Because the Yang family's ship was about to set sail on the fifth day of the lunar new year, there were many things to arrange, but the time was very short, so this new year was quite dull.
On the afternoon of the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, Old Master Yang brought his family to the kitchen first. He set up a table and offered incense to the Kitchen God in the altar on the wall of the kitchen. He also offered sugar melons made of sugar and flour. Then, he tied the bamboo strips into paper horses and fodder for the livestock. Using cerealose to worship the Kitchen God was to make him sweet. Old Master Yang even smeared sugar around the kitchen god's mouth and said,"Say more good things, don't say bad things.”Siwen and Sijing giggled as they watched from behind.
Then, Madam Zheng took out the stove candy. In the future, the stove candy was a long candy stick, which was called "Guandong candy". When it was pulled into an oblate shape, it was called candy melon. In the winter, he placed it outside the house. Because of the cold weather, the cantaloupes were solid and there were some tiny bubbles inside. It tasted crisp, sweet, and crispy, with a unique flavor. The real kwantung candy was extremely hard and could not be broken. When eating it, one had to use a kitchen knife to cut it open. The material was very heavy and thin. The taste was slightly sour, and there were no honeycombs in the middle. Each piece weighed one tael, two taels, or four taels, and the price was also more expensive. The sugar was divided into two types: one with sesame and one without sesame. The sugar was made into the shape of a melon or a northern melon. The center was empty, and the skin was less than five centimeters thick. Although the size was different, the transaction was still calculated by weight. The big sugar melon weighed one or two catties, but it was used as a cover, and few people bought it. However, in this era, the stove candy was a kind of large yellow-yellow candy that looked a little like hawthorn. It was very sticky and was very sticky after being cut into strips.
On the 24th of December, the Yang family started to put up couplets. Rich families paid attention to the fact that they had to stick it on every door and every object. Therefore, the Spring Festival had the most couplets and the most comprehensive content. The couplets before the gods were especially particular, mostly words of worship and blessing. There was the Heaven and Earth Divine Union: " Heaven's grace is as deep as the sea, and Earth's virtue is as heavy as a mountain." Earth God Union: " White jade grows in the earth, gold grows in the earth " The God of Wealth: " The Lord of Wealth in Heaven, the God of Fortune in the Human World " Jingshen Couplet: "The well can connect the four seas, and the home can reach the three rivers." The couplets in the granary and other places were all expressing warm congratulations and hope. For example,"the five grains are abundant and the six livestock are prosperous";" The rice is as thick as a mountain, and the oil and salt are as deep as the sea "" Cows are like tigers in the southern mountains, horses are like dragons in the northern sea "" Big sheep grow every year, small lambs grow every month " and so on. There were also some couplets, such as " Looking up to see happiness " in every room," Seeing happiness outside the door " on the opposite side of the door," Prosperous Qi soaring to the sky " on the fire," The courtyard is full of gold "," Deep roots and luxuriant leaves " on the tree," White Tiger is lucky " on the stone mill, and so on. The couplet on the door was the face of a family. It was especially valued and had rich content. This year's Spring Festival couplets were personally written by Old Master Yang:
The second half of the couplet was 'A family reunion to celebrate the new year'.
The horizontal caption reads: Welcome the Spring Festival
After the couplets were pasted, the servants of the Yang family began to sweep the dust. Old Master Yang also took the lead to clean his bedroom again.
On the 25th of December, Old Master Yang finally gave his approval. This voyage would be led by the most experienced captain of the Yang family fleet, Yi Suifeng. Before this, Yang Sichen had never seen the style of the Yang family's fleet, so he used the excuse of discussing the sailing route to get Xia Zhong to invite Yi Suifeng to Blue Wave Courtyard. However, before that, Yang Sichen had heard about Yi Suifeng's rough experience from Xia Zhong. This person was originally a general of the Ming Navy, and was naturally upright. In the fifth year of Wanli, he was expelled from the military because he offended his superior. He had no choice but to make a living by operating ships for merchants. Later, he was captured by the Japanese pirates at sea and used as a coolie. He was saved by the pirate Old Master Yang, so he became Old Master Yang's subordinate. He had been working for twenty-five years and was now fifty-five years old.
