Chapter 16: New Year's Eve Ancestor Worship
"Third Master, I met Sister Jiaohong today, and she said that the eldest master had ordered that you should be waiting at Ning Mansion before 3 p.m. for the ancestor worship tomorrow!"
Jia Cong nodded, thinking that only through things like this could he know that there was a master like him in the mansion.
The next day was New Year's Eve. The master and servant got up early in the morning and happily put up the lanterns, spring couplets, peach charms and other things that they had bought long ago.
Then, Jia Cong went out and did some shopping in the back street!
After returning to the room, she divided the various fruits, dried fruits, and preserved fruits into several portions and asked the little maid to deliver them to Sanchun, Daiyu, and Baochai.
Although it is not a valuable thing, it is a token of my appreciation after all.
When the little girl came back after running around, she saw that the kang table in the house was already filled with all kinds of food.
"Third Master, this is the tea cake that Miss Bao gave as a return gift, and this is the poetry book that Miss Lin gave as a return gift. This purse was made by the Second Miss, and this painting was painted by the Fourth Miss and inscribed by the Third Miss."
Jia Cong wiped the sweat off the little girl's face and said, "Come up quickly, or you might catch a cold!"
The little girl nodded excitedly, pointed at a small jar with shining eyes and asked, "Third Master, is this fruit wine?"
Women in this era did not abstain from alcohol, but most of them only drank fruit wine, flower petal wine and the like.
"Well, today we two are celebrating the New Year too!"
The little girl excitedly took two small bowls and said as she poured wine, "Third Master, this year is the best year for us, and you will take the imperial examination soon, and you will be a master in the future!"
"Xiao Que'er wishes Third Master success in the imperial examination next year!" As he said that, he picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. In an instant, his little face turned red and looked very beautiful.
Jia Cong also drank it in one gulp and said with a smile, "Then Third Master wishes you to become the maid of the Juren Master!"
Although there was no one else at home, the master and servant were happy and comfortable.
When it was afternoon, Jia Cong saw that the time was approaching, so he asked the little maid to go to Gaole, and he went out after getting dressed!
From the gate of the East Courtyard to the Front Street, then walking eastwards, after passing the gate of Huifang Garden facing the street, you will see outside the main gate of Ningguo Mansion, where all kinds of children from the Jia Mansion have gradually arrived.
Jia Lian and Jia Rong were greeting a group of brothers, big and small. Baoyu was not there, but Jia Huan and Jia Lan had arrived first.
In addition, a group of elders from the side branches of the Jia family, such as Jia Dairu and Jia Daixiu, had chairs moved and sat down. The rest of Jia She's generation, such as Jia Xiao and Jia Dun, stood solemnly. Jia Cong's generation, such as Jia Gao and Jia Qiong, as well as the younger generation, such as Jia Qiang, Jia Ling, Jia Yun, and Jia Qin, were all running around and playing.
When he came closer, Jia Cong bowed to Jia Lian first and said, "Greetings, Second Brother Lian!"
Jia Lian was stunned when he saw Jia Cong. He was not close to this younger brother and rarely met him. But when he saw him at this moment, he found that Jia Cong was not only handsome, but also almost as tall as him. Compared with Baoyu, he was half a head taller.
"Hello, Third Uncle Cong!" Jia Rong came forward and half-bowed, and Jia Cong hurriedly returned the greeting.
Jia Lian came back to his senses and said, "Third brother, go and meet the elders first. The eldest master, the second master and elder brother Zhen have gone to the palace to express their gratitude. The old ancestor and several ladies have also entered the palace. We have to wait for a while."
Jia Cong nodded, went to meet the elders from the side branches, and then stood still and closed his eyes to rest.
"Brother Cong, I heard that you have been studying recently?" a voice came.
Jia Cong looked in the direction of the voice and saw a naughty boy with drooping eyebrows, squinting eyes and a slightly pointed chin, who was looking at him from the side!
