When it was light, Old Fifth Wang's courtyard was bustling with people coming and going, extremely lively.
Several groups of sturdy young men of the same clan brought tables, chairs, stools and benches borrowed from each family over, and set them out in designated areas in the yard. Those that wouldn't fit were placed in the yards of neighboring families.
The women who came to help were divided into several groups. Some washed vegetables, some slaughtered chickens, some scaled fish, some minced meat, some chopped vegetables - everyone worked very efficiently.
In the open area outside Old Fifth Wang's courtyard along the west wall, rows of four large stoves were set up. Fierce big fires were lit in the stoves.
One pot was used to cook rice, one pot to simmer bone soup, and the other two large pots were busily used by the head chef to stir-fry meat and vegetables with a large ladle.
The rich meaty aroma drifted far away, making people's mouths water.
Farmers rely on the heavens for their meals. In good years when the harvest was plentiful, after paying taxes they could barely get by with adequate food and clothing.
Meat was not easy to come by. Only for the birthdays of elders or festivals could they slaughter a little, offer ceremonial food, but they could never eat their fill.
This time, for Jiang Yuqing's one-month celebration, Old Jiang had prepared a full thirty tables of food, and slaughtered a whole fat pig.
According to what Old Fifth Wang said, this pig was so fat that even without counting the offal, the meat alone weighed over 200 catties.
In addition, there were whole chickens and fish, even more sumptuous than New Year celebrations.
Whether it was the few unrelated families who were invited, or the villagers who came to watch the liveliness,
they felt amazed at how Old Jiang doted on his granddaughter, and also couldn't help secretly clicking their tongues at Old Jiang's generosity.
Old Jiang had gotten rich, and was so generous. There was also a scholar son-in-law in the family.
It was said he would be taking the provincial examinations to become a juren in the second half of the year. If he passed, this family was bound to rise, and they had better curry favor with them from now on.
Of course there were also outsiders who spoke sour grapes, privately saying Old Jiang and Old Lady Hu were muddleheaded old fools.
With so many grandsons, they didn't dote on them but held a one-month celebration banquet for a little girl.
No matter how outstanding the granddaughter, she would belong to someone else's family in the future. It would be better to save the money and use it for the grandsons to get wives in the future.
But let's not mention what others are thinking!
On April 20th was Jiang Yuqing's one-month celebration.
The protagonist, little baby Jiang Yuqing, woke up early and was eagerly dressed up by her mother, grandmother, two aunts.
It was mid-spring, flowers bloomed everywhere, and it was already quite warm.
Even so, as a little baby, Jiang Yuqing was made to wear a red tiger head hat lined with eiderdown.
The exquisitely made hat had two standing tiger ears, and on the tips were embroidered two lively golden carp with golden threads.
Echoing the red lotus on her forehead, it looked extremely childish and cute.
She wore a red baby dress in the same color scheme, with little red pants underneath. On her chubby feet were cute little tiger head shoes...
In short, everything was bright red, looking exactly like a fortune baby in New Year prints.
After a month, the little dumpling had completely grown up. Thanks to drinking spiritual spring water every day, her body didn't contain any impurities.
Her skin was like the finest mutton fat white jade, translucent and delicate. Her fair complexion glowed with a hint of healthy pink.
Her exquisite little nose, cherry blossom lips, lush and dense eyelashes like fans, and especially those clean crisp grape-like big eyes, when she looked at you, could instantly make one feel their soul purified.
What child wouldn't be loved like this?
But the Jiang family was very nervous, and didn't easily let others hold her.
Early in the morning, Lu's maternal relatives arrived. Old Master Lu and Madam Guo, along with their son Lu Pingzhang, daughter-in-law Chen, and two grandsons came in a mule cart.
Hearing her maternal family had arrived, Lu came out holding her child to greet them.
As soon as Guo saw them, she took Jiang Yuqing into her arms, tenderly calling her heart's treasure and darling. Jiang Yuqing was very obliging to her doting maternal great-aunt, revealing a gummy smile. Next was paternal aunt Chen.
