Zhu Pingan, the unworthy grandson, and Li Shu, the grandson’s daughter-in-law, are married to each other by heavenly works and earthly combinations; they obey their parents’ orders and matchmakers’ words, and have become one family, with Qin and Jin. They are now a family. They respect each other as if they were guests; they have children to carry on the family’s life; they prosper the family and honour the ancestors. Heaven and earth are blessed, and our ancestors are aware of this.”
Inside the Zhu Family Ancestral Hall, Zhu Pingan and Li Shu stood in front of the ancestor tablets and read out the Confession, then inserted the lit incense into the incense burner in front of the ancestor tablets, then stepped back three paces and stood still, editing their hands to perform a great salute, kneeling down and bowing down to the ancestor tablets.
This was a necessary procedure to inform the ancestors of the wedding and ask for their blessings.
While Zhu Pingan and Li Shu were performing the salute, his grandmother, eldest aunt, third aunt and youngest aunt were waiting outside the ancestral hall, and inside the ancestral hall, apart from Zhu Pingan and Li Shu, there were also Elder Zhu and his eldest uncle, Zhu Shouren, standing on the side.
Just now, when Zhu Pingan and Li Shu entered the old mansion, they met their grandmother and elder aunt, and after Zhu Pingan introduced Li Shu to the elders, the grandmother told Zhu Pingan that Elder Zhu and Elder Uncle Zhu Shouren were in the Ancestral Hall at the moment. As his eldest uncle Zhu Shouren was about to go to Yingtian Prefecture to take the student examination, it was customary to go to the ancestral hall to pay homage to the ancestor and ask for his blessing before going on a long journey or having a big event.
Zhu Pingan brought Li Shu to the old mansion, in addition to bringing Li Shu to meet Zhu Elder and other elders of the Zhu family, there is another purpose is to come to the ancestral hall to inform the ancestors of his marriage, to seek the blessing of the ancestors, which is also a mandatory procedure of the wedding customs.
Therefore, after hearing the news that his grandfather and eldest uncle were at the ancestral hall, Zhu Pingan spoke to his grandmother and the others, and then brought Li Shu over to the ancestral hall. When they arrived at the ancestral hall, Grandfather and Eldest Uncle had just finished paying homage to their ancestors and were about to return.
The eldest uncle was wearing a new large-sleeved round-necked straight jacket, with a refined and elegant face, and there was no embarrassment when he saw Zhu Ping’an, as if the day he had seized the family’s property and had been beaten by Master Zhu’s baton and scurried away had not happened before. Grandfather that day was aggressive, but now is also a peaceful.
Grandmother and the others had also followed along, but their female family members were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall, except for once when they were newly married, after which they could not enter the ancestral hall at will.
After Zhu Pingan and the others bowed to the ancestral tablets, they all returned to the old mansion together. After arriving at the old mansion, they returned to the main room of the old mansion, where Elder Zhu and Elder Mrs Zhu sat on the chairs and accepted Li Shu’s tea offering.
When Li Shu and the others went to the ancestral hall, the several maids who stayed at the old mansion had already boiled water and brewed tea.
“Grandfather, please use the tea.”
Li Shu first offered fragrant tea to Elder Zhu with both hands, a small tea tray holding a cup of fragrant tea with two red dates and lotus seeds in the fragrant tea, signifying the meaning of causing a noble son.
“Good, good.”
Elder Zhu looked at Zhu Pingan and Li Shu who were kneeling in front of him, his face was full of smiles of great relief, and he said two good words in a row. His grandson Zhu Pingan is less than fifteen years old, he is already a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, and he is already a sixth grade official, he has a bright future ahead of him, this is unique in the Ming Dynasty, it really gives face to the old Zhu family, this is the old Zhu family’s ancestral grave smoking ah. Nowadays, when you go out, who wouldn’t say that you have a good grandson? The granddaughter-in-law, Li Shu, is the daughter-in-law of a big family. She is a good-looking person, and she is filial and knows how to keep the family in order, and her reputation has been spreading all over the town, so she is sure to be a good wife in the future.
