Annual Ceremony

Chapter 56 Beginning of Winter (I)

If we call Orange to describe Shuyi, and if the cat's language expression ability is common enough to humans, then a long, long time ago, Shuyi in Orange's eyes was like a page of poetry - thin and clean, moving gracefully when the wind blows, and her soft Wu dialect is like humming boudoir poetry, and her eyes always carry the hazy poetic sentiment shrouded in the mist and rain of the south of the Yangtze River.

After meeting again after a year, this page of "poetry draft" is filled with panic and anxiety - Jiang Mao was seriously injured, and the whole Jiang residence was in chaos.

The third wife came hurriedly, with a tense and inquiring look in her eyes, and held one of her daughter's arms. Shuyi supported her mother with one hand and called out "Aniang". Her other hand followed her gaze and reached out to Zhenyi who was following closely. Zhenyi quickly stretched out both hands and held the cold and thin hand: "Big sister!"

"Second sister..."

Even though there were many words of longing, now was not the time for sisters to talk. The third wife asked anxiously: "...Where was the injury? Have you called a doctor? Who was the attacker? What kind of grudge did they have that would lead to such a heavy blow!"

Facing her mother's final question, Shuyi looked evasive and found it difficult to speak.

The Third Wife understood what was going on when she saw this, and Zhenyi also had a rough guess.

Shuyi finally gave a general idea in some fragmentary words.

Jiang Mao was a playboy and a frequent visitor on the flower boats on the Qinhuai River. This time he had a fight with someone over a prostitute. Both parties were drunk and they picked up wine jugs and benches and started smashing them. When Jiang Mao was helped off the boat, his face was covered in blood and he was unconscious.

After hearing this, the Third Madam lowered her voice and said angrily, "...those prostitutes on the boats are always trying to make the men jealous of them. Jiang Mao is also drunk and confused. She is just a cheap prostitute. How can she be worth such a big deal!"

When Zhenyi heard this, she had no idea whether her aunt hated Jiang Mao more or those prostitutes more.

Mrs. Jiang was also anxious and angry, but she did not cry or shout as Juzi had thought of her in the past. Looking at the noisy and chaotic situation, she was the calmest one.

"After beating people like this, there is no law left!"

"They just pretended to send some herbs with their servants, but no one showed up to apologize! What kind of explanation is this? We can't let them off so easily!"

"That's right, we can't just let this go!"

In the front yard side room where Jiang Mao was temporarily housed, listening to the angry words of relatives and clansmen, Mrs. Jiang gritted her teeth and asked in return: "What else can we do if we can't just let it go like this?"

Through a screen, Zhenyi heard the voice of Mrs. Jiang in the inner room: "At this moment, I am just glad that it was Mao'er who fell down and asked for the doctor, not the young man who beat him up... After all, I have inquired about it. His uncle is an official in the capital. Our new Jiangning County Magistrate must call that official in the capital "teacher"! It is a great honor for him to send a servant to make this trip!"

"...Throw all these things out!" Jiang Mao barely regained consciousness, his voice weak and hoarse with tears and anger: "I want to report to the police... Report to the police!"

"Report to the authorities? Whose authorities?" Mrs. Jiang's voice suddenly rose, and she angrily cursed with tears in her eyes, "If you can't swallow this breath, then hold it in and fight for it! If you can take over the family business, make a name for yourself, and donate a few officials to the family, then you don't have to shout and report to the authorities to get back this little bit of dignity, but countless dignity will come to you on its own!"

"Your life is worthless, and you can't even ask for a noble person to back you up, so who can you blame?"

After hearing such heart-wrenching words, Jiang Mao cried a few times and then ran out of strength.

The third wife beside the screen silently clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her face turning red and white.

She didn't know if these words were meant for her. The Jiang family had married Shuyi because of her and the Wang family's status and future. But over the years, Wang Xipu had not been able to resume his post, and Wang Jie had repeatedly failed to pass the imperial examinations. The family was getting worse day by day...

The third wife felt that she could not raise her head, and her words seemed awkward and unconfident, but she forced herself not to show any fear, for fear that she would lose her dignity first.

Wang Xipu, Wang Xichen and Wang Jie also rushed over quickly.

Today is the beginning of winter. Every year on the beginning of winter day, the emperor would hold sacrifices in the northern suburbs of the capital and reward officials with coats and hats. Literati from all over the country would also congratulate each other, which was called "Hedong". Wang Xichen and others hurried here from the Hedong Poetry Meeting.

Jiang Mao's injuries had been treated. One of his arms was broken and one of his eyes was damaged. The doctor had treated his wounds. Wang Xichen also went in to see him and tried to take Jiang Mao's pulse.

Shuyi naturally relied on and trusted her uncles more. When she saw Wang Xichen standing up from the couch, she hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Second Uncle..."

Wang Xichen said in a soothing tone: "Don't worry, your life is not in danger."

Shuyi's tense body finally relaxed slightly.

Mrs. Jiang's mood also calmed down, and she asked her daughter-in-law to go back to her room to rest first: "... You have been busy all day, and your health has never been good. Go back and put on more clothes and drink some warm soup."

Shuyi bowed to her mother-in-law and said, "Thank you, mother. I am an incompetent daughter-in-law, so I have to trouble you to worry about me..."

At the vague guidance of her father's eyes, Zhenyi helped her elder sister leave the place, and Juzi stepped over the low threshold and followed the two sisters.

