469: Chapter 458: Mourning (Six) 469: Chapter 458: Mourning (Six) The Zhang family mbers, with the ferocity of a gale sweeping fallen leaves, cramd everything edible on the table into their bellies or pockets.
In less than fifteen minutes, they picked the table clean.
Not to ntion Zhou Daliang and Zhou Dahong, who were responsible for serving dishes and stead buns, even Ms.
Fang and others who clandestinely peeked over from the kitchen were astonished.
Ms.Fang considered herself a veteran at Zhou’s household, having been around long enough to have spent a New Year there.
She had t all of Zhou’s relatives who were due to leave, but she never rembered eting these people.
Ms.Fang swallowed hard and asked Ms.He beside her, “Third sister-in-law, are these Zhang folks from grandma’s side of the family?”
Ms.He glanced outside and whispered, “You’ll get used to it after seeing them a few tis.
Just steer clear of them from now on.”
“Eating in such a hurry, won’t they get hiccups?” Ms.Fang said, unsure.
No sooner had she spoken than several mbers of the Zhang family began to hiccup.
They seed accustod to it and unconcerned.
Instead, they looked around and called out, “Why are there no more stead buns or dishes left?
Who’s serving this al?”
Zhou Dahong imdiately approached, “The dishes for each table are fixed, as are the stead buns, and I’ve already added an extra basket for you all.
Look at the baskets on the other tables if you don’t believe .”
The Zhang family mbers instinctively looked and noticed that the fifth table had one less basket than theirs.
Zhou Dahong sneered, “Last year was a year of disaster.
Tis are tough for everyone this year, and the food for each table is fixed.
Besides, you’re all hiccuping and still not full?”
“We’ve eaten, but the children haven’t.”
“Then take out the stead buns you hid and feed the children.”
Zhao First instinctively covered his chest.
As the Zhang family started to curse and grumble, Zhou Dahong slamd the serving tray onto the table with a thud.
The young n seated at the adjacent table stood up together, eyes glaring at them intently.
Hmph, did they really think the local toughs of Qili Village were made of mud?
Three years ago, they had dominated Qili Village as the top figures!
Of course, by now, most of them had settled down and beco fathers!
The Zhang family mbers, either holding children or the not so young among them, all fell silent at once and then quietly sat down without saying another word.
Zhou Dahong was satisfied.
He snorted, “We need to clear the tables now, hurry up and make so space.”
This request was quite discourteous—at least, no household would treat guests this way.
But the Zhang family mbers had always been bullies who feared the tough, so they dared not speak out at the mont.
Zhao Second looked around for Old Zhou to complain, only to find that the couple who had been at the mourning hall had disappeared, and their cousins sitting on both sides pretended not to see their predicant.
Zhao Second was furious.
Rolling up his sleeves, he was about to go argue with them when his grandson squeezed through from outside, tugging at his clothes, “Grandpa, Grandpa, there’s lots of food out there.”
Zhao Second squinted his eyes and followed him outside.
Once they stepped out, they saw at least twenty tables lined up along the road ahead, each table with stead buns and dishes.
Unlike their battlefield-like feasting earlier, they were eating while chatting.
Zhao Second even spotted Eldest Uncle Qian with keen eyes!
He narrowed his eyes and turned back to find his older brother.
By now, it was past lunchti, and the Zhou family was also hungry.
Uncle Lai let his son notify the mourning relatives to go eat first.
Zhou Dalang and others went to the kitchen to grab a few stead buns to gnaw on, Manbao, standing amid her tall and sturdy brothers, reached their chests and was also handed a stead bun.
Ms.Fang handed her a spoonful of vegetables, explaining specifically, “Your eldest sister-in-law said you are not allowed to eat at.”
Manbao nodded understandingly and asked, “Does that an we also have to observe three years of mourning.”
“Cough cough…” Not only Zhou Wulang and others choked, but even Zhou Dalang did too, hastily taking a swig of water and saying, “No need, no need.
If you don’t want to eat at, just abstain for three or four days.”
Actually, in the countryside, there weren’t so many formalities.
Old Zhou hadn’t even thought of it initially because even when his own parents died, he didn’t observe such abstinence.
If he could find a piece of at in the leftovers at ho, it would alleviate his sadness sowhat, let alone deliberately avoiding at.
It was only after reading so books that Datou asked them worriedly yesterday evening if their family should abstain from at for three years and whether Fifth Uncle could not take a wife for that long…
Zhou Dalang and Junior Ms.Qian were hearing such assertions for the first ti and were thus stunned.
Not marrying or hosting banquets, wasn’t that only when the emperor died, and the county magistrate issued such a decree?
In their rural area, if it was done, no one would report it, and the county magistrate wouldn’t know, let alone the emperor sowhere far away.
So when the last emperor died, although it was decreed not to marry or host banquets, during festivals, people still ate at, drank wine, and sought matches as usual…
Manbao scratched her head, suddenly realizing, “I understand.
The books say it’s for parents.
This is our uncle, so it’s different.”
The six brothers felt a mix of emotions, their gazes turning complex.
Zhou Silang hesitated and then said, “Manbao, why don’t you try not eating at for three years?”
Zhou Erlang slapped him on the head, “Don’t give ridiculous ideas.
What if Manbao gets sick?
We’ve only just managed to nurse her to health.”
Manbao also touched her little chubby belly, hesitated, and then said, “I heard that the emperor only observes three months of mourning, counting a month as a year.”
“That’s right, you’re a fairy, aren’t you?
Isn’t it one day as one year for the gods?” Zhou Silang said, “Well, why don’t you observe for three days, and it’ll count as three years.”
Manbao asked, “Why only ?
Why don’t you guys observe?”
Zhou Dalang said, “We are observing together.
It’s our uncle.
It’s our duty to show filial piety.”
“Okay!” Manbao nodded earnestly, “Let’s observe it together.”
While they were talking, Zhao Second barged in from outside and saw Zhou Dalang and his brothers holding stead buns.
Observing that there seed to be plenty more in the kitchen behind them, his eyes flashed.
He squeezed forward, “Dalang, what are you hiding here for?
Your cousin has been looking for you…”
Zhou Dalang and Zhou San imdiately blocked Zhao’s path, while Zhou Erlang, in a display of perfect coordination, stuffed the half-eaten stead bun in his hand into Zhou Si’s mouth and then stepped forward to support Zhao Second, gently pushing him toward the outside with great force while smilingly saying, “Second cousin, I was about to co find you too.
I wanted to have a quiet word with you.
Do you still rember the food you borrowed from our family a few years ago?”
Zhao Second stiffened and mumbled, “When was that?
I don’t recall.”
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