There is a home in the depths of the white clouds

Chapter 161

According to the traditional process, Sacrificial Kitchen Day is the prelude to the New Year.

The continuation of the popular formula is: 21, to send the girl; 22, to send the mistress; 23, to worship the stove official; 24, to sweep the ashes and thorns (that is, to clean); 25, to mix the coal and soil; 26, to cut the meat; It’s called Xiao Ge squeeze, that is, the one that grinds the rice flour); 27, hold Ge Da (steamed bun); 28, make a pot of wine; 29, stick a little fat boy on the wall; .

From the beginning of the new year, Moling Villa sent out gifts one after another. Wu Youwei personally led the team, and the first ones went to the homes of the two masters.

Wu Youwei has already experimented. These watermelons can be stored for about ten days, and they can be eaten just before New Year's Eve.

He sent out the watermelon seedlings directly in an earthen basket, covered them tightly with a torn quilt, and put them in a warm room after arriving at the place. It can be said that if these people feed them afterward, they will bloom and bear fruit, and they can still eat them. watermelon.

When Chen Jian saw it, he directly smiled and bent over: "What are you doing, kid?"

"Master, this is to keep the freshness of the watermelon to the greatest extent. Otherwise, in this cold weather, you can pick it up and bring it over. You will have to eat it in three or four days at most, or it will be broken, so bring the seedlings and send it over. It can last about ten days." Wu Youwei complained endlessly: "It's all for your own good!"

"Yes, yes, for my own good!" Chen Jian still wanted to laugh.

However, the things Wu Youwei gave were really novel, and Chen Jian even picked one to put in the house, and put it out for the family to eat during the Chinese New Year.

In addition to watermelon, there are also various small green vegetables, which are also moved in baskets with soil, so they will be stored for a long time, but Wu Youwei also said: "Students still have to take these baskets back. , I don’t have so many baskets at home anymore. “Okay, take it back, take it back! "Chen Jian was amused by him again.

It was different when Liu Xuan's family lived. Liu Xuan looked around these things for a long time before asking Wu Youwei, "What do you think?"

"Yes!" Wu Youwei said: "In this way, the dishes can be kept in the freshest condition."

It can be stored for a long time, although it is only five or seven or eight days, but it is not bad. In ancient times, there were no preservatives and fresh-keeping bags.

In winter, Qingcai is most afraid of freezing. During the journey, he dispatched ten vehicles, all of which had carports.

There are stoves burning all the time.

"Before winter next year, I'll let the people in my village visit your place!" Liu Xuandao: "My village is small, but there are a lot of people. If they can make money in winter, they can relax a bit."

It turned out that Liu Xuan also had a small Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing, but it was a little further away, and because the official was not big, the output of the Zhuangzi was barely enough to make ends meet. It can't be said that he is an official and treats his tenants harshly.

"Yes!" Wu Youwei didn't hide any secrets: "Next summer, let them save more seeds, or go buy some seeds."

"Use your own seeds, don't worry about using outside ones." Liu Xuan was very interested in what Wu Youwei brought.

Wu Youwei simply told him the key points of winter cultivation.

This kind of thing is flooded by people nowadays, but in ancient times, it had such a mysterious meaning that many people kept it as if it was their own secret and kept it from others.

Wu Youwei's generosity surprised Liu Xuan, but he was also very relieved. After all, he didn't recognize this student in vain, so in the second half of the time, he paid more attention to Wu Youwei's studies.

Fortunately, in the twelfth lunar month, Wu Youwei read a lot because of the cat winter, and Wan Tong came to see him studying hard, so he brought him some excellent test papers from the Ministry of Rites in the imperial examinations over the years. Wu Youwei is so smart. man?In addition, his body is now better, and he is more energetic. He has been nourished by drinking spiritual water, and his hearing, eyesight, and memory have greatly improved, and his thinking is active. Liu Xuan is very satisfied with his words.

After spending a day, I took my little nephew to Zhang Sheng's place with two gifts.

One is his, and the other is an annual gift prepared by his second sister-in-law Wu Mengshi.

The two gifts were very heavy, especially Wu Youwei wrapped 300 taels of silver for Zhang Sheng as Shuxiu's silver.

