Farmhouse Pastoral Notes

Chapter 34 Dragon Boat Festival

"The Book of Songs" records that "flying in May", the cicada is the cicada.It means that in May, cicadas broke ground and climbed trees one after another, and started the first voiceless song in summer, so May is also called "Ming Chi".

The ancient Han people also used the twelve earthly branches to match the twelve months, and May was also called "the afternoon moon".

The fifth day of May is "Chongwu", which is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, the Dragon Boat Festival, so May is also called "Duanyang" and "Duanyue".

Chunqiu originally thought that traveling to this unrecorded dynasty in history would not have the festivals she was familiar with, but God gave her a big surprise, and the Dragon Boat Festival was celebrated here.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a festival set up to commemorate Qu Yuan. In fact, when Chunqiu found books from the Spring and Autumn Period in the study room, he should have thought of it. It turns out that the culture here is so familiar.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, there was this festival. From ancient times to the present, due to the vast territory, numerous ethnic groups, and many stories and legends, there are also different customs in different places.Its contents mainly include: the daughter goes back to her natal home, hangs a statue of Zhong Kui, welcomes ghost boats, hides at noon, puts up midday leaf amulets, hangs calamus and wormwood, visits all kinds of diseases, wears sachets, prepares sacrifices, dragon boat races, martial arts competitions, and hits the ball. , play on swings, paint realgar for children, drink realgar wine and calamus wine, eat five-du cakes, salted eggs, rice dumplings and seasonal fresh fruits.

But no matter how it changes, the custom of eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival remains the same. Just like today, Yang, Li, Gu and Yuan are all wrapping zongzi in the kitchen, welcoming the Dragon Boat Festival happily.

Two students, Yang Chunjun and Yang Chunming, also went home early because of the festival. In order to make this festival more lively, Yang Li asked old man Yang and his three sons to get up early and go up the mountain to get some snacks.

So now except for a few young ones in the Yang family, the adults are very busy.

Because Chunqiu was very excited, he ran to the kitchen to help Yuan's make zongzi.

"Mother, why don't you let me come~" Because Chunqiu was too young, Yuan Shi was a little worried that she couldn't wrap it well, so she didn't agree. This made Chunqiu very frustrated, so he had to follow Yuan Shi back and forth.

"Pfft... Are you a follower? Don't follow your mother around, you're going to make your mother faint." Yuan Shi couldn't help laughing as she looked at the girl behind her who could hang a lamp oil bottle from the corner of her mouth.

"Mom, I won't follow you if you ask me to take care of it, or I will keep following you until you agree." Chunqiu said something in his mouth, and the movements of his body did not stop. The boys in the family can't go to the kitchen Yes, the remaining sister Chunni is packing, and sister Chunhua has long since disappeared, so she can be regarded as helping to share.

"The villain is not very thoughtful. Can you do it? Your grandma is not here now. Otherwise, if you make a mistake, grandma will beat you. Mom can't save you." Yuan looked at her daughter's stubborn temper. There is no way, there is nothing good about this zongzi, I want my daughter to rest, but I still deliver it to my door.

"No way." Chunqiu shook his head solemnly, disdainful of her mother's tricks to fool her, "Grandma likes me, so she won't scold me." Hmph, Chunqiu felt arrogant in her heart, but her grandma was a mouthful A good granddaughter called her, so she wouldn't scold her for such a trivial matter.

Mrs. Yuan here has not spoken yet, but Chun Ni, who is helping over there, is envious of this little cousin. The second aunt is so kind to her. Chun Ni sighed in her heart, and secretly glanced at her side. The mother, who is hurrying to work, is inevitably a little unbalanced in her heart. Why doesn't her mother care about her?She has been wrapping for several hours, and her hands are red.

"Okay, okay, don't be annoying, go and play with your second brother, and you can deliver the rice dumplings after a while." After thinking about it, Yuan Shi chose a simple job for her daughter, and gave it to the same family. Zongzi.

