Chapter 594: 594: Wash Three (Part 1)

His legs almost gave out and he nearly ended up sprawled on the ground, but Shopkeeper Gu, who had followed him, managed to catch him just in time.

“Old Master, be careful,” Shopkeeper Gu said with a grin.

Elderly Mr. Di looked at Di Yelei, who was hurrying in from outside, and finally managed to stand up straight. “Thank you, thank you…” He was shaking all over.

Elder Leisure glanced at Liu Quan, who was helplessly slumped in his chair, and raised an eyebrow. “Liu Quan, are you seeking death? I don’t mind granting your wish!”

Liu Quan swiftly got up and knelt on the ground, bowing his head. “No, no, no… Please spare me, your lordship! Please spare me!”

“Get out of here! Don’t sully my eyes with your presence!”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Liu Quan didn’t seem to feel ashamed at all as he scurried away, rolling and crawling.

Nobody at the scene thought he was wrong for doing so, as the old man’s aura was just too overwhelming.

Di Yelei was sweating profusely as he hurriedly stepped forward to invite Elder Leisure. “Uncle… ahem, esteemed uncle, please take the main seat!”

“Hmm.”

Elder Leisure raised an eyebrow and casually sat down in the main seat.

Behind him, the five people who had been following him closely withdrew to their positions on either side.

Only then did everyone notice the five people behind him. At this point, no one could remain calm!

Most of the people did not recognize all five of them, but those they did recognize were all powerful figures. The rest were probably not much different in status.

Upon realizing this, everyone felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, and they could no longer eat.

“Eh! Why are you all just sitting still? Eat, eat! After the meal, I still want to go see the little ones,” said Elder Leisure, waving his hand cheerfully. “You guys should start eating too. Today’s dishes are quite abundant, so everyone should eat their fill.”

He was genuinely happy today—Sisi had given birth to two sons and a daughter in one go. What could possibly make one happier than that?

The servant next to Elder Leisure respectfully handed him a pair of silver chopsticks.

Di Yelei carefully helped Elderly Mr. Di to his original seat, then sat down at the lowest-ranking position himself.

“Eat up, everyone, eat up. We’re going to perform the washing ceremony later, and everyone must not be hungry. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves and have a good time!”

Di Yelei hurriedly urged everyone on.

All the guests had already been frightened, and although they resumed clinking glasses and toasting one another, the lively atmosphere had clearly diminished.

Di Yelei sent someone to call Liu Quan back, as he was, after all, Sisi’s nominal father, and it wouldn’t be proper for him to leave halfway through the banquet.

But Liu Quan adamantly refused to sit at the same table as Elder Leisure. He might be a scholar, but he knew better than to court danger by keeping company with powerful figures.

Left with no choice, Di Yelei found a corner where the pillar blocked the view and settled Liu Quan there.

But he couldn’t help feeling relieved inwardly! Thank goodness men and women were seated separately, so at least the commotion on this side wouldn’t disturb the midwives on the other side. He prayed that today’s washing ceremony would go smoothly and safely.

As Elder Leisure clearly had no interest in the banquet, he tried a few bites with his silver chopsticks before setting them down and wiping his mouth with a towel handed to him by a follower. Only then did he turn to look at Di Yelei.

“When does the washing ceremony begin? I’d like to add some basins and listen to the sound of the basins.”

“It will start soon, very soon.”

Di Yelei hurriedly went to prepare.

Granny Xu and the others were still eating, not leaving their seats. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Di Yelei sneaked into the delivery room.

“Sisi, your dad is here,” Di Yelei said as soon as he entered.

Liu Sisi was drinking chicken soup at the moment, almost choking upon hearing this. Barely swallowing the soup in her mouth, she glanced at him sideways: “Is it worth making such a fuss about his arrival? You made a special trip for this, aren’t there any guests to greet outside?”

Di Yelei quickly waved those around him away, only then leaning in close to Liu Sisi: “Not this dad, but your other dad!”

“That… you mean him?”

Liu Sisi finally caught on, her eyebrows instantly furrowing together: “Wasn’t he confined to Heilong Mountain for medical treatment? Why suddenly did he come down the mountain?”

“This matter might have something to do with Old He…”

Di Yelei hinted subtly.

Liu Sisi nodded her head, understanding the key to the matter.

“Mm, where is Old He now? I’ll have a servant go invite him over.”

“You don’t need to go looking, I already ordered someone to search for him before I came, but he’s not to be found inside or outside. He must have known beforehand, so he left in advance.”

“Pfft! Ran away? That’s unlikely. You go ahead, tip off Granny Xu and the others secretly, try to simplify the ceremony as much as possible, and end it without any mistakes.”

Liu Sisi suddenly thought of a possibility, but now she couldn’t verify it so she decided to postpone it.

“Alright! I’ll go tell Granny Xu now.”

Di Yelei left hurriedly again.

Liu Sisi naturally couldn’t go out, even though it was bustling outside, she seemed to be living in another world, unrelated to all the excitement.

Even so, she pricked up her ears to listen to the movements outside the door.

After receiving Di Yelei’s orders, Granny Xu naturally kept things simple, striving not to make any mistakes.

The noon sun in June was bright, and the temperature steadily rising, making it a perfect day for the washing ritual.

Everyone had already prepared all the necessary items according to custom, setting up an altar in front of the delivery room, with statues of Goddess Bixia, Goddess of Childbirth, Goddess of Fertility, and Goddess of Pox Rash. The incense burner was filled with millet to be used as incense ashes.

Many servants shuttle back and forth, offering up prepared items.

“Wait, let me check the list to see if it’s correct.”

Di Yelei had instructed that there could be no mistakes, so Granny Xu naturally paid close attention, carefully checking: “Mm. Silver tweezers, lock, weighing scale, small mirror, green tea leaves, new comb, sow’s pancreas, towel, copper tea tray, green onion, fragrant pieces, mugwort ball, incense candles, raw and cooked eggs… plus the embroidered needles, everything is almost ready and well-prepared. Tell the Old Master that everything is ready.”

“Yes, this maid will go now,” one of the maids accepted the order and left.

Granny Xu then directed someone to bring the prepared pagoda tree branches, mugwort, and wormwood water to the door of the delivery room to wait.

She then entered the delivery room to place the statues of the Stove God and Stove Goddess on the kang head in the bedroom. According to custom, Ms. Zhao should have offered incense and bowed down, and the midwife should also perform the three kowtows. But since Ms. Zhao wasn’t around, Liu Sisi directly asked Ms. Yao to take her place, much to her delight.

Afterwards, Granny Xu brought the child outside the delivery room, and the washing ritual began.

According to custom, everyone would come forward to add water to the basin in turn.

The so-called “adding to the basin” meant adding a small spoonful of clear water to the basin in the order of seniority, followed by dropping in some silver coins, which is called “adding to the basin”.