagging behind.
As in the past, everyone still calls officials "Sir" and "Sir" to scholars, gives gifts to officials when they see them, and dares not forget them all the time. They still stick to the old bad rules.
We are different now, we have to follow the court closely and keep up with the situation!"
"I am treating guests and setting up a banquet today. I am not taking the opportunity to invite guests and build relationships, nor am I taking the opportunity to make money. Therefore, please do not contribute any money today, let alone give gifts."
"The old one can no longer be used.
Mr. Zhao, the old master of our Red Spear Association, has now been promoted to the Henan Provincial Envoy. He returned to Chenxuru Road and changed it to Yudong Road. He has jurisdiction over Chenxuchuzheng Five Prefectures. The new sub-inspector is Zhejiang East Conglong Yuanxun. There are many rules, even
The prefect of Guide Prefecture will also be replaced soon, and he will also be sent by the imperial court, so everyone should get used to it as soon as possible."
"I also know that everyone takes good care of my family and is very grateful. We are all fellow villagers in Henan, so I would like to remind everyone that the bad rules and bad habits in the past should be changed quickly. Also, the new governor will announce the inspection
The first thing the prefecture will do after taking office is to check the fields. This is what they do in Shandong. So if you want to secure your seat or even go further, it is best to start now.
Be prepared, if you can successfully complete this errand, you will definitely be able to show your face in front of the new superior officer, and even advance your official career."
These words are a bit revealing, but they are not illegal. They are equivalent to giving pointers. Chen Twelve did this because these people are local officials. Giving them pointers is not only a personal favor, but also the emperor's way of teaching martial arts.
Give them the tasks assigned to them.
Chen Twelve told the county magistrate and others the practices in Shandong in detail, and they were shocked and dumbfounded.
"This is what I have said, and the road has been pointed out to everyone. It is up to you whether you are willing to do it or not.
Thank you for coming today. If you have anything in the future, you can come to me at any time. If you can help, I will do my best!" Chen Twelve began to serve tea to see off the guests.