In the evening, the ritual of sacrificing the stove began, the old man knelt in front of the statue of the stove, behind him was a little boy of seven or eight years old, the little boy held the rooster in his hand, it is said that the chicken is the horse that the stove master rode to heaven, so the chicken is not called a chicken, but a horse.

Master Yu took the burning cigarette from the hand of Steward Jiang, the house was full of smoke and mystery, after the three pillars of incense, it was pouring wine and kowtowing, and Master Yu had words in his mouth, as if he was reading some sacrificial texts or something. After reading it, Master Yu shouted "lead". Then pour the chicken head with wine.

Listening to the older generation, after pouring the chicken head with wine, if the chicken head flutters, it means that the stove master has appreciated it. If the chicken head does not move at all, it needs to be poured again.

When Master Yu poured the wine on the head of the chicken, the big red rooster fluttered a few times, clucked, and there was a cheer around, saying that the Lord of the Stove had appreciated it.

At the time of the sacrificial stove, Hatsumi was called to Xiuheyuan by Mrs. Yu, as if she saw through the night of the first meeting and would not be in the Meiyuan Garden, while looking at the account book and watching with a smile as she walked around the house, shouting about the boring Hatsumi.

"Mother, can't I really go and see it?" When I first saw the sound of firecrackers outside, my curiosity was tickled, she had never seen the ancient sacrifice on TV or in textbooks, but she had never seen it with her own eyes, but now it was close at hand, but she was not allowed to approach because she was a woman, and this bad behavior of discriminating against women was too much.

"No, you can't." Moving her gaze from the ledger to Hatsumi's sullen face, Madame Yu smiled and replied.

"My daughter just took a look." Hatsumi stretched out a little finger and looked at Madame Jade pitifully.

Madam Yu looked away from the first meeting, continued to look at the account book, and her voice floated out faintly, "Even if you stand far away and take a look." ”

"Why? Is it because I'm a woman? At first sight, he stomped his feet in discouragement, sat on the soft couch and stared out.

"Women are not allowed to approach the sacrificial stove, this is a rule since ancient times, and the mother can't help it." Madame Jade didn't raise her head, but just whispered.

"Mother......" Hatsumi jumped off the soft couch, walked to the chair next to Mrs. Jade and sat down, and called Mrs. Jade in a long coquettish voice.

Madam Yu smiled at the corner of her mouth, "What's wrong?" ”

"I'm bored and stuffy." At first sight, she pouted, and looked at Mrs. Yu almost with tears in her eyes, thinking that Mrs. Yu should sympathize with her when she saw her pitiful appearance.

"Then go to practice calligraphy, learn the piano, read books, and draw." Mrs. Yu couldn't hold back the smile that overflowed to her lips, this little girl didn't have to go to class these days, and she was indeed a little bored at home all day.

When she first saw three black lines on her forehead, she pulled the corners of her mouth, "Isn't that more stuffy." ”

Mrs. Yu put down the account book and looked at Chu Jian seriously, "The family will be very busy these days, if you have nothing to do, don't run around, stay in the Eyebrow Garden obediently, you know?" ”

I sighed when I first saw the grievances, it was so unfair, people were busy preparing for the New Year, she was good, in addition to practicing words is learning the piano.

"Did you give it to King Yun?" After a moment of silence, Madame Yu suddenly asked.

When she first saw it, her eyes unconsciously glanced at it, and she stuffed the big piece into the cabinet, if it weren't for her mother's question, she would have forgotten about it, but even if she wanted to give it to Qi Zhen, she didn't know how to send it, so she couldn't jump directly into his house.

"Tomorrow there will be a sacrifice to the gods at the altar, and the common people are not allowed to enter, if you feel bored at home, you can also let King Yun take you in to have a look." Madame Jade glanced at her first glance and whispered.

At first sight, his eyes lit up, "Mother is going to see it?" ”

"I went with my father to watch it when I was a child, and tomorrow the house will be swept away, I can't leave, if you want to go, let Lingyu follow you, but you have to ask King Yun first, to see if he is willing to take you to the altar of the gods, the altar is near the palace, you are alone, without a token, you can't enter." Seeing through the mind of the first meeting, Madame Yu also deliberately emphasized at the end that she could not enter the altar as a civilian.

