Clam Pearl

The last day of this year is called Furi, also called Weishuang, that is to say, the last day has to be celebrated twice, don't ask where the rules come from, anyway, that's how it is here.

My sister-in-law said yesterday that before the sun comes out today, I will take the yellow paper and seal the eyes of the door gods on all the doors in the house, as well as the eyes of the stone beasts. Find a crossroads and burn the sacrifices, please list them. The ancestors returned home to enjoy the offerings. Those who worshiped yesterday were the ancestors of the ancestors, and those who worshiped today are called the near ancestors.

Before dawn, Gu Zhaocai fell asleep in a daze, and was dragged up by Niannian, dressed up, wrapped up like a two-legged fur beast, and went out with three sticks of long incense. Brother Bi Liang stood behind him, sealing the animal's eyes with red silk, and covering the door god's eyes with yellow paper. When he reached the gate, he saw his brother, who was also holding three long incense sticks in his hands, waiting for him with a smile.

"Brother, follow me, let's pick up my parents." Gu Yan greeted my younger brother in a good mood, but he didn't dare to move his hands, and kept raising his hands above his head.

Gu Zhao also held up the incense sticks, but joked in his mouth: "Father is coming back, will he stay at your house or mine?"

Gu Yan snorted: "Of course it's my house, brother lives in my house!" After talking about something, he added: "After the New Year, brother will buy you land and build a big house nearby for brother. What about my own home?"

Gu Zhao didn't care, just giggled.

The two brothers talked one after the other while walking, and every time they passed an intersection, Gu Maode raised a handful of road money.

They walked for a while, and they came to a very bright crossroads, where there were also ancestors who were holding a ceremony, and the servants from the Gu Gongfu's side drove them out unceremoniously, and even kicked their burners. Gu Zhao, who was watching, frowned.

"What should I do? They burned it well, will they die if they wait too long?" Gu Zhao scolded, and then he became more honest, and kindly asked others to accept the offering and move out of the way.

Gu Yan didn't care at all: "Brother, don't worry about those idlers, this road was built by our family, and our family took over the ancestors. Those people come to borrow money every year to borrow our family's blessings, so there is no need to be polite to them !"

Gu Zhao is not clear about this particularity. The general idea seems to be that it is more beneficial to bring the ancestors back from the wider road. This place was originally built by the Gu family. Many people came here quietly to pick up their blessings. ancestors.The Gu family saw that they didn't follow, but they didn't have to kick over other people's offerings, did they?In modern times, this is kicking people's ancestral graves, okay?

A slave set up a table and offered five kinds of fruits, seeds, roasted chicken, roasted goose, and roasted pig's head. Then the two brothers placed incense candles one after the other to worship. After the worship, Gu Yan respectfully Picking up the incense burner, he called out the names of his father and ancestors, and led them home.

Gu Zhao also yelled a few words, isn't his mother a stepwife? It's also because his son is unfilial. After all these years, he didn't think about inviting the cheap mother back to worship, but this time he learned and understood. , After I have my own land, I have to do this every year.

The two brothers were walking back, and someone on the side of the road was staring at them. Gu Zhao's back was as uncomfortable as being pierced by small needles one by one. If someone accepts the burnt offerings from their ancestors, it will be a big enmity.But looking at his elder brother's virtue, I'm afraid he really does a lot of things like this.

The souls of their parents and ancestors were invited back home, and the first meal was served respectfully. After the incense candles were burned, the two brothers divided up the food offered, and each male in the family got a share. To eat, Gu Zhao took a mouthful of incense ashes, and muttered while eating, this is not dead yet, but he took a mouthful of incense candle rice, what a bad rule!

After the sacrificial meal, Mr. Gu stood on the steps of his house and scolded his children one by one, as vicious as they looked!This is also a rule, called scolding, remind these children that you made mistakes, forget about last year, you have to change!After scolding, he arranged for someone to go to the hut on the other side of the family temple and beat Gu Maochang, who was in confinement, with five sticks.

