Chapter 102 Little Year

Author: Mahjong Jun

Chapter 102 Little Year

In the early morning of the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Old Zhao’s Crayfish Restaurant.

"This year's year-end bonus is one month's salary! Everyone will receive an extra month's salary!"

Zhao Wenmu announced the result loudly.

The hall was once again filled with cheers like a roaring tsunami.

The younger Zhang Xiaotong, Song Weixing and the unnamed boy were even more excited, their faces flushed and they kept clapping their hands.

One month's salary means as little as two or three hundred yuan, or as much as five hundred yuan.

Not a small amount of money.

Rolls of unity notes were quickly distributed. Not only that, Zhao Wenmu also said some words of encouragement and guidance based on everyone's situation.

Great unity is the most safe and warm thing. If one roll is not enough, just get another roll!

Grasping the banknotes in their hands, people can't help but wonder whether these dream-like months are real.

"The year-end bonuses have been distributed, and the new year benefits will be distributed next!"

"New Year's benefits include rice, oil, pork, white sugar, cotton cloth, brown sugar, and melon seeds. Welfare is paid per person, and everyone has the same amount!"

Zhao Wenmu reported a long list of new year's goods.

I have to say that these things are almost enough for the whole family to spend the New Year.

Moreover, the impact of physical objects is far greater than money!

Even though the value of the materials each person receives is only thirty or forty yuan, it is a real sense of happiness to receive such heavy New Year goods.

It’s really heavy, the rice alone weighs 50 kilograms per person!

After everyone has received their things, there is no need to move them to the dormitory for the time being. They can just leave them here and transport them directly back by mule cart tomorrow.

Although it was already so late, a group of people chatted happily until past three o'clock.

Then I slept in the warm spring-like store.

It was already dawn, so I couldn't wait to go home.

Because today is the New Year.

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the traditional small new year in the north.

"Children, don't be greedy. After Laba Festival, it's New Year. How many days can you drink Laba porridge? Twenty-three. Twenty-three, sticky melons; twenty-four, clean the house; twenty-five, make tofu; two

Sixteen, fried mutton; twenty-seven, kill the rooster; twenty-eight, make the dough; twenty-nine, steam the steamed buns; thirty, play all night, and twist on New Year's Day."

The clear voices of children echoed throughout the village.

As soon as the Little New Year arrives, the lively atmosphere of the New Year becomes intense.

In the off year, there is a folk custom in Qilu area to offer sacrifices to stoves on this day.

According to folklore, on this day, the Kitchen God will return to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor the events of the year on earth. In the folk song, "Twenty-three, Tanggua Sticky" refers to the sacrifice or farewell to the Zao on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month every year.

There is a custom of eating sugar melons on this day, which means that the Stove Lord can eat sugar melons to make his mouth sweeter. "God has said good things," so don't make any small reports.

Tanggua is a kind of maltose, which is very sticky. When it is drawn into a long candy stick, it is called "Guandong candy", and when it is drawn into an oblate shape, it is called "Tanggua".

Zhao Zimeng, Ziting and Zhang Yuanming like Xiaonian the most.

In other words, children like Xiaonian the most.

At this time, they can eat sugar melons, candied dates, candies, fruit candies and other sweets that they have been craving for a year.

In an era when material was not abundant, these things could only be eaten on the Xiaonian day of the year.

From this day on, people start to be busy with the New Year, cleaning, buying New Year goods, posting Spring Festival couplets, steaming rice cakes, steaming steamed buns, the New Year flavor is getting stronger and stronger.

In this era, although material things are not abundant, the flavor of the year is indeed very strong.

Both adults and children are looking forward to the New Year.

Completely different from later generations.

Many adults in later generations actually hate celebrating the New Year.

During the Chinese New Year, we have to face “relatives” with whom we have had no communication throughout the whole year.

I have to be urged by three aunts and five aunts to get married and have children.

For some things, it seems that everyone is anxious for you except yourself.

During the Chinese New Year, I feel anxious and helpless.

Therefore, many people begin to hate the Chinese New Year.

