The gods, so stingy that they wouldn't even grant Xia Chuhe a single ear of wheat, arranged the wedding ceremony to the extreme.
Two old, large red lanterns hung at the door of that house. The bride was wearing a traditional red wedding dress, which was worn, flimsy, and of poor quality. Her family members were still dressed in coarse linen clothes, except for a large red flower on their chests.
Besides the bride's family, a few neighbors were also present during the wedding procession.
Although it was a "happy occasion," these people didn't look happy.
Xia Chuhe trailed at the back of the group, following them to the villa at the east end of the village. The divine messenger, dressed in a red robe, finally straightened his usually hunched figure.
The messenger mumbled a bunch of incomprehensible words and led the bride and her family into the villa with a beaming smile.
The ceremony has now concluded.
Silence, quiet, as if nothing had happened.
The neighbors who had accompanied the bride went home, and Xia Chuhe seized the opportunity to grab a kind-looking woman: "Sister, I saw that young girl yesterday, and she said she was very happy to be getting married. Why is everyone so quiet today?"
"A newcomer?" The woman looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, quietly beckoned to Xia Chuhe, signaling her to follow.
Xia Chuhe thought the woman was going to take him to some secluded place, but the two ended up at the widest part of the road.
The woman asked in a low voice, "How many gods do you believe in?"
“Three.” Xia Chuhe considered that Dong Huimiao and he were family, so he included all the gods that the two of them had worshipped.
The woman looked Xia Chuhe up and down, then sighed and said, "Run while you can before you get too deeply involved."
"Sister, to be honest, our family also moved here from elsewhere. But it's not safe outside anymore. Isn't this village protected by the gods? Can't we stay here?"
The woman sneered, "They call it divine protection, but in reality, it's just being slaves to the gods, becoming their private property. Do you think those who live in heaven are comfortable? They still have to farm, raise cattle, and work. The grain they grow and the meat they raise all belong to the gods. They're lucky if they can even get a full meal. Their daughters and sons, whom they raised with love and care, have become the gods' labor force. The good girls they cherish and pamper are all imprisoned by the gods, forbidden to marry others. Alas... we people will all die out sooner or later!"
"Then why is everyone still staying in the village?"
“Run? Where to run? We’re not like you. You have private property to offer to the gods, but we had nothing at first. We could only offer our sacrifices to the gods with vows. We promised that once we grew our crops, we would make offerings to the gods who protected us. Who would have thought…” The woman’s lips moved, wanting to curse but not daring to, “Who would have thought that the gods would take all our food? We were tricked into signing seven agreements. All our property was prepared for the gods.”
The fruits of hard work may not ultimately belong to you. In such cases, giving up is the best option.
Xia Chuhe asked the same question: "Can't we just not do it?"
"Oh, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare not do it." The woman waved her hands repeatedly. "If we don't do it properly, the gods won't care about us, and the evil beasts will capture us and eat us! It's better to live a miserable life than to die. The gods want a lot, but they don't want our lives."
The woman provided a considerable amount of information, which Xia Chuhe summarized into the following: The locals are trapped here by some kind of agreement, facing two major forces: the gods and evil beasts. The evil beasts prey on them for profit, while the gods seek profit but do not harm them. Therefore, they are forced to choose the gods. Those who complete the sacrifice enter Heaven, becoming complete slaves to the gods. Those who do not complete the sacrifice live in the village, and one day in the future, they will enter Heaven, and then…
In short, no matter which force you confront, the outcome will be disastrous.
Summer weeding and winter crop destruction are gradually leading to a tragic abyss.
Now, Xia Chuhe understood why the woman had come to the main road.
The surrounding area is the private property of the gods, so public places become relatively private spaces.
Xia Chuhe thanked the woman, who repeatedly advised her, "If you can move out, do it quickly. Don't stay here any longer, or you won't be able to leave even if you want to!"
...
Although the ceremony of the bride marrying the god was simple, a lot of time was wasted waiting.
When Xia Chuhe returned home, the blacksmith and his wife were already using the kitchen to cook. The blacksmith's wife felt bad about constantly using the Xia family's kitchen and food, so she took over the cooking.
Xia Chuhe glanced into the kitchen and saw a tattered painting on the table, just like the one hanging on the bedroom wall.
"Did you get the statue?" Xia Chuhe asked.
The blacksmith, tossing the wok, answered loudly, "I got it! The messenger said the gods will protect us and help us get through the next few nights safely."
Xia Chuhe looked at the statues on the table and suddenly thought of a question: Are the so-called seven gods really seven?
They share the same statue, the same medium, and even the divine intent and the steps of the ritual are almost identical.
Shouldn't there be only one such deity?
Xia Chuhe held the statue in his hands and examined it carefully.
She said to the two blacksmiths, "I heard some news in the village today. Those who believe in the gods become slaves to them. If there is any way to escape, it is best to try to escape. Why don't you come to my house tonight for refuge?"
The blacksmith hesitated.
His wife readily agreed, saying, "I think the people in this village are all lifeless; this deity probably..."
She didn't say the rest. With the situation still unresolved, she dared not offend the gods.
Nothing happened today, except for the winter-damaged seedlings staring blankly at the thin layer of dried blood at the bottom of the bowl, seemingly still hesitating whether to carry the summer-harvested rice to perform the sacrifice.
That evening, after dinner, the two blacksmiths did not leave, but stayed in the kitchen of Xia Chuhe's house.
Xia Chuhe stayed in the kitchen with the two of them so that he could witness the battle between the evil beast and the god.
Although they didn't know what clues the summer weeding had obtained, they still mustered their spirits and resolutely participated.
That night, the evil beasts attacked the village again, and the gods, just like the previous two nights, protected Xia Chuhe's home.
When the evil beast left, Xia Chuhe and the blacksmith both breathed a sigh of relief.
The blacksmith clapped his hands excitedly: "Great! That evil beast didn't come after us! Miss Xia, we will definitely... repay... you."
As he spoke, his lips moved with increasing difficulty, and his voice grew weaker and weaker.
The blacksmith looked blankly at his wife, and slowly raised his hand: "Wife, come, help me down, I, can't, get up."
The blacksmith clenched his fist loosely, leaving half a finger's distance between his fingers and palm.
"I don't have the strength," the blacksmith explained laboriously to Xia Chuhe.
Xia Chuhe helped the blacksmith's wife to help the blacksmith lie down on the pieced-together table.
Xia Chuhe: "It's too late today. We don't know if the evil beast will come a second time. Let's go to your house together tomorrow to see what's going on."
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