Chapter 91 Chapter 91 The taboos of the Yulan Festival are...
In the hot summer of August, the land of Chang'an was steaming with heat. The old locust leaves outside the restaurant curled up into a ball, and the camel bells of the Hu merchant caravan in the distance made heavy muffled sounds in the heat wave.
The sun was so bright that it blinded people. Duan Zhiwei was lying on the table out of boredom and then yawned.
The weather was so hot that apart from some guests from the restaurant next door who were willing to brave the scorching sun to have lunch, there was not even a jumping toad on the road.
She flipped through the storybook for a while, then took a sip of the cold licorice water. The finely crushed ice cubes drew a silver line, clinking in the ceramic bowl.
After a while, Aunt Duan and Pu Tao finally came back carrying large and small bags. Their backs were wet with sweat. They kept shouting that they were thirsty and wanted to drink a bowl of cold licorice soup.
The Ullambana Festival is approaching. There is a custom of choosing gods to perform in the markets, and temples hold Ullambana ceremonies, using all kinds of offerings to the Three Treasures of Buddha. The whole city of Chang'an seems to be filled with the faint smell of incense.
They bought gold ingots at the market and late rice at the east market to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. Aunt Duan also poured out a bunch of fresh and beautiful Impatiens from her bag.
There is also a custom of dyeing nails on the Chinese Valentine's Day, but the price of Impatiens skyrocketed before the festival, and Aunt Duan weighed the pros and cons and didn't want to buy it.
Duan Zhiwei took a gauze bag and helped her pick out the phoenix lilies: "Maybe it's because the Qixi Festival has passed, the phoenix lilies are cheaper."
Aunt Duan drank three bowls of water in a row to calm herself down, then waved her hand and said, "These are planted by the Zeng family in the back street. Let me harvest them."
Grandma Zeng was an old lady over 60 years old. She was very kind, humorous and in good health. Sometimes when she came to the Duan family restaurant to eat, she would share some of their chewy dumplings with them, so everyone in the restaurant took good care of her.
"I haven't seen her for a long time." Duan Zhiwei helped her mash the flowers into juice: "Why don't we go and bring some food to grandma tonight."
"No need." Aunt Duan washed her hands and said, "Grandma Zeng said that it was too hot this day and she felt tired of lying at home for a few days. She came out for a walk in the evening when it was cooler and came to eat something on the way."
When the cool, sweet water in the well finally condensed into half a bowl of amber dusk, Chang'an finally escaped from the boiling furnace and cooled down a little.
Residents gradually came out to enjoy the cool air, and the number of diners in the restaurants gradually increased.
"Mrs. Duan, do you have any cold tofu? Please add an extra spoonful of mustard."
"Sister Apan, get me a pot of green ant wine."
"The chicken wrapped in lotus leaves was really delicious last time. How come it hasn't been served for a long time? I'm just waiting for that bite to go with the wine."
The idle people in the restaurant finally became busy.
Grandma Zeng walked in tremblingly, wearing a neat plain blue coat.
Ah Pan was busy getting wine. When he saw her come in, he put down the wine jug in his hand and tried to help her. However, the old lady from Zeng’s family smiled and refused: “You go ahead and do your thing. I’ll sit by myself. You don’t need to help me.”
A few scholars sat in the shady and windy corner of the restaurant. Grandma Zeng didn't want to disturb the men drinking and reciting poems, so she sat quietly in the corner.
It was rare that Chen Guifang was helping out in the restaurant. She coughed loudly a few times and stared at the scholars.
The gentlemen did not dare to offend her, and immediately took the dishes on the table and sat aside.
Chen Guifang enthusiastically invited Zeng's grandmother to the windward side, but Zeng refused several times: "I eat little and leave quickly. I feel uncomfortable sitting in the middle."
After several refusals, she still sat firmly in the corner. Chen Guifang had no choice but to follow her.
Duan Zhiwei came out of the kitchen and asked her with a smile, "Grandma Zeng, how are you these days?"
