PFC Chapter 206 Storytelling
Chapter 206 Storytelling
With a kind smile, Granny Fang said, "The main thing is that the rabbit fur trim is pretty. My lady has a fox fur cloak that she only wears for a few days during the New Year. She cherishes it very much."
When Dongfang Jin heard her say that, he remembered the furs he had taken from Yelüda's warehouse, including quite a few fox fur cloaks.
The white and red ones in the box are the best looking; the fact that he put them in a separate box means they must be something special.
The rabbit fur that Xueju and the others are using now was obtained by her from Cao Baishun in Yongzhou.
Gu Yumei: "Xiao Jun said that these hand warmers with rough edges are the most popular in the county right now."
After saying that, he leaned closer to Dongfang Jin and said, "When I was seeing Lin Min and Yang Zhu off, I ran into those two rascals from the Xu family."
They said that Gu Meixiang had returned with her two children.
Lin Min told me to be careful; this one is much harder to deal with than Gu Meiyu, she's more cunning and scheming.
Dongfang Jin sneered: "I'm afraid of her? What a joke."
A woman who is bullied by her husband's family is only spoiled by her own family.
Gu Yumei snorted coldly: "Tell me, what is it about her family that they make trouble all the time? Why don't other families have so many problems?"
"Who knows."
Gu Yumei thought of something and said, "When I got married, she was still a little girl."
Back then, this person was quite quiet and rarely went out, preferring to stay at home doing embroidery.
Moreover, she was skilled at embroidery, and her embroidery would sell for more than that of other girls.
I never imagined she could do something like that.
Gu Yumei heard from the villagers that this Gu Meixiang had slept with her husband out of wedlock and even got pregnant before marriage before marrying him.
With such a lack of self-control, it's no wonder she's not favored in her husband's family.
I heard that the man used to have a fiancée whose family was in business and had some assets.
If it weren't for the marriage arrangement made between them by their elders since childhood, the woman would definitely not have looked down on him.
Originally, this man did not want to marry Gu Meixiang, but the patriarch of the Ye clan personally intervened, and he broke off the engagement and married Gu Meixiang instead.
After the marriage, the family originally hoped to gain benefits from Gu Meixiang, but unexpectedly, they didn't get any benefits. Instead, she kept sending things back to her parents' home.
How could her mother-in-law tolerate this?
Jun Wenhui sighed, "Things have changed, people are always changing."
Gu Yumei sighed, "To be honest, Gu Meixiang is also pitiful. Her mother found her a wealthy family in the county, and it seems she was to be someone's second wife."
She verbally agreed, but after visiting her maternal grandparents' home that year, she started an affair with her current man.
Jun Wenhui looked on in astonishment: "Is that so?"
Gu Yumei nodded: "That year, my father was seriously ill because my mother passed away. I lived nearby, so I came back to take care of him."
I just happened to know that the person in the county was related to the former county magistrate. I think his surname was Zhang, and he was quite famous around the docks.
Xiulan pondered for a moment and said, "Granny Fang, is Sister Yumei referring to Zhang Fusheng?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Fang said, "In Ling'an County, the only wealthy household with the surname Zhang who is related to the former county magistrate is Zhang Fusheng."
His brother, Zhang Fugui, was originally the head of Qingfeng Village, secretly managing the order on both sides of the canal and having connections with a major gang in the martial arts world.
However, later, internal strife broke out in Qingfeng Village, and many people died in that conflict. Zhang Fugui was one of those who died in the conflict.
This Zhang Fusheng has a daughter who became the concubine of the former county magistrate, but he's almost sixty now.
Besides, he's not short of women; his harem is practically overflowing with beauties.
Xiulan covered her mouth and laughed: "Granny, didn't he not have a legal wife? You've forgotten how his wife died."
Granny Fang exclaimed in surprise, "Could it really be him?"
Gu Yumei shook her head: "I don't know about that. That happened six years ago. But I heard that the person was indeed quite old. It seems that Gu Yaozong was the one who arranged the marriage."
