Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 78 Celebrating the New Year

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

The weather was gloomy and light snow began to fall in the capital in the evening.

The snowflakes fluttered, covering the earth with a layer of white gauze.

After finishing his work in the clinic and taking a tour of the Imperial College, Zhang Luan returned home in the snow. He shook off the snow on his body, and came to the ear room next to the kitchen, smelling the fragrance of food.

"Dad! You're back!"

Zhang Yanling, who had been waiting at the dining table early, stood up quickly to greet them. However, Zhang Heling, who was sitting with his back to the door, seemed not to hear him. He stared at the sumptuous dishes with his green eyes and swallowed hard.

Zhang Luan walked to the table, patted Zhang Heling on the back of his head, and scolded him: "You have no sense. You didn't even greet your father when he came back. Why don't you learn from your brother? You have no manners at all."

Zhang Heling touched his aching head and said with a wronged look, "Why do we have to be so polite to each other as a family? I won't do those useless superficial things."

The family had just sent off the Kitchen God in the afternoon, and the offerings were very rich. In the evening, all of them were made into delicious dishes and placed on the table. In addition, there were a few jars of Daonan liquor among the New Year's goods that Shen Lu had sent before. One jar was opened today for the offering to the God, and it was just right for Jin to use to add to the reunion dinner on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

Zhang Luan took his youngest son's hand and sat down. He first picked up the wine jar and filled the cup in front of him. Seeing his eldest son's expectant eyes, he taught him a lesson: "You are young and you don't learn well. You can't drink alcohol. It's easy to get addicted, especially this kind of strong liquor produced in Jiangnan. The alcohol is strong and you will get drunk immediately. From now on, you are not allowed to drink without my permission."

Zhang Heling pursed his lips and said nothing.

Jin helped Tang busy herself in the kitchen, and brought up another dish. She looked at the Zhang family, father and son, sitting at the head of the table, and immediately became furious: "The whole family, young and old, are like this, just waiting to eat, but they don't even come to the kitchen to help?"

Zhang Luan said with a smile: "A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen. Haven't you heard that? Go and call my two daughters over. You two will be busy."

Jin felt even more uncomfortable after hearing this.

However, she still went to the kitchen and called Zhang Yu and Zhang Yi, two little maids, to add firewood and help. In this way, there were five people at the table.

"Eat some vegetables, eat some vegetables... Today is the Little New Year, and there are not many people in the clinic. After today, your father will be completely free. I will try not to do anything if I can. I can sleep in and relax." Zhang Luan said.

Zhang Yu consoled him, "Dad, there's nothing much going on at home, so you can just take a rest and don't get too tired."

"I!?"

Zhang Luan pointed at himself and then laughed at himself, "It's okay. I'm busy all day long, but I'm not tired."

Zhang Yanling asked, "How is the planning for your sister's marriage going? Didn't father go to see Minister Li before? Didn't he say anything?"

Hearing the conversation between the father and son, Jin couldn't help but look over here from the kitchen.

Apparently Zhang Luan had followed his son's advice and painted a pie that was too big. He asked his daughter to participate in the selection of the Crown Princess, and it was said that there were also important figures in the court to help her. She also wanted to know how things were going.

Zhang Luan said proudly: "Minister Li said that he would do his best to help your sister become the Crown Princess. With his support behind the scenes, your sister will have no problem passing the preliminary selection. Even if she can't become the Crown Princess, being a concubine will be fine."

Because Zhang Luan had married his sister as a concubine, he did not mind marrying his daughter to the prince as a concubine. No matter what, it was most important to get married to the royal family first!

Zhang Yu pouted and said, "If you want to be a queen, you should be the principal wife. Why a concubine? If you live under someone else, won't you have to live under their thumb? I don't want to live a life where I am bullied and humiliated at any time!"

Zhang Yanling was listening in and suddenly felt that his sister was full of pride, had an independent personality, and had great ideals and ambitions, which were very rare among women of that era and were worthy of his help.

Zhang Luan said, "Silly child, as long as you enter the East Palace, even if you are just a concubine, you will be the imperial concubine when the prince ascends the throne. If you give birth to a son, you will be the imperial concubine. If you give birth to the eldest son, you can become the empress dowager. In this way, you will be like a phoenix flying up the tree."

