As the villagers in Longyuan Village spread the word about the existence of the mountain god, soon the villagers in the neighboring village heard about it and came here.
The village next door is not big and has a slightly smaller population, but there are contacts between the two villages. They are more or less related to each other and the relationship has always been good.
"Let me tell you, when this mountain god first showed his signs, it started one night when two people from our village came back from your wedding banquet and then encountered a group of small animals."
A villager from Longyuan Village told the story vividly, "I was at the scene at that time, and those little animals seemed to have become spirits, and they were all staring at us."
"If these are just accidents, then the mountain god punishing the evildoers and saving the little grass girl will also form an indissoluble bond with our village."
Longyuan Village did not convince the firefighters, but it convinced the people in the next village.
Furthermore, they somewhat believed in this to begin with. They had heard about it before. Now that the mountain god had completely performed his miracle and saved them from the fire and water, they were even more convinced.
"Village Chief Liu, the mountain god has been very kind to both of our villages. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid we would all be gone now."
Liu Deming nodded repeatedly, "Village Chief Wu, you are right."
Village Chief Wu next door first expressed joy, and then after worshiping the mountain god through Liu Deming, he looked at the small mountain god temple in front of him with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
"Village Chief Liu, you have always been prudent in your work, why are you so careless this time? Master Shan Shen lives in a small room like this. Don't you feel that your back is sore and your legs are hurting? You are stingy, so you need to change to a bigger one!"
The small temple has been washed away by heavy rains, and the color of the bricks outside has faded over time.
In addition, this small temple was originally built by several villagers.
At that time, there were not many people who believed in mountain gods, so I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. Now, after Village Chief Wu said this, it seems a bit out of character.
It is completely inconsistent with the identity of the mountain god.
"The mountain god spent so much effort to save us, we must be grateful! We must repay him! Not to mention how polite he is like those temples in the city, at least not like this."
Liu Deming nodded repeatedly when he heard Village Chief Wu's words, with an expression of self-blame and annoyance on his face.
"Thank you for reminding me, brother. Look at my old and confused memory. I have almost forgotten about the celebrations these days. After the celebrations, we will choose a good and auspicious day to build the new mountain temple together!"
Village Chief Wu nodded repeatedly, "I will also send people over to help when the time comes."
The two village chiefs quickly finalized the plan for the new mountain temple. After passing it on, all the villagers expressed their willingness to contribute money to build it together without any objection.
As preparations for the previous things are being completed, the celebration in the village is about to come.
At the same time, the wildfire was completely extinguished and there was no possibility of it re-igniting. The firefighters were also preparing to leave.
Before Qian Qixue and others left, the villagers stuffed them with many good things.
"We don't have any gifts to give. These are home-grown cooked vegetables and fruits. They are not injected with hormones. They are safe and safe to eat."
Qian Qixue waved his hands quickly, "These are all matters within our scope. You really don't want to give them away."
But he couldn't resist the enthusiasm of the villagers.
Qian Qixue could hardly hold it anymore. When he looked at his teammates next to him, he saw a chicken in his left hand, a duck in his right hand, and a string of chili peppers hanging around his neck. They were all the work of the villagers.
The scene is inexplicably funny.
"I've worked hard on you these days. If you hadn't been afraid of life and death and came to help us put out the fire, I don't know what would have happened. Everyone is watching -"
Hearing this, Qian Qixue and other firefighters were moved and felt quite moved.
This group of simple folks, within their capabilities, took out the best things to express their gratitude.
However, the next second, the villagers' words made many firefighters dumbfounded.
"But the biggest contributor is the mountain god. Thanks to the appearance of the mountain god, this timely heavy rain not only controlled the mountain fires, but even alleviated the drought."
"By the way, are you really not going to stay to participate in the celebration?"
Facing another invitation from the villagers, Qian Qixue shook his head helplessly, "No."
After bidding farewell to the villagers, Qian Qixue and others embarked on the journey back.
The scenery outside the car window keeps receding. Looking at the continuous green mountains around, two of them are extremely dark and look particularly abrupt.
These are all traces of the wildfires that once raged. We don’t know how long it will take to recover.
The one closest to Longyuan Village is lush and green and has not been affected at all, forming a sharp contrast.
"Captain, tell me, is there really a mountain god in Longyuan Village? The villagers said he has a nose and eyes."
