Chapter 118 Ancestor Worship

Xue Zhuang went out today. Although the restaurant and casino at home were not open, several groups of people came knocking on the door and cursing, which scared Xu Yan'er, who was alone at home.

When she saw the man come back, she started crying and making a fuss, asking Xue Zhuang to promise to stay at home with her and not to help others sell vegetables anymore.

Xue Zhuang had just tasted the sweetness of making money today, so how could he be willing to stay at home with her?

Fortunately, I was in a good mood at the moment, so I took out a bag of roasted melon seeds from my pocket and said, "Look, I bought these for you to eat and have fun with, thinking you were bored at home."

Xu Yan'er refused, holding the roasted melon seeds and said coquettishly, "Eat them with me at home."

"Okay, I'll accompany you. Boil some water for me to soak my feet!" Xue Zhuang responded casually. He sat down on the kang, kicked off his shoes, and asked Xu Yan'er to wash his feet.

He walked dozens of miles back and forth today, which was more tiring than his marches in the past. His feet were covered with blisters and he had to burn them thoroughly to relieve his fatigue.

Now Xu Yan'er has learned her lesson. She heats up the water early, and when she sees a man wants to wash his feet, she serves him attentively.

There is no need to mention how affectionate the two of them were behind closed doors.

In Baolinju, Han Ming relayed Xue Zhuang's words to Song Liyun and Song Zhenping who had just come out from the backyard: "Mr. Xue said that tomorrow's vegetables should be served earlier and in larger quantities."

Song Liyun wiped the water off her hands and looked at Song Zhenping with a smile: "Brother, I will still send 50 kilograms tomorrow morning. When it's time to increase the amount of food, you can tell the quartermaster Wang of the garrison."

Song Zhenping agreed after a slight hesitation.

In fact, although the backyard cannot produce 100 kilograms of vegetables every day, there are still 70 or 80 kilograms, and beans and peppers can also be picked.

But my second sister said that we should eat at home first and wait a few days for the takeout to start, so that the side dishes can be cooked.

The next day, Xue Zhuang saw that although Song Zhenping had delivered vegetables early, there were still only 50 kilograms. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed: "The helper from your family didn't make it clear. I want 100 kilograms of vegetables."

Song Zhenping was not good at arguing, so he just said with a straight face, "Go and make an order with Wang Junsu first. I will only pay as much as the garrison gives up."

"You, you blockhead! I'm so angry!" Xue Zhuang was so angry when he saw Song Zhenping pushed the guard post with just one sentence, but there was nothing he could do. He could only mutter and leave quickly.

On the first day, the garrison received two taels of silver. Although it was not much, a mosquito leg was still a piece of meat, enough for several big soldiers to charge into battle.

The account book in Wang Junshu's hand finally opened a new page, and a column for the income of Suijinwei was marked for the first time.

This second time of selling vegetables, Xue Zhuang borrowed a carriage from the garrison and still took the two of them straight to Qili County.

It’s good to have animal power. He comes back from selling vegetables a little after noon, and it doesn’t delay opening the store for business in the afternoon.

Five days passed in a flash, and it was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. The firewood, rice, oil and salt needed for the New Year were already prepared, and even new clothes were made.

According to local customs, ancestors must be worshipped before the New Year.

This was the first time that Baolinjuli held an ancestor worship ceremony. All kinds of offerings were prepared, and the three brothers and sisters were just waiting to burn incense and worship their ancestors in the evening.

It was almost dark at this time. Song Zhenping was still in the vegetable shed, adjusting the temperature and humidity, while Song Liyun and Xiao An were making stir-fried rice in the kitchen.

This is also a snack from the Northwest, and it was Aunt Ma who taught me how to make it.

After steaming a few potatoes, peel them, put them in a wooden trough, and beat them repeatedly with a wooden hammer until they become mashed potatoes.

Heijin's favorite food is potatoes.

