Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Returning to Director Pang’s house in Fengping Village, Xie Lingya found that there were three more young people in the house, two men and one woman. One of them looked very similar to Director Pang and should be his child. The other young man held up a selfie stick with a cell phone on it, spinning around in the yard.
As soon as Director Pang saw it, he said hello: “Er Hei, why are you spinning around, like a dog biting its tail.”
“Uncle Qi!” The young man almost jumped up, “Don’t call me Er Hei!”
Director Pang was happy, “Why, city people want to save face and don’t even let me scream Er Hei. Isn’t this your grandma’s fault?”
Director Pang’s son said: “Dad, Er… Brother Jie is live broadcasting!”
“Really?” Director Pang leaned over and looked at the screen of Pang Jie’s mobile phone. Rows of small characters on it almost filled the screen, “Hey, it seems like they are asking you to take pictures of them.”
He looked back at Shi Changxuan and his party. Yes, the screen said to let the camera face them.
Pang Jie: “…”
“Today’s live broadcast ends here first. Tomorrow I will broadcast rural feudal superstitious activities for everyone.” Pang Jie said and simply closed the live broadcast room.
When Director Pang heard this, he immediately stared at him, “What did you just say?”
“Isn’t there a ceremony tomorrow at the main hall? I’m going to live broadcast it.” Pang Jie said carelessly, “Netizens seem to be quite interested in this kind of superstitious activity. Yes.”
Director Pang said displeasedly: “It’s nonsense, ancestor worship is a big deal.”
“Then how can they take pictures? I’ve heard that they are also here to take pictures of Nuo ghosts.” Pang Jie looked at Shi Changxuan and the others, “My surname is Pang.”
“I am doing academic research, and I have already greeted my master and done divination.” Director Pang had always been very gentle before, but now he was very tough, “Anyway, even if you have any objections, ask your father to come see me.”
“Tsk, forget it, I’ll go back first,” Pang Jie said and wandered out.
Director Pang looked at it twice more, feeling helpless, and said to the three of them: “His grandfather and my father are cousins. He moved to the city when he was a child and only came back during the New Year. The young people in our village still treat their families the same way. Very respectful.”
He had just introduced to Shi Changxuan that the family attached great importance to ancestor worship activities and would even come back from other places. This was a negative example.
Shi Changxuan nodded. In fact, there was nothing to explain. In this era, trends like this in Pleia County were rare. Most Chinese people no longer made offerings to their families at home, and even fewer and fewer people visited tombs during the Qingming Festival. Many people may go there only once every few years.
Next they walked around the village and chatted with some old people.
The family hall was open the next day. In the evening, the three of them had dinner at Director Pang’s house. There was no entertainment and they went to bed early. Director Pang’s house packed a room for them. There was only one bed in the room, but it was a big, old-fashioned wooden bed, and it was enough for three people to sleep on.
Xiao Dian slept on the innermost side, Xie Lingya slept in the middle, and Shi Changxuan slept on the outer side.
“Good night.” Xie Lingya turned around and said.
Shi Changxuan stood up and turned off the light, then fell asleep in this position with his back to Xie Lingya.
Xie Lingya: “??”
After they had slept together for so long, this was the first time Shi Changxuan slept with his back to him. Don’t mention it, Xie Lingya had developed so many new habits, and they really didn’t include being back to back with Shi Changxuan. The back of Shi Changxuan’s head was so unfamiliar to him.
But when Xie Lingya thought about it, he couldn’t let Shi Changxuan turn around. It was too weird. So, Xie Lingya fell asleep with a trace of doubt.
On the contrary, Shi Changxuan, who had his back turned to Xie Lingya, could not sleep almost all night. He had been avoiding Xie Lingya’s sight intentionally or unintentionally during the day, but even if his sight was avoided, the image in his mind was still so clear.
He knew clearly that what was wrong should be corrected. If Shi Changxuan had not had strong self-control, he would not have been able to practice Taoism to this extent, but…
….