Faced with the inquiry from his teammates, Qian Qixue fell silent, and sighed after a long time: "Who can say clearly about things in the world? Regardless of whether there is any, we must always maintain a certain degree of awe and respect, just like us Chinese people have to worship their ancestors every year and festival, so is it really useful to burn paper as a sacrifice? But why bother with this?"
…
Shortly afterwards, this incident was also reported by the TV station, not only to promote fire prevention, but also to highlight the great achievements of the local fire brigade.
"According to our report, a heavy rain suddenly came, and the mountain fire that had been burning for several days was finally contained and stopped spreading. With the joint efforts of firefighting staff and various departments, the mountain fire was finally put out."
The wildfire affects the hearts of people from all sides. Now that we know that the wildfire has finally been extinguished, everyone can feel relieved.
It is worth mentioning that the TV station not only reported that the mountain fire was extinguished, but also mentioned that Qian Qixue and others were trapped in the forest but were able to escape because of the heavy rain.
Including the theory of the mountain god in Longyuan Village was also mentioned later, but the length was not large. It was just treated as an anecdote, passed over in one stroke, and not much was written.
"It's great. Thanks to God's blessing, the wildfire has finally been extinguished. If it continues to burn, we don't know how much ecological damage it will cause."
"Wow, wow, so moved. Watching the firefighters fight against the raging wildfires, I was worried several times, for fear that something might happen to them."
"For such a large wildfire, feedback from the scene shows that the mortality rate is still relatively low, and the number of cases that can be extinguished is almost very small."
"Don't you think the heavy rain is strange? It's obviously not raining. So what the hell are those villagers saying it's caused by the mountain gods?"
"The weather is ever-changing, so it's not surprising if it rains suddenly. As for the mountain gods, that's just feudal superstition. There's nothing to make a fuss about."
"Anyway, there were only dozens of casualties, which can be considered a blessing among misfortunes. I remember the wildfires that happened in previous years. Many people died."
"No, that wildfire caused heavy casualties, and it was not extinguished in the end. It waited until it continued to burn until nothing was left to burn before it was extinguished."
There was a lot of discussion on the Internet about this, but the main focus was on the extinguishing of the mountain fire. We also saw the villagers' theories about the mountain god, but they didn't take it to heart.
Because the report was short, the official only mentioned it briefly, the news was not very popular, and no one bothered to discuss it.
…
No matter what the firefighters or the Internet think, nothing can stop the upcoming celebrations in Longyuan Village.
This time the event was even more grand and lively because of the participation of the neighboring village.
Different from the previous sacrifices, the weather was dry at that time, and they were praying for rain. Even though the villagers were happy on the surface, they were also worried.
This time was different. The heavy rain contained the fire, so they no longer had to leave their home, which they depended on for survival. At the same time, several more rains followed, which completely alleviated the drought.
The crops in the crop fields have been moistened by the rain and have regained their vitality. Everything is developing for the better.
Everyone was playing gongs and drums, and it was even more lively than the Chinese New Year. Because the neighboring village also came, there were a lot of people. This kind of grand occasion was unprecedented in Longyuan Village.
The activity process starts with a parade, then a sacrifice, and then everyone sings and dances together.
The village chief called several young men in the village to join the dragon and lion dance team, and also asked Hu Xiaocao to be the leader to lead everyone forward and place the mountain god statue.
Because they were worried that the fire would engulf the statue last time, Hu Xiaocao and her daughter took the statue out and have not yet put it back.
Hu Xiaocao and her daughter were still a little unbelievable when they received the news.
The woman wanted to refuse, "How can Xiaocao do such a big thing well? She is just a child. If something goes wrong, we will make people laugh."
The village chief touched Hu Xiaocao's head and said with a smile: "Xiaocao is smart. I believe she will do a good job, and only she can do this."
In order to prevent the statue from being burned by the fire, Hu Xiaocao took it out. She should put it back again. Moreover, Hu Xiaocao had a close relationship with the mountain god and had seen the true face of the mountain god. Of course, he was the most suitable candidate.
After listening to the village chief's words, the woman nodded, "Well, Xiaocao, you have to behave better and don't live up to everyone's expectations of you."
Hu Xiaocao's face turned red with excitement and he nodded excitedly, "Don't worry, Mom!"
After everything is finalized, the parade is about to begin.
"The auspicious time has arrived and the celebration begins!"
It was already five o'clock at this time, and the afternoon sun was not that big or warm. It hung on the horizon, giving the entire village a faint golden rim.