Poor Maochang, he was not allowed to leave the house during the New Year, and he had to suffer five sticks.

After scolding his sons and daughters, Elder Gu turned around and scolded Gu Zhao again. He opened his mouth wide and pointed at Gu Zhao, his appearance was also very vicious, but after turning his words around for a long time, he pointed at Gu Zhao and reprimanded: "You ! Eat well this year! Don’t dare to picky eaters! Remember!”

Gu Zhao couldn't say anything, so he had to bow down and imitate his nephew, and answered yes, Master Gu returned the half-respect with some embarrassment.

After this, Elder Gu took the whole family back, Gu Zhao took the small basket handed to him by Bi Liangli and entered the family temple, and placed the prepared offerings in front of his mother's tablet, which was newly made , maybe the eldest brother never took himself as a cheap mother to heart before this.

After setting up the offering, Gu Zhao bowed down sincerely and muttered in his heart: "Mother, I don't remember you anymore, and I didn't know such rules before. It's been 18 years. My son is really unfilial. You gave birth to me once. I'm a fat chicken!" I didn’t give you one, so don’t be angry. From next year, my son will give you two copies. You will not be wronged. Don’t blame me. You must know where I came from by now. I don’t understand these things. You went early, and no one taught me, but now I have learned it, and I can't forget you..."

He murmured thousands of words in his heart, and after reporting his inner journey, he slowly stood up. Bi Liangli hurried over to help him up. Gu Zhao hadn't cried yet, but Bi Liangli's eyes were red and swollen from crying. The snot is about to flow out.

"Brother Nai, why are you crying? You see, I'm not crying!" Gu Zhao laughed.

Bi Liangli gestured in a big circle, and kept apologizing, saying that he hadn't reminded this before, and he didn't understand it well, so his father was also stupid. Besides, a slave, who has received such an education.

Gu Zhao doesn't care, people are dead, and they can't continue in life, so what can they do after death?Just think about it.

After the sacrifice, Gu Zhao returned to Suyunyuan. It was still dark at the moment, and he was exhausted physically and mentally. Didn’t he still climb the mountain last night? Strip off and get ready for a first-class turn over sleep.

He just fell asleep here, and before the sun came out early in the morning, he was awakened by the quarrel in the yard, and sent someone to ask, but it was his fourth sister-in-law who came to ask for the New Year gift.

Listen, it's so fresh. During the Chinese New Year, the sister-in-law blocked the door of the uncle to ask for the New Year's gift. The mother-in-law who came here also said it confidently. I picked it up, my uncle is in my hometown on weekdays, and the little masters at home have never received the care of my uncle. The fourth sister-in-law thinks it is not easy for my uncle, so I don’t need to pay more, just give half of it, as long as four years of money, over there Those who have prepared a population account book, from nephews to men and women, to nephews, grandnieces, grandnieces, and concubines will give half of it...

The more Gu Zhao listened in the room, the angrier he became. One was that he felt disturbed, and the other was that he didn't care about the money. It was the first time in two lifetimes that he was bullied like this. Did the woman feel that she was He's a man, so he won't argue with her?This is a big mistake, why?

"Niannian!" Gu Zhao put on his clothes, raised the bed curtain and called Niannian.

"Qiye, you don't need to get up, Sister Huarui has sent someone to invite the old lady." Nian Nian entered the house from the outside, but she didn't have time to put on a coat, she just wore a small padded jacket, and as she said, she pushed the charcoal basin out and went to She picked up a dozen sticks of red charcoal and went into the house to dry the house.

"Go and ask sister-in-law to do something, and sister-in-law has to give it to them when they come, so they are used to it." Gu Zhao took a few mouthfuls of tea from Mianmian and said, "Go! Bring in the account book, I will quietly, this old sister-in-law It’s the first time I’ve seen my brother-in-law keeping accounts, so keep your eyes open. Go and count the number of people, there must be no one missing, anyway, I’m also an elder, so I should give this money.” Gu Zhao smiled wryly, his face was a little tired, and he stayed up halfway through the night Sleeping, the spirit is really bad.

