Era: Craftsmen in the Siheyuan

Chapter 233 Mid-Autumn Festival
Jian Jia Cang Cang, white dew is frost.

There are three phases of white dew: "The first phase is for the swans to come, the second phase is for the mysterious birds to return, and the third phase is for the flocks of birds to be shy."

The word "shame" is the same as "馐", which means delicious food. "Shame" means that birds sense the cold weather and actively store food.

In the morning, after Xu Deyong finished his exercise, he looked at the half-killed sheep falling in the blind box space and grinned.

There is food in hand and I don't feel panic. The things in the blind box space are now enough for their family to eat and use for half a year.

What stands out is the rich variety.

The days are still long, and even if there are difficult times in the future and the tavern is left empty-handed, the living conditions will not drop too much. At least the baby cannot eat poorly.

Xu Deyong hummed a little tune in the cool morning, washing his naked upper body. His abdominal muscles and chest muscles were not exaggerated, and were full of implicit power.

Then he took care of the flowers and plants in the yard again.

Then he took a small porcelain basin and went out to make soy milk for five cents. He also spent twenty cents on fried dough sticks and two boiled eggs. The eggs were not big and cost three cents each.

"Have you eaten?"

Xu Huizhen yawned and sat up with her legs sideways. Her butt looked fuller, making people want to slap her.

She looked at her slightly swollen belly and said, "It will take half a year to give birth, and then I will have to undergo confinement. It feels so long!"

Hey, when a child is not crying, making trouble or blackmailing others, it really makes people want to give her all the best things in the world.

Xiao Li'er, a greedy little cat, seemed to be smelling the fragrance of fried dough sticks when he was half awake. His little mouth clicked and his tongue flicked twice.

"Won't you sleep for a while?" Xu Deyong asked while serving his little ancestor smoothly.

As the old saying goes, "You will never die of thirst in the East City, and you will never die of hunger in the West City."

As the saying goes: Morning tea, evening wine and a bag of cigarettes are better than living gods.

"Kakaka..."

Pour some vinegar and then some sesame oil.

Of course, Laosi Jiucheng has the habit of drinking morning tea, rinsing the remaining residue in the stomach before eating breakfast.

Just smell it!

Xu Huizhen thought for a while and said, "Besides, it's busy farming at this time, and I'm pregnant again. Going there will only make them busier."

In the past, people in Dongcheng usually said "Have you had your drink?" when greeting people in the morning, and this time they drank morning tea; while in Xicheng, they usually said "Have you eaten?"

Most of the good things we saw later were due to "bad omens".

Just after saying that life flies by so fast, I turn around and say it is too long. A woman’s heart feels like a needle in the sea. A woman’s heart feels like the Mariana Trench when she is pregnant.

But it’s better not to be “too fierce”.

"Hey, good morning, Brother Li."

Those who are particular about it also need to go to the bathhouse to wash and soak. This is called "rinsing inside and outside."

They smiled and said goodbye as they passed each other.

Xiao Li'er sat on Xu Deyong's lap, holding the glass bottle in both hands, drinking the lotion mixed with milk and milk replacer powder with relish, while watching Xu Deyong eating fried dough sticks with unblinking eyes.

After becoming pregnant, Xu Huizhen obviously slept a little more than before, and her waist became thicker and, well, more aggressive.

"Yes." Xu Deyong nodded and asked, "Will you go back to your hometown before the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Xu Deyong smiled and cut some more pickles.

Carrying the soy milk, Xu Deyong went back and greeted everyone he met in the alley.

Women in our country are actually very good. If they are too big, they can only be like spread out patties.

Xu Huizhen was stunned for a while, put on her clothes and said, "I'm not going to sleep anymore. I'll take a nap when I want to at noon."

Like big breasts? Alas, I only see a sagging future.

"I'm partial to you. You go back and eat slowly."

When Xu Deyong returned home, his mother and daughter were still sleeping.

The crispy sound made her greedy, but unfortunately she couldn't eat it yet and couldn't grab it.

Xu Deyong glanced at the leaked "morning light" and turned to Xiao Li'er.

The freshly peeled chicken head is warm and soft, smooth and just set, and stuffed with crispy meat.

When he brought it back, Xiao Li'er had already woken up with a bang, and also woke up Xu Huizhen.

The kitchen knife cut out an afterimage in his hand, and the pickle shreds were even and slender, making them very appetizing.

As for the blackness of the fried dough sticks, hey, who cares?

Xu Huizhen suddenly sighed softly and said: "The days go by so fast. Tomorrow is the weekend again, and in another weekend it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"Good morning."

Tsk, this taste is amazing!

"Ding-deng-deng..."

The two of them finished cleaning up and sat at the dining table to have breakfast.

Xu Deyong could only nod in agreement.

The two of them swept away the food on the table. Seeing that Xu Huizhen was about to get up and clean it up, Xu Deyong said: "Leave it here, I'll just clean it up."

Xu Huizhen rolled her eyes at him and said, "I haven't reached the point where I can't walk yet."

