The sudden turn of events left the audience in the live broadcast room confused.
Soon, many viewers from your province who knew about this funeral custom spontaneously started to learn about it in the live broadcast room. With the help of the director team, they quickly found the relevant information from the big data and inserted it into the live broadcast room.
It turns out that in your province, whenever a high-ranking elder in the family passes away, the younger generations must perform the ceremony of circling the coffin at the funeral.
The customs in different parts of the province vary slightly, but the two items of "scattering flowers around the coffin" are basically the same.
The former is called "Da Rao Coffin".
The day before the deceased is buried, a nearby fortune teller is invited to perform a sealing ceremony on the coffin.
After the coffin is sealed, the Yin-Yang master goes first, and then the younger generations of the family line up in order from oldest to youngest and follow closely behind, forming a circle around the coffin of the deceased.
Led by the master, the younger generations began to circle around the coffin.
Or they run and shake bells in their hands, accompanied by wailing and funeral songs;
Or let the eldest son and the second son hold the soul-calling banner and the spirit tablet in both hands, while the other filial sons and grandsons burn a stick of incense and pay respect to the deceased elder in the coffin when they walk around the coffin...
Some areas go around three or five times, while others go around twelve times.
This part is to express the younger generations' reluctance to part with the deceased and their respect for him, and also means sending him off for mourning.
The latter is "scattered flower text".
After the descendants have completed the ceremony of circling the coffin, friends and relatives attending the funeral will sit in front of the coffin and listen to the flower-scattering ceremony performed by the Taoist priest or the fortune teller.
Generally speaking, the content of Sanhuawen is to praise the deeds of the deceased during his lifetime, or to send blessings for their reincarnation.
[I am a local in your province and have heard of this custom, but it is a ritual that is only performed for burials. Nowadays, many people choose cremation, and funerals are not as weird as before. I have never seen circling the coffin.]
[I respect the culture and etiquette of each place, but I still want to ask, isn't it really scary to cry around a coffin in the middle of the night? I'm afraid I would faint at the sight of it...]
[This is the first time I've heard of this kind of funeral ceremony. It feels quite grand.]
So what did this brother do?
After hearing Gu Zhisang talk about the funeral rituals, sister Xiaoxi pursed her lips and said:
"My great-grandfather's funeral was indeed conducted in the most traditional way. He had never left the village in his life and was very old, so he held a very high status in the village. When we went back, half of the village went to pay tribute to him, and the funeral banquet alone lasted for three days."
She turned her head and glared at her brother, and said coldly: "Tell me yourself, what good thing have you done?!"
Xiaocheng hesitated and felt a little guilty.
He had disliked his great-grandfather since he was a child, and was indeed reluctant to attend the funeral, doing some things that made him feel guilty.
But the matter was so secret that he was sure no one knew about it except himself.
On the one hand, he was too embarrassed to say it in front of the camera, and on the other hand, he had unrealistic fantasies:
Maybe this contestant was just trying to trick her. How could she even know that?!
Xiao Cheng said, "I didn't do anything, sister. You didn't let me smile or look cold at the funeral. I cried and I pretended to cry, but you were watching me the whole time. What could I do?"
"You're still being stubborn? The master has already told you to reflect on yourself!"
Seeing his brother sticking his neck out and being stubborn, Xiaoxi felt anxious and angry.
At this time, Gu Zhisang spoke up. She did not expose Xiaocheng directly, but looked at the brother and sister's faces and said, "I see that your foreheads are both flat, and a straight line is formed from the forehead point to the side point. This forehead has the center and the blessing hall. In terms of the twelve palaces in physiognomy, they are the parents' palace and the fortune palace."
"The second palace is flat and empty, and there is no obvious parent line, which means that your parents both died when you were very young. This also led to your poor situation when you were young and you didn't enjoy much happiness."
The brother and sister didn't expect her to suddenly mention their parents, and they were stunned.
Gu Zhisang stretched out his fingertips, tapped the inside of his temple, and said:
"Did they tell me that your hair here is thick and messy?"
"People often say that..." Xiaoxi nodded and said, "My brother and I both have low hairlines since we were young, and there is a circle of fine hair like lanugo. My brother's hair is short and mixed in so it's not noticeable, but when I tie my long hair into a bun, this circle of hair is particularly noticeable. Sometimes it looks a bit messy when it's frizzy, but I don't like it."
Gu Zhisang curled the corner of his lip, "That place is the Tiancang position, also known as the Migration Palace."
"You two siblings have a lot of mixed and uneven migration palaces, which means you often changed your residence when you were young, either living under someone else's roof or wandering around. This is also the saddest experience in your hearts, so it is embodied in your migration palaces."
