Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Chapter 202 Xiao Bao is called Chang Le

Because Li was still in her postpartum period and couldn't exert herself, Wang and Liu, along with Chunyu, Xiayu, and Qiuyu, helped pack the gifts sent by Li's family. Qinghe also wanted to help, but Liu called her back. She wasn't the kind of mother-in-law who would covet her daughters-in-law's things, so she arranged for the two daughters-in-law to take their granddaughters to do it, while she and Qinghe didn't touch anything, to avoid any mistakes or misunderstandings.

Xia Yu was in charge of reading out the list. After Wang and Li confirmed that everything was in order, Chun Yu and Qiu Yu sorted and put the items away. In fact, apart from Li Minshi and her three daughters-in-law who brought a wider variety of items, most of the other relatives' gifts were fabrics, just different sizes, fabrics, and patterns.

"Qiuyu, your maternal grandmother and three aunts have sent quite a lot of things. Look, there's even a pair of silver bracelets here. Take them and put them away for your mother." Madam Wang took out a brocade box from a large bundle, opened it, and found that it also contained a pair of silver bracelets. She then said to Qiuyu.

Upon hearing Wang's words, Chunyu and Qiuyu both craned their necks to look at what she was holding.

"Oh, Auntie, I'll take it to my mother right now." Qiu Yu answered crisply as she took the box from Wang Shi's hands. Then she ran out.

The rest of the people continued packing. Xia Yu would read something, and Wang and Liu would find something else. When Xia Yu saw the ancient-style crib, cradle, and stroller, she was stunned. Were there so many baby supplies in ancient times?

"Mother, are these things expensive?" Xia Yu asked Liu Shi.

Liu turned her head and saw that she was playing with the little cart, so she smiled.

"This must have been made by Qiuyu's uncle himself, not bought!"

"Would it be expensive to buy it?" Xia Yu asked again.

Lady Liu thought for a moment and said

"I've never seen them for sale; most of them are made by the child's maternal grandmother asking someone to do it for her."

"Oh..." It seems that the custom of grandmothers bringing strollers to children has existed since ancient times.

After everything was put away, the larger items were placed in the storeroom, and the group carried all the fabrics, wrappings, and Xiaobao's clothes to Li's room.

"Oh, sister-in-law, your aunt sent you quite a lot of things, plus what other relatives in your family sent. Look at this pile!" Wang pointed to the tall stack of fabrics on the kang (heated brick bed). Most of them were fine cotton, with a few pieces of silk. However, they had included the names of which family sent which fabrics among the fabrics, so that Li would know who sent them and could reciprocate later.

“Sister-in-law, you know perfectly well that apart from what our own mother gives us, everything else has to be returned as a gift,” Li said with a smile, looking at the pile of things.

"Yes, what you said is true." Wang thought for a moment and nodded. She noticed that Li was receiving a lot now, but she also gave away quite a bit in the past.

Xia Yu's family ate dinner at the old house, which consisted of steamed buns and leftover dishes from lunch. When they returned home after dinner, Wang Shi packed a lot of extra dishes that hadn't been served yet, including meatballs, steamed chicken, braised pork, and cooked mutton.

"Sister-in-law, that's enough, that's enough. You can keep it for yourselves. We can't finish all of this." Liu said hurriedly when she saw Wang filling a bowl with the dishes.

“It’s cold, but it won’t spoil. Hanging it up will keep it fresh for days. Besides, why are you being so polite with me? Didn’t you bring those two sheep over here yourself?” Wang found another basin and continued to fill it with fried lotus root slices and fried radish balls.

"Sister-in-law, why is there so much leftover food?" Liu felt that there was too much food prepared today, but she didn't have a chance to ask.

"The manager ordered the three brothers to buy the quantities, but they always felt that the quantities calculated were insufficient, so they bought more of everything. Later, you sent over two more sheep," the manager said.

