"Young master, Aunt Zheng said that the meal is ready." Lu Shu said softly while helping Zheng Peng put on his clothes.

Zheng Peng straightened his clothes, nodded and said, "Dressed, wait for me to bring the red envelope, and eat immediately." ”

On such a festive day for the New Year, it is very appropriate to give a red envelope to the next person, Zheng Peng is very satisfied with Zheng Fu's family, Zheng Fu can write and calculate, and the housekeeper, the account room and the coachman will pick it on their shoulders; Aunt Zheng works hard, cooks deliciously, and is a good hand at cleaning and needlework; Ah Jun is tall and skilled, and he looks at Zhongdao's business for Zheng Peng, and is his right-hand man; Xiaoyin is well-behaved and obedient, and careful.

If you do a good job, you should be rewarded.

Lu Shu's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she whispered, "Young master, it's better for the maid to send it for you." ”

"Okay, the big one is for Steward Zheng, and the other three are the same, and they will be sent after the midnight dinner."

Zheng Peng secretly laughed in his heart, Lu Shu now has her own careful thoughts, and proposed to send red envelopes, which is a manifestation of her status, only people close to the hostess or young master have the right to send red envelopes.

After moving in, Lu Shu didn't live in a comfortable single room, and she moved to the small side room of Zheng Peng's bedroom for the maid to wait in the middle of the night, just to consolidate her position.

Zheng Peng knew what was going on, but it was up to her.

"Got it, young master." Lu Shu said with a smile on her face.

When the master and servant went outside, the two tables were already full of delicacies, and the four members of Zheng Fu's family stood in a row and said respectfully, "Young Master." ”

The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner was divided into two tables, Zheng Peng and Lu Shu sat at the high table to eat, and Zheng Fu's family ate at a lower table, not only the table was high, but the dishes were also more abundant at the main table, to show that the master and servant were different.

There are still too few servants, everyone is here, no one looks at the door, and a few more will be made up after the New Year.

With Zhongdao, a money-making airport, Zheng Peng really doesn't worry about money.

At least not in the near future.

"You're welcome, let's eat." Zheng Peng commanded.

Zheng Fu's family thanked them, and after Zheng Peng and Lu Shu sat down, Aunt Zheng and Xiaoyin first served rice and soup to Zheng Peng and Lu Shu, and saw the two of them raise their chopsticks to eat, so they sat down to eat.

The host's family is very good, the rules can not be broken, the host must eat first before it is the turn of the next person to eat.

Zheng Peng looked at the dishes on the table, and suddenly remembered a poem by the poet Du Fu: Guarding the year of Arong's house, the pepper plate has been sung to flowers.

In the Tang Dynasty to eat Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, to drink pepper wine, in order to drive away cold and dampness, some people say to drink to ward off evil, conditions people mostly put a pot of peppercorn wine on the table, in addition to pepper wine, but also eat five spice plates, also ** plate, made of five kinds of spicy smell of vegetables, meaning to diffuse the stale gas in the five organs, in addition, there are also gum tooth dumplings, cypress leaf wine, and other food and drink.

As the saying goes, there is no feast without chickens, such as chickens, sheep, and fish, which are essential, and then accompanied by various snacks and snacks, a full table was placed, Zheng Peng counted it, ten kinds of dishes and ten kinds of pastries, taken from the meaning of perfection.

It's a waste of extravagance, not to mention anything else, just the charcoal-roasted lamb placed in the center of the table, it is estimated that even the big stomach king will have to retreat when he comes.

Generally speaking, the Chinese New Year's Eve meal should not only be rich in food, but also eat humanely, make more dishes, give rewards to the next people after eating, and give alms to beggars outside, which is regarded as doing good deeds.

"Young master, let's eat." Lu Shu carefully took a piece of fish belly to Zheng Peng.

Zheng Peng nodded, and put a chicken wing in Lu Shu's bowl: "Lu Shu, you also eat more, it has been a little reduced recently." ”

A hint of blush rose on Lu Shuqiao's face, with a little shyness in her pride, she lowered her head and said, "Thank you, young master." ”

There is a gap in comparison, Lu Shu didn't feel anything before, but after there was more Zheng Fu's family in the family, the sense of superiority became more and more obvious, and now she is almost half a hostess.

Zheng Fu and his wife, who had been paying attention to the movement of the main table, glanced at each other, and there was a look of "sure enough" in each other's eyes.

What an honor it is for the master to give the maid vegetables, that is, the girl who is deeply liked by the master has this kind of treatment.

Xiaoyin picked up the meal, looking at Lu Shu sitting at the main table with some envy, and didn't know what the little head was thinking.

Zheng Peng ate a piece of roast mutton and couldn't help but praise: "This mutton is good, charred on the outside and tender on the inside, it tastes tender and delicious, and Aunt Zheng's craftsmanship is good." ”

"Young master, the old maid doesn't dare to take credit, the main thing is that the lamb is good, this is the milk lamb sent by Cui Gongzi, and the meat is very tender." Aunt Zheng hurriedly responded.

Milk lamb is the abbreviation of milk lamb, ordinary lamb can start grazing in about twenty-five days, and milk lamb has been fed with goat's milk until three to five months, only milk and spring water, so the meat is particularly tender, some exquisite wealthy families will cultivate this kind of milk lamb to taste, hospitality.

