HCB Chapter 275: Busy supporting the family in the foreign land
Chapter 275: Busy supporting the family in the foreign land
When Shanghainese people have a baby, a must-have is the full-month banquet. There are two very important rituals during the full-month celebration, and both must be completed regardless of whether the family is rich or poor.
The baby's hair is shaved and the mother has seven meals.
In particular, Aunt Xu instructed Xu Ayu to hold a full-month banquet for Axi.
She said that she couldn't keep her son because she was too lazy and didn't pay enough attention to him.
Her words made the Wei couple, who had originally only wanted to invite two tables as a formality, start to take the full moon banquet seriously.
Early in the morning before dawn, Wei Ada was in the yard meeting people who came to deliver rice, flour, meat and vegetables.
Aunt Wu entered Xu Ayu's bedroom carrying a bowl of sugared eggs.
"Madam, this is the first meal of the morning. Just a simple meal to fill your stomach."
The baby, who had just finished feeding, clenched his two little fists under his chin and pouted his lips to look aggrieved, but he couldn't hold on for more than ten seconds before falling asleep.
Wei Miao sat next to him and sighed, "He is so leisurely."
Xu Ayu sat on the bed, put the empty bowl beside him, and said with a smile:
"He should thank you. Our family is doing well. I eat well, and then he eats well. Only by eating well and sleeping well can he grow well."
Xu Ayu glanced at his crying son, then at his daughter who had been sitting by his bed with him early in the morning, and suddenly he felt the urge to speak.
"When you were born, our family was relatively well off. Even though your great-grandmother was lying on a hospital bed, she still took out all the money she had saved her entire life and asked your father to hire a troupe of actors to hold a respectable full-month banquet for you with drums and gongs."
Wei Miao listened to Xu Ayu's chatter and learned about the custom of the full moon wine banquet.
Shaving the baby's hair is also called the full-moon head, which symbolizes that the baby has safely passed the newborn period.
In folk parlance, it means "stood still". Friends and relatives are invited to witness the birth and pray to the gods to bless the newborn with health and longevity.
There are not many records of these in the book, and they are not detailed. Wei Miao asked curiously:
"Auntie Wu said that you have to eat seven meals today. Is there a rule for this?"
Seeing Wei Miao's interest, Xu Ayu was also happy to teach her daughter these rules. She changed into a comfortable position and said slowly:
"On the day of the full moon, the mother should eat seven meals and not do anything else. This will help eliminate the pain of confinement."
Wei Miao seemed to understand a little bit. This was a ceremony to announce to outsiders that the mother had returned to life.
"After the full moon, grandma can visit other people's homes."
There was a hint of longing in Xu Ayu's tone. She was a blessed person, and the year she was pregnant was the most comfortable year in her life.
But sometimes people are just servile. Even though someone serves them food and drinks, they still feel something is wrong.
The Wei family's life started to become difficult after the two elders fell ill, so the three children she gave birth to all had to stay in bed for a full month.
Even for the youngest child, Wei Ping, the neighbors were invited to her full-month banquet and all seven meals were served.
But it can't be compared with today.
Wei Miao saw Xu Ayu sighing a lot and asked:
"So are we going to take Ah Xi to my uncle's house tomorrow?"
According to the rules, the mother has to take the baby back to her parents' home on the second day after the full moon.
Xu Ayu gently patted the sleeping baby and nodded slightly.
My sister-in-law's words are still ringing in my ears. It's better to believe in this kind of thing than not to believe it. Just in case...
Xu Ayu felt sad when he thought of his sister-in-law's little boy.
While the two were talking, Wei Ada pushed the door open and came in, bringing with him a chill.
Xu Ayu quickly wrapped the quilt around Axi and asked Wei Ada worriedly:
"The weather today is bad?"
Wei Ada rubbed his hands and said, "It looks like a sunny day."
"That's good." Xu Ayu breathed a sigh of relief. When he took something seriously enough, he always hoped that it could be completed in one go.
