Chapter 139: Visiting the Grave and Making a Prominence
On the Qingming Festival, it still didn't rain, but the sky was overcast with thin dark clouds floating in the sky, as if it would rain at any time.
Xuanyuemei prepared everything early, as she planned to visit her parents' graves.
She is getting married this year, and she has to tell her parents about it. Although they are separated by the Yin and Yang, visiting the graves of ancestors during Qingming Festival is a kind of psychological comfort.
It seems that what happens in the world of the living can be known in the underworld on the day of Qingming Festival.
A piece of pork belly cooked in plain water, a plate of rice crackers, some paper money, incense, candles, and wine are the necessary things for visiting the grave.
Gao Mingcheng held a machete in his hand and said to Xuanyuemei, "Let's go."
Visiting a grave is not just about paying respects there, but also about weeding and adding soil to the grave. Because few people usually go to the grave, there are many weeds and trees on the road. If there is no road to walk on, you have to use a machete to cut down some trees and clear a path.
The two of them closed the gate and walked towards the mountain where the cemetery was located.
The ancestors of most people in Gaojia Village are buried in Xiaoyuanshan, but Xuanmei’s parents are not buried there.
Perhaps because of her mixed surname, her parents were buried on another mountain. She had to cross a field and then climb up the mountain road. She only reached the cemetery halfway up the mountain.
This place is sparsely populated, and villagers seldom come here normally. Only when they are really out of firewood will they take the trouble to come here to chop wood. Therefore, there are many miscellaneous trees along the way, almost covering the road surface.
Gao Mingcheng walked in front with a machete in his hand, and cut down the small trees, branches and weeds that blocked the road, and then threw them aside.
Many beauties were walking behind with bamboo baskets on their shoulders. Although it was not raining, it had rained before, so the ground was still a little slippery. One had to be extra careful when walking on the mountain road.
It took about twenty minutes to reach the cemetery.
There are two small mounds on the hillside. There is no monument in front of them. This is because the people are too poor and have no money to erect a monument.
For a small mound like this, unless it is a relative, few people know who is buried underground.
There are weeds everywhere here. If no one visits the grave to offer sacrifices, in a few years the small mound will slowly be covered by weeds and shrubs, and the true appearance underneath will no longer be visible.
The two men did not rush to the grave to offer sacrifices, but cleaned the grave first, removed the grass on the small mound, and added some more soil to strengthen the grave.
After doing all this, many beauties were already sweating profusely.
She placed the offerings one by one, then took out a match and lit the paper money and incense sticks.
Gao Mingcheng also joined her in paying homage to his father-in-law and mother-in-law in the underworld. Although he had known them when he was a child, he didn't know at that time that he would marry their daughter.
The main deity of the sacrifice was Xuanyue. She began to talk to her parents underground, telling them about her recent situation, and that Gao Mingcheng was very good to her and that she was living a good life now, and asked her parents not to worry.
Then she went on to say that her second sister was finally pregnant, and that her parents now had someone to carry on their family line, and that her parents could rest assured in their grave.
After my eldest and third sisters got married, they basically never came back to visit my parents’ graves. My second sister is pregnant this year, and I don’t know if she will come, but Xuanmei did come, so she told me about my eldest and third sisters’ recent situation so that my parents would know.
After the tomb-sweeping ceremony is over, you are also responsible for extinguishing the fire completely. Although the mountains are humid, if a forest fire is caused, it will be a big disaster.
Manyu Mei stomped out the sparking paper money with her feet and put the meat, rice crackers and wine back into the bamboo basket.
"Let's go." Xuanyuemei said, with an imperceptible sense of relief in her tone.
The two men took their things down the mountain, but instead of going home, they went to Xiaoyuan Mountain.
Gao Mingcheng’s grandfather was buried in Xiaoyuanshan. He separated from the family and started his own family this year, so he had to visit his grandfather’s grave in the first year.
When they arrived, there were signs of sacrifices being made at Grandpa Gao Mingcheng's grave. It was obvious that his parents had been there with his brothers and sisters.
But this is a matter for each brother. As long as they are willing, after the family is divided, each brother can offer sacrifices separately.
Coming down from Xiaoyuan Mountain, I happened to meet a grandma who was taking a walk in the village.
Gao Mingcheng stopped and looked at his grandmother.
His relationship with his grandmother is not deep, not as deep as that with his nephew.
In his memory, when he was very young, his grandmother was still relatively young, but at that time she had to go to the fields to earn work points, take care of housework at home, and help his mother take care of the children. She was very busy and tired.
It’s just that not much of this busyness and tiredness falls on me.
"Grandma." Gao Mingcheng and Xuanyuemei shouted.
Grandma Gao is actually a very nice person with an open-minded personality. Otherwise, she would not have agreed to let someone of Luo Xiaohua's background into the family.
"Hey, have you just come back from visiting your grandfather's grave?" Grandma Gao said with a smile, her eyes looking towards the direction of Xiaoyuan Mountain, where her husband was buried.
"Yes, it's going to rain soon and the ground is slippery. Grandma, please walk slowly." Gao Mingcheng said in a serious tone.
His grandmother was in good health and had no illness in her later years. But in the winter of the next year, she accidentally fell and broke her hip. From then on, her vitality was severely damaged, and she died in pain within half a month.
Most elderly people have osteoporosis and calcium deficiency. They are most afraid of falling, as falling can easily lead to serious consequences.