However, after receiving the tea handed by his grandson-in-law Li Shu, Elder Zhu couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret in his heart, and couldn’t help but think of the past, ai, if only, if only he hadn’t split up the oldest two families at an early date.
“Grandmother, please use the tea.”Li Shu repeated to hold another cup of fragrant tea with both hands and handed it to Old Madam Zhu.
“Mm, good.”Old Madam Zhu simply said.
After serving the tea, on behalf of Elder Zhu, Elder Mrs Zhu gave Li Shu a red envelope wrapped in red paper along with it.
“Grandson-in-law thanks Grandfather and Grandmother.”
Li Shu received the red packet, her small mouth was very sweet as she thanked, her face smiling like a flower. Of course, as for the heart of how to think that do not know, after all, the red packet in the hand in the first know, not more than ten copper money.
Generally speaking, drink the new daughter-in-law toast tea, elders will give some of the bottom of the things as a gift, like Mrs Zhu such as copper as a gift, or rare, after all, every family will have some bottom of the things, the Zhu family old house than the village general family to have some of the heritage, bottom of the things think will not be missing.
After giving tea to Elder Zhu and Elder Madam Zhu, Zhu Pingan and Li Shu got up and gave tea to their elder brothers in turn. Everyone received the tea and said a few words of congratulations on the new marriage, with the exception of the eldest uncle.
“Swine’s son has become a family man, from now on he is an adult, in the future you must bear the responsibility of acting and behaving.”
Zhu Shouren, the eldest uncle, wearing a new large-sleeved, round-necked straightjacket, after receiving the tea, held the tea lid and scratched it twice and took a sip and put it on the table, stood in front of Zhu Pingan with his hands behind his back, and took out an elder’s stance and said earnestly and kindly.
“I am honoured to follow the teachings of elder brother.”Zhu Pingan slightly arched his hand.
“Hm.”Eldest uncle Zhu Shouren touched his beard and nodded, very much an elder’s demeanour.
After saluting the tea, everyone chatted for a few more words, and then the topic naturally came to the matter of Eldest Uncle’s trip to Yingtian Province to catch the examination.
“This time I am going to Yingtianfu Academy Examination, everything is ready, just waiting for me to enter and try my hand, then I will be able to probe the bag.”
Eldest uncle Zhu Shouren paced two steps with his hands behind his back, stroking his beard, with a confident smile, and a chest full of confidence, very much in the style of everyone.
What’s the difference between not pretending and being a salted fish? Great Uncle Zhu Shouren fully verified this truth.
Err.
Looking at uncle Zhu Shouren’s posture of being struck by lightning, Zhu Pingan didn’t know what to say, saying that uncle’s words, he had heard them several times, right? Remembering that the last time he took part in the boy’s examination, he had heard similar words from his elder uncle in Changting, and on other occasions, he had heard them about several times as well.
“Then nephew hereby wishes eldest uncle a prosperous and successful Golden Ranking.”Zhu Pingan pulled the corner of his mouth and came up with a sentence against his will.
In fact, Zhu Pingan was still very unfavourable to his eldest uncle, not because he was looking down on his eldest uncle for no reason, but through the last time he went with his eldest uncle to Yingtian Province to catch the examination, his eldest uncle’s series of actions made it impossible for people to look down on him at all.
The imperial examination and going to Yingtian to take the examination is more like a kind of travelling at public expense for Uncle, and the family has saved up enough money for Uncle with all the money they have saved up. Uncle with these stained with the blood and sweat of the family’s money, can be strong wind and pleasure, wind and snow.
Oh, he seems to be the last time with the eldest uncle together to the examination, dozens of days, the pressure has not seen the eldest uncle read a book, prepared for a test, not once. But often see uncle with this and that go out to drink a wine, go to a banquet, hold the field to hold the field, condolences to this era of the lost women, fight a wind jealousy is often there. The day before the examination, the eldest uncle also did not forget to sympathise with the lost women ……
“It seems that the swine child also has a lot of confidence in the eldest uncle.”Eldest uncle Zhu Shouren stroked his beard and looked at Zhu Pingan, nodding with satisfaction.
Oh, that eye of yours sees that I have full confidence in you, Zhu Pingan was speechless for a while.