Seeing the steamed potatoes being beaten into a mud ball, he was so angry that he gestured behind Song Liyun, his eyes almost rolling back to the back of his head.

The mashed potatoes have become sticky and chewy after repeated pounding.

Song Liyun picked some fresh onions and garlic, heated up the oil in a pan, made garlic oil, and then added finely chopped coriander to make a sauce. It was very fragrant just by smelling it.

Xiao An, wearing a chrysanthemum green jacket and two pigtails, came closer and smacked her lips: "Smells good!"

He is now particularly obsessed with cooking, but unfortunately he has not grown taller after two months of raising him, and he does not have enough strength, so he can't cook many things.

Han Ming came back from the town with a large stack of paper money that had been hammered into patterns. These were prepared by the elderly people in the nursing home.

As soon as he entered the door, Song Zhenping came out from the backyard, his face pale and his eyes red, as if he had been crying.

A small table was set up in the yard, and Song Liyun placed all the offerings on it. Under Han Ming's instructions, Song Zhenping hurriedly lit candles and burned incense, and then pulled Xiao An to kneel down.

The two brothers kept their heads down, and when the paper money turned into ashes and flew in the wind, Xiao An burst into tears.

Song Zhenping couldn't hold back any longer and tears streamed down his face.

It has been ten years since his parents died, and except for the day of their burial, he has not had the chance to burn a piece of paper, and Xiao An has never even visited the cemetery.

In Xiaoshi Village, he and Xiaoan were just animals, and animals didn't deserve to have parents. Their grandmother said that it was unlucky and they were not allowed to go to graves. If she found out that the two brothers dared to mention the dead, they would be beaten, not to mention burning paper to pay homage to them.

Song Liyun, who was standing next to him, felt a little sad and picked up a few pieces of paper money and put them in another pile to burn.

Her parents had been dead for ten years, and she had never burned any paper. She would just silently offer a bouquet of flowers in her heart on every anniversary of their death.

Now seeing the floating paper ashes and curling green smoke, she seemed to be seeing a channel to communicate with another world, and a magical feeling enveloped her whole body.

She didn't know whether the offerings she burned in this time and space could be received in her own world.

The sufferings in the human world are different. In the quiet world underground, the dead souls should be together!

The three brothers and sisters were all talking to each other, and the atmosphere was a little depressing even during dinner after the worship.

It only benefited the greedy Hei Jin, who secretly ate up all the stir-fried rice cakes without Song Liyun noticing.

Because they were in a bad mood, Song Mei and the other two did not read and went back to their rooms early to rest.

In the dark night, the usually quiet Suijin Town was lit up with flickering lights, which were the families paying tribute to the deceased.

The biggest fire was at Suijin Pass.

A bonfire half as high as a person burned half of the valley red, reflecting the flickering figures on the wall. Several soldiers were standing behind the parapet and looking out.

At the foot of the wall, with the rustling of armor, Captain Luo hurried up the wall, glanced around, and stood at the edge of the wall, shouting, "What's the situation?"

A general came over and replied, "Reporting to the lord, we have spotted wandering intruders ten miles away. There are about seven or eight of them. We can't see their clothes clearly, but they are all on horseback."

Captain Luo's heart skipped a beat: "Send out the patrols and investigate again!"

Even the Japanese military newspapers were reporting that villages and towns north of Hecheng had fallen, and that bandits had appeared south of Hecheng, harassing garrisons and villages.

Although Suijin Town was calm, he still didn't dare to relax at all.

Especially in the past half month, the Di Lu grassland has been covered with heavy snow, but it has been discovered that the tribes that should have been stationed in the winter pastures have been migrating frequently in the wind and snow, which also indicates that there are changes within the Di Lu people.

In this situation, Suijin Town must also be prepared.

If the Third Young Master needs to retreat from here, there will definitely be pursuers from the Di tribe behind him.

Under the order of Captain Luo, ten riders stepped out from the ice of the river under Suijin Pass and quickly disappeared into the night.

(End of this chapter)