Chapter 190: Zhongyuan Chapter
July 15th, Hungry Ghost Festival.
No matter how the houses are built, or how busy people are at school or work, everyone is ready for the annual Ghost Festival early.
July 1th happened to be a Sunday, and everyone didn't have to go to school. So they got up early, carrying incense, candles, paper money and offerings, and went from Xinghai No. Community to their own yards in Qingxi Town.
After the dozen or so families who had fled from Nanlin Village were divided up for their land and fields, there were now 69 families. On the land of each family, there was only a recently built wall and some building materials piled up in the yard.
In their yards, people temporarily built a table with wooden boards and placed several plates of cakes and fruits on it. The elders of each family lit candles, burned incense and paper, and muttered to their ancestors for blessings. In order to survive, everyone had to flee all the way. After going through many dangers, they finally arrived in the south, where they met the government that treated the people well. They gave them fields and land for free, and everyone had a new home.
The house has not been built yet, but it will be built soon. This is Qingxi Town, Xinghai City, China. This is the new home. Don't go to the wrong place. Our ancestors will come here to collect paper money and eat food, and bless the family with health and safety, prosperity and wealth.
Lin Zisu listened to Old Man Lin muttering in front of the altar. The entire Lin family stood in the yard of No. 21 early in the morning to worship their ancestors.
Yard No. 21 is Lin Youfu's home. Lin Youfu thinks he is the eldest son and the boss, so he lets Old Man Lin and Old Lady Wang live with him. Although Old Man Lin and Old Lady Wang have a separate household registration, it is for the land and fields. Who would complain about having too much real estate? Although it cannot be bought and sold, and the property rights belong to the state, as long as you abide by the law and don't commit crimes, you can continue to use it!
Lin Youfu did not agree to let the two old people live alone, so he asked them to live with him. The other three brothers agreed and sent them food, clothes and monthly allowance every month. The expenses of the two old people were shared equally by the four brothers.
Today is the Ghost Festival, and we are commemorating our ancestors. Old Man Lin asked everyone to come to Lin Youfu's house to pay homage.
The altar was provided by the Shi family father and son. The father and son were carpenters. Whether in Qingshui City or Xinghai City, there was no shortage of jobs. Carpenters were urgently needed in Xinghai City, so the father and son went directly to the construction department. Once the father and son had their junior diplomas, they could be registered and easily have a stable job.
The altar table was made by the father and son during their break time after get off work. Both of them were experienced and it would not take them long to make a table, as long as they had enough wood.
After everyone finished their morning memorial service, they prepared to cook breakfast. In the yard, besides the building materials piled to one side, there was an altar.
Lin Youfu climbed onto the oxcart and took out two large iron pots from the carriage, "Come on!"
Lin Yougui took a pot, Lin Youxiang took a pot, Lin Youcai opened two steel tripods, and the two of them placed the pots on the tripods.
The highlight of the Ghost Festival is at night.
Today, we had all three meals in Lin Youfu's yard. Everyone was already used to cooking outdoors, and they were familiar with the division of labor and cooperation.
Eat breakfast first, then take care of the housework, have dinner in the evening, and then hold the memorial service after dark.
Lin Zisu sat on a small wooden stool and watched the adults busying themselves. There were too many people and they were of no use to the half-grown children.
Lin Zisu closed her eyes quickly: "Dahei! Your tail hit my face..." She reached out and grabbed the big furry tail, grabbed Dahei and started stroking it.
After breakfast, Shen Xianglan drove a mule cart with Old Lady Wang, Lu, Yang, and Feng to the city to buy vegetables.
The carpenter arrived at Yard No. 16. Lin Youcai was the first one to apply for building a house. His family of four had political review points, so his family was the first to be built.
Old Man Lin, Lin Youcai and his three brothers went to the No. 3 yard to work and learn a little bit. They watched the whole process of building a wooden house and learned a lot!
Lin Zisu and the other children were in the yard No. 21, and they had to watch over the things in the yard. Lin Zisu and Lin Xianwen were little teachers, teaching their older brothers and sisters to study. The primary graduation certificate had to be obtained as soon as possible.
It must have been very difficult for our parents and grandparents to learn. They had never been exposed to books or writing for decades, so it was difficult for them to accept the sudden need to study and take exams.
Children of a few years old and teenagers in their teens are much more receptive to learning knowledge, and the younger they are, the easier it is to teach them.
When Lin Youcai has time, he will force the children of the Lin family to study, at least to get their junior diplomas. After a year in the country, without a junior diploma, they can't even settle down.
"Oh, studying is your own business, can you please be more serious?" Lin Zisu watched them drawing characters on the sand with sticks. She felt a headache and turned to watch her three cousins practicing calligraphy.
Lin Xianwen: "Grandma and the aunts should be back soon..."
Lin Xianshan: "I like writing the most! Brother Wen, do you think what I wrote is correct?"
. . . . . .
At around 17 p.m., in the yard of Qingxi Town, which only had a wall but no houses, there was curling smoke from cooking and the sound of people talking.
More than 3 people came to their own yards for a "picnic". Everyone had smiles on their faces, expectations for the future in their eyes, and thoughts for their relatives and friends whose lives and deaths were unknown.
After dinner is ready, it is offered to the ancestors and eaten first.
Old Man Lin: "It's a pity that there is no wine. We should pour a few cups of muddy wine to offer to our ancestors."
There are no cigarettes or alcohol for sale in the country, and there are no brothels or gambling houses. Playing cards or listening to music is not allowed. Drugs, gambling, and prostitution are strictly cracked down on!
Most of the alcoholic beverages were secretly brewed from grains. When the country was not short of food, the common people would secretly brew rice wine, corn wine, sweet potato wine, fruit wine, and medicinal wine...
Home-brewed wine is not sold on the market, and the government turns a blind eye. Wine has many uses, not just as a drink.
Lin Youcai: "When the house is built, we can brew some ourselves! We can drink and use it at home."
Old Man Lin: "Okay, everyone remember! There should be some wine at home during festivals."
After the ancestors have "eaten" dinner, everyone picks up their bowls and starts eating dinner.
After dinner, Lin Youfu carried a basket, which contained a fresh piece of meat that had not been offered as sacrifices, cakes, candies, incense, candles, paper money, and large envelopes of paper money.
As the sun sets, more than 300 people march toward a small river near the fields, where they prepare to burn paper money on the riverbank to commemorate their ancestors.
As the sky darkened, everyone lined up in an orderly manner, each occupying a small piece of land. Old Man Lin placed offerings, lit candles, and stuck incense sticks into the soil. The four brothers Lin Youfu squatted down and burned scattered paper money, which was money for the ghosts to guide them.
Bags of envelopes made of rough white paper, with yellow paper money inside, and the addresses of the old and new homes and the names of the ancestors written on the envelopes. When the fire gets big, throw the envelopes in and burn them, shouting as they burn!
Old Man Lin: "Ancestors of the Lin family, come and collect the money! Come here to collect the money. Don't take the wrong road! Our new home is Qingxi Town, Xinghai City. Come here to collect the money in the future. Bless the descendants of the Lin family, and may everyone be safe and sound! May the Lin family live and work in peace and contentment in Xinghai City."