People in the south have ancestral halls, while people in the north generally do not.
The afternoon of Lunar New Year's Eve is the most important time for sacrificial rites in the Jiaonan region.
Descendants bring offerings and paper money to their ancestors' graves to kneel and pay their respects, adding a handful of fresh soil as a symbol of continuing the family line. They pray for their ancestors' blessings for a prosperous and thriving family.
This is also the time when one's personal influence is most evident.
Those who are successful will be even more glamorous on this day, while those who are down on their luck will feel even more ashamed.
Those who have gilded the face of their ancestors are naturally honored and placed at the forefront of society.
Those who have disgraced their ancestors have no right to stand before them. Some families, in their most desperate circumstances, don't even want to visit their ancestral graves.
Just like the Xiao Weiguo family a few years ago, and the Xiao Changsuo family now.
A series of setbacks have caused Xiao Changsuo, who was once riding high, to lose all his former energy and spirit.
What his eldest son did made him unable to hold his head high in front of others for the rest of his life.
Then, even her youngest son lost his job and now stays at home, never leaving the house.
He didn't dare blame his son. His wife had run off with his elder brother; could there be anything more shameful? It was already remarkable that Xiao Lian was alive, and even more so, in Xiaotun.
Their family, which once had two members who were employed by the government, suddenly fell to the very bottom of the village.
Even the crazy daughter-in-law and the only granddaughter looked down on this family and abandoned them.
Last year, Xiao Changsuo made a brief appearance here, but this year he hasn't shown his face at all.
What are you doing here? Will anyone laugh at me for standing at the very end of the line?
In this ordinary little village in the north, some families are happy while others are sad. People always feel that changing the status quo is a slow and difficult process.
But looking back, how many families and individuals have gone from decline to prosperity, or from prosperity to decline, all in the blink of an eye?
The Xiao Weiguo family, who were once too ashamed to even visit their ancestral graves, now drive luxury cars that no one in the entire village has ever seen before, and wear high-end clothes that can only be seen on television.
In this cold winter, when everyone has their hands tucked into their sleeves and their necks tucked deep into their quilts.
Xiao Weiguo, wearing a wool overcoat, walked towards them with his head held high in the cold wind.
Following behind her were Xiao Jian and Jiao Bai, who made no attempt to conceal their family's wealth and prosperity, carrying things in their hands and on their shoulders.
"Weiguo, you're back."
"Happy New Year, Weiguo!"
"Xiao Jian is here this year too! I'm so happy for your parents. The whole family is finally reunited."
Amidst warm greetings, Xiao Weiguo smiled and nodded, greeting each of his relatives.
He handed out handfuls of Zhonghua cigarettes.
Xiao Baojun also returned home for the holiday before the Lunar New Year. Standing next to his grandfather Xiao Wenjin, he smiled and waved to Xiao Weiguo as a greeting.
This is not the kind of occasion where superiors and subordinates discuss work.
He is now the head of the sales department at Panlong Apparel, wielding significant power over the entire company's inventory and distribution. He is a powerful figure in the company and holds considerable influence.
He did not disgrace his grandfather, nor did he fail to live up to Xiao Weiguo's expectations.
Xiao Weiguo now relies heavily on Xiao Baojun in business. With his down-to-earth attitude, eagerness to learn, and exceptional talent, Xiao Weiguo believes that his future achievements will not be limited to just the clothing industry. He believes that all business dealings of the entire Panlong Group may be handed over to him.
Furthermore, Xiao Weiguo heard that his family and Zhou Ruolan's family were already discussing the wedding date. The wedding should be held shortly after the New Year.
Now that both of their careers are thriving, Xiao Weiguo sincerely wishes them well.
In front of the ancestral grave in the middle, Xiao Wenjin pulled Xiao Weiguo and his brother to his side, and the kneeling ceremony began amidst the booming of firecrackers.
Everyone who comes to the ancestral graves must first kowtow and pay respects to the graves under the leadership of the clan chief before they can offer incense and burn paper money for their grandparents, parents, and other family members.
This signifies that the tradition is passed down in an orderly manner; this is the rule, and no one can break it.
After a series of elaborate rituals, everyone dispersed to visit the graves of their respective family members.
Xiao Weiguo led Xiao Jian to his parents' graves.
The two brothers first shoveled some fresh soil from the ground and added it to their parents' graves. Then they lit the incense, candles, and paper money they had brought.
Thinking back to this time last year, Xiao Weiguo was accompanied by Xiao Jiang, who was only nine years old at the time.
He knelt before his parents' graves and swore that he would find his younger brother and bring them to their graves.
This year, he did it. Looking at the wild grass dancing in the cold wind on the grave, Xiao Weiguo seemed to see his parents smiling at him with satisfaction.
"Xiao Jian, kneel down and kowtow to your parents."
Xiao Weiguo and his younger brother knelt together in front of their parents' graves.
Xiao Jian kowtowed heavily on the ground, while Xiao Weiguo used a branch to stir the burning fire, making the paper money inside burn even more fiercely.
Father, Mother, go see what I promised you. I've done it.
Xiao Jian is back. He's doing very well now. His old house has been rebuilt and is now the best courtyard house in our village, township, and county. If you can go back and visit, you'll definitely be happy for our family.
He didn't want to live in the city, so I let him stay by your side. You can watch him grow up and live your whole lives.
Shanshan is a very promising student; she was one of the top students in the entire county in high school. Soon, our family will have a college student. You both told us to study hard when you were alive, and we have let you down. But now it's different; Shanshan will be the first to fulfill your dreams of going to college for us.
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