Don't let the timid in... Cowards please go away!
Linlang City, Yimeng. At the foot of Meng Mountain, Dagou Village had been developed under the leadership of the leaders of the New Era. There were rows of western-style buildings and all of them were paved with cement floors. It looked like the entire village was not inferior to the city, but the customs of the countryside had not changed at all...
On this day, he saw people coming and going from the south of the village. From time to time, he could hear the sound of the suona. It turned out to be the sound of funeral music. When he walked in to take a look, he realized that it was the death of an old man in the village. This family was handling the funeral.
The people outside were all relatives and friends who had come to pay their respects. There were more than ten tables on the village road. This was also a local custom!
In the local villages, no matter which family had an elderly person who passed away, they had to observe mourning for three days. On the second day of these three days, they would send a letter to their relatives and friends, meaning that the elderly person would die and be buried the next day so that their relatives and friends could pay their respects.
On the day of the funeral, the family prepared a banquet to entertain the guests. They also bought some funeral items, such as a coffin, clothes for the dead, bedding, pillows, and so on. Most importantly, the family head was afraid of losing face. He went to the shop to buy some paper buildings, televisions, tables, chairs, and eight small paper figurines! Of course, the paper figurines were more or less different because funerals were divided into men and women.
The men usually had a paper horse with a stable boy to lead the horse. The women were old cattle with cowherd boys. The men had a paper car to send the dead on their way. The women had a sedan chair with four sedan bearers.
Our protagonist is also a relative of this family. He is the grandson of this deceased old man. This old man is his grandfather's sister. According to the local name, she should be called Aunt!
As the old man in the family had passed away early, he was the only male left in the family. According to the local custom, when the woman was buried, the family of the woman must be present. When the funeral went out, they had to kowtow and worship. According to the locals, this was called the door sacrifice.
When he arrived at the funeral site and looked at the scene in front of him, there was no change in his eyes. This was because such things were often seen in the countryside and he was already used to it!
Wasn't he sad when he said that his grandaunt had died? How could he be sad when he hadn't seen his auntie for years? There shouldn't be much kinship, right? Moreover, the old man was already in his nineties and was considered an old man. According to the local name, this was called a happy burial. His children did not have much sorrow, let alone him, a maternal relative of his grandson.
Soon, it was 12 o'clock. At noon, he followed his relatives to the local temple to deliver soup several times!
Speaking of delivering soup, the local custom was called pouring soup. The soup was made from millet. The old man said that the dead in the family had to be sent to the Earth Temple because the land was watching over them when they died. After the soup was sent to the Earth Temple, the relatives in the family would drink it and then have the strength to hurry to the netherworld. Otherwise, if they were too hungry to walk, the reapers would beat them up.
After two meals of soup, the chef hired by the head of the family had finished cooking. At noon, the food was served on the table that had been prepared on the street. The relatives and friends who had come to pay their respects began to eat and drink!
The food was very rich. There were four big pieces of fish and meat, and more than ten small bowls. It was enough for ten people at a table.
Everyone was eating, drinking, and chatting when they saw the head of the family follow the village's receptionist. Speaking of the receptionist, it was the host found by the family after the death. There were stewards for the wedding, and the receptionist was the chief officer of the funeral. The locals called it Zhik, which meant the guest, so it was called the receptionist.
The receptionist was usually a shrewd and respected person in the village. Those who were not shrewd could not handle this matter! When the receptionist and the family head arrived at the scene, they put down their chopsticks and looked at the newcomer. They walked to the banquet on the street. The funeral family head knelt on the ground. The receptionist took out a list and shouted,
"Dear friends and neighbors, please enjoy your meal. We will now begin the ritual (arranging the sequence of the ritual).
Lin Mountain Village, Lu family's relative, door sacrifice! (The first person to pay their respects at the main entrance)
Gao Family Village, Gao Family Relatives Sacrifice!
