Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 133

Rabbit figurines of all shapes and sizes, tall and short, are displayed everywhere.

The crowd of adults and children who came to buy the Rabbit God figurines was bustling and noisy.

The renowned writer Shu Yi recalled the days when the streets were filled with rabbit figurines, saying with deep emotion: "In my childhood, the rabbit figurine was the symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Without the rabbit figurine, it seemed like it wasn't the Mid-Autumn Festival. Children all had to buy rabbit figurines, and everyone felt that if they didn't even buy rabbit figurines, what would become of the festival?"

"Okay, I'll take you to Wupailou. They have the most complete collection of rabbit figurines there."

He Yuzhu took Yushui out and went to Wupailou to find a stall selling rabbit figurines. He Yushui picked and chose the most colorful and beautiful rabbit figurine and hugged it in her arms.

He Yuzhu picked out a few more and bought them all.

I also went to the fruit stand and bought grapes, pomegranates, watermelons, cantaloupes and other fruits.

After coming over, I put several net bags on the table.

Xu Huizhen was already used to He Yuzhu's generosity; he always bought a lot of whatever food he wanted.

In the blink of an eye, most of the fruit was gone, and she wondered just how much fruit He Yuzhu's stomach could hold.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, most factories and shops are closed for three days, from the 13th to the 15th of August.

However, He Yuzhu's braised meat shop is currently at its busiest, so he no longer takes holidays; he has scheduled his holiday for after the 15th.

The shop closed in the afternoon of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone was given a holiday bonus and some braised meat. They happily thanked them and went home to celebrate the festival and worship the Rabbit God.

As evening approaches, an offering table is set up in the courtyard, with a Rabbit God sculpture in the very center.

In front of them are mooncakes, pomegranates, dates, radishes, watermelons, and other fruits.

After setting everything up, He Yuzhu gave instructions to Yushui and then went into the room to hide.

He Yushui lit incense and placed it in the incense burner, then knelt before the offering table and bowed to the moon and the Rabbit God.

"Men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship the stove god."

This is an old tradition in Beijing, meaning that women do not need to kneel when worshipping the Kitchen God before the Spring Festival.

Now that it's the fifteenth of August, when we worship the moon, all the men in the house need to stay away and don't need to worship the moon.

After He Yushui completed the ceremony, He Yuzhu came out and removed the incense table.

Then they moved inside and began to eat their reunion dinner together.

He Yushui held her chopsticks, looking rather sullen, and didn't pick up any food for a long time.

He Yuzhu asked, "What's wrong? Is it not to your liking?"

"No, I miss Dad." He Yushui said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"How about we write a letter tomorrow?"

"I won't write for him, he doesn't want me anymore." He Yushui pouted, saying the toughest words, but tears kept flowing down her face.

"Silly girl."

He Yuzhu hugged his sister and took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, saying, "He's the one who doesn't want us anymore. With your brother here, I'll raise Yushui to be a respectable woman. When the time comes, I'll make sure you get married in style."

As soon as the topic of marrying off Yu Shui came up, she stopped crying and hugged He Yuzhu, saying, "Brother is a bad brother."

However, He Yushui remained sullen during the meal, quickly ate a few bites, and then put down her chopsticks and stopped eating.

He Yuzhu sighed, knowing that He Yushui would miss He Daqing whenever there was a holiday. After all, he was her biological father, and a child who was only seven or eight years old would naturally miss him.

He Yuzhu hesitated, wondering whether he should take He Yushui to see He Daqing.

However, this matter needs to be considered and discussed further.

A few days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was Chen Xueru's wedding day.

Previously, Chen Xueru wanted to rebel and did not want to marry Hou Fangxing, but Old Master Chen was still alive and would not allow her to make the decision.

Chen Xueru tried to hint at He Yuzhu's actions, but He Yuzhu disapproved of her behavior and pretended not to understand.

Although Chen Xueru is stunningly beautiful and possesses endless charm, she is best suited as a mistress; marrying her into the family as a wife would not suit He Yuzhu's taste.

It was Xu Huizhen's personality that made He Yuzhu like her.

At that time, all the concubines had been forcibly divorced by the government after liberation, so it was impossible for them to have both what they had and what they didn't.

At this time, the public is most enthusiastic and will report anyone who does anything slightly wrong. If someone dares to keep a mistress outside, it will be difficult to escape the eyes of the Chaoyang public.

Chen Xueru was so angry that she didn't come over for several days after seeing that He Yuzhu wasn't taking the bait.

