The Peach Blossoms White by the Village Edge

Chapter 33: Offering to the Stove

Zhao Changxia took some time to figure out the rules for the "Spring Festival Activities":

First, the event rewards frequently included New Year Greeting Cards. This means that to gain more benefits from this event, collecting cards and entering the lottery is essential.

Second, two activities—"Agricultural Knowledge Quiz" and "Guessing Lantern Riddles"—were in her knowledge blind spots. She might answer questions on military technology effortlessly, but cultural topics posed a significant challenge... She wondered if she could seek outside help, as Qu Qingjiang seemed quite knowledgeable.

Lastly, there were Achievement Points and discounts at the mobile market. Since she had just been promoted to "Intern," she might get access to parts of the market previously closed to her.

She opened the mobile market and found that it now featured two additional trading interfaces besides the previous "Village Market": one for "Livestock Trading" and the other called "Agricultural Supplies Station."

The Livestock Trading Market was open on the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 9th of the lunar month. The types and prices of livestock were unknown because it was not one of the trading days, and the Spring Festival activities had not officially started yet.

The Agricultural Supplies Station was open on odd days, and today happened to be an odd day. The items were divided into three categories: seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. There was also a special item section, which was gray, and it was unclear what would be sold there.

Zhao Changxia checked the "Seeds" section, which only had rice, soybeans, and three types of melon seeds: watermelon, cantaloupe, and Hami melon.

She understood the availability of rice and soybeans given the southern location, as they are essential crops. However, could Hami melons be grown in the south?

Opening the "Hami Melon" section, she found various types of Hami melon seeds. However, the description indicated that growing Hami melons in her geographical location required greenhouse cultivation technology.

Zhao Changxia: "..."

She barely knew anything about greenhouse cultivation!

Even if she did, were modern products like plastic sheeting available here?

Forget it. Given her current entry-level farming skills, she should focus on learning how to grow staple crops first. Although she wanted to enjoy melons, she would have to take it step by step.

—

In the blink of an eye, it was the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day for offering to the stove. Gushan Township was bustling with activity early in the morning, and every household was joyfully preparing for the "Sending Off the Stove God" ceremony in the evening.

The Qu family was no exception. However, it was Zhao Changxia who was busy with the preparations, not Qu Feng or Qu Qingjiang. Qu Feng was unwell and unable to participate, so Zhao Changxia had to take on the task. Qu Qingjiang did not participate because there was a custom of "women do not offer to the stove god," even though Qu Feng had decided to pass on the family business to Qu Qingjiang.

In his view, offering to the stove was different from offering to ancestors. The ancestors were family members, and any issues were discussed within the family. The ancestors would not cause trouble just because a woman participated in the offering. However, offering to the stove god involved worshipping a deity sent by the Jade Emperor to oversee the mortal realm. If the stove god was displeased and reported to the Jade Emperor, it could bring calamity to the family in the coming year.