Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

People on the journey would stay for a day here and a day there, and they would celebrate the New Year.

Compared with previous years when we could watch the snow through the window in a warm house and listen to the sound of snow falling, we would see plates of carefully prepared delicious delicacies, colorful cakes and candies, and cute rice balls in various shapes. Usually, we would only see one or two of them, but during the Chinese New Year, the feast would be like a gathering of heroes, dazzling our eyes, and our stomachs would never be empty. In just a few days, our appetite would be satisfied enough, until we couldn’t bear to look at them anymore for fear of burdening our bodies.

There are no dragons on the road, no sumptuous meals carefully prepared by dozens of people, and not everyone can be happy during the New Year.

On the fourth day of the New Year, the father and daughter arrived at the Jingzhou government office, declined the banquet offered by local officials, and asked Qin Erjishou and several other acquaintances to ask the chef of Wangyuan Tower to prepare a table of food and send it to their home. In their warm and safe home, with hot meals, good wine and tea, and several close friends, they still had a happy New Year.

"Son-in-law, Miss Mingxi, this is Ji Shou's toast to you! May Miss be prosperous in the coming year, may you be successful, and may your family be healthy and well!"

Qin Er: ...Manager Ji, this is too...

"Let's drink this cup together to celebrate the new beginning and to reach new heights."

It had been two months since we left Chang'an, and we had seen and heard similar things. We had also spent the New Year together. We were all old friends from Jingzhou. Ji Shou talked about how he and his young lady had opened a restaurant in Jingzhou, opened up wasteland, and planted lotus roots, and he sighed a lot:

"As soon as we arrived, the young lady started arguing with her husband. In all these years, I've never seen you two quarrel so fiercely. Chun Yang and I are guarding the inn and the young lady. We're like grasshoppers on the hot pot. We're worried every day and can't sleep. We're really afraid that the young lady will abandon the inn one day and run away to somewhere else."

He was immersed in memories, thinking of how young he was back then. "Ever since the young lady took me into the Ji family, I've finally had enough food to eat and good clothes to wear! Back then, I would think that wherever the young lady went, I would follow her, and she would never get angry and hurt herself. Fortunately, you, my son-in-law, always had a good attitude, and you managed to change the young lady's mind."

Qin Er: ...She should go somewhere else instead of sitting here and listening to the boss make a fool of himself.

Mingxi was listening intently, his chin resting on his elbow as he asked, "Daddy, what were you arguing about with Mommy?"

Qin Xiuyuan: ...

You can't tell others why you quarreled, but you can tell others why you refused to reconcile.

"Your mother and I haven't had a baby yet, so I don't want to live with Daddy anymore."

"Thank goodness you insisted, Daddy," Mingxi sighed. "Without Mom and Dad, there wouldn't be me."

At such a young age, he acted very serious and looked like he knew a lot.

Ji Shou: My son-in-law is quite honest.

"Your mother and I will always be together."

The child might not come, but how could he abandon his own woman? He risked his life on the battlefield, yet his actions were treasonous and cost him his life. Now that he thought about it, the victors were kings and the losers were bandits. The founding emperor of a dynasty was not bad, but his descendants became increasingly weak as time went by. He didn't massacre the Zhou family of the Daliang Dynasty, thinking that if his descendants a hundred years later couldn't keep the country, the emperor of the new dynasty could learn from the previous dynasty's ancestors...

Fight an honest battle on the battlefield and don't use any underhanded tactics.

Ji Shou, a bystander, said, "Miss Mingxi, your son-in-law is really good to you. When you choose a son-in-law in the future, look for one who meets your son-in-law's standards: capable outside and devoted to the family."

Mingxi, who was only fourteen, was greatly surprised: "Uncle Ji, this kind of thing will happen in ten years."

Ji Shou scratched his head. "In another ten years, it will be difficult to find it."

When a man and a woman are married, they are young and agreeable. If a woman reaches 25, she is usually considered an old maid and does not have many choices.

