Portable space

The next morning Zhang Taiping got up early to practice martial arts in the back valley. Martial arts practice is like sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat. Zhang Taiping didn't think about how much he could improve his fists and feet, but at least he had to maintain the current state.Unexpectedly, the old man had already practiced Tai Chi in the valley, and Zhang Taiping also practiced Tai Chi again. It seemed slow and had no attack power. Only when he was fighting in person could he feel the horror of it.

After doing Taijiquan a few times, the old man stopped and stood aside to watch Zhang Taiping practice his boxing, kick and saber techniques.Although it is not suitable for proficiency in saber techniques, one technique can master all techniques. You can still see Zhang Taiping's precise calculation and grasp of strength when he seems to swing the knife randomly.

Seeing Zhang Taiping carrying the tree with his body, the big tree was rattling and trembling endlessly, the old man also showed surprise in his eyes, this kind of strength is very rare, even at his peak moment, it is impossible to achieve this kind of strength the point.

After Zhang Taiping stopped, the old man pointed to the neatly pruned fruit trees in the orchard and asked, "You trimmed these. Are you going to manage the orchard?"

Zhang Taiping nodded and said: "Yes, I want to manage the fruit trees well next year, um, then we will build a farmhouse."

The old man nodded and said, "It's time to do something."

When walking back, he asked again: "Is that eagle on the roof yours?"

"Yes, he was rescued in the mountains after the heavy snowfall. At that time, someone shot through his wings with a shotgun. He was brought back for treatment and survived. He was named Xiaojin."

"Yes, those two dogs are also good." The old man boasted a few words, then stopped talking, and walked back with his hands behind his back.

After breakfast, a large group of people came to the house, all of them came to visit after hearing that the old man had come down the mountain.

The old man and Cai Yazhi's grandfather came down from the battlefield and settled here, and they did not stop the local bandits for the village. This is why the villagers have taken so much care of Cai Yazhi and the two sisters these years.Moreover, the old man also possesses miraculous Chinese medicine skills. He has been playing the role of doctor in the village for decades, and the prescriptions he prescribes are all written according to his own illness.Moreover, seeing a doctor is basically free of medical expenses. The prescriptions and the methods of suffering are all written and handed over to the patients for them to take the medicines themselves. They never worry about the leakage of any prescriptions.

The people in the village are of course respectful and grateful to him. Although he has not often seen a doctor on the mountain in the past few years, people only go to the mountain to invite him down when he encounters a serious illness that cannot be treated. The respect for him is still high. minus a cent.A large group of people came to visit with all kinds of things, including the village chief.

The old man didn't refuse either, he nodded and asked Cai Yazhi to take all these things away. The people who got the things seemed to have received great honor, and they didn't stay too much at Zhang Taiping's house, and went happily.

Only the village chief stayed and drank a few cups of tea with the old man. He kept asking the old man for advice with the junior ceremony, and finally left happily after the old man nodded. It seemed that the old man nodded in agreement.

It seems that an old man is like a treasure in a family, but an "old man" like the old man is the treasure of the whole village.

Most of the surnames in the village are Wang and Zhang, and there are quite a few families offering sacrifices to the stove on the night of the 24th.Before it was dark, firecrackers rang out in the village one after another, and nursery rhymes from afar could be heard: "23, after the sacrifice, the children clapped their hands and laughed. In five or six days, the new year will come. To ward off evil spirits Box, playing with walnuts, Didi dot two cannons. The five sons ascended the imperial examination and the ping-pong sounded, and the fire rose higher than the sky." It reflects the joyful psychology of children looking forward to the New Year.

Zhang Taiping's family is also busy at the moment, preparing a meal, mainly Zaoye cakes and various sesame balls.Zaoye cakes are round cakes baked one by one. In the past, patterns were baked on them. At most, some white sugar was put in them. Brown sugar is a luxury; but it is different now. People’s conditions permit Add various seasonings, Zhang Taiping's family has prepared several kinds of fillings, including white sugar, brown sugar, red bean paste, rock sugar, shredded orange peel, and sesame paste.

Make different marks on the imitation dough cakes of various fillings, put more than a dozen of them together in a large pot and bake them together. Different marks will be left on them after they come out. You can choose your favorite pancakes according to your own taste.

After baking the pancakes, Master Zao made seven or eight dishes. After all, tonight is also a small New Year's Eve, and the fire seems to be better than usual.After finishing these, began to worship the stove.

In ancient times, men were always the ones who presided over sacrifices to stoves. According to folklore, the moon belongs to yin, and the god of stoves belongs to yang. Therefore, "men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship stoves."On the night of Zaozao Day, every family uses tofu, vermicelli, cabbage, kelp, etc. to make "Zaozao Soup" and serve it in front of Lao Zaoye's tablet, and then offer sesame crisps made of sugar paste or maltose, which are called "Zaozao Tang". , because "the god of the stove returns to heaven on a dark day and it is a white man's crime, so sugar cakes are used to stick the gods to the mouth of the gods during the sacrifice."Some even bake eighteen fires, and use a rooster with its two wings between them, and place it in front of the Kitchen God, and at the same time put some grass and beans aside as "moss god horse".When sacrificing the stove, the chief priest sprinkles wine on the cockscomb first, then burns incense and candles in front of the divine table, and sets off firecrackers.After praying, the statue of the Kitchen God is removed from the wall, and stove sugar is gently wiped on its mouth, and it is placed on a paper horse and burned. At the same time, it is shouted "Send the Kitchen God to ascend to heaven on a horse", and the sacrifice is over.