Chunqiu looked at Yuan's unnegotiable expression, and was very disappointed on his face. He knew that this was the maximum. There is always a gift in return for giving rice dumplings, thinking of this, Chunqiu was not as upset as before, agreed crisply, and then ran out happily.

"Pfft hahahaha" Seeing that Chunqiu ran away, Mrs. Gu suddenly laughed from the sidelines, and said while rolling up the zongzi leaves, "Sister and sister, Qiu'er is really rare, and she knows how to help you with work, you Look at that dead girl Hua'er in my family, she won't be able to see anyone when she wakes up." Although Mrs. Gu was cursing when she mentioned Chunhua, the corners of her mouth were raised. Although she is a girl who only knows how to eat, she picked it up before. There are a lot of duck eggs, and a lot of them are returned to Gu Shi, which makes Gu Shi very satisfied. It seems that her daughter is not stupid at all, and she knows how to save some.

"Hey, sister-in-law, you still envy me. Look at Nier, you can take care of yourself. You can enjoy yourself, sister-in-law. You don't look like me, you still worry about it." Yuan Shi waved his hands repeatedly when he heard Gu Shi's words, although he agreed in his heart , but still praised Yang Chunni who was working beside her.

"Second aunt, I'm not as capable as you said." Yang Chunni was happy in her heart, but she was still embarrassed on the surface.

"Hey, I'm sorry, what my second aunt said is the truth, if you don't believe me, ask your mother, how capable my Nier is, who will be cheaper in the future?" Yuan said jokingly.

Chunni's complexion was even more crimson, she looked like a ripe red apple, which made Yuan Shi feel happier.

"That's right, my Ni'er doesn't say anything else, she's a good hand at work." Mrs. Gu was also tolerant, looking at the big girl next to her with some pride. She was cultivated by herself, except that she was a little shy. Shy, really can't make a mistake, the more Gu Shi thinks about it, the more satisfied he is, and the curvature of the corner of his mouth is getting bigger and bigger.

When Yang Chunni heard her mother praise her so much, she suddenly felt that the previous efforts were not in vain, and her hands moved faster. The three of them were enjoying themselves in the kitchen, and the study on the other side was also in full swing.

After Chunqiu ran out, he thought for a while that he really had no place to go, and the second brother was finally at home today, and he hadn't seen the beautiful boy for more than half a month, Chunqiu really thought about it.

Chunqiu stood in the yard and glanced at it with big eyes. Taking advantage of no one, he quickly stole a few pieces of corn candy made by grandma and put it in his palm, ready to bribe her second brother. You must know that women in ancient times were illiterate, although Yuan Shi is literate, but because of the tea business, she is so busy that she has no time to teach her. Most importantly, what if she is found to be literate?After much deliberation, Chunqiu decided that her second brother was the most reliable, so she could just ask her to teach her how to read.

Just do it, taking advantage of her second brother not being busy today, Chunqiu started to act.

"Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock"

"Come in..." Yang Chunming was sitting in the study and practicing writing, when he heard the sound of the door, he replied, and then finished the unfinished big characters.

Chunqiu carefully opened the door after hearing the tacit consent of the second brother, turned around and closed it gently. In the Yang family, especially before entering the study, they always asked to knock on the door first.

Chunqiu looked seriously at the scene not far away: a handsome young man in a blue long gown was writing there stroke by stroke, his bony fingers were holding the brush, the sun was shining on the rice paper through the window sill, it looked even more hysterical. free and easy.

Chunqiu watched while wiping the non-existent saliva at the corner of her mouth. Her second brother is really good-looking. He has such a temperament at a young age. Chunqiu knows without thinking. The deer bumped into each other.

"Huh? Why is Qiu'er here?" Yang Chunming just finished writing the last page of big characters, when he looked up and saw Chunqiu standing at the door, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.

