When they arrived, the mourning hall had already been set up.

Like many elderly people, Old Man Li had prepared a coffin for himself early on. It was now parked in the courtyard. He did not bring it into the house, saying that he was afraid of causing any disturbance.

After all, Old Li had not yet died, so it was not time for the coffin to be brought in.

He Ruixue was pregnant, and her family members didn't let her into the house for fear of scaring her.

Lu Lan was at home taking care of He Yannuo and never came over.

Everyone took turns going in to take a look. When they came out, He Dagen shook his head and sighed, "Old Li is no longer conscious. His eyes are tightly closed. He didn't respond when I called him. I'm afraid he won't make it until dawn."

He and Old Man Li were actually not very familiar with each other, and they only started talking and playing chess together in recent years.

The reason why I feel sad is that I feel sympathy for my fellow humans.

After all, I am old, and this day will come sooner or later.

He Chunsheng was inside talking to Li Youlu, while Wang Taozhi gathered with a few other women, trying to persuade Old Mrs. Li.

Tell her not to be too sad and take good care of herself.

The Li family didn't have enough chairs to sit on, so they borrowed some from their neighbors.

Li Duoliang's children were naive and were asked by Li Youlu to accompany their grandfather on his last journey.

As for himself, he was asked to dig the grave at the ancestral tomb, prepare the dishes for the banquet, and buy incense, candles, and paper money himself. Which one of them didn't allow him to do personally?

Fortunately, it was winter, so we could stay for a few more days, otherwise a hasty burial would have been even more troublesome.

Seeing that Mr. Li would be gone for a while, Zhao Meiya sent the little ones away.

He waved his hand and told them to go back and rest quickly, as if he was afraid that they would be affected by bad luck.

After arranging He Xiaoyou and others and sending He Xiaohua to his third sister-in-law's place, Jiang Yanxu returned home.

A thin layer of snow fell on his shoulders, and when it was heated by the heat in the house, the snow immediately melted into water, wetting his collar.

He Ruixue quickly handed over a dry towel.

Jiang Yanxu refused, "No, I'm going to take a shower. You can go take a shower when the bathroom is warm."

"OK."

The bathroom was filled with steam, and He Ruixue quickly wiped her whole body.

Between the bathroom door and the bedroom door, Jiang Yanxu specially built a small corridor with wood and mud bricks.

It can prevent the bathroom from getting dirty due to muddy and slippery roads on rainy days, and it can also block the wind in winter so that people don’t catch a cold.

When they arrived at the bedroom, the bed had already been warmed up by him, and He Ruixue leaned in Jiang Yanxu's arms.

The two hugged each other, pressed tightly against each other, almost rubbing their cheeks as they spoke, kissing from time to time, their breath mingling, and there was a sense of rubbing ears and cheeks together.

As soon as you wake up in the New Year, according to custom, you must first worship the God of Land, then go to the ancestral tombs to burn incense and report to the ancestors about the gains and losses of the previous year, which is equivalent to a year-end summary to the underworld.

And look forward to the blessings of ancestors in the coming year.

But the current situation does not allow this, so everyone can only worship quietly at home.

Taoism has the concept of five auspicious days, and the first day of the first lunar month is the day of Tianla, which is suitable for worshiping gods and ancestors.

Legend has it that the Five Emperors would determine the spirit and energy of the living on this day, determine the length of time, and add years to their lifespan.

Pray for pregnancy, offer sacrifices to the deceased, and reach the highest level of the ancestors.

If you chant songs of praise at this time, you will be able to guide your spirit and gain blessings.

Therefore, in ancient times, people usually offered sacrifices to their ancestors and all the gods during the La Festival. Even the emperor was no exception and would invite Taoist priests to open an altar and hold rituals.

Jiang Yanxu didn't pay much attention to it. He didn't even set up an altar. He just held incense and worshiped in front of the portraits of the ancestors and gods one by one.

Chanting, "The way of man is to act without striving; good and bad fortune come from nowhere but upon man himself."

This is equivalent to saying that what the Five Emperors think of him has nothing to do with him. He only believes in fate, not gods, and he will not pretend to be pious or to please others.

He could be said to be a fairly orthodox Taoist young man who followed his heart and submitted to no one.

After finishing, he put the portrait back into the painting box and would not open it again until the day of the Earthly La Festival.

The two of them had a simple breakfast, and He Dagen came back smelling of cigarettes.

He Ruixue asked him to sit down. "Dad, are you hungry? Mom stewed some tea eggs last night. They're just as tasty now. Can I peel two for you?"

He Dagen nodded and said, "Let Xiao Jiang go. Don't let yourself get scalded by the kettle."

Jiang Yanxu knew he would say that, so he stood up and soon brought over three peeled tea eggs.

He Dagen ate them directly with his hands, taking two bites each. "Old Li went there this morning. He was over seventy years old and had no illness or disaster. It was considered a happy funeral. His family will have a banquet at noon. Remember to go and eat."

"Dad, I'm not going."

Everyone at the banquet eats from the same bowl of food. If someone catches a cold and it happens to be transmitted to her, it would be very difficult to deal with. It is not good for pregnant people to take medicine.

He Dagen nodded, "Yeah, it's cold, what if a kid spills water on the ground and makes you fall?

Alas, Lao Li went at the wrong time. It was such a beautiful day, but they hadn’t even put up the red lanterns in their house yet, and had already replaced them with white ones.”

When he came back, he subconsciously wanted to say Happy New Year, but he felt it was inappropriate, so he had to hold it in. I guess other people were the same.

"Yan Xu will go in my place later. One representative from each family will be enough. Where's my mom?"

"Your mother is staying in the kitchen to help. The banquet will be served at noon, and the Li family is too busy to handle it. Your sister-in-law and the wives of the Zhao and Xu families are all there."

Only at this time can the benefits of neighbors be reflected. Whenever help is really needed, they will come and lend a hand.

He Ruixue was a little worried. "My mother hasn't slept all night. Can her body bear it? We should call her back. My sister-in-law is there."

He Dagen waved his hands and said helplessly, "I have tried to persuade her, but it's no use. She insisted that she is not sleepy.

I saw that she kept talking to people while washing vegetables, and she looked quite energetic, so she came back on her own.

He Ruixue also admired her mother, who stayed up all night just to chat about gossip.

I decided to wait until around seven o'clock and call her back whether she was willing or not, so as not to exhaust myself by helping her.

…

He Ruixue did not attend the banquet, but still went there, kowtowed in front of the coffin, and lit a stick of incense.

There was a familiar portrait placed on the mourning hall. It was the one He Ruixue took in the yard with her camera when she came back from the capital.

It was not until now that she suddenly realized why those elderly people were so keen on taking individual photos with her.

They also have to wear the latest clothes, sit up straight, and if they are not satisfied with one photo, they will pay extra to take another one. They are not as stingy as usual.

It turns out that he had been preparing for his funeral early on.

There were several people crying beside the coffin. Old man Zhao was sitting on the side with a numb look in his eyes. It seemed that he had suffered a great blow.

Yes, as the mainstay of the courtyard, there are fewer and fewer people of his age, and the few who are younger than him have been sent away one by one by him. He must be feeling very bad now.

Li Duoliang was also crying. He Ruixue comforted him and went to the kitchen.

A simple thatched shed was built here with a wooden frame and straw. The big pot and stove were moved outside, and a lot of vegetables were filled in the winnowing basket. It was a scene of bustling activity.