If the previous work is done by women, then the cooking work is done by men and children. Zhaoqing people especially need to endure 12 hours. Maybe it's not particular, but they haven't cooked for so long, so it's hard to cook. Dozens of pieces are steamed and put into a huge iron drum, just like a large gasoline drum. Fill it with clear water, put a temporary stove made of stones and bricks, and light firewood, which is usually made of wood bumps, so that it can burn slowly for several hours before it needs to be filled with firewood. After cooking for twelve hours, it is essential to watch the fire. This is a unique Chinese New Year enjoyment for Zhaoqing people. Why? You will know after reading it. Wrapped and cooked, the fragrance is overflowing, and the essential staple food at the New Year's Eve dinner is made by ourselves and given by neighbors. The heat of winter leaves was blown away, and the winter leaves and glutinous rice mixed with the smell of meat were filled with lanterns and colorful rooms, and one room was happy and cheerful. The simplicity, enthusiasm and hard work of Zhaoqing people are like the steaming of this stocky fragrance.
From the 1950s to the mid-1980s, before the Spring Festival, walking on the streets of Zhaoqing, you can see such a scene. A temporary brick stove was built in front of every house, and a huge iron drum was boiled on the stove. The family gathered around to watch the fire, adults smoked cigarettes, occasionally added a piece of wood to make a fire, and children gathered around. The cold wind was driven away by the fire and rolling steam. Children's chubby faces were red with flames, and their eyes were wide open, listening to the stories of adults telling the story of autumn moon and spring flowers, fairies coming down to earth and making a scene in heaven. This scene is now extinct in Zhaoqing city, but this unique memory still warms the hearts of many Zhaoqing people.
At that time, outsiders said that Zhaoqing people were tired during the holidays and sought hardship, but all the men, women and children in Zhaoqing were looking forward to the New Year. They want to relive the warm family reunion, beating flames and full fatigue more than anyone else. The aftertaste now makes many Zhaoqing people feel warm, sour nose and wet eyes from Dantian, and they have re-established their hearts. Huh? A sigh, beautiful and simple folk customs, the pure land in Zhaoqing people's hearts forever.