Wei Miao saw that Wei Ada seemed to have something to say to Xu Ayu, so he picked up the empty bowl that Xu Ayu had used to eat the sweet soup, stood up and said:
"I'm going to ask Aunt Wu for a bowl of sugar-water eggs."
The couple has been acting mysterious these past two days, deliberately hiding things from her.
Wei Miao guessed that it had something to do with the woman holding the little kid.
Since they didn't want her to know, it meant that they both had their own plans. After all, adults were better at dealing with such social conventions.
Wei Miao entered the kitchen and saw the chef recommended by Lu Pingsheng discussing the dishes with Wu Ma.
The two helpers he brought with him were picking and washing vegetables.
Looking at the various fish, meat, shrimp, vegetables and fruits sorted in the kitchen, Wei Miao felt for the first time the tediousness of this family banquet.
I also admire Wei A Da even more. It is not easy to order such fresh vegetables and fish in advance in winter.
Wei Miao served himself a bowl of sugar-water eggs and sat behind the stove, eating while listening to them talk.
The chubby chef said: "Man Yue noodles should be cooked after the banquet begins."
Wu Ma said, "Can't we cook the portion for the neighbors first? There aren't enough people in the family."
The chef said, "The first soup is served with pickled pork with preserved vegetables, and the old duck soup is served when the soup is halfway through."
Aunt Wu nodded, indicating that there was no problem.
After Wei Miao finished two bowls of sugar-water eggs, the two of them discussed everything.
The four of them started working in the kitchen.
Wei Miao walked out of the kitchen with her hands behind her back, and saw Wei Ling and others washing their faces and brushing their teeth under the eaves.
Originally, several people were going to go to school today, but Wei Miao said that for such an important ceremony, the whole family must be together.
Xu Ayu finally agreed to let him stay, muttering, "One day less of absence means a day of tuition is wasted."
Wei Ling was smart and assured Xu Ayu:
"Mom, there are free tutoring classes at school. We will all go there and try to earn back the tuition fees."
Xu Ayu smiled happily when he heard this, and then asked curiously:
"Why does your teacher give you extra lessons?"
Wei Ran said: "The teacher said that time is running out, so let's learn more."
"What a nice man." After Xu Ayu finished his sigh, he added, "But he's a little impatient."
Wei Miao looked at the kids checking whether each other's teeth were clean and their hair was messy, and a smile appeared unconsciously on the corners of his mouth.
"Big pot." Wei Ping called her.
Wei Miao looked at the two braids on her head and said with a smile, "Pingmei's hair can also be braided."
Wei Ping shook her head and said, "It was Sister Li who gave me the injection."
Wei Miao looked at Wei Li and Wei Ling. Both of them had their hair braided into two braids and were wearing thin red jackets. They looked pretty and healthy.
Wei Miao felt as if his son had grown up, so he cleared his throat and said:
"There are many guests at noon. You are the host, so you must be polite and considerate. Do you understand?"
"Got it!"
Several people answered in unison, and the crisp voices ushered in a busy day.
Xiao Qian directed Huang Xiaoan to come in with two baskets of tableware.
"Why are you so happy so early in the morning?"
Wei Ling went to help, "Sister Qian, let us wash these dishes."
Xiao Qian pulled her pigtails and said, "Otherwise, I, your sister Xiao Qian, don't have time to wash the dishes today."
After putting the things down, Xiao Qian went into the main room and turned to Huang Xiaoan and shouted:
"What are you still standing there for? Come in and put the seats in order."
Huang Xiaoan had just put down two heavy baskets of tableware and was pounding his waist when he heard the shouting and went into the main room helplessly.
"The master asked the two of us to help today, so don't even think about being lazy."
Huang Xiaoan's feminine face was filled with laughter and tears, "I was woken up by you before dawn, and you bossed me around like a top, how could I be lazy?"
Xiao Qian snorted coldly. This person is the most hypocritical. He says one thing in front of you and another behind your back.