Back to 1980: Please Love Me Again

Chapter 102
In the early morning of the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the old Zhao’s Crayfish Restaurant.

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

Zhao Wenmu announced the result loudly.

The hall was once again filled with cheers like a mountain roar and a tsunami.

The younger Zhang Xiaotong, Song Weixing and the boy who didn't have a name flushed with excitement and kept clapping their hands.

A month's salary means as little as two or three hundred yuan, and as much as 500 yuan.

Not a small sum.

Volumes of Great Unity were quickly distributed. Not only that, but Zhao Wenmu also said some words of encouragement and guidance according to everyone's situation.

Great unity is the most safe and warm thing, if one roll is not enough, then just have another roll!
Holding the banknotes in their hands, people can't even help wondering whether these dreamlike months really existed.

"The year-end bonus has 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. Benefits are distributed according to the head of a 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 a family to make do for a year.

Moreover, the impact of real objects is far greater than money!
Even if the value of the materials that each person receives is only 40 to [-] yuan, but such heavy New Year's goods are delivered to the hands, it is really full of happiness.

It's really heavy, the rice alone weighs 50 catties per person!
The big guys don't need to move to the dormitory for the time being when they get the things, they just put them here, and they can be transported back directly in a mule cart tomorrow.

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

Then I fell asleep in the warm spring shop.

When it was dawn, I couldn't wait to go home.

Because today is, Xiaonian.

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

"Children, children, don't be greedy, after Laba is the new year. You can drink Laba porridge for a few days, and it will be la la la 23. 23, sticky melons; 24, cleaning the house; 25, making tofu; 26, fried lamb; 27, killing roosters ; 28, hair the noodles; 29, steamed buns; [-] nights for a night of play, and twists and turns on the first day of the new year."

The clear and clear voice of the child echoed everywhere in the village.

As soon as the new year arrives, the lively atmosphere of the New Year becomes more intense.

In Xiaonian, there is a folk custom in Qilu area to worship stoves on this day.

According to folklore, on this day, the Stove Lord will return to the Heavenly Court to report to the Jade Emperor what happened on earth for the past year. In the folk song, "23, Tanggua Nian" refers to the sacrifice or resignation to the stove on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month every year.

There is a custom of eating Tanggua on this day, which means to make the Stove Lord eat Tanggua sweeter, "God says good things", and don't make small reports.

Tanggua is a kind of maltose, which is very viscous. It is called "Kanto sugar" when it is drawn into a long stick, and it is called "tanggua" when it is drawn into an oblate shape.

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

In other words, children love Xiaonian the most.

At this time, they can eat sweets such as Tanggua, candied dates, honey three knives, and fruit candies that they have been thinking about for a year.

In the age when material resources were not abundant, these things could only be eaten on the day of Xiaonian in a year.

From this day on, folks have been busy with the new year, cleaning, buying new year's goods, pasting Spring Festival couplets, steaming rice cakes, and steaming steamed buns. The taste of the new year is getting stronger and stronger.

In this era, although the material is not rich, the taste of the year is indeed very strong.

Adults and children are looking forward to the New Year.

It is completely different from later generations.

Many adults in later generations actually hate Chinese New Year.

During the New Year, we have to face "relatives" who have no communication with each other throughout the year.

To be urged by the three aunts and five aunts to get married and give birth to a baby.

For some things, it seems that everyone is worried about themselves except that they are not in a hurry.

During the Chinese New Year, what I feel is anxiety and helplessness.

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

Not only that, but the purpose of the inexplicable burning bans in various places is unknown.

At least, the so-called environmental protection is simply untenable!
In this era, although everyone is poor, they can happily set off firecrackers.

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

Occasionally, the dirt, ice, or cesspit on the side of the road will be suddenly exploded by firecrackers.

Adults passing by will shout loudly, cursing whose children are so unethical.

Xiaonian Cizao is a symbolic festival. In the past, travelers who wanted to go home for the New Year must go home on this day. There is a folk saying that "Cizao is always outside".

And sweeping 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 daughter back to Shanqian Village on the day of the new year.

From this day on, the Old Zhao's Crayfish Restaurant will be closed and will not officially open until the [-]th day of the first lunar month of the year.

Zhao Xin and Rong Fang returned to Ji Province.

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

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

If the two stayed in Pingyang County for the New Year, it would be meaningless to be deserted.

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

In the end, they discussed it and decided to go back to their hometown in Ji Province to celebrate the New Year, so that Zhao Xin might be able to remember something.

Zhao Wenmu bought the tickets for them, and the Zhao family prepared a lot of gifts, and the father and daughter embarked on the journey back home with big bags and small bags.

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

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

Zhao Wenmu squatted in the kitchen with his little daughter in his arms, worshiping, burning incense and kowtowing to the newly pasted woodcut and watercolor overprinted portrait of the Kitchen God.

The little guy doesn't know how to kowtow, and the ground is so cold, it's impossible for her to lie on the ground.

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

Anyway, Lord Stove should not be so stingy.

Zhao Wenmu carefully took off the old portrait of the Kitchen God that had been pasted on the wall for a year and burned it, saying that the Kitchen God was sent to heaven.

Just like what is written in the couplet of the portrait of the Kitchen God, the Kitchen God went to perform his sacred mission: "The heavens say good things, and return to the palace to bring good luck."

This portrait was lifted from the stove of the old house and moved here when we moved to a new house.

When burning the portrait of the Stove God, some cereals, miscellaneous grains, and paper money are added to the fire, implying that the steed that the Stove God rides in the sky will be fed for the journey.

Then Zhao Wenmu had to pray again.

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

I could only murmur in a low voice:

"Have a good trip, old man, don't drink, don't drink and drive. You know what to say and what not to say in the sky. You know better than me, so I don't need to ask you. Please bless the world peace in the coming year, the prosperity of the country, the prosperity of the people, and the harvest of the grain. Bless Ah Jing Everything goes well, bless my little girl with health and happiness, and bless my family."

Zhao Wenmu talked more and more smoothly.

When he finished talking about the need for God's blessing, the idol was also burned.

A gust of wind blew past, blowing the ashes all 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 sacrifice to the stove was completed.

The tribute from the stove can be eaten.

There was only one child in their family, Xiaonuan, who couldn't eat these things, so Zhao Jing put candied melons, fruit candies, etc. in small bowls.

Gai Minger Zhao Zimeng will definitely come, so just give it to him when the time comes.

"Little brother, from today until the Chinese New Year, you can't go to the kitchen anymore!"

When Zhao Wenmu got up in the morning, after washing up, he was about to make breakfast when Zhao Jing stopped him.

He was a little unclear.

I don't remember this custom.

I've never heard that men can't go to the kitchen during the Spring Festival.

"For the past six months, you have been cooking. It's Chinese New Year, let me take care of you? Just for a few days."

Before Zhao Wenmu asked, Zhao Jing had already spoken.

"Ah Jing! Sister! You have always been taking care of me."

Zhao Wenmu smiled and patted her head.

But no matter what, Zhao Jing just didn't allow him to cook.

Until the Chinese New Year, before that, the kitchen was his forbidden area.

After Zhao Wenmu offered sacrifices to the Kitchen God and washed his hands, Zhao Jing had already arranged the food.

She poured Zhao Wenmu a half glass of white wine.

Fill yourself up again.

"Zhao Wenmu, I love you."

Zhao Jing looked at Zhao Wenmu, finished speaking seriously, then raised her head and drank a glass of wine.

But did not swallow.

The red lips are drawn together, the strong wine enters the throat, and everyone is drunk if the wine is not intoxicating.

(End of this chapter)