He also sent a lot of silk and satin to his family. These were all given to him by Wantong. Unfortunately, he couldn't wear them. Because the family members are all servants, they are all internal things, so they can only be given away.

Zhang Sheng's family has a shallow foundation here, and if they wear it out, it can also shock some people. After all, if you want to take out the things built inside, let alone the channels, they must have certain abilities.

The annual gift given to Master Jikong didn't include chicken, duck or fish, but there were the most vegetables, and he even sent twenty watermelons. Master Jikong was more interested in this watermelon than green vegetables.

"That's right, it's really delicious!" Master Kong sat there by himself, holding a silver spoon, digging into half a watermelon and eating it.

Wu Youwei also had half of it, and he also ate it with a spoon: "Isn't it delicious?"

"Well, where's your novel?" I didn't forget to read the novel while eating watermelon.

"I'm writing!" Wu Youwei said perfunctorily, "I'll send it to you when I come to see you in the first month!" Actually, he didn't write much. He was originally interested in writing, but later he wrote the teaching plan and became addicted. , I stopped writing the novel...

"It's settled, if you dare to lie to me, be careful with your skin." Although Master Ji Kong said threatening words, there was a smile in his eyes.

"It's safe! It's safe!" Wu Youwei pointed to a large pile of earthen baskets in the side room outside and said, "You eat those green vegetables yourself, as well as the mushrooms and fungus brought to you, save them and eat them slowly. There are no fresh vegetables in the winter, can't your monastery make some greenhouses yourself?"

This place is all vegetarian, wouldn't it be more appropriate to have a warm house for the winter!

"The temple is a place of cultivation, how can it be possible to grow vegetables?" Master Ji Kong was about to burst out laughing: "The hosts will not agree, but I can have some privileges, the greenhouse in the palace will always send some here. It’s just that there are not as many green vegetables as you.” Wu Youwei waved his hand: “I just picked them up, and I didn’t send leeks, garlic sprouts, etc. What I sent were spinach, coriander, rapeseed, etc., and a little water. Radishes, bean sprouts, etc. can be distributed by the kitchen itself, so I didn’t send them.” Even if they were delivered, they couldn’t be accepted, let alone eaten. Master of Space. "Okay." Master Ji Kong hugged half a watermelon, and shouted outside: "Put the things prepared by the old man in the car!" "Yes, master." Someone outside answered.

Wu Youwei knew that Master Ji Kong had many people here, and they were all monks on the surface, but in fact they were all serving him. He had a special status. At the beginning, Wu Jun wanted to build a relationship so much, but Master Zhi Kong ignored him, and Wu Qian'er became After the empress, Wu Jun didn't have the guts to retaliate one or two.

After returning, Wu Youwei opened the New Year's gift given to him by Master Ji Kong, and his mouth grew wide open: it contained ten catties of top-grade Junshan Silver Needle tea leaves!

Although Junshan Silver Needle is not considered a tribute tea now, it has a long history and has been produced and famous since the Tang Dynasty.

It is said that Princess Wencheng brought Junshan Silver Needle Tea to Tibet when she got married....

There is also ten catties of Keemun black tea, the rich tea fragrance can be smelled through the packaging....

Both black tea and green tea are available.

The third is fruit tea. Tea made from fruit is actually dried fruit soaked in water. It is just made according to the tea-making process. It will taste delicious if brewed...

Wu Youwei looked at the three kinds of tea in front of him, and the corners of his mouth twitched. Next year, he won't need to buy any tea...

The last one was delivered by Wantong. Wu Youwei went there in person. It was already the 28th of the twelfth lunar month.

But Wantong was not at home, so Wu Youwei put down the gift, and he didn't come back until the evening, so he stayed here for one night, and returned to Moring Villa the next day.

It was only when I went back that I found out that my family had also received a lot of New Year gifts, especially Wantong’s, there were so many!

Fortunately, the butler was left at home to support, and anyone who came to give gifts would get a reward, and everyone knew that Wu Youwei was the only one in the family, and there was no one who could help...

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, almost all the gift givers have gone back, and the family is also preparing for the New Year.

