In the twelfth lunar month, according to the production team's lottery order, every household cut down the sugarcane in their own gardens, tied them into bundles, loaded them into cement boats, transported them from the river and piled them in the nearby square. And we, our children, will never miss such a grand event. While the sugarcane is waiting to be sent to the machine for pressing, we sit at the top of the sugarcane and call it "guarding the sugarcane", which is actually waiting for the sugar to be twisted. Although the weather is cold, the dense sugar cane piles, the hot air from the sugar factory and the light from the incandescent lamp in the dark are all lying on the sugar cane bed, holding the warm quilt, and the cold stars in the sky seem to be warmed by the warm sight of human beings. We are all looking forward to the coming of the night, so we can have supper, because we have to entertain the helpers, and we can't help but drool when our mother brings out more dishes than usual from the laundry list. The taste is particularly unforgettable. Most of the baked brown sugar is for sale, and the rest is generally used for steaming steamed bread, fried meatballs, fried sugar rice cakes, or making sugar bibimbap for us.
By the end of the twelfth lunar month, when the farm work in the field was finished, the dust was dusted. My father used a long bamboo pole to set up a special broom to dust the ceiling and beams, and my mother covered the stove, table, cabinet and bed with dark old cloth, so a new top-down dust removal activity began. After the dust on the ceiling was removed, my father began to move all the furniture in the house to the open yard. My mother scrubbed it with cloth and water, dried it, and then moved it in one by one and put it back in place. Mom said that Kitchen God likes fireworks and never dares to be careless on the stove. I still remember that the portrait of the kitchen god was enshrined on the stove in those days, and I would worship during the Chinese New Year to pray for food and clothing.
When the house is cleaned, New Year pictures or calendars will be posted on the walls. Grandpa and uncle were both soldiers, and one day the village will beat gongs and drums to express condolences, including calendars. Hanging lanterns on Spring Festival couplets is a big event. My uncle writes very well, so my neighbors and friends buy red paper and ask Mo Bao. My uncle will take out reference books similar to Spring Festival couplets and choose auspicious words. Folding paper, tearing paper, grinding pens, testing pens, watching my uncle stand in front of the table and wave his hand, we don't have to mention how much we admire the onlookers. After writing a couplet, we are responsible for spreading it out in turn. From then on, I said to myself, I want to be a scholar and write Spring Festival couplets when I grow up. It's a pity that my qualifications are dull. Although I read a little, the text is not atmospheric enough to get on the wall.
At that time, most people in the village believed in Buddhism, and so did my mother. My mother also asked our brothers and sisters to learn from Master Xintang (now Zhenhai Temple). The master was kind-hearted and aloof, and gave each of us a dharma name, the word "Moon". The master named me "Yuegui", which I used to think was tacky when I was wise. In a blink of an eye, the master had already passed away, and the portrait was enshrined in the temple. I am also middle-aged, and my material wealth is gone. If I can keep my spirit and luxury, I won't waste my life. On New Year's Eve, fireworks and firecrackers broke out one after another. The sky is more lively and gorgeous than before, and the fire tree and silver flowers stay up all night to welcome the New Year at dawn. Firecrackers sounded, and the road to the temple was no longer lonely. In front of the Buddha statue, in the temple with incense, people worship and pray for good luck and health in the new year. My mother also takes us to pray in front of the Buddha every year, just to protect our health, safety and intelligence, and drink a bowl of steaming jujube soup when we leave.
When I was a child, my family was poor, and it was difficult to put on a few new clothes a year. I also loved beauty at that time, so I was particularly looking forward to the New Year. On New Year's Eve, I put my new clothes and New Pants's new shoes neatly on the bed and slept with my bulging lucky money. That night, don't mention how fragrant it was! Put on new clothes and shoes, and carry a red paper bag (which usually contains longan, red dates, golden dates and so on). ) and follow mom and dad to visit relatives and friends. In the warm sunshine of the New Year, I talked and laughed and strolled the streets. My second aunt lives in the south and my sister lives in the north. It takes about half an hour to cross fields and bridges. Sometimes we run in front, sometimes we go to the ridge to pick some wild flowers and weeds, and sometimes we run around in the crowd. During lunch break, men will brag and play cards, women will go into the kitchen to help or chat with melon seeds, and our children will set off firecrackers. The backyard of my second aunt's house is our herb garden, and there is a quiet river in front of my aunt's house. These two places are our paradise. Warm sunshine, leisurely and slow time, whenever the pace of work is too fast, I will dream of the old days.
Before and after the Lantern Festival, the village will invite a troupe to sing. There is a large open space in front of our house, which has become the first choice for the stage. Sitting on my balcony watching a play is like being in a box. At this time, my mother invited my aunt and cousins to watch a play at home. The stands have been playing and singing for thousands of years, and the stands are crowded with snacks. What a peaceful and peaceful scene! Compared with babbling on the stage, the simple dressing room in the background attracts us more. We often sneak backstage and look around and see colorful clothes and props. Behind the adults, the three of them also formed a troupe, covered with family sheets, babbling and singing.
After the play was over, the troupe left, the farm work in the field had to be served, and the school work had to be assembled. People in Gexiang began a busy New Year. ...