When Yang Sichen saw Yi Suifeng, he couldn't connect this short and strong guy with an old man who was over fifty years old. His height only reached Xia Zhong's chin, but his build was slightly stronger than Xia Zhong's. He was short, and the veins on the back of his hand were bulging. He had a head of messy white hair, but there were not many wrinkles on his face. He looked to be only forty-five or forty-six years old, about the same age as his cheap father. He looked younger than Xia Zhong. He was also very particular about his dressing.
"You are Uncle Yi?" Yang Sichen asked.
Yi Suifeng's face was a little awkward. After a while, he replied,"Young Master, it's me!"
Yang Sichen smiled awkwardly and said,""This mission is different from the past. I believe Grandfather has already told you. I want to hear your opinion."
Yi Suifeng said," This subordinate is very clear about the purpose of going out to sea this time. However, the sea is vast. Other than the sun and the stars, there are almost no signs. Moreover, the stars in the sky are different from before when we cross the windless sea. It is very difficult to sail completely by relying on the compass. I wonder if Young Master has any good ideas?"
Yang Sichen said," I can't find a good way either, but I think Si Nan alone is enough. After all, the place we're looking for this time is big enough. As long as the direction is roughly right, it'll be fine." If Uncle Yi is still worried, I still have a map here. Uncle Yi, take it and draw a map.”As he spoke, he asked Zi Juan to go to the study room and fetch the detailed topographic map of Asia and Oceania that he had drawn.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Zi Juan brought the map over and handed it to Yi Suifeng.
Yi Suifeng unfolded the map with a puzzled expression. After taking a glance, he said to Yang Sichen in surprise,"Young Master, did you really draw this picture?”
Yang Sichen nodded and said," I drew it myself. I started flipping through books and looking up sea charts in June. It took me four months to finish it until early September. I was really troubled by it. This map is exclusive to the Yang family, don't spread it.”
Yi Suifeng nodded. As an experienced captain, he naturally knew the value of this map. Then, he said,"Young Master, what do you think?" This subordinate will only draw the map of the places that we must pass through during this voyage. I will not draw the other places for the time being.”
Yang Sichen nodded and said,"Of course, that's for the best."”Thus, he ordered the purple silk to prepare a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and let Yi Suifeng start to draw.
After a quarter of an hour, Yi Suifeng left the Jade Wave Courtyard with Xia Zhong with the map he had drawn.
After a while, Wang Dahai came to Yang Sichen with the installation plan for the self-defense weapon. Yang Sichen looked at the installation plan-add a platform at the bow and install two heartless cannons side by side, pointing diagonally at the bow. Each of them could shoot at targets within a 90-degree range. Two heartless cannons were installed side by side at the stern of the ship, which could turn 135 degrees left and right. Two heartless cannons were installed on the open-air decks on both sides of the ship. As for the rockets, they would be placed on a wooden rack and inserted into a wooden board. One person would hide behind the wooden board and aim while the other person would be responsible for igniting the rockets. Each ship was equipped with 80 barrels of gunpowder and 40 rockets.
Yang Sichen was very satisfied and nodded.""Uncle Wang, we'll install it according to your plan. However, the rockets would need to be increased by 50%.”
Wang Dahai nodded and left the Jade Wave Courtyard.
After sending Wang Dahai off, Yang Sichen suddenly had a sudden impulse. He brought the purple handkerchief to the kitchen to take a look. The servants were busy making rice cakes, slaughtering pigs and sheep, and preparing New Year's food. Yang Sichen was very interested in beating the rice cakes, so he took the wooden mallet from the servant and began to beat the rice cakes with the purple handkerchief as the servants had done. After fighting for half an hour, Yang Sichen felt his back ache and he couldn't take it anymore. So he returned the mallet to the servant beside him with a smile and left the kitchen with the purple handkerchief. He thought to himself, This job is really not something I can do.