After saying that, he took the bowl and chopsticks and went out quickly.

Xu Deyong shook his head, yes, women who don’t know good hearts.

After the meal, Xu Huizhen went to the front cafeteria and took a look around. As a private manager, she still had to have an overview of the whole situation.

When she came back, she watched Xiao Lier play.

When Xu Deyong didn't get out of the car and had nothing to do, he would do carpentry at home, making tables, chairs and benches for ordinary people. Later he would give them to Gangzi and let Qianmomo sell them.

Some of the wood he used was his own, and some he asked Gangzi to find outside. Moreover, he also asked Gangzi to find good wood, such as precious mahogany, huanghuali and so on.

I actually let this guy touch two of them, and after giving Mr. Niu eyes, Xu Deyong took them home to treasure them.

Mr. Niu also liked what he saw. After all, Mr. Niu was a master of the carpenter's craft. It was a test of his true skills that Xu Deyong could not compare to.

"Bang bang bang."

Xu Deyong was drilling holes, and Xu Huizhen and his wife were his loyal audiences.

After a while, the little girl Ma Ying came.

Xu Deyong glanced at her, hey, she is such a pretty girl but she likes carpentry.

The little girl comes here every now and then and leaves before lunch.

Sometimes when Xu Deyong was out of the car, the little girl would chat with Xu Huizhen at home. Sometimes Xu Huizhen would take care of Xiao Li'er if something happened.

Where can I find such free labor?
Therefore, Xu Deyong also devoted himself to teaching Ma Ying all his carpentry skills.

The little girl is a slow learner, but she knows what she is doing and is making progress every day.

After greeting each other, Xu Deyong asked casually: "Where is your brother?"

Ma Ying said: "I don't know, maybe he followed Bai Xiaogang to the countryside."

Xu Deyong was stunned for a moment before he remembered that "Bai Xiaogang" was Gangzi's name. He doesn't look like a good guy, but he has such a name.

He nodded without asking any questions, and immediately arranged for her to do the work. It was free of charge, but she didn't have to use it in vain... Oh, no, it's her craft that needs more practice!
While I was working, someone came looking for me. It was a moving job, and I wanted to move a few expensive things. Xu Deyong naturally agreed.

Those who know about the moving work of moving valuables will come to him.

Because he puts in more effort but doesn't charge more money, unlike other "banners" who work hard for you even if they don't care.

Of course, if conditions permit, Xu Deyong will not let Xu Deyong's efforts go to waste. If he gives it, Xu Deyong will take it. If he doesn't give it, Xu Deyong will not ask for more. He should exercise his body.

Xu Deyong dropped what he was doing, put on his coat and went out.

Xu Huizhen asked: "You should take your time when working and don't work too hard."

"understood."

Xu Deyong agreed, went out and rode away.

As soon as he left, Ma Ying relaxed a lot and started talking more truthfully to Xu Hui.

The little girl is very convinced of Xu Huizhen and regards her as one of her role models. She often asks questions.

Xu Huizhen washed two bunches of grapes and said, "Okay, you are a little girl, what do you like to do with carpentry? Take a break and eat some grapes."

"Thank you, Sister Huizhen." Ma Ying smiled.

"Ah..." Xiao Li'er immediately stretched out his hand when he saw this.

Xu Huizhen said with a smile: "Oh, Li'er wants to eat too, she is such a snack."

Ma Ying also came over and pinched Li'er's little face.

Xu Huizhen sat down and fed Xiao Li'er while doing some household chores and said, "Hey, Yingzi, do you have some misunderstanding about your brother Deyong? When he was here, I saw that you didn't talk much, so you are not as open as you are now."

Ma Ying blinked and said, "No, I treat him...Brother De Yong as my master."

Xu Huizhen said with a smile: "He is a few years older than you. Don't use him as your master in the future. His carpentry skills are far worse than Mr. Niu."

Ma Ying thought to herself: "I have seen Xu Deyong take action. It is not easy to kill the two siblings in an instant. It would be strange if they can let go."

But he still nodded with a smile on his face.

……

When Xu Deyong came back, he passed by "Jushunhe" in Dashilar and heard someone shouting at the top of his lungs: "Sweet peach! 8 points!"

This voice is like a tenor, penetrating the space, and can be heard eight feet away!

I saw a trailer truck full of peaches being unloaded directly on the open space at the door. The pile was so high!

"Jushunhe" is also a time-honored brand founded in the late Qing Dynasty. It sells preserved fruits, dried fruits and seafood, and it has a long-standing reputation.

Similar ones include Longjing and other shop numbers.

At that time, such shops were all run by Shanxi people. From the shopkeeper to the apprentices, they were all Shanxi fellows, so everyone called these shops Shanxi Houses.

Xu Deyong stopped and asked, "Are peaches delicious?"

"It's delicious, Li He'er, crispy and sweet! It's 8 cents a pound, comrade, how many pounds can you give me!" the other party said with a smile.

