It rains heavily during Qingming Festival.
The Qi Family Ancestral Temple was finally renovated and was completed before Qingming Festival. Qingming Festival is a time to worship ancestors, so there can be no delay in time.
Omit the sacrifice?
No one dares to do this, otherwise they will be accused of forgetting their ancestors.
Rebuilding the ancestral temple is a burdensome task. The elders all gave courtesy to the three elders, saying that they were too weak to take on this important task.
Although the clan leader Qi Zhuchang stopped the job, he couldn't help it because of his illness. So, the matter fell on Qi Qiuchuan again. Fortunately for him, he said that he had slipped out of the way after only one day of work.
Later, due to the pressure, I had to take minor injuries and not leave the firing line.
Qi Yu: You are all born in the year of Loach!
Throughout the entire renovation process, Liu Quan also roped in several members of his family to oversee the purchase. When the accounts were finished and settled, less than four taels of silver were spent on each branch.
There was no way to falsify the accounts. Liu Quan was literate and had some knowledge of calculations. She remembered every step clearly.
Qi Qiuchuan and his wife looked like they had eaten a few blowflies. They looked bitter every day, especially when they were settling accounts, they found that they had not gained any benefit at all, and their expressions were even more as if they were mourning for their heirs.
On this day, the rain of apricot blossoms fell gently, and all members of the Qi family came to the ancestral temple holding oil-paper umbrellas.
Originally, Zhou was not allowed to come, but she insisted on coming with her. Liu Quan had no choice but to help her mother-in-law go with her.
According to tradition, worshiping ancestors is a matter for men in the family. Women are not allowed to enter the ancestral hall. Unless they are the "Mrs. of the State" named by the emperor, they can only watch the ceremony from a distance outside the hall.
Compared with the outstanding ability of the other two branches of the Qi family, the single line of the Qi Yu family seems a bit withered, especially in this situation, when it is directly compared to men.
Gossips are pouring in my ears. Liu Quan has been here for more than half a year, but she has never shown her love. Why is this?
Mrs. Zhou sighed quietly and said to her daughter-in-law in a deep voice: "You have also seen that if you are not prosperous, you will be looked down upon by others. You have to work harder. As a mother, I should not have to interfere with you two. Please tell me about my personal affairs, is there something wrong with Ah Ma?"
Liu Quan blushed and said, "No, he...is pretty good."
"Very good?" Mrs. Zhou nodded, lowered her voice and said: "If you put it this way, it means you are a little lazy. If you want a man to think about this more, you have to put more thought into it. Haha, look back, mother. Let me tell you my experience..."
Naturally, Qi Yu didn't know the little secrets of their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and was currently following the clan leader's orders to line up.
There is still a sense of superiority. My family is the eldest branch of the Qi family. Although the number of people is not large, according to the rules, I have to be at the front.
This is the symbolism of eldest descendants.
Qi Yu had a smile on his face, as if he was taking the lead like a chicken head.
The men of the Qi family lined up in a long queue in order of seniority and age, and then solemnly filed in under the leadership of the patriarch. The female relatives were watching the commotion and chatting among themselves.
Qi Zhuchang, as the clan leader, presided over various rituals for worshiping ancestors. He coughed dryly first to signal for silence, and then read a lengthy sacrificial poem like a foot wrap: "Wei,... I would like to offer you a clear drink and a delicacy as a sacrifice to the common people." The ancestral ancestors said in front of the spiritual banquet: Woohoo...Tai Gong Yutai came to the Weishui River, my Qi family is the descendant of the Jiang family...Fuwei Shangxian."
As in previous years, we will start with the story that the surname Qi originated from Jiang Taigong, to increase the family's pride, and then move on to a series of sad emotions in memory of our ancestors.
I don’t know who wrote this memorial text. I have read it over and over again every year since I was a child, and I have almost memorized it.
After burning the sacrificial inscriptions, the clan leader paid homage and said: "Blessed by our ancestors, the descendants of the Qi family will be prosperous in wealth."
