On the day of Laba, Jian Ning got up early and went to the kitchen to see that he was happy. Affection Mother Zhang has already come, and her good brother is urging around the stove at the moment, "Mother Zhang, is it okay, is it delicious?" ”

"Okay, okay, I covered it yesterday, and I know that you little gluttonous can't wait."

Jian Ning's face was red, and it was not only the second brother who was greedy, but also her. Wake up early in the morning, isn't it just for this mouthful of laba porridge?

Different from Laba porridge in other places, Laba porridge in Changzhou is salty, so Changzhou people also call it salty porridge.

Put japonica rice, glutinous rice, and vegetables in it, and then add red beans, mung beans, white beans, and fennel beans according to each person's taste.

At that time, peanuts had not yet been introduced to China, and if they were to be added in later generations, they would have to add indispensable peanuts, after all, peanuts are also known as longevity fruits, which are very auspicious names in the eyes of people.

In addition to these, Changzhou's laba porridge will also be boiled with a few salted meat bones or pork ribs, and then add fried tofu, shredded shreds, taro, etc., the umami degree of the porridge can be imagined.

The number of patterns in Laba porridge also represents the living standard of the family, and neighbors also have the habit of giving Laba porridge to each other.

And the people with good conditions in the alley have to boil a few large pots, from the street to the alley, in order to show their friendship and help their neighbors.

Whether it is warm or cold, or fake showmanship, in short, Laba is a day that makes the poor happy, because on this day, they can eat a lot of good things.

The lid of the pot is lifted, and the rich aroma comes, which is good in ancient times, everything is original, and it is very good to eat a little bit of childhood memories.

The family squatted in the kitchen around a small table, hula-la, shouting hot and eating quickly, looking at each other and laughing.

After getting along for a long time, there is no barrier between dignity and inferiority, Zhang's mother and others treat Jian Ning as their own children, and Jian Ning also treats them as family. At this time, Bai Xiaosheng, who was famous in Changzhou City, was like a girl from an ordinary family, with a full smile on his face.

After eating Laba porridge, it was delivered to the neighbors, and when they came back, several people had things in their hands, the most eye-catching of which were a few bottles of Zaodu wine.

People who have been busy for a year, at this time they have to brew Du wine, because it is brewed in the month of Layue, so it is also called Lajiu, which is an indispensable thing to entertain guests during the year.

Except for Tang Yin's drunkard, no one in the family drank, so Jian Ning didn't expect this stubble. Now that I have a few stalls of liquor, I am also happy in my heart, and I am busy letting Zhang Niang get up, and I took a sip of it excitedly, but this drink is dumbfounded, isn't this rice wine?

Seeing Jian Ning like that, Zhang Niang couldn't help laughing. After getting along for a long time, I realized that this person was actually still a child, and he was obviously curious just now, but now he is tense again, this child is actually quite interesting.

After eating Laba porridge, the smell of the year is getting stronger and stronger. These days, every household is constantly cooking with smoke and aroma.

This year is not as prosperous as in later generations, and after twenty-four, many shops should be closed. Greatly, those local merchants will still do it in the New Year, but after this time, the Lantern Festival is basically obtained, and the market can be enriched.

And some of the work starts not long after the winter, such as all kinds of pickled products.

Not to mention pickles and pickles, people like Jian Ning still have to make a lot of sausages, salted chicken, salted meat and salted fish. In addition to the first time, after waiting for twenty-three to eat the dumplings sent to the god of the stove, in addition to dusting the eaves (cleaning), you also have to take advantage of the bustle of the market to buy fresh herring and come back to make fish balls.

Fish balls, meat balls, meat skin, nitrate meat, bean cakes, four seasons of Ruyi dishes, these are all indispensable things for Changzhou people to celebrate the New Year. It is often a pot to be eaten until the end of the year.

Jian Ning only felt that the family had been busy these days, and the people at home had been busy, as if they had endless energy, and Jian Ning, who was a little resistant to various festivals, also felt some warmth, and actually took the initiative to participate in everyone's activities and help to do things.

The atmosphere of the year is getting stronger and stronger, and on the day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, steamed dumplings are steamed in the morning, and before the reunion dinner begins in the afternoon, there is still an important thing to do: ancestor worship.

The second brother was holding incense, the door of Jane's house was wide open, the second brother shouted the names of his father and grandfather, and called the ancestors and ancestors to come back for dinner, while Jian Ning knelt at the table and burned paper.

After shouting three times, the second brother came back, inserted incense into the incense burner, lit the red candle, and the brother and sister took turns kowtowing to the ancestors, expressing filial piety and praying for the ancestors to bless peace and well-being.

Jian Ning also prayed earnestly, hoping that Father Jane and Sanniang's spirit in heaven could bless her and her second brother with good health and smoothness. Since the soul was pierced, Jian Ning had a deep understanding of the sage's sentence "Respect ghosts and gods and stay away".

You can disbelieve it, but at least you have to be in awe.

After worshipping the ancestors, Zhang Niang brought the bean cakes and bean sprouts on the table, and she had to use these two to burn the "family sacrifice head", which is an indispensable dish for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in Changzhou.

