Annual Ceremony

Chapter 14 Qingming Festival (I)

But what made Orange feel depressed was that the old man who asked everyone to come here to discuss matters talked for a long time but did not get to the point.

Wang Zhefu first instructed his three sons to support each other and serve their mother well in the future.

Then he gave separate instructions, asking the eldest son to take care of the house and pay more attention to the children's schooling. Let the second son concentrate on preparing for the exam. If he still fails, he doesn't have to stick to the same path, and it may not be a bad idea to find another way out.

Finally, he taught Wang Xipu how to be an official.

Mrs. Dong wanted to stop her husband. After all, he was a terrible official. All his ways led to the sewers.

But the old lady changed her mind and thought that negative experience is also experience, so let him teach it.

At the end of the teaching of the way to be an official, Wang Zhefu emphasized four words: "Stay true to yourself."

Wang Xipu responded solemnly: "I will follow your father's instructions."

Wang Zhefu then began to give instructions to his grandchildren.

When looking at his eldest grandson Wang Yuan, the old man gave very concise advice: "Since you are seventeen this year, it is time to prepare for starting a family."

Even Orange understood what was said - Wang Yuan could no longer be relied upon, and it was suggested that they hurry up and give birth to some new Wang Yuans to raise.

Wang Xirui nodded in shame. Continuing the family line was the only use of his son, and it was time to use him as soon as possible.

"The third son doesn't come home often, so you two brothers should worry more about Wang Jie's studies." Wang Zhefu said to the eldest and second sons, and finally his eyes fell on the eldest son: "Let Wang Jie study in your private school in the future. In addition, I have asked Mr. Yuan to find two teachers in Jinling City to guide him. You can bring him to your house every ten days for advice."

Wang Xipu knew that his father was worried about his son, so he hurriedly said to Wang Jie, "Why don't you thank your father quickly?"

Wang Jie hurriedly bowed to his grandfather.

Wang Zhefu waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary, and then looked at Shuyi: "Shuyi is a good child, but she is too sensible..."

Shuyi was slightly startled, not being able to fully understand what her grandfather meant, but she never asked too many questions. She just lowered her head and listened attentively, then bowed slightly.

Finally, Wang Zhefu smiled and waved to the youngest Zhenyi.

Zhenyi came to her grandfather, who touched her head with infinite love in his eyes: "Father has been busy recently and has not asked about Deqing's homework. Have you missed anything?"

Zhenyi looked up, her bright eyes full of the seriousness of a child: "Zhenyi has been practicing calligraphy and arithmetic every day, and has never fallen behind. If you don't believe me, you can test me at will."

"How could Grandfather not believe in our Deqing!" Wang Zhefu laughed, scratched the boy's blunt nose, and said: "If Deqing is willing to work so hard, what can't he accomplish?"

There was hope and expectation in the old man's eyes, but also a hint of hidden worry.

But looking at the little child in front of him, he finally said, "Second brother, from now on, you will be the one teaching Deqing his homework. The door of the study room must not be locked all the time. The children can go to study whenever they want."

After saying all this, Wang Zhefu stood up from his chair and said with a smile: "Okay, I should go out too."

Orange tilted his head in confusion: "?"

What about business?
What was the matter that it was curious about and worried about for many days?
Orange subconsciously looked at the person in the family who was the most sentimental and the one who could not hide his secrets the most——

Sure enough, Yang Jinniang had turned her head away and started wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

Zhenyi seemed to notice something and suddenly grabbed her grandfather's sleeve and asked, "Grandfather, are you going to be away for a long time? When will you be back?"

Wang Zhefu: "Just focus on your homework. I will test you later. If you answer incorrectly, you will be slapped on the palm of your hand."

Zhenyi retracted her hand when she heard this. She had never been hit on the palm of her hand, but her elder brother had been hit and he screamed and groaned in agony.

The children were soon distracted, and the three Wang brothers followed the old man out.

The old lady sat quietly where she was and said to her daughters-in-law, "Go back home."

The third wife suppressed her tears and said, "Let's stay with mother for a while..."

Several daughters-in-law surrounded the old lady, and Shuyi also poured tea for her grandmother.

Zhenyi's eyes suddenly fell on the fishing rod behind the door.

Zhenyi picked up the fishing rod and suddenly ran out.

It seems that grandpa is going to be away for a long time, so how can he not take his most beloved fishing rod with him? Grandpa forgot to bring the fishing rod, so she wants to give it to him!

There was a rumble of thunder in the sky.

Zhenyi ran in front holding a fishing rod that was much taller than herself, and Juzi chased after her.

After chasing out of the gate, Zhenyi saw two officers standing in front of the door, and heavy, rusty chains had been wrapped around her father's hands and feet.

The third uncle was bowing to the official and entrusting him with something. The eldest uncle handed over a silver bag with both hands. The father was saying goodbye to the eldest uncle with tears in his eyes: "Father, please take care of yourself..."

Zhenyi was stunned. The last time she saw the police arrest people like this was when her sister Jiuying's house was robbed. The thief was trapped in the woodshed. The servants of the Qian family reported to the authorities, and then the police took the thief away with such chains.

"Grandfather is not a thief!"

Zhenyi shouted righteously and ran forward, but was stopped by her father: "Zhen'er, don't make trouble..."

Zhenyi was so anxious that she was about to cry. She could only shout over and over again: "Grandfather, Grandfather!"

Looking at the long fishing rod in the little child's hand, Wang Zhefu's eyes suddenly became sore, but he still smiled and said to his granddaughter: "Don't be afraid, grandpa is just going to be away for a while..."

After comforting her, the old man waved his hand lovingly to his granddaughter and said, "Go back, Deqing, be obedient."

