Chapter 166 The Beam is Put Up
Wu Dongmei's words made Zhao Zhilan and Wang Cailian feel sick.
"No one dares to drink this water," Wu Dongmei said. "Li Zheng Wang has discussed the water issue with Li Zheng Liu."
This is understandable. After all, everyone would be disgusted by water that has been used to soak a dead person.
Zhao Zhilan asked, "So how did they discuss this?"
Their Feishui Village only has this one well at the west end of the village. It is enough for the villagers to use, but if the one from Heishui Village is added, it might be a bit difficult to make up.
"What else can we discuss? Of course we agreed," Wu Dongmei said. "Li Zheng Wang has already asked the villagers to dig a well, but it will take at least a few days to finish. For the next few days, we can only make do with it."
"Okay, I understand." Zhao Zhilan said.
It's just that more people come to fetch water. The worst that can happen is that you have to queue up and wait longer, but it's not a big deal.
After seeing Wu Dongmei off, Zhao Zhilan and Wang Cailian went to get busy.
Three days passed in a flash, and it was the day for the Yun family to raise the beam and set up the banquet, which also happened to be the day when Yun Chengfu was on vacation.
The Yun family was busy early in the morning.
The weather was also unusually nice, with the sun shining brightly in the sky, making people feel warm. There was no wind, so people didn't feel cold even when standing outside. But if you were busy with work, you would sweat.
Zhao Zhilan and her three daughters-in-law were busy preparing the things needed for the sacrifice before raising the beam. The three brothers of the Yun family discussed the process of the ceremony with the two bricklayers.
Brothers Yun Chengfu and Yun Chenglu have already bought and prepared the firecrackers and other things that they will need to set off later.
As for setting up the banquet, Zhao Zhilan also invited several people from the village, including Aunt Sun, who specialized in preparing big pot meals for weddings and funerals.
There were quite a few residents in Feishui Village. Although the Yun family had a better life, they were not rich enough to spend money lavishly, so they only set up twelve tables and invited some villagers who were close to the Yun family to book about ten tables. The other two tables were for outsiders.
If anyone else in the village wants to come, they can bring gifts and sit at the other two tables until they are full.
I was busy until the end of the Si hour before I finally got everything ready.
The neighbors who came to the banquet all brought gifts, and packages of all sizes were piled up at the doorways of the east and west wing rooms of the Yun family, like two small mountains.
Yun Chengfu and Yun Chenglu were older and helped their father entertain guests at home.
Baoya, Yunhua and Yunyue, the three little girls, were playing in the east wing, waiting for the party to officially start before going out to join in the fun.
After all, they are little girls, and Zhao Zhilan is still worried that they will run around outside and get bumped or caught a cold.
"Baoya, Huaya, Yueya, come here quickly, it's about to begin!" Zhao Zhilan lifted the door curtain and shouted into the house.
The three little girls could no longer sit still. Their two brothers were hanging out outside, entertaining guests and helping the adults, but their grandmother had told them to stay in the house and wait.
It’s so lively outside that even a child can’t stay here.
"Hey! Here I come!" The three little girls responded loudly in unison.
Then they all slid down from the kang and rushed towards the door.
Zhao Zhilan looked at their impatient expressions and shook her head helplessly.
In the yard, Li Rongyue and He Chunxiu were already waiting at the door. When they saw the three maids coming out, they stepped forward to take them away.
He Chunxiu picked up Baoya and walked to the front table and sat down. Li Rongyue pulled Yunhua and Yunyue to sit next to her.
There are six tables in the two rows on the left and right sides of the Yun family courtyard. The first two tables are the main table for the Yun family, and Liu Lizheng, Yang Daguang, Wu Dongmei and other people who have status or have the best relationship with the Yun family. The tables at the back are arranged more casually.
A long offering table has been placed at the main entrance of the new house, with three offerings of chicken, fish and pork on it.
The older bricklayer is the one who presides over the ceremony today. After he selects the wine and offers sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth, the beam-raising ceremony officially begins.
Baoya had never seen this kind of ceremony before. At this moment, she was held by He Chunxiu, and her clear eyes stared at the presiding craftsman without blinking.
Yunhua and Yunyue were so focused on the front that they even forgot to eat the peanuts and melon seeds in their hands.
I saw the craftsman in ochre cloth standing there, his back straight, smiling as he sang:
"Today, the sky is clear and we are here to raise the beams. The Lord is building a magnificent hall in the east. The hall is built on the dragon's mouth. Let's all work together to raise the beams. One step up, you will be promoted to the highest rank. Two steps up, three phoenixes facing the sun. Three steps up, three yuan and younger brothers. Four steps up, four seasons of wealth. Five steps up, five crops in abundance. Six steps up, six harmonies in spring. Seven steps up, seven stars shining brightly. Eight steps up, eight immortals crossing the sea. Nine steps up, nine sons passing the imperial examinations. Ten steps up, everything is complete, and prosperity and wealth will last forever!"
After he finished singing, he took a big rooster with its wings tied from a young helper, raised the sharp kitchen knife in his hand, and chopped off the rooster's neck.
He Chunxiu and Li Rongyue hurriedly covered the eyes of the three little girls.
Baoya's mother covered her eyes and she couldn't see anything, and she felt a little itchy in her heart.
She blinked, and her eyelashes like small fans gently swept across He Chunxiu's palm, making He Chunxiu laugh.
Fortunately, the craftsman had already killed the rooster, and He Chunxiu took off his hands that were covering her eyes.
The craftsman was holding a bowl with chicken blood. After filling a small bowl, he sprinkled the chicken blood on the beam behind him that he was going to install soon.
Putting up the beam is the most critical step in building a house. A beam bears the heavy responsibility of supporting the structure of the house.
Therefore, the wood you choose must be straight, thick, round and uniform.
The craftsman sprinkled the water while chanting: "Below, the golden rooster crows, above, the phoenix cries, the beam is upright!"
Zhao Zhilan took the lead and shouted, "Good! Good!"
The other people in the Yun family followed suit and shouted, and Baoya also clapped her hands happily and cheered along.
After shouting, the two people responsible for carrying the beams climbed up step by step to the top of the tower that had been built earlier. Yun Dalang lit the firecrackers, and crackling sounds suddenly exploded.
Baoya, Yunhua and Yunyue's faces turned red with excitement. They covered their ears, giggled, and rushed into their mother's arms.
Ropes were tied to both ends of the beam. Two people held it up below, while two people above pulled the ropes, slowly lifting the beam to the roof and placing it in the middle.
"Mom," Baoya asked curiously, looking at the tall beams, "Why do we have to kill a rooster before putting up the beams?"
He Chunxiu peeled a peanut for her and replied, "Because it's auspicious. The axe represents 'blessing', and the rooster represents 'good luck'. It means lots of blessings and good fortune."
Amid the lively sound of firecrackers, and the laughter and applause of the crowd, the craftsman walked to the center of the beam and untied a package hanging from it.
He Chunxiu pinched Baoya's cheek and said with a smile, "Get ready, it's time to sprinkle candy."
As soon as he finished speaking, the craftsman grabbed a handful of things from the cloth bag and scattered them among the tables of guests outside.
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