Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Heavenly Delight Food Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Heavenly Delight Food In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.
Today was the day for the beam-raising on Madam Xie’s new house, and the village was extraordinarily lively, especially the children, who had gathered in groups early in the morning around the new house, eagerly waiting for the beam-raising Shichen Chinese Time to arrive.
The beam-raising would only officially begin after the sound of firecrackers.
As per the custom of the time, whenever a villager built a new house, on the day of the beam-raising, the mason masters would climb to the high parts of the house and throw snacks and other foods below. The families of the village were not wealthy, and children normally had no snacks to eat, so the beam-raising day of any new house was the happiest day for children as it meant they got the chance to have some snacks.
Of course, the adults would also join in the scramble for these treats from heaven, everyone wishing to take advantage of the occasion, with success depending on their ability to grab the treats.
As Shichen Chinese Time gradually passed, the beam-raising had not yet started, but a dense crowd had already gathered in front of the new house. They knew Xuexue had made some Silver through her business and were expecting the snacks for the beam-raising to be exceptional, hence, they all rushed over like a swarm.
The crowd craned their necks, and finally, Big Bull arrived, carrying two large baskets, accompanied by Xuexue in front of the house.
Among the crowd, a particularly straightforward villager loudly asked Xuexue, “Hey! Xuexue, has the beam-raising Shichen arrived yet? My neck is stretching long! I’m almost drooling dry here!”
“Ahahaha…!”
The humorous remark elicited a burst of laughter from the crowd.
Hearing this, Xuexue turned around, stopped, and said to the onlookers with a smile, “Sorry for the wait, everyone. Big Bull will start as soon as he lights the firecrackers.”
“Xuexue, what delicious treats are there for the beam-raising today?” someone in the crowd shouted jokingly.
“There are white flour buns, meat buns, and several pounds of candy,” Xuexue responded generously. They had been busy preparing for this event for several days and had plenty of food ready, not worried about the large crowd.
“Wow!”
At this, the crowd erupted, unable to contain their excitement. White flour buns and meat buns were luxuries they indulged in only during festivals. Not to mention candies, which were considered quite a treat. Typically, their meals at home consisted mostly of bread with vegetables, so at this moment, they burst into excited chatter…
“Oh my goodness! All of these are great items.”
“Yes, they really are great items, but with so many people today, it’s uncertain if we’ll manage to grab some.”
Looking at the dense crowd around them, everyone was a bit worried. Some quick-thinkers simply went home and fetched wooden basins, planning to catch the food thrown from above by holding the basins over their heads during the beam-raising.
Eager to grab some good stuff, they did not mind the heavy weight of the wooden basins.
Upon seeing this, others had a lightbulb moment and scattered to fetch pots and buckets from home, following suit.
Big Bull climbed up to the top of the house, extending a long bamboo pole with a string of firecrackers hanging from it, while Xuexue stayed below to light the fuse…
“Crackle and pop!”
Suddenly, the firecrackers went off, billowing white smoke and creating a deafening sound.
Young children, overwhelmed by the noise, covered their ears, feeling both joy and excitement.
As the sound of the firecrackers ended,
several mason masters moved two large buckets of food to the air above the house, and the happiest moment of the beam-raising officially commenced.
The villagers looked up, watching closely the hand movements of the mason masters, ready to head in the direction where the snacks were thrown.
Instantly, in front of the new house, the scene became wildly spirited, filled with successive shouts and scrambles. Those who caught snacks cheered loudly, and those who missed out hung their heads in disappointment before looking up again and paying keen attention to the mason masters’ hands, ready to try again.