After the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the taste of the year became stronger and stronger. Xue often went to the town with Zhixin to buy things, and he always had to buy some New Year's goods. Chen led Huixin and Jingya to make clothes at home. After the Chinese New Year, he had to make new clothes to wear. Besides, Huixin will get married this year, so naturally the family cannot wear them too old, which will embarrass Huixin.

Huixin's dowry was almost ready. Chen originally planned to make some furniture, but the Tao family said that his family was a carpenter and they all made them together, so the Xu family didn't have to worry about these things anymore. So the furniture was not made. Chen left all the money for making furniture to Huixin and asked her to keep it in the bottom of the box.

"Grandma, the clothes are ready. See if there are any inappropriate places, and I will change them." Jingya made a piece of clothes and showed them to Chen.

"Okay, it's pretty good. Jingya, you have mastered this needlework. The stitching is much better than I did back then. I didn't have such good skills at that time. It's the 11th day of the Chinese New Year. Grandma has to talk to your mother and start saving your dowry. Prepare in advance and don't worry at that time. Look at your sister-in-law, she has also started to save the dowry since the 11th day of the 12th, so you don't have to be too busy now." Chen looked at her granddaughter. Jingya looked quiet and delicate, and looked a bit similar to Huixin. It's said that her niece looks like an aunt, which is not bad at all. She looks good and has a good skill. Her marriage will not be bad in the future.

Jingya's face turned red, "Grandma, what were you talking about? I'm still young, and I still have my uncle and my elder brother, so it's my turn?"

"You're wrong. They boys have to study and take the imperial examination, so they naturally have to be later. Girls are different. They have to make the marriage quickly when they are old, so they can avoid gossiping. Besides, they just want you to save your dowry first, and you won't have to be too busy in the future, and you won't be able to kiss you now. We Jingya must find a good one in the future." Chen said to her granddaughter, and her hands kept sewing her clothes with her needles. "By the way, why didn't you see Jinghan today? You went to the town with your parents?"

"No, it seems like I'm going out to play with Yumei." Jingya picked up another piece of clothing, which were cut out by Chen in advance, just sew it on.

"Oh, she should go out to play, Jinghan, can't rest all day long. Now the pig has been sold and the bean sprouts have stopped. She should have a good rest. Who is as old as her? But Jinghan knows to pull things at home all day long. Speaking of which, Jinghan has really put in a lot of effort. This year, she brought Wenxuan and Wenchang back. This girl, I don't know who she has followed, and she will be able to get her up the mountain. If she is allowed to stay at home, she can hold her back." Chen shook her head and smiled. This little granddaughter is different from other girls. She is very wild. I don't know if she can get better when she grows up in the future.

Several people were sewing clothes while talking and laughing. Before noon, Xue and Zhixin came back and carried a lot of things. Zhixin piled up all the New Year's goods on the kang and picked them up for Chen to see. "Mom, this is the candy, firecrackers, pairs, and these are peanuts and dates. In addition, these are the head flowers of Jingya and Jinghan. Look at how bright the color is, it should be very beautiful when worn by the girl doll." Zhixin caught a lot of prey some time ago, and the fur was left behind, but the meat and other meat were sold to restaurants in the town and sold for some money, so he bought some small things such as head flowers and headbands for his daughter.

Chen also thought it was good after seeing it. "Okay, this color is indeed fresh and suitable for them to wear. The two girls are not young anymore, so they should dress up. By the way, have you bought the fish? There must be fish during the Chinese New Year. Besides, do you have to buy the vegetables and other things you used to send Huixin to the day of marriage these days? Otherwise, it would not be sold in the first lunar month." Chen remembered that Huixin had to hold a banquet when she got married.

"Mom, I'll go to the town with Merrill Lynch tomorrow to see if I buy some. While the price has not increased too much in the past few days, it's time to buy it back. It may be much more expensive under the annual base. It's very cold now, so I can stay there even after I buy it." Zhixin thought of this, and happened to have inquire about the price in the town today. Fortunately, the price has not increased too much.

Chen got up and took out some silver and put it in front of Zhixin, "Take this money and go to see what you have tomorrow and buy some back."

Zhixin did not refuse and directly put the silver on his back. "Mom, I'll go and chop some firewood. I'll be busy when the New Year is over. I don't have time to chop it. Besides, it's not easy to move the axe in the first month of the year, so I have to save more now." Then he went out.

Xue sat on the edge of the kang and helped to pack up the things, and then Chen put them in the suite of the east room and took them out when they were used.

As the New Year is getting closer, the days are overwhelming. After the New Year, every household starts to sweep houses, paste windows, steam buns, meat, etc. Jinghan is naturally busy with this and that, and she is very happy every day. As for the New Year, who can be unhappy?

