In the tenth month of the first lunar month, there is the Lower Yuan Festival.
Huailiu Lane became lively again after a long absence.
Xu Jiang also got up early, bathed, burned incense, and worshipped her ancestors.
She was an orphan and her master was her only ancestor, so she only prepared a pot of wine and a few dishes of her master's favorite side dishes.
The master’s tablet has no words on it. According to him, life is like dust, born from heaven and earth and returns to heaven and earth. What is the importance of a name?
"Now that you've passed away, naturally nothing else matters to you." Xu Jiang placed the wooden plaque he had carved on top, then kowtowed devoutly. "But I must leave a memory for the living. Please don't think I'm annoying, disturbing your peace every holiday. Who took me in, raised me, and became my master?"
After worshiping, she lit three more incense sticks and placed them in the incense burner. "You don't need to bless me with anything. Just send me a dream occasionally to let me know that you have achieved great freedom, and I will feel at ease."
After the worship, Xu Jiang hung the wooden sign back on her waist, and then went to the kitchen to see if the beans for making tofu paste and kudzu were steamed.
Red bean paste is a snack that every household eats during the Lower Yuan Festival. It is made by soaking red beans until soft, steaming them until soft, mashing them into a paste, adding honey and kneading them into balls, which are then wrapped in a skin made of cooked glutinous rice flour.
Xu Jiang had nothing to do and wanted to come up with something new, so she carved a set of molds of flowers, plants, birds and animals, and used the molds to press out the wrapped bean paste buds.
She held up the mold, and when she knocked it, a rabbit or a peach blossom fell off. Soon, the table was filled with them, and each one looked delicate and cute.
After finishing, she divided it into separate sets and packaged it, giving each person a portion according to the list drawn up at the residence last time. The ceramic jars custom-made by the potter were also delivered. She poured the mushroom oil into the jars, sealed them, and delivered them, along with the bean curd buds, to each household according to the list.
An extra portion of dried persimmons was given to Lou Zhai. When it was delivered, his family was preparing to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. The rules of a large family were complicated, so Xu Jiang did not bother to bother them much. She sent a message to the gatekeeper and then returned.
After sending the book back to the bookstore, it was already noon. As she entered the alley, she found that Uncle Cao and Xu San and others were waiting in front of the bookstore, each holding a gift in their hands.
She quickly quickened her pace and walked over, "Uncle Cao, Third Brother, A Lai, how long have you been waiting?"
Uncle Cao smiled and said, "It will only take a moment."
Xu Jiang quickly opened the door and invited them in. She then hurriedly brought over a few plates of mashed bean curd ribs from the kitchen and said, "Have a seat, come and try some of the mashed bean curd ribs I made."
When Alai saw the fruit, his eyes widened and he asked, "Can this be eaten?"
Xu Jiang patted his head and said, "Of course you can eat it."
"It's so beautiful, I can't eat it." A Lai touched a rabbit carefully and asked, "Boss, can I take it home?"
"Eat, I've prepared another portion for each of you." Xu Jiang originally planned to deliver the meal to Uncle Cao's house after this one, but he didn't expect them to arrive first.
A Lai, relieved, began to eat heartily. Xu San and Cao Shu, perhaps not fond of sweets, only ate one or two pieces. Xu Jiang then brought some preserved bamboo shoots, dried persimmons, and stir-fried beans to go with their tea.
"Uncle Cao, how has Lu Zhen been these days?"
Speaking of his grandson, Uncle Cao smiled fondly. "He's doing fine. The doctor just checked him out yesterday and said his bones have healed. He'll be able to walk again after a few more days of rest."
"That's good."
"He studies very hard. Every day he reads and writes the books you gave him. He stays up late at night because he's afraid you won't be able to answer his questions when you test him."
Genius is not scary, what is scary is that genius is also hardworking.
"He's not feeling well right now, so don't let him study too late. Just tell him I told him to sleep at 11:00 and get up at 11:00, and to balance work and rest."
"Okay, he'll listen to the boss."
Xu Jiang got up and went to find a set of "Youxue Qionglin" (Youxue Qionglin), a picture book. The illustrations were crude, but full of childlike interest. She handed the book to Cao Shu and said, "Give it to him and let him read it in his spare time, but he can only read three idioms a day."
Uncle Cao took it with both hands and offered to pay. Xu Jiang quickly refused, "Uncle Cao, if you want to be polite to me, I won't dare go next time."
Only then did Uncle Cao give up.
Xu Jiang then said to Xu San, "Third brother, Zhu Chun has become a disciple and is fully focused on preparing for the exam. He can no longer come to the temple to help. Sometimes I'm too busy to handle it alone, so I'll have to trouble you to find out for me if there are any suitable people."
Xu San patted his chest and said, "No problem, I'll take care of it."
Xu Jiang felt relieved and offered him a cup of tea.
After Xu San drank the tea, his expression suddenly became a little awkward. Seeing this, A Lai and Uncle Cao couldn't help laughing.
"What's going on?" Xu Jiang was confused.
"My third brother is getting married and wants to ask the boss to write a marriage certificate for him." A Lai couldn't bear to watch it anymore and spoke for him.
"Really?" Xu Jiang said happily, "What a happy event! Whose daughter is it? What date is it?"
Xu San's face was full of shyness, but his eyes sparkled. "She's a daughter from the same hometown. The date is set for the fifth day of next month."
"I haven't heard of this before. Congratulations, Third Brother."
Xu San also sighed, "I originally thought that with my appearance, I would be single for the rest of my life. It's amazing that she likes me, doesn't mind my poverty, and is willing to spend her life with me."
Xu Jiang smiled and advised, "Third brother, please don't belittle yourself. You're hardworking and kind. That girl must have discerning eyes, and she saw your strengths and was willing to commit her life to you. If you look down on yourself, you'll be betraying her feelings. If you truly feel you've wronged her, you must treat her well and respect her from now on. Support each other and live a good life together."
"Hey." After hearing Xu Jiang's words, Xu San suddenly felt more open-minded. He smiled innocently and assured, "Don't worry, Boss. She and I will live a good life from now on, and I will never bully her."
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