Once you become a boy, marry a good man, and become rich together

Chapter 178 Going up the mountain to collect firewood

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year, when we worship the Kitchen God.

Ye Wan and Lin Shan were busy with the Kitchen God worship. Jiang Ci was always curious about the preparation process of the worship.

In modern times, he had never known about the Kitchen God worship. After all, many people didn't believe in it anymore. Later, during the Little New Year, he went to a family at the west end of the village to borrow something and happened to see them worshiping the Kitchen God.

After noon, the offerings to the Kitchen God can be eaten.

So the children in the village also look forward to worshiping the Kitchen God.

On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, people start cleaning the house, washing utensils, etc., which means getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.

The whole family went out to clean the house together, cleaning it inside and out. After a whole morning of work, they finally finished cleaning.

The room was indeed much cleaner and tidier, and it became even tidier after putting away all the useless things in the yard.

The sun was shining brightly, so I pulled two more ropes and took out all the winter clothes in the closet to dry them in the sun.

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, tofu is ground and prepared for consumption during the New Year.

But there are not many people here who can make tofu, and there is not enough ink for grinding tofu for every household, so they all buy tofu.

There is a tofu shop in Xiaoye Village that has been making tofu for decades. The tofu is very authentic and has a delicate taste. People from several villages all go there to buy tofu.

On the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, people slaughter pigs and sheep in preparation for the New Year's banquet.

They slaughtered a sheep in their village and sold it to the villagers at a cheaper price than in town.

One person from each of the neighbors and relatives of that family went to eat the soup made from sheep's offal, cabbage and radish.

It started snowing again in the afternoon, as if the snowflakes knew that the people down below were going to celebrate the New Year, so they came to inspect it, but stopped after not long.

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, people buy New Year's goods, such as candy, melon seeds, New Year pictures, etc.

Their family has already bought it, so there is no need to go to town to squeeze in to buy it.

The soap factory also had New Year holiday that day, so Jiang Ci and Lin Jingsheng went to the town to buy some New Year goods for the children in the compound.

After lunch, they carried out the table in the main room.

Lin Jingchen spread the red paper couplets he had bought earlier on the table, took out the pen, ink, paper and inkstone from the study and placed them on the table, then picked up the pen and wrote on the red paper.

I wrote a few door pairs and wrote the word "Fu" on the remaining squares.

Judging from Lin Jingchen's proficiency, it is obvious that this is not his first year of writing.

After hanging all the couplets and characters to dry, Ye Shuyun and Lin Changfeng came over, carrying a basket filled with red paper.

"It's right to come to Jingchen to write the door."

Many people came one after another, and Lin Jingchen sat in the yard writing couplets without much rest for the whole afternoon.

After seeing the last person off, I saw the things in several baskets next to the table.

People who came to him to write couplets would bring something to express their gratitude, some bringing a few cabbages or two radishes.

Cabbage is the only vegetable that grows here in winter. Although it is not worth much in their village, it sells well in town. The radishes are stored in the cellar.

Some people also brought a few chicken eggs and duck eggs, which were hard currency like copper coins.

There are also some couplets with words on them in the town, but their price is several times more expensive than that of blank red paper.

It is not worth buying good calligraphy. There are still some people in the village who have not come to their house to ask Lin Jingchen to write couplets.

If there is someone at home who can write, he can find the dusty pen, ink, paper and inkstone and use them to write on the couplets. It doesn’t matter if they don’t look good.

Lin Jingxuan came over with the basket of eggs from the kitchen, picked up the eggs there, and counted how many there were in total.

Seeing so many things beside the table, he sighed again, "Second brother, you are amazing. Look how many things the villagers brought in in just one afternoon."

"It's a reward for the many years I've taught in this school."

Lin Jingxuan shook her head at Lin Jingchen in disapproval, "You can't say that. Second brother, you are going to take the exam to become a scholar, and then take the exam to become an official."

Lin Jingxuan thought happily, "Brother Ci and the eldest brother make money, and you, the second brother, become an official."