"It is precisely because of these experiences that you and your brother left your hometown and hated going back to that place and seeing those people. Am I right?"
After a long silence, Xiaoxi smiled bitterly and said, "Although I don't know why Master Gu brought up these past events, you are right."
"In fact, my family was quite wealthy when I was young. My parents rented a shop in the county and opened a noodle shop. Although we didn't buy a house in the county, we had enough food and drink. We were the most prestigious among our relatives."
In Xiaoxi's memory, she and her brother had two or three yuan of pocket money every day, and they were the children with the most new clothes and snacks when they returned to the village during the holidays.
However, everything ended in an accident.
"When I was nine and my brother was five, my parents were out buying goods when they had an accident and both died. Since then, we two children were taken back home by the elders of the same clan and lived in the homes of our uncles and aunts in turn."
"We were like being kicked around, living in one house for three months, and then in another house for half a year. I don't need to tell you that this kind of life is like living under someone else's roof. You can imagine that you have to live according to the elders' wishes. Later, when I graduated from high school, I took my brother away from there."
Xiaoxi's expression was cold when she said this, and it was obvious that she had a deep conflict with her relatives over there.
She suddenly thought of something and turned her head to look at her brother beside her, "You, you wouldn't do anything disrespectful at Grandpa's funeral because of what happened in the past, right?"
This time Xiaocheng pursed his lips and said nothing.
He was reminded of bad memories, and recalled the suffering and grievances he had endured as a child, and said angrily:
"Can those people be called relatives? How did they treat us after our parents died? Did they do anything humane? They are not afraid of being stabbed in the back by our parents after they die, nor are they afraid of retribution, so what should I be afraid of!"
This was almost an admission that he had done something at the funeral.
"You!" Xiaoxi's eyes widened with anger, and she slapped her brother's shoulders twice. "Didn't I tell you to just go through the motions and never have anything to do with each other again? Why didn't you listen?"
"If you still recognize me as your sister, then tell me honestly what you did, otherwise I will pretend that you are not my brother."
Seeing that his only relative was angry, Xiaocheng became anxious.
"I'm telling you, I've confessed, don't be angry, sister." He hesitated for a moment, looked at the camera and gritted his teeth, "I know what I did was not right, and I'll accept whatever netizens say after the show airs, but I have to rip those people's faces off today and let the people of the whole country see what kind of ruthless people they are!"
From Xiaocheng's mouth, everyone heard a more detailed version of the two's childhood experiences.
It turns out that their family has four generations living under one roof.
Their father had three brothers and one sister, a total of five children in the previous generation. Their father was the only one among the five families who left the mountain village and settled in the county. At that time, the family conditions were the best, and he usually took care of his younger siblings during the holidays. Although their mother had some complaints about this, she did not stop it.
Among their grandfather's generation, there was only one child, grandfather. The next child above him was grandfather's father, great grandfather. At that time, great grandfather was the head of the whole family.
When their parents got into trouble, Xiaoxi was just over nine years old, and Xiaocheng was just six years old;
The two children had relatives and uncles, so it was impossible to send them to an orphanage. So my great-grandfather and grandfather called other people in the family and discussed raising the two children together.
When they used to help them, they always called them brothers, but now when they heard that they had to raise children, several families began to refuse.
It just so happened that the victim who killed their parents was a local factory owner. He came to their home and said he wanted to settle the matter privately, and the two adults paid a total of 200,000 yuan in compensation.
More than ten years ago, the 200,000 yuan was like a huge sum of money dropped from the sky for the villagers of Huangtu Village.
Although grandpa insisted on calling the police, several uncles and aunts in the family kept dissuading him, saying that their parents were dead and it would be better to ask for some compensation so that they could raise their two children.
Finally they came to their great-grandfather for help. The silent old man looked at the dilapidated courtyard and his pale and skinny grandchildren, and finally knocked on the board to settle the matter privately.
The brother and sister Xiaoxi and Xiaocheng had their future arranged for them without them knowing anything.
Several families agreed to use the compensation money to raise children together, and they promised that they would never let the orphans left behind by their brothers suffer.
But in reality, the two children could only barely make ends meet. While their cousins ate meat, they could only drink soup. They no longer had pocket money or new clothes.
He also had to clean the house, feed the chickens and geese, and was bullied and ridiculed by the younger generations from other families.
