Cheng Chi's answer made Mrs. Guo's eyes bend with laughter. When Zhou Shaojin changed his words and called her "mother", Mrs. Guo could no longer hold back. She hugged Zhou Shaojin and happily praised him as "good child". She gently instructed Zhou Shaojin: "Go to the ancestral hall with Silang and recognize your relatives, so that you can come and accompany me."
Zhou Shaojin didn't even dare to look up.
Nanny Lu must be the one who eavesdropped on the room.
In her previous life, when she and Lin Shisheng got married, perhaps because she was afraid that Lin Shisheng still had feelings for the eldest daughter of the Mu family, Mrs. Lin personally eavesdropped on the marriage.
The two of them slowly left the main room of Tingxiangyuan.
Cheng Chi really called for a sedan chair, and carried her to the ancestral hall while talking to her: "… When you came a few days ago, Tingxiang Courtyard had not been repaired yet. I prepared it for you to entertain your friends. When mother moved in, I added a porch in front of the main room to make it a formal hall. After the guests leave, mother will move back to Heshou Hall. In addition to receiving female guests here, you can also give instructions to the housekeeper here… The ancestral hall is newly built, and we are the first couple to go there to worship our ancestors…"
When they grow old and pass away, their tablets will be placed in the ancestral hall by their descendants, and will forever enjoy the incense and worship from future generations.
They made their lover's alliance in this house, and they also had many children in this house, and they grew old together...
Thinking of this, Cheng Chi suddenly felt that the scenery in front of him became beautiful.
Zhou Shaojin felt very uncomfortable.
She sat in the sedan chair, while Cheng Chi walked beside her, holding the sedan chair. When she looked up, she could see the scenery of lakes and mountains in the inner house, but when she looked down, she could only see Cheng Chi's black hair and the white jade lotus hairpin that tied her hair.
It was as if sitting on Cheng Chi's shoulders.
She was even more afraid of being seen by others.
Because they were getting married, almost all of the Cheng family's relatives and friends who could come came, and those who couldn't come also found ways to come. Since most of them were not in the capital, they all lived in the East Courtyard. When they went to the ancestral hall, they had to pass through the East Courtyard.
If this were seen by others, she would inevitably be branded as spoiled. If things got worse, she might even be rumored to be domineering and disrespectful to her elders, and then she would never be able to turn things around in her life.
Even if this was arranged by Mrs. Guo, she couldn't explain it to everyone she met, right
Maybe others would think that she was using chicken feathers as a token of authority, which only made things more obvious.
She bent down and pushed Cheng Chi's shoulder, whispering, "Fourth Master, I, I'd better get down and walk! I'm fine, really!"
Cheng Chi knew that she was timid and cautious, and that she was not used to it, so how could he bear to make things difficult for her
But if he let her walk to the ancestral hall like this, he was really afraid that she wouldn't be able to hold on.
If you want to blame someone, you can only blame him for being insatiable.
But he didn't expect it to be so serious.
It’s too late to regret now.
Cheng Chi whispered, "We'll go in when we get to the entrance of the ancestral hall."
This is also a respect for ancestors.
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.
When they reached the black gate of the ancestral hall, Cheng Chi helped Zhou Shaojin get off the sedan chair. Although he knew that she could only walk in by herself, he couldn't help but ask, "Can you do it?"
Zhou Shaojin was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to say these things to him. He just nodded randomly.
Cheng Chi smiled and went to the ancestral hall with her.
The one who helped offer sacrifices in the ancestral hall was Qin Zongguan.
He looked at Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin with satisfaction, handed them incense and candles respectively, and led them to kowtow in front of the ancestral tablets.
The smell of tung oil paint still lingered in the ancestral hall, and the tablets were newly made, lacking the heritage of a century-old family and the calm and restraint that had come through the baptism of time.
While Qin Zongguan was feeling emotional, he couldn't help but say to Cheng Chi earnestly: "A fresh start. You have to expand your family, work hard, and support the Cheng family together with your brothers."
Cheng Chi replied respectfully, "Yes."
Zhou Shaojin knew that he was not an ordinary servant, but the benefactor of the Cheng family and Cheng Chi’s senior brother. Without the Qin family, there might not be the current Cheng family.
She hurriedly followed suit and bowed respectfully.
A smile of relief flashed across Manager Qin's eyes.
Zhou Shaojin insisted on walking back alone.
Cheng Chi didn't force her.
The two of them walked slowly towards the main hall.
Fortunately, the main hall was not far from the ancestral hall. Just when Zhou Shaojin encouraged himself for the third time not to stop, he arrived at the main hall.
The foundation is made of blue bricks, the walls are white and pink, the back is grey, and the black, white and gold painted plaque has the three characters "Pan Zong Tang" inscribed on it.
These three words were written by Cheng Jing himself.
It is a typical official style.
But the characters are as big as a bucket, round and full, upright and peaceful, and quite imposing.
This is the current hall name of the eldest son’s family.
It is taken from "Records of the Grand Historian: The Annals of Emperor Xiaowen", which means that the descendants will be prosperous and the family will be as solid as a rock.
Zhou Shaojin thought of what Steward Qin had just told him, and couldn't help but feel thankful that he had shared a room with the Fourth Master. Otherwise, how disappointed would these elders who had placed infinite hope on Cheng Chi be!
"Here they come, here they come. The bride and groom are here!" a maidservant shouted happily, with a hint of festivity in her voice.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but feel happy.
She followed Cheng Chi into the main hall with a smile.
The room was filled with people. To the east were the masters and young masters, to the west were the wives and grandmothers. In the middle was a pair of empty armchairs, with a couple standing on either side.
Zhou Shaojin would not mistake the woman even from a distance; it was Yuan.
