Chapter 350 Liujiazhuang Traditional Year
"Crack, crackle. Crackle!"

It was still dawn when the sound of firecrackers rang out one after another.

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, firecrackers are set off first to wish for good luck when the door is opened. These are called "door-opening firecrackers".

Setting off three firecrackers is called "three hits in a row"; setting off four firecrackers is called "good fortune, wealth, longevity and happiness"; setting off five firecrackers is called "five blessings coming to the door"; setting off six firecrackers is called "six good lucks"... After the sound of firecrackers, the ground is covered with red fragments, as bright as brocade, which is called "a house full of reds".

After a night of partying on the 30th night, it’s time to start paying New Year’s greetings early in the morning! Paying New Year’s greetings on the first day of the New Year is a custom for all Xia people.

At this moment, even if people are reluctant to get up early, they have to cheer up and get up.

Otherwise, when your relatives and friends come to pay New Year's greetings to you and you are still asleep, wouldn't that be impolite and a laughing stock?
The Liu family was no exception. Yesterday, the whole family, young and old, slept in the old house of the Liu family for the sake of liveliness.

Liu Zhiye quickly got up and saw his aunt and mother Deng Ru busy preparing dumplings in the kitchen. The dumplings had thin skins and rich fillings, and the aroma was everywhere.

"Dumplings on the first day, noodles on the second day."

This is the traditional New Year custom in the old capital. The dumplings made today are filled with celery and pork, which is Liu Zhiye’s favorite.

The pork used to make dumplings is not ordinary. Liu Zhiye specially raised a few "wild boars" in the pig farm. They can forage for food freely and do not rely on artificial feed, so the quality of their meat is far better than that of pigs in ordinary pig farms.

These porks are raised purely to satisfy the appetite of their own family.

The fresh celery comes from the village’s “vegetable basket project” - the vegetable greenhouse.

On the farm in Liujiazhuang, fresh vegetables are continuously picked from the village's "vegetable basket project" vegetable greenhouse, bringing vitality to the land.

Today, the vegetable greenhouses in Liujiazhuang have risen and become a shining star in the agricultural field, supporting the prosperity and development of the entire village.

These vegetable greenhouses stretch endlessly, covering a total area of ​​50,000 mu. They produce 200,000 tons of vegetables annually, providing a rich supply of vegetables for the capital. Each person can enjoy more than 60 kilograms of green delicacies every year.

The vegetables in the greenhouse grow lushly, bringing health and deliciousness to the people of Beijing.

"Food is the foundation of the people and the way of heaven!" The brilliant achievements of Liujiazhuang's vegetable greenhouse are second only to its achievements in the industrial field. It has achieved an annual sales breakthrough of 40 million yuan and has become the focus of attention.

Thanks to a series of efforts by governments at all levels, the problem of vegetable supply in spring and winter in the capital has been basically solved, effectively alleviating the people's livelihood problems caused by the shortage of vegetables.

…………

Seeing Liu Zhiye got up early, the aunt smiled and teased, "You went to bed so late last night, why don't you sleep a little longer today?"

Liu Zhiye rubbed his eyes and responded briefly: "Aunt, I'm going to set off firecrackers. You guys should make dumplings quickly. I'm hungry." After that, he hurried out the door.

Deng Ru said from behind him, "Your father told you to sleep a little longer, and he went to set off firecrackers by himself."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiye immediately quickened his pace and said, "Hey! Then I'll go quickly. His eyesight is not good, don't let the firecrackers jump on him."

Youyou came to the back room and sure enough, Liu Jingzhai was there.

"Dad! Which one should we set off?" Liu Zhiye walked in and asked with a smile. "Wow! Our family bought so many firecrackers?"

"Wow! Firecrackers, firecrackers, double-kick firecrackers, flag fireworks, cannon lanterns, marigolds and flower pots. There are quite a lot of varieties to buy!"

Liu Jingzhai said: "Haha, the harvest is good this year. At the big market before the New Year in our village, these fireworks and firecrackers are the most popular items!"

"Well, go and release two hangs of 1000 heads first!"

As soon as the twelfth lunar month came in the old capital, temporary "fireworks and firecrackers markets" were held in the city and the suburbs. Fireworks and firecrackers have always been a popular and sought-after item before the New Year.

Sometimes, tea shops in the city also sell various fireworks.

From the late Qing Dynasty to the present, there are many kinds of fireworks sold in the old capital. The most common ones are firecrackers, firecrackers, double-kick firecrackers, flag firecrackers, cannon lanterns, magnolias and flower pots.

Hemp Lei Zi is a large firecracker that is generally 2 inches long and 4 or 5 fen in diameter. It is wrapped in straw paper. Hemp skin is wrapped between each layer of straw paper, and the top is tied tightly and covered with red paper.

