In the blink of an eye, it is the twenty-third day of the lunar month, a small year.

The Spring Festival of Qi Ning was originally Laba, but later King Xi thought that the New Year should have a new atmosphere, and it needed to start on a new day, so it was changed to the first day of the first month of late spring.

Now that the New Year is only a few days away, the Jade Mansion has entered a busy peak period.

Today, it is necessary to worship the "Lord of the Stove", who is the master of good fortune and evil, in order to have food and clothing for the coming year. Also known as the sacrificial stove.

Sacrificial stove, that is, the sacrifice to send the god of the stove to heaven, so the small year is also called the sacrificial stove festival. According to folklore, the Lord of the Stove was originally a star in the sky, but because of his mistakes, he was degraded to the world by the Jade Emperor and became the "East Chef". He sits in the middle of the kitchen stove of each family, records how people live, how they act, every year on the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the king of the stove has to go to heaven to report the good and evil of the family to the Jade Emperor, so that the Jade Emperor rewards and punishes.

Because there is a custom of "men do not worship the moon, women do not sacrifice to the stove", so the sacrifice to the king of the stove is limited to men. So, Mrs. Yu just asked her subordinates to prepare some tributes such as candy, water, beans, and straw, and asked them to go and tell Master Yu that they were going to come to the sacrificial stove tonight, and all the women in the house were not allowed to approach the kitchen stove tonight.

The first time I didn't understand the custom of this sacrificial stove, I was always very curious to run around behind Li Niang, and when I saw her preparing a very sticky tooth candy, I was very curious to ask if the prince of this stove still eats sugar?

Li Niang looked at Chu Jian with a smile, and explained, "This is the stove sugar to be used when sacrificing the stove, and the stove sugar should be melted and stuck to the mouth of the stove prince with fire when worshipping, so that the mouth of the stove prince is sweet, and we will just say good things about our family in front of the Jade Emperor." ”

When I first saw a long sigh, it turned out that the gods also love gossip.

While everyone was busy, Hatsumi ran to the kitchen to meet some of this gossip senior.

Next to the stove is directly on the wall facing the wind box. Attached to the statue of the Lord of the Stove, next to the statue is painted with two horses as mounts. The two sides are paired with "God says good things, return to the palace to be auspicious", and the horizontal batch is "the head of the family".

Looking at this clear and compassionate appearance, I really can't imagine that it is an immortal who will speak ill of others behind his back.

Chu Jian shook his head, and suddenly remembered that in the morning his mother had given a warning not to come to the kitchen today, so he looked out cautiously, and when he saw that no one was paying attention to her, Chu Jian immediately slipped out quietly.

Everyone is busy today, busy with tonight's worship, busy with tomorrow's sweeping, only she is the most free, listening to classes in the study, Mr. Qin asked her to go to class for more Lantern Festival, she didn't want to practice calligraphy in the house, sighed, and shook back to Xiuhe Courtyard when she first saw her.

In the room, there sat a woman whom she had never seen before.

When the woman saw her first sight, she exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Yo, this is the second girl, she looks so good, sister-in-law, you are really blessed." ”

Mrs. Yu pulled the corners of her mouth shallowly, and raised her eyes to look at Chu Jian, "First time, this is the cousin of Deguang Hutong, when you were young, your cousin often came to accompany you." ”

This cousin Li has rarely walked around with Mrs. Yu, but for some reason she chose to visit today, Mrs. Yu has a rare impatience in her eyebrows and eyes, she has been very busy these days, but she can't find time to deal with Li.

Chujian walked behind Mrs. Yu and obediently blessed the woman who was born plump and round, "Cousin." ”

"This day flies so fast, I think back then, the first time I saw was still babbling, in the blink of an eye, it was already so big, sister-in-law, you see, my family Qianxia is sixteen years old, and there is no marriage yet, in another two or three years, the first time I can get married, she may be an old girl, you say, can I not worry about being a mother?" Li suddenly had a sad face, and took Madame Yu's hand to talk about her worries.

The corners of Madame Yu's eyes raised, and she said lightly, "Sixteen years old is not that old, so don't worry about it." ”

"How can you not worry, Qianxia is not as good as the second girl, and she is not as good as the Yu family in terms of family background, the family is slightly better, which one doesn't want to be related to the Yu family, you see, isn't the eldest girl also at the age of marriage?" Li sighed.

The corners of Chujian's mouth twitched, and this can be pulled on her again?

Mrs. Yu smiled and said, "There are people in the family who have eyes on them, so you can find someone to talk to the matchmaker." ”

Li immediately smiled, "I heard that Cui Ziyin, the champion of the Golden Branch, has been married so far, I think Qianxia's age is also a good match with Lord Cui, and the eldest sister-in-law knows Master Cui, this matchmaker, I want you to talk about it." ”

A gleam flashed in Mrs. Yu's eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "It's taboo to say that the matchmaker is in the moon, if you really want to say it, you have to wait for the beginning of the year." ”

"That's okay, that's okay, I'll have to trouble your sister-in-law about this." Then Li nodded hurriedly and replied yes.

"I can't guarantee this, and I don't have to say that I can be a matchmaker, so I'll mention it to Master Cui and see what he means." Madame Jade stood up and said softly.

The Li clan also stood up, knowing in his heart that Madam Yu wanted to send off the guest, "This ...... That's okay, sister-in-law, that'...... Then I'll go back first, I'm still busy at home. ”

Madame Yu nodded and asked Li Niang to come in and send Li out.

After watching the Li family go out, Chu Jian wondered and asked Mrs. Yu, "Mother, why did you agree to your cousin?" ”

Mrs. Yu smiled faintly, "If you can't refuse, then you can only agree." ”

Chujian expressed sympathy for Yu Xueling for three seconds, she has another rival in love, and her cousin is not the only one who has been looking for her mother to talk to her in the past few days.

"I don't think Aunt Chen really likes Lord Cui as her son-in-law, otherwise I will ask Master Rang to tell Master Cui." Li Niang, who walked in from outside, sneered.

When I first saw and heard this, I smiled.

Mrs. Yu said, "Aunt Chen is afraid that she still can't look down on Cui Ziyin." ”

Li Niang snorted heavily, "Just because she still wants to find the prince and noble?" Want to get ahead with your son-in-law? She doesn't even think about it, the eldest girl can't compare to the second girl. ”

When I first saw it, I was a little embarrassed, "Liniang, don't say that, I'm ...... I don't really have anything good. "Actually, Yu Xueling is right, except for her identity as a concubine, there is really nothing like her.

Li Niang heard this and snorted, "The second girl is a little finger and is stronger than the big girl." ”

Chujian chuckled, "Liniang, that's why you said this because you hurt me." ”

Mrs. Yu couldn't help but laugh when she heard it next to her, "Okay, okay, go back to practice calligraphy if you're fine, Li Niang, you and I hurry up and prepare for tomorrow's sweeping, ah, and, are all the things for the sacrificial stove ready tonight?" ”

At first sight, he pouted, and he was unhappy that he was driven away again.

Li Niang looked at Chu Jian with a smile, and replied to Mrs. Yu's words in her mouth, "It's all ready, just wait for the auspicious time tonight." ”

"But you have to say that all the women in the family are not allowed to approach the Lord of the Stove tonight." Madame Jade explained again.

"Eh, I've said it all."

Mrs. Yu and Liniang left Xiuhe Courtyard while talking, leaving the first sight of grief in the sky and sighing.