Su Qing heard the little girl say "Jing Tang", and couldn't help asking with some doubts: "What is "Jing Tang"?"

Li Fan smiled and said, "'Respect sugar' is a word invented by the girl herself. In fact, it is to respect the stove prince, and she needs to put some candies."

Su Qing covered her mouth with a smile, looked at the figure of the little girl running out, and said, "It's probably that girl is thinking about candy."

Li Fan said: "I think so, let's go to the stove."

Su Qing nodded, and followed Li Fan to the stove. Dad and mom were naturally with them.

Before the Lord Sending the Stove went to heaven, there was a ceremony called "Sending the Stove".

The ceremony of giving the stove has now been simplified, basically it is just to offer incense.

In the past, they would sing the song of sending the chef and dance the dance of the chef, etc., which is much more lively than it is now.

Moreover, in the past, the delivery of the stove was mostly carried out at dusk, but now it is not so particular. It can be done during the day and night.

A group of people walked into the stove, and on the north side of the stove, there was a portrait of the stove king.

I've seen this portrait of Su Qing before, but I didn't know it was Lord Stove.

Su Qing looked at the portrait and said, "It turns out this is Lord Stove. I didn't know it before."

Li Fan said: "In fact, before, there was usually a stove king niche in the stove. Most of them were located on the north or east side of the stove, with the statue of the stove king in the middle. There are basically no more now, and they are all posted directly. Portrait of Lord Zao. Isn't it? Dad."

The old man nodded when he heard the words: "Indeed, when we were babies, there were kitchen king niches in every kitchen room, but now, there are almost none."

What is the stove king's niche? Su Qing hadn't seen it before, so she asked Li Fan, "What does the Kitchen King's Niche look like? Have you seen it?"

Li Fan said, "I saw it in the village when I was young. It looks like a sitting platform with a statue of Lord Stove Lord in the middle."

Su Qing nodded, and said, "Why does every household respect the stove king?"

Li Fan smiled and said: "According to legend, the Stove Lord was appointed by the Jade Emperor, and the Jiutian East Chef ordered the Stove Prince to manage the food of each family. The Stove Lord has been staying at home since last year’s New Year’s Eve. Protect and supervise the family. On the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, um, today, Lord Stove will ascend to heaven and report to the Jade Emperor in the sky the good or evil deeds of this family. So, we must respect some sweets like Lord Stove. Let Lord Stove speak more nice things."

Su Qing's big eyes blinked, she looked very interested. She never knew that Lord Stove still had so much attention.

While talking, the little girl had already placed candy under the portrait of Lord Stove.

Dad also put the prepared paper horses made of bamboo strips and fodder for the animals, beside the candy.

These are the things that the king of the stove needs to use.

Then light a pair of red candles, three incense sticks, and insert them.

After that, the little girl volunteered, stepped on the stool, and coated the mouth of the portrait of Lord Stove with sugar.

Su Qing saw it quite interestingly, and its intention was self-evident. This was to make Lord Shou's mouth sweeter for his elderly.

After coating the sugar, my father took off the portrait of Lord Stove, lit the money paper prepared in advance, and placed the portrait on the burning money paper and burned it.

The whole ceremony of sending the stove is over, just waiting for the New Year's Eve to invite the Lord Stove back again.

"Are you finished?" Su Qing asked.

Li Fan nodded and said, "It's over, it's all simplified now."

...

At noon, after eating lunch, Li Fan took Su Qing, little girl, and two beautiful women to and fate.

On the way, Su Qing asked, "Elder Zheng and Elder Liang, don't you go back to celebrate the New Year?"

Li Fan nodded and said, "No, Mr. Liang's wife also came over the other day. They must be here to celebrate the New Year."

Su Qing nodded and said, "It seems that Mr. Zheng and Mr. Liang have completely regarded this place as their home."

Li Fan said proudly: "That is, the environment here is so good, where are they willing to go."

Su Qing rolled her eyes and said, "Desper!"

Soon, the three came to Yuan Laiju, Zheng Jie, Zhang Xia, Liang Sheng, and Liang Sheng's wife, Wu Bingrong, who had just arrived a few days ago, were disturbing their respective yards.

Li Fan said: "Old Zheng, Old Liang, did Lord Stove give it away?"

Zheng Jie said: "The love girl is here too, but I haven't sent it yet. I'm waiting for your kid to come and send it together."

Su Qing hurriedly greeted the old four. Zheng Jie, Liang Sheng, and Zhang Xia met Su Qing for the first time, but Wu Bingrong was surprised and secretly said, "What a beautiful girl!"

Then he smiled kindly: "Fanzi, this is Xiao Su, and Linlin, good girl, you are all here, come sit down."

Li Fan smiled and said, "Aunt Wu, you are welcome. We are here to send Stove Lord with you."

Afterwards, Zheng Jie and Liang Sheng's small courtyard kitchens were sent away respectively.

After that, the three of Li Fan bid farewell, and after wandering around the village for a while, they returned home.

...

On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Fan still got up early. Well, Su Qing is also up.

Today will be busier than yesterday, because today is the "dust day".

To be precise, from today to New Year's Eve, these days are "dust-sweeping days", that is, general cleaning.

Every family in the village has to clean the courtyards and houses, wash all kinds of utensils, dismantle and wash bedding curtains, dust cobwebs, and dredge open channels.

Before the Spring Festival, clean everything up, sweep out all "poor luck" and "bad luck", and bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

In the past few days every year, every household in the village is cleaning, which seems quite lively, and the atmosphere of the New Year is getting stronger and stronger.

After eating breakfast, Li Fan took a hatchet and went back to chop two bamboos. After that, he picked up the bamboo branches from the bamboo joints and made two bamboo sticks of four or five meters long.

Seeing this, Su Qing asked strangely: "What did you do with two bamboo poles of this length?"

Li Fan smiled and said, "You'll know right away."

Su Qing was puzzled and stared at the movements in Li Fan's hands. I saw Li Fan put down the bamboo poles and tied the thin bamboo branches that had just been picked together. The branches were covered with bamboo leaves, forming a "broom" look.

broom? Su Qing seemed to understand.

After that, Li Fan tied the "broom" he had just made to one end of the bamboo pole before.

In this way, a temporary "long broom" composed of bamboo poles, bamboo branches and bamboo leaves was completed.

What is such a long "broom" used for? Naturally, it is used to clean the dust cobwebs on the high walls.

"Now you know what I want to use it for?" Li Fan asked.

Su Qing nodded and said, "Well, I see, it turns out that the broom can still do this."

Li Fan smiled and said, "I haven't seen it before. This is the method that the village has been using all the time."

...