After finishing her meal, with nothing else to do, Xu Lai felt a slight cramping in her lower abdomen, so she went back to bed to rest.
She usually doesn't feel anything during her period, but this time, perhaps because she was exhausted, it was unusually difficult to bear.
Xu Lai took a nap and woke up at 5:30. She could already hear the sounds of people collecting rice downstairs, so she quickly got ready and went downstairs to collect the rice.
Grandpa and Grandma were sweeping and pushing, and a large pile had already gathered in the middle, but the pile in the yard was not yet finished.
Xu Lai took the tools for threshing the grain and went to the road to collect it. If he didn't gather it into a pile and cover it properly, the morning dew would wet the grain, and then all the drying would be for nothing.
Despite the sweltering heat, she was sweating profusely as she packed away. Xu Lai clutched her lower abdomen, wondering why it had to start hurting at this particular time.
Zhao Qingyun didn't go to work today. His back is feeling better. He comforted himself, saying that he hurt his back yesterday because he didn't exert himself properly, and it was definitely not because he's old and his back is bad.
He was harvesting grain in his yard, and the old lady was sweeping it with a broom. At first, he wanted to buy some tools for harvesting grain, but the old lady took out two brooms from the storage room. He wondered where she got these tools from.
Grandma Jiang smiled and said, "I used to farm when I was young. Back then, your grandfather was still alive, so we farmed some fields and raised some chickens. Later, your grandfather passed away, and your mother insisted that I go to City B, so the things here were left unused."
Zhao Qingyun weighed the broom in his hand and said, "Is this sturdy? After all these years, won't it fall apart?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the broom handle detached from the top and fell to the ground. Grandma Jiang glanced over, and Zhao Qingyun quickly picked it up and put it back.
Xu Lai received half of the items but couldn't continue. Just then, Xu Shen came over to deliver some more. Seeing that she wasn't feeling well, he said, "What's wrong? Are you suffering from heatstroke? Go back and sit down."
He snatched the broom and shooed the person into the house. Xia Ningye arrived late, and after looking left and right, she realized there were no tools left to harvest the grain.
Grandpa found a broom that looked very old, gave his to Xia Ning, and said, "I'll go up the mountain to cut a bamboo and make two new ones another day."
...
The millet was dried in the sun for three days. Except for the millet harvested by hand, the rest of the millet could be directly bagged and stored.
Grandpa brought out a wooden device, put the millet inside, and the plump grains would come out through a hole, while the empty husks would be discarded.
All the grains were carried upstairs to the storage room. Ever since Xu Lai encountered the rats, she had put rat poison and sticky traps in that room, and now it was very clean.
All the millet has been properly stored, ensuring this year's harvest. Some villagers will plant a second crop of rice, but Grandpa and Grandma feel that one crop is enough, and they'll plant another next year.
After the busy farming season, it happens to be the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar). Their custom is to pay respects to their ancestors and make zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
Last time she made many different flavors of rice dumplings, so this time she planned to make a meat dumpling. Thinking that Grandma Jiang liked sweet ones, she also made a dozen or so sweet dumplings.
The bamboo leaves are still picked from our own land. My grandmother only planted three bamboo leaves back then, but now they are growing very lushly. People in the village will come over to pick some to take back and wrap zongzi.
Xia Ning missed the Dragon Boat Festival's rice dumpling-making tradition, but she did make it for the Ghost Festival. Her grandmother knew how to make them, so she came here specifically to pick some leaves to make them herself.
The day before the Ghost Festival, Xu Lai wrapped up the rice dumplings and prepared to write paper talismans. On the talismans were written the names of the deceased relatives and the sender's name.
Xu Lai wrote more than twenty copies, signed by her uncle, her father, and her grandfather. The recipients were her maternal grandparents, whom she had no memory of; it seemed they had passed away before she was even born.
She also wrote two copies for her mother, one for her maternal grandfather, which she will send over during the Ghost Festival.
The items to be burned during the Ghost Festival are paper money, a piece of purple and black paper wrapped together, tied with straw, covered with straw, piled up, and then lit.
Grandma brought out a stool with chicken, fish, and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) on it; these were their offerings.
Grandpa took a bag of lime and sprinkled it around the paper money that was about to be burned. It was said to prevent nameless deceased people passing by from snatching the money. The names of the deceased were written on the paper packets, also to prevent other deceased people from taking them.
These are just legends, but they have been preserved as a custom. Many people may find them a bit scary, but if you put yourself in their shoes, those people are your own relatives.
On the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell are said to open, allowing the deceased to briefly return to the world and see their loved ones.
The Ghost Festival is not about feudalism, but about remembrance; what is burned is not superstition, but tradition.
Xu Lai was filled with thoughts. Her grandfather had already lit the straw, and the flames licked at the paper package, sending everyone's thoughts to the deceased.
Amidst the sound of firecrackers, Grandma rambled on and on. Xu Lai guessed that she was probably asking the ancestors for blessings, wishing for good health, academic success, and a smooth career—things that were considered auspicious.
Xu Lai stepped forward, bowed three times, and after the paper money had burned down to almost nothing, she put the things away so they could prepare to eat.
They had just finished preparing their food when Zhao Qingyun picked up his basket and went to the roadside to start burning it as well. It seemed like he had taken something missing, and they could hear Grandma Jiang scolding him.
Zhao Qingyun had never celebrated the Ghost Festival here before and was unaware of so many customs, such as sprinkling lime. He had no idea about this, and after everything was piled up, the old lady asked, "Didn't you buy lime?"
He hurried next door to borrow it, and Xu Lai was quite surprised to see him. "Why did you come here?"
Zhao Qingyun felt that the words sounded familiar, but without thinking about it carefully, she said, "Could I borrow some lime? I forgot to buy some."
Grandpa got up and handed him the bag that he hadn't finished using. Zhao Qingyun thanked him and jogged back to the roadside.
Grandma Jiang asked him to light the pile of paper offerings, while she burned three incense sticks herself, muttering to herself. After the firecrackers were finished, she packed up and went home.
While the Xu family was eating, Grandma put a chicken leg into Xu Lai's bowl and said, "Eat more."
Xu Lai had one in her hand and another in her bowl; she was practically bursting with food.
After finishing her meal, she edited the video and posted it online. She also created two fan groups where fans were chatting. Xu Lai went in to take a look and replied to some messages.
She returned to the main page and saw a private message from a merchant asking her to go to Sichuan to do product traceability.
Xu Lai sat up straight, chatted briefly with the other person, and then they added each other on WeChat.
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