Niannian pouts, this money is not supposed to be given to her as a servant, she is usually a formidable master, why is she shrinking today, she thinks so, but still dare not disobey, she dawdles He went out quickly, took the account book and came in after a while, holding it to Gu Zhao with both hands in a fit of anger.

Gu Zhao sniffed, feeling a cool breeze in his nose, and when he took the account book, he didn't look at it, but just threw it on the ground like a stolen item, and said to Niannian: "Go and count the total, nephew, male and female, one by one. Two big bucks a year, halved for the concubine, just give a big buck, don't say that my uncle has wronged the children, the master has always done things fairly, don't save the master, I dare not owe this kind of love, give enough, In 18 years, I was at fault for losing any money!"

Niannian burst into laughter, bent down to pick up the ledger from the ground and asked Gu Zhao, "Master, do you really give me copper coins? Isn't it...too...shabby?"

Gu Zhao turned over and rolled into the quilt and muttered: "My own money, whatever I like is my business, they don't think it's shabby, what are you afraid of, I'm like this, a bachelor who loves whoever he is!"

Niannian held back her laughter and took the keys and ran into the back room, counting the auspicious money rewards for her servants, counting half of the basket one by one, and there was not one more.

Not long after, the quarrels started again in the yard, it seemed that there were no visitors, and it would not be shabby to have a mouthful of Seven Grandpas.

Gu Zhao was so angry that he slapped the bed board and scolded in the room: "I usually see that you are all so powerful, why do you let this rascal go to your disciples, beat them all out, and beat them to death if you don't leave ! The New Year's Eve makes me feel uncomfortable! I'm done beating him to death! I will pay for a good coffin..."

Sure enough, after a while, there was the muffled sound of beating someone with a stick outside the door, as well as his nanny Bi Liangli's scolding sound, and the dumb man who looked angry was talking. The mother-in-law brought people to drive them away...

Gu Zhao listened attentively for a while, and when he heard that it was finally quiet, he couldn't help but feel very discouraged, what is this all about!He was also impatient to hear the old lady in charge explain why he was in a hurry, why he was late, how to persuade him not to get angry, and nonsense like don't argue with the widow when it's Chinese New Year. The son sent her out.

In fact, it's not because the brother and sister-in-law can't control it, the fourth sister-in-law is a walking weapon.She has three legs, doesn't grow chrysanthemums, and eats things that she never vomits, so it's useless to argue with her!

In this way, Gu Zhaofu lay down again and slept until noon. While he was sleeping, the shopkeeper of the Nanhuo shop under his door, the head of the newly bought Zhuangzi, and the head of the workshop in his hometown of Pingzhou were all waiting early. At noon, Bi Liangli had no choice but to come in himself and coax Gu Zhao to get up. Today, the accounts for last year must be settled. It is unlucky for the owner to delay the accounts for the New Year.

No way, Gu Zhao got up with difficulty, wiped his face with a handkerchief of cold water, changed his clothes, drank a large cup of old ginseng soup, and was carried out to the main room to listen to the account.

Gu Zhao's land property is more than that of ordinary officials' houses. The southern goods shop on his account, the land property in the south, can be regarded as a decent property in the eyes of his eldest brother and sister-in-law, but today is quite interesting. All the related people and so on went out to avoid suspicion and did not come over.

Now only Gu Zhao's people are in the main room, and Hua Rui and Hua Li who are serving beside him are also hiding in the house and dare not come out.

Seeing this, Gu Zhao felt quite appropriate. In fact, it was all small money, so he just listened to it, but his grandma didn't want to, so he took a bunch of slaves and stood guard in the yard with his hands behind his back, making a decent appearance. .

Gu Zhao sat down, and there were six accountants sitting in a row under the door. The abacus beads were ready, and the cloths were all laid out. As Mr. Bo from the largest Nanhuo shop came forward first, Gu Zhao, the landlord, career began.