Jun Wenhui said coldly, "This Gu Yaozong is no good either. How can he push his own sister into a fire pit?"
I don't know what that old woman Gu is thinking. She's utterly unfit to be a mother. No wonder Gu Meixiang could do such a thing.
However, according to Yang Zhu, Gu Yaozong left with that young widow and hasn't returned yet.
"Why hasn't Gu Qingshan said a word about all this commotion in her family? Is there really such a cold-hearted person in this world?"
Gu Yumei shook her head: "From the time I can remember, it seems that Uncle Qingshan has always been like this. I originally thought he was honest and kind."
Looking back now, it seems like this person has no heart. He and Gu Meiyu have been living in the county town ever since, and haven't returned to the village.
As they chatted, they used a small knife to cut open the broad beans.
At this moment, the younger children ran over and crowded into the kitchen. Shen Qihui said, "Auntie, didn't you say you were going to tell us the story of Laba Festival?"
Dongfang Jin then remembered that she had promised to tell them a story.
Looking at the dozen or so little kids, Jun Wenhui teased, "Grandma Jun also wanted to hear it, so she detained your aunt and was waiting for you to come."
Dongfang Jin looked at Ma Wencai and the other four as they came in and said speechlessly, "Sit down, everyone. I'll start my lecture."
With his signature smile on his face, Fang Shiyu said politely, "Jin-jie, would you like some tea and snacks to hear a story?"
Dongfang Jin sighed and said, "Yes, after you hear the story, you should all do artificial pollination on all the vegetables in your house."
Xie Wenke said happily, "Okay."
Next, Gu Yumei prepared snacks for them, including roasted peanuts, sugar-roasted chestnuts, and spiced melon seeds.
Jun Qixian brewed tea for them, and the room was filled with the aroma of tea.
Looking at this joyful scene, Dongfang Jin felt a pang of homesickness, but only for a moment.
"Is this the story of the Buddha's enlightenment? It is said that when Shakyamuni was practicing in the Himalayas, he was exhausted and was seen by a shepherdess, who then cooked milk porridge to feed him."
After regaining his strength, Shakyamuni attained enlightenment and became the Buddha on the night of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
From then on, temples began to cook porridge with fragrant grains and fruits and give it to their disciples and believers to commemorate this day.
After Dongfang Jin finished speaking, she lowered her head and continued with her work.
Jun Qirui looked at her: "Is it over?"
Dongfang Jin didn't even look up: "It's over!"
Ma Wencai was displeased: "Tell me another one, this one is too short."
"Alright? Then let me tell you another story about an ancient emperor."
This emperor was named Zhu Yuanzhang. Legend has it that when he was a child, his family was very poor. When he was herding cattle for a rich man, the cow broke its leg and he was locked in a room without food.
Zhu Yuanzhang discovered a mouse hole in the house containing rice, beans, red dates, and other food, which he then cooked into a pot of porridge.
Later, when Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he remembered this incident and ordered the imperial chefs to cook a pot of porridge made from a mixture of various grains and beans. The day they ate it happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, hence the name Laba porridge.
Fang Shiyu: "Anything else?"
Dongfang Jin immediately transformed into a little leopard: "You guys aren't playing anymore, are you!"
Jun Wenhui chimed in, "Is this a story?"
……
Days passed one by one, and the joyful laughter of the Gu family never ceased.
On the 17th or 18th of the lunar month, sweeping the house brings good fortune; once the 20th of the twelfth lunar month arrives, there are daily markets in the town and county.
The surrounding villagers and merchants also brought out everything they could sell, hoping to make a fortune for the New Year.
Today is the 22nd, and tomorrow will be the 23rd. When I was little, my grandma would buy some candied melons every year around these days.
He also told her some stories about gods and immortals, saying that on the 23rd, the Kitchen God would return to Heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the situation of each household.
To ensure that the Kitchen God speaks well of people, people will use sugar melons to smear the mouth of the Kitchen God's New Year picture during the Kitchen God worship ceremony.
This implies that when the Kitchen God reports to the Jade Emperor, he should speak well of the Kitchen God and prevent him from saying anything wrong.