Eyebrows are picturesque, cold as jade.

hiss!Her second brother's lethality is really too great!Chunqiu was stupefied by the beauty in front of him, but the thoughts in his heart overcame his remaining rationality, and then under Yang Chunming's surprised eyes, he said his reason for coming, "Second brother, I want to read"

"Learning?" Yang Chunming thought it was an ordinary game, but he didn't expect her younger sister to want to read, so he was a little confused at the moment!
"Well, just to recognize characters." Chunqiu looked at the stupid second brother, and then said, and at the same time looked at Yang Chunming seriously with his big eyes, to prove that what she said was serious.

Yang Chunming had already reacted at this time, and quickly walked out from behind the table, bent down to meet Chunqiu's eyes, looked at the persistence in Chunqiu's eyes, and just smiled, "Tell brother, why do you want to read?" Yang Chunming I'm just curious about my sister's thoughts. My sister is only five years old now, how can she understand so much?

"Because there are so many pictures in Mother's place, but Qiu'er can't read them." Chunqiu said the excuse he had thought up.

As soon as Yang Chunming heard it, he understood that it turned out to be the picture book from his mother, and it was just some biographies. Yang Chunming had read these before, but he didn't expect his sister to like them too, "Yes, Qiu'er wants to read , my brother will teach you"

"Really? Second brother, you are so kind." After hearing this, Chunqiu reached out and hugged Yang Chunming's neck with excitement. Her brother is so kind.

"Let go first, okay? My brother's neck is about to break." Yang Chunming felt the huge pressure on his neck, and said angrily. How embarrassing in the future.

Chunqiu stuck out his tongue in embarrassment, and let go of his hands, isn't he out of control?too excited.

"Okay, come here, I'll teach you to write your own name first." Yang Chunming reached out and led Chunqiu to the back of the table, picked up Chunqiu and put him on the chair, took out the brush he didn't use before, dipped it in ink and said.

"Well, I know" Chunqiu nodded earnestly, she will definitely study hard.

Chunqiu watched Yang Chunming write the three big characters Yang Chunqiu stroke by stroke on the straw paper. Her brother's writing was really great. Although she couldn't understand the strokes, she just felt that the characters were beautiful.

"Okay, you hold the pen, and I'll take you to write." Yang Chunming took out a seemingly small brush and handed it to Chunqiu, and then corrected Chunqiu's mistakes over and over again, reaching out to hold Chunqiu's small hand for practice.

When Chunqiu was able to write his own name proficiently, Yuan Shi was already calling for someone at the door.

When Chunqiu heard this, he quickly put down his brush, jumped down from the chair, reached out and grabbed Yang Chunming who was beside him, and said with a smile, "Second brother, why don't you come with me to deliver zongzi?"

"Okay." Yang Chunming unexpectedly agreed. Anyway, he has finished his homework, so he can relax after going out.

"Then let's go, mother can't wait." Chunqiu hurriedly dragged her second brother out after hearing her second brother's promise.

"Slow down, don't fall." Yang Chunming stretched out his hand to stop Chunqiu, and after tightly holding each other's hand, they went out together.

Yuan Shi was waiting at the door at this time, and she was a little surprised when she found that her son and daughter had come out, "Are you sending them together?"

"Well, mother, son, I haven't been back for a long time, so I just took this opportunity to visit Grandpa's house," Yang Chunming replied with his head bowed.

"It should be so, then you go together, this is the zongzi you want to give to Grandpa's house, you take it" Yuan Shi nodded, reaching out and handing the basket in his hand to Yang Chunming.

"Mother, let's go then." Chunqiu shook his head aside.

"Go, be careful on the road," Yuan Shi instructed.

"Understood, mother, my son is gone." Yang Chunming nodded, and led Chunqiu to the door. Mrs. Yuan looked up, then went back to the kitchen and continued to be busy. Except for the grandpa's house, there were several other households that hadn't delivered yet.

(End of this chapter)