甚至有一年姐弟俩偷听到，某个叔叔说村里有个光棍，想让小成过继过去给自己当儿子，承诺给他们家五万块的‘过继费’。
他们大吵大闹，跑到爷爷和太爷爷面前戳破此事，说他们姐弟绝对不会分开。
两个老人的确很生气不同意，把那叔叔骂了一顿，但自此之后两个小孩儿的处境就更难了。
每每他们开口要书本费的时候，是觉得最难堪的时候，叔伯婶婶会指桑骂槐地说他们偷偷圈钱，连声叫苦说养一个孩子有多亏本。
但他们看到的却是几个叔伯家短短几年，用不知道哪里‘赚’来的钱盖了新房子，买了新家电。
太爷爷手上留着的所谓的‘未来给他们读书’的钱，也被其他孙子孙女软磨硬泡，‘借’了个精光。
他心疼其他孙辈，所以默认了这些行为，可是却寒了姐弟俩的心。
到小溪高三毕业的时候，她的成绩特别好，可以去一个很不错的一本。
但是要到拿学费的时候，家里一个婶婶竟然让她别上大学了，说已经给她在村里相了门好亲事。
那婶婶说：'你以为我们哪还拿的出钱哦，把你和你弟弟养那么大已经很良心了，你不要揪着什么二十万说事情，现在二十万能干个啥子？再说了你一个女孩子家家，读那么多书有什么用，最后不还是要嫁人！我给你介绍的这个人你别看是中专学历，可人家家里可有钱了，就你这条件要不是年轻长得还不错，人家还看不上嘞……’
听了这话的小溪气得直留眼泪，最后一咬牙带着弟弟离开了大山。
她打零工打暑假工，又问以前的高中老师借了钱，才租了个小公寓凑齐了学费了。
这几年她的学费和小成的学费，大头都是她平时兼职加暑假工挣出来的。
小成说到这儿已经哽咽了：“我和我姐从小到大就没吃过几块肉，家里的活儿都是我们干，就这样他们还想祸害我姐！这种人根本不配称为亲戚，我看见他们都觉得恶心！凭什么死了还要我们回去哭丧？”
要不是那些不要脸的叔伯拿他们去世的父母说事，说他们这是大逆不道不孝顺，爹娘在地底下都要被祖宗骂，他们才不会回去参加什么丧礼。
顾之桑说道：“所以你其实一直心中有怨，你讨厌他们每一个人，这份厌恶直到下葬的前一天晚上、到‘打绕棺’的那个时刻达到了顶峰。”
小成深深看了她一眼，点头道：“对，我觉得他们每个人都很可笑可憎！”
原来在他们那个山窝窝里，在‘打绕棺’的时候还有一种仪式，就是在死者棺材前放一个铜盆子。
在绕棺的过程中，小辈们会在阴阳先生的带领下一边绕圈，一边把真金白银的人民币往盆子里丢。
据说这是在祈求死者在地下保佑他们财源滚滚。
往盆子里洒得越多，财运就越好，他们那儿也叫‘转金盆’。
事后这个‘金盆’里的钱，阴阳先生会抽走三成作为辛苦费，剩下的就当作第二天抬棺下葬、或宴请宾客的钱。
或许是为了在大半个村子面前的展示自家过得好、有钱，又或是真的孝顺太爷、真的相信丢得越多财运越好，那几个叔伯每家都在‘金盆’里丢了不少。
有六千六的，还有一两万的。
这么粗略一估计，那阴阳先生做一趟法事就能拿到一两万块！
周围的村民们都在咂舌于这家的后辈有钱、孝顺，但小成在一旁听着却很不是滋味。
他作为父亲这一脉的代表人，要站在最前头。
当前面的阴阳先生敲锣打鼓、绕着棺材转起圈时，他觉得这种所谓的仪式真的很可笑，也很蠢。
小成眼角的余光能看到后面的表弟妹也带着笑，跑着洒着，手里红艳艳的钞票飞了满地，周围是村民和那些叔伯的喧哗声。
他看着那一张张脸忽然觉得很不公平。
凭什么他和姐姐每天累死累活，只为了活下去，而爸妈用命换来的钱却被这些所谓的亲戚拿去挥霍、盖房子享受？
他们还在为了明年的学费努力时，这些人办个白事就给阴阳先生送几万块。
小成心里的愤怒愈发强烈，那一刻他萌生出了一个念头。
“我拿了那个盆里的钱。”
小成说出来后，心头一直隐隐压着的大石头反而松懈下来了。
他苦笑一声道：“我知道这样做是偷，是不要脸，可是我并不觉得我做错了，这是我爸妈的买命钱！是我该得的。”
'金盆’里的钱要倒扣在棺材后的地上放一夜，那天凌晨两点多，小成起身去了灵堂。
灵堂黑漆漆的，正中的棺材格外阴森，他心中有些害怕，但还是咬着牙钻到了棺材后头。
小溪：！！
“你怎么能干这样的事情？！你是要气死我吗？”
小溪眼泪气得直流，是恨铁不成钢。
当问清楚弟弟拿了多少钱后，她反而哭得更厉害了。
小成面对盆里的几万元只拿了三千八百块。
他的成绩不是特别好，再加上高中期间一直想打工减轻姐姐的负担，心思并不在学习上，最后只考上了一所普通二本院校。
听到学费一年要七千多还有住宿费，他当即不想读书了，想直接出去打工。
