Secrets of Yuqing Palace

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Laba Festival arrives.

The capital city in winter is freezing cold, but it cannot blow away the warmth of Guwaljia Prefecture.

There was a festive and joyful atmosphere in the mansion.

Wanyu was wearing an exquisite Manchu dress today, and the maid beside her was holding an umbrella to prevent her from getting wet in the wind and snow.

She strolled leisurely between the red walls and green tiles of the mansion, her heart full of anticipation and joy for the festival.

Festivals always make people happy.

In order to ensure a smooth festival for their masters, the servants in the mansion were busy preparing ingredients for Laba porridge before dawn.

Sacrifice is an indispensable part of Laba Festival.

Wanyu followed her parents and brothers to the ancestral temple in the mansion where they worshipped their ancestors.

The old man Shi Huashan was wearing a thick tea-green robe, while the old lady was wearing a gorgeous purple dress embroidered with gold-thread peonies.

With solemn expressions, they led their families in kneeling down and praying to their ancestors to bless the family with peace and to enable their children and grandchildren to bring honor to the family.

After the sacrifice, all the masters and dignitaries in the mansion gathered in the main courtyard and sat around a large round table covered with red silk.

Red silk was spread out on the dining table, and the whole family sat around it. The old man and the old lady sat at the top, with the first and second wives sitting on both sides.

In addition to a variety of delicious dishes, today's special meal, Laba porridge, was also served on the table in bowls, with a hot and fragrant aroma.

Shi Huashan first raised his glass, his deep voice full of pride and satisfaction.

"Children, today is Laba, and it is also the reunion day in our Guwalja Prefecture."

"Your Mama and I have the greatest wish for you to be safe and happy, and for your family to prosper."

"Now that I have a large family with many children and grandchildren, and everything is going well, this Laba porridge smells sweeter than in previous years."

The old lady added gently, "Yes, we just want you to be happy and healthy."

"It's a pity that the boss and the Fu Dali family didn't make it back in time. It still isn't perfect."

"I thought they would soon arrive in the capital, and maybe they would be able to catch the Laba Festival today, but I didn't expect to miss it."

Shi Huashan patted his wife's hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, they will be here in two or three days."

"Whether it's the Winter Solstice or the Spring Festival, our family will always have a happy reunion this year."

Xiao Jueluo also smiled and said, "Father is right."

"By then, my two great-grandchildren and my grand-grandson and granddaughter will be back, and my second son's wife will be giving birth next year."

"When there are more children, I hope you don't think they are too noisy."

Jueluo smiled, "It's good to have many children. I don't think they are noisy."

"Now that the youngest in the family, Mu Jin, is a grown-up boy, he spends all day studying in the front yard, making the mansion feel quite deserted."

"When those four little guys come back, next year Shushujueluo will give me another little great-grandson, and our house will be more lively."

"Your father and I are eager to have more great-grandchildren."

"Your father and I are not young anymore, and we just want to enjoy having children and grandchildren around us."

Shi Huashan also nodded with a smile, and told Qingde to take good care of his granddaughter-in-law and bring a healthy, fat boy to the family next year.

Everyone couldn't help but smile when they heard this, but Shushu Jueluo blushed.

Jueluo looked at the pretty faces of her two granddaughters, and the smile on her face became softer.

"Lin'er and Yu'er are both grown-up girls now."

"Today is a festival, and seeing you all dressed up so beautifully, more beautiful than the winter plum blossoms in the mansion, Mama is so happy."

Looking at her increasingly beautiful daughter and niece, Fucha smiled without any modesty.

"All the girls in our Guwalja Prefecture are good."

"I don't know which brat will get the advantage in the future."

Jueluo stretched out his index finger and pointed at her.

"The two girls are still young, and I want to keep them for a few more years."

"Don't be in a hurry to marry Yu'er off early."

Shi Wenzhuo laughed and said, "Mother, Fu Jin loves Yu Er even more than I do and will not marry her off early."

