In recent days, most people in Nanjing have been quite busy.
To be precise, it should be said that all the people who are working hard have become busy.
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people worship the Kitchen God. In Nanjing, it is customary to prepare "sugar melons".
This sugar melon is sweet and sticky; when offered to the Kitchen God, it sticks to his mouth.
If the Kitchen God is stubborn, he will still speak even after ascending to heaven, and what he says will be sweet and kind words.
Therefore, the couplet pasted on the Kitchen God's shrine reads, "Speak good words in heaven, and protect peace on earth."
The horizontal inscription, needless to say, is undoubtedly "the head of the family".
Even so, after finishing the busy work on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the head of the household still had no free time and had to lead the whole family to dust and clean the house on the 24th of the twelfth lunar month.
The word "dust" is a homophone for "old," so dusting also aligns with the meaning of removing the old and bringing in the new.
What else could it be but "bad luck" and "misfortune"?
The word "new" signifies breaking with the old and establishing the new, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. People hope to ward off evil and disaster, and express their wishes for good fortune and blessings.
But that's not all. On the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, newly cut paper-cut window decorations are pasted up, and peach wood charms are replaced. After the 25th, pigs are slaughtered and meat is prepared for the New Year.
Even the poorest families would tighten their belts and prepare some meat for the New Year to enjoy a good meal.
From this day forward, it becomes the happiest time for children.
Whether it's slaughtering pigs and sheep on the 26th, going to the market to buy New Year's goods on the 27th, or steaming noodles on the 28th.
Most of these are related to delicious food; which child wouldn't crave them these days?
Even the dogs kept at home started wagging their tails happily.
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, a feast was held at home, and the dogs were running around under the tables.
Some of the bolder dogs will even go after finishing their meal at their own house and wander around to see if they can find a few bones to chew on.
And on the evening of the 30th, the festive day finally reached its climax.
That is, tonight.
Every household has put up new couplets, with various auspicious sayings written in black ink on red paper.
The wealthy families have already hung large red lanterns at their doors, and the dazzling red light carries joy and celebration everywhere.
In a house near the north gate of Jinling City.
A boy of about seven or eight years old was squatting under the stove, stuffing firewood into it.
This is a family reunion dinner being prepared. There's meat simmering in the pot, and although it's covered, the rich aroma of the meat can't be masked; it just keeps wafting into the nose of this rosy-cheeked little girl.
He tilted his head back, licked his lips, and looked at the old woman chopping vegetables, saying:
"Grandma, is the meat cooked yet? I've been cooking it for ages."
The old woman didn't turn her head, but just smiled and said, "It's still early."
"This is old pork, the meat is tough, it needs to be stewed until very tender. What, are you craving it?"
No, I was just asking.
Despite his words, he would always stand up, even eager to try lifting the pot lid to take a look.
The old woman knew the child was impatient, so she smiled and said, "Don't worry, wait a little longer."
"By the way, let me test you. Do you know what 'Chinese New Year' means?"
"Oh dear, do you think I'm stupid? Do we really need to take a test? The year is over, it's almost New Year's."
The old woman shook her head, put down the vegetables in her hand, turned to look at him, and smiled:
"You silly child, wipe your drool, let me talk to you."
As she spoke, she picked up a wooden stool, sat down next to her grandson, and began to tell a story:
“In the past, there was a ferocious beast that came out of the sea called ‘Nian’. This Nian was terrifying. It had two horns on its head and its mouth was full of sharp teeth. It could swallow a person whole in one bite!”
"It also loves to eat children, especially naughty and disobedient ones, eating them one by one in one bite."
The old woman even made a funny face, and seeing her fierce expression, the child felt a chill and quickly squatted down.
The old woman continued, "Every year on New Year's Eve, it would crawl out of the sea and harm people. It wouldn't come out on other days, so people back then would have to take their families and run into the mountains on New Year's Eve."
"If we don't run away, and Nian catches us, then..." she drawled.
The child spoke up, but his voice trembled slightly: "Then he's definitely going to get eaten."
The old woman patted his head. "Yes, that's right."
"But then one day, an old beggar came to a village and saw everyone running away to the mountains. He asked, 'Why are you running away?'"
"The villagers told him that on New Year's Eve, the Nian would come and harm people and kill them, so he had to leave quickly."
The old man just laughed and said there was nothing to be afraid of, he had a way to drive away the Nian.
"No one could believe it, but the old man patted his chest and guaranteed that with him there, nothing bad would happen this year."
Seeing the old woman's calm and collected demeanor, the child, captivated by the story, eagerly pressed for more information:
"Grandmother, what happened next? What became of her?"
The old woman smiled and continued:
"Later, the old man stayed in the village, but the villagers did not believe he could drive away the Nian. They tried to persuade him to leave, but he wouldn't listen. With no other option, the villagers had to flee into the mountains."
"But when we returned to the village on the first day of the Lunar New Year after New Year's Eve, we found that the old man was already waiting at the village entrance, and he was safe and sound."
Upon hearing this, the child's face lit up with joy, and he said:
"Oh! So you're a celestial being descended to earth!"
"He must be an immortal! He used some kind of magic to drive away Nian!"
"Grandmother, what kind of magic did he use?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
