Chapter 133 First Month
My body is wet with fragrant sweat, and the spring breeze penetrates the jade pot.

When the white snow melts, there is still white; when the red flowers fall, there is no more red.

At noon, the sunlight filtered through the glass of the double-glazed windows and the red window grilles, creating a beautiful Tyndall effect, with the dust in the light dancing around the crimson beam.

Wang Deming slowly woke up from a deep sleep, and the bright red "囍" character on the kang cover was the first thing that caught his eye.

Tilting his head slightly, looking at Zhang Shouchun who was still sleeping soundly on his arm, Wang Deming couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth, and great joy and happiness filled his heart.

Once upon a time, I could only lick the screen, but now I am pregnant with a beautiful woman!

Does this count as a poor boy’s counterattack?

Or is he a gigolo?

The wedding room belongs to the woman, the decoration is done by the woman, and even the wedding process is the woman's responsibility. I only contributed a little bit of physical effort.
Ashamed, ashamed!

With the beautiful lady in front of him, Wang Deming's breathing became increasingly heavy, spraying on Zhang Shouchun's face.

Zhang Shouchun's long and curved eyelashes began to tremble slightly.

Wang Deming kissed her eyes gently, making her eyelashes flutter more violently, and his magnetic voice rang out: "Little lazy cat, it's time to get up, the sun is shining on your butt!"

Zhang Shouchun stopped pretending to sleep and opened his eyes in surprise. He turned his head to look at the sky and said in panic, "Oh, it's so late!"

She punched Wang Deming's chest a few times with her little fist and said coquettishly, "It's all your fault, over and over again!"

"oops!"

Zhang Shouchun's face was twisted into a ball, and he hit Wang Deming a few times in anger, "Are you awesome?"

"I told you not to, not to!"

Wang Deming replied with a sly smile: "I read an article that when women say no, they usually mean the opposite!"

"Go to hell!"

"Miss, has the son-in-law woken up?" Aunt Zhang heard the sound from the inner bedroom and immediately shouted from the outer room, "I'll come in and help you two get dressed."

"No need!" Wang Deming raised his voice slightly to refuse, and gently scratched Zhang Shouchun's nose with his fingers, and said gently to coax her: "Shouchun, you will be the mistress of the house from now on."

"Don't bother Aunt Zhang with things like dressing in the future, and get involved in daily housework."

Facing Zhang Shouchun's puzzled look, Wang Deming continued to coax her, "I've read a Western study that found that children who participate in daily housework will achieve higher success in the future and will not become playboys."

"You have to set a good example!"

“How can we sweep the world if we don’t sweep one house?”

"That's right!"

"Okay, Xiao Dezi, from now on you will help me get dressed!"

"Okay, you dare to call me that?"

"Haha, stop tickling me!"

Hearing the playful sounds coming from the inner room, Aunt Zhang's worries disappeared and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Zhang Shouchun was raised by her since he was a child, and they had long been like mother and son (children of the mansion and the house were actually raised by their wet nurses, and only saw their parents when they paid their respects in the morning and evening, and the time was also very short).
In popular terms, the young lady and her husband fell in love freely and then got married, but when they really live together, they are bound to encounter some bumps in the road.

It is good to treat each other with respect, but I always feel that there is a slight sense of alienation between the two of them.

How wonderful it is now. The lady's laughter is full of energy and the joy in it can be felt through the doors and windows.

Wang Deming and Zhang Shouchun, dressed in new clothes, appeared in the main hall. Zhang Ma immediately brought over two cups of warm tea and a copper basin for them to rinse their mouths.

After Wang Deming rinsed his mouth and spit out the tea, he gently persuaded Aunt Zhang, "Aunt Zhang, you don't have to come and serve us in the morning." He pointed to the copper basin she was holding, "Especially dressing and washing, we will do it ourselves."

"The Chairman calls on us to work hard to have enough food and clothing!"

"Times have changed!" "This..." Aunt Zhang felt a little overwhelmed. She had served Zhang Shouchun for so many years, and for a moment she was unable to react.

Wang Deming forcibly took the copper basin and teacup from Zhang Ma's hands and winked at Zhang Shouchun.

Zhang Shouchun playfully took Zhang Ma's arm and shook it, saying coquettishly, "Zhang Ma, Deming is right."

"We need to start changing, and I'm married and an adult now!"

Aunt Zhang looked at Wang Deming, who looked serious, and Zhang Shouchun, who looked as smiling as a flower, and hesitated for a moment, patted Zhang Shouchun's hand, and nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to the young lady and the son-in-law."

The three of them smiled again. Aunt Zhang quickly pulled Zhang Shouchun to the dressing table and sat her down. "Miss, please sit down quickly. I will help you to comb your face and do your hair."

"Hello, go and serve tea to the old lady."