The Niangen of the Nanhuo shop opened in Shangjing this year is good, with about [-] guan. The income on the account has exceeded one hundred thousand,

This year, it is surprising that there is an additional income, that is, the fruit essence from the south. A bottle can now be sold for [-] guan in Shangjing. Speaking of which, his orchard in the south has become a climate now, and he has spent the most this year. A sum of money is the shipping fee. The shipping fee for transporting luxury goods from the south to the north cost a total of [-] guan, which is really extravagant.

Landlord Gu listened to the report all afternoon, and then sent Nai Ge to lead the shopkeepers from all over the village to the biggest restaurant in Shangjing for a treat. What is this all about!

After finally sending people out, Niannian and Mianmian dared to enter the house. They held the gift list and asked Gu Zhao to have a look. This is an annual gift for the eldest brother and the rest of the brothers. This year, it was too late for not following the rules, except for Gu Yan. Yes, the other family will send it over after the next year, and Gu Yan said on the gift list:

One hundred catties of dried big fish, one hundred catties of dried cuttlefish, three pairs of peacocks from the Southland, thirty black sheep, twenty goats, thirty chickens, ducks and geese, one hundred catties each of crabs and prawns, oranges , plantains, mangoes and other ten kinds of fresh fruits, five hundred catties each, southern polished rice five hundred catties, various roasted seeds and nuts fifty catties, ten dried fruits, one hundred catties each, five nuts, fifty catties each, and fruit flavors twenty Cans, ten altars of fruit wine, thirty pieces of Pingzhou satin, silk cloth, and cotton cloth, ten pieces of coral jewellery, chi and tiger tassel hooks, six white pearls the size of a thumb...

Gu Zhao looked carefully up and down, and arranged for Mianmian to add some good medicinal materials from the south, and gave six of the formed good ginseng before he was satisfied. They are all ordinary things, they are passable anyway, his fifth brother is the most honest, he gave him five hundred coins, and asked him to buy whatever he wanted.

In this way, compared with the share of the New Year's gift given by the elder brother, I picked up half of it and arranged for someone to give it after the New Year.

The house is small, but it is well-equipped. After Gu Zhao finished his busy work, it was already midnight. After returning to his room, they put the clothes, fur clothes, and some accessories newly made by his eldest brother on the table every year in the house, and gave Gu Zhao a bed. look.

"New Year, New Year! It's just trouble!" Gu Zhao nagged, telling them to collect these things quickly.

"Qiye said this, ordinary people have never seen these items before, but it's a pity that the old lady helped you choose for a long time." Hua Rui laughed and joked while tidying up: "Look at Chen Xiang's cloud crane clothes How many weavers would have to be abolished? In January of the first year, the head of the family had one piece for each of them, ten weavers, embroiderers, and tailors. After working for a whole year, there were only six pieces. That's it! Those below the imperial concubine don't have this quota, so you don't care about it!"

Gu Zhao was stunned for a moment, as if thinking of something, and didn't know how to describe that feeling. If Hua Rui said so, there were not many things in the palace, so why did the family dare to spend a lot of money on them?At that moment, Gu Zhao remembered the unscrupulous and domineering look of the servants in the family in the early morning of this morning. The sacrifices made by other people's ancestors were all kicked to the ground in full view.

Also, when I was living on the mountain, the Gu family burned a large plate of incense in the Banhuang Temple, and the plates were hung high. The longevity and longevity incense of many clan princes in Beijing are not as big as those at home.

A set of incense burns [-] sticks a year, and the Gu family offers seven sets of incense to the imperial temple every year, totaling [-] sticks. This is just this house, and there are Shangyuanzi, Xianglian Road, and Yuanyan Road. Not to mention the old temple family, it's no wonder that Gu Zhao is feeling uneasy at the moment, according to the unspoken rules of modern TV dramas, this Gu family is so ostentatious, it is really not far from death!

Thinking of this, Gu Zhao couldn't help but sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the cloud crane clothes, his heart twisted upside down, really uncomfortable.