On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Tao family came to deliver a bride gift, and brought a pig, a jar of wine, two boxes of clothes, cloth, head and face jewelry, and so on. The people who came included Tao Qingnian, Tao Qingfeng, his wife, Qian matchmaker, and Tao Qingnian's uncle and aunt. Of course, the Xu family had to keep them for a meal. Xue was busy cooking the meal, and the Tao family left after the meal.

After sending all the Tao family away, Chen told Zhixin that he would kill the pig tomorrow, otherwise it would be difficult to use a knife in the first month. Zhixin also knew it, which means that he would kill the pig early tomorrow morning.

Chen and Xue’s mother were all watching the bride gifts from the Tao family to Huixin, a set of silver jewelry, two four-color cloths, two pairs of pillowcases, tea, wedding cakes, etc. They are not considered good things, but they are also good. "Okay, this is also good in our farmyard. Huixin, these things, except tea, wedding cakes and other foods, are leftover mothers for you. Marry up and live a good life, and have two years of children. Didn’t you agree to split up the family in Qingnian? It will be easier then." Chen told his daughter again.

"Mom, I know, don't worry, my daughter won't embarrass her." Huixin was also very happy to look at these things.

On the morning of the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, Zhiming and Zhu's family returned from the county. Zhiming and Zhu both had a lot of things in their hands. When Chen saw it, he blamed them for spending money indiscriminately. "You have to spend money on everything in the county, and you have to buy anything at home for that money? It's good if you come back. Come on, Jingwan and Jingxian, let grandma hug you, grandma misses you."

Jingwan and Jingxian quickly came to Chen's side and called out grandma sweetly, but they made Chen's laugh and kissed them on the little faces. "I'm old now, and I'm thinking about it all the time. I've been thinking these days that you're back soon."

Jingwan and Jingxian ran to find Jinghan to play. Zhu took out a box of snacks from the things he brought, "Take it and eat with Jinghan and Sister Jingya, okay, don't mess around." The two little girls nodded, ran away with the snacks.

"Mom, Zhiming has made a lot now, and this little thing is nothing. We are far away and it is rare to come back. It's just to buy something, respecting you and my father, it's nothing." Zhu sat next to Chen, while Zhiming was next to the old man, and the two of them chatted.

In the afternoon, Zhixiang actually came back from Changbaizhou. He followed his classmates to take the carriage. When he arrived at the door of his house, he unloaded a lot of things from the carriage. Zhixin and Zhiming heard the movement outside and hurried out to see. When they saw that the fifth brother was back, they rushed forward to help.

"Lao Wu, what are you doing? Why are you moving all the grocery stores back? You haven't made any money yet, so where do you get the money to buy these things?" Zhixin looked at it and asked quickly.

"Brother, who said I don't make money? This is all in Changbaizhou, helping the magistrate to handle some things, and the magistrate rewards. In addition, I also have a salary. This time I bought all the salary. After all, the city is better than ours. Many things are of good quality and cheaper, so I bought more. Isn't this younger sister about to get married? I, a brother, have to express it." Zhixiang went out to practice for a while and was more calm.

The brothers moved all the things down, and Zhixiang gave the coachman money, and the coachman left. The three brothers put all the things into the house and put them on the old lady's kang, which scared Chen. Zhixiang quickly told his parents what he had just said, and then talked about some of his things in Changbaizhou.

It turned out that the prefect had just arrived in Changbaizhou to take office. He used to be a small official in the capital, but this time he was released and became a magistrate of a state. His hometown was in the county, so his son did not follow him in the capital, but studied in the county, and became classmates with Zhixiang. This time his son and Zhixiang were both admitted to the juren, so the prefect asked them to go to Changbaizhou for training and could not study hard.

When Zhixiang arrived there, he was highly appreciated by the magistrate, so he wanted to keep him by his side and be a minor official. Because Zhixiang was still concerned about the spring exam next year, he wanted to give it a try. The magistrate said that if he passed the exam, he would go to Changbaizhou. Staying next to the magistrate and becoming a minor official, and slowly moving up, Zhixiang agreed. Opposite Changbaizhou is Goryeo, and a lot of trade between the two countries is carried out here, so it is also a wealthy place. It is also very good to be able to work there.

The magistrate heard that Zhixiang's sister was going to get married, so he gave him a lot of good things to bring back and add makeup to Huixin. Zhixiang took out the things in a similar way. Some of the cloth and brocade woven in Goryeo were colorful and vivid in the patterns, which were not comparable to this town.
Chapter completed!