Now people don't pay so much attention, because women are in charge of the kitchen, all these things fall on women, and in rural areas, there are few men going to worship the stove.At least that's how Zhang Taiping's family is now, the old man and the two are sitting in the room drinking tea and watching TV, while Cai Yazhi's four daughters are busy in the kitchen.

First, Cai Yazhi pasted the portraits of Stove Master and Stove Lady on a specially recessed place on the wall above the stove. The Stove Master in the portrait is white and fat, enjoying the delicious food in the human kitchen all the year round. excusable.

There is also a pair of couplets on the portrait, and the banner reads the words "the head of the family". The Stove Lord is in charge of the kitchen in the world and is in charge of the food. Cravings for food and the desire to not have to worry about eating.On both sides is a pair of couplets "God says good things, descends to earth to bring good luck".

Tonight is called Sacrificial Stove, but it is actually also called Sending Stove.Zao Ye has been sitting in the kitchen since New Year's Eve last year. On the night of 24th, he was sent to heaven to meet the Jade Emperor to report on the situation at home this year, and he was picked up on the night of New Year's Eve.Therefore, people hope that God Stove will speak good words in front of the Jade Emperor, and that coming down to earth at thirty will bring auspiciousness!

Paste the portrait, then light a pair of small candles and a few sticks of incense on the wooden board in front, and then offer the prepared food to the wooden board in front of the portrait, and invite Stove Master and Stove Lady to enjoy it.There are some vegetarian dishes on them, and most of them are sweets. I hope that Master Stove will say auspicious words when he eats sweets and puts sugar on his mouth.

Wait for a while, when the Stove Master and Stove Woman finished enjoying themselves, Cai Yazhi took out a paper pony and grain and grass, knelt on the ground and burned them together with the old portrait, muttering silently and gesticulating in her hand: Congratulations! Send the kitchen master and the kitchen woman to the sky to say good things, and to descend to the earth to bring auspiciousness.Then there was a burst of silent thoughts in his mouth.Several other people followed suit, knelt on the ground and muttered words.It was Zhang Taiping who was still cooperating with setting off a string of firecrackers outside, which was considered to be ready for Lord Stove and immediately sent Lord Stove to heaven.

After doing all this, quickly take down the sesame candy and Zaoye cakes that you have just donated to Zaoye Zaopo and distribute them to your family members, paying attention to being proud and praying for the family to avoid disasters.

After offering sacrifices to the kitchen stove, the whole family, old and young, enjoy the kitchen sacrifice sugar, cakes and dinner together.In the past, I was very particular about what I ate tonight. I used noodles and other vegetarian dishes for dinner, and I didn’t eat meat. I was particular about eating as much as possible.However, people don't pay so much attention now, except that the food donated to Stove Lord and Stove Pom does not contain meat, and the food they eat at home is indeed free from meat and vegetables.

The old man sat at the main seat, and eight hot and cold dishes were placed on the table, as well as two baskets of Zao Ye cakes. Zhang Taiping even went down to the cellar to take out a jar of wine.

The old man saw that the dishes on the table and the electrical appliances at home were not what they were half a year ago, and the quality of life had obviously improved by more than one level, so he couldn't help saying to Zhang Taiping: "It's best to use martial arts in the right place."

Zhang Taiping was taken aback for a moment, but he understood what he meant in an instant, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, grandpa, I only learn martial arts to strengthen my body. A gentleman loves money in a proper way, and making money is definitely a legitimate way. What are you doing wrong?"

The old man was surprised that Zhang Taiping could say such gentle words, but he also knew that this was his guarantee, so he didn't say anything more, and said with a wave of his hand: "Let's serve dinner."

As the old man's voice fell, the little girl started to move her chopsticks first, picked up a piece of ribs, but put it not in her own bowl but in the old man's bowl, and said, "Grandpa, these are the ribs made by Aunt Xing. have eaten."

The old man looked at a piece of ribs in the bowl, his expression was stunned, and then he burst out laughing loudly, venting his inner joy, and wiped Yaya's little head and said: "Okay, it's Yaya who treats grandpa the best." good."

The other three women didn't feel anything, but Xing Rushui's heart was shocked. It is not easy for the old man to have such a good spirit and healthy body at such an age. Unexpectedly, the old man of the Zhang family is really full of energy , there is no sign of aging in the elderly at all, and there is no problem in living another 20 years.

The old man grinned from ear to ear and ate the spare ribs added by Yaya. He is in good health and has no bad teeth. He can enjoy any food like a young man.

The next dinner ended in a cheerful atmosphere laid by a piece of pork ribs from Xiao Yaya.