Gu Jin followed her mother Song Pan'er and sat in the eastern wing of Eldest Aunt's residence, where she saw Fifth Sister Wen Wujing, who was following behind Eldest Aunt.

  Early in the morning, Eldest Brother Gu Zhen returned with the silver awarded for the Spring Festival from the Ministry of Rites.

  This is an annual routine.

  Every year on the 30th of December, the imperial court would give a sum of silver to the meritorious nobles and officials in the capital, which was used for ancestral worship in the ancestral temples.

  The elder brother first showed it to his uncle and then brought it in for his aunt to keep.

  Wrapped in a yellow pouch with the words "Huang En Yong Xi" and "Li Bu Si Ji" on it.

  The great aunt opened her purse in front of Song Tian'er and Second Aunt.

  She counted and said to Gu Zhen: "It's three times more than last year..."

  Gu Zhen's face couldn't hide his joy, and he smiled at the great lady: "Yes! Last year it was still holding onto grandfather's title by grace, this year not only has father's, but also third uncle's; another reward, presumably looking at the palace's princess, rewarding second uncle."

  That is to say, all three rooms of the Gu's house have spring festival rewards.

  The Second Mistress's face, which had been obscure and unclear, suddenly lit up. She smiled and stepped forward, took a few glances, and said to the First Mistress: "Our family doesn't lack these silver coins for worship either, but after all, it's the Emperor's gracious reward, and the emotional connection is extraordinary."

  The lady smiled: "Exactly."

  Then they were called to take them away and put them together. After the New Year's Eve, after the sacrifice was finished, there were still leftovers, which were distributed to each household.

  Several great uncles have set up an ancestral hall outside, arranged the sacrificial vessels, and invited the ancestors and gods.

  Wait for the old master to arrive before starting the ceremony.

  The old man didn't come with Gu Yanwen and others.

  He said: "You go first. It will take another whole morning to prepare over there. When everything is ready, send someone to invite me."

  By noon, everything in the mansion was ready.

  New peach symbols were pasted, the door gods and couplets were replaced, and high lanterns were hung everywhere from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard. By late morning, all the lanterns had been lit.

  The master and servants in the house all changed into new clothes.

  The old master himself led the young master Gu Chenzhi to the other mansion and brought back Old Master.

  When the old master arrived, everyone went to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors.

  Old Master Gu Shi Fei is the main mourner, and Old Master Gu Yan Tao accompanies him. The rest of the men follow Second Master, either offering wine or silk, or holding incense.

  Gu Jinzhi's two younger brothers, Xu Geer and Huan Geer, followed their third brother Gu Qingzhi to collect the prayer mats. The two little guys looked serious and had a very adult-like demeanor.

  Song Pan'er couldn't help but smile as she watched from inside.

  After Old Master and others finished burning incense, Eldest Maternal Aunt led all the womenfolk in arranging the dishes for worship.

  At home, there were only two unmarried girls, Gu Jinzhi and Fifth Sister.

  The two of them followed behind Third Granny Xia, serving tea.

  When everything is ready, then start the grand ceremony.

  The man kowtows in the east and the woman in the west, performing three kneelings and nine knockings of the head, thus completing the grand ceremony of sacrifice.

  The old man turned around, looked at his grandson, and suddenly felt that there were very few people in the family.

  In previous years at Yanling Fu, when he was thirty years old and offered sacrifices to his ancestors, there were only the Gu Yanwen family members present, which didn't seem unusual.

  Now, I regret that my children and grandchildren are not prosperous.

  The first house only has Brother Chen's son, the second house only has Brother Qing's son and Fifth Sister Pei's daughter, the third house has a few more people, but they are all young children.

  After the sacrifice, lunch was served in the main hall.

  The old man followed and ate too.

  After dinner, a stage was set up in the government office, and everyone listened to the play.

  The old man is going back first.

  Song Paner and others also want to go back.

