When it comes to the Chinese New Year, people's first impression is often the busy and lively days around the New Year. But if you must limit the New Year to a certain point in time, then it must be the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, that is, Chinese New Year's Eve.

In addition to the customary Chinese New Year's Eve dinner and Spring Festival Gala, the festival is also an indispensable custom on this day.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Zheng Qing was dragged out of the bed by his father. Although the winter sun appears late, at this time, the sky outside is also bright.

After getting dressed and pushing open the door, Zheng Qing sniffled and sneezed. Because from the living room to the balcony, there is a faint, lingering smoke everywhere in the room.

Zheng Qing was very familiar with this smell.

From childhood to adulthood, on the first and fifteenth days of the new year, as well as during the New Year's holidays, a few incense sticks will be burned in the incense burner under the statues and tablets at home to feast on the gods. According to the rules, get up in the morning before meals, at noon, and at night, before meals. The person who made the incense used to be Zheng Qing's grandfather, but now that the grandfather is old, his father is in charge. And Zheng Qing, even if he is an adult, he can only kowtow in front of the gods, and he can't make incense at will.

After incense and breakfast, the men will start to post Spring Festival couplets and blessing characters.

As usual, Zheng Qing was responsible for collecting the torn old Spring Festival couplets, Fu characters, pine and cypress branches, etc., and putting them into a large garbage bag, and his father was still responsible for posting them. It only took about an hour before it was posted.

In the past, at this time, my father would go downstairs to scrub the car, and then label the car with the word "Spring Festival Couplet", while Zheng Qing would accompany my grandfather to stay in the study for a while, the old man would sit on the recliner and read the newspaper, read the book, and Zheng Qing would practice the talismans at the desk.

But today, my father was not in a hurry to go downstairs.

"Now you don't stay at home for a few days a year, and the things you used to keep at home like the rune paper can be cleaned up as soon as you can...... You're not at home, and we can't move around. After saying that, my father paused and changed his words: "If you think those things are useful, just keep them and leave them untouched." ”

What my father said was some rune paper magic tools that Zheng Qing left at home.

For example, he hung a peachwood sword on the bookcase in the bedroom, which was a stall given to him by Deng Xiaoxian when he went back to the word set, although it was not a valuable item, but it was the most deterrent to ghosts and ghosts, and for example, the yellow paper charms he pasted on the window ridges, lintels and other places, are also some categories of dispelling evil and calming the mind, and he quietly moved his hands and feet at several incense burners at home, under normal circumstances, there is no abnormality when the incense is applied, but if there is dirt in the house, the incense stick lit in the incense burner will burst into flames, reminding the family.

Because Zheng Qing has been a student with Mr. Wu since he was a child, and in the eyes of his family, Mr. Wu is a very capable master. So the things he was tinkering with at home weren't disposed of by his always old-fashioned grandfather.

Over time, it has gradually become a practice to burn incense and worship God during the New Year's Festival, still according to the customs of the old people, but no one touched the runic paper posted by Zheng Qing outside the window door.

It seems that the place where the Jing River and the Wei River meet, the colors are different, but they have the same destination.

After listening to his father's words, Zheng Qing was relieved: "It doesn't matter if you move, it's not from the temple to worship, so you don't pay so much attention to it." But because I'm not at home, you can hang those talismans there...... I'll get a new one when I get back. ”

When the father and son were talking, Professor Zheng didn't speak, just wore reading glasses and sat by the window to read the newspaper.

After Zheng Qing's father went downstairs, Professor Zheng looked at his grandson.

"Don't you universities ask to join the party? Real party members are materialistic, and they can't engage in such strange and chaotic things. As he spoke, he took off his reading glasses and looked at Zheng Qing sharply: "Remember that I told you about Mr. Yangming's doctrine." ”

Zheng Qing nodded obediently.

The Mr. Yangming that grandpa said was the great thinker Wang Yangming of the Ming Dynasty. When the old man now mentions Wang Yangming's doctrine, it is natural to remind Zheng Qing to unite knowledge and action, not to be inconsistent with words and deeds, and to speak materialist words, but in his heart he asks God to worship Buddha.

Zheng Qing secretly slandered himself, if his grandfather knew that Yang Mingzi was a famous wizard in the wizarding world, and he was still alive and traveling in the new world, he would definitely change his mind Of course, this kind of thing, he would not talk too much to his grandfather.

Although he can't tell the truth, it doesn't mean that Zheng Qing has no way to defend himself.

"You forget, I went to a university abroad. He explained to the old man with a smile: "Foreign countries don't pay attention to domestic sets...... They were very idealistic. ”

Professor Zheng was stunned for a moment, and then came to his senses.

"Oh," he nodded, then shook his head and put his reading glasses back up, "I don't know what your parents thought of letting you run so far to school...... When going to school outside, we must pay attention to firm thinking, seek truth from facts, and not be corrupted by those sensational and chaotic thoughts. ”

Zheng Qing rolled his eyes in his heart, but nodded obediently on the surface.

"And those weird things," Professor Zheng added: "You learned from Mr. Wu, even if you forget it, it's a real person and knowledgeable...... Other wild things outside, don't learn them randomly. ”

Zheng Qing knew that the strange force that his grandfather was attacking was not deliberately aimed at anything, but he still had a faint feeling of being shot. I simply made an excuse and left the study to find the cat in the kitchen.

The family, as when I was young, did not have pets.

The cat Zheng Qing is looking for is the yellow civet in Sanyou Library, that is, the cat he called Brother Huang.

Because Mr. Wu went out and there was no one to take care of him in the store, when Zheng Qing went to the bookstore to sweep, Professor Zheng specially told him that if he saw the yellow civet, he could take it home and help Mr. Wu take care of it for a while.

Whether Brother Huang needs to be taken care of or not, Zheng Qing thinks it is an undoubted thing, and he is very suspicious that the flower cat would rather stay in the bookstore and eat dried fish and watch cat and mouse cartoons, rather than follow him home, and be dazzled by the Spring Festival Gala on the TV in the noise of a group of people.

But it was not his expectation.

When Zheng Qing left the bookstore, Huang Huaci turned off his small TV and went back with him unhurriedly.

"Don't talk at home," said the young wizard to the yellow civet in a whisper on the way home, "My grandfather has a bad heart, and if you are scared out of trouble, you will be fully responsible." ”

The yellow civet glanced at him and said nothing.

"Also, if you want to eat small dried fish or beef slices, whisper to me, if there are people around who are inconvenient to talk, touch me with their paws a few times, and gesture with their eyes. Zheng Qing was still a little uneasy, and added in a verbose manner: "Don't open the refrigerator or lock the cabinet by yourself...... Oh, and when you touch me with your paws, remember to use only the pads of meat, not your paws. ”

The yellow civet snorted loudly, still disdainful of the young man beside him.