The next day.
Jiang Hao went to his sister's home again. After seeing Xu Jiaorong, he said, "Sis, I've already picked the date. Tomorrow is an auspicious day, perfect for moving into a new home and settling in."
"Tomorrow? Then I need to hurry and prepare everything," Xu Jiaorong said.
"What needs to be prepared?"
He knew the Daoist ritual procedures, but he did not know the customs of this era.
"Incense paper, offerings, candles, scallions, red paper, a new dustpan and broom, a rice barrel, a water bucket, bowls and chopsticks. There's a lot," Xu Jiaorong said.
The siblings went out for a major shopping trip. People greeted them all along the way, calling her Sister-in-law Li or Madam Li. Though Li Gongfu was not yet famous throughout Hangzhou, he was certainly well-known in Qiantang. Whenever Xu Jiaorong went out, people regarded her more highly.
Jiang Hao became a little attendant, following Xu Jiaorong around and carrying the bags.
As Xu Jiaorong bought things, she explained the customs to Jiang Hao. "The incense paper and offerings are for honoring gods and Buddhas. Candlelight shining on scallions symbolizes clever family members and a prosperous household."
"The rice barrel must be filled to eighty percent, and a red 'fortune' character must be pasted onto it. You're a scholar, so when we get back, you'll write the fortune characters."
"No problem!"
Jiang Hao thought to himself that he could even write the character as a talismanic inscription. It would definitely work.
"The water bucket also needs a fortune character. The dustpan and new broom come as a pair, with red cloth strips tied around them. The bowls and chopsticks must come in even numbers, in pairs."
Jiang Hao nodded repeatedly.
When Li Gongfu returned that afternoon and saw a pile of things