As Zheng Peng's "confidant", Cui Xiyi, who was born in a big family, has always been on the road, and he didn't need Zheng Peng's reminder, so he took the initiative to send someone to send a milk lamb and a generous gift to Zheng Peng.

This kid is very learned, and when he came, he asked his subordinates to walk and lead him, and he didn't even use the car, probably because he was afraid that Zheng Peng would pull the car away after leading the sheep.

Zheng Peng ate another piece of roast mutton, and then said: "Cui Gongzi is a particular person, and he gives such a big gift every time, yes, go to his family for the New Year, and play the autumn breeze by the way." ”

In later generations, when they went to visit relatives and friends in the New Year, it was called New Year's greetings, and it was called "passing the seat" in the Tang Dynasty.

Lu Shu covered her mouth and chuckled when she heard this: Cui Gongzi, who is straightforward and good-looking, where is the opponent of his own young master, the young master coaxed him to run up and down in a few words, as if he was sold by the young master and helped count the money.

The young master also said that he was the captain of the transportation brigade, and he would give him whatever he owed.

"Cui Gongzi is the young master's best friend, so he should walk around." Lu Shu echoed with a smile.

Go to Cui Xiyi for the New Year, of course, you have to go to Guo Mansion to find a turn, although there are many people in Guo Mansion who look down on Zheng Peng, but how to look at it is someone else's business, etiquette still has to be enough.

After eating a sumptuous Chinese New Year's Eve meal and distributing leftovers to the beggars waiting outside, Lushu began to distribute red packets:

"Uncle Zheng, this is given to you by the young master, you have worked hard for this time."

"Don't dare, don't dare" Zheng Fu took it with both hands, and hurriedly said: "These are the duties of the subordinates, it is the young master who treats the little old man well, and he is so generous, and it is my blessing to follow the young master." ”

Zheng Fu said this from the heart, not to mention anything else, Zheng Peng packed, his family did not need to be separated, this alone, Zheng Fu respected Zheng Peng.

The status of slaves is too low, life and death are all up to others, and they may not see each other forever once they are scattered.

Lu Shu smiled, echoed, and then continued to give Aunt Zheng, Ah Jun and Xiaoyin red packets.

The people who received the red envelopes stepped forward one by one to express their gratitude to Zheng Peng.

After a round of mutual blessings, "when", "dang", "dang", there was a sound of knocking, and then there was a sentence "The wind is high and the things are dry, be careful of the fire candle, three moments." ”

When Zheng Fu heard this, he said with a smile: "Young master, it's almost time to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, the new house and the New Year, happy and happy, and ask the young master to personally light the first firecracker." ”

Eating New Year's dinner, setting off firecrackers, and keeping the New Year are the New Year's customs left by the Chinese people from ancient times, and the ancients believed that burning firecrackers during the New Year can expel the plague god.

During the Chinese New Year, which firecrackers are put off for a long time and loudly, which is particularly face-saving.

Zheng Peng was a little surprised and said, "Firecrackers? Is it a firecracker? Now there's gunpowder? ”

"Gunpowder? What gunpowder? Master, is it a variety of bamboo? Ah Jun asked a little strangely.

By the way, I remember that gunpowder only became popular in the Song Dynasty, and now it is still the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Peng snorted a haha, and said casually: "Well, I heard that this bamboo is very loud, no matter it, you can't miss the time, let's go, let's set off firecrackers." ”

As soon as Zheng Peng spoke, the group walked out of the courtyard in front of them together, only to see a big fire burning in the courtyard.

This is the fire of roasting sheep, which has been protected by large pieces of firewood, and as soon as the fluttering snowflakes approach, they are evaporated by the fireworks before they hit the ground.

"Young master, you put the first firecracker first." Zheng Fu took a firecracker and handed it to Zheng Peng respectfully with both hands.

It's really a burst of "bamboo", Zheng Peng has just cut down a piece of bamboo in his hand, cut it into sections, throw it into the fire and burn it, it will explode when heated, and make a loud sound to celebrate the New Year and expel the pain.

Zheng Peng looked at the bamboo in his hand, then approached the fire, and gently threw it on the fire, and after a while, there was a loud bang, and the bamboo exploded into two sides at once under the effect of heat expansion and cold contraction.

"Ringing, really ringing" Zheng Fu said loudly: "As soon as the firecrackers go off, there are ten thousand taels of gold, this year is another bumper harvest year, I wish the young master a new year." ”

"The old maid wishes the young master a lot of money."

"Ah Jun wishes the young master good health."

"Xiaoyin wishes the young master all his wishes come true."

Hearing the words of congratulations, Zheng Peng naturally sent another round of red envelopes, and then let everyone not have to be restrained and celebrate the New Year.

Zheng Fu and his wife couldn't let go, but Lu Shu and Xiaoyin, with Zheng Peng's encouragement and indulgence, played a little crazy, constantly throwing the bamboo prepared in advance to the fire, and then laughed embarrassedly in the explosion, while Ah Jun was busy protecting the two little girls, for fear that they would be injured.

"Bang Bang"

"Bang Bang Bang"

"Happy New Year."

"Our dog is a year older."

Soon, the sound of firecrackers and congratulations came and went, and there was a festive atmosphere in the sky over Guixiang County.

Listening to the sound of firecrackers one after another, smelling the air that seemed to be filled with joy, and then looking at the happy smiling faces shining by the firelight, Zheng Peng secretly thought in his heart: The first New Year in Datang is not bad.