As the old man waved his hands, the chains rattled.

The wind rustled the leaves, and Zhenyi's tears also rustled.

Looking at the white-haired old man, Orange couldn't help but burst into tears. Without Old Wang, who would give it fish to eat?
Wang Yuan, Shuyi, Chun'er, and Yang Jinniang followed him out one after another. Zhenyi was surrounded and persuaded, and she was coaxed into not insisting on keeping her grandfather. The most willful thing she could do was to ask her grandfather for a pinky promise that "Grandfather will definitely come back."

The old man smiled, bent down, raised his hand that was locked with a heavy iron chain, and earnestly hooked his finger with the tender and soft little hand.

Wang Zhefu was quickly invited to get on the prison van, and the two officers were quite polite.

The prison van went away, and misty rain and fog were floating in the air.

Zhenyi suddenly remembered that a few days ago, her grandfather taught her to read a Qingming poem: [During the Qingming Festival, rain falls heavily, and the pedestrians on the road are heartbroken...]

She asked: [Father, what does it mean to cut off the soul? ]

At this moment, the young Zhenyi was holding a fishing rod, standing in the rain and fog, looking at her family members who were watching her silently with tears in their eyes, and only then did she vaguely understand the meaning of the poem.

The rain had not stopped for several days and the Wang family was in complete silence.

After the sky cleared up, Orange went out early and came back late every day, plotting something big.

Juzi believed that Wang Zhefu had deceived Zhenyi, and once he got on the prison car, he would never be able to come back, but would be beheaded - that's how it was played on TV!

Fortunately, the TV also provides a good way to survive - wear a mask and rob a prisoner.

Orange has already visited the execution ground in Jinling City.

But robbing a prisoner is not something a cat can do alone, it needs some accomplices.

Late at night, by the river behind Wang's house, cats of different colors emerged from the grass one after another.

They had all eaten Wangzhefu's fish, and Orange issued a call to them - the benefactor is in trouble, and the world is here to help.

The cow cat also came. It was always a good judge who abided by the law and maintained public order, but it announced: Wang Zhefu was a good man and he was wronged!

More and more cats are mobilized, and a prisoner rescue plan is brewing.

But when the plan was halfway through, a cat outside the city came to report that the cat had seen Wang Zhefu being escorted out of Jinling City that day.

It turned out that he was not going to be beheaded in Jinling City, but to be exiled to the north to guard the border.

It's too late to chase him now.

The once heroic Orange suddenly became dejected, but he was also relieved because at least Old Wang didn't have to lose his head.

The orange did not dare to be depressed for too long, after all, it still had Zhenyi to take care of and comfort.

Zhenyi made Juzi less worried. She stopped crying and getting frightened, and started going to the study to practice calligraphy and read as usual every day.

Zhenyi once heard her uncle teach her elder brother that the only way to have a future is to study hard.

Zhenyi also heard from her grandfather that the answers that others could not give were all in the book. The book contained all the truths in the world, and among them, mathematics was the "full truth".

Zhenyi wanted a way out and wanted answers. She wanted to know why her grandfather was locked up and taken away, and she wanted to know how to get her grandfather back home as soon as possible.

So she studied harder than before.

In Orange's eyes, this little girl was born to be a reader.

As spring went and autumn came, the jujube trees outside Jifang Book House were ripe. The oranges climbed up the tree and knocked down green and red dates. Zhenyi and Chun'er looked up and held up their clothes to catch them from below.

This autumn, the Wang family finally had good news: Yang Jinniang was pregnant.

Everyone was very happy, and Zhenyi was no exception. She began to prepare to be a good and competent sister like her older sister, and this process made Zhenyi very excited.

As Yang Jinniang's belly grew bigger, Zhenyi also learned to take care of her carefully like the adults, helping her down the stone steps and blowing away the boiling hot soup.

During the Qingming Festival of the following year, one evening, after washing up, Zhenyi and Juzi lay on the bed together, opened the book "Collected Explanations of the 72 Solar Terms in the Lunar Calendar", stopped at the page about the Qingming solar term, and read it carefully.

It's Qingming Festival again this year, and it has been a full year since my grandfather left home, but there has been no news from him since then.

Zhenyi pressed the book with one hand and supported her chin with the other, and calmed down because of her longing.

Orange pressed one ear back, not knowing what he heard, and suddenly became alert.

A moment later, Mother Zhao shouted anxiously, "Madam is about to give birth! Chun'er, hurry up, go to Huangjia Lane to ask for a midwife!"

"Hey!" Chun'er in the yard hurriedly put down the wooden basin, wiped the water on her hands on her dress as she walked, and ran out without even bothering to put down her rolled up sleeves.

Juzi and Zhenyi also ran out of the house.

Soon, the first and third wives came. The first wife carried Zhenyi out, and the third wife went into the delivery room to help. Mother Lu comforted Wang Xichen: "Don't worry, second master. A woman's second pregnancy is usually smoother! Within an hour at the latest, the second wife will give birth to a little boy for our Wang family. He will definitely be more handsome and intelligent than the second young lady!"

However, an hour later, Yang Jinniang still failed to give birth successfully.

Mother Lu stopped saying auspicious things and went into the delivery room to help.

After another hour, the voices of the women in the delivery room began to become increasingly flustered.

Another hour passed. In the opposite room, Zhenyi, who was sitting on the bed in the arms of the eldest wife but had her eyes wide open and no sign of sleep, did not hear her mother's screams anymore. Only then did she dare to ask, "Aunt, is my mother okay?"

The eldest wife's face did not look good. She said to Zhenyi gently, "Wait in bed and don't go anywhere," and hurried to the delivery room.

　good morning everyone.

　　(The next book is about to be finished, I will update this book like crazy this month)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)