Chapter 30 Lantern Festival (Part 1)
Xia Yujiao put away the red wedding dress that was almost finished embroidering, and she looked a little depressed. The old couple tried to persuade her twice, but Xia Yujiao just said that she was tired and wanted to be alone quietly.
The old couple couldn't think of any good solution, so they could only look forward to the Lantern Festival so that they could take their daughter to the town to see the lanterns and relax.
The old couple were in a bad mood, and no one in the family dared to bring bad luck upon themselves.
The eldest family was looking forward to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month so that they could return to the town to live.
Sun thought that after the Lantern Festival, she could start arranging a marriage for Erlang.
Rooms three, four, and five basically couldn't stand the depressing atmosphere, and since there was nothing to do these days, they were looking forward to the lively Lantern Festival.
During the Lantern Festival, the Xia family not only makes Yuanxiao (Chinese rice dumplings) by themselves, but also makes lanterns by themselves.
Moreover, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, everyone can go to the town's lantern market together to attend the lantern festival.
There is food and fun to do on the Lantern Festival, and children are looking forward to it every day!
As adults and children are eagerly looking forward to it, the Lantern Festival is getting closer day by day.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Zhou took out two large baskets early in the morning. While the sun was shining, she asked Liu to quickly clean the baskets and hang them in the yard to dry.
Liu was somewhat reluctant. There were so many daughters-in-law around, so why did her mother-in-law Zhou like to order her around the most?
But she didn't dare say anything. No matter how unhappy she was in her heart, she didn't dare show it on her face.
Zhou took out a faded old money bag from her bosom, counted out twenty copper coins one by one, and called Erlang over:
"Erlang, take all the millet and glutinous rice from home and go to the Su family mill at Tianshuijing. Grind them into fine flour and bring them back. Remember to have them sift it three times! Don't miss even one!"
Erlang took the copper coins, counted them, nodded in agreement, rolled up his trouser legs, went to the warehouse to move out two cloth bags, took a shoulder pole, picked up the bags and left.
Sun saw this and couldn't help feeling upset.
They have clearly divided the family property, so why does the old lady still like to order Erlang around and treat him like a beast!
Jilang is also a fool!
What's in that barn? Even if he felt sorry for the cow, why didn't he know how to drive the mule?
Sun was so angry that her face was distorted, but today was the Lantern Festival. No matter how angry she was, she didn't dare to upset Zhou. Besides, Erlang was not here at the moment, who could she scold?
Zhou didn't seem to notice Sun's expression, or if she did, she didn't care. She waved and called Wu Lang over:
"Xiao Wu, go to the grocery store of Sister Wu at the entrance of the village and buy some black and red silk. If they are out of stock, buy some candied dates."
Wu Lang nodded, but stood there looking at the old lady without moving a step.
Zhou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and said with a smile: "Hey, you are quite smart!"
Zhou smiled as she took out thirty copper coins from the old money bag. After counting them twice, she handed them to Wu Lang and said, "If the amount exceeds this, you can ask Wu's sister-in-law to take some more."
Wu Lang agreed readily, held the thirty copper coins tightly in both hands, and walked away with big and steady steps.
Zhou watched Wulang walk out of the yard until she could no longer see his back, and then she started to work.
This time she didn't tell anyone else to do it, but did it herself, frying the black sesame and white sesame in a small pot. The aroma was so fragrant that everyone couldn't help drooling at the smell.
Zhou also assigned a task to Daohua and the other younger ones - cracking pine nuts and shelling melon seeds.
Zaohua's little fingers are so tender that it is very difficult to peel the shell. She spends half a day trying but still cannot peel one.
But when the rice flowers were peeled open, she picked them up and stuffed them into her mouth very skillfully.
The rice flowers watched with a smile and didn't stop him at all.
Not only did she not stop them, she also divided the peeled melon seeds into two piles, pushing the smaller pile to Zaohua and stuffing the larger pile into Linghua's mouth.
The fifth son's wife, Cheng, happened to see Zaohua grabbing a handful of melon seeds and stuffing them into her mouth, and she couldn't help laughing.
However, after only laughing a few times, she turned serious and said:
"Alright, alright, you little girls, go out and play for a while! You won't eat as much as the remaining work we gave you!"
Zhou, who had just noticed the situation and was about to start scolding, rolled her eyes at Cheng after hearing this:
"It's a big holiday, what are you yelling about?"
But she didn't dare let the children eat as much as they wanted, as that might not enough ingredients she had prepared.
Zhou turned around and smiled lovingly:
"Each of you grab another handful and go out and have fun!"
Lanhua smiled sweetly, responded with "Hey", stretched out her hands and grabbed a handful of melon seeds.
Juhua followed her sister timidly and also grabbed a handful. Her hands were small and her movements were slow, so she only grabbed a few and didn't dare to take any more.
Daohua smiled and grabbed a handful of pine nuts with her left hand and a handful of melon seeds with her right hand. She called out to Linghua and Zaohua who were afraid to take action, urging them to hurry up.
Linghua looked at Daohua's smiling face and suddenly became bolder, grabbing a handful with each hand.
Zaohua was still busy eating and didn't even have time to do anything.
Seeing that Linghua had left him and was chasing after Daohua, he hurriedly followed with staggering steps.
Several children happily went to find Grandpa Xia.
At this moment, Grandpa Xia was enthusiastically taking his grandsons to split bamboo strips, cut them into thin strips, and use them to make lantern ribs in an orderly manner.
Old Master Xia had a pair of big hands, broad and strong, with many wrinkles on the knuckles. His palms and fingers were covered with calluses, cracks and scars. No matter how you looked at them, they looked rough and had been worked on for many years.
However, these hands have a dexterity that is extremely inconsistent with their appearance.
In just one stick of incense, Grandpa Xia had weaved the frame of a hexagonal lantern. He then made paste with flour and pasted the red paper he had bought a few days ago on the outside of the lantern.
By the time the paper on the lanterns dried, it was dark.
Old Master Xia lit the candle with a stick of incense, dripped two drops of wax into the "nest" in the middle of the lantern, placed the candle firmly on top, and pressed it twice to secure it firmly.
The flickering light of the candle gently shines through the red paper.
The faces and hands of the people around were all hazy and covered with a layer of warm red.
Old Master Xia excitedly moved the ladder to the wall, took the lantern he had just made, and hung it on the lantern pole in the yard.
A gust of wind blew, and the lantern swayed twice, and the candle inside also swayed twice, but it remained stable and did not fall down or go out.
Mr. Xia smiled happily and said, "It's done!"
The children clapped their hands excitedly, jumped up and down and cheered loudly.
Xia Daohua discovered that Wulang had sneaked into the team at some point.
Good morning, everyone. Please continue to collect, please recommend to women, please leave your paw prints, love you! (づ￣ 3￣)づ
(End of this chapter)
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