country bumpkin

Chapter 29 Young Years

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the last day of the lunar year. It is called "Little New Year".

On this day, every household gets busy. The main customs of the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month include: offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, sweeping dust, cutting paper-cuts for windows, writing Spring Festival couplets, and weddings.

The Kitchen God is a deity in Chinese folk religion who manages food and observes good and evil. Legend has it that on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month each year, the Kitchen God ascends to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the situation of humankind throughout the year. Therefore, people worship the Kitchen God on this day to express their gratitude and reverence, and also hope that the Kitchen God will speak well of them and bring good fortune and peace to themselves and their families.

There are many ways to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God. In some places, sweets such as candy, pastries, and fruits are used as offerings; in others, sticky foods such as maltose, candy, and sugar melons are used; and in still others, common offerings such as wine, meat, incense, and paper money are used. Regardless of the offerings used, the hope is that the Kitchen God will eat happily and speak sweetly.

After the Kitchen God is worshipped, people will take the image or picture of the Kitchen God down from the stove and place it on a table or in a cabinet to prevent the Kitchen God from seeing the family's privacy or misfortunes. On New Year's Eve, the Kitchen God will be put back in its original place and replaced with a new image or picture of the Kitchen God.

Sweeping away dust is a custom that symbolizes bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new. After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people begin a thorough cleaning, cleaning their homes thoroughly to remove the dust, dirt, and clutter accumulated over the past year, as well as sweeping away any unpleasant, unhappy, or unlucky things that have happened throughout the year.

There's a custom to sweeping dust: you shouldn't sweep from the doorway inwards, but from the inside of the house outwards. This is believed to sweep away bad luck. After sweeping, people also put on new clothes, new bed sheets, and new curtains to give their homes a fresh look.

Window decorations are made by cutting out various patterns from red paper and pasting them on windows. There are many different patterns, including animals, plants, figures, and objects, all symbolizing auspiciousness, happiness, wealth, and prosperity. Window decorations are usually red, as red is a favorite color in China, symbolizing enthusiasm, joy, and good fortune.

Spring Festival couplets are a literary form in which rhymed verses, rich in rhyme and profound in meaning, are written on red paper and pasted on doors. The content of Spring Festival couplets generally expresses blessings, praise, and wishes, conveying people's hopes and blessings for the New Year. Writing Spring Festival couplets is a meaningful activity that can improve one's literary skills and enhance friendships. Well-written Spring Festival couplets pasted on the door make the home even more festive.

Marriage is a custom that reflects folk customs and beliefs. After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, people believe that all the gods have ascended to heaven, and there are no more taboos or restrictions, so this period is considered an auspicious time for marriage.

Marriage is a major life event and a joyous occasion, so people choose to hold their weddings at this time in hopes of good fortune and happiness. (Source: Internet search)

Mu Shuyun at Yunya's house was busy sweeping. She had bought a new broom and tied it securely to the end of a long pole so that it wouldn't spin when shaken.

She first went to the inner room to take out a stick of incense, lit it, and bowed to the "household guardian spirit" in the northeast corner.

Then he knelt down and kowtowed, inserting his incense into the burner. He then began sweeping the room from the inner room outwards, leaving no dust or cobwebs untouched.

The roof beams were quite high and difficult to clean. She held a long bamboo pole, stood on tiptoe, and slowly moved it across the roof beams.

It was cleaned up in no time. Then came the living room, where every corner had to be carefully cleaned.

After an hour of work, it was finally finished. In their hometown, sweeping dust and putting up Spring Festival couplets are things that need to be done during the Lunar New Year.

Next up are fried meatballs and fried vegetables. This is also called "guo you cai" (过油菜), which symbolizes that life will get better and better.

Some villagers will fry meatballs and stir-fry rapeseed a few days later. As long as it's past the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it's considered part of the New Year celebrations.

Everyone took it very seriously. So from that day on, everyone was all smiles and no fighting or swearing was allowed, otherwise it would bring bad luck in the coming year.

I prepared all the necessary ingredients last night. I mixed the shredded meat with flour and then with the prepared bone broth.

Add the following seasonings: chopped scallions, minced ginger, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and salt. Finally, crack in a few eggs; this will make the fried vegetables crispier, softer, and tastier.

Mix the dough well and let it rest for half an hour before using it; it will be more chewy and delicious.

Making fried meatballs is even simpler: chop radish into a filling, add various seasonings, knead the dough with bone broth, and let it sit for a while before using.

Heat a large pot of oil until it's hot, then start frying the meatballs. The first batch is done in no time. Use a clean strainer to scoop them out of the pot and place them in a bowl.

Mu Shuyun carried the bowl to the courtyard and placed offerings on the incense altar east of the main hall entrance. She also placed offerings on the altar for the "Guardian Deity" in the east bedroom.

The first bowl of stir-fried vegetables cooked in oil is not to be eaten immediately; it must be offered as an offering. Only after the "gods" and "heavenly beings" have eaten it can people eat it. This is a traditional culture that has been passed down for thousands of years.

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and the villagers will be very busy preparing all sorts of New Year's goods, mostly food and drinks.

People are starting to prepare things like clothes and shoes. Some even prepared new clothes a month in advance and have been keeping them just in time for the Lunar New Year.

After offering sacrifices to the gods, Mu Shuyun carried a bowl of stir-fried vegetables to the room where her mother-in-law now lived.

"Mother, please try this year's meatballs and see how they taste," Mu Shuyun said with a smile.

The mother-in-law took the bowl and chopsticks, tasted a meatball, and praised it repeatedly, saying, "Hmm, not bad. It smells delicious."

Mu Shuyun felt a surge of joy upon hearing her mother-in-law's praise. She knew that her mother-in-law was always very picky about food, so receiving her approval meant that this year's meatballs had been a great success.

Her mother-in-law had always lived with her eldest son, Kong Tongyuan. Because it was almost Chinese New Year, they brought her over to celebrate with them. Every year, the three families take turns celebrating the New Year, one family per year. This year it was her family's turn.

Over the next few days, Mu Shuyun and her husband were busy preparing other New Year's goods. They bought ingredients such as meat, fish, and chicken, and also made some traditional snacks, such as rice cakes and glutinous rice balls.

The festive atmosphere in the village is growing stronger, and everyone is immersed in joy, looking forward to the arrival of the New Year.

People often say that a simple life is the true blessing, and peace and tranquility are true happiness. This simple saying contains profound philosophical truth.

In this fast-paced era, we always pursue more material wealth and social status, while neglecting the ordinariness and peace in life.

In fact, true happiness does not lie in how much wealth and power one possesses, but in being able to enjoy a peaceful life, with the whole family reunited. Only when the family is harmonious can everything prosper.

When we learn to cherish everything around us and appreciate every little thing in life, we will discover that ordinary days can be so beautiful and so happy.