Hatsumi sighed in disappointment, "What if Qi Zhen doesn't want to take me in?" ”

Mrs. Yu raised her eyebrows, "You haven't asked him yet, how do you know that he doesn't want to, and now, it's almost spring, if you don't give it to King Yun at this time, do you want to wait for the summer to send it?" ”

When I saw that I wanted to refute, I opened my mouth, but I couldn't find a reason to refute, so I could only swallow my words and nodded, "I'll go to Qi Zhen tomorrow." ”

Madame Jade smiled.

"But, Mother, can the woman who will send the gods to the gods tomorrow watch?" Chumi tilted his head and asked suspiciously.

Madame Yu chuckled, "If not, how can my mother get in when she was young?" ”

When I first saw and heard this, the corners of my eyes and eyebrows were dyed with joy, "Great." ”

"You're happy early, if King Yun doesn't want to take you in, what will you do?" Madame Jade flipped the page and continued to look at the ledger.

Belch? Qi Zhen was reluctant to take her in...... That guy shouldn't be that stingy, right?

No, it won't!

"Tomorrow is a stalker, and I will take me to watch the sacrifice to the gods." When they first met, they stood up firmly, "Mother, I'll go back and rest first, and I'll go to Qi Zhen early tomorrow." ”

"Don't always call King Yun's name in unison, and when you hear it to others, you will not respect King Yun." Madame Jade said casually.

Chu Jian laughed a few times, "That King Yun himself has no opinion." ”

Mrs. Yu shook her head helplessly, "It's not too early, go back to sleep quickly." ”

Chumi smiled sweetly, "Mother, good night." ”

"Spirits." I don't know where this girl learned some inexplicable words, every time I listen to her, I have to think about it for a long time to know what she means.

The next day, the sky was just dawning, and the Jade Mansion was already boiling.

When she was woken up at first sight, she opened her sleepy eyes, her brain was not fully awake, she turned over, she yawned, closed her eyes and planned to continue sleeping.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and sat up.

"Lingyu ......," he exclaimed.

There was a sound of footsteps outside the house, and it didn't take long for Lingyu to walk in quickly, "Second girl, why do you get up so early and sleep for a while?" ”

"What's going on outside?" Stretching her waist, she yawned again at first sight, the corners of her eyes were a little moist, she got out of bed, frowned and looked out of the window lattice.

"Today, on the twenty-fourth day of the lunar month, the house is going to be cleaned, so everyone got up early in the morning and was working in the yard." Although it was almost spring, the weather was still cold in the morning and evening, and when Lingyu saw it for the first time, she hurriedly picked up the cloak hanging on the screen and put it on her.

"Sweep Chen?" When I first saw the eyebrows, I didn't quite understand, in modern times, my mother rarely paid attention to the customs of these festivals, and she didn't understand anything as a child, and when she grew up and was busy with work, she wouldn't pay attention to these.

"The ancients often said that the intention of sweeping Chen on the 24th day of the lunar month is to sweep all the bad luck and bad luck out of the door, this custom means that people's wishes to break the old and establish the new and pray for the old and welcome the new, they must clean the environment, clean all kinds of utensils, dismantle and wash the bedding and curtains, sprinkle and sweep the courtyard of Liulu, dust and dirt cobwebs, dredge the nullah and dark ditch, and welcome the New Year with joy and joy." Lingyu knew that Chujian didn't know much about this custom, so she told her about it when she was a child.

When I heard this, I smiled with interest, "That's a good custom." ”

"Second girl, don't you sleep more? Slave maid to fetch water for you to freshen up? Lingyu asked.

Hatsumi nodded, "Let's go out later, you go fetch water first." ”

Mrs. Yu had already called her last night, and told the second girl to go out today, she went out to fetch water with a smile, and King Yun should take the girl to the altar of worship.