Dougou Village, Yang family's relatives, road sacrifice…
The following relatives who had time could go to the cemetery, all of which were Lin worshippers.
The people who heard his name quickly stood up and kowtowed. They already knew that their main character had arrived early because he was a Sect Priest and had to appear! Although his grandfather had a few brothers and his uncle was accompanying him, his grandfather was the eldest. Although they were separated, he had to run in front of the funeral. Even his uncles had to stand behind, even though the old man who died was his uncle's aunt.
After the reception and the family head arranged the sacrifice, they quickly left. Everyone began to eat and drink again. When they were full, everyone left. Some relatives with distant bloodlines and friends who had things to do began to bid farewell and leave. The rest were those who were close to the bloodline and their best friends, waiting for the funeral and burial of the old man.
After the guests finished eating, the receptionist began to arrange for the village's helpers to eat. When everyone was full, the receptionist was busy arranging the transportation!
Speaking of sending people on their way, this was also a local custom. In ancient times, paper horses and paper sedan chairs were used. Now, men used paper carts, and women used paper sedan chairs. The village helpers led the way with paper sedan chairs, followed by four people playing suona. Finally, their children, grandchildren, and relatives and friends followed suit.
The children were crying in sorrow as they came to the temple again. They placed the memorial tablet into the sedan chair and placed the four paper figurines in it. Then, they lit the fire. The children cried and asked the old man to get on the sedan chair. When the paper figurines in the sedan chair turned into ashes, everyone kowtowed and returned.
On the way home, his children and grandchildren, as well as the old man's family, were busy scattering ashes into the coffin, placing money and ingots, as well as the clothes for the old man's burial!
After everything was done, he covered the coffin with a lid and nailed it with a nail!
After everything was done, the receptionist once again discussed the funeral matters with the main family. Which way to go, how to go, and when to arrive for the burial! After everything was discussed, everyone helped to carry the coffin out of the house, with the son leading the way. This was also the legendary coffin pulling burial.
The coffin was carried out of the courtyard, and the remaining matters were handled by eight important guests. These important guests were specially responsible for carrying coffins and dead people in each village. Why were they called important guests? Because the coffin was very heavy, it also meant that it was an important guest.
Before the coffin was pulled out of the door, a few important coffin bearers tied it up with ropes. After lifting it for a while, they felt that it was fine. They lifted the coffin a dozen steps forward and put it down again. Another helper placed the offering table in front of the coffin. Only then did the receptionist come to the table and shout,
" On the day of my ninety-sixth family's return to heaven and settle down in a new home, I would like to invite the relatives of Lin Mountain Village and the Lu family to pay their respects and offer sacrifices to the sect…
With a loud shout, our master stepped forward with a serious expression and walked to the altar. He first poured three cups of wine to pay his respects, then lit incense, wild wormwood, pig's head, chicken, and fish! After paying his respects, he took a few steps back and kowtowed heavily!
This kowtow was for his dead father. Only his own nephew could do this! There's no need to be too serious. Just one is enough, but this head must be loud. Now, our protagonist's forehead is already red and swollen.
After the gate sacrifice, there was another road sacrifice (meaning the sacrifice of the funeral procession). A group of funeral personnel arrived at the foot of the North Mountain amidst the cries of children and the sound of suona.
Just as the mourners were about to climb the mountain, they heard an important guest carrying the coffin shout," I can't, I can't. It's too heavy. Put it down quickly. I can't carry it anymore."
As the shout fell, the few important coffin bearers bent their backs and hurriedly put the coffin down. After panting for a while, the remaining people glared at the person who shouted sink!
After a while, no one said anything. When the receptionist shouted to go again, the eight important guests used all their strength, but they could not lift the coffin that weighed more than 600 pounds. Their faces were red, and the people who saw the situation felt that the surroundings were quiet. Yin Qi surrounded them, and they instantly felt their hair stand on end…
The new book has set sail. Everyone who passes by, please collect it. Xiao Hua, thank you.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]