After it was ignited, there was a loud explosion like thunder.

Ertijiao, commonly known as "Ertizi" or "Shuangxiang'er", is usually a large firecracker rolled up with straw paper, about 4 inches high and 7 or 8 centimeters in diameter. The top is tied tightly with sorghum stalks and wrapped with red paper. When it is set off, it bounces up on the ground with one sound, and then makes another sound in the sky.

The other type is a large firecracker rolled up from kraft paper into a size 4 inches high and 5 centimeters in diameter, without being wrapped in red paper.

Flag fire, also written as "qihuo" or "qihua", is commonly found in two types: large and small. The large flag fire is like a big firecracker, 3 or 4 inches long and 5 centimeters in diameter, tied to a 4 or 5 foot long reed. After being lit, it can soar into the sky and burst into light.

The small flag fire itself looks like a small firecracker, tied to a sorghum stalk. After it is lit, it jumps more than a meter high.

The cannon lantern is usually cylindrical, about 3 inches high and 5 centimeters in diameter. It is wrapped with red and green paper and a woodcut ticket. It sounds like a cannon when lit.

When a ball of light bursts out with the sound, it is called a single-lamp artillery attack. When two balls of light burst out, it is called a double-lamp artillery attack.

The big magnolia is half a foot high and about the diameter of a bowl. When it is lit, it sprays sparks.

Flower boxes are high-end fireworks and are usually purchased by wealthy people.

It is shaped like a large flat round box with an outer shell made of colored paper. The small one has a diameter of more than one foot, and the large one is more than five feet. It has 3 to 15 layers. To light the big flower box, you need to set up the stand first.

The box is hung on it, and when it is lit, the fireworks fall down layer by layer.

In the old capital, there is a very popular saying about the Spring Festival, which is: "It's the New Year, it's the New Year, the girls wear flowers and the boys set off firecrackers." This shows how much importance we old Beijingers attach to setting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival.

Setting off firecrackers during the Chinese New Year is not only a custom of the old capital, but also a habit of our nation that cannot be abandoned.

As early as the Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi's poem: "One year is gone with the sound of firecrackers, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu; on a bright day, every household always replaces the old talismans with new ones." has become popular.

Liu Zhiye remembers that when he was young, he mostly bought firecrackers and double-kick fireworks, while maleizi were only available to older children from wealthy families.

As soon as they had finished their New Year's Eve dinner, they would tie 100, 200, 500 or 1000-shot firecrackers on long poles and put them aside, waiting until midnight. When there were still a few minutes left, adults and children would leave the hospital.

At 12 o'clock, the whole city is filled with fireworks and deafening sounds. Women and children cover their ears, while men squat down and use cigarette butts or incense to light firecrackers.

Some children are reluctant to set off firecrackers, so they take them off the string one by one and break them into small firecrackers to set off.

The incense sticks used to light firecrackers have a red wooden stick in the middle, while the incense sticks are green. This kind of incense sticks burns for a longer time.

The timid children would put the firecrackers on the steps, tiptoe over, light them and run away. With a "pop" sound, they went off.

Liu Zhiye was very brave when he was a child. He dared to hold a firecracker in his hands, light it and throw it out.

Sometimes they would do something fancy and break the small firecrackers to expose the black gunpowder in the middle and set them off like fireworks, calling it "the old man fireworks the old lady."

Of course, setting off firecrackers is related to economic conditions. Children from poor families cannot afford to set off a whole string of firecrackers, and they would be reluctant to do so even if they did.

Early in the morning on New Year's Day, as soon as I left home, I saw the whole capital city covered in red and golden armor.

This is because firecrackers are red, while double-kick firecrackers and maleizi are wrapped in yellow paper. From the moment of New Year's Eve, the whole capital is in the midst of noise and jingle until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

…………

"Okay!" Liu Zhiye quickly picked up two strings of 1000 firecrackers, hung them on the big pine tree at the door, and lit them with his hands.

"Hey! It's fun to set off one by one! It's a pity that there are no more loud ones..." As long as they set off firecrackers, even adults can still retain some of their childish innocence.

Maybe it’s because he wasn’t satisfied with setting off firecrackers when he was a child, that’s why he likes shooting guns so much when he grows up!
Liu Zhiye was quite good at playing, and he felt that he had not had enough fun, so he went into the house and took out two strings of firecrackers, a few double-kick firecrackers, and firecrackers.

The Ma Lei Zi makes one sound and is tied to a firecracker that can fire a thousand bangs. When it is set off, it makes a "crackling-bang" sound. The Ertijiao makes two sounds and is filled with two layers of gunpowder. The first layer sends the cannon flying into the sky, and the second layer explodes with two "ding-bang" sounds.