Xu Deyong saw that the peaches were good and made money again, so he said: "Give me five kilograms. If they are not separated from the core and not crispy and sweet, I will come back to you."

The other party smiled and said: "No, just come and find me. Comrade, what do you pretend to be?"

Xu Deyong took out a net bag from his pocket and picked some at random.

As soon as the hook was hung, the other party weighed the weight with a scale. He moved the scale tether outwards and brought it to Xu Deyong. He said, "Comrade, hold the real weight. Look, five kilograms is high. If there is one or two more, it is considered five kilograms." Come on."

Xu Deyong nodded, took out the money and paid 40 cents, took the net bag and tied it in the car. At the same time, he took out one, wiped it on his chest, and took a bite.

"How is it?" the other party asked with a smile.

Xu Deyong nodded and said: "Well, not bad!"

As he said that, he rode away on a scooter and while eating peaches, he suddenly smiled, remembering an old and ambiguous joke about selling peaches.

Brother, stop touching me! If you touch the top and bottom, the hair will fall off. The skin is so tender that it oozes when you touch it! How do you want me to sell it in the future?
These peaches are all fresh, just forget it if you don’t want to buy them!

Xu Deyong glanced at the peach in his hand and took another bite. Well, there was no water!

……

The next day.

In the morning, Elena and Chen Xueru came uninvited without any prior greeting, and brought several ready-made meals such as Quanjude roast duck.

Even though they are here, we can’t chase people away.

It happened that the little girl Ma Ying was also there, and she was about to leave when she saw a guest.

When Irina and Chen Xueru saw that she was beautiful, they tried to persuade her to stay with all their enthusiasm. With Xu Huizhen's help, the little girl was no match for those who had experienced her before, so they had no choice but to stay.

Seeing this, Xu Deyong went to cook himself.

Several ladies looked into the house from the courtyard and were impressed by Xu Deyong's addition of some handicrafts. Two ladies, Irina and Chen Xueru, saw that they liked it and took it away directly.

In their words, "Just let your man do it again later."

Xu Deyong cooked the dishes, but Xu Hui really couldn't drink, so he drank half a catty with the two "female bandits".

After drinking, the three girls played poker, and Ma Ying took on the responsibility of looking after Xiao Li'er. As for clearing the table, it was Xu Deyong's job.

After playing for more than an hour, the two girls said goodbye and left. It can be said that they came to enjoy themselves and returned home having fun.

He also said that he would come over often to play in the future, euphemistically saying "accompany Huizhen".

If they didn't have both hands full of things, Xu Deyong and Xu Huizhen might really believe it.

……

The days are like turning the pages of a book, passing page by page.

It's the Mid-Autumn Festival in a blink of an eye.

The eighth month of the lunar calendar is the harvest season. On the third and fifth days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fruit markets outside Qianmen and inside Deshengmen open.

Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Sijiucheng is also commonly known as the "August Festival" or "Fruit Festival".

In fact, the autumnal equinox was once a traditional "moon festival", which is now the Mid-Autumn Festival. But later, because the full moon did not often appear during the autumnal equinox, it was divided into the autumnal equinox and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the past few days, the "mud rabbit stall" in Beijing is the busiest time, and it is the most fashionable toy for children.

As the saying goes: "At a glance, I am suddenly surprised that the festival is approaching, and the streets are full of rabbits."

In the past, in the old capital, every household would set up an altar to worship the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, offering "Rabbit Lord" and "Moonlight Coder".

Of course, those who have the conditions will still pray now, but by next year, these customs will be discontinued, and then Lord Rabbit will disappear for a while...

Lu Qihong's "The Record of the Year in the Capital" records: "On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, people put up symbols of the Moon Palace, and the symbols on the symbols were like human beings; they put melons and fruits in the courtyard, and the moon palace toads were painted on the cakes; men and women worshiped and burned incense. "

When worshiping the moon, offer "Moonlight Code", which is a paper image with "Taiyin Star Lord" and Jade Rabbit pounding medicine. Set up an incense case and an offering table in the courtyard, and place fruits and moon cakes. The fruits should be round, such as watermelon. It is also necessary to cut it in half and cut it into the shape of lotus petals, which means "the flower is full and the moon is full". In addition, it should be like apple, sand fruit, crabapple, pomegranate, etc., in short, it should mean auspiciousness, perfection, and harvest. Only pears cannot be offered. , because it is homophonic with "li", which is contrary to reunion.

There should also be a flower tube on the offering table, with edamame branches and cockscomb flowers inserted. The edamame is an offering to the Jade Rabbit, and the cockscomb symbolizes the rope tree in the moon palace.

Then they bowed down according to age and age, except for men who mostly did not bow down because the moon belongs to the lunar yin and the moon goddess Chang'e is female. Therefore, only women and children can worship the moon, and adult men do not.

This is what is called, "men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship the stove." Therefore, when the moon offering ceremony begins, the men in the family do not kowtow, while the female relatives are led by female elders and kowtow in order according to their seniority.

……

(End of this chapter)