…………
According to the customs in the north, on the 27th and 28th of the twelfth lunar month, one had to bathe and wash clothes in a group to get rid of the bad luck of the year and prepare for the new year. In the capital, there was a custom of washing one's sins on the 27th and sloppiness on the 28th. However, in Song Jiang, the common people took a bath on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month as "washing blessings." The Yang family was no exception. On this day, the old and young of the Yang family would bathe to remove the bad luck of the past year and prepare for the good fortune of the next year.
In the next two days, Old Master Yang was welcoming them while arranging the fleet to go out to sea. Yang Sichen stood at the side and helped out.
When it was time, Old Master Yang took the lead and the family sat around the table to eat a reunion dinner. The sense of fulfillment in their hearts was indescribable. The Yang family enjoyed the table full of delicacies and the happy atmosphere. There were big dishes, cold plates, hot stir-fried dishes, snacks, and of course, there were two things. One was hot pot. The second was fish. The hot pot was boiling, steaming hot, warm and seductive, indicating that it was booming."Fish" and "Yu" are homophonic, symbolizing "auspicious surplus" and also implying "surplus every year". There were also radishes, commonly known as vegetable heads. Fried crabs, fried fish, and other fried food. I wish my family luck prosperity. Finally, there was a sweet dish, wishing for the sweet days ahead…Even though Siwen and Sijing didn't know how to drink, they didn't drink too much Shaoxing yellow wine. It was so spicy that the sisters stuck out their tongues. The sisters 'comical appearance amused everyone in the room.
At this time, there was already the habit of staying up late on New Year's Eve, commonly known as "staying up late for the New Year." The New Year's Eve dinner started from the start, so this New Year's Eve dinner naturally had to be eaten slowly. The Yang family sat down at night and ate until late at night.
It was only at midnight when Yang Sichen could not hold on any longer that he apologized to his parents and went back to his room to sleep.
…………
Early in the morning on the first day of the first lunar month, Old Master Yang led his family to worship heaven and earth and the tablets of their ancestors. This ceremony of worshipping the gods and ancestors was also grand and strict. They would cut the papyrus into paper money and offer different offerings to the ancestral tablets and statues. The offerings for the ancestral tablets were cooked food, and the paper money was burned three days later. In front of the statue, fruits and vegetables were served, and the paper money was burned after the Lantern Festival.
Then, Old Master Yang brought his family to celebrate Old Master Yang's birthday. The whole family made a "plaque meal" together. In Yang Sichen's eyes, the so-called " plate food " was similar to dumplings in the future. Old Master Yang was in charge of kneading the dough, Madam Zheng was in charge of rolling the dough, Old Master Yang and Yang Sichen were in charge of wrapping the dough, and the two little girls were in charge of watching the stove, adding water to the pot, and adding firewood to the stove. Of course, the servants were watching from the side and helping the two little girls from time to time.
When the food was placed in the pot, Yang Siwen innocently told him a nursery rhyme,""On New Year's Day, the handle will be returned. Peace will be unified to celebrate the new year, and the door god will be pasted on it. The rich man's clothes and hats were neat, and he only changed his robe. Vulgar people, see the festival carrying baskets. He was selling melon seeds, peanuts, and jade orchid slices. Small people, see the New Year's money earned, earned money to buy some goods to play. He bought it, a glass trumpet drum as a bamboo horse, and a ghost face twirling. In the evening, the sound of ping-pong ping-pong; At dawn, people come and go to return gifts. This one said congratulations, and that one said how dare they. It was a joyous new year, and they would be able to make a fortune.”
Yang Sijing was clapping her hands at the side, keeping a beat for her sister.
After Yang Siwen finished speaking, Old Master Yang smiled and said,""This girl is quite smart. She might be like her mother in the future, a smart person!”
"Father, how can my wife be as good as you say?" Madam Zheng quickly said modestly.”