  "After dinner." The madam held onto Song Xiang's hand and wouldn't let go, "I won't keep you here for nothing. We'll have an early banquet tonight, eat and then head back, it won't delay you. I know you also need to enter the palace tomorrow to pay your respects..."

  Gu Yanzhong and Song Paner were granted titles, on the first day of the new year, they had to enter the palace for New Year's greetings, and had to get up at 5:00 am, it was indeed not suitable to stay up too late.

  "There's also something at home..." Song Teng'er smiled and said, "I'm not flying away, there will be fewer days of eating in the future?"

  "It's been many years since we've spent New Year's Eve together." The madam smiled and said, "If it weren't for the fact that I have to enter the palace tomorrow morning to pay my respects, I would have stayed with you all night to keep vigil until dawn."

  Song Paner couldn't shirk it off.

  The old man insisted on not joining in the excitement.

  The madam also didn't dare keep him for long.

  Gu Jinzhi then said: "I'll accompany Grandfather back..."

  She followed the old man home at last.

  In the afternoon, Auntie on the old house side, mother beside her, actually sent dishes over, for Gu Jinzhi and Old Master to eat.

  The old master's outer study is located in the westernmost part of the West Garden, adjacent to the rear garden of the Nanchang Wangfu, which is the most secluded.

  On the other side, the people of Nanchang Prefecture all entered the palace to accompany Empress Dowager in celebrating the New Year's Eve, and the prefecture was also quiet.

  Gu Jin made some dishes with cloth vegetables and had dinner with Old Master.

  "Grandfather, your book, how many volumes have you written so far?" Gu Jin asked the old man.

  "The old man said: 'This is the last volume. After next year's Dragon Boat Festival, I will be able to finish writing this volume.'"

  Then he thought for a moment and said to Gu Jin, "Sister Jin, your medical skills are not from the Gu family's traditional learning. I won't ask much. After the New Year, you can put aside your trivial matters. I want to open a clinic for a year, and you will be my apprentice. In the future when I'm gone, my legacy will be passed on to you."

  This is the first time Old Master has formally talked about passing on the mantle to Gu Jinzhi.

  Every family's tradition needs to be passed down to future generations.

  Handicraft is different from others.

  Like asking about pulse diagnosis, just looking at medical records is difficult to grasp the core essentials, requiring hand-to-hand teaching, like a craftsman.

  The clinic opens for registration, patients come to the door for consultation, and the master teaches the apprentices with the most practical diagnosis.

  Gu Yu could no longer be considered a member of the Gu family...

  "Grandfather, may I go?" Gu Jinzhi said, "Huan Ge is already old enough, why not let him follow you to learn, and I'll help take notes on the side, so that in the future I can remind him..."

  The old man's chopsticks paused for a moment.

  It was a long time before he slowly let out a sigh and said, "I'm afraid it's too late. If I can hold on until next spring, that will be the best I can do. You've been following me to learn about medicine for several years now, you know how the Gu family's medical skills are passed down. I'll teach you the key points of the Gu family's pulse diagnosis and medication for another year. When I'm gone, whether you pass it on to your brother or nephew is up to you."

  He wanted to use Gu Jingzhou as a transition.

  Gu Jin's heart was greatly shocked.

  She remembered that her grandfather had said the same thing to her the year before he passed away: I'll teach you for another year, and then the family's medical skills will be passed on to you. Our family, from the prosperous period of the Jin and Yuan dynasties to the present, you are the 23rd generation heir, also the only female disciple.

  A year later, Grandpa indeed passed away peacefully.

  When Gu Yu was about to die, she could also estimate her own approximate time of death.

  So she knew that the old man wasn't cheating her, he was about to leave.

  No wonder he has been working day and night on his book these days.

  He wants to pass on what he has learned throughout his life.

  Gu Jinzhi's eyes became moist.

  The old man instead smiled: "What are you crying about? Grandpa isn't going anywhere after tonight. There's still a whole year to go, you need to be diligent. Family teachings are passed down through the males and not the females, if it stops at my hands, I'd be letting our ancestors down."

