Look for the flavor of the year in your memory
In my childhood memories, the taste of the New Year slowly emanated from the steaming bowl of Laba porridge on the Laba Festival. My mother once told a story about Laba Congee, a young couple who lived lazily and depended on their parents. However, when their parents died, they were unable to live independently until the day of Laba, when the family ran out of food, and the few grains left could only be boiled into porridge. In the end, in the midst of the laughter and laughter of the New Year, they died early due to hunger and cold. Mother told us that this bowl of laba porridge has a profound meaning, it reminds us to love our work and be self-sufficient, otherwise we will lose our support and life will be in trouble.
On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, the new year has arrived. My father brought back the candy and told us the story of Xiao Nian. He told us that in ancient times, the stove was dedicated to the stove king, and the stove sugar was offered to the stove prince on this day of the year. Because the Lord of the Stove will return to Heaven at this time of year to report the good and evil in his family to the Jade Emperor, waiting for the reward and punishment of the Jade Emperor. The purpose of offering stove candy is to stick to the mouth of the king of the stove, so that he can only say good things and bless the safety of the whole family. Although we are no longer superstitious, my father still instructed us not to speak unclean or unfavorable words after eating the candies.
With the arrival of the new year, my mother began to busily prepare all kinds of dry food, such as steamed buns, flower rolls, and yellow rice and bean buns, which were frozen one by one and stored in large vats. At the same time, my father also purchased chicken, duck, fish and other New Year's goods one after another, and stored them in large vats. The harsh winter in the north provides a natural fresh-keeping box for these ingredients, and after a New Year, they still maintain their original quality.
Finally, in anticipation of the Chinese New Year's Eve, my mother was busy preparing a sumptuous family banquet in the kitchen, while my father led us to paste the red Tongtong Spring Festival. Our home has been renovated and full of the smell of the New Year. In the evening, the whole family sat together, tasting the food carefully cooked by the mother, while enjoying the Spring Festival Gala program on TV. Outside the window, firecrackers rang out, and fireworks bloomed in brilliant colors in the night sky, illuminating our smiling faces. 