Chen had given birth to two sons but didn't have a daughter.
Ever since she caught a glimpse of her younger sister's daughter last time, she had liked her immensely.
Seeing the girl in her arms today looking even more beautiful and lovable than when she was born, she liked her to the bone. She wished she could take her home and raise her.
Of course, she could only think about it. This was the Jiang family's beloved, whoever tried to take her would face their fury.
As an aunt, she was already very satisfied to be able to get close to her and benefit from her blessings.
Maternal grandfather and paternal uncle Lu also extremely liked this little granddaughter.
They had heard early on that this child was born with a lotus flower on her forehead, and was destined for great blessings. Seeing her today, it was indeed true.
However, men's expression of emotions tended to be more restrained.
Paternal uncle Lu's two sons, one eleven and one nine, had both started studying under their grandfather. They were schoolmates and relatives by marriage to Jiang's seven grandsons, and got along very well.
After paying respects to the elders of their maternal uncle's family and seeing their younger sister, they went off to play with Jiang's boys.
Jiang Wenyuan kept his father-in-law and teacher company, chatting with his uncle in the outer room. Lu conversed privately with her mother and sister-in-law in the room.
Soon, they heard her maternal family arrive. Lu apologized to her mother and sister-in-law again before going out to greet them carrying her child.
Lin's maternal family ran an escort service.
Her father Old Escort Head Lin had served in the military when he was young. After returning to civilian life he started an escort service. He was heroic and righteous, also a famous figure in Qingzhou County.
This time, the in-laws came in person to celebrate their daughter gaining a child, showing how much they valued their in-laws.
The Lin family's gifts for Jiang Yuqing's one-month celebration were very generous.
A silver necklace with a hundred bats for longevity, one pair of silver bracelets with lotus patterns, one pair of silver anklets, plus four sets of the child's summer clothing, and other tea gifts and so on.
Old Lady Lin held Jiang Yuqing in her arms, utterly doting on her for some time.
She also had granddaughters in her family, but had never seen one grow up to be so beautiful and lovable before.
She praised Old Lady Hu, "Old in-law, this child is born so well, looks just like a little fairy attendant of Guanyin, clearly one with great fortune!"
Old Lady Hu loved it most when others praised her family's children. She immediately smiled from ear to ear, "Sister-in-law, don't laugh at me.
In all the generations over the years in my Jiang family of Xijin ferry, we've only gotten such a darling granddaughter.
I could brag about this for a lifetime, of course I have great fortune!"
"Hahaha, old in-law, you're right, we all have great fortune!"
Just as they were speaking, a sturdy, honest-looking man carrying shoulder poles came in from outside, and an old man leaning on a walking stick.
Hanging from one end of the man's shoulder poles was a basket covered in red cloth; from the other end were tied two clucking old hens.
Old Lady Hu quickly went up to greet them, "Ai yo, my elder brother, little San's uncle, why have you come.
It's so far, going to such trouble for you to come, hurry, come inside and sit."
This old man was maternal aunt Zhu's maternal uncle, and also cousin to Jiang Wenxi's teacher. The man carrying the shoulder poles was Zhu's cousin.
Zhu lost her father at a young age and was raised by her elder brother.
After her brother got married, his wife disliked having her as a burden, and often beat or scolded her. She was worked from morning to night, and often couldn't even eat her fill.
If it wasn't for her uncle's family who couldn't bear to watch, and often helped her here and there, Zhu probably wouldn't have survived.
Later when Zhu married, her elder brother and his wife took the betrothal gifts from the Jiang family but didn't give her a penny.
It was thanks to this uncle who spoke up for her, and provided her with two sets of new clothes. Her cousins also pitched in to prepare her dowry so she could leave home.
Because of her elder brother and sister-in-law's lack of benevolence, Zhu rarely returned home after her marriage.
If she occasionally went back, she would only visit her uncle's family.
As a result, her sister-in-law spread rumors in the village that she was an unfilial white-eyed wolf, but let's not get into that for now.