因为小溪一个人要付自己的学费、要付两人的生活费和房租，就算加上他打工的钱，还是差四千元左右。
但小溪不同意，坚持说绝对不能不上学。
前些日子她一直在愁怎么凑上这笔钱。
小成也因为自己的学费问题，每天打完工躺在**，一闭眼就在想要怎么凑。
所以那天晚上他才鬼使神差地去动了那个铜盆子。
他心想：
是太爷爷以前自己说的，要把那笔钱留着给他们姐弟俩当学费，可是太爷爷却食言了；
自己现在只是在履行当年的承诺。
所以小成没有多拿，甚至没有想过要拿去挥霍。
也正是因为他拿得并不算太多，第二天那些亲戚和阴阳先生忙着抬棺下葬，根本就没发现少了些钱。
哭完之后，小溪红着眼眶道：“是我这个当姐姐的没教育好你，明天咱们就去把这笔钱还了，该怎么解决就怎么解决，我去给他们道歉。”
“要道歉也是我去，是我当时鬼迷心窍了。”
小溪还是担心，因为这个数额不大不小，但如果那些亲戚看了节目恼羞成怒，去告小成，他的人生就完了。
就在这时顾之桑缓缓开口：“你要解决这件事的时候，别忘了去报个警。”
“我没记错的话夏国法律是不允许重大事故私了的吧？只要死了人，就一定得量刑，更何况你们俩才是受害者的直系亲属，那些亲戚没经过你们的同意就拿了肇事者的钱，这不是什么私下解决，而是拿了贿赂包庇犯罪。”
“要算账，这笔十几年前的账怎么也得一起算算清楚。”
姐弟俩/观众们：！！
【！！对啊，主播说得对，刑事案件是不允许私了的！那些亲戚也犯法了！】
【啊啊啊桑姐我爱死你了！我差点以为弟弟要完蛋了，有了这一茬那些亲戚怕是要求着他们‘私下解决’了。】
【太狠了这些亲戚，都是亲兄弟的娃怎么下得去手的？真不怕遭报应吗？】
【十几年前的二十万，都相当于现在的上百万了吧！】
意识到此事的小溪心中稍定，但她仍然很生气，“我说过人穷志不能短，你真的让姐姐很失望。”
小成反复道着歉，还很真诚地对着镜头道歉，说自己愿意为自己的行为承担后果，让镜头前的观众们不要学自己。
小溪又问：“顾大师，所以是他拿了棺材后面的钱对太爷不敬，才惹太爷生气了吗？”
顾之桑神情有些古怪，“确实是这个原因，那天晚上正好是它的头七夜，它回丧把你弟弟撞个正着，但你们家那个长辈似乎并不是很生气，正相反它对你们的感情还挺复杂，挺愧疚的。”
“它之所以让你弟弟的气运走低，应该只是觉得小辈做这样的事不好，想教训一下你弟弟，吓唬吓唬他。”
姐弟俩愣住了，“他……愧疚？”
人老了之后，总会回想以前的事情。
其实他们这个太爷爷一直记得两个小孩当年的境遇，也知道他们心里头埋冤自己，一直觉得愧对早死的孙子孙媳。
它想给两个小辈道歉，但伤害已经造成了都太晚了，而且他也开不了这个口。
这份愧疚一直到它闭上双眼，带进了棺材。
结果头七夜它迎面撞上自己那曾孙子，偷偷摸摸跑到棺材后面摸钱。
顾之桑失笑道：“你被水鬼缠身的时候，之所以只是受了些伤，安然无恙地离开了村子，其实是你太爷爷也一直在保护你，在阻挠那个水鬼害你。”
“这老爷子还挺矛盾。”
So what Xiaocheng said, sometimes he always felt that something was watching him when he was sleeping, in fact it might not be a water ghost, it could also be the ghost of his great-grandfather who was following him.
Hearing this, the brother and sister felt even more complicated.
Gu Zhisang asked:
"It should be trying to compensate you in this way? Or to alleviate its guilt. Do you want to see it?"
The author has something to say:
Statement: Xiaocheng’s behavior is not recommended. He was just confused at the time and it is not in line with the author’s values. In any case, I do not recommend making money in this way.