Mrs. Jiang first asked the servants to lead the Wang family to the front hall for tea, and then found an opportunity to invite Wang Xichen to the corridor to talk alone: ​​"Second master, please speak frankly if you have anything to say, but the injury on Mao'er's body..." She was very good at observing people's words and expressions. She was the only one who noticed the flash of hesitation in Wang Xichen's eyes when he was examining Jiang Mao.

Wang Xichen was still a little hesitant at this moment: "I'm afraid it might offend someone..."

Mrs. Jiang seemed to have sensed something and said, "I am a business woman and I have never had any taboos. Second Master, just tell me clearly!"

Wang Xichen finally spoke after careful consideration: "Shuyi and Maoer have been married for many years but have no children. I'm afraid the problem lies with more than one person..."

These words were very respectable. Mrs. Jiang blushed slightly. She was surprised for a moment, and then said awkwardly: "Because he is the only one in the family, I have always spoiled him... Although I don't know any medical knowledge, I am not completely ignorant. I have occasionally heard that it is better to treat the disease together with the husband and wife..."

Wang Xichen nodded in agreement with her words: "That's the truth..."

Mrs. Jiang was helpless and ashamed: "But how could he listen to me? I boiled a bowl of medicine and brought it to him, but he got so angry that he immediately smashed it. There was nothing I could do!"

Wang Xichen said, "Maybe we can use this opportunity to recuperate and heal his wounds. There is no need to tell him directly. I will just pretend I don't know. I think there won't be any rumors for him to hear..."

Mrs. Jiang nodded repeatedly and thanked Wang Xichen, "Since the Second Master understands such advanced medical knowledge, it would be great if he could personally help write a useful prescription!"

Wang Xichen was concerned about his niece, so naturally he had no choice but to respond.

On the other side, Shuyi returned to the bedroom in the inner courtyard and sat down, holding a cup of warm tea in her hands. After warming it for a long time, she finally regained consciousness.

Zhenyi was accompanying her elder sister, and Juzi was sitting in front of Shuyi. When Shuyi came back to her senses, her eyes fell on the cat that was looking up at her, and she actually felt concern and relief on the cat's round face.

The touch that animals bring to people is silent, yet inexplicably surging. Shuyi suddenly shed two tears, but her tone was a little funny: "Zhen'er, look at Juzi, she is still the same as before... In the past, when we were doing needlework in the embroidery room, Juzi would stay outside the embroidery room, and in summer it would catch cicadas."

All these chastity rituals are remembered.

Juzi also remembered, but it wanted to say that it did not voluntarily guard outside the embroidery room, but Shuyi always forbade it to go in!
Orange wanted to accuse Shuyi, but when he saw Shuyi's eyes full of tears and smile, he immediately gave up the idea. Well, he had to admit that he was the one who always messed up Shuyi's embroidery first...

Zhenyi talked to Shuyi for a long time, and Juzi left the room.

The group of cats that Juzi asked to look after Shuyi in the past are long gone, but when the old cats leave, new cats always appear. Juzi is now so old that wherever he goes, he will attract a group of cats to watch and worship him.

Juzi then asked the new cats to look after Shuyi for her, and told them that Shuyi was a very good person.

It was getting dark, Zhenyi was about to leave, Shuyi took out a newly made mouse fur cloak and put it on her second sister and tied it up: "It's the beginning of winter, be careful not to catch a cold..."

When sorting clothes for her second sister, Shuyi suddenly felt a little distressed. Her second aunt was gone, and her grandmother was also gone. There was no caring elder around her second sister. Although Zhuo's mother was loyal and sincere, she was just a servant after all, and she didn't have any money or items to spend...

Shuyi took out some gold and silver jewelry, wrapped them in a handkerchief, and forced them into Zhenyi's sleeves despite Zhenyi's refusal. She said without explanation: "If you really don't need them, just think of them as something you can hide for your elder sister!"

The wind of the beginning of winter was already a little chilly, but Zhenyi's hands and heart were warm as her elder sister held her. Her eyes were also hot, and her nose was slightly sore.

When Zhenyi returned home, it was already dark and Jingyi had gone to bed. Chun'er scooped hot water for Zhenyi to wash her hands, and Mother Zhuo brought a bowl of bacon and vegetable rice that was hot in the pot.

Every year on the beginning of winter, Zhuo's mother would steam a pot of bacon and vegetable rice.

After eating, Zhenyi cleaned up and went to see Jingyi who was sleeping soundly. Juzi jumped onto the high stool at the head of the bed and gently pushed a piece of paper on it with one of his front paws to remind Zhenyi.

Zhenyi then saw the piece of paper, which turned out to be a letter from Jingyi before she went to bed. On it were neatly written large characters: [Jingyi misses her sister and wants to cry. If her sister comes back, please wake her up.]

——Jingyi missed her elder sister so much that she was about to cry, and asked her elder sister to wake her up when she came home.

Zhenyi was reluctant to wake up her sister, so she just poked her sister's tender and soft face with her finger and smiled, "Sister, I have called Jingyi many times until my voice is hoarse, but Jingyi has not woken up yet and is just dreaming... There are oranges as proof."

The orange tilted its head slightly in response, and it was happy to give such false testimony.

Zhenyi lay down beside her sister and tucked in the inner corner of the quilt for her. Juzi lay down on the side with Zhenyi's head down and tucked in the outer corner of the quilt for her.

The cold wind outside swept through the window lattices, making the room even warmer and more peaceful.

……

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