I am imprisoned in Kaifeng Mansion

Early in the morning, before dawn, Wang Siniang took Cui Tao and asked her to dig a hole for the snake in the yard.

The nail-faced snake is a popular custom in Bianjing in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is said that it can suppress evil and prevent diseases.It is to find three people with different surnames to dig a pit before dawn, and put the noodle snake, fried black beans, and boiled eggs into the pit one by one. Nail it three times with an iron nail, recite the mantra "Snake shape will cause disease, black beans will cause disease, chickens will cause disease", and then cover with soil.

After Cui Tao chatted with Han Qi last night, she was inexplicably excited and couldn't fall asleep. She finally felt sleepy and slept for a while, only to be woken up by Wang Siniang.She only hated that this custom required three people with different surnames. Apart from Wang Siniang and Aunt Ding, who was a kitchen helper, she was the only one in the family.

After finishing the nail-faced snake, Cui Tao went back to the room in a daze to go to sleep, but was startled suddenly by the sound of firecrackers behind him.

"Yo Yo Yo, New Year's Eve! New Year's Day is the most important day, it's the year of the year, the day of the day, and the day of the year!" Accompanied by the sound of crackling firecrackers, Wang Siniang jumped and clapped her hands and shouted happily.

Cui Tao opened her eyes immediately, and turned to look at Wang Siniang.

Wang Siniang deliberately raised her eyebrows at Cui Tao twice, and smiled happily.

Obviously, this guy overheard what Han Qi said to her last night.

Cui Tao took a slow breath and ignored her.When she turned around and was about to go back to the house, something flew from behind her with a whoosh.Cui Tao turned sideways deftly and easily dodged.

The snow ball fell to the ground and fell into pieces.

"Ahaha, I knew you would be able to hide!" Wang Siniang then made a second round, and was dodged by Cui Tao again.Wang Siniang was not convinced, and decided to attack at the same time with a snowball in each hand.

After Cui Tao dodged again, this time she was not used to Wang Siniang's problems, a big ball of snow slapped directly on Wang Siniang's forehead, making Wang Siniang squeal in the ice.

"Now do you know why I don't care to play with you? I'm afraid you will scream too badly." After Cui Tao said, she mercilessly took pictures of the second snow ball, forcing Wang Siniang to yell for mercy, bowing and apologizing again and again. , indicating that she would never dare again.

The sky is gradually getting brighter, red clouds appear in the east, and the sun is shining on the whole silver-clad world.

"It's time for us to worship our ancestors."

Cui Tao was curious: "worship ancestors?"

There is a custom of worshiping ancestors on New Year's Day, but this year it's just the two of them, and there is no ancestral hall at home, so what kind of ancestors are they worshiping?

"I've got everything ready!" Wang Siniang took Cui Tao to the West Wing, where an altar was set up on the north wall, and there were two memorial tablets on the altar table, and there were fruit offerings in front of it.

Cui Tao couldn't help laughing as she looked at the tablets that said "ancestor of the Wang family" and "ancestor of the Cui family" respectively.

However, it is indeed well-prepared and caring.

After the two worshiped their ancestors, they had breakfast.

Eating Suobing is also one of the important customs on New Year's Day.To put it bluntly, this suobing is a kind of slender noodle soup, but it is natural to be more delicate when eating it during the Chinese New Year.After boiling the overnight chicken soup, the noodles are slender and firm, and the soup base is thick and mellow. With a few slices of ham and tender yellow cabbage hearts, a bowl of steaming hot is not oily or greasy, dry and thin, and it is just right for breakfast.

After breakfast, Wang Siniang asked Cui Tao to go to sleep for a while.

"I'm already in good spirits." Cui Tao knew that Wang Siniang was just being polite, and she was making a fuss on purpose to ask her to accompany her.Sure enough, Wang Siniang happily dragged Cui Tao to post peach charms and Spring Festival couplets.

There are many kinds of door gods in the Song Dynasty, including peach charms, Zhong Kui statues, and an unnamed door god wearing a tiger helmet.There are actually several kinds of peach charms. The one bought by Wang Siniang is the most commonly used. On the peach wood board are painted with gods and beasts such as Baize and Suanni, and below are painted with statues of Yu Lei and Shentu, which are hung on the door to ward off evil spirits.There are also some sentences carved on peach wood to avoid evil and avoid disasters, nailed in the mud.

After the family affairs are over, I have to go to the temple and Taoist temple to worship the gods and pray for blessings.Originally, it was enough to just choose one of them to go, but Wang Siniang wanted all the great gods of Buddhism and Taoism to bless her with good health and prosperity, so she went with them all.For Chinese New Year, it's all for auspiciousness and happiness, Cui Tao has nothing to do anyway, just follow Wang Siniang toss around, if there is any debt, I will settle it with her later.

……

It is customary for civil and military officials in Beijing to enter the palace to pay New Year's greetings to the emperor in the early morning. This is the so-called Dachaohui.

By the time Han Qi came to find Cui Tao after the court meeting, Cui Tao had already prepared bad duck wings and duck feet, spiced dried tofu, fried broad beans and other appetizers.A cup of Tusu wine was scalded hot, and it was just enough to drive away the cold.

"During the next court meeting, I saw Song Yushi and Lin Shangshu chatting very happily."

"Good thing."

At this time, Wang Siniang happily entered the door with new dishes.

Cui Tao brought the peeled broad beans to Han Qi's mouth.

Han Qi glanced at Wang Siniang who had just entered the door, and without changing his expression, he bit into his mouth the broad beans that Cui Tao sent.

