"Ancestor worship?!!!" Shen Qiqi felt like a huge pie fell from the sky and hit her head squarely, and it was filled with durian!
This feeling is both exciting and intoxicating.
She seemed to see the small treasury she had worked so hard to save waving goodbye to her at the speed of light.
Lu Qing shook her hand and gave her a reassuring look, as if to say, "Don't worry, wife, your husband is here!" Although this look gave Shen Qiqi a little comfort, she still felt uneasy.
The first step in preparing for ancestor worship is naturally to seek the opinions of family elders.
So, Shen Qiqi gritted her teeth and came to the Lu family head's house.
The head of the Lu family is an old antique. He would like to engrave the rules of his ancestors on his forehead.
As soon as he saw Shen Qiqi, he immediately put on an expression of "I am very serious", took out a thick family tree from the drawer, and began to talk endlessly about the "glorious history" of the Lu family's ancestor worship.
“None of these livestock can be missing! These incense, candles, and paper money must be of the best quality! Not a single step of the sacrificial process can be wrong! The rules of our ancestors cannot be changed at all!” The clan leader’s voice was sonorous and powerful, as if every word carried a thousand pounds of force, which made Shen Qiqi dizzy.
Listening to this long list of rules, Shen Qiqi felt as if she was back at the college entrance examination. Facing the densely packed test questions, her mind went blank.
The air in the room seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere was so tense that it was hard to breathe.
Lu Qing on the side also frowned, his eyes full of worry.
After leaving the clan leader's house, Shen Qiqi felt as if all her strength had been drained away.
But she knew this was just the beginning.
Next, she had to buy offerings.
Arriving at the sacrificial offering shop in town, Shen Qiqi immediately saw the smiling Boss Zhang.
This smile looks like an old fox no matter how you look at it.
"Oh, isn't this the third daughter-in-law of the Lu family? What brings you here today?" Boss Zhang rubbed his hands, with a hint of flattery in his tone.
"Boss Zhang, I'm here to buy some things for ancestor worship." Shen Qiqi said straight to the point.
"Ancestor worship! That's a big deal! We have to use the best!" Boss Zhang said as he began to introduce the "high-end" offerings in the store. The prices made Shen Qiqi gasp in amazement.
"Boss Zhang, isn't this price a bit..." Shen Qiqi tried to bargain with Boss Zhang.
"Oh, third daughter-in-law, you are an outsider. This is a special offering for ancestor worship, so the price cannot be low!" Boss Zhang had an expression that said "I'm doing this for your own good", and he was so sincere.
Shen Qiqi knew in her heart that this old fox was clearly trying to take advantage of the opportunity to make a killing from her.
The surrounding customers also cast strange looks at him, and the atmosphere in the store instantly became awkward.
Shen Qiqi suppressed her anger, took a deep breath, and said slowly: "Boss Zhang, let's not talk in secret..."
"Boss Zhang, we all live in the same town. We see each other every day. Isn't your price a bit too much?" Shen Qiqi looked at Boss Zhang with a fake smile, a hint of coldness in her eyes.
The smile on Boss Zhang's face froze, his eyes flickered, as if he was thinking about something.
"How about this, Boss Zhang, I won't make it difficult for you. Give me a fair price and this matter will be over. Otherwise, I'll go to the next town to have a look. I heard that the offerings there are of good quality and cheap." Shen Qiqi's tone was flat, but with unquestionable firmness.
Boss Zhang rolled his eyes, gritted his teeth, and finally quoted a slightly lower price.
Shen Qiqi nodded with satisfaction, paid the money readily, and turned to leave the sacrificial shop.
Lu Qing followed behind her, his eyes full of admiration.
After returning to the Lu family, Shen Qiqi immediately began to prepare for the ancestor worship.
She first drastically simplified the cumbersome sacrificial process, and then reorganized the list of sacrifices, saving and reducing what could be saved.
The uncle originally thought that Shen Qiqi would obey the arrangements of the clan leader as usual, but he didn't expect that she would dare to "disobey the order."
He looked at Shen Qiqi in shock, as if he had seen an alien.
"Qiqi, this... this is not in accordance with the rules, right?" The uncle stuttered, his tone full of doubt.
Shen Qiqi smiled slightly and explained calmly: "Uncle, the times are progressing, and we must keep pace with the times! The rules of our ancestors are important, but we cannot stick to the old ways. We must be flexible and adaptable in order to better inherit the family culture." She explained her ideas clearly and logically, and her uncle was stunned.
Lu Qing silently praised Shen Qiqi on the side, his eyes full of admiration.
On the day of ancestor worship, everything is ready.
Shen Qiqi looked at the brand new sacrificial site, feeling filled with a sense of accomplishment.
However, at this moment, Third Grandpa came over and said seriously, "Qiqi, why are there so few offerings? This... this is not good, right?"
"Third Grandfather, don't worry. Everything is included, nothing is missing." Shen Qiqi explained with a smile, "I just removed some unnecessary offerings. This way, we can save money while maintaining solemnity."
Third Grandpa looked at Shen Qiqi doubtfully, but finally nodded.
At this time, Lu Qing's cousin also came over and said excitedly, "Third sister-in-law, you are really amazing! I told you, ancestor worship doesn't have to be so complicated."
Shen Qiqi smiled and patted her cousin's shoulder, saying, "Okay, everyone go get ready, the ancestor worship ceremony is about to begin."
As night fell, the Lu family gathered in front of the ancestral hall in a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
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