The village was decorated with lights and colorful decorations, and a strip of red silk was even laid out next to the mountain temple at the foot of the mountain.
The long procession began to set off, with Hu Xiaocao walking at the front holding the statue of the mountain god, followed by the village chief and some respected figures in the village.
Then there are the dragon and lion dancers, followed closely by the villagers.
The procession goes from the entrance of the village to the end of the village, then circles around the village, and finally ends at the mountain temple at the foot of the mountain.
The purpose of this is to bring blessings to the village.
The sound of crackling firecrackers is endless, and red lanterns are hung at the door of every house, which is comparable to the Chinese New Year.
The faces of every villager were filled with enthusiastic and joyful smiles.
Hu Xiaocao was walking on the road paved with red silk. She had never felt this way before. She subconsciously straightened her back and tightened her face, for fear of making any mistakes and embarrassing Grandpa Mountain God.
The whole village is not big, and it only takes nearly half an hour to walk the entire distance, mainly because people don't walk very fast.
Soon they arrived at the temple of the mountain god at the foot of the mountain. The village chief assisted Hu Xiaocao and respectfully put the mountain god back.
Sacrificial items have already been placed next to the temple, including chickens, ducks, and fish, as well as a whole pig, etc., which is enough to show the sincerity of the villagers.
"Our Longyuan Village was able to escape this disaster all because of the blessing of the Mountain God. So I decided to give the Mountain God a bigger place after this celebration. Do you have any opinions?"
Faced with the village chief’s inquiry, everyone said in unison, “No objection!”
The village chief picked up the incense candle, knelt on the ground, and bowed deeply to the mountain god statue.
"I, Liu Deming, would like to thank the mountain god for helping us in a critical moment and protecting our Longyuan Village from catastrophe."
For a moment, everyone knelt down and kowtowed to the mountain temple.
"Thank you to the mountain god for your kindness. We will definitely never forget it!"
Everyone's expressions were pious and respectful, like pilgrims' saints. Although there were many people, the entire team was very orderly and quiet, without a single noise.
They kowtow, burn incense and worship the gods in one go.
The curls of cigarette smoke continued to rise, converging into a white river and floating towards the sky.
The mud statue in the temple was still looking at everyone expressionlessly, but under the sunset, it seemed to have some inexplicable charm.
Everyone was bathed in the sunset, feeling relaxed and happy as never before. The green mountains not far away were also bathed in the sunset, taking on a different color, as if they were celebrating with everyone.
After worshiping the mountain god, what was left was free time. The villagers gathered together happily. The village chief even brought out the fine wine he had collected for many years and drank with everyone.
"I'm so happy today, we have to stay drunk until we get home!"
"Okay! If you don't get drunk, you won't come back. I'll see if I don't drink you down today."
"Don't just drink. If you eat more food, you won't say such things."
It was getting dark at this time, but it did not affect the nature and enthusiasm of the villagers at all. Looking at this situation, the celebrations would not end until at least midnight.
While everyone was waiting to feast, there was a person who stood out. He was wearing a mask that covered most of his face. He was very special among the villagers.
But now everyone was eating and drinking, and no one noticed his presence.
This person stood next to the mountain god temple, looked at the mountain god statue, and then his eyes fell on the green mountains not far away.
Are there really mountain gods in the world?
This thought has been lingering in his mind, lingering, and driving him to this celebration.
As night falls, the green hills become as thick as thick ink, and the outlines gradually become unclear, as if they hide many mysteries, waiting for people to explore and discover them.
The drunk villager noticed the man's presence and patted him on the shoulder, "Brother, why don't you come over and drink."
"I still have something to do, you can drink."
Seeing his hurried away figure and his strange attire, the villager rubbed his eyes and said, "What a weirdo, why are you wearing a mask at this time?"
A companion came over and said, "If you're not going to drink, what are you doing here?"
"It's nothing, I just met a weirdo wearing a mask."
He pointed his finger, but he could no longer find the figure of the weirdo just now.
The others smiled and thought it was just a drunken remark, "I think you just couldn't drink anymore and deliberately made excuses to escape!"
"Who escaped! Let's go back and fight for three hundred rounds."
After muttering a few words, the villagers returned to the wine table.
After the man walked away, he slowly took off his mask, revealing a majestic middle-aged face.
Sun Zhenbang looked back at the endless green mountains with a complicated expression, and then quickly disappeared into the night.
…
(End of chapter)
