The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 103 Xiao Muyang's First Birthday Ceremony

If you want to marry someone's daughter, you have to show your sincerity and advantages.

Mrs. Zhao felt that the only thing she could be proud of was the Zhao family's fine traditions: there were no concubines or maids in the backyard, and men in the Zhao family did not take concubines and women did not become concubines. If anyone violated the family rules, they would be expelled from the clan.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Zhao. However, this matter is of great importance. Let me report to the old lady first. The most important thing is to see what Nuannuan thinks."

The matriarch of the Xu family hadn't been in power for nothing; in a mere instant, she had considered all the pros and cons.

If Nuannuan were to discuss marriage in Shu, the Zhao family wouldn't be the best, but they would certainly be the most suitable.

Of course, she wouldn't agree immediately, nor would she refuse; she would listen to the old lady in everything.

The opportunity is meant to be reserved for Nuannuan.

Mrs. Zhao understood after hearing Madam Xu's reply; it meant that the Xiao family was not opposed to a marriage alliance with the Zhao family.

The thought of possibly marrying her favorite girl as her daughter-in-law made Mrs. Zhao very excited.

This kid does have some use, at least he managed to "trick" his way into getting a daughter-in-law. The highlight of the first birthday celebration is the "grasping ceremony" (a traditional Chinese custom where a baby chooses an object to predict their future).

Xiao Muyang was dragged away by Zhu Lingling and washed clean from head to toe. He was then dressed in a new set of clothes and taken by Chun Ning to worship the ancestors. Chun Ning told the ancestors of the Xiao family that the next generation of the Xiao family's child had turned one year old and asked them to pay more attention to the healthy growth of their descendants.

Chun Ning specifically called out to her grandfather during the ancestral worship ceremony.

“Grandfather, you made an exception and drank a couple of sips of wine that day when my eldest sister-in-law diagnosed me as pregnant. Grandfather, if you were still here, you would definitely love seeing this chubby-cheeked baby…”

Chunnuan stood beside Chunning and listened to her words, her nose tingling with emotion.

My grandfather was always a very, very good person. He loved his family and grandchildren very much, but of course, he loved me the most.

After her grandfather's accident, the Xiao family fell apart, and Chunnuan stepped forward without hesitation to take on this heavy responsibility.

Looking at the spacious and bright house, seeing the guests and laughter filling the house, and seeing her well-behaved nephew, Chunnuan felt that all the hardships and exhaustion of the past year had been worthwhile.

To give the little one a strong sense of ceremony, the Xiao family made thorough preparations.

The Four Treasures of the Study, scales, abacus, money, ornaments, food, toys, and a bell were laid out on the table. Chunnuan even added a few medicinal herbs to the table.

"Come on, Yangyang, grab one you like."

The child was carried to the table and even allowed to climb on it.

Xiao Muyang sat on the table looking at the people surrounding him, some familiar and some unfamiliar. He wasn't afraid. His big eyes blinked, and his little head was full of question marks, as if he didn't know what he should do.

"Young man, it's your first birthday celebration. Come on, quickly pick one you like."

The wet nurse, Ms. Wu, quickly tried to soothe him.

Xiao Muyang seemed to understand. He looked down at the things on the table and casually picked up a calligraphy brush from his right side.

“Young man, you have caught the calligraphy brush. You will surely be successful in your studies and become the top scholar in the imperial examination.”

Ms. Wu had seen many baby showers where the baby would grab something and say auspicious words, so she could say it without hesitation.

Originally, there was nothing wrong with it, but the Xiao family had already been ordered by the Emperor to be barred from taking the imperial examinations and entering officialdom for three generations.

So as soon as Madam Wu finished speaking, the Xiao family members were no longer at peace.

Of course, the Xiao family members were also very well-mannered and did not show it.

“Yes, yes, yes, the young master will be a top scholar in the future.” Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Zhang echoed, and Madam Xu smiled and thanked them for their auspicious words.