This was Wu Youwei's first full New Year in ancient times. During the days in Wu Mansion, even if it was the New Year, it was just a matter of coping.

But now, he is truly in charge of the house, and it's the Chinese New Year.

On the morning of the New Year's Eve, it is a major event to worship the ancestor tablets.

As the patriarch of the newly separated Wu clan, Wu Youwei offered incense and offering offerings to his ancestors, and the Wu Meng clan also came with a pair of sons and daughters.

Let her son serve as his uncle's helper, while she hugs her daughter, serving some food, a pot of wine, etc. It looks like she is helping, but in fact, it is all servants who are busy, but she has done her best, and she is doing her best .

Pig's head, cow's head, and sheep's head are the three major sacrifices.

Later, whole chickens, ducks and geese were served, which were regarded as small three-bird sacrifices.

Then there are all kinds of pastries, meat and vegetables, on twelve plates; eight plates of various dried fruits; and gifts from others.

Especially Wantong, he gave Wu Youwei a carload of apples, a carload of frozen persimmons, and a carload of silk and satin, pens, ink, paper and inkstones, etc. as New Year gifts, which were more valuable than what Wu Youwei gave him. too much.

The things inside are basically built-in and practical things.

Ever since he knew that Wantong was Wan Zhen'er's younger brother, Wu Youwei was not surprised. Wan Zhen'er is so favored?Both the dead parents were buried with the items from the Palace of Compassion and Ninggong, and there are only two younger brothers who are alive. Can't there be some good things?

There were a lot of offerings, especially the snacks from Sipan Palace in the middle. The stamp on the top made the family excited for a while. Butler Lin Su didn't allow him to taste a piece, insisting on offering it to his ancestors.

What's strange is that Wu Youwei discovered that when Wu Mengshi saw the dim sum, his eyes could light up.

In the past, because of widowhood, the second sister-in-law had a stagnant look in her eyes, and only when she mentioned her son and daughter did she become alive, but now she was so happy when she saw four plates of dim sum.

In fact, Wu Mengshi is interested in the origin of the dim sum, not the dim sum.....

When the auspicious time came, a few members of the Wu family came in, offered incense and kowtowed to their ancestors, burned paper, and offered sacrifices.

After the sacrifice, the second room will go back, because no matter what, they are all separated, and they cannot celebrate the New Year together. With the addition of the widowed sister-in-law and the younger brother-in-law who married last, it is even more difficult to celebrate the New Year together.

But Wu Youwei had someone make ice lanterns. Starting from the gate of the villa, a pair of steps were placed on each step, and candles that could burn overnight were lit on them, winding all the way down to Wujia Village.

Ice lanterns are not difficult to make, and there are a lot of doors in every household in Wujia Village. The lights are bright and dignified, and it is not dark. The family of three was sent back to Wujia Village by Wu Youwei.

"Uncle will come to see you tomorrow and give New Year's greetings to my second sister-in-law." Wu Youwei squatted down to say goodbye to his little nephew, and then touched his little niece's face, because it had been tightly wrapped, and the child's face was still warm, a little Not too cold.

"Okay, the second sister-in-law is waiting for you to come to pay New Year's greetings." Wu Mengshi gave a rare smile, and led her son's little hand into the gate, followed by a lot of servants.

Wu Youwei watched them go in before taking them back to Mo Ling Villa.

That year, thieves rose up in Liangji, Chuan, Guang, Jing, and Xiang.

When the Chinese New Year was approaching, it snowed heavily and the roads were impassable.

Therefore, only Annan and Uszang entered the tribute court, and the other vassal states did not come, or came and did not rush over, and the road was blocked by snow.

Emperor Xianzong of Ming Dynasty was very unhappy for not being able to appear at the state banquet of Ming Dynasty on New Year's Eve, but when he went to see Concubine Wan at night, he found that Concubine Wan had delicious watermelon, and he finally felt better After inquiring, it was Wantong who brought the watermelon seedlings and the big basket filled with soil. He looked at them one by one. Wan Zhen'er also told him that there were also green vegetables, all kinds of small green vegetables were sent in the same way. But there is another requirement, that is, these baskets must be returned to people, and they will have to use them next year...