In the tenth month of the first lunar month, it is the Lower Yuan period again.
Xu Jiang got up early in the morning in high spirits, took a bath, burned incense, and worshipped her ancestors.
This time the shrine was more grand than last year, with cakes, drinks and everything else filling up the table.
The most eye-catching thing is the tablet on the niche, which reads "The late father Xu Gong, whose name is Yuan Fujun, was born in Xilianwei" on the top and "Erected by his daughter Jiang Jingli" on the bottom.
This was carved by her during the Cold Clothes Festival. From now on, when she worships him during festivals and holidays, he will no longer be nameless, without a plaque or a position.
The father and daughter finally had a place to come, a place to go, and a place to return to.
Xu Jiang stared at the tablet for a long time, until his eyes became sore, and then he knelt down and kowtowed devoutly.
"If you knew I'd bound you to this world, you'd definitely be upset with me. But you're my master and my father, after all. I have no choice but to cling to you and hold you captive. Please take good care of me in heaven and bless my mother and me with long-lasting happiness and health, free from disaster and misfortune."
She stood up and lit incense. "Please enjoy this lineage of incense. In the future, not only I, but also my descendants and the students who read your books will remember you and bother you every year and festival. If you find my noise annoying, come and scold me, or go and complain to my mother and ask her to discipline me."
Then he smiled and said, "But she loves me, so I don't think she will listen to you."
Xu Jiang inserted the incense into the incense burner, clasped his hands together and bowed, then called out, "Father."
She was silent for a long moment, then she said in a low voice, "Walk slowly, and don't forget A Jiang."
The green smoke was thick and covered Xu Jiang's head, and it was reluctant to dissipate for a long time.
Xu Jiang recited a blessing spell, burned it in the furnace, and stood in front of the shrine for a long time, talking a lot. She lit a stick of incense, wiped her face, went to the kitchen to light a fire, and steamed beans to make bean paste buds.
The other holiday gifts were prepared two days in advance, but the tofu ribs taste better when they are freshly made, so they were left until this morning.
In addition to the molds Xu Jiang had carved the previous year, Liang Mo had also carved a new set. These were square book shapes, with titles engraved on them. They were all books published in the market, which made Xu Jiang praise his ingenuity.
Just as the beans were steamed, there was a clattering noise outside the shop. Xu Jiang knew it was Liang Mo. Xu Jiang had told him to rest for a day, but he couldn't rest, so she was happy to let him go.
Who doesn’t like a hardworking helper?
Because the Lou family was going to worship their ancestors, Yinyin returned to the Lou residence to help. Lou Yunchun was also very busy. In addition to his own ancestor worship, the court also had grand sacrifices and temple fairs, so he had to arrange people to cooperate with the inspections of the two county governments.
The two were busy with their own things during the day and agreed to meet at Shuiyuntan in the evening.
Liang Mo entered the house and saddled the donkey with his cart. After distributing the gifts, he delivered them to each household. He had become very familiar with this during the few months he had been managing the bookstore.
Steam the beans, add honey while they are still hot and mash them into a paste. After they cool down, roll them into bean paste balls, wrap them in a pancake made of cooked glutinous rice flour, and put them into molds to shape.
With Liang Mo's help, one person wrapped the stuffing while the other removed it from the mold. Soon, the small flowers, small rabbits and books filled up the long table.
Finally, as usual, the bookstore’s seal was dotted on the pastry with red yeast rice.
"Not bad!" Xu Jiang clapped his hands and put his hands on his hips as he inspected his masterpieces one by one. Then, he and Liang Mo packed the tofu buds together.
Tea, preserved fruits and other snacks were also packaged into equal portions according to the number of households on the list and placed according to the distance of the routes for easy delivery.
By the time they had divided the things, it was already daybreak.
There was a knock on the door of the bookstore, and someone came to deliver a festival gift. Xu Jiang washed her hands and went to open the door, but only when she looked down did she see the person.
"Lu Zhen?"
"Sister Xu, I wish you good luck in the next year and good health all year round." Lu Zhen handed the gift in his hand to her and bowed to her.
"Hey, you're well too." After Xu Jiang accepted the gift, she looked behind him and asked, "Why are you alone?"
Lu Zhen said, "Grandpa is driving an ox cart. If it's troublesome to come in, just wait for me at the street corner."
Xu Jiang patted his head and said, "You are a genius, aren't you afraid to come in alone?"
Lu Zhen shook his head. "I have Grandpa waiting for me, so I'm not afraid."
Xu Jiang exclaimed, "You've really grown up."
After Lu Zhen entered the Cao family, he was well taken care of. In the past few months, he grew taller like a seedling, and shed his original skinny monkey-like appearance. He has caught up with his peers and grown into a gentle and handsome young boy.
"If it weren't for my sister, Lu Zhen would not have grown up." After saying that, Lu Zhen looked at the big tree beside him and bowed deeply to Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang hurriedly grabbed him and said, "Since I already call you sister, there's no need to be so formal."
Good boy, not only has he grown taller, but he has also become more sensible and polite. Xu Jiang patted Lu Zhen's shoulder again and wished him well: "May you be healthy and happy in the future."
Lu Zhen nodded heavily, showing a cute smile, "Same to my sister."
The sound of cowbells came from the street, and it was time for the grandfather and grandson to go to the next house.
Xu Jiang took out two festival gifts and asked Lu Zhen to take them back, one for Cao Shu and one for Xu San.
Xu San's gift was a little more generous. Wang Chan gave birth to a fat boy a few days ago.
Because the baby was not yet a month old, Xu Jiang could not visit, so she bought some small clothes and toys for the children. She also asked Wu Zhi to prepare some nourishing supplements that were suitable for postpartum women but not too expensive. She took advantage of the solar term to put together a gift and sent it to her as a token of her appreciation.
After Lu Zhen left, Wang the shopkeeper arrived. He brought a substantial gift: a bean curd and some bone marrow, and five kinds of grain, each weighing one jin, sealed in red paper, to symbolize a good harvest.
After exchanging gifts, he saw Liang Mo coming out with a donkey cart, so he hurriedly asked him to wait, then went home to harness the cart, and the two of them went out together to deliver the gifts.
The holiday gifts from outside were given to Liang Mo, and those from the neighbors were left to Xu Jiang. After giving gifts to the east and west families, the holiday gifts were passed back and forth. The amount of gifts given when leaving was the same as the amount given when returning, or even more.
There were also various bookstores, scholars and students who had been taken care of, old and new friends who came one after another, and it was not until noon that the crowd gradually subsided.
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