"Uncle Ji, let's talk about this ten years later, it doesn't mean we have to do this!"

Mingxi smiled slyly, "When Xiaosi grows up, I will take her to travel around, just like Daddy took me today."

Ji Shou seemed to understand and pretended to be sad, "Okay, okay, even if it's like your Aunt Chun, don't touch us stinky men."

The three words "stinky man" were pronounced clearly and heavily.

That’s right. In Aunt Qing’s eyes, men are divided into two categories: men who cannot be offended and stinky men.

Those who cannot be defeated cannot be offended, and those who can be bullied are usually jokingly called "stinky men" in private.

Ji Shou and Xiaochun were familiar with each other, so naturally he had been teased before.

The four of them chatted and laughed. Compared to his father who spoke concisely, calmly and restrainedly, the young Mingxi was not timid at all. He was very confident and relaxed, and answered questions and laughed in a proper manner.

During this period, Ji Shou sighed several times, "Mingxi has grown up."

The daughter at home is smart, studious, well-behaved and sensible. She is like a dragon who turns into a dragon when encountering wind and clouds. She speaks softly and eloquently, and has her own insights.

Qin Xiuyuan really wished that the letter could travel north on the snow to tell her that her daughter had grown up.

He was so worried about the extremely thin and wrinkled baby who was born with slow breathing that he couldn't sleep all night. The little girl who secretly donated incense money to hang the longevity lamp in the mansion grew up to be the best young lady in the world.

The light boat has passed the tens of thousands of mountains.

The old father who was with his daughter had a smug look on his face.

Mingxi followed his father and Uncle Ji around, reviewing the files and checking the account books, copying and doing calculations to help.

As the eighth day of the Lunar New Year approached, Mingxi saw that his father had no intention of leaving. "Dad, why don't we go and congratulate Second Aunt on her wedding?"

Jingzhou is not far from Hangzhou County, and river transportation is well developed. Passenger ships can go down the river and arrive in one day.

Mingxi and his group arrived at the Hangzhou ferry on the day when his aunt came back. Ji's father and mother, who had been waiting in the roadside teahouse, came to greet them. It had been two years since they last saw each other. The child was like a young sapling, growing as soon as the wind watered the fertile soil. But the old man was like an old tree with withered vines, creaking and shaking before the wind and rain came, and was being destroyed day by day.

"Grandpa! Grandma!"

"Old man, look, Mingxi has grown into a beautiful young lady!"

"Xiuyuan pays homage to his father-in-law and mother-in-law."

"Okay, okay, you must be tired from the journey, go home and rest."

Hangzhou County was the ancestral home of the Ji and Qin families. Mingxi, holding the two elderly people's arms, got into the sedan chair. They chattered along the way. Ji's father and mother wiped their tears and asked about their eldest daughter's health, their eldest grandson, and their two younger grandsons...

"Little Four is naughty too!"

"If she can eat a chicken drumstick, then Xiaosan must have good teeth!"

……

At the gate of Ji Mansion.

Ji Wangle looked up at the corner of the straight road. A cold rain had just fallen. She murmured, "I hope the rain won't stop us on the road!"

The newlywed husband beside him listened attentively and stood up straight, "Wang Le, there are the sounds of a small group of people and horses, the sound of horse hooves. They've arrived!"

Sure enough, the sound of horse hooves clattered all the way towards the mansion gate. A tall man on a big horse, wearing a light robe and soft armor, with a long sword at his waist, looked over from afar.

He has sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and is calm, steady and agile.

It’s the general.

Shang Congjie immediately descended the stairs and was the first to kneel on one knee, "Subordinate Shang Congjie greets the General!"

Mingxi quickly helped the two elders out of the car, and Qin Xiuyuan helped them up. "When we meet at home, just like Lele, call me brother-in-law in private."

Turning around, he looked at his wife's sister, who had tied her hair into a bun and was wearing makeup, her eyes red and wiping away tears, "Le Le has lost some weight."