Lin Jingchen touched the pigtails that Lin Jingxuan had braided, "You're so thoughtful."

Lin Jingxuan counted all the eggs into the basket and went to the kitchen, "Mom, there are 30 chicken eggs and 5 duck eggs in total."

"Okay, leave it there. We don't have many eggs at home, and these eggs come just in time."

When Jiang Ci first came to this family, only the injured Lin Jingsheng could eat eggs once every two days. The others could eat eggs no more than twice a month, and the rest were saved and sold in town.

Now, each of them can eat an egg every one or two days, and the family no longer sells eggs.

The hot meal was served on the table. The candle placed in the middle of the table reflected the busy figures carrying plates, the steaming food, and this happy occasion.

There were three dishes on the table, one was fried radish, one was fried bacon, and the other was fried duck eggs.

"Try this fried duck egg, it's more delicious than fried chicken eggs."

"Okay, you eat too, Mom."

A happy family occasion.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, people make dough, steamed buns, and various kinds of pasta.

"Mom, what kind of dumplings are we making today?"

"Put half a pot of dried vegetables, radishes, and meat in each pot, and then steam a pot of steamed buns."

"it is good."

Jiang Ci was getting some hot water to soak the dried vegetables, Lin Jingsheng was washing the radishes, Ye Wan was preparing the meat filling, and Lin Shan was boiling hot water.

Lin Jingan, Lin Jingchen and Lin Jingxuan went to the mountain to chop firewood. Firewood ran out quickly in winter, and a large pile of firewood would be gone in a few days.

Especially after the wind, rain and snow in autumn and winter, there are many dead branches on the ground.

Lin Jingchen used a machete to chop the large dead branches that were still on the trees. Lin Jingchen and Lin Jingan picked up the dead branches on the ground.

Two young men were walking up from the foot of the mountain. Not long after they walked, they found a suitable place to pick up dead branches.

Han Zhao saw that Zhou Xi still looked unhappy, so he explained again, "It will take time for Nian to wake up, and I don't have anything to do over there, so why don't we go pick up some branches together? We can boil some water to take a bath in the evening. We haven't taken a bath for a long time."

"OK then."

Two people are indeed quicker than one person. Zhou Xi looked at the two small piles of firewood that had already been placed, and suddenly remembered that they didn't bring anything with them.

I only took the hemp rope but not the carrying pole. The dead branches at the foot of the mountain could not be used as a carrying pole as they were very brittle.

Zhou Xi tied one half of the bundle together with the other one and said, "Zhao Zhao, I forgot the shoulder pole. I'll send this one back first and bring the shoulder pole over. You pick it up here first and don't go too far."

Han Zhao turned around and looked at Zhou Xi, who was giving him some instructions. "Zhou Daxi, you are only three years older than me, why are you like Granny Liu before?"

Granny Liu was an old lady who had taken care of him in his yard before.

Zhou Xi didn't care, "Remember what I said, I'm leaving now."

Han Zhao still gave Zhou Xi a guarantee to reassure him, "I will definitely not run around."

Lin Jingan, Lin Jingchen and the others wanted to collect more firewood and fill up my house with the firewood they had at home.

Lin Jing'an carried the bundles down the mountain first.

Halfway through the journey, I saw a familiar boy, "Brother Zhao, you are here to collect firewood too!"

Han Zhao looked up from the firewood when he heard the voice and said, "Lin Jing'an, we are out of firewood at home, so we came here to collect some."

Lin Jingan looked at the ground here and made a suggestion, "I will send these firewood back home first, and then I will take you to the place where we collect firewood on the mountain. There are fewer people and more firewood there."

Lin Jingan quickly added, "And my second brother and sister are over there, you can rest assured."

Han Zhao was amused by Lin Jingan's hurried explanation.

"Zhou Xi has gone home to deliver firewood. When you come back, take us with you."

"Okay, then I'll leave first."

Han Zhao watched Lin Jing'an carrying a bundle of firewood down the mountain for a while before he bent down to pick up firewood.