Then the filial sons and grandsons made offerings one by one, burned incense, kowtowed, and said some auspicious words.
Qi Yu stood at the front. He was also a scholar, and the etiquette in every aspect was meticulous. At the end, he specially asked for the finishing touch: "Bless me for being named on the gold medal list!"
The female relatives began to discuss again, whose sacrifices were rich, whose men were well-dressed, and whose kowtow was the most standard.
Seemingly unintentionally, Mrs. Bao squeezed in front of Liu Quan and said to the other daughter-in-law in a sly tone: "I heard that a certain family only feeds roosters and not hens. Humph, I guess this is because they are afraid of raising chickens." Hens can’t lay eggs, can they?”
Even the Zhou family understood this insinuation, and Liu Quan naturally understood better. He was the supervisor when the ancestral temple was rebuilt, which caused their family to lose the benefits. He was probably suffocating.
Although it is the public money saved, his own family will also have to share it equally. This is a matter that directly involves his own interests, so Liu Quan will naturally not let it go.
Besides, there were other reasons. She only hated this uncle's family.
"When a tiger gives birth to a son, it can block the road, and when a mouse gives birth to a nest, it feeds the cat. Mother, our ancestors will definitely bless our family with good sons and daughters." Liu Quan bowed towards the ancestral temple and said to her mother-in-law.
The Bao family had a total of five sons and five daughters. They had great reproductive capacity and took advantage of the large number of people. From time to time, they also bullied the elderly in the village.
Compared with the hen, the insinuations of the mouse are more unpleasant.
"Who are you calling a rat?" Mr. Bao turned around and asked fiercely.
"I didn't say anything, just because I was afraid that someone would be willing to rely on this." Liu Quan put his hands on his hips, looking like he was no weaker than others.
"I've long been disgusted with you. You little bitch's claws are quite long. Isn't it just to build an ancestral temple? You actually have to block the accounts!" After spitting out the words he had been holding in his heart, Mr. Bao He breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Quan pointed at the ancestral hall, glanced at her and said, "What do you mean by not building an ancestral temple? It's disrespectful to say this. The ancestors are watching here. If you say this, be careful not to be struck by lightning in June."
"Can you tell me clearly, who was struck by lightning?"
"I'm talking about unworthy descendants!"
"..."
The two women's curses became louder and louder.
The clan leader finally couldn't bear it any longer, blew his beard and shouted with a glare: "We are worshiping our ancestors now, please calm down."
Liu Quan didn't take it seriously, and turned around to chat with her mother-in-law with a smile, ignoring the clan leader's scolding. As for Bao, she originally wanted to be arrogant and show off her power, but at this moment she felt as if she had been punched on cotton, which was indescribably uncomfortable.
The waves seemed to have subsided.
Then there is the sharing of sacrificial meat and fruit.
According to the unwritten rules, those with more men will get more share, but there will be no women. Qi Yu now has no son, so he only received his own share.
Qi Qiuchuan's family is different. He has many sons and a lot of them. His pouting mouth can tie a donkey: "Now that I am getting older and my strength is weakening, I can hardly lift it anymore."
At this moment, Bao's little daughter suddenly ran over panting and shouted in panic: "Dad, Mom, go and have a look. All the fish in our fish pond are turning white."
"ah!"
Plop!
The sacrificial meat in Qi Qiuchuan's arms fell to the ground. He didn't bother to pick it up and ran away. The fish pond is his family's main source of income. If the fish dies, the money is gone!
"How come the fry we just planted are dead?" Mrs. Bao didn't want to argue anymore. After muttering to herself, she also ran away with her husband.
Liu Quan smiled and looked at their retreating figures indifferently.
After the sacrifice is completed, everyone returns to their homes.