Jia Huan? Jia Cong's heart was slightly moved! Jia Huan's eyebrows, eyes and facial features were not ugly, but for some reason, they looked a little awkward when put together.
"It's Brother Huan!" Jia Cong answered, "I was not ill before, so I was just bored in the room, so I found some books to read."
Jia Huan grinned wickedly, "Hehe, Third Brother Cong doesn't know yet? During this period of time, Baoyu was beaten by the Second Master several times. I heard that the Second Master said that Baoyu's study is far inferior to Third Brother Cong."
Perhaps it was the envy or mischief of a rascal, but Jia Huan and Jia Baoyu did not get along! As long as Jia Baoyu was in trouble, Jia Huan would be happy for several days.
Jia Cong simply responded with a few words and then stopped talking. Jia Huan didn't care either. He turned around and disappeared somewhere. He was not close to Jia Cong, who was also a bastard's son. He just came to see who was the one who made Baoyu suffer.
They waited for nearly an hour, and at the end of the Shen period, several sedan chairs came over.
A servant came forward and opened the curtain of the sedan chair, and Jia She, Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen walked out.
Jia Lian, Jia Rong, Jia Cong, and Jia Huan hurried forward and said, "Greetings to the eldest and second masters, and to Brother Zhen!"
Jia Lan, who was only five or six years old, followed the others in paying his respects, like a little teacher.
Jia Zheng looked around and said angrily, "Why doesn't that rebellious son come? Does he want the elders to wait for him? What an unfilial fool! Someone, go find Baoyu for me!"
Jia Zheng was very concerned about his reputation. Seeing that his two elder brothers' sons were there, but his own legitimate son was nowhere to be seen, he felt ashamed.
A servant hurriedly agreed to go look for them. The three of them went to pay their respects to Jia Dairu and several elders, and then greeted other people. Then they stood solemnly in front of everyone.
The arrival of the three men also calmed the scene, and all the young men stood still .
After waiting for another half an hour, several large sedan chairs came over, escorted by servants, maids, and maids. These were the old ladies and other officials who had gone to the palace to pay their respects. The sedan chairs went directly into the courtyard through the main gate, and the children of the Jia family also entered through the middle gate under the guidance of Jia She and others.
The main gate of the Jia Mansion is not usually opened, but the day of ancestor worship is a big event for the whole mansion, and all the doors from the main gate, ceremonial gate, main hall, warm room, inner hall, three inner gates, inner ceremonial gate, inner blocked gate, all the way to the main hall are wide open.
After moving forward for a while and entering the ceremonial gate, the sedan chair continued to move forward to the warm room, while the men went left along the corridor directly to the ancestral hall.
The layout and furnishings of the ancestral hall are magnificent and solemn, needless to say.
Afterwards, Jia Zheng presided over the ceremony, Jia She accompanied him, Jia Zhen offered wine, Jia Lian and Jia Cong offered silk, Bao Yu held incense, Jia Chang and Jia Ling spread out prayer mats and guarded the burning pool. The Qingyi music played, three wine cups were offered, and after the worship was over, silk was burned and wine was offered.
Jia Cong was looking at the scene in front of him and thinking in his heart, it seems that his guess is right, the reason why his stepfather lives in the East Courtyard is definitely not just because the old lady prefers the second wife. Otherwise, this priest is the most important etiquette, with Jia She, the eldest wife who inherited the title, there is no way Jia Zheng, the second wife, will get the chance.
However, Jia Cong naturally had no idea what had happened back then.
After the ceremony, everyone left the ancestral hall to the sound of music and headed towards the warm room.
After entering the warm room, one saw Lady Jia sitting in the main seat, and next to her was a bright, charming, and graceful woman!
Is this Jia Rong's wife Qin Keqing? Jia Cong thought, I have always heard that Jia's mother is very happy about this young daughter-in-law, and today I see that it is true.