  "I... I won't enter the family tree." Gu Jin wiped away her tears, and it took a long time for her emotions to calm down. She said to the old man, "What you taught me, I will pass on to Huan Ge in the future, let him inherit your legacy."

  This is square.

  The family learning of each household was not passed on to daughters and younger brothers.

  If Gu Jinzhai's legacy is passed down, it will be difficult for future generations of the Gu family to record her in their genealogy.

  The old man disagreed: "......it's too humiliating for you."

  "I'm a family man." Gu Jin said, "What's the big deal? I've also learned your craft..."

  As he spoke, his voice choked up.

  The old man smiled and told her not to cry: "This life of birth, aging, sickness, and death, no one can escape. In the future, you will also go, your children and grandchildren will also go, it's just a matter of who goes first and who goes later. It's not worth being sad about this."

  Gu Jing's tears fell like a broken string of pearls, even more fiercely.

  The bitterness in her heart was no less than when her grandfather left her all those years ago.

  The old man couldn't help but smile and coaxed her with a few more words: "Stop crying. Tonight we'll stay up late to celebrate the New Year."

  By the time of Xu Chu's initial arrival, Gu Yan and Song Wan'er finally brought back Huan Ge'r and Xiu Ge'r to the mansion.

  Gu Yanzhen first went to the main courtyard to see Xiaoshi and Xiaoyi, then came to the old master's small study in the outer courtyard, and spoke with the old master: "We are also setting up a stage in front, the theater troupe has been preparing since morning, you can come with us to liven things up..." Then he saw Gu Jinzhi's eyes were red, Gu Yanzhen was surprised, "Jin sister cried?"

  "No." Gu Jin covered up.

  Gu Yanwen stared hard at her face.

  The old man coughed lightly and said, "You all go ahead and have fun. I'll talk to Sister Jin for a bit..."

  Gu Yanwen asked him not to move and returned to the main hall.

  Song Pan'er personally came to invite: "I know you're afraid of noise, so I'm back specially. In previous years at Yanling Fu, it was also a place to guard the age, how did you get to Beijing and want to be alone? You are cold and clear, we are lively in our hearts and uneasy..."

  Finally, Old Master was invited by Song Dang'er and went to the front to listen to the opera.

  By the beginning of Hai, Song Paner himself could no longer hold on.

  Weng and Xiu had already gone to sleep in the warm pavilion of the main courtyard.

  Gu Yanwen also yawned repeatedly.

  Only Gu Jinzhi and Lao Yezi were awake, without a hint of sleepiness.

  The maidservants followed Song Wan'er inside, while outside there were only Gu Yanjin and Gu Jing accompanying the old master to watch the play.

  The old man seemed to have entered a trance-like state and gradually regained his composure.

  Gu Jinzhi looked at his profile, and tears welled up again.

  Even after rebirth, she still found it hard to accept the life and death of her loved ones.

  It was midnight when they finished celebrating the New Year and Gu Jing and a few others went to sleep.

  The small house next to the main hall had been cleaned up long ago. The old man didn't go out and rested in the house.

  Gu Yanwen personally escorted Gu Jinzi back to her courtyard.

  Gu Jingzhi said no need, Gu Yanxin said: "In the middle of the night, those accompanying you are all maidservants, can't calm down, easy to lose your mind. Dad will accompany you for a while..."

  Gu Jin walked silently.

  In an instant, Gu Yan heard her sniffle.

  She cried again.

  The next day, just after the fifth drumbeat, Gu Yanjin and Song Tian'er got up and went to the palace for New Year's greetings.

  At noon, there was a banquet in the palace, after eating, went to the old house to worship ancestors, and then returned home.

  Gu Jinzhi also got up early and accepted the greetings from the maidservants, giving them red envelopes.

  In the afternoon, Qin Shiniang came to pay New Year's greetings.

  He waited until the people from the Gu's family returned from the palace before coming over to pay his New Year's respects.

  ——*——*——

  Sorry for this late update.

  This is the last update of this month, and now it's up to you guys to vote for Pink Ticket, byebye! rs!