Chapter 25: Worshiping the Stove God

  "It's alive!"

  Liu Yitiao walked out the door, saying only two words before slinging his medical bag over his shoulder and walking away. The people outside were in a hurry to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside the house, and no one noticed Liu Yitiao's departure.

  Liu Yitiao bought some gifts for Liu Ertiao and Liu Xiaohui, then hurried home. The surgery he performed on the injured person took up a lot of his time, and now that the sun was setting, if he didn't return soon, his family would worry about him.

  When he returned home, the sky had already darkened, and all the family members were sitting in the main hall waiting for him to come back and have dinner. Mrs. Liu saw him return, with big and small packages on his body, and got up to help him take them off, still muttering in her mouth, "You child, why did you come back so late? The family thought something had happened to you outside and was about to let your father go find you?"

  Liu was deeply moved in his heart, it had been a long time since he had felt this kind of concern from others. He couldn't help but think of the times when he was a kid and his parents would chase him around to scold him.

  Put things away, Liu Yitiao found a place to sit down and said: "Mother, I'm already an adult, I know how to take care of myself, you don't have to worry too much." Seeing the two meat dishes on the table, he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Father, mother, what day is today? The meal is so rich?"

  "You child, you've been muddled every day. Today is the minor New Year's Day, it's the day to worship the stove god, how can you still be like before?" Liu He replied with a smile.

  "Oh." Liu Yitiao suddenly realized that it was the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the day of Zaowangye's festival. Although in modern times this festival has gradually been forgotten, in ancient times, it was a grand occasion that came only once a year.

  It is said that in the folk there is a custom of "men do not worship the moon, women do not sacrifice to the stove", saying that the Stove King is a small white face, can't see women, so women are not allowed to offer sacrifices, don't know if it's true or false.

  "Have all the offerings been bought?" Liu Yitiao asked casually.

  "We've already bought them, a roasted suckling pig head, two large red carp, and some stir-fried sweets. Thanks to the blessings of Zao Jun this year, our family's New Year's celebration is quite prosperous, so we should offer more generous sacrifices." Lao Liu replied with a flushed face. This was the most prosperous year for the Liu family in over a decade, and it was only natural that he felt joyful.

  "Hurry up and eat! It'll be dark soon and the ancestor worship ceremony is about to start. This can't be delayed." Seeing Liu Yitiao wanting to ask something, Old Liu shut his mouth with one sentence. The whole family lowered their heads and started eating.

  There is meat on the table, and the two little guys who are most happy to count are Liu Er Tiao and Liu Xiao Hui. Earlier, in order to wait for Liu Yi Tiao to return, they had been drooling over the food on the table for half a day. Now that they can finally eat, they almost immediately picked up their chopsticks and rushed towards those two dishes of meat.

  Liu Yitiao smiled as he looked at the two little gluttonous cats, feeling a bit sour in his heart. He thought to himself that in just one more month, he would let them eat meat dishes every day. These days were too bitter, adults could handle it, but children eating vegetarian food all the time was not good for their physical development.

  "Slow down, no one is competing with you." Liu Yitiao gave Xiaomei a piece of fatty meat and said with a smile: "Today is the minor New Year's Eve, it just so happens that I bought some new clothes for Er Tiao and Xiao Hui when I went to the county. After dinner, you go try them on, if they fit, wear them out. Although it's just the minor New Year's Eve, we still need to have a festive look."

  Liu Er Tiao and Liu Xiao Hui's eyes lit up, they even stopped holding their chopsticks, and asked in surprise: "Really?! Big brother?!"

  "Of course it's true, the clothes are in the package. You go eat first, and after you're done, let your mother help you change into them."

  "Hmm!" The two nodded in unison, and their eating speed increased by a few more degrees.

  Liu Yitiao smiled indulgently at them, then turned to Liu Laoshi and his wife, saying: "Father, mother, in a few days when it's New Year's, you should also get some new clothes. This year we have more money, let's celebrate a prosperous year."

  "Yes, yes, it's time, your mother hasn't had any new clothes for six years now, this year we should get her a few more."

  "You old man, you still have some thoughts." A hint of red appeared on Liu He's face as she said, "But buying clothes is unnecessary, what's the point of wasting that money? The ones made outside aren't necessarily good either. Tomorrow, go to the county's fabric store and buy a few meters of cloth, I'll make each of you a set."

  "Ah, yes, yes, I forgot, Madam has a pair of clever hands. Haha..." Liu Laoshi put down his chopsticks and burst out laughing, earning him a withering look from Mrs. Liu.

  After dinner, Old Liu drove the two women, Liu He and Liu Xiao Hui, into the house. He pulled Liu Yi and Liu Er, the two brothers, to the kitchen, in front of the stove king's portrait, set up an incense burner and lit incense. All the offerings were placed on the incense table. For a time, the entire kitchen was filled with smoke, giving it a sense of divine presence.

  Lao Liu then somehow found a big rooster with a red crown and handed it to Liu Er, saying: "This is the red horse that the Kitchen King will ride when he ascends to heaven, you hold onto it tightly."

  The old willow picked up the wine, and with great reverence, poured a cup in front of the stove king's image, then raised the cup to his forehead. He muttered some words, his expression very devout.

  Liu Yitiao was experiencing such a formal worship ceremony for the first time, and he was very curious. He closely watched Liu Laoshi's every move. When Liu Laoshi was kowtowing and muttering to himself, his voice was very muffled, and it was impossible to make out what he was saying. However, according to Liu Yitiao's guess, he was probably asking for peace and prosperity, and blessings from heaven.

  Finally, Lao Liu shouted loudly: "Take it!" He picked up his wine cup and walked to the front of Liu Er Tiao, pouring the wine from the cup onto the rooster's head.

  On a very cold day, the rooster was given a shot of liquor and suddenly let out a loud crow, flapping its wings to shake off the liquor on its head, splashing Liu Erlang all over.

  "Hmm." Lao Liu smiled with satisfaction. He put the wine cup on the table and said to Liu Yitiao and others, "Alright, Zao Wangye has gone to the Western Heaven, you can get up now."

  "Besides, these offerings have been bestowed upon us by the Stove King. You go and call your mother and Little Hui to come and eat these offerings, and the Stove King will bless our Liu family with a peaceful year."

  Liu Yitiao stood up in response, rubbed his slightly sore knees from kneeling, and pulled Liu Ertiao into the inner room. Liu Ertiao's clothes were all soaked with wine water, he had to change quickly.

  "Big brother, the day after tomorrow is the ceremony to pay respects to Master Wang at his residence. As a student, I should give a gift to show my respect. But I don't know what to give. Big brother, you have to teach me." After entering the house, Liu Second Strip took off his clothes while asking Liu First Strip for advice.

  Liu Yitiao smiled and said, "Don't worry about this, I'll take care of it myself when the time comes. I guarantee that County Magistrate Wang will be satisfied."

  "Thanks a lot, big brother." As he spoke, Liu Er Tiao gave Liu Yi Tiao a respectful bow.

  Liu Yitiao was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses. This kid was thanking him for securing a good marriage for him. Smiling, he patted Liu Ertiao's shoulder and said, "You've grown up! But we're brothers from the same family, you don't have to be so polite with me. I did all this for you, and also for our Liu family. You don't need to take it too seriously."

  "Yes, big brother."

  "Alright, let's go out too. Father and mother are waiting for us. So many offerings are still waiting for us to eat." Saying that, he took Liu Er Tiao and walked out.

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  Next week is going into Sanjiang, so I will speed up the update, two chapters a day, and three chapters when bursting, please support more!