The firecrackers of those days were usually made of two types: ones rolled by hand or by machine from large straw paper, and wrapped in red paper.

The mechanism is small and tight, with a crisp sound, which is called a machine whip. There are also large firecrackers rolled with kraft paper, which have a fierce explosion sound. Each hanging has 100, 500, 1000, or 500 heads. This "head" is also called "banger", such as 1000 bangers, 1000 bangers, and bangers is the most.

“Crackle—boom!” “Crackle—boom…” The sound of firecrackers echoed outside the gate. The women of the Liu family woke up from their dreams one after another. They no longer lingered in their warm beds and got up to wash and dress.

But there is one little lazy pig who is an exception.

"Oh hey! Let me see who is still awake?" Deng Ru went into her room, wanting to wake up her beloved granddaughter.

You can see clearly that it is teasing that wakes her up, not calling her.

There are many rules for celebrating the New Year in the old capital. One of them is: Don't call people's names to wake them up in the morning on the first day of the new year, as this means that they will need to be urged to do things throughout the whole year.

In addition, it is taboo to greet people who are still sleeping.

On the first day of the new year, do not wish the other party New Year greetings when they are still asleep. Wait until the other party wakes up before wishing the other party New Year greetings, because this will keep the other party in a hospital bed for the whole year.

It is taboo to take medicine on the first day of the New Year. It is said that "taking medicine on the first day will make you sick for the whole year, and no disease can be cured", so no matter how seriously ill the patient is, he will not take medicine on the first day of the New Year.

What else? It is taboo to use knives and scissors, chop wood with axes, borrow money, dump sewage, garbage, sweep the floor, etc.

It is said that "if you use a knife or scissors on the first day of the lunar year, you will inevitably have disputes", "if you touch a needle, you will pick a dragon's tendon (the child will have eyes as small as a needle's eye)," "if you chop wood (money) with an axe on the first day of the lunar year, you will never get it back", "if you borrow money from others on the first day of the lunar year, you will rely on external aid all year round; if you lend money to others on the first day of the lunar year, your wealth will flow out for a whole year" and so on.

Ever since she had two younger brothers, the little girl has been sleeping with her grandparents.

Xiaoxian was also happy about this. Compared to her mother who was strict with her, she liked her grandparents who doted on her more.

It is said that generations apart are close to each other, and this is absolutely true.

In Liu Zhiye's childhood memory, his father rarely showed any affection to him and his siblings. Instead, he accompanied them as they grew up with stern gazes and teachings.

Liu Jingzhai doted on his granddaughter and never blamed her. Even when Xiaoxian got into trouble, he just smiled indifferently, showing his tolerance and love.

Once, Xiaoxian accidentally broke the leg of her grandfather's glasses. She realized the seriousness of the situation, her mouth curled up, and tears were about to flow out.

Liu Jingzhai quickly picked her up and comforted her, "Don't cry, Xiaoxian, it's okay. Grandpa has wanted to change a pair of silver glasses for a long time. If the old ones don't go, the new ones won't come!"

He also let the little girl ride on his neck, and he enjoyed it very much. He took her for a stroll until the little girl was happy.

Liu Zhiruo, the daughter of the family, was very upset about this. "Dad, why didn't you love us so much when we were little? You are too biased!"

What she got in return was Liu Jingzhai's direct disregard, "How old are you? You still have the nerve to compete for favor with your little niece, you're just that lowly!"

One can imagine the "rebellion" in Liu Zhiruo's heart, but she also has ways to take revenge on her little niece.

Before the New Year, Xiaoxian acted coquettishly with her, "Aunt, aunt, can you buy me a gift for the New Year?"

"You want a gift!" Liu Zhiruo's eyes turned, and a plan came to her mind, "Of course, my aunt loves you so much, she will definitely buy you a gift that you will never forget. Just wait and see!"

Sure enough, a few days later, Liu Zhiruo went to the city. When she returned, she had a heavy gift carefully wrapped in brown paper in her hands. She took it directly to Xiaoxian.

"Oh! Thank you! Aunt...Grandma!" Xiaoxian was so happy when she saw that she really brought her a gift, and she kissed Liu Zhiruo on the face.

Liu Zhiruo tried hard to hold back his laughter and just watched the little girl excitedly open the gifts.

"Ouch! It's quite heavy!" The little girl took great effort to open the gift, but a look of astonishment instantly appeared on her face. There was no special gift in front of her, but all books!

The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

"Wow..." The little girl started to cry. "Bad auntie... Woo... I don't want to care about you anymore..." Liu ran away crying.