Everyone was talking and laughing at the dinner table, it was very lively.

Laba porridge is made from eight different ingredients, generally peanuts, rice, red dates, almonds, lotus seeds, lilies, etc.

The bowl in front of her was about the same, and Wanyu tasted it gently.

The taste of Laba porridge is distinct and layered, with a fresh taste amidst the mellowness, sweet but not greasy, smooth but not loose, leaving people with an endless aftertaste.

Especially the mixture of the softness of beans and the sweetness of red dates, the taste is very rich.

At the dinner table, the old man and the old lady told some interesting stories from previous years. The whole main courtyard was filled with laughter and joy.

She found that no matter how the times change, the warmth and love between family members are always the warmest background of traditional festivals.

I didn’t enjoy myself in my previous life, so I want to enjoy myself to the fullest in this one!

Everyone raised their glasses in response, laughter and blessings rang out one after another, dispelling the winter chill without a trace.

The tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, just two days after Laba Festival.

On this day, the hustle and bustle of Guwaljia Prefecture came again.

"Hurry, hurry, the master will be back soon."

"Go quickly and tell the old master and the old lady that the master is about to return home."

"And send someone to tell the eldest wife that the master is coming back with the eldest prince and his wife, as well as the younger princes and princesses."

"The carriage had already entered the city gate a while ago. It would arrive at the mansion in less than an incense stick of time."

In Qiyun Garden, Xia He quickly entered the house to report.

"Princess, the wife just sent someone to say that the master will be back soon with the eldest prince, the wife, the younger prince and the younger princess."

"Someone from the main courtyard has been sent to inform all the masters to go to the main courtyard and see the old master and the old lady."

Wanyu put down the book in her hand and asked in surprise, "Is it really uncle and the others who came back?"

"Yes."

Wanyu stood up and said, "Let's go to the main courtyard first and go to the main courtyard with my mother."

Soon, Wanyu took her maid and hurried to Fucha's place.

When Fucha saw her daughter coming, she explained to her the matter of her eldest uncle's family returning home, and then took her daughter and son to her parents-in-law in the main courtyard.

Not long after they sat down at Old Madam Jueluo's place, their aunt, Little Jueluo, arrived with her second daughter-in-law and the second princess, Wanlin.

After everyone greeted each other, they sat down.

Then she drank the tea brought by the maid, talked while waiting for Shi Wenbing and his group to come back.

The old man Shi Huashan and the old lady at the top were staring at the direction of the gate with burning eyes.

Before everyone had finished the tea in their cups, they heard the servant come to report.

"The master's carriage has arrived at the gate."

"The master and the young masters have already entered the mansion."

"The master and the young masters have already arrived at the main courtyard."

"The old man has brought the young masters into the courtyard."

Then, following the servants' announcements, everyone soon saw Ulala and her group heading towards the main house in the main courtyard, as everyone looked on expectantly.

If Shi Wenbing wasn't the leader, who else could it be?

"Uncle is back."

Shi Mujin stood up in surprise, and his entire family also looked happy.

The old man put down the teacup in his hand, and the old lady stood up, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Quick, go meet them."

However, before they could take a few more steps, Shi Wenbing strode in.

Although my uncle, elder brother and his wife were exhausted after a long journey, they could not hide their joy of reunion.

Wanyu looked at her uncle's complexion. He looked a little darker and seemed to have lost some weight compared to when he left Beijing two years ago.

Although he was dressed in simple clothes, his expression was still full of heroism.

Behind Shi Wenbing are his elder brother Fu Dali and his elder sister-in-law Niu Hulu.

Behind this young couple are two children, a boy and a girl, about seven or eight years old.

Next to them stood a little boy of two or three years old, who was being led by a young woman.

Next to that woman stood another woman of similar age, holding in her arms a little girl who was actually about one year old.

He was twisting his body and looking at everyone in the room curiously.

The girl was quite strong and the woman almost couldn't hold her back.