Zhang Yu's face was full of determination: "But I don't want to argue with others."

Zhang Luan was stunned.

Then he looked towards the kitchen and saw Jin looking at him intently from behind the door. He immediately felt that his daughter's thoughts were taught by his wife.

When the couple quarreled, the wife always said that he was incompetent, that he was so poor but still did not know how to restrain himself, and even took a concubine, and then the whole family starved.

Zhang Luan shook his head: "You married a son of an aristocratic family. Does that mean he won't take concubines in the future? It's hard to say... Boss, you only know how to eat. Look at the way you wolf down your food. Can you be more polite? Don't act like a starving ghost! If you don't listen, I'll beat you up!"

Zhang Luan himself felt guilty about some things, so he certainly couldn't set a good example for his children. So at this juncture, he could only change the subject.

So Zhang Heling, who was just eating there and hadn't provoked anyone, got into trouble and was scolded by his old father for no reason.

Jin came over, put a dish on the table, and asked with concern: "Did that Lord Li really say he would help us? He wasn't just making it up, was he?"

Zhang Luan smiled and waved his hands: "There are some things that I can't explain to a woman like you... Oh, by the way, Yanling, you did a good job this time."

Then the whole family looked at Zhang Yanling with puzzled eyes.

"Dad, that's because you have the ability. You can not only cure people's diseases, but also predict the future. That's why Minister Li admires you." Zhang Yanling certainly didn't dare to take credit for it.

Since I am young, it’s okay to let the credit go to Zhang Luan.

Anyway, the one who represents the Zhang family's reputation now is this unreliable father in front of him.

Zhang Luan sighed, "Having a good son always helps you get twice the result with half the effort. Big brother, learn from your brother and make some achievements for your father to see!"

……

……

The whole family happily had a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.

After dinner, only Tang was busy cleaning up and washing the dishes, while Zhang Yu called Zhang Yanling aside.

"What kind of magic potion did you feed Dad? Why does Dad listen to you in everything now? He always praises you, look at how capable you are."

Zhang Yu glanced at his father, who was sitting cross-legged at the dining table and scolding Zhang Heling, then rolled his eyes and asked.

Zhang Yanling could sense that his sister was probably in a good mood because she felt that the matter of selecting the Crown Princess had been settled, so she was teasing him.

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Don't I have any ability? Dad may not be good at other things, but he has a good eye for people. It is because I can help him that he thinks I am capable. If I just slack off all day, Dad will put me in the same category as my eldest brother, and now I might be the one being scolded."

"Humph."

Zhang Yu snorted softly, "I think you and my eldest brother are about the same."

"How can that be the same? I am half a pound of gold, and he is eight ounces of scrap iron."

Zhang Yanling naturally acted like a boaster and patted his chest loudly to show that he was just a competitive kid.

Zhang Yu covered his mouth and smiled: "I said you were fat, but you were panting... If you can really help me choose the Crown Princess, you will be considered capable."

"I will definitely help my sister fulfill her wish."

Zhang Yanling said with certainty.

When it comes to such a serious topic as "wishes", Zhang Yu is a little confused.

From her clear and slightly hesitant eyes, Zhang Yanling felt that such an innocent girl actually did not have any lofty goals. Even if she did, it would just be to take care of her husband and children and live an ordinary life.

At this time, Zhang Luan, who had just returned to the inner room after teaching his son a lesson, told his wife, "Prepare some delicious dishes tomorrow. I will invite a few classmates from the Imperial College to come to our house for a drink."

While wiping the table, Jin asked, "Why don't you go out to eat? I don't know how many days we'll have to eat today's leftovers."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "Isn't this about living frugally? It's better to eat at home... and I don't know who can come and who can't. If there are not enough people who agree to come, and we can't afford a table in the tavern, it would be too embarrassing. It's better to hold a banquet at home, just as if we are inviting them to come and meet us."

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Recommend my old friend Changfeng’s new book "This Doctor is a Little Fierce": Reborn in a different world, Lin Miao relied on his medical skills to counterattack and embark on a path to becoming a saint.

(End of this chapter)