When Deng Ru came out to settle accounts with Liu Zhiruo without knowing the truth, Liu Zhiruo said confidently: "I am doing this for her own good. Xiaoxian is gifted, so she should naturally work harder to learn."

Deng Ru laughed when she heard this and waved her hand to hit her little daughter: "Xiaoxian is indeed smart, but she is only four years old. Good fellow, it's too early to let her learn these things now!"

When Liu Zhiye came back, Xiaoxian immediately went up to him to complain. He could only smile bitterly and turned to Liu Zhiruo and said bluntly: "Just act like a human being..."

No matter who he was facing, Liu Zhiruo always responded with a fixed set of rhetoric, firmly denying the fact that he had intentionally teased his little niece.

"Brother, don't be ungrateful. I'm doing this for Xiaoxian's sake. It's not easy for me to find suitable study books for her. I've walked all over the capital. Look at how thin my calves have become."

Although what Liu Zhiruo said was far-fetched, it is undeniable that Xiaoxian does have a high IQ.

I don’t know if it’s because of good family genes, but she has been learning at an amazing speed since kindergarten. Now she has mastered addition and subtraction, and can even recite more than a dozen Tang poems fluently. It’s really amazing.

If she wasn't so young, she could have gone to primary school with this amount of knowledge.

Mr. and Mrs. Liu Zhiye were busy with work, so Xiaoxian was taken care of by his grandparents since he was young. He was smart and talented.

Her parents doted on her, causing her to become somewhat unscrupulous and get into trouble. She often beat other children and made them flee in panic, gradually showing signs of becoming a "street bully".

It gave Liu Zhiye a headache.

…………

New Year's greetings usually start at home. On the morning of the first day of the New Year, people first worship heaven and earth, then their ancestors (tablets), and finally their parents. That is, the younger generations greet the older generations. When performing the ceremony, one should start with the one with the highest seniority, usually grandpa, grandma, parents, uncles and aunts.

After receiving the greetings, the elders will distribute the New Year’s money prepared in advance to the younger generations.

Only after paying New Year's greetings to the elders at home can one go out to pay New Year's greetings to relatives in the family.

Liu Zhiye led the younger generations to kowtow to the elders, and then wished them a happy new year, and then the family went to eat.

Finish eating dumplings on the first day of the new year.

Liu Zhiye put on new clothes, picked up Xiaoxian, and led Gan Ning, her three sisters-in-law and her younger sister on a New Year's visit.

They have a heavy task today. The Liu family is a big family, and there are many families that they need to visit. If they don't hurry up, they may not be able to finish the visits in one day.

"Happy New Year", "Happy New Year to you", "Brother, happy New Year to my sisters-in-law!" "Hey! Hello to you too!"

Along the way, whenever we met people we knew or didn’t know, we would greet each other and wish each other good luck.

The old Beijing people are very strict with rules and you can't just randomly pay New Year's greetings, otherwise you will be laughed at.

Generally, younger generations bow when wishing a happy new year to their elders, which is commonly known as "Ji Bai".

When performing a salute, hold both hands in front of you with fists, left hand holding right hand, and raise your hands to eyebrows, then shake them up and down with force a few times. For a more serious salute, you can bow followed by a salute.

When greeting each other, peers hold their fists and bow. The standard posture for men is to make a fist with their right hand and cover it with their left hand, because the right hand is the attacking hand, and covering it with the left hand shows goodwill; women do the opposite, but do not hold their fists, but only press their hands. This is in line with the ancient tradition of "men hold the left hand and women hold the right hand".

There are many forms of greeting during the first month of the lunar year, including kowtow, bow, handshake, and hug. But among them, bowing is the most commonly used etiquette by the old Beijing people.

As the old saying goes, "Humanity is like a saw. If you don't come, I won't go." New Year's greetings give people an opportunity to "visit" each other. New Year's greetings are both a gift and a human relationship.

According to old customs in Beijing, when visiting relatives or friends during the New Year, you cannot go empty-handed.

The old Beijing people are very particular about giving New Year gifts, but no matter how particular they are, the gifts are generally centered around the theme of "good luck".

When it comes to gift-giving, Liu Zhiye is actually quite embarrassed, mainly because the relatives in Liujiazhuang lack nothing nowadays, so he has to come up with another creative way.

Look, the whole family is carrying in large and small bags the “Eight Beijing Items” specially customized by Liu Zhiye.

The Beijing Eight Snack Box is a more traditional New Year gift in Beijing. It contains eight kinds of cakes in different shapes and flavors, including blessing cakes, wealth cakes, longevity cakes, happiness cakes, Tai Shi cakes, pepper and salt cakes, jujube paste cakes and red bean paste cakes.

These pastries are not only rich in taste but also have auspicious meanings and are often served during festivals and celebrations.

(End of this chapter)