At noon, Yunke came to the inn.
The sun shines on the flags in front of the lobby, and the light flows. There are several carriages and a dozen horses parked in the dam in front of the door.
Yunkelai Inn is quite famous in the local area, and its business has always been good. Just like the name of the store, there are many customers.
Today is the third day of the fourth lunar month, which is a special day. According to local customs, on this day every year, a grand mountain god sacrificial event will be held in Yangpingguan Town.
People will select two young men and women from nearby villagers in advance, which must be composed of a man and a woman. Preparations begin one month before the sacrificial activity begins. The well-known local presidents surnamed Zhang and Li are responsible for convening a group of fluent members of their respective families to vote and recommend two young men and women. Get to know each other.
After the two gradually get to know each other, they will be escorted up the mountain by eight strong men according to the rules. The two people will spend seven or forty-nine days together in a room specially built for sacrifice in the mountains.
It is said that the mountain god has a spirit and is willing to see all living beings love each other and coexist in harmony. The purpose of doing this is to please the mountain god and ensure happiness and peace. If feelings arise between them during this period, they must choose a good day to burn incense and swear an oath in front of the mountain god, promising to love each other and never betray each other in this life.
If two people fail to develop love in the process of getting along, it means that the sacrificial activities have failed and failed to make the mountain god happy and satisfied. It also indicates that the men and women selected for sacrifice by the two presidents do not meet the standards, showing short-sightedness and lack of ability. , their reputation and prestige will be greatly reduced in the hearts of the people, and the leaders of the two families will even be replaced for this reason.
After two young people swear an oath to each other, they will set off prepared firecrackers on the edge of a canyon on the mountain called "Lover Valley" to celebrate the success of the sacrifice. In this way, they will inform the villagers down the mountain that when the firecrackers are set off, , the villagers who were kneeling at the foot of the mountain would go up the mountain collectively and carry the two young men and women down the mountain in a sedan chair.
That night, they will worship heaven and earth and enter the bridal chamber. From then on, they are the messengers sent by the mountain gods. Everyone must treat them respectfully in order to be blessed with their joy and blessings.
This mountain god sacrificial activity has been going on in the local area for hundreds of years and has been passed down from generation to generation. Those who are far away from this place, in order to watch the excitement and hope to receive blessings and peace from the mountain god, will come from all over the country a day in advance. This scene is so grand and spectacular that it has a wide impact and is known here as A nice talk.
Xu Feng and others were resting in the "Yunke Lai" inn. It was already lunch time. The canteen in the lobby was crowded with guests. People in various clothes and different dialects and accents were eating, drinking, chatting and laughing in the inn. There was a lot of noise and excitement.
Xu Feng ordered some distinctive local dishes: braised lamb leg, steamed sweet-scented mandarin fish, special Lanzhou ramen, large platter of chicken, and boiled fatty beef. These are all famous local dishes. The reason why I ordered so many dishes was, firstly, to celebrate the successful rescue of Chu Yunfei, and secondly, to celebrate the improvement of Chu Yunfei and Zhao Qingzhu's condition and recovery of their consciousness. Both of these are gratifying and joyous events.
Xu Feng had spent most of the money he brought with him when he came down from Hongqinju during the days on the road. Fortunately, he also prepared some banknotes with official seals. Although daily sales and transactions are based on silver copper plates, this kind of silver notes with official seals are only limited editions issued by the government to the private sector, and can only be owned by prominent families and prominent local figures.
The lobby was very lively, with diners eating and drinking and chatting away. Among these people, in addition to those who came here specially to watch the mountain god's sacrificial activities, there were also many wanderers and some traveling traders. , there are also bald wine-meat monks, mysterious old-nosed Taoists, and some weird-looking people who drink and eat meat alone.
Soon the food and wine were served on the table. Xu Feng asked everyone to raise their glasses and use their chopsticks. After everyone had a drink, they all picked up their chopsticks to pick up the food. In the past few days, everyone had not eaten well and could not sleep. They had traveled long distances and been exposed to wind and sun. They had to brace themselves for the journey and cope with various dangers and hardships along the way. Everyone was already exhausted and looked haggard and emaciated.
Xu Feng, as the leader with the most famous reputation and the highest status, raised a glass to thank everyone for their tireless help and said some touching words.
Chu Yunfei felt mixed feelings in his heart when he heard this, and his eyes turned red unknowingly. Liu Ruyan saw this (this chapter is not finished yet!)
Chapter 177: Sacrifice to the Mountain God
, hurriedly comforted the master. Chu Yunfei's consciousness and thinking have recovered much better than before. He naturally understands that everyone has endured hardships to save him. He is extremely grateful and can't help but feel sad. He wanted to take this opportunity to toast everyone to express his gratitude, but he had just regained consciousness and was unable to drink too much, so he could only take a few sips to show respect. Everyone was chatting while eating and drinking. As they talked and laughed, the atmosphere at the table was pushed to a climax. Luo Xiangxue was usually a heavy drinker, but gradually she became tipsy, her cheeks turned red, and she looked a bit shy and charming.
Although Zhao Qingzhu still felt a little dizzy, the gentle atmosphere on the field made him feel high. He drank a few drinks. After all, he was young and his physical condition recovered very quickly, even though he only met these people by chance. The friendship was not deep, but the young man was high-spirited. In addition, he was free and uninhibited. He wandered alone for a long time, and developed a character of his own way.
Such a joyful atmosphere made him regain the long-lost warmth and true love in the world. At this moment, the more he drank, the more sober he became, and the more he drank, the happier he became. He said many bold words while he was drunk. Everyone was amused by this young man, and the mutual trust and affection gradually deepened.
After Liu Ruyan drank the tenth glass, a blush gradually appeared on his face. This was the most relaxed moment he had felt since he had been out of seclusion for so many days. His whole body and mind had relaxed, feeling extremely happy and comfortable.
Seeing that his master escaped safely and his mental state gradually returned to normal, he thought about it. After sending his master back to Zhongnan Mountain, he would build a new house for him and his sister Menghua. After everything was settled, he would ask his master to inform him. Regarding his own life experience, he must not live his whole life in such confusion. He must find out what happened to his parents and sister? How did he take him in back then? Are his parents dead or still alive? Who is the real culprit who killed dozens of people in Liujiazhuang? What hatred is there between the murderer and Liujiazhuang?
He had thought about these questions many times in his mind, and he had to figure them out no matter what. And his sister Liu Yumei, is she dead or alive? In his memory when he was young, his sister should still be alive in the world, and he would never forget that stormy night with lightning and thunder...
The more joyful the moment, the more he will think of those painful past events! He swore that one day he would get to the bottom of all this.
Chapter 177: Sacrifice to the Mountain God
