New Year's Eve, the sky
was sunny and the breeze was gentle.
The whole capital is filled with the aroma of food, grains and meat, the sulfur smell of firecrackers, and the incense smell of incense candles and paper money.
As a Jinwu guard, Shen Hong is approaching the new year, his workload is increasing, and his off-duty time is uncertain.
Especially this year since he became the Jinwu Guard, he has arrested seven traitors and traitors. The emperor was very happy and rewarded him with three boxes of gold, silver and jewelry.
Ruan Ruan was held by Cheng Yurong, and from time to time he came to the gate of the General's Mansion and looked at the street, waiting for his second brother Shen Zhiqing to return.
After receiving the news, he will enter the capital at about five quarters (one o'clock noon).
So, waiting and waiting, waves of boys were sent out to inquire about the news.
Finally, at five quarters of noon, two carriages finally appeared on the street.
The four brothers Shen Zhiyuan, Cheng Yurong, and Ruan Ruan were all standing at the gate of the General's Mansion.
"Look, is that your second brother's carriage?" Cheng Yurong exclaimed and rushed toward the stairs with Ruan Ruan in her arms. Bai Zhi and the wet nurse hurriedly supported them.
"Er Gege..." Ruan Ruan also saw that the sign on the carriage was the totem of the Shen family, and he waved his little hands excitedly.
The four brothers Shen Zhiyuan also walked down the stairs and saw the figures of the two carriages getting closer and closer.
"Brother Yu, hurry up and arrange for the firecrackers. Brother Jie, go get the grapefruit leaves." Cheng Yurong ordered. She turned around and handed Ruan Ruan into Shen Zhiyuan's arms. He sat on the wheelchair and hugged his sister. safer.
"Brother Yuan, take good care of your sister."
"Okay." Shen Zhiyuan hugged the thirty-pound Ruan Ruan, almost losing his grip. Fortunately, he has been exercising recently, otherwise he would not be able to hold his sister for a long time.
"Mom, don't worry, everything has been arranged." Shen Zhiyu comforted her, and then he turned around and called five boys, each holding a few firecrackers.
Shen Zhijie went into the house and called several maids out and arranged them neatly. In their hands, they were holding several grapefruit leaves, a basin of hot water boiled with grapefruit leaves, face towels, hand towels, and lit mugwort leaf incense.
Shen Zhiqing, who was sitting in the first carriage, raised the curtain and saw his whole family waiting for him at the gate.
He was so excited that he said to the groom outside the door: "The carriage should go faster."
"Yes, Master."
Wangyou couldn't help laughing: "Master, I am really impatient. A few days ago, you said you were not in a hurry."
"... Shen Zhiqing's face stiffened and he snorted coldly: "No one will think you are dumb if you don't speak."
Wangyou shut his mouth and sat aside obediently.
After a short while, the carriage finally arrived at the gate of the General's Mansion and stopped steadily.
Wangyou jumped off the carriage, moved the sedan chair, and helped Shen Zhiqing get out of the carriage.
"Mother, eldest brother, third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, and sister." He looked at the Shen family one by one, tears wet his eyes.
"Qing'er, you're back." Cheng Yurong ran a few steps and hugged him.
Shen Zhiyu immediately asked the five boys to light the firecrackers, and then the firecrackers sounded one after another.
Dozens of people at the scene covered their ears until the five firecrackers were set off.
Both sides of the entrance to the General's Mansion were covered with red confetti from burned firecrackers, and the air also smelled of gunpowder with the smell of sulfur.
Cheng Yurong took the sleeve leaves and patted Shen Zhiqing's back, arms, and legs, chanted words to ward off evil spirits and prayed for blessings, and then asked him to wash his hands and face with water boiled with grapefruit leaves.
The two maids took moxa leaf incense and smoked it for a while around Shen Zhiqing.
"Okay, everyone, let's go in!" Cheng Yurong waved her hands and asked the maids to leave.
She walked into the general's mansion with her six children first, followed by Butler Shen, wet nurse and Bai Zhi, and finally the young servants and maids.
Entering the hall, everyone took their seats. The maids served hot tea and snacks in an orderly manner, and the three servants brought a charcoal-heated brazier for Shen Zhiqing to bake.
He, Cheng Yurong and Ruan Ruan sat on the fur-covered Arhat bed.
Although there were five or six braziers in the hall and the temperature was enough to keep warm, Cheng Yurong was still worried about Shen Zhiqing's coldness.
"Mom, the temperature is too high. Look, I'm sweating." Shen Zhiqing took off his cloak and then another coat.
"It's okay, hot is better than cold. You should eat something to cushion your stomach first, then go take a bath and put on new clothes. Mom made these for you personally. I don't know if they suit your liking."
Cheng Yurong waved her hand, and Bai Zhi brought a big Box, Aunt Zhou started her vacation yesterday and has returned to Dr. Zhou's house to celebrate the Spring Festival. She will not return to the General's Mansion until the fourth day of the new year as an errand.
Several little maids lifted up several pieces of clothing, ranging from middle coats and skirts to trousers and cloaks.
She started sewing these four pieces of clothing two months ago, and each stitch carries her thoughts and worries about her second son.
Shen Zhiqing looked at the clothes carefully and touched every stitch with his hands. "Mom, thank you for your hard work. I like it very much."
"As long as you like it." Cheng Yurong couldn't hide her happiness. The two months of separation made her mother worry day and night.
Just like when the third and fourth children went to the south for disaster relief in July and August, she was worried all the time when they encountered the plague.
Ruan Ruan stood up holding the small table, grabbed a piece of mung bean cake and immediately stuffed it into Shen Zhiqing's mouth.
"Er Ge Ge Ci Ci..."
"Sister..." A vague voice came out of his mouth with difficulty. He shook his head and wanted his sister to take out the mung bean cake.
But she pushed hard and the whole piece of mung bean cake was stuffed into his mouth.
"Cough cough cough..." He coughed several times before Ruan Ruan took out his little hand. Under her "expected" gaze, he slowly chewed up the mung bean cake and swallowed it into his stomach.
"You little naughty boy, are you deliberately teasing your second brother?" Shen Zhiqing fully believed that his sister was deliberately bullying him, so he wanted to fight back.
The next second, he pinched her nose hard and refused to let go, causing her to scream in pain.
"Er Gege...wuwuwu...wow wow..." Ruan Ruan grabbed Shen Zhiqing's arm, but he was too weak to push him away.
"Do you know you're wrong?"
"Yeah, yeah..." Ruan Ruan nodded quickly, squeezed out a few tears from the corners of his eyes, pursed his lips, and pretended to be pitiful and aggrieved.
Shen Zhiqing let go of his hand, picked up Ruan Ruan and placed him on his legs.
"Little girl, why are you so fat? You have a better appetite when your second brother is not at home, right?"
Ruan Ruan raised his face, blinked at him with a pair of big watery eyes, and shook his head with an innocent look on his face, as if She is saying that she has not gained weight and her appetite is not very good.
"Hahaha..."
Brothers Cheng Yurong and Shen Zhiyuan laughed so hard that they couldn't help her say good things or hide anything when they thought about how she had been able to eat a small chicken drumstick in the past two months.
Seeing the reaction of his family, Shen Zhiqing understood.
"You little fat girl, you still don't admit it? Look at your face, your butt, and your belly."
He pinched her cheek and poked her belly.
Ruan Ruan struggled not to let him touch her belly, holding on to her clothes with her small hands.
"Er Ge Ge, sister oil next to me...mei oil..." She just didn't gain weight, how could she gain weight?
She doesn't want to be a fat girl.