Ju Jingbai had already inquired about it, and all the villagers would participate in this Qixi Festival.
The only difference is that the native villagers are different from the wives from outside the village. The villagers’ carnival starts the night before the Qixi Festival.
A wife married from outside can only participate in the ceremonies on the day of the Tanabata Festival.
Ju Jingbai carried the sleeping Goudan out of the room.
There is a square built with bluestone bricks in the village, and all the villagers gather in that square.
"Everyone, please look around to see if there are any wives from outside the village. If there are, please let them go home first. Wives from outside the village cannot participate in the village sacrifice. This is the rule passed down by our ancestors, except for Qian Minmin's family. Qian Minmin, come here. After drinking the sorghum wine from my Gaoliang village, we will recognize you two as people from my Gaoliang village." The village chief was a tall and tough man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes.
Ju Jingbai came forward holding Goudan: "Village Chief, I'm here."
"Go find Grandma Wang. She is in charge of the sorghum wine." The village chief pointed at the old woman on the platform.
"Okay." Ju Jingbai looked up. There were seven street lamps on the platform, illuminating the entire square as bright as day. Grandma Wang was standing in the center of the platform. She should be one of the oldest people in the village.
But even with a face full of wrinkles, she still looks much better than the ordinary mothers-in-law.
"Come, let's drink some sorghum wine." Granny Wang spoke in perfect Mandarin, caressing Ju Jingbai's head lovingly. "Drinking sorghum wine guarantees that you will become fairer and more beautiful. Let your beauty become your permanent weapon, and make those men who look down on you cry bitterly. Remember what Granny said, take good care of your little face. Perfection will allow you to enjoy the convenience of eternal life."
"The sorghum wine in our village is really great." Ju Jingbai praised.
"Hmm." Granny Wang dipped her tip of the wine into Ju Jingbai's forehead three times, then tapped Goudan's cheek three times. She handed the bowl to Ju Jingbai, "Come here, Minmin. Drink this, and you'll be a member of Gaoliang Village for the rest of your life."
Ju Jingbai took it and drank it all in one gulp: "Mother-in-law, this wine is really good. Is it brewed by our villagers themselves?"
"Since we're already from the same village, I won't hide it from you." Granny Wang smiled, giving people the impression of Maitreya Buddha, very kind. "This wine was given by the patron saint of our village."
"Guardian angel?" Ju Jingbai's eyes lit up.
"Yes, our guardian angel lives in the back mountain. Although I have never seen his true appearance, I think he must be tall and handsome." Granny Wang said, "When the young wife outside comes in, you will know how powerful the guardian angel is."
"Also, I have to make it clear to you that the guardian angel only protects the villagers in the village. It can make you more beautiful. When you become more beautiful, you will naturally think that those daughters-in-law from other places have become ugly. This is a normal phenomenon. Don't panic." Grandma Wang patted Ju Jingbai's hand that was holding Goudan.
Ju Jingbai nodded. In fact, she had vaguely guessed the meaning of beauty in this village, but when the truth was revealed, it was still hard to accept.
Ju Jingbai shuddered at the thought that one day her beauty would be used to nourish someone else's beauty.
Moreover, many men in this village are getting married for the second or third time.
The previous wife's nutrition is not enough to nourish you, so you replace her with one that is more nutritious?
"Don't feel embarrassed. The guardian angel can help you achieve a bright future. You also want to live a good life, right?" Granny Wang raised her hand to smooth over Ju Jingbai's hair and said with a smile, "Don't blame yourself. Who doesn't want to live like a superior person?"
"If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth."
"I understand." Ju Jingbai nodded.
"I understand, I understand." Granny Wang nodded, not quite pleased. "Look at how handsome the young men and women in our village have become since we got our patron saint. They're all so pretty, and the girls are so pretty too."
Ju Jingbai walked down the platform and returned to Aunt Song, surrounded by a circle of people who came to congratulate him.
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Sister Qian, are you drinking sorghum wine? Congratulations!"
"Sister Qian, if Goudan has any problems in the future, just come to me. I am the most loyal to the people in our village!"
Ju Jingbai smiled. Now the villagers probably really regarded her as one of their own. They greeted her more enthusiastically. Because they had a common secret, they dared to discuss many gossips that could not be discussed in public in front of her.
"I heard that the guardian angel is particularly pleased with this bride. By tomorrow, I'm afraid we'll be much more beautiful."
"Really? You didn't lie to me?"
"Wait, who is the bride?" Ju Jingbai couldn't help but ask.
"By the way, Sister Qian, you may not know this, but this year's bride is Orange from Aunt Wei's family. She will be invited by the guardian angel to live a good life with her." Aunt Song said happily.
"Doesn't that mean we can't come back?" Ju Jingbai frowned.
"Why would she come back? She's living a good life over there. Besides, she wants to be there. Otherwise, why would she come out and wander around? She's staying in the house and hasn't been told to leave by the guardian angel. But I can understand Orange's little thoughts. Who wouldn't want to go to the guardian angel?" Aunt Song said.
Haha, isn’t this just sacrificing a girl?
Ju Jingbai held Goudan's hand tightly. Goudan whimpered, stretched out his little arm, and as if guided by something, held Ju Jingbai's wrist.
The soft fingers swept away the anger in her heart.
I don’t know if the girl to be saved in the mission refers to Orange, or the girl to be married?
"Juzi, come here and sit in the front. We are going up the mountain." Ju Jingbai followed the village chief's gaze and saw Juzi, dressed in a phoenix-shaped crown, looking dazzling and beautiful. There was no smile on her face. She nodded and sat in the specially prepared little red sedan.
A little boy in a long jacket followed closely beside Orange's sedan chair. That boy was Goudan from their village.
"Why is Goudan at Orange's place?" Ju Jingbai asked in confusion.
"He was picked to go up with Orange. Look at how Goudan's mother is crying. But that's fate!" Aunt Song sighed.
Ju Jingbai also saw Goudan's mother crying heart-wrenchingly beside him. Just as he was about to speak, Aunt Song stopped him.
"Hush, don't make any noise, it's time to get up."
"Lift the sedan chair and go up the mountain." The village chief's loud voice rang out, followed by the sounds of trumpets and flutes. The sedan chair was carried in front and headed towards the stream at the back of the mountain, going straight into the mountain. All the villagers followed behind the village chief, supporting each other as they walked up to the top of the mountain.
Ju Jingbai followed the main force to the middle of the mountain and stopped. Everyone kowtowed to each other halfway up the mountain.
I watched the big red sedan being carried to the top of the mountain, with Xiao Gou Dan following beside, grabbing a corner of the sedan's curtain.
Cheers of farewell rang out from halfway up the mountain.
But soon, the cheers stopped and the big red sedan was carried back intact.
The village chief's face darkened in vain. He stepped forward, pulled over the young man carrying the sedan chair, and asked, "Chenchen, what's going on?"
"The Guardian said no, he wants... he wants the woman who just came up to the platform, and the boy she was holding in her arms as a sacrifice."
"Qian Minmin?" someone exclaimed.
The author has something to say: Good night~
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