He Yuzhu was quite surprised to see Chen Xueru come again. He asked her to sit down and then asked, "I wonder what brings you here?"

"We're about to ask about the wedding date. I wonder if you have anything you'd like to say?"

Chapter 105 Chen Xueru's Horrifying Wedding Night: The Old Master Dies at the Hands of His Son-in-Law

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I wish you a happy marriage and a long and happy life together."

"you..."

Chen Xueru said angrily, "That's it? Nothing else to say?"

"What can I say? Besides, you know about Xu Huizhen and me."

"Ugh, I'm so angry."

Chen Xueru then said, "How about you be the chef at my wedding?"

"This?" He Yuzhu hesitated.

These days, although Hong Henian and Li Fugui often take on some private jobs, He Yuzhu is not short of money, so he gives the opportunities to his fellow apprentices.

I would never normally take on this kind of job.

After all, he's not short of money.

"What are you hesitating about? Why aren't you willing? Or..."

"Okay, I'll take over then."

Chen Xueru smiled and said, "That's right. We're friends after all, and I just want him to be able to see me enter the bridal chamber."

Although Chen Xueru was somewhat annoyed, she also knew that it would be extremely difficult for her and He Yuzhu to be together, since they were both engaged.

Then let He Yuzhu watch her walk into the bridal chamber; that would give her an inexplicable sense of pleasure.

Hmph, serves you right for ignoring me, I have a man who loves me too.

He Yuzhu remembered that it was this man surnamed Hou who later ran away with the money after having a child, Hou Kui, with Chen Xueru.

He opened his mouth, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words that would prevent Chen Xueru from marrying him.

After all, I have no right to say anything about this, nor do I have any reason to. I can't very well tell her that Hou Fangxing will run away with the money later.

Seeing this, Chen Xueru suddenly felt much better.

Serves you right, who told you not to have the courage to fight back?

However, he still smiled and said, "I'd like to invite you to dinner tonight. The old man wants to discuss the menu with you, and then you can make a list."

"Okay, I'll be there on time tonight."

After seeing Chen Xueru off, I told Xu Huizhen about it. She didn't say much, but just told He Yuzhu not to drink.

The menu for the evening banquet has been finalized, and the quantity is also specified, requiring a total of 40 tables.

As the head chef, He Yuzhu needs to create a list of all the main dishes, side dishes, and seasonings.

This requires the Chen family to prepare all the raw materials according to the list.

Time flies, and soon it was the day before the wedding. With 40 tables of food, He Yuzhu certainly couldn't be the only one to prepare them.

With two helpers, they set up the stove and got to work.

The Chen family's business was very large, and their guests were all prominent figures. Naturally, the banquet included dishes such as sea cucumber, abalone, wild yellow croaker, and bird's nest.

This actually increased He Yuzhu's experience in Tan family cuisine quite a bit.

Although it was called a wedding, the banquet was held in the Chen family's courtyard, and the bridal chamber was the master bedroom in the back. He Yuzhu visited it once and saw that the furniture inside was all custom-made mahogany furniture, which made it look magnificent and grand.

It's such a pity. If I had these rosewood pieces, I could have made even more exquisite ones.

The banquet ended quickly that evening, and the Chen family compound, which had been bustling for two days, quieted down.

Chen Xueru, dressed in a bright red wedding gown and wearing a red veil, sat on the edge of a mahogany canopy bed with intricate carvings of gold-lacquered flowers and birds.

Although it is now after the liberation, people still follow the old rituals in weddings, funerals, and daily life.

Chen Xueru waited for a long time, lifting the red veil several times to look inside, but Hou Fangxing was nowhere to be found and hadn't come over yet.

Finally hearing footsteps outside, Chen Xueru quickly sat up straight and lowered her hands, letting the red veil hang down again.

Soon after, Fang Xing opened the door and came in, walking straight up to Chen Xueru.

Chen Xueru's heart was pounding with excitement. Finally, she was about to lift her veil, drink the nuptial wine, and become Mrs. Hou.

Suddenly, her drooping gaze noticed a few drops of blood on Hou Fangxing's brand-new trousers. Just as she was about to ask, a knife tip appeared before her eyes and lifted the red veil.

Then Chen Xueru saw that Hou Fangxing had even more blood on his body, and even his handsome face was stained with a few drops.

"Ah!" Chen Xueru couldn't help but scream loudly.

"If you call me again, I'll stab you," Hou Fangxing threatened.