Jiang Yue shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the lingering emotions from her past life of unfair treatment.
Soon, the family arrived at the heart of Wu Family Village: the Wu Family Ancestral Hall!
The ancestral hall was very solemn and dignified.
Just standing outside the wall, I felt a surge of heat rush to my chest, gathering in my heart...
Thump~
Thump~
Thump~
It's the feeling of my heart racing, an indescribable feeling, like a sense of belonging, or something else entirely...
"Mrs. Jiang, come in quickly and have a seat. You are the mother of the scholar today, so you should sit in the front row!"
Old Madam Qin waved with a smile. She was wearing a plain brown dress, her hair was carefully tied up, and she exuded a capable yet kind smile.
"Oh, Auntie, don't laugh at me. What scholar? In your eyes, Qingyun is still just a little kid."
Jiang Yue responded, her tone affectionate.
Upon approaching, they took the old man's hand and helped him into the ancestral hall.
"Ugh, my old man has been waking up laughing at night lately, it scared me so much I almost hit him with the sole of my shoe!"
Old Qin leaned close to Jiang's ear and whispered something, letting out a hearty laugh.
Jiang Yue imagined that scene and couldn't help but chuckle.
Inside the ancestral hall, long benches were arranged on both sides, a stove was placed in the center, and six large water vats were placed in the corners.
The ancestral tablets were wiped so clean that they seemed to reflect light.
It's clear that the village chief has been giving a lot of orders to repair the ancestral hall recently, and it looks much more impressive now than it did a few months ago!
"Sit here. When the Liu family arrives later, we'll also arrange for them to sit here."
Old Madam Qin winked and said, "This is the spot I chose, and I'm keeping it."
"Oh, thank you so much, Auntie. Please don't bother anymore, sit down and rest your feet."
Jiang Yue nodded, gesturing for Qingshan to help Daxue sit down and rest, before continuing her conversation with Aunt Qin.
"No, no, look at my new clothes today! I have to show them off!"
Old Madam Qin smiled and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes.
After saying that, he waved his hand and left.
Jiang Yue watched the other person's retreating figure, suppressing a laugh.
No wonder people say that the older people get, the more they act like children; it's so true!
Indeed, the location that Aunt Qin arranged for their family had an excellent view and was definitely the center position.
However, she had already gotten used to the villagers' gazes, and she faced them calmly, no matter what they were looking at.
The family had barely sat down when people from the old house arrived one after another, followed by Liu's family and Daxue's maternal relatives.
Without bothering with pleasantries, everyone was dressed in plain clothes, their faces solemn and tense.
The children, trembling with fear, followed the adults' example, remaining silent, while the bolder ones opened their eyes wide and looked around...
"Knock knock knock~"
As the gongs and drums sounded, the entire area fell silent, everyone peering towards the entrance of the ancestral hall...
"With Heaven above and Earth below, Wu Yongfa, the seventeenth generation descendant of Wu Family Village, along with his nineteenth generation descendants Wu Qingyun and Wu Changjun, kowtow to our ancestors."
"Kneel down~"
Everyone held their breath, watching the old man and two young men holding a memorial ceremony inside the ancestral hall.
Jiang Yue had only ever seen wealthy families from the Republican era on television before. This was the first time she had ever witnessed such a solemn ceremony, so she watched with great interest.
"Mother, it's Third Brother!"
At first, Qingyao didn't recognize her third brother, whose clothes were somewhat unfamiliar. It wasn't until her third brother smiled in their direction when the village chief wasn't paying attention that she realized who he was.
Jiang Yue turned her head and whispered to her daughter:
"Yes, it's your third brother. Shh~ Let's wait until your village chief grandpa finishes the ceremony before we offer incense and burn paper money for our ancestors and your father."
father?
Qingyao suddenly realized that she hadn't thought of that name for a very, very long time.
When her family was living in dire straits, they were always hungry and cold. She longed for her father to come and take her away from this misery and support the family.
But when did she stop thinking about her father?
Yes, she no longer needs a father.
Thinking about this, she felt a little sad, but more than that, she felt relieved about her father.
She'll burn lots of gold ingots for her father during the memorial service later, so he can be reincarnated into a good family and won't have to worry about them anymore.
When Grandpa Wu and Mrs. Zhou saw that their third son's son, Qingyun, was so successful, they were not only pleased but also grateful to their third son's wife.
Wu Changjun's mother wept silently with joy. She had finally overcome all her hardships. "My dear husband, if your spirit is watching over us from heaven, you can rest in peace now that you see how outstanding your son is!"
The others pointed to the two scholars in the ancestral hall and admonished their sons that if they wanted to get ahead, they should study hard, or follow the example of the scholars' brothers and get rich through business, or at the very least, work in a pharmaceutical factory!
Today is destined to be an unforgettable day. At least in the hearts of the nineteenth generation, a seed of positivity and progress has been planted, waiting to take root and sprout in the future...
After the elaborate ceremony was completely over, Uncle Village Chief was helped aside to rest and have some tea, and the memorial service for every household in Wu Family Village began.
In the center of the ancestral hall, a large incense burner was already lit with two incense sticks as thick as a baby's arm.
That was a special incense for the top scholar, commissioned by the village chief, which shows how high his expectations were for the young scholar.
Each household lined up to light incense and candles. On the right side, there was a space six feet long and two feet wide where people could burn paper money and ingots.
Jiang Yue took the lead, burning incense and making a show of offering sacrifices, lighting paper money and gold ingots as a symbolic gesture.
She gave up her spot so her children could cook the rest, and helped her daughter-in-law stand further away to avoid the smoke bothering her.
“You’re pregnant and shouldn’t overwork yourself. Let them do it this year, and you can cook it yourself next year.”
To avoid Daxue from overthinking, she offered an explanation.
Da Xue naturally sensed her mother-in-law's pity, so she didn't think much of it and obediently waited for her husband and the others to finish burning the paper money.
Amidst green mountains, green pines, and green clouds, and with Qingyao, the four siblings knelt down in a ball after burning most of the paper money and ingots, and kowtowed.
Qingshan: Father, with Mother's help, your son has married. Your daughter-in-law is pregnant, and you will have a grandson. Your son is doing well, so please rest in peace.
Qingsong: Dad, we have so much money in the family now that we can't spend it all. You're not lucky enough to enjoy it, but Mom is still here. We will take good care of her in the future. Please reincarnate soon.
Qingyun: Father, your son has passed the county-level imperial examination and will surely become a provincial-level scholar in the future, bringing honor to the family and Wujia Village. Rest in peace in the afterlife.
Qingyao: Father, your daughter has grown up. I've learned so many words and recognized many medicinal plants. Mother has been so incredibly kind to us. Please reincarnate quickly, so you can be born into a good family and enjoy a blessed life!
A gentle breeze swept by, and the paper money burned to ashes. The four siblings rose, brushed the dust off their knees, and walked hand in hand toward their mother...
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