On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the king of the stove will ascend to heaven.

The sacrificial stove is limited to men and women, and when the sky is about to be dark, the landlord of the stove faces the shrine of the king of the stove, and the big bright corner lamps are provoked on both sides, and the red lanterns are hung, which are reflected as if it is daytime.

Although they could not participate in the sacrifice, the maids and children of the back house stayed in the room, staring through the window and looking around excitedly.

Mrs. Shen leaned on the backrest and led the pillow to sit on the kang front, and the He's Cui's and Xue's also occupied one side around the kang table, on which there were seven or eight plates of sugar and fine fruits, a pot of pineapple tea, and a few plates of steamed bacon sausages, roast chicken and fish, and cold food mixed with sauce, vinegar and fresh peppers, which were used to accompany wine and eat and play.

Aunt Su sat on the embroidery stool by the kang and cut the window flowers alone, and several close relatives and children who were timidly surrounded her for the New Year, and the aunt next to her sat at a table a little farther away, and also set up a table to eat, drink and chat.

Shen Yan was accidentally torn apart by Brother Xi'er, and ran to find Cui's, Cui's was pouring milk wine for Mrs. Shen, where did she have time to take care of her, He pulled her over, and ordered the maid to bring a comb to comb her hair.

Cui Shi said: "This is a special product of Shudi, made of fresh milk, it is to look at the same water is clear, there is a smell of wine and frankincense when eating, and it is rare to see it in the capital." ”

Mrs. Shen took a bite of the cup with great interest, as if there was a faint sour taste, so she smiled and said nothing, looking at her second daughter-in-law, Shen Li and other children, looking out through the window.

Tian Jiang was standing sideways, his red soft silk jacket wrapped out of his abdomen, and then glanced at Aunt Su, even if he was sitting, his belly did not rise, and he couldn't help frowning to look at Tian Jiang again, just when he saw Brother Xi'er's elbow accidentally hitting the curved arc, he was so shocked that he called: "Be careful of the grandchildren in your belly." ”

Cui Shi also looked at it casually, and said with a light smile: "The second sister-in-law is young, and she likes to watch the excitement like a child. ”

Xue Shi was too strong to drink, so she only ate two mouthfuls of cheeks like rouge, and she muttered in a trance: "The second sister-in-law's belly is not like a three-month-old ........."

"When you eat wine, you will have a mouth full of cannons." Jiang Shi hurriedly interrupted her, looked at Old Madam Shen's face and said, "The second sister-in-law can eat and drink, maybe because she is fat." “

Old Madam Shen didn't see the annoyance, her face turned happy, Cui's was also a delicate person, she was stunned for a moment, and asked later: "Is it .......?"

"Don't say it, and if you say it, it won't work." Old Madam Shen said with a smile: "After the New Year's Festival, please ask Dr. Qian to come to the house again, and give her a good life and return to the pulse." ”

Cui Shi pursed his lips, and when he looked at Tian Jiang again, his eyes became complicated.

Tian Jiang looked out the window, the steward carried a bucket to smear the stove door with sake lees, and the left side of the new union on both sides was "God said good things", and the right was "return to the palace to descend auspicious". In front of the statue of the king of the stove, the servants are on the table to display the cooked pig's head sauce fresh fish, each plate of fragrant candy seeds and ointment grass beans, at this moment, these gentlemen in the house stand next to prepare the sacrificial stove, Shen Erye is the chief priest, wearing a new warbler back color straight jacket, holding a big rooster with a red crown and yellow mouth and white feathers, fluttering thick claws to escape, but was firmly grasped by a big hand, and rolled his eyes in anger.

Tian Jiang couldn't help but laugh out loud, Second Master Shen has always been bright and breezy and high-minded, which will be contaminated with red dust and fireworks, and there is a very strange feeling.

