The mage in the late Qing Dynasty

At the end of the 29th year of Guangxu's reign, the Russo-Japanese War finally broke out.

The Qing government declared neutrality on the grounds that Japan and Russia were friendly countries.

The war has just begun, and there is no winner yet.

Du Lisan, who was far away in western Liaoning, sat in a daze after learning that the Russo-Japanese War broke out.

Have you really been tipped off by him?

He also wanted to take another look to see if the follow-up would develop as he said.

…

On New Year's Eve, Zhao Chuanxin was cooking at home.

Yes, preparations started in the morning.

Like most people at this time, he was accustomed to eating two meals a day. So, what I’m preparing now is actually the meal for dinner.

Liu Baogui, Gao Li and Dayasu also arrived early.

Liu Guoguo helped with cutting vegetables, while Dayasu poured dirty water and other things to help. Gao Li could only add more firewood to the fireplace.

Not long after, a group of kids came to the door.

Hooray, the not-so-big house was packed with people.

There was a kid who didn’t have a good idea, and suddenly he fell to his knees.

Zhao Chuanxin was startled: I am Cao, which family do you belong to? It's too early for you to kneel down, don't do it!

Zhao Chuanxin first took out a big baggage from the house: Nuo, this is a foreign handkerchief. You guys have big runny noses every day. It's so ugly. Wipe it from now on.

Today, not only the boys are here, but also the girls.

Boys don't care about it, but girls can't put it down.

Then, he used his feet to push some wooden boxes stacked high.

One for each person, no more.

These wooden boxes were custom-made by Carpenter Li before. The word 福 on the lid of each box was carved by himself.

Zhao Hongzhi opened the box and found that there were pastry preserves, candy cubes, assorted biscuits, and a boiled egg with the word Fu written on it.

After the kids ran away, Zhao Chuanxin continued cooking.

Liu Guogui muttered, This is too extravagant. How much will it cost?

Zhao Chuanxin said: You don't understand!

Children of later generations will still bow their heads during the Chinese New Year, playing black games together.

How could it be as lively as it is now?

What’s the point of spending money?

Dayasu said honestly: The captain likes babies, so why not marry a wife and have a few by yourself.

Zhao Chuanxin waved his hand: No need, isn't this already available?

Three people: ...

How can it be the same?

In the afternoon, the meal was ready, and the four of them gathered around the bar to have a big meal.

The soft and rotten pig's trotters, the chicken feet collected by Zhao Chuanxin, the meat jelly, cabbage, chicken stewed with mushrooms, fish, spicy shredded pork, and even a relatively expensive bear's paw.

During this meal, I also drank a lot of wine.

The cups and plates were in a mess.

Over there, Zhao Zhongyi came to call them.

Just as he was about to leave, Zhao Chuanxin said, Wait, I'll get something.

With that said, he took down four decks of playing cards from the cabinet.

What is this? You have never seen it before.

Zhao Chuanxin said mysteriously: I'll teach you how to play later.

Arrive at Zhao Zhongyi’s house.

It doesn’t take that many people to make dumplings.

Zhao Chuanxin Zhang Luo: Come here, I will teach you how to play cards and plan. Brother, you put these two decks of cards on the altar table so that the ancestors can also play foreign things. After the New Year's Eve dinner, there will be more Use these two decks of cards to draw December.

Zhao Zhongyi didn't know what December was, so he could only put the cards on the kitchen table obediently.

Zhao Chuanxin taught them how to play Pianyao.

Recognize the cards first, then take action.

I was not very proficient at the beginning and could not remember the cards. Slowly, join the good realm.

Liu Guigui: “This is interesting!”

Gao Li threw out the four 5s in his hand: I'll kill you!

Dayasu looked constipated: Xiao Yao, take care of it!

Liu Guoguo was anxious: Hey, why did you come out now? There is blood behind you!

When Zhao Zhongyi came back, he said, Hey guys, what are you doing here? It's so noisy.

After watching the excitement for a while, he began to feel itchy and unbearable: My dear, please give in, and I will play for a while.

Liu Baoguo shook his head: No, let Dayasu go down. He's a bad player. You'll lose two games with him.

Zhao Chuanxin said: It's okay, there are still five people playing, let's play together.

We played until the dumplings were taken off the pot.

Then, Zhao Zhongyi discovered that Zhao Chuanxin was not joking, and he really followed them to worship.

He kowtowed to his ancestors very seriously.

What's this?

Unfortunately, before he could express his doubts, Zhao Chuanxin hurriedly took the poker cards from the altar and taught them how to draw December.

Then, he strolled home.

He had to wait for those children to come to visit him for New Year greetings.

In Lugangling Village, even the dogs guarding the entrance to the village and at the foot of the mountain shared the dumplings.

Everyone in the village had a happy New Year, except Jintai's family.

Jintai was addicted to cigarettes. He screamed while being tied up, and the veins on his forehead popped out. It was so painful that he couldn't bear to die.

Because it was time to celebrate the New Year, Zhao Chuanxin didn't do everything he could and asked Jin Tai to go home on New Year's Eve.

However, although people can go home, they are still tied up.

He warned DeFu not to let him go if he didn't want all his efforts to be wasted.

Jintai's mother-in-law had tears in her eyes: What kind of torture is this? Please untie your father quickly.

Defu shook his head firmly: Mom, do you want him to die? I don't want to say death for the Chinese New Year, but if you want him to die, just untie him and let him continue to smoke. Tomorrow, the people from the insurance team will , will take him away and continue to watch until he quits smoking. Mom, I have to go to Captain Zhao to pay New Year greetings. With the New Year’s money, we can buy some rice and noodles, and we can live a good life.

