The Great Seminary

Chapter 291 Returning Home
There are two sides to every story.

The way insignificant people change their tune so easily, from "serving the powerful to trampling on the weak," is certainly despicable.

But for important figures, the saying "not returning home in glory" is like wearing fine clothes in the dark—yet it is also a truth.

Therefore, the relationship between superiors and subordinates, which appears to be one of giving and the other receiving, is actually one of mutual need...

Snow was falling on the main road of Youyufang in Pingyang Town.

Zhang Gui smiled and bowed respectfully to the neighbors who kept coming out of their houses, hoping to strike up a conversation with him.

"Zhang Gui wishes all the 'three elders and four young men,' uncles and aunts in Youyu Lane a Happy New Year in advance."

I've heard that while there's plenty of grain and oil on the market this year, chickens, ducks, geese, and pork have become scarce.

So I prepared some New Year's goods.

Each household will receive 100 jin of pork, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, 10 geese, and 10 jars of fine aged liquor.

He soon had his men deliver them to each household.

Please don't be shy, everyone.

The saying goes, "Local magnates can command a hundred responses with a single call." Besides blood ties, what's even more important is the thoughtful act of offering help in times of need.

As soon as Zhang Gui finished speaking, the entire market erupted in cheers, spreading like wildfire.

Zhang Gui strolled leisurely through the crowd and arrived at his front door.

Hearing the commotion outside, Tsangyo had already opened the door and was waiting with her younger siblings and nieces for her eldest son to come home.

Seeing Zhang Gui casually appear, they hurriedly pulled him into the courtyard.

He quickly brushed the snow off his body and went into the main room.

The steam stove inside was burning brightly, emitting plumes of heat.

The eight-immortal table was laden with whole suckling pigs, roast geese, roast ducks, braised chickens, and other hearty dishes.

Tsurugi pressed her son down onto the armchair in front of the table, laughing and scolding:

"Warm up quickly, warm up, eat quickly, and have some hot soup."

Today is the coldest day of the twelfth lunar month.

I knew you'd only come home on days like this.

Zhang Gui sat comfortably in the armchair and stretched his limbs.
"Auntie, I'm not that stubborn. It's just that the day is just right."

Have you eaten with your aunt, uncle, and cousins ​​yet? If not, come over and eat with us!

Aunt Qiedan Sangjia smiled and said

“We’ve all eaten. This feast was prepared especially for you.”

Last night, the shop assistant at our shop in Zhihai Town sent a message saying you would be back today.

Your mother has been busy all the time.

I figured you should have been back long ago, but I've been waiting until now.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui couldn't help but think of the reason for his late return home, and his eyelids twitched slightly.
"The wind is strong at sea, so the ship may move slower. Safety should be the top priority."

"This is sound reasoning, and it's correct."

Tsurugi agreed with her son's words and nodded repeatedly.
"Summon the captain of the ship and the accompanying general to the table to join them..."

“Grandma, didn’t you hear me? I’ve prepared extra New Year’s gifts for the neighbors this year.”

Many more people followed, and you couldn't attend to them all.

It would be better to simply ignore them all, let them finish their work, and then go back to the ship to eat dry rations and jerky.

We made a quick return trip to Zhihai Town.

Spend time happily preparing for the New Year with your family.

When Tsuneo Doge heard that this made sense, she stopped arguing and sat down next to her son to 'feed' him, serving him soup, picking out vegetables, peeling shrimp, and removing fish bones.

Such a hearty and flavorful feast could easily fill even ten strong men to the brim, with food bulging in their throats.

But for Zhang Guilai, who was eating more and more, it was just twenty 'pure meat balls' as a side dish.

After he had leisurely eaten and drunk his fill, he brought over the strong tea his mother had prepared earlier, gulping it down while chatting with his family. Then, the head of his entourage respectfully reported:

"Young Master, the New Year's gifts you brought have all been distributed, and the neighbors are very grateful."

Fearing it wouldn't be enough, the extra supplies were piled up in the yard.

Once it freezes in the snow, it won't spoil for dozens of days.

This is perfect for you to have as a side dish during the Chinese New Year.

“Fuqi, you’ve thought of everything,” Zhang Gui nodded and said, “Now that things are done, you’re all set.”

Let's take the soldiers and officers back.

Everyone will receive an extra half-month's allowance so they can spend the New Year properly with their families.

"Yes." Fuqi bowed deeply, then pushed open the door and left the main room.

While the door was being opened and closed, Aunt Qiedanjena saw the courtyard, which stretched for over ten feet.

There were piles of over a thousand poultry, gutted, plucked, washed, and frozen as hard as rocks, along with dozens of similarly processed fat pigs.

He couldn't help but say:

"Guigui isn't home often. It's just the New Year. How could she possibly eat so much meat?"

My son Jixiang wrote to me a few days ago, saying that all the pigs he fattened this year were seized by the government to offset taxes.

In addition, during the Lunar New Year, everyone, rich or poor, needs to have some meat.

With fewer pigs available, chickens, ducks, and geese are also in high demand and people are scrambling to buy them.

And even paying extra doesn't guarantee you can get one.

Our house is piled up like this, overflowing with stuff...tsk tsk tsk, where do I even begin to explain?

"This is what they call, 'The rich feast on meat and wine while the poor freeze to death on the streets.'"

As soon as she finished speaking, her third daughter, Cong Yang Ai Lin, suddenly spoke in a literary tone.

Qiedanjena was stunned for a moment, then raised her hand and slapped Qiedanjena on the head.

But then, Ayako turned around and grabbed her wrist. "Mother, I'm all grown up now."

You can't just hit me like that anymore.

"Oh dear, you barbarian girl, you've been studying and practicing under the guidance of the Ming and Song dynasty's literary and martial arts masters."

Is everything I've learned just to disobey my own mother?

"Let go of my hand now!"

"No, if I let go, you'll slap my head again, and it'll hurt so much."

"I slapped you because you were talking nonsense."

"As soon as your brother Guigui got home, he brought so many fat pigs and chickens to the neighbors. There are no 'starving bones' left."

"These are the bones of those frozen to death. This is a poem I heard the teacher read aloud; it's a famous line that has been passed down through the ages..."

Zhang Gui was so annoyed by his aunt and cousin's nagging that he thought to himself:
“My aunt and cousin Ailin used to have very different tempers.”

This is like going through puberty and then menopause – it's really awful!

Fortunately, at this moment, the matriarch, Tsurugi, got up and separated the younger brother and sister-in-law and the fourth niece who were making a ruckus.

He smiled and said:
"Alright, Ailin, you're just a young girl, didn't you understand what your mother meant just now?"

She saw the mountain of frozen meat in the yard and wanted to share some with your older sister so she could save face in her husband's family.

Jenna, these poems and lyrics were already written by the ancients.

Even if your daughter reads it aloud, she might not truly understand what it means.

I just felt it was appropriate for the occasion, so I said it. Why are you taking it so seriously with a child?

Alright, tomorrow I'll have my servants deliver three fat pigs and a hundred fat chickens, ducks, and geese to Jixiang and Fucha's families respectively.

"Let the children be proud and honored in their husband's family, then you won't be angry anymore."

(End of this chapter)