On the way home, Mrs. Zhou chattered all the way. When she got home, she touched the meat and sighed bitterly: "Ah, Mom, I don't care about this little meat, but when I heard that others got more meat than ours, My heart is filled with panic. You see, other people’s homes are full of hopping and crying children, but ours is peaceful. Don’t you think this makes it less popular?”
Seeing his wife's face turning red, Qi Yu hurriedly said, "Mom, I've been busy studying during this period, so I forgot about this. But don't worry, my son will definitely work harder."
After hearing this, Mrs. Zhou nodded with satisfaction: "Although studying is a serious matter, children are not a trivial matter, so we can't be lazy."
Can't be lazy?
…
Qi Yu's ears felt hot when he heard this, and he hurriedly found an excuse to study, deliberately avoiding the bombardment of my mother's reasoning.
Although they were studying in the west room, they heard their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law muttering in the yard.
well! It's probably about the kids again.
During dinner, Qi Yu felt surprised.
"Mom, why don't you eat chicken today?" Qi Yu looked at a bowl of unknown meat and asked in confusion.
"Eating chicken every day will inevitably make you tired. You need to change the taste frequently. Hurry! Eat it while it's hot." Mrs. Zhou said with a kind smile.
"All right……"
This meat is quite strange. It feels very chewy and has no bones at all. As for the taste, it feels a bit bitter due to the addition of a lot of medicinal materials.
Seeing that none of them moved their chopsticks, Qi Yu also said, "You guys eat too!"
"eat!"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law responded, but they were just pretending, but did not pick up a piece.
It's hard to refuse hospitality, but the atmosphere tonight was just that. A big bowl of unknown meat went into Qi Yu's stomach. Until he finished eating, he didn't know what he had eaten, leaving only the taste of medicinal herbs in his mouth.
That night, Qi Yu felt something was wrong.
It's okay to have a fever all over the body, but the problem is that I'm still thinking about it.
Liu Quan did not do any more needlework today. After washing up early, she lay on the bed, leaving a trace of her exquisite back.
It seems that I suddenly realized today that my lady’s figure is so attractive!
The spring rain outside the window is still there, just as the poem goes: sneaking into the night with the wind, moistening things silently.
In this quiet night, Mrs. Zhou had insomnia, but when she heard the movement from the west wing, she fell asleep with satisfaction.
After fighting all night, Qi Yu was still in high spirits the next day. It seemed that the recent rooster meat was not in vain. His body was indeed much stronger than before, and he felt that running another ten kilometers would be no problem.
Looking at the tired-looking lady, Qi Yu smiled: "Madam, if you are anxious, you can tell me clearly. Why do you have to use these special methods?"
Liu Quan blushed and said in a voice like a gnat: "This is all my mother's idea. She really wants to have a grandson..."
"..."
"Haha, I feel pretty good." Qi Yu stretched his muscles and felt that he was still full of energy, and asked curiously: "What did I eat last night?"
"Mom said, whatever you take will help you..." Liu Quan suppressed her shyness and added, "That medicine was bought from Liu Laogen's house in East Village. People in the village said his medicine is very effective."
Liu Laogen?
In my memory, this old man was a veterinarian who treated livestock. It is said that he had a lot of research on how sows can give birth to more babies...
Could it be...it's scary to think about it!
"Madam, please don't do this again. Although the tiger and wolf medicine can help you feel happy, if you use it too much, it will harm your health." Qi Yu wiped a cold sweat and thought to himself: It seems that it is better to eat chicken!
The family had breakfast and then went about their business. Mrs. Zhou went to chat with Aunt Zhang, while Liu Quan was busy doing needlework. As for Qi Yu, he continued to study hard.
During his break, he strolled around the yard and did some eye exercises.
At a glance, I saw an extra basket of mountain chestnuts in the yard.
Mrs. Zhou happened to come back and explained, "This is from the money shopkeeper of the coffin shop."
Shopkeeper Qian?
There was an unpleasant quarrel over the coffin before, and she even hit him with a kitchen knife. Why did he bring something now?
