Chapter 241 Happy New Year!
The blessing ceremony was held under the old locust tree.
The abbot first took out a bronze incense burner, lit incense, and placed it inside.
As the incense smoke rose gently, the abbot clasped his hands together and began chanting sutras. His voice was loud and peaceful, carrying a calming power.
The villagers also put their hands together, closed their eyes, and silently prayed for good weather and a safe harvest for their families in the coming year.
After the chanting ended, the abbot took out some lucky bags from his robes and distributed them to the villagers.
The lucky bag contains dried mugwort and a small piece of peach wood, which are said to ward off evil spirits.
He walked up to Jiang Ling, handed her a lucky bag, and said with a smile:
"Benefactor Jiang is kind-hearted; the rice you donated will allow the old monks in the temple to have a good New Year. Here is a blessing bag for you; may your new house be peaceful and healthy, and may everything go smoothly."
Jiang Ling accepted the lucky bag and quickly thanked them.
After the monks left, the villagers went home to prepare for the New Year's Eve dinner.
Smoke curls from chimneys above Jishui Village, and the aroma of the most abundant and tempting food of the year wafts from every household.
The New Year's Eve dinner is a family reunion dinner. No matter how far away from home, as long as they can make it back, they must gather together on this day.
Jiangling's place was also unusually lively.
She invited Grandpa Zhao's family, Xiao Ran's family, as well as Fu Chengze and Zhao Shiying.
In the main room of the new house, a large round table was set up, covered with various dishes prepared by Jiang Ling and traditional New Year's dishes brought by Zhao Yin's wife and others.
"Come on, fill them all up!"
As an elder, Grandpa Zhao raised his glass with a smile.
The reason he was in such a hurry to raise his glass was, of course, because the rich aroma of the wine had so tempted him that he simply couldn't resist.
This wine is from Jiang Ling's shop. Fearing that everyone would get drunk after only a few drinks, Jiang Ling chose a 33-proof wine this time.
"As we bid farewell to the old year and begin the new, may our Jishui Village enjoy favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year, and may every household be safe and happy! We also wish Miss Jiang all the best in her new home!"
"cheers!"
Everyone raised their wine or tea glasses.
Xiao Qi and Xiao Yi, along with Grandpa Zhao's two grandsons, also held their sweet drinks and, imitating the adults, clinked glasses in a very professional manner.
The meal was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.
The adults chatted about the harvest, the changes in the village, and their hopes for next year.
The children were engrossed in the delicious food on the table. Xiao Qi was particularly fond of the sweet drinks and the cakes he had never seen before, while Xiao Yi was especially fond of the fried meatballs on the table.
After dinner, the adults sat at the table chatting about their year's harvest.
The children couldn't sit still; they had already gone outside in groups with lanterns to set off firecrackers.
Just before midnight, firecrackers suddenly went off in the village, one after another.
The original purpose of setting off firecrackers was to drive away the mythical beast Nian. Gradually, it evolved into an indispensable part of the Chinese New Year celebrations and a favorite form of entertainment for children.
Many poets wrote poems about this, the most famous of which is...
"Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the old year departs, and the spring breeze brings warmth to the New Year's wine."
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Ling was awakened by the sound of firecrackers.
Pushing open the window, a rush of cool air, carrying the peculiar scent of firecrackers, filled the air.
Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi both changed into new clothes, which is a tradition for the Chinese New Year, symbolizing a fresh start for the new year.
According to custom, people don't travel far on the first day of the Lunar New Year; instead, they visit each other in the village to exchange New Year's greetings.
The children are the happiest people today.
They went in groups, wearing brand-new cotton-padded coats, to visit their elders at each house to wish them a Happy New Year.
As soon as she entered the door, she called out in a cheerful voice, "Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Happy New Year! I'm here to wish you a Happy New Year!"
The adults happily took out the New Year's money they had prepared, along with candies, peanuts, melon seeds, and other snacks, and stuffed them into the children's hands.
Xiao Qi and Xiao Yi strolled around the village, and their pockets were soon full.
Happy New Year, Sister Jiang!
A group of children also flocked to Jiang Ling's new home.
Jiang Ling had already prepared everything, giving each child lucky money, chocolates, milk candies, and some modern snacks.
The children knew that the food at Sister Jiang's shop was the best, and they all cheered with joy.
After lunch, Jiang Ling strolled around the village for a while.
We met many villagers along the way, and everyone greeted us with smiles and offered each other blessings.
Today is a sunny day.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light.
During the day, it's the children's world—setting off firecrackers, having snowball fights, spinning tops, and all sorts of laughter fills the air.
In the evenings, villagers often gather in a courtyard around a charcoal fire, listening to the elders tell ancient legends, or the young people joke with each other and dream about the future.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day when married women return to their parents' home.
Jiang Ling's and Xiao Ran's homes weren't as lively, so Jiang Ling decided to take her three children to town to experience the New Year's atmosphere.
The weather was perfect, and all three children put on brand-new cotton-padded jackets.
Xiao Ran, dressed in indigo blue, appeared more composed.
Xiao Yi's warm ginger yellow color made his little face look rosy.
Xiao Qi wore a festive maroon outfit, looking like a little firecracker, full of energy.
Jiang Ling herself wore a light pink new dress, looking fresh and energetic.
"Check that you've brought your wallets. Stay close to each other on the road, and don't wander off, understand?"
As Jiang Ling locked the door, she gave her final instructions.
"We heard it!" the three voices exclaimed in unison, filled with barely suppressed excitement.
The horse-drawn carriage rattled towards Ping'an County.
The closer you get to the county seat, the stronger the festive atmosphere becomes.
The streets were bustling with pedestrians, mostly visiting relatives and friends or shopping at the market, and everyone's face was filled with the joy of the New Year.
As soon as they reached the town entrance, they heard the sound of gongs and drums coming from the street. Xiao Qi, with his sharp ears, grabbed Jiang Ling's hand and ran inside.
"Sister Jiang! It's a dragon dance! I can hear the gongs and drums!"
Sure enough, the open space in the middle of the street was crowded with people, and a red cloth dragon was dancing to the sound of gongs and drums.
The men performing the dragon dance wore yellow short jackets with red ribbons tied around their waists. Their steps were perfectly synchronized, and the dragon's head followed the embroidered ball as it turned. The dragon's body undulated and occasionally leaped into the air, drawing cheers from the onlookers.
Xiao Yi squeezed to the front, stood on tiptoe to look, her eyes wide open.
Xiao Qi was also stunned, muttering to himself, "So amazing..."
"Be careful, don't push."
Xiao Ran jumped off the bed and quickly followed, saying, "Sister Jiang, I'll watch over them."
The dragon dance team leader called out to the crowd, "Which child would like to touch the dragon's tail? Touching the dragon's tail will bring peace and safety in the coming year!"
Xiao Yi immediately raised her hand and shouted, "I'll do it! I'll do it!"
The team leader smiled and waved to him. Xiao Ran helped Xiao Yi squeeze in. Xiao Yi stood on tiptoe and gently touched the tassel on the dragon's tail. The team leader even took a piece of candy out of his pocket and handed it to him.
"Good boy, take this, it'll be sweet and lovely!"
Clutching the candy, Xiao Yi grinned from ear to ear and ran back to Jiang Ling's side, exclaiming, "Sister, look! The dragon's tail is so soft, and it has candy too!"
Jiang Ling smiled and ruffled Xiao Qi's hair: "Let's go ahead and see what other fun things there are."
Almost all the shops on both sides of the street were open, and every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.
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