The next morning, after the whole family finished eating, they began preparing the offerings.
They don't need to prepare offerings for the ancestral hall; the clan will handle it collectively. However, they still need to prepare offerings for their own families. In previous years, when the family didn't have spare money, the Huang family would only prepare two plates of cold wild vegetables for the deceased Huang Mu, and occasionally a couple of extra eggs.
With money to spare this year, Jiang Nuan generously prepared a large quantity of meat, vegetables, and drinks, as well as two baskets of gold ingots and paper money. The whole family was determined to make up for all the debts they had in the past.
After tidying up, Jiang Nuan led the men of her family to the ancestral hall.
In Huangjiakou, ancestral worship is usually held in the morning because people have to work in the afternoon.
Even with a light drizzle falling from the sky, few people are idle. Spring plowing is approaching, and if the land is not prepared properly, the harvest will be poor. This loss can be fatal for old farmers.
Moreover, there are taxes looming behind them, and unless a major disaster strikes and they are truly unable to survive, there is absolutely no possibility of tax reduction or exemption.
As Jiang Nuan walked with her son, she noticed various people staring at her, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Confused, she asked, "Son, is what I'm wearing inappropriate?"
She deliberately chose plain-colored clothes, and her face was clean and without any makeup.
"No, Mother, why do you ask that?"
"I keep feeling like someone's secretly watching me from behind. Oh well, let them watch. Let's hurry up and get going."
In a corner, Liao looked at the graceful Jiang Nuan and spat lightly, "That old hag Jiang is getting more and more seductive. At her age, she's still trying to act like a young girl. She has no shame."
She touched her sagging face, utterly puzzled. "I'm only two years older than her, how come it feels like we're from different generations?"
“You were seriously ill a while ago, which drained your body,” Huang Sheng whispered, “Once you recover, you’ll look even younger than her.”
After saying that, Huang Sheng quickly lowered his head.
He was afraid that his wife would notice his guilty conscience.
Huang Sheng also felt it was strange. Everyone else was getting older as they got older, but the second wife was getting younger and younger. There wasn't a single ugly person in the whole family. They were all fair-skinned and clean-cut.
Although he was envious, he attributed it to the lives of the wealthy.
With such a diet of rich and fatty foods every day, how could your complexion not be good? You could look ten years younger, or even twenty years younger.
"Really?" Liao touched her face happily. "Then I'll hurry back and rest. Husband, you go to the ancestral hall, I'll go and make some bone broth. I heard it's good for you."
After saying that, before Huang Sheng could react, she rushed home.
“This woman,” Huang Sheng smiled helplessly, “is exactly the same as when she was young.”
He shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and left with a smile.
The smiles vanished the moment they entered the ancestral hall, replaced by solemnity, gravity, piety, and gratitude.
Jiang Nuan, an orphan, couldn't truly understand this feeling, yet she was deeply moved by it.
She listened attentively as Huang Shi read various eulogies, bowing her head and kneeling to offer incense.
The seemingly ordinary action evoked a deep sense of grief in her.
Through each memorial tablet and each stick of incense, one can almost see the distant past, where ancestors wielded hoes under the scorching sun, gradually developing the Huangjiakou of today.
It was half an hour later when we came out of the ancestral hall.
The rain continued to fall in a drizzle, and the crowd, carrying baskets and holding oil-paper umbrellas, walked towards the back mountain.
That is where our ancestors rest in peace.
They didn't stop for a while, chatting as usual.
“Village chief, look at your bamboo basket, it’s full. You must have prepared a lot of things this year.”
“You’re the same,” Huang Sige glanced at Huang Sheng. “In previous years, there was no money left in the family, so even if we wanted to be filial to our ancestors, we couldn’t afford it. This year, the harvest is good, so I cut off ten catties of fatty meat and bought a big pig’s head so that our ancestors can also have a good harvest.”
“That’s not the case,” Huang Laisheng sighed. “Without our ancestors, where would we be? I still dream about my childhood from time to time. My grandfather taught me how to plant crops. When I first started using a hoe, all ten of my fingers were covered in blisters. He would pop them one by one for me. It’s been like this, generation after generation, that’s how Huangjiakou got the life we have today.”
“Therefore, no matter when,” Huang Shi said, gazing at the sky, “we must always respect our ancestors, not because of ghosts and gods, but because of their generations of hard work.”
"right!"
On the other side, in the town's pharmacy, it was raining during the Qingming Festival, and usually there were no customers at this time.
Dr. Gu brewed himself a pot of tea, lay back in his custom-made recliner, and held a medical book in his hand, looking relaxed and content.
Nearby, the young apprentice was dozing off out of boredom.
With a thud, his chin hit the table, and he gasped in pain. "Master, please check me quickly, is my chin broken?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Is my face ruined? Is there any hope for my handsome appearance?"
"You're so dramatic. Behave yourself and don't disturb me while I'm reading my medical books." Doctor Gu shook his head.
Being young and with a restless personality, he couldn't stand it for more than half a day.
"Master, don't you think it's so boring without that little Wu?"
Without anyone calling me "junior disciple" or "nephew" in my ear, I feel completely out of place.
He even started to doubt whether he was the legendary scoundrel!
“You have no manners,” Doctor Gu squinted. “That’s your aunt.”
"Master, you're bullying me!"
With such a young aunt suddenly appearing, he didn't dare return to the capital to pay respects to his ancestors this year, fearing he would be laughed at to death.
"Who has time to bully you?" Doctor Gu's lips curled up slightly. "Instead of wasting time, you'd be better off thinking about what to eat for lunch. It's impossible for anyone to bring us food today."
Upon hearing this, the young apprentice fell silent.
Qiaoqiao patted her stomach and resignedly said, "This is the only food that can be cooked."
I haven't cooked lately, and my cooking skills have become increasingly rusty. Before, even if it was charcoal, I could at least cook it properly, but now I feel nauseous eating half-cooked food.
If it weren't for the special occasion today, he would have simply gone to the Huang family's house for a free meal.
"Eat," Doctor Gu stroked his beard, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain, "Can't you do anything else?"
"I dare to do it," the young apprentice said, pursing his lips. "Would you dare to eat it, sir?"
Upon hearing this, Doctor Gu froze.
He really didn't dare to eat it.
"Never mind, plain rice is fine, it's good for the stomach."
"What a pity, today is a special day," the young apprentice shook his head. "I really want to eat Aunt Jiang's braised meatballs. They're so fragrant and soft, and they leave a lingering taste in your mouth."
These words made even Doctor Gu's mouth water.
He had eaten breakfast but had diarrhea for most of the morning, so he was starving by now. He waved his hand dismissively and said irritably, "Instead of talking about this, why don't you hurry up and cook something?"
"Go now? Isn't that too early?"
"It's noon, not early. We usually eat late because we have patients, but we don't need to today."
"Okay, I'll do it right away."
Unbeknownst to the two people in conversation, someone had braved the wind and rain, rode his horse to Ping'an County, and then headed straight for the small pharmacy.
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