Chapter 5
Chieftain Han, sitting on the stage, watched Lan Yingde chatting happily with the chieftains below, and he became more and more satisfied. He turned to Yin Tai, who was sitting next to him, and said, "How could I let such a talent like him go? He must be my son-in-law. The same goes for Yuyan. On such an important day, she insisted on saying she was in mourning and couldn't go out. We don't have so many broken rules in our family. The third brother also said he was not feeling well and didn't want to go out. I have to find an excuse to call Lan Yingde to the mansion later so that they can meet."
Yin Tai sneered inwardly. This man's simple-mindedness was truly terrifying. Did he really think Yuyan was unwilling to come out? She was his former beloved, Yuyan's biological mother, his beloved Third Wife. When she heard that Yuyan was going to marry him off to a widower who was more than ten years her senior, she was so frightened that she feigned illness to keep her daughter by her side.
Yin Tai was too lazy to pay attention to him and asked Tao Da who was standing beside him: "Isn't it time yet? Let's start soon so as not to delay the Buddha Bathing Ceremony later."
Tao Da looked at the sun in the sky before he could reply. Han Yunkai, who had been waiting impatiently, took out his pocket watch and looked at it and said, "It's almost time. Let's get started. It's scorching hot outside."
Yin Tai got angry when he heard him talking: "You have servants holding umbrellas for you, while the chiefs below are drying out in the sun and no one complains about the heat."
Han Yunkai curled his lips and thought: Do they dare to shout?
Han Liyang saw that most people had arrived, so he said to Han Tusi, "Dad, it's almost here, let's start!"
Chief Han turned around and asked the Buddha sitting next to him a few questions. After the Buddha nodded, he said to Butler Tao, "Let's get started!"
Steward Tao replied "Yes" and walked to the front of the stage. He raised his hands and clapped his hands three times, saying, "The Lenghe Shanghan Celebration has begun. Please ask the leaders of each Meng and circle to pay tribute to our respected Anyazhao Tusi Guan Han Jiwang."
The leaders of each Mengquan instructed their servants to place the tributes one by one on the open space on the stage in order. Tao Da held up the gift list, comparing it with the others and reading it aloud. The onlookers listened and discussed it enthusiastically.
"This year's tribute from Mengwang is the same as last year. It seems the harvest wasn't very good last year."
"The chieftain of Gengmeng is so stingy. Last year he sent two horses as tribute, but this year he only brought a few pigs."
"Lisheng is really generous. This year they even brought in a few cows, and the rice popcorn has a lot of variety."
“I heard that Master Lan also got a new type of gunpowder for Master, so this year’s fireworks will definitely be more beautiful than in previous years.
"I think Grandpa Lan will hire people to go up the mountain to cut tobacco this year. Do you want to go?"
"Of course I'll go. Not only will I be paid, but I'll also get food!"
After offering tribute, the Tao headman would greet the chieftain on behalf of the heads of each Mengquan as usual.
He walked to the center of the square, saluted the Tusi family on the stage, and then spoke: "Respected Master Hanji Wangfa, the annual festival has arrived. I bring the pious hearts of all Meng people to kowtow to our supreme Tusi, who controls all of Meng and is as stable as a white pagoda. We follow customs and the rules passed down by our ancestors and have prepared some gold and silver utensils, cloth, and rice flowers to pay homage to the golden and precious Anyazhao Tusi. May Master Hanji Wangfa stand tall, see far, and be in good health. From now on, under the protection of your golden body, the people of each Meng and circle will have food and gifts, be free from disasters and difficulties, and live in good health."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him echoed and shouted: "We will have food and gifts, escape disasters and difficulties, and live in good health and good fortune."
Tusi Han stood up and walked majestically to the center, responding, "The annual festival has arrived. I am delighted that you, the officials and the people, have come to pay homage to me, Yin Tai, and Grandpa. You haven't forgotten my name, and I won't forget you either. Don't let your carelessness or mistakes offend me, violate traditions and rules, or commit mistakes, so you don't follow the rules of your ancestors and come to kowtow to me with gold, silver, and rice. I happily accept your worship and forgive all your sins and mistakes. I also wish all the people of Meng a long life, success, and a peaceful and prosperous life."
Yueming didn't understand a word these people said. Watching them salute, cheer, kowtow, and shed tears of gratitude, Yueming realized for the first time what class and identity were.
It’s not that there are no class and status differences in Kunming. The class and status in Kunming are completely different from those here. Because of the influx of missionaries and the rise of new-style schools, the class and status in Kunming are based on whether you have guns, power, money and power.
For a teenager like Yueming, the social class and status they were exposed to meant that if you had money, you could buy a ticket to the theater, but if you didn't, you could go to Yuantong Temple and burn incense. Or, it was decided whether to go to school by car or on foot.
No matter how poor your family is, if you grit your teeth and send your child to school, and even spend a little more to send them to the army, you can change your child's fate and make them a top talent. Boys and girls are not exempt; everyone has a chance.