Grandma Zeng held her hand and chattered, "It's all good. It was raining a few days ago and the road was slippery and I fell. I thought I was going to see the Lord of Mount Tai, but I didn't expect it to be all right. Now when the beginning of autumn comes, it won't be a problem for me to go to Wanshou Garden to appreciate the chrysanthemums."
Duan Zhi smiled and said, "Look at your loud voice and rosy complexion. Not to mention enjoying chrysanthemums in autumn, it won't be a problem to enjoy chrysanthemums next autumn."
Grandma Zeng was so amused by her that her face turned into a wrinkled flower.
Duan Zhiwei specially used a clay pot to cook a bowl of sweet and easy-to-digest mung bean and lotus seed porridge for her. It was soft and tasty, and not too sweet.
The old lady from the Zeng family said embarrassedly, "You are giving me special treatment again. I feel embarrassed."
She picked up the spoon tremblingly and started to sip slowly.
The main hall was bustling with activity, but there was suddenly a commotion in the backyard. Pu Tao came out angrily holding a rattan pillow, followed closely by the dejected little wolf.
"What's the matter?" Duan Zhiwei asked.
Pu Tao complained aggrievedly, showing her the broken rattan pillow in his hand: "He stole my rattan pillow. Look here, my lady, he tore it open and left such a big hole. How can I use it?"
Little Wolf wanted to argue, but he couldn't speak clearly. He shook his hands and chattered a lot. Duan Zhiwei didn't understand him and just wanted to make peace. "Alright, alright, don't fight over it anymore. It's just a rattan pillow. You can throw it away and go to the storehouse to get a new one. Don't make a scene in front of the guests."
It was rare for her to criticize with a cold face, and the two children did not dare to say anything. Pu Tao pouted and took the rattan pillow to throw it away, but was stopped by the old lady of the Zeng family, who said distressedly: "Such a good rattan pillow, it would be a pity to throw it away."
A large corner of the rattan pillow was broken, revealing the sharp edge of the bamboo rattan. If you sleep with it as a pillow, it is easy to hurt your cheek without paying attention. Duan Zhiwei explained to her: "It's okay, grandma. This rattan pillow is not worth much money. It's not worth it to scratch the child's face."
The old lady from the Zeng family said enthusiastically, "It's not about the money. Old things at home become sentimental after being used for a long time. I'll take it back and repair it for you, and then return it to you in two days."
She put down the money for the mung bean porridge, hugged the rattan pillow and left in one breath.
Duan Zhiwei was a little confused. She was a qualified cook who could slaughter chickens and fish without blinking an eye. The tableware in the kitchen, especially the chopsticks, were replaced every few months for the sake of hygiene. She had no idea what "sentiment for old things" was.
As the Zhongyuan Festival was approaching, the sage suddenly felt filial piety and completely forgot how he had snatched the throne. He suddenly cried in the court and wanted to pay tribute to his ancestors, the late emperor and his brother.
All the civil and military officials in the court rolled their eyes in their hearts, but could only praise the "sage for his filial piety".
Just because of his pretentious words, the officials began to prepare in full swing: the eastern suburbs were immediately blocked to prevent outsiders from entering; the Ministry of Rites urgently purchased sacrificial supplies such as wine, dried meat, and sacrificial coins, and the "auspicious lion" Jinwu Guards guarding the city also had to start patrolling.
Duan Zhiwei sighed. The sage said one word, and the people below were busy and exhausted. Yuan Shenji simply packed some casual clothes and planned to stay at the palace guard. He pinched Duan Zhiwei's face and said, "On the day of Zhongyuan..."
Duan Zhiwei said first: "I know everything."
She took out the various ingots that she had folded in the past few days and said, "I will definitely burn them for my mother-in-law, you don't have to worry."
He nodded, packed his bag and rode away.
Duan Zhiwei leaned against the wall and watched his figure slowly shrink into a dot, and then turned around and prepared to go back to the restaurant.
However, he encountered the sleeping grandma of Zeng family under the shade of a phoenix tail tree. Duan Zhiwei hurried over and gently pushed her down: "Grandma, grandma."
The old lady from the Zeng family opened her eyes in confusion: "Hey, Madam Duan." She looked around the lane and said puzzledly: "Why am I here?"