"Hey, buddy, you're getting the abacus working."

To Wu's surprise, the little girl actually picked up the abacus and presented it to Chunyan.

"aunt……"

"For Auntie?" Chunyan took the abacus with great joy: "My Muyang is so good."

Having received praise, Xiao Muyang behaved himself and gave the paper to Chun'an; the money to Chun Ning; and the medicinal herbs to Chun Nuan… Even after all the gifts on the table were distributed, he still held the calligraphy brush in his hand. “When my son grows up, he will definitely be a scholar, a person of great talent!”

Mr. Wu sighed again.

Zhu Lingling was both moved and saddened upon hearing this.

The Xiao family's current academic achievements are more of a disaster than a good thing.

When survival itself becomes a problem, reading really isn't that important.

Back then, Chun Ning, who was the most studious, was forced to take on the responsibility of supporting the whole family when she was just twelve years old. She followed Uncle Luo to learn how to farm and followed Chun Nuan's arrangements to run docks, pharmacies, and teahouses, and became a shrewd little businessman.

Chun'an and Chunqiang were also learning to read and write from their third aunt, but the smile on their third aunt's face was no longer the same as when she was in the capital. Zhu Lingling knew very well what she was worried about.

The path of education is not viable for the Xiao family's descendants within the first three generations.

Therefore, being able to read books is not necessarily a good thing.

“Our brother is a very thoughtful person. He remembers everyone’s hobbies at such a young age.”

On ordinary days, when I hold him, I see Chunyan using an abacus, Chunnuan processing medicinal herbs, and Chun'an writing... so he remembers them all.

This child is really smart.

"Grandmother, lunch is ready." The smarter someone is, the more they need to be protected. Fearing that someone might become a prodigy, Chunnuan quickly stopped everyone's praise and changed the subject to food.

“Alright, please have Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Zhang take their seats.” The old lady said, “Chuning, please entertain Mr. Zhao well.”

"Yes, grandmother."

Chun Ning invited Zhao Minghua to take a seat.

"Brother, don't be so polite. I come here often; I'm not a stranger here."

Chun Ning... to be honest, you really don't consider yourself an outsider!

Is this really okay?
Despite his young age, Chun Ning was quite clever. He always felt that Zhao Minghua frequently came to the Xiao family for ulterior motives, but then again, it seemed that Zhao Minghua's motives were not what he thought.

We need to be careful with this person.

The only guests at Xiao Muyang's first birthday banquet were the Zhang, Zhao, and Luo families.

Aunt Luo and Aunt Wu were in charge of preparing two tables of food, one for the male guests and one for the female guests. They made the home-style dishes very delicious, especially the braised pork. Aunt Luo even wondered if she had been possessed by a culinary god. Following Chun Nuan's advice, she added a sachet of some spices that Chun Nuan had given her and cooked it together. The meat was tender, juicy, and fragrant.

I've been cooking for over thirty years, and this is the first time I've felt that my cooking skills are really good.

Of course, she only has a handful of opportunities to make braised pork. Perhaps she has always had culinary skills, but there simply aren't enough pieces of meat for her to showcase them.

Sure enough, even Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Zhao praised her cooking skills.

Looking at his wife's radiant face, Uncle Luo wondered: When did she acquire such abilities? Or is it that meeting the Xiao family has made the whole family smarter?
It seems that the idea of ​​relying closely on the Xiao family was correct.

After the meal, everyone drank tea and offered more praise.

Just as they were having a good time, they suddenly heard someone outside shouting "Spring warmth."

"Aunt Zuo, is there anything I can help you with?"

When Chunnuan ran out to look, she saw two people standing next to her. They looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember who they were for a moment.

"Spring is here, your guests have arrived."

Guests? At this hour? Coming for dinner?
The key question is, who is this guest?

Babies, please vote for Zhizhi if you have any votes. Thank you!

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(End of this chapter)