But the saying that all men are created equal doesn't apply to Yunxiang. It's like a textbook example of feudal monarchy. Your birth determines your future: the children of a chieftain are born noble, the children of a slave are born slaves. Money doesn't determine everything. If Lan Yingde didn't have the backing of the Tusi Mansion, she wouldn't even be qualified to sit here; she'd have to stand like the people behind her. And those standing behind her were often adorned with silk, satin, and jewels, but they could only stand in the back, unable to step beyond the boundaries.
Seeing these people kneeling and bowing as if it was a matter of course, Yueming felt terrified. Would she have to be like them in the future? They would kneel before strangers at every turn, not because they had made a mistake or because they had something to ask for, but simply because the rules here required them to kneel before them.
After the tribute is over, it is time to bathe the Buddha. The monks of the Burmese temple place the Buddha statue on the open space in the temple courtyard. As usual, the chieftain and the Indian leader are the first to pour the first bucket of water on the Buddha statue, and then it is the turn of the heads of each Meng and circle.
Lan Yingde also led Yueming forward, and the servant girl from the Tusi Mansion handed her a bouquet of flowers. Lan Yingde gestured for her to place the flowers in front of the Buddha statue, then took her hand, scooped a bucket of water, and slowly poured it down the shoulders of the Buddha statue.
While watering the plants, Yueming prayed to the Buddha, "Buddha! Please be kind and let me leave this place as soon as possible."
After the chiefs and officials had finished bathing the Buddha, it was the turn of the common people. The group followed the chieftain back to the square where the celebration was held to see the sand piles.
The so-called sand pile is to use sand to pile up various shapes on the ground. Yueming then found this festival interesting.
Some people built a peacock, others a human figure, and even a house by adding water to the sand. This is truly a national pastime. The best creations are voted on and rewarded with rare toasts. This year's prize is ten half-opened taro, a very attractive prize, and the competition is fierce.
Yueming scanned the square and found the most impressive sculpture of a water buffalo, created by a young monk in the temple. With only a small piece of the back and half of the head, the image of a cow swimming in the water, with only its nose and horns visible, was vividly rendered. The combination of light and shadow created a three-dimensional pattern that Yueming thought resembled the sketching techniques taught in school.
But the ultimate winner was a man who built a Buddha statue out of sand. There was no other way, as the people felt that this theme was the most in line with their sentiments. In the hearts of the Dai people, Buddha is supreme, and the wise and powerful chieftains are secondary.
But in Yueming's heart, the monk's work was the undisputed champion. Seeing her dark horse missing out on the championship and looking gloomy, Yueming gritted her teeth, pulled out a piece of fruit candy from her velvet bag and handed it to him.
The little monk looked at her timidly, not daring to reach out. Yueming guessed he didn't know this was edible, so she decided to demonstrate it herself. She peeled the candy in her hand, threw it into her mouth, licked it with her tongue, and then took out another piece and handed it to him.
Seeing Yueming eating with relish, the little monk hesitated for a while, but finally reached out from his yellow cassock to take the candy, and smiled at Yueming with his lips pursed.
Yueming pointed at the buffaloes he had piled up and gave him a thumbs up.
The little monk understood what she meant, waved the candy in his hand and grinned at her.
The two of them were happily communicating in this mysterious way until Changsheng called her not far away. She winked at the little monk, waved goodbye to him, and walked off in small steps to find Lan Yingde and the others.
After the sand-building exercise, the young men and women, newly in love, would go to the market to find a partner, while those with families would go shopping. Because Changsheng had promised her yesterday to eat this and that on the street, Yueming was looking forward to this project.
She was just pestering Changsheng to recommend the dishes when Feng Er arrived to convey the chieftain's invitation: "This is the first time that the young lady of the Lan family is visiting Yunxiang. We have to entertain her and have lunch at the chieftain's residence."
Yueming felt like a bolt from the blue. Still struggling, she said to Lan Yingde, "I want to go back and get my camera to take pictures of these sand piles. I've never seen anything like them before!"
Lan Yingde knew she was making excuses to refuse, and it was difficult to scold her in public, so he could only say: "I'll ask Changsheng to go back and get it for you. Greet the master and Yin Tai before you come out."
Feng Er quickly said, "Don't bother, Brother Changsheng. We have cameras in the mansion. When the time comes, have the servants bring the young lady out to take pictures. Don't worry, I'll send someone to tell the Second Buddha in the Monastery to send a few young monks to guard the sand piles to prevent anyone from damaging them."
Is this something that can be guarded by humans? If a gust of wind blows over, everything will be gone. And yet you still want to look at the sand, isn't that embarrassing?
Yueming had no choice but to compromise and said, "Forget it, there will be opportunities in the future." After saying that, she looked at the pile of sand on the ground reluctantly for a few times, and followed Feng Er to the chieftain's mansion.
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