It was normal for old people to have poor memory as they aged, so Duan Zhiwei did not investigate further and went over to help her go home: "Grandma, the sun is so hot, you can't sleep here, come on, let me take you home."
After finally sending the old lady home, Duan Zhiwei returned to the restaurant. Aunt Duan was working on an abacus at the counter. Seeing her return, she said, "The Qingfeng Temple just ordered dough figurines. We happen to be going there to pay homage on the morning of the Zhongyuan Festival. We can deliver them together then."
Duan Zhiwei responded, and as they were talking, the Zeng family's grandmother came in with a repaired rattan pillow: "Madam Duan, where is the little Pu Tao? I have repaired her rattan pillow."
The torn edge was carefully wrapped with three layers of soft cloth, and a small bunch of purple grapes was embroidered on it, which looked very cute. Aunt Duan happily took it and said, "Pu Tao has returned home. I will give it to her tomorrow. Oh, grandma, your embroidery skills are really amazing. These grapes are so beautiful. Please help me embroider one on the handkerchief tomorrow."
The Zeng family's grandmother was so flattered that she narrowed her eyes and said repeatedly, "Of course, even though I am an old woman like this, my eyesight is not blurry and my hands are not shaking. It is no problem for me to embroider a handkerchief."
Duan Zhiwei stood by for a long time, blinking for a long time, but still couldn't help but say: "Grandma, didn't I just send you home? Why are you here again?"
Grandma Zeng was also confused and said, "No, I didn't meet you. Wasn't I repairing this rattan pillow at home all day?"
"Ah?" Duan Zhiwei was stunned. The two of them stared at each other for a while. Aunt Duan interrupted them and poured a bowl of black plum soup for each of them.
"The sun is too strong. Grandma's memory hasn't been very good recently. Don't bother with her." She whispered to Duan Zhiwei.
Duan Zhiwei thought about it and thought it was not a big deal, so he went back to the kitchen to work.
On the day of the Ghost Festival, Duan Zhiwei carried a box of steamed buns and went to Qingfeng Temple with Aunt Duan.
The nun usually looked smiling and amiable, but today she came to greet them with a sad face.
Duan Zhiwei thought that his dough sculpture was not good enough, but the nun said quickly, "That's not the case. The dough sculpture is very well made. That's another matter."
She spent the whole afternoon making this dough sculpture, and then dyed it with beetroot, tea powder and spinach leaves, making it into a lifelike lotus shape. She also put a lot of candied plums, tangerine peel and raisins in it. When it is steamed, it is full of wheat aroma, and the skin is soft and dense on the inside. It should taste good.
The nun was still gloomy, "There is a fan-selling family on the East Street of Xuanyangfang. The owner fell ill and passed away a few months ago. His wife had a posthumous child. The baby was very cute and we raised him like a pearl for a few months. But recently he got sick too. He always cries at night and often falls asleep during the day. We found a doctor, but he was of no use. I took his pulse and it was normal."
When Aunt Duan heard her say this, she made a suggestion: "Maybe she was frightened? Find someone to take a look at her."
The two talked for a while and then dispersed.
When the summer heat is about to end in the evening, all the people in the market come out of their homes, set up a basin in the corner, burn candles, insert incense and burn paper to commemorate their ancestors.
The ingots placed in the basin were licked into ashes in an instant, and the entire Chang'an City was lit up with phosphorescent flames, making the already orange-red sky even brighter.
The little wolf stuck its head out, but was stopped by Aunt Duan: "Children are not allowed to come out, be careful not to touch 'dirty things'."
Hearing this, he retracted his head again.
After the ancestor worship was over, Aunt Duan swept away the remaining ashes and Duan Zhiwei began to set the table.
Today is the Ghost Festival. Aunt Duan has abstained from meat and is eating vegetarian food. Duan Zhiwei is too lazy to cook, so he just makes some light corn porridge and serves a dish of plums and ginger.
The little wolf was a little depressed. Ah Pan touched his head, thinking that he didn't like the bland porridge, so he comforted him, "Tomorrow, we will stew meat for dinner."
He nodded, picked up the chopsticks, then suddenly fell to the ground and fell asleep.
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