Gao Mingcheng spoke a few more words to his grandmother and then watched her walk back home. She was in good health, so her steps were steady and there was no sign of her falling.
"Let's go back." Gao Mingcheng said, and went back with Xuanyuemei. However, he was thinking about one thing in his mind. Next year, he planned to ask his father to pave the road leading to the toilet from the old house with cement.
Because in his previous life, his grandmother stepped on the slippery ground and fell heavily on her way back from the toilet.
When he returned home and saw that the yard had not yet been hardened with cement, Gao Mingcheng decided to buy some cement and river sand after planting the rice seedlings.
Things like paving cement floors are technically easy and he can do it by himself.
After the Qingming Festival, just a few days before the rice planting, a strange man came to Gaojia Village. He rode an old bicycle, entered the village, and went straight to Gao Feifei's home.
The neighbors who lived next to Gao Feifei immediately recognized who this man was.
Thus, the news that the husband who had beaten Gao Feifei to the point of miscarriage had come to Gao Feifei's home to apologize and pick her up soon spread in the village. Then, the curious people in the village gathered at the door of Gao Feifei's home, waiting for the first-hand gossip.
There is not much entertainment in the village, so this incident will become a topic of conversation among the gossips in the village. As for how long they will talk about it, it depends on when the next big gossip will appear.
Gao Mingcheng, who was working in the fields, immediately learned about this from the villagers.
He frowned and looked towards the direction of the old village.
Soon, he had an idea in his mind. He put the hoe in his yard and walked towards the old village.
Along the way, he called several of his good friends of the same age.
Gao Mingcheng is actually very popular. Many people in the village have received his help, but he never takes credit for himself.
Now Gao Mingcheng just shouted and his followers gathered.
The group walked to the Cheng'en houseplate at the entrance of the village. Gao Mingcheng pointed at the Cheng'en houseplate and said loudly: "Our Gaojia Village has a great origin. Our ancestors once served as officials! Now someone from our village has been beaten to the point of miscarriage by people from other villages. This cannot be tolerated!"
"Otherwise, if other people knew about this, they would think that the men in our Gaojia Village are heartless and would allow the women in our Gaojia Village to be bullied!"
"Gao Feifei is our elementary school classmate. We all know her character very well. She suffered a great loss this time. We must seek justice for her."
As soon as Gao Mingcheng finished speaking, someone immediately asked him what he was going to do.
Everyone was filled with indignation.
There are no secrets in the countryside. On the day Gao Feifei returned to her parents' home, the reason why she returned was known to everyone, and they all discussed and sympathized with her in private.
But no one had thought about standing up for Gao Feifei. After all, if anyone really wanted to stand up for Gao Feifei, it should be her brothers, sisters, and cousins.
Although everyone has the surname Gao, not every household is related.
But now Gao Mingcheng came forward and gathered all the young people in the village, threatening to support Gao Feifei. With someone taking the lead, the others did not mind the trouble and started grumbling about giving that man a lesson.
In an outrage, the group broke directly into Gao Feifei's home.
Gao Feifei's husband had already presented gifts and given money, and then in front of Gao Feifei's parents, he vowed that he would never beat Gao Feifei again.
He came this time to apologize to Gao Feifei and also to take Gao Feifei home.
Divorce is not a norm in rural areas, and most divorced women have no way out, so some women who really can't live anymore drink pesticides to commit suicide.
It was originally very difficult for Gao Feifei to return to her parents' home. Her house was not big, and she had an older brother and a younger brother, so there was no room for a married woman like her.
But Gao Feifei only returned home after being beaten by her husband until she had a miscarriage. This husband was chosen by her parents, and most of the betrothal money also went into the hands of her parents.
That's why she stayed at home.
But life won’t be comfortable after all.
Now that Gao Feifei's husband has come to pick her up and has given her enough face by apologizing, Gao Feifei's parents are actually no longer angry and are eager to take Gao Feifei away as soon as possible.
Gao Feifei sat aside, her face pale with regret.
She has a clear understanding of her situation.
Otherwise, when she first returned home, she wouldn't have been so emotional or even said words that she hated her mother, because if she hadn't done that, her parents might have sent her back to her in-laws' home the next day.
But eventually I still have to go back.
Thinking of this, Gao Feifei looked ashen.
At this time, a group of young people rushed in, led by Gao Mingcheng.
Gao Mingcheng pointed at Gao Feifei's husband and said, "No woman in our Gaojia Village has ever been beaten. You are setting a precedent!"
"We are all Gao Feifei's elementary school classmates, and we all share the same roots. If you hit Gao Feifei, it would be like hitting the face of our entire Gaojia Village!"
"Kid, I don't care what you do in private. I just want to tell you one thing: women from our Gaojia Village cannot be beaten! If you dare to beat them again next time, don't blame us for rushing to your house and beating you up!"
After saying that, Gao Mingcheng showed the man how he could break a wooden stick as thick as an arm with his bare hands!
With a snap, the wooden stick broke into two pieces.
Thanks to the helmsmen 'Piaoxiang Fengliu 4', 'Feeling' and 'Whose family lost a little cutie' for their rewards, and thanks to the deacon 'Luguo Yiji Huakai' for his rewards, as well as other friends for their rewards.
I am grateful in my heart and wanted to add another word of thanks silently, but I haven't been able to type a word.
My son is sick and has infected me, so I'm crying.
(End of this chapter)
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