Shen Li asked curiously: "Why does Daddy hold a big rooster?" ”

Tian Jiang replied with a smile: "That's not a big rooster, it's a horse that the stove master rides to heaven, if the feathers are red, it's called a 'red horse', and your father is holding a white horse........ Haven't you seen it before? ”

Shen Li fingered the window lattice, shook his head and said, "Mengsheng doesn't like it." ”

Tian Jiang touched her head, and said with a smile: "You see Shen Lin using sugar melons to smear the mouth of the prince of the stove, so that he can't say bad things about the world." “

Brother Xi was pulling her sleeves on the side, and her words were a little inarticulate, it turned out that she had stolen the cowhide wrapped in candy, and she couldn't separate her two lips tightly, and she was so anxious that she blushed.

"You're not the king of the stove, what are you doing with that?" Shen Li looked strange and pitiful, and led him to find the maid.

When Tian Jiang looked out of the window again, the incense had been burned, and the green smoke was scattered, and Shen Sanye was holding the big rooster in his arms and kneeling on the lotus pattern cushion with his robe in his arms, so he asked Sister Yan to call Cui's family, and after a few words, Sister Yan ran over, waving her hand and saying that she was not coming, but Mei Yun walked closer, and wanted to look at it.

Shen Sanye kowtowed, the second master held a pot and poured wine, saluted the sky and sprinkled the earth, and then poured the white chicken with a cup of wine, it was fierce, shook its head and shook its head, suddenly bowed its neck and roared loudly, and it was clearly transmitted into the room, and Mrs. Shen patted her leg: "It's done!" The stove master has received the love, and next year will be a good situation. “

Second Master Shen and Third Master high-fived each other, they were all majestic, mature and clear, with smiles on their faces.

The old statue of the king was taken down and burned with fire, which means that the sacrificial stove is nearing the end, and the fifth watch of New Year's Day will receive the gods, and then welcome the new stove king.

Tian Jiang suddenly saw Shen Erye looking at her, raised his hand as if calling her over, and couldn't help but be stunned, it was still a distance, how did he know that he would be in front of the window........

There is a steward through the curtain to speak, the king of the stove ascended to heaven, please go over to eat the fruit of the stove Tujili.

The child heard that there was a stove fruit to eat, and he hugged the door when he was hungry, Cui Shi was gluttonous and helped Mrs. Shen, I don't know which little ghost hit her waist, looked back at Shen Mian, frowned and said angrily: "There is no master Lao Tzu to teach, how can it be so unruly." “

Old Madam Shen didn't like to listen, so she pushed Shen Mian to go first, and said with kind eyebrows: "Blame him for what he did!" Today's little year is happy and informal. ”

Thinking about letting go of Cui's family, let Tian Jiang come to him, and clenched her hand: "You go with me, don't be bumped into by anyone......."

Cui's footsteps slowed down, and when he looked up again, the old lady's words were far away, and he was surrounded by the daughters-in-law, aunts, and maids of each room, happily and happily went to the courtyard.

Aunt Su was still sitting on the embroidery stool, looking at her expression while eating melon seeds, and suddenly asked with a smile: "The third lady looks pale, but her body is not very good?" You have to relax and take care of yourself! ”

Cui Shi heard that her words were neither yin nor yang, but he didn't bother to worry about an aunt, so he didn't look back, and went back to the room with the curtain.

.......................................

This year, the auspicious period chosen by Qintian was the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month, and the six departments, five temples and two courtyards were all sealed as usual, Shen Zetang did not go to the restaurant with Li Guangqi and Xu Ling and a few other colleagues to gather and chat, and only led the officials to the left and right servants and Langzhong to estimate ten people, and went to the Huanchun Building to pay for the work of one year old.

Huang Siniang welcomed them to the Accord with a smile, the guy served tea and water diligently, and Xiao Yunju, the right waiter, was a foreign official who stayed in Beijing to fill the vacancy, and he took the initiative to ask: "Is there any good song to sing?" “

Shen Zetang went to the toilet, and the others tacitly understood it, Huang Siniang rubbed the handkerchief and said with a smile: "Lord Xiao, your official office is sealed, and our theater also has to choose a day to close the stage, if you want to listen to it, come here to listen to the opening play in ten days, and I will tell you what music is good when I get there!" “