When Jiang Yuqing was awake, she had also heard her mother and grandmother talk about some things regarding maternal aunt Zhu's maternal family.
Thus she felt great affinity for this kind old man.
When the old man held her, she was very obliging, revealing a big smile, and even grasped the old man's fingers in her tiny hands.
Jiang's family had prepared thirty banquet tables for Jiang Yuqing's one-month celebration.
On each table were eight large dishes brimming with chicken, duck, fish and meat, all dried goods. The aroma drifted far away, making the villagers' mouths water as their stomachs were usually lacking in oil and rice.
They regretted they couldn't immediately open their stomachs and eat their fill.
Just then, a line of distinguished-looking people parted through the dense crowd and walked towards Jiang's courtyard.
At the door stood a handsome young man in a rain-washed cyan robe with a jade crown on his head, a jade pendant around his waist, and a very good-looking face.
With him was a cute little boy of about five or six, also dressed in brocade robes and wearing a small golden crown on his head.
Although very young, the aura the child exuded made people dare not look at him a second time. Behind the two were six guards who were clearly no ordinary people.
Li Zheng, the village chief, grabbed Jiang Yujian of the Jiang family and said, "Quick, go call your grandfather, father and uncles. An important guest has arrived at our home."
Jiang Yujian's heart skipped a beat. He quickly glanced at the visitors before lowering his gaze. He bowed and went inside to call his family.
When the grandson said there were dignitaries outside, Old Jiang hurried out with his sons to greet them. There he saw Li Zheng leading a group of richly dressed people standing at the door.
Seeing the hosts come out, Li Zheng quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "This is Magistrate Qin from our county and the young master. They are visiting privately today. Having heard your family makes wine, they came specially to share in the celebration!"
Old Jiang had never seen such important people before. For a moment he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.
Jiang Wenkang and Jiang Wenxi were not much better than Old Jiang.
It was Jiang Wenyuan who first stepped forward and bowed, "Student Jiang Wenyuan pays respects to Magistrate Qin, young master, and all the elder brothers!"
Only then did Old Jiang and his two sons react. They quickly knelt down to kowtow to the county magistrate.
But Magistrate Qin stopped them and said, "No need for such courtesy, old sir. I'm just making a casual private visit today. I heard your family is celebrating a baby's one-month celebration, so I also wanted to share in the joyous occasion!"
Old Jiang said happily, "You honor us with your presence, sir. Please come in and take a seat, sir, young master, brothers."
When they heard the county magistrate had arrived, people inside the house wanted to come pay their respects too. But Magistrate Qin had his entourage stop them.
Jiang Wenyuan arranged for the county magistrate to sit at the head table, and invited his father-in-law, eldest uncle, the old chief of the escorts, Zhu the Elder, Li Zheng, and several clan elders to accompany him.
His uncle Lu Pingzhang was the county's household registrar, so he was very familiar with Magistrate Qin already.
When they saw each other, they were both surprised. After learning of the Lu family's relationship with the Jiang family, Magistrate Qin laughed and said, "I knew you were coming today for your niece's one-month celebration, but I didn't expect it to be this family. What a coincidence!"
With Uncle Lu present, the atmosphere at the table was much more relaxed.
Unexpectedly, the seemingly aloof young master went to sit at a table with Jiang's seven sons and two nephews from the Lu family, just enough for ten people.
When the time came, firecrackers were set off to start the banquet.
After three rounds of wine, according to custom, Jiang Wenyuan and his wife carried the star of the celebration, Jiang Yuqing, to go around the tables greeting guests and asking for blessings.
At each stop, the child received countless blessings.
For a moment, within a radius of several hundred meters centered around the Jiang family courtyard, everywhere was filled with laughter and joy at the lively celebration.
When the guests had eaten and drunk their fill, they gradually took their leave.
Magistrate Qin also prepared to go.
Jiang Wenyuan led the clan to see them off.
Before leaving, out of curiosity, Qin Jue asked to see the baby. Since the county magistrate wanted to see the child, the Jiang family naturally could not decline.
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