Jian Ning took advantage of the time to cook, went upstairs, took out the red paper bag, and wrapped the gold leaves that had been prepared long ago into the red envelope. The so-called gold leaf is not a leaf made of gold, but something similar to a book page, which originated in the Song Dynasty and was often used in the trade of merchants at that time.

Because it is easy to carry, soft in texture, and can be cut and folded, it was also very popular in the Ming Dynasty.

The gold leaf in Jian Ning's hand is for people to beat, and a piece is just about one or two gold. Zhang Niang and Li Niang are quite dedicated to their work, and the two boys are also loyal and honest.

One person has one or two gold, in fact, it is only four taels of silver, which is just right to reward employees.

In addition, she wrapped four other red envelopes, which are the New Year's money given on the first day of the new year, and cannot be mixed with the year-end bonus, after all, the boss who has a clear distinction between public and private and will buy people's hearts is a good boss!

The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner began, and Zhang and Li had no other families, so they simply spent the holiday together. Jian Ning raised his glass and said: "My brother and sister have no relatives, thanks to a few people who take care of them, and I will ask you to help me in the future, Sanniang is grateful." ”

After she said that, she raised her head and drank the wine in the cup, and said, "In the future, you can call me girl." ”

Zhang's mother and the others felt hot in their hearts, this was to treat them as their own, and they got up again and again to toast, "It is our blessing to meet a master like the girl, and I hope the girl will help her more in the future." ”

After some politeness, Jian Ning took out the red envelope and said with a smile: "My words are selling well this year, thanks to you taking care of the second brother and taking care of the housework. ”

Several people hurriedly saluted, "Miss Xie." ”

The few people who took the red envelopes were obviously happier, and they all served Jian Ning vegetables, and the family ate a sumptuous reunion dinner, listening to the sound of firecrackers outside, only to feel that the atmosphere of the New Year had surrounded them, and they were full of joy and happiness.

After eating Chinese New Year's Eve meal, several people also walked out of the house, set off firecrackers, that is, to the neighbors in advance to greet the New Year, give each other gifts of dried fruits, the whole Ma Lane seems to have become a sea of joy, firecrackers keep ringing, the sound of children frolicking came far and wide......

The Sun family also sent gifts, which made Jian Ning a little surprised. But since people sent gifts, I couldn't be rude, so I picked a few pieces of handmade soap of various colors, added two bottles of hydrosol, and asked Fuda to send them.

After a while, Fu Da came back and said with a happy face: "Big girl, Mrs. Sun likes the gift you gave very much, saying that it is the New Year, let you go to her house as a guest, and she will treat you well." ”

Jian Ning pursed her lips and smiled, "Got it." ”

She looked up at the sky, and the fireworks burst into brilliant colors in the sky. Since the advent of firecrackers in the Tang Dynasty, the craft of firecrackers and fireworks has continued to improve. By the time of the Song Dynasty, there were many kinds of smoke, fire, light, sound and other effects.

In the Ming Dynasty, the craftsmanship went further, although it was not as gorgeous as the later generations, but in this monotonous ancient time, the fireworks in the sky were colorful like colorful clouds, and they were also quite pleasing to the eye.

The lively and lively festive atmosphere lasted until the time it was completely pushed to the peak. In the sound of firecrackers set off in every house, the New Year's bells of Tianning Temple and Zhonglou Temple not far away can be heard from afar, and the joy of the festival is reflected in the fireworks like clouds.

The neighbors congratulated each other again, Jian Ning took the copper coins strung with red thread and sent them to those children, and in the shouts of "嬬嬬" among the children, Jian Ning instantly felt that she was old.

Aren't you old? As soon as the New Year passed, I was one year older again.

After a busy day, after the early hours of the morning, the sound of firecrackers gradually died out, until five o'clock in the morning, and the sound of firecrackers sounded again.

The opening of the first day of the new year is indispensable, after the sound of firecrackers, the ground is full of red, bright clouds. When Jian Ning, who rubbed her sleepy eyes, walked out of the house, she was shocked by this scene!

The future generations will not see this!

The red lanterns all over the street are lit, and in the darkness before the rising day, they become a long red dragon, reflected on the banks of the canal, and they are not as beautiful as the world.

I also saw the newly dressed neighbors flocking to the streets and alleys, and when I was young, I saw a group of people turning dragon lanterns, dancing lions, dancing gongs and drums with the God of Wealth. A group of children chase after me, the sound of frolicking comes from afar, breaking the loneliness of dawn, as if to convey this joy to the sky, inch by inch, every step is joy and happiness.

After watching the performances of the people on the street, Jian Ning returned to the house, and after eating sweet and salty puff pastry with her second brother, she waited for Zhang Niang and others to come to the door.

After a while, Zhang Niang and others in new clothes came to the door.

"Happy New Year, big girl!"

"Happy New Year!"

Jian Ning smiled and handed them the red envelope, "Don't excuse yourself, take it." ”

"This ...... Yesterday the girl gave ......"

"That's a reward for you, it's different from this, it's a red envelope."

Jian Ning smiled, "As long as everyone is attentive, I will not treat everyone badly, and I don't have to be polite if I am my own family." Zhang Muma, Li Muma, Fuda, rich, gone, drinking ingots tea. ”