The freezing cold forced the Qing Dynasty to worship, and there was a banquet and a peaceful feast.
Where can I find my way to comfort my inner feelings?
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, in the middle of winter, when the earth was freezing cold, Zhu Pingan’s family put wine and meat on the table to worship the gods and ancestors, and to thank the gods and ancestors for their blessings. Early in the morning, Zhu Pingan and his elder brother Zhu Pingan led Zhu Pingan to take care of them. We went to the old house after offering wine and meat sacrifices, met up with my grandfather, uncle and others, and then went to the ancestral hall to pay homage to our ancestors.
The Zhu Family Ancestral Hall is now very grand. The flagpole at the entrance is flying with the flag raised by Zhu Ping'an. There are also couplets that have just been hung at the entrance for a few days. When the villagers pass by the Zhu Family Ancestral Hall, they will respectfully pay homage to their grandfather. I stood at the door very proudly. When I paid homage to my ancestors, my grandfather felt as if the Zhu family had made a fortune in my hands.
By the time Zhu Ping'an and his father and brother returned home, his mother Chen had already cooked a pot of particularly fragrant eight-treasure porridge using rice, millet, red beans, peanuts, lotus seeds, red dates, fungus picked from the mountains, glutinous rice, mung beans and other ingredients.
There is a saying in Xiahe Village that after the Laba porridge is made, it should be given to relatives and friends as soon as possible. It must be before noon, and the sooner the better. The whole village is like grabbing something. If you give me a bowl, I will give it to you. A bowl of it generally means grabbing a fortune.
Zhu Ping'an and his eldest brother Zhu Pingchuan were ordered by their mother, Mrs. Chen, to deliver the rice-treasure porridge from house to house, almost covering the whole village. After sending relatives and friends, Zhu Ping'an and his family sat down to eat the rice-treasure porridge, because their mother, Mrs. Chen, cooked it. It’s too much, and I probably won’t be able to finish the rest in a day or two, but it doesn’t matter, it’s good to have leftovers. Leftovers mean there will be more than enough every year, which is a good sign.
Different from the festive atmosphere in other families, after eating eight-treasure porridge, the atmosphere in the Zhu family became a bit sad and sad.
This day is the Laba Festival, and it is also the day when Zhu Ping'an leaves home and rushes to the capital to take the exam.
Chen placed a lot of things on the back of the black horse, which made him look back frequently.
A large bag of air-dried pork jerky weighs more than thirty kilograms. This was reserved by Chen to satisfy his hunger when Zhu Ping'an was worried that he couldn't find anything to eat in the wilderness on the way to Huangshan Mountain. This large bag of dried meat was mainly pork jerky. There is a small amount of dried rabbit meat, and it takes about two to three kilograms of meat to produce one kilogram of dried meat. Just these dried meats cost Chen almost a hundred kilograms of meat.
Because it was freezing cold, the food could be stored for a longer period of time. Mrs. Chen also specially fried a lot of cakes for Zhu Ping'an and put them in a bag on the back of the black horse.
As for food, there were also some sun-dried fruits, as well as Chen’s pickled cucumbers and other vegetables for Zhu Ping’an to eat.
What occupied the space were bedding, clothes, etc. Mother Chen made five sets of clothes for Zhu Pingan, plus a large bag of close-fitting clothes, etc. Zhu's father tied them to both sides of the black horse to prevent him from wearing clothes. Affects saddle riding.
As for the road guide, examination certificates, qualification certificates, etc., Zhu Pingan kept them close to his body. The banknotes he carried were sewn into the inside of his clothes by Chen. There were also small banknotes and scattered silver that Zhu Pingan carried with him.
Of course, the indispensable thing is the black wooden board. I have become accustomed to it when practicing calligraphy. Zhu's father made a new brush from the tail of a big black ox, and Zhu Pingan also brought it with him.
In addition, I also brought a lot of other daily necessities here and there, including herbs that Zhu's father specially went to the town to ask the pharmacy to prepare to prevent various diseases, as well as medicines for treating snake venom and beast bites, gold wound medicine, etc.