The family ate the food happily and chatted for a while before leaving.
After sending off the servants, the three Du brothers arrived. After entering the central room, Du Da brought his two younger brothers forward to kowtow to Yang Sichen and said,""We wish Young Master a happy new year and all the best!”
Yang Sichen quickly got the three brothers to stand up and said with a smile,""You three brothers have arrived so quickly?”
"I haven't been working for the past few days. I have nothing to do, so I came early to see if there's any work for Young Master." The little ones can also help."
Yang Sichen waved his hand and said," You guys go out and play. It's the new year. It's good to go out and have fun."”He took out three red packets and handed them to the three of them.
The three brothers received the red packets and said some auspicious words before leaving the Jade Wave Courtyard. Opening the red packet, the three of them immediately beamed with joy. There were five taels of silver inside the red packet.
…………
In the next few days, Yanhong, Liu Lan, and Zi Juan played Tendon with Yang Sichen, drank cards, and played Horse Diao and Double Lu. Yang Sichen took the opportunity to be a playboy.
…………
On the morning of the fifth day of the lunar new year, the Yang family got up at dawn and packed up before rushing to Liujiagang dock.
Four hours later, the Yang family arrived at the Liujiagang pier.
As it was the new year, the dock was empty. The Yang family's two flying scissors sailboats were alone on the edge of the bridge, with their sails closed.
The Yang Family's sailors were led by Yi Suifeng as they saluted Old Master Yang. Yang Sichen looked at the black mass of people and estimated that there were about 350 of them.
Old Master Yang returned the greeting and began to pay homage to Mazu. The others also began to pay homage.
Mazu, also known as the Heavenly Concubine, Heavenly Queen, Heavenly Holy Mother, and Mother, was a god worshipped by generations of boatmen, sailors, travelers, merchants, and fishermen. In ancient times, sailing on the sea was often attacked by wind and waves, and the ship sank. The safety of the crew became the main problem for navigators. They placed their hopes on the blessings of the gods. Before the ship set sail, they had to offer sacrifices to the Heavenly Concubine, praying for a smooth sailing and safe return. There was also a Heavenly Concubine tablet on the ship.
Mazu was the sea god worshipped by fishermen. During the era of wooden boats, most of the Chinese who migrated to various countries in the world were coastal fishermen. When they went to various countries in the world, they also brought the belief of Mazu to the whole world. Therefore, among the overseas Chinese around the world, Mazu became the god they worshipped. It was said that there were more than 5,000 Mazu temples in the world in the later generations, and there were as many as 250 million Mazu believers. Almost every place with Chinese people had a Mazu temple, and many people believed in Mazu. Mazu became the common belief of most overseas Chinese.
Because the purpose of going out to sea this time was extraordinary, after offering sacrifices to Mazu, they went on to offer sacrifices to the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas...
In the end, Old Master Yang personally sent the sailors onto the ship and personally untied the ropes.
Looking at the flying scissors sailboat's towering masts and gray sails gradually disappearing into the distance, Yang Sichen's heart surged.
Two hundred years ago, it was here. The descendants of the Yellow Emperor had embarked on the key point of transforming from the traditional farming people of the Central Plains to the marine people. It could even be said that…They had already set one foot in the door of the sea race. However, his other foot didn't move…
Today, under his own efforts, this other foot was about to step out.
From now on, the ocean would no longer belong to the west!!
The descendants of the Yellow Emperor would spread their words and thoughts to every corner of the world through the ocean...
Perhaps, the position of the sea carriage driver in the East would end. Perhaps the British Empire would never have the chance to become an empire where the sun never sets. Perhaps, this ancient race would discover the vastness and charm of the ocean and jump out of the cycle of chaos. Perhaps, the Chinese language would become the universal language of the world, and the descendants of China would no longer have to learn any bird language...
The ocean, the great carrier that fused human dreams and wealth into one, would flow with the colors of China from now on...
The sea had never been so close to the Chinese people…
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]