She was wearing a bright red jacket with gold all over the sleeves and a third-rank lady's hairpin and ring. She looked at Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin with a smile that could not be concealed in her eyes.
The man was wearing a royal blue brocade robe with auspicious clouds and flowers on it. He looked about five or six points like Cheng Chi, with an elegant temperament and a gentle expression, but there was a hint of dignity between his brows. He slowly merged with the Cheng Jing in Zhou Shaojin's memory.
Seeing them come in, he smiled at them with relief.
The polite waiter smiled and said, "The newlyweds should pay their respects to the old master and the old lady... and then offer tea to the elder brother and his wife!"
Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin knelt on the brocade ball prepared in advance and saluted the armchair covered with a red satin embroidered cover, and then served tea to Cheng Jing and Yuan.
Cheng Jing and Yuan took a symbolic sip from the teacup as a gift.
Zhou Shaojin gave shoes and socks as a return gift.
Nanny Shang and Biyu were helping them, one was responsible for delivering shoes and socks, the other was responsible for collecting the gifts. They also had to silently remember who gave the gifts. They would do the accounting when they returned to the bridal chamber, and this would be the basis for their gifts when they had dealings with these families in the future.
Fortunately, Cheng Chi was of a high generation, and there were not many people who could receive their courtesy. Cheng Shao was even more amiable, and his eyes were full of love when he looked at Zhou Shaojin. As for those of the same generation and younger generations, Zhou Shaojin only had to stand there and bend his knees to return the greeting or nod with a smile.
As Cheng Jia said, Cheng Xiao's husband Yuan Ming particularly likes to be funny. When others get engaged, they just say congratulations, but he jokes with Cheng Chi with a smile: "Uncle Chi, Uncle Chi, you make me feel so embarrassed - my aunt is too young, and when I bring my daughter back to visit relatives, won't I have to take care of my aunt and uncle in the cradle?"
Yuan Bieyun stepped forward and slapped him on the back of the head, saying, "Where is your daughter? You talk nonsense all day long and have no sense of seriousness."
Yuan Ming is tall and slender, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and is very handsome.
The look of him running away with his head in his hands was totally inconsistent with his appearance, causing everyone in the main hall to burst into laughter.
Gu Xu, on the other hand, looked mature beyond his years. He walked up to Zhou Shaojin respectfully, saluted her and called her "Fourth Aunt".
Zhou Shaojin felt very pressured when being called "Aunt" by someone who was so much older than her and looked like a gentleman.
In comparison, Cheng Sheng's husband Peng Zao is a shy young man.
When he saluted Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
As for Cheng Chi's friends like Yuan Bieyun and Gu Jiunie, they seemed much more reserved. Although there was a hint of teasing in their eyes, they were all directed at Cheng Chi. When it was her turn, they were very respectful.
After seeing the adults get married and start a family, it’s now the turn of the children.
The first one is Cheng Xu, the eldest son and grandson of the Cheng family.
Compared to his previous cheerful and sunny self, Cheng Xu has now become quiet and silent.
He had an expressionless face and walked forward with drooping eyelids to salute Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin. After receiving the sealed red shoes and socks handed to him by Cheng Chi, he stepped aside without looking at Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin or saying a word.
Zhou Shaojin had no intention of dealing with him and thought this was perfect.
After he left, her face showed a bright smile again. She accepted the greetings from the young master of the Guo family and others, and then went to the west with Cheng Chi to pay respects to the ladies and grandmothers.
She didn't know how helpless and painful the look Cheng Xu gave her when he raised his head.
Today is a good day for Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin. Who would pay attention to a junior hiding in the corner
Naturally, no one in the main hall noticed his abnormality.
After the recognition of the relationship, Cheng Chi was left in the main hall, while Zhou Shaojin was taken to Tingxiangyuan.
Biyu was extremely anxious and said, "Fourth Madam, I'm going to go back to my room first. I received a lot of gifts today, and I'm afraid I'll get confused later."
Although the Cheng family does not have many elders, they have many relatives and old friends.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said, "Then you should go back quickly! I don't need you to serve me here. I know all the servants around my mother, and Nanny Shang will be enough to follow me."
Biyu nodded, and returned to the bridal chamber with two maids holding Zhou Shaojin's gift.
Nanny Shang stepped forward to support Zhou Shaojin, and smiled to save her face, "Fourth Madam has been busy all morning, you must be very tired, let me give you a hand!"
Her support is different from others.
He almost carried her along.
Zhou Shaojin looked at her gratefully.
When we arrived at Mrs. Guo's room, there were only two or three old ladies sitting there. In addition to Mrs. Guo, there was the widowed mother of Wu Xiuzao, the president of the Hanlin Academy, the mother of the Zuodu Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the mother of the second wife, Mrs. Hong's family.
Zhou Shaojin then realized that Hong's brother Hong Xiu was the Minister of War and Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. He was a double-listed Jinshi in the Jiaxu year of the 12th year of Yongchang, and a classmate of his eldest grandfather Cheng Shao.
This family relationship... is so complicated!
Zhou Shaojin could only sweat.
Fortunately, although relationships are complicated, people are not complicated.
Several old ladies accepted her tea and gave her gifts, and then Zhou Shaojin was led by Aunt Lu to the green gauze cabinet in Madam Guo's inner room.
"The old lady said," Nanny Lu smiled more enthusiastically than usual, "The fourth lady just came in, and I'm afraid she didn't sleep well, so she specially called you over to let you rest in her room."
※
I would like to recommend a book to you.
There are many interesting things around me
Author:leideen
Content: After a lifetime of glory and splendor, Concubine Duan of Emperor Heng passed away, and unexpectedly returned to the time when she first entered the palace at the age of seven.
Live again and see my little enemy again.
Stop right there and let me pinch your face.
PS: Our date is still from 9 to 5...
※(To be continued)