Aunt Zhang took out a white cotton thread from her slanted lapel pocket, asked Zhang Shouchun to tilt his head back, and carefully removed the fine hair on his face, especially around his eyebrows and mouth.

Then, he took out a comb made of rhinoceros horn and combed Zhang Shouchun's hair.

While she skillfully put up Zhang Shouchun's black hair and fixed it with a jade hairpin and a net bag, she said, "In the past, girls had to have their hair done up twice after getting married."

"The hair was combed up and tied into a dovetail at the back, with the top parted on both sides. A wig stand was used, with flowers inserted in the middle."

Wang Deming had brushed his teeth and washed his face early, brewed a pot of Pu'er tea in a purple clay teapot, and drank it slowly. After waiting for a full hour, Zhang Shouchun finally came out from the inner room leisurely.
It's just a light application of makeup. I don't understand why it takes so long?

Well, let's combine breakfast and lunch today.

Then Zhang Ma asked her godmother Wang Shuqin to return from the kitchen in the back house to the east wing and put on new clothes. Then Wang Deming and Zhang Shouchun went to complete the tea ceremony.
Today is New Year’s Eve, and every family is busy preparing New Year’s dishes!
Another point is that at this time, it is important to cut everything that needs to be cut on New Year's Eve. Do not use knives or scissors before the sixth day of the first lunar month, otherwise it will be unlucky.

The streets and courtyards were filled with the aroma of wine and meat and the sound of firecrackers.

As soon as the tea was served, the two were ordered by Wang Shuqin to go to work.

"Deming, hurry up and write the Spring Festival couplets. You are the head of the family, you must go and post the Spring Festival couplets."

"Then take a look at what you need at home. If you don't have enough, buy it quickly. If you are late, the store will shut you down!"

She turned around and took Zhang Shouchun's hand, patting her gently and saying softly: "Shouchun, you have to put up all the New Year pictures at home, you are the hostess!"

Wang Deming really had to go to the vegetable cellar and the kitchen to take a look, as he had never taken care of any New Year's food here.

Holy shit! In the cellar, there were piles of chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables, rice cakes, flour, and rice, piled up like small mountains. It was estimated that it was enough for the whole courtyard to eat for at least a month!
Lao Zhao beside him explained: "Son-in-law, the Third Madam helped to buy all these."

Wow, my third brother and his wife are so particular.

In the kitchen, the oil pan was boiling. Yan Baozhen sat on a small stool and fried rice cakes, spring rolls, sweet potatoes, triangles, and meatballs. The two children surrounded Yan Baozhen with laughter and couldn't wait to eat each one as soon as it was fried.

Old Zhao returned to the kitchen, sat there in a sullen mood, and continued to light the two large stoves. In the large pot on the other side, elbows, large bones, chickens, and ducks were constantly bubbling and rolling.
Qin Huairu was chopping vegetables on the chopping board, and there were already several large bowls of chopped meat and vegetables beside her.

I am now cutting the vegetarian filling for the dumplings tonight. It must be prepared before 12 o'clock at night. I cannot use the knife after 12 o'clock.

Shiitake mushrooms, black fungus, chrysanthemums, and vermicelli have been soaked in advance and chopped finely; the carrots are shredded on a grater, blanched, squeezed dry, and then chopped; the Chinese cabbage is chopped, salt is added, and the water is squeezed out; there are also winter bamboo shoots, dried tofu, and chopped oil cakes, and finally sprinkled with some sesame seeds.

"Ding-ling-clang-clang" the whole family joined in. Zhang Shouchun, who had just finished pasting the New Year pictures, was also pulled into the kitchen to learn how to make them.
"Crackle, crackle!" Wang Deming, who had put up the Spring Festival couplets, received the news that lunch was ready, and took Renchun to the gate of the courtyard to light firecrackers.

In the afternoon, the women continued to prepare meals, while Wang Deming took the two children shopping and visited the White Pagoda Temple in Xicheng. Wow, it was so crowded!

As night falls, the second courtyard is brightly lit, all the rooms are lit up, and the night of staying up all night begins.

At 10 o'clock in the evening, the whole family joined in making dumplings again. Even Renchun and Yichun wanted to make a few dumplings. Soon they became little pink people.
At the fifth watch, dumplings are cooked. After they are cooked, three bowls are offered to the ancestors, with five pieces of vegetarian filling in each bowl.

After paying respect to the ancestors, the whole family went to the yard together, set off firecrackers, and wished each other happiness.

Back in the house, Wang Shuqin sat upright on the Luohan bed and accepted the kowtows of the younger generations one by one.

Finally, the whole family gathered together to eat the steaming vegetarian dumplings!

After eating dumplings at dawn, it was just dawn and the two children went to catch up on their sleep. Wang Deming washed up, got dressed and went to pay New Year's greetings.

(End of this chapter)