The next day was the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year, which is also the day to worship the Kitchen God.
This day is also the most exciting day for children before the Lunar New Year.
Because after worshipping the Kitchen God, there is plenty of food to eat.
Although Lunar New Year's Eve is the real start of the New Year celebrations, the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebrations has already kicked off.
This day marks the beginning of the "busy year" period, when people begin a series of preparations to welcome the new year.
Preparing for the New Year, cleaning the house, and offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God—every household is immersed in a busy yet joyful atmosphere.
Early in the morning, Feng Ye and A-Can and the others, who had made an appointment the day before, took a boat to town to buy fruits, candies, preserved fruits and other things for the Kitchen God Festival.
There are no rules about what offerings should be used when worshipping the Kitchen God; anything that you feel is auspicious is fine.
However, the number of tribute items must be odd, not even.
At the same time, the quantity of each item is also singular.
In addition, you will need three cups each of tea, wine, and water, a number of gold and silver paper ingots, three incense sticks, and a pair of candles.
Feng Ye bought seven items: apples, oranges, pomelos, candies, rice cake candies, rock sugar bayberries, and olives.
In the evening, we cooked some glutinous rice balls and dumplings at home, which made up nine different dishes.
The number seven doesn't sound good; nine is better because it sounds like "long-lasting."
Food that has been eaten by humans cannot be used to worship gods; it must be offered as a sacrifice before it can be eaten, lest it have the opposite effect.
Therefore, Feng Xinan and her siblings Feng Yanmei and Feng Xidong waited anxiously all day long.
As dusk falls and night descends, the ritual of worshipping the Kitchen God begins.
Offerings, tea, wine, and water were arranged, and incense and candles were lit.
Feng Ye held incense and candles, while Feng Xinan, though small, obediently held a red-feathered rooster and knelt before the image of the Kitchen God.
"Men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship the stove god," so Ye Qingling did not participate.
Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God is also called sending off the Kitchen God.
According to legend, the Kitchen God stays at home since the previous year's Lunar New Year's Eve to protect and watch over the family.
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God will ascend to heaven to report the family's good or bad deeds to the Jade Emperor.
Based on the Kitchen God's report, the Jade Emperor then entrusts the Kitchen God with the family's fate of good or bad fortune in the new year.
Therefore, the Kitchen God's report is of great importance to the family.
According to ancient tradition, on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God ascends to heaven to report matters.
The cloud-carriage and wind-riding horse linger briefly, while the family enjoys abundant offerings of wine and plates in ancestral rites.
The pig's head is well-cooked, the fish are fresh, and the red bean paste and sweet pine nuts are round.
Men offer libations while women avoid them; libations and paper money are offered to the Kitchen God in celebration.
Do not listen to the fighting among the maids, nor be angry if the cats or dogs commit acts of defilement.
I send you off drunk and full as you ascend to the Heavenly Gate. Let bygones be bygones, for you will receive good fortune to share upon your return.
Invite the Kitchen God to eat and drink, bribe him, and let him go to heaven drunk and full, so that he will not gossip about human affairs. When he returns, he should bring some money to share.
Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God is not only for warding off disasters, but more importantly, for praying for blessings.
The red-feathered rooster that Feng Xinan was holding was not called a chicken at this time, but a horse.
It is said that the rooster is the horse that the Kitchen God rides when he ascends to heaven. If it is a red rooster, it is commonly called a "red horse", and if it is a white rooster, it is commonly called a "white horse".
After burning incense, the candles are inserted into the incense burner, and the kitchen is immediately filled with smoke, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
Feng Ye poured wine, kowtowed, and muttered incantations.
After he finished reading, he shouted, "Lead!"
Then pour wine over the chicken head.
Perhaps because of the liquid on its head, which made it very uncomfortable, the red-feathered rooster shook its head several times.
Upon seeing this, Feng Ye smiled with satisfaction.
This shows that the Kitchen God has already accepted the favor.
Subsequently, the image of the "Nine Heavens Eastern Kitchen God," which had only been up for a little over a month, was taken down from the wall and burned along with gold and silver ingots.
On New Year's Eve, the Kitchen God is brought back home, and the newly purchased image of the Kitchen God is pasted on the stove.
The ceremony ended, and the offerings were removed.
Feng Xinan threw away the rooster with its feet tied up and eagerly grabbed the candy with her little hands.
Throughout the year, children look forward to the Chinese New Year the most.
"My hands are filthy from holding the chickens for so long, I need to wash them first."
Ye Qingling, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and slapped her son's hand away.
Feng Xinan pouted, looking very unwilling.
"Father will peel it for you to eat."
Feng Ye smiled, took a candy, unwrapped it, and held it to her son's lips. "After you finish eating, go wash your hands with your mother, okay?"
"good."
Feng Xinan then cheered up and opened her mouth to eat the candy.
"Just keep spoiling him."
Ye Qingling shook her head helplessly, filled a basin with warm water, and washed her son's hands.
"He's still young and doesn't understand anything, so what's wrong with spoiling him a little?"
"A doting father often spoils his son."
"Nonsense! It's clearly 'A kind father and a strict mother often raise loyal and filial children, while a strict father and a kind mother often spoil their children,' isn't it?"
Feng Ye retorted with a smile, "So it's not wrong for you to be strict, and it's not wrong for me to spoil you."
"Where did this fallacy come from?"
Ye Qingling glared at him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
"This isn't my saying, it's what the ancients called, what was it again?"
Feng Ye scratched his head, unable to recall anything.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I think you made it up and then attributed it to the ancients."
"I don't have that ability; I just read about it in a book."
What's the title of the book?
"I can't remember."
"Keep making things up, keep making things up."
"Fine, if you don't believe me, then so be it. Just pretend I made it up."
Feng Ye stopped arguing with her, took an apple, ate it, and walked out of the kitchen.
However, as soon as he stepped outside, he noticed something strange about the sea in the distance.
In a fleeting glance, he thought he had just seen a blue light and shadow being washed ashore by the waves.
However, it disappeared very quickly.
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