The next day, Xie Lingya got up early in the morning and saw that Shi Changxuan was still sleeping, he thought that this was rare that he got up earlier than Shi Changxuan today. Hey, why were Shi Changxuan’s eyes a little blue?
Xie Lingya quietly touched the God of Phytophthora and asked, “Little cutie, what’s wrong with your master?”
Shi Changxuan told God of Phytophthora to shut up yesterday. God of Phytophthora was frightened for a moment, and then regretted it. At this time, when Xie Lingya asked, it shyly and gloatingly said: “It overturned.”
Overturned? Xie Lingya understood immediately, wow, the Taoism had failed, and he couldn’t accept it mentally. Shi Changxuan seemed to have a high self-esteem at first glance. When he was a child, he might have been the kind of person who would make up a hundred questions after he wrote one wrong question.
No wonder, no wonder he was in such a bad mood, and he didn’t want to see Xie Lingya – no matter who failed, he especially didn’t want to see Sponge Spirit.
Xie Lingya lamented: “If he tries to drive a little harder, everything will be overturned. I have been overturned too.”
Phytolacca God: “Hehe.”
It was a series of coincidences and uncontrollable emotions, and they collided with each other. He was involved in a series of car accidents and fell to the point where Shi Changxuan was paralyzed. It really saddened those who heard it and shed tears.
Xie Lingya heard its weird laughter: “??”
Later, Shi Changxuan woke up. Xie Lingya was grateful that Shi Changxuan took good care of him and peeled an apple for him.
Shi Changxuan was stunned for a moment while holding the apple. He just had some other thoughts in his mind when he saw Xie Lingya pick up a grapefruit and hand it to Xiao Dian, “Come on, the weather is dry, eat more fruits.”
Shi Changxuan: “…”
….
When it was time for the sacrifice, Shi Changxuan and his party followed Director Pang to the main family hall. At this time, many people had gathered, and people from the teacher’s office had also arrived early and were preparing in the house. Photographing this was not allowed.
The ancestral hall had been decorated, and fresh and clean offerings were placed on the altar table.
There were about seven or eight people in the master’s class. After the ceremony began, everyone had their own work, some sang and chanted, and some put on masks and practiced.
To welcome the ancestors to the “corpse”, there were specific objects. There were three pairs of ancestors and great ancestors.
The two masters wore masks, one male and one female, and wore special ancient robes. They sat on two high stools.
Xie Lingya whispered: “Why is it so high?”
“Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, the ‘corpse’ in sacrifices have been ‘superior’.” Shi Changxuan said without looking back, and they stood aside to take pictures.
The people of Fengping Village followed the master’s instructions and worshipped below. The two masters who played the role of ancestors invited their ancestors and talked with their descendants.
After the ancestors was the great ancestor. When the two of them sat down, there was another pair of masks.
After worshiping, the ancestors should enjoy the sacrifices, put them in front of them, and asked them to have a big meal. The other villagers were watching below, and when their ancestors finished eating, they could share some of the leftovers.
Xie Lingya accidentally glanced at the people next to him and saw Pang Jie, whom he had met yesterday. He also came to the scene. He did not bring a selfie stick, but there was an extra one around his neck, connected to a mobile phone case, which contained his mobile phone.
Xie Lingya frowned slightly. Generally speaking, you would hang up your phone case only when you go out to play, so as not to lose your phone. Hanging it up like this every day always looked weird.
Mainly because Director Pang told Pang Jie yesterday that he was not allowed to live broadcast, so Xie Lingya became suspicious.
Pang Jie didn’t pay attention to Xie Lingya’s eyes. He stood in the first two rows and looked at the ceremony in front of him.
The “great-grandmother” of the host family picked up a plate of chicken and smelled it under her nose, as if she was salivating. The people below also laughed, but the laughter was very kind, and many teachers would deliberately say funny things, which made the atmosphere more like a family.