"The bride's family and we don't need to have the same banquet. The bride's family should have the best banquet, while we villagers can have a regular banquet. If we use the same banquet as the bride's family when we entertain villagers, it might make the bride's family feel disrespected. An overly lavish banquet will also make it difficult for other families in the village to host guests in the future."

So, it wasn't that they didn't calculate the quantity enough; it's that they calculated it based on two different types of banquets. Later, Dad said, "Let Chef Zhao make it all. Even if we don't use it for the banquets, we can freeze it and eat it slowly. Your share was already included in the calculations when they made it. Luckily, the weather is cold now, so it won't spoil by the New Year."

In the end, the three of them carried two large bowls of food back home.

After a long day, Zhang Youtie had drunk some wine at dinner and was exhausted by the time he got home. The group didn't chat much, washed up, and went to bed. Before sleeping, Xia Yu took a moment to enter her spatial dimension. The fields there were now completely empty. She had initially considered planting some cotton to sell to Shen Jingheng, but then decided against it. Unless Shen Jingheng specifically requested that she plant something, she decided to avoid getting involved and just enjoy the New Year peacefully. After wandering around the dimension for a bit and drinking some well water, she went to sleep.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Uncle Ma drove to the school to pick up Changyun. However, this time he brought back more things, including books, quilts, and cotton-padded clothes.

"Brother, are you on holiday?" Xia Yu asked excitedly as he saw Uncle Ma unloading things from the mule cart.

"Yes, we're on holiday. School starts again after the Lantern Festival," Changyun said happily.

"Great, brother. I'm learning kung fu from Nineteen now, why don't you learn with me?"

"..." Changyun remained silent.

"Brother, I think you should learn from him. It'll help you get some exercise. Have you forgotten what the Master said at the school gate that time?" Xia Yu pulled Chang Yun, insisting that he practice martial arts with him. He didn't want a weak, scholarly older brother.

Actually, Changyun didn't really care about kung fu and didn't care whether he practiced it or not, but his sister kept pestering him, so he agreed. It simply meant taking half an hour out of his morning reading time. Thus, Changyun became another person joining the daily morning exercise group.

Days passed by like this. On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, when delivering hot pot ingredients to the county town, he delivered a thousand catties in one go. This was the last time he would deliver goods; after this delivery, he would stop working after the fifteenth. Because it was the last time he came to the county town, Zhang Youtie's entire family came. Also going were Zhang Youjin, Wang Shi, Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, Da Niu, and Shi Jiu from the old house.

Zhang Youtie drove the mule cart, with Liu Shi, Xia Yu, Wang Shi, Aunt Ma, Da Niu, and Shi Jiu sitting in the back. Uncle Ma and Zhang Youjin each drove an oxcart loaded with hot pot base. Da Niu felt a bit stuffy after sitting in the back for a while, so she climbed out to sit with Chang Yun at the shaft.

Upon arriving in the county town, the group first went to Zuixiaolou to deliver the hot pot base. Manager Liu knew this was the last delivery before the New Year, so he settled the previous debts together with this one. They had originally planned to invite Zhang Youtie to have a drink together, but upon learning that his family was waiting outside, the two agreed to have the drink after the New Year.

Perhaps it was because the end of the year was approaching, the city was noticeably more lively, with many more stalls set up along the roadside. Seeing someone writing couplets by the roadside, Xia Yu was thinking of buying some to take home and paste, but Wang Shi said, "Why buy them? Isn't your fourth uncle at home? Just buy some red paper and have your fourth uncle write a few."

'Yes, Fourth Uncle can write well; after all, he was the top scholar in the imperial examination.' Xia Yu thought to herself.

On the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Fourth Uncle, who was studying at Bailu Academy, finally returned home. That day, his family was called back by his grandfather for a reunion dinner. Little Bao, born to Second Aunt, finally received the name given to him by the most learned person in the family—Chang Le.

Li repeated the name to herself several times, growing more and more fond of it with each repetition. Thus, Xiao Bao's name was decided: Zhang Chang Le. Xia Yu thought the name was indeed pleasant to hear and had a good meaning.