Not only that, but the inexplicable burning bans in various places have no clear purpose.

At least, the so-called environmental protection is simply untenable!

In this era, although everyone is poor, they can happily set off firecrackers.

The crackling of firecrackers sounded in the village from time to time.

Occasionally, the dirt, ice, or manure pits on the roadside will suddenly be exploded by firecrackers.

The adults passing by would shout loudly and curse whose child was so unethical.

"Cuzao" is a symbolic festival. In the past, travelers who wanted to go home to celebrate the New Year must go home on this day. There is a folk saying that "Cuzao does not leave outside".

Cleaning the house, cleaning the windows, and preparing New Year's goods can only be carried out after this day.

Zhao Wenmu and Zhao Jing took their little girl back to Shanqian Village on the New Year's Day.

From this day on, Lao Zhao's Crayfish Restaurant will be closed and will not officially open until the 16th day of the first lunar month of the next year.

Zhao Xin and Rong Fang returned to Hebei Province.

After getting along for a while, although Zhao Xin's memory still has not recovered, she has accepted the fact that Rong Fangyi is her father.

Maybe blood relationship is so magical. In short, she just feels that the other person is very kind and wants to get close to him unconsciously.

If the two of them stayed in Pingyang County to celebrate the New Year, it would be meaningless in the deserted place.

Rong Fangyi felt a little awkward going to Shanqian Village to celebrate the New Year with the Zhao family.

Finally, they discussed it and decided to go back to their hometown in Hebei Province to celebrate the New Year, so that Zhao Xin might be able to think of something.

Zhao Wenmu bought them tickets, and the Zhao family prepared many gifts. The father and daughter packed their bags and embarked on the journey back home.

In the evening, Zhao Jing prepared the sacrifices, and Zhao Wenmu presided over the sacrifice.

Sacrifice to the stove is usually completed by the male host or hostess with the children of the family. Of course, there are some places where the female relatives do not participate in this activity.

Zhao Wenmu squatted in the kitchen with his little girl in his arms, worshiping the newly affixed woodcut and watercolor portrait of the Kitchen God, offering incense and kowtowing.

The little one doesn't know how to kowtow, and the ground is so cold that it's impossible to let her lie down on the ground.

Zhao Wenmu just hugged her, tilted his head a little, and bowed a few times, and that was it.

Anyway, the Kitchen God shouldn't be that stingy.

The old portrait of the Kitchen God that had been posted on the wall for a year was carefully removed by Zhao Wenmu and burned, indicating that the Kitchen God had been sent to heaven.

As written in the couplet on the portrait of the Kitchen God, the Kitchen God went to perform his sacred mission: "God speaks good things, and returns to the palace to bring good luck."

When I moved to a new home, this portrait was taken off the stove in the old house and moved here.

When burning the portrait of the Kitchen God, some grains, grass, miscellaneous grains, and paper money should be added to the fire, which means that the horse that the Kitchen God rides in the sky will be fed on the way.

Then Zhao Wenmu had to pray some more.

He didn't know what to say to the Stove Lord.

I could only whisper:

"Have a good trip, old man, don't drink, don't drive drunk. You know better than me what you should say and what you shouldn't say when you get to heaven, so you don't need me to tell you more. Please bless the world in the coming year, the peace of the country and the people, and a good harvest. Bless Ah Jing.

All the best, may my little girl be healthy and happy, and may my family be safe.”

The more Zhao Wenmu talked, the smoother he became.

By the time he finished talking about the things that required the Stove God's blessing, the statues were also burned.

A gust of wind blew by, blowing the ashes around.

This means that the Kitchen God has received worship.

Zhao Wenmu spilled the white wine in the cup on the ground, kowtowed three more times, and the stove sacrifice was completed.

The tributes offered to the stove can be eaten.

There was only one child in their family, Xiao Nan, who couldn't eat these things, so Zhao Jing packed sugar melons, fruit candies, etc. in small bowls.

That guy Zhao Zimeng will definitely come tomorrow, so just give it to him then.
To be continued...