Chapter 582: Episode 311: Worship the Kitchen God
The New Year in Fire Knife Village began with the worship of the Stove God.
Legend had it that on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth month, the Stove God ascended to Heaven to report the moral deeds of the mortal realm to the Jade Emperor. On this day, the common people would prepare generous offerings to send off Lord Stove, hoping that his mouth could be at their mercy, so he would play down their misdeeds and speak kindly on their behalf before the Jade Emperor.
This custom carried a sense of shrewdness but was taken very seriously by every household. Establishments like restaurants, which were under the direct protection of Lord Stove throughout the year, naturally could not afford to neglect it.
Last year, on the twenty-fourth of the twelfth month, Daoxiang Garden was still a small restaurant, and Hua Xiaomai had just married into the Meng Family not long before. With numerous chores at hand and Meng Yuhuai not at home, she had merely managed a hasty participation in this ritual. This year, however, Daoxiang Garden had expanded into a landmark of Fire Knife Village, and the business was indeed profitable. With Master Tan and Wang Zhanrui continuously persuading her earnestly every other day, Hua Xiaomai decided to properly organize it this time.
Even if it was just to get everyone together for a lively gathering, it would be worthwhile.
Daoxiang Garden was set to close from the twenty-fifth, so on the twenty-fourth, they didn’t really do serious business. By noon, everyone in the restaurant gathered by the fish pond, frolicking joyously for a while. Everyone cooked one or two of their best dishes. The three head chefs needed no mention, and even the two new waitresses couldn’t escape participating. Regardless of skill or taste, everyone casually filled up, and in the winter’s cold, they didn’t feel the chill, spending the entire afternoon chatting and joking around the pond.
As evening fell, the formal ceremony to worship the Stove God commenced.
Wang and Master Tan prepared many fruits and other offerings in the kitchen, while Hua Xiaomai focused on preparing the pig’s head for the sacrifice.