“Great-grandmother” tore off the chicken legs with one hand, put them under the mask and ate them.
A few people said “Eh” in their hearts. “Great-great-grandmother” was very polite in previous years. Why did she become so lively this year? Is it because she changed her master, or is it because “great-great-grandmother” is not living a very good life down there?
The great-great-grandfather was also very exaggerated. He stuffed a whole piece into his mouth under the mask at once.
Not to mention them, other teachers in the next class also looked surprised, but they were confused and didn’t say anything for a while.
Xie Lingya and the others thought that the customs here were just like this, and they even murmured that the food was so original.
At this time, “great-great-grandmother” suddenly stopped and waved to her head, “Pang Jie, come here.”
Pang Jie was confused, “Calling me?”
The “Great-great-grandmother” nodded, “Come here quickly.”
There was something in the ceremony. This one?
But this was all hosted by the master. Could it be that Pang Jie’s family stuffed extra money to ask for blessings from their ancestors?
Pang Jie wanted to ask his father, but he couldn’t find anyone. He hadn’t come back from going to the toilet yet. He walked forward in a daze and fiddled with the mobile phone hanging on his chest. The “great-grandmother” took a mouthful of meat, then turned the meat over, and saw several pieces of melon seed shells on the plate.
The “Great-grandmother” raised her arm and slapped Pang Jie in the face, “You unfilial descendant, you spit melon seed peels into the sacrifice!”
Everyone was in an uproar. Death was like life. At this time, the master was equivalent to a real person, the sacrifices given to them must be fresh and clean. How dare this Pang Jie spit melon seed peels into it?
Pang Jie’s mother, who was not from Fengping Village, screamed and ran over and said, “What are you doing? My Xiao Jie didn’t even touch you. Why did he vomit melon seed peels? And it’s not your turn to hit him!”
“Pang Jie’s mother! That’s not to say, paying homage to your family is a big deal! How can you disrespect your ancestors?”
Some people objected, and even thought that spitting out melon seed peels was nothing.
“Nonsense, are you paying someone to beat someone in your own family?” Pang Jie’s mother turned around and cursed, grabbed “great-grandmother” by her collar, and pulled her off the high stool.
“Great-great-grandmother” lowered her head and said: “He didn’t vomit today, he spat secretly in the early morning. He sneaked in.”
Pang Jie looked at her in shock. He did come secretly and took photos. He was cracking melon seeds at the time, and he didn’t notice how many pieces fell on the plate, but he clearly remembered that there was no one there at that time.
It was enough to know that it was him who spat. They also knew what time it was and where the person was watching at the time.
There were people below trying to smooth things over, and it was one thing to do well, but it was true that the reason for inviting the master was to worship the ancestors, and to worship the ancestors was to hope that the ancestors would bless their children and grandchildren well. How could you want to see such a scene.
From this point of view, the master should not hit people, and the verbal education was not enough. Maybe he was too angry after eating melon seed peels, so he had to make peace with him.
“Forget it, just give it a little education from the master. Keep eating and try another dish.”
“Why just forget it?” “Great-grandmother” whispered, slowly raising her head.
Pang Jie only saw the ghost-headed mask facing him. Because of the posture and angle, he was the only one who could see it clearly: the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, showing a kind mask expression, but now his mouth was wide open and extremely cheerful and smiling, but also very stiff because of the same, his dark eyes exuded a strange look, the varnish on his face was shiny, and the two originally festive blushes also added a touch of weirdness…
Pang Jie’s howl then resounded throughout the room: “Ahh–“
At the same time, the screen of his mobile phone was also full of barrage:
“Ahhhhhhhh, so scary!”
“Damn, this mask didn’t have this expression just now-“
“I’m so fu**ing scared.”
“Damn it, the anchor must have arranged it to do a trick, but it scared me to death!”
The next moment, the screen “bang” and shattered.
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