Wang Siniang immediately turned around and avoided.

"Why don't you watch it, so you don't have to listen to the wall."

Wang Siniang was so frightened that she hurriedly waved her hands to explain that she didn't listen to the wall, "I happened to come to see Mrs. Cui last night, so I heard something I shouldn't have heard."

Han Qi still didn't speak, but the sound of him biting broad beans made Wang Siniang's heart skip a beat.Strange to say, she seems to be more afraid of Han Tuiguan than Mrs. Cui.Although Mrs. Cui must avenge her revenge, she will come directly to her if she has anything. Han Tuiguan can't say it well.

If she really knew that she shouldn't listen to those words, how could she learn to say them in the morning?

"Really?" Cui Tao asked Wang Siniang in a drawn-out tone on purpose.

"Yes Yes Yes!"

Wang Siniang hurried to Cui Tao's side, begging her to stop doubting herself with begging eyes, otherwise she would be really miserable if Han Tuiguan took revenge.

"You eat well, I suddenly feel very sleepy, so don't bother me!"

Wang Siniang found an excuse and quickly slipped away.

Han Qi: "You scared her."

"Really? Why did I look at him because I was afraid of you, and that's why I was as scared as I was just now?"

Han Qi laughed, and gave Cui Tao all the broad beans that had been peeled in his hand.He doesn't like this much, but Cui Tao does. He gave Cui Tao the broad beans he peeled just now.So when Cui Tao deliberately brought broad beans to his mouth, Han Qi immediately understood what she meant.

"To deal with thick-skinned people, you have to be thicker than them. The more shy she is, the more she likes to joke about this kind of thing."

It's not that Wang Siniang has any bad intentions, but the bad nature of people is indeed fully displayed in her.Cui Tao didn't like to talk to her before, but she can restrain herself a bit.Now that we have gone through a lot of hardships together, and the friendship has deepened, she has become bolder, so she has to be beaten appropriately.

"It's rare that Liu Lang wasn't shy just now—" Cui Tao hadn't finished speaking, and Han Qi's cheeks were slightly red from the corner of his eye.

Cui Tao couldn't help laughing, it seemed that she was going to take back her words.

The next day, Cui Tao went to pay New Year's greetings to Mrs. Hu, and presented her own ginseng Qingfei pills for Mrs. Hu's health.

Mrs. Hu believed in Cui Tao's medical skills the most, knowing that Cui Tao must have put a lot of thought into this thing, while she was happy, she worried that Cui Tao was working too hard, so she told her a lot.

The meals that Cui Tao ate at Han Qi's house were twice as rich as the New Year's Eve dinner. Many of them were cooked by Mrs. Hu herself. They were all her specialties, and her skills were better than that of Mrs. Fang.Cook Fang also told Cui Tao that Mrs. Hu had studied the recipe for several days in order to prepare this table dish for her.Even for Han Qi, Hu has never been so attentive.

It is a custom to pay New Year visits after the festival, and officials will take this opportunity to give gifts and walk around.

After Lin Shangshu hosted a banquet at home for his colleagues and subordinates who came to pay New Year's greetings to him, he deliberately left Song Yushi behind. The two of them sat alone in the hut, listening to actors playing music, drinking and chatting.

Since Song Yushi generously rescued him in front of the emperor last time, Lin Shangshu and Song Yushi have been in contact with each other more and more frequently. Today, the relationship between the two has become very close, almost to the point where they talk about everything.

Song Yushi poured wine for Lin Shangshu again.

"I'm so drunk, I can't drink any more." Lin Shangshu leaned sideways on the Luohan couch, and waved his hands to express that he couldn't do it anymore.

"This cup must be drunk. From now on, Song will rely on Brother Lin to support him. If something good happens in the future, Brother Lin must not forget me!"

"It's natural, I will do the same if you don't say it." Lin Shangshu raised his glass, drank the wine, and turned the glass upside down for Song Yushi to see.

Song Yushi laughed.

Lin Shangshu hiccupped, waved his hand, dismissed the actor and his entourage, went to Song Yushi's side, and said in a low voice, "I really have something to ask you."

"Say it!" Song Yushi blushed, looking very drunk.

"You have been in the position of censor for seven or eight years, have you ever thought of moving?"

"This Bianjing has never been short of talented officials, how easy it is! Besides, the censor's job is to offend people, so it is even more difficult." Song Yushi said dejectedly.

"That depends on which path you take. If you are as timid as a mouse and do nothing, you will naturally not be able to achieve great things. If you are more courageous and open a new path, you will be able to rise to the sky. To be honest, with the talent of a good brother, To be in the position of supervisory censor, what a waste of talent, too much!" Lin Shangshu sighed, and added, "You are more talented than me! But when I was your age, I had a higher official position than you, so I was lucky too. , came across a good opportunity."

"Why am I unlucky." Song Yushi complained with a mournful face, repeatedly patting the table, "I just lack a chance, I don't have a chance!"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, if there is no chance, let's look for a chance." Lin Shangshu told Song Yushi that he has a chance, and it depends on whether he is bold enough to do it.When things are done, it means success and fame, skyrocketing, ranking above ten thousand people and below one person.

Song Yushi nodded again and again to reconcile, "Brother Lin has such a good thing, take me with you!"

Lin Shangshu whispered a few words to Song Yushi.Song Yushi's eyes widened suddenly, he was so frightened that the alcohol passed away, he jumped up from the couch, and looked at Lin Shangshu in shock.