Changping Village, New Year's Eve.
Almost all the villagers who went up the mountain to burn incense and worship their ancestors took a rest at a large platform with a wide view on the mountainside.
Everyone was smoking dry cigarettes, drinking tea brought from home, looking at the rolling fields at their feet, looking for the specific location of Changping Village and surrounding small villages in Shiliba Village, talking, laughing, and feeling each other. excellent.
"Since this Yongxian is back, why don't you go up the mountain to burn incense?"
Yang Huaming looked around. Among the villagers passing by, groups were from the village or neighboring villages. Everyone's ancestors and relatives were buried in this mountain.
Every year, people go up the mountain to worship their ancestors and burn incense. This platform on the mountainside has almost become the default resting place for everyone. Everyone who goes up the mountain to burn incense always passes here.
"I'm afraid I don't know the way." Yang Huazhou said.
Yang Huaming said: "Impossible. He is already in his thirties. He used to come with us every year to burn incense. Tiedan knows the road and where the tombs of our ancestors are. How could Yongxian not recognize him? ? He is the eldest grandson of Lao Yang’s family!"
Yang Huazhou turned to look at Yong Jin: "Yong Jin, I came to burn incense earlier, but you didn't say hello to Yong Xian?"
Yang Yongjin now has two daughters and one son. The current one is burning incense, while the eighth sister is staying at home to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner. The eldest daughter, Xiuxiu, is also staying at home to take care of her younger brother, so he took his second daughter up the mountain to burn incense.
At this moment, the mountain wind had messed up the second daughter's hair. When Yang Huazhou asked Yang Yongjin, Yang Yongjin's big hands were clumsily braiding the second daughter's hair!
"My little son was making a lot of noise at that time, so I couldn't spare any time, so I asked Yongzhi to go say hello! Yongzhi, have you gone to say hello to the elder brother?"
Yang Yongzhi was feeding Hong'er tea and said without raising his head when he heard this: "I don't want to see you, so I just let Yongqing go."
Everyone's eyes fell on Yang Yongqing, "Hey, where's Young Boy Qing? He was still here before, why did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"
Xiao An raised his hand and pointed to the woods in front: "We went there, we should be back soon."
Before he finished speaking, he saw Yang Yongqing walking out of the woods with his pants in hand, feeling refreshed, walking briskly, and humming a little tune.
"Young boy, I asked you to call your eldest brother to go up the mountain to burn incense. Have you gone?" Yang Huazhou asked.
Yang Yongqing was stunned for a moment, and then said: "I really didn't want to go at first, but the third brother gave me five cents, so I went there. I told him!"
"You said it, then why didn't he come? We've been on the mountainside for a long time and haven't seen him. There are still one or two graves to burn and we are going home." Yang Huazhou said.
Yang Yongqing raised his hand and scratched his head, "Then I don't know what's going on. When I went there, he and I were sitting by the bed talking. I told him about burning incense, and he said let us go first, and he will do it later. Then go up the mountain by yourself."
Yang Huazhou stopped asking.
Yang Huazhong looked around and said, "Wait for one more stick of incense. If you don't come, we'll leave."
A stick of incense passed.
The villagers who went up the mountain to burn incense passed here one after another, and the burning of incense was almost finished, but Yang Huazhong and the others still stayed here to wait for Yang Yongxian.
During this process, Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang not only paid homage to the Luo family's ancestors, but also went to the Mu family's parents' graves to burn incense on behalf of Mu Zichuan. When they returned to the mountainside platform here again, they found that Yang Huazhong and the others were still there.
Yang Huaming looked at the sun directly above his head and couldn't help but said to Yang Huazhong: "Third brother, let alone one stick of incense, two sticks of incense have been burned. It seems that this boy Yongxian will not come to worship the ancestors. Let’s not wait for a girl like this idiot!”
Yang Huazhou also said: "Third brother, let's go down the mountain. We have to go to the Earth Temple at the entrance of the village to burn incense later!"
Yang Huazhong looked away from the intersection, sighed, stood up, patted the dust behind him and said, "Let's go down the mountain."
In the house of Old Yangtou at the entrance of the village, Old Yangtou urged Yang Yongxian for the third time: "Yongxian, stop working, pack up quickly and go to the mountain to burn incense!"
Yang Yongxian wore an apron around his waist and came to the bedside with a bowl of noodles in his hand. He said with a smile: "Master, I'm not in a hurry. Uncle Xingkui is not here, so I can't let you be hungry all the time. Come, have a taste of grandson." I made a lot of poached eggs in the noodles I made for you!"
Old Yangtou was completely moved by Yang Yongxian's filial piety.
He took the noodle bowl and took a deep sip, "With your filial piety, I can taste the northwest wind. Please hurry up and pack up and burn incense. Your third uncle and the others are probably going to burn incense and go down the mountain."
Yang Yongxian said: "Sir, I just didn't want to go with them on purpose. They can't understand me now and are dissatisfied with me. I don't want to explain too much."
"When they finish burning the incense, I will burn it myself. It will be the same."
When the other members of Lao Yang's family didn't understand Yang Yongxian, Lao Yangtou's good mood was greatly reduced.
"As long as you grit your teeth and make some achievements, just hit them in the face with your achievements." The old man encouraged Yang Yongxian, and raised his hand to pat Yang Yongxian's shoulder heavily: "Anyway, I will always be on your side! "
Seeing Lao Yang burying his head in eating noodles, Yang Yongxian poured him another bowl of tea and put it next to the bed, "Master, then I will go to the mountains to burn incense."
…
When Yang Yongxian went out, Yu Xingkui came back.
"Yongxian, where are you going?" Yu Xingkui asked.
Yang Yongxian pointed to a handful of incense candles and papyrus in his hand: "I'll go to the mountains to burn incense."
"Why don't you take the offerings when you go to burn incense?" Yu Xingkui asked again.
Yang Yongxian said: "Three uncles and the others have already taken it, so I won't take it anymore. It's all up to my heart."
Yu Xingkui was an outsider, so it was difficult to say anything.
…
When Yang Yongxian arrived at the foot of the mountain, he happened to meet Yang Huazhong and the others.
"Brother, why are you here just now? We have finished burning." Yang Yongqing said in surprise.
Everyone else also saw Yang Yongxian, but they didn't say anything. Their eyes were looking at Yang Yongxian.
Yang Yongxian was thinking about something and did not raise his head to look at the road. Hearing Yang Yongqing's voice, he looked up in shock and saw Yang Huazhong and the others were there.
"Uncle Xingkui went back to Yujia Village to have New Year's Eve dinner with his family. I saw that my father was hungry, so I cooked him a bowl of egg noodles, so I was delayed."
After hearing Yang Yongxian's words, Yang Huazhong's expression softened a bit.
"Are you going to the mountains alone to burn incense and find the way? Are you afraid? Do you want me to accompany you for another walk?" Yang Huazhong asked.
Yang Yongxian quickly shook his head and gave a grateful smile: "Third uncle, no need. I know the way and I'm not afraid. You go home and get busy. I'll burn the incense paper in my hand and go down the mountain."
After saying these words, Yang Yongxian quickened his pace and rushed towards the mountain.
Looking at his back, Yang Huaming said: "Is it my imagination? The more I look at him, the more I feel that he is sneaky even when he burns incense?"