The eldest brother Zhu Pingchuan also went to the town's blacksmith shop to make a slightly longer dagger for Zhu Ping'an to defend himself. He designed a hanger on the saddle and placed it in the saddle. Covered with a mat.
"Xie'er, please bring an extra fifty taels of silver." When her mother, Mrs. Chen, was packing Zhu Pingan's things, she was worried that Zhu Pingan didn't have enough money to spend. She wanted to give Zhu Pingan another fifty taels of silver.
Zhu Ping'an shook his head when he heard this, and smiled to comfort his mother Chen, "Mom, no need, I have brought more than one hundred taels of silver, it is enough. Keep the money for your brother's wedding."
Before Chen could speak, the eldest brother Zhu Pingchuan, who was putting things on the back of the black horse, spoke:
"Brother She, just take it. The money my parents gave me to prepare for my wedding has been two or three times more than before. It has already been enough. I am poor and rich, so just take it."
"That's it, put it away quickly, our family is not short of money." Mother Chen said as she was about to stuff the money into the baggage Zhu Pingan was carrying.
"Mom, the money I brought is really enough. Besides, it's not safe to carry so much money on the road." Zhu Pingan took a step back and shook his head.
"Why? If you don't take it out, others won't know how much you have brought." Mother Chen insisted on bringing the money to Zhu Ping'an.
Zhu Ping'an knows the situation at home. The family has been spending a lot of money these days. His mother, Chen, and his father, Zhu, have a standard farm mentality. They have bought dozens of acres of land. They want to follow the path of being a landlord to the end. Buying the land will cost a lot of money.
A lot of money; although the family has taken in a lot of tenants, it still needs to buy cattle and farm tools, and it also costs a lot of money to resettle tenants; in addition, it is a matter of human nature and sophistication. After Zhu Pingan won the election, everyone in the village knew that the Zhu family was prosperous.
, there are many relatives, uh, uncles, etc., who come to borrow money from Qiufeng. In the Ming Dynasty, which pays attention to clan, you cannot just refuse, you have to give some amount; and then there is the marriage of the eldest brother Zhu Pingchuan. The family uses the money.
There are still many places.
In addition, in addition to the money on the surface, Zhu Ping'an also has some private properties. There are also a lot of bits and pieces left over from the boy's exam, the provincial exam, the money for escorting people, the money he earned while auditing the Li family's accounts, etc.
Woolen cloth.
"The money I brought is really enough. More than one hundred taels of silver is enough for the people in our village to spend for many years. It will be enough for me to go there for half a year. Besides, with my son's status as a candidate, he can get free food and accommodation at the post office and government offices, etc."
Mom will keep the money with dad to buy more good things to eat, and wait until your son comes back to make a living for you."
Zhu Pingan got on his horse with a smile and explained to his mother, Mrs. Chen.
"Mom doesn't want an imperial edict, I just want you to have a safe journey and go home safely for your mother." Her mother, Mrs. Chen, shed tears as she spoke. While wiping her tears, she asked Zhu Ping'an what he should pay attention to along the way.
.
"Okay, stop crying. Why are you crying? It's unlucky for you to cry on the day when Shi'er has to take the exam." Zhu's father said from the side.
"Zhu Shouyi, say it again! It's not the flesh that fell off your body, so of course you don't feel bad anymore!" After hearing this, her mother, Mrs. Chen, stopped crying and angrily reached out and pinched Father Zhu's arm.
"Okay, okay, the more you cry, the better luck you get."
Zhu's father begged for mercy, and his mother, Chen, burst into tears and laughed, and the atmosphere in the yard became much better.
"Father, mother, you must take good care of your health. Don't worry about your son. He has been out many times and can take care of himself."
Zhu Ping'an rode on the dark horse and said goodbye to his parents. When he went out, he asked his eldest brother to be more careful:
"Brother, I wish you a happy wedding in advance. Haha, then your sister-in-law will join you in filial piety to our father and mother. Brother, I will do more when I come back."
During the Laba Festival, when the earth was freezing cold, Zhu Pingan drove his horse away from Xiahe Village and started his journey to Beijing to take the exam. (To be continued)