Seeing Defu with a mature expression on his face, Mrs. Jintai wiped away her tears and gritted her teeth and said, Go ahead, mother must have taken good care of your father.

DeFeo ran out.

He called Zhao Hongzhi and other children in the village and went to Zhao Chuanxin's home.

The children of the bannermen kowtow to the Han people to pay New Year greetings. If this matter is revealed, it will definitely cause an uproar.

Defu knelt down and kowtowed to Zhao Chuanxin.

Congratulations to my uncle for the New Year.

Zhao Chuanxin touched his head: Happy New Year.

Defu touched it, and he probably knew how much money was inside, and stood aside with joy on his face.

The second one is Zhao Hongzhi.

Zhao Chuanxin quickly stopped him: You go and stand aside first, and we'll talk last.

What about the joke? If you ask him to kowtow to you, you might lose decades of life.

Zhao Hongzhi looked confused, why not let him knock? Are there any red envelopes available?

Next………

These kids looked at the red envelopes they received, they were so pretty.

There are paintings on it, and everyone’s is different.

A kid couldn't help it, opened it, knocked on it, and then his eyes widened.

Generally, the New Year's money given by families is only one or two copper coins.

But in this red envelope, there was a silver dollar and 10 copper coins.

I am Cao, silver dollar.

None of the landlords give out red envelopes like this.

After everyone had finished their New Year greetings, Zhao Chuanxin asked them all to go out.

Then, he took out the red envelope and handed it directly to Zhao Hongzhi: You don't need to bow.

Zhao Hongzhi was still a little reluctant.

Why can't I do it if they all do it?

This lacked a sense of ceremony, as if I had taken the money for nothing, and I felt quite unhappy.

So, pouted and left.

Zhao Chuanxin: ...

Wait for a group of kids to go out.

All the children ran far away, and then gathered together, carrying the lanterns in their hands, letting the light gather. Everyone in the ice and snow took out red envelopes one after another, and everyone opened them to take a look.

Wow, silver dollar!

It's worth praying for this year.

I still want to go back and knock one!

Why are they always 1 silver dollar and 10 copper coins?

Everyone looked at DeFu.

As soon as Defu thought about it, he said: I know. If we go back with the silver coins, our family will definitely take them away. Captain Zhao must know this, so he gave us 10 more copper coins so that we can collect them ourselves quietly. , and when the salesman comes, you can buy food.

What a thoughtful thought.

Indeed, this is what Zhao Chuanxin meant.

As for whether they can understand it or not, it depends on the nature of these children.

Thinking back then, the most painful thing for him was that every year his relatives would climb over each other and give them red envelopes. If he gives a hundred, I will return a hundred.

Then, the children's red envelopes will be confiscated. After that, it was like a book, no one made any profit and no one lost.

But as for Zhao Chuanxin, he still wanted to use the red envelope money to buy something he wanted.

They’ve all been taken away, and you’re still buying a piece of shit.

He hated this deeply.

Not sincere!

If you don’t want to give it, then don’t give it to anyone at all. You have to play with formalism.

Because he had experienced skin-cutting pain, he wrapped 1 silver dollar and 10 copper coins.

Zhao Hongzhi rolled his eyes: In this case, I will definitely not tell my father how much money he gave me. Don't tell anyone. When we go back, we only say that we gave him one silver dollar. Let's hide the copper coins ourselves.

good!

Who says who is a dog!

Hey, you girls, don't say anything when you go back, do you understand?

A group of little girls said timidly: I know.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the discussion was over, Zhao Chuanxin came out again.

These kids are confused, what do you mean? Do you want to regret giving too much?

I heard Zhao Chuanxin say: Girls, go back and tell your parents that if any girl has her feet bound in the future, she will have no lucky money during the New Year. If any girl doesn't have her feet bound, I will reward you with five silver coins when she gets married!

Then, the children hid the money first, then dispersed in a hurry, and went home to show off.

As expected.

As soon as they got home, they were all shocked when they heard that Zhao Chuanxin had given him a red envelope of one silver dollar.

This is not just one or two babies. All the babies in the village have gone. How much does it cost?

What a waste!

Immediately, the money was confiscated, leaving only an empty red envelope for the children.

Some of them wanted to take the red envelopes as well, because they looked so good, but the children refused and burst into tears.

It's hard to do this during the Chinese New Year, so I have to return it.

When Zhao Hongzhi came home, he told Zhao Zhongyi about Zhao Chuanxin not letting him kneel.

Zhao Zhongyi frowned.

He was generous and told his son directly to keep the silver dollars for himself.

This is so beautiful for Zhao Hongzhi.

Little did he know that his father was in great confusion.

His mother-in-law asked curiously: What's wrong with you? Are you worried?

Zhao Zhongyi frowned and said: It's weird, there are weird things. Do you think whose family celebrates the New Year and goes to other people's homes to worship their ancestors?

His mother-in-law was stunned. She had indeed never heard of it.

Zhao Zhongyi added: Look, Hongzhi went to kowtow to him, but he wouldn't let him kowtow. What do you think is going on?

His mother-in-law: What's going on?

Zhao Zhongyi was happy: Can't you think about it? I just doubt that he may be a relative of our family. He may be in the fifth server or which branch he belongs to. His seniority may be very high. Xiao, so I won’t let Hongzhi kowtow to him. This also explains why he was willing to help me in the first place...