"Please move to the door!"
Ye Yaodong and the others didn't understand, and they watched the crowd go out, so they followed them out.
When they walked outside the door, there was already a lion dance team on the red carpet at the door, and a suona team sitting next to it, which looked even more festive.
The whole air is also filled with the atmosphere of piety and celebration.
There were a large number of villagers standing at the door. Some of them came from other villages to watch the excitement. There were three floors inside and three floors outside. People on the outermost floor kept jumping up to watch.
They didn't come out for a while. Everyone didn't expect so many people outside, but it's normal to think about it. Nowadays, there are several villages that hold ancestor worship ceremonies so grandly and perform operas for seven days. It's not so lively even during the New Year.
This was also the first time they had seen such a grand ancestor worship ceremony.
At this time, someone stood in the middle of the ancestral hall and shouted loudly: "The time has come, and now the ancestor worship ceremony will be held."
As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of firecrackers crackled.
A pair of brightly colored lion dance teams also stood in front of the ancestral hall. The lion heads in their hands were colorful and lifelike, especially bright among the crowd wearing gray clothes.
At the same time, the sound of suonas and gongs and drums also sounded, like thunder, arousing the emotions of the villagers.
The lion dance team sometimes jumps and sometimes flips, with vigorous and powerful movements.
The children gathered at the front and clapped their hands with joy and cheer. The adults were also very excited, with excited expressions on their faces, and they all clapped and cheered too.
Everyone feels that the Chinese New Year has never been so lively, and they have watched a lifetime of excitement in the past few days.
The lion dance lasted for half an hour before stopping.
The sound of firecrackers rang again.
"Everyone from the Ye clan please enter the ancestral hall!"
The person who spoke must have been the gentleman who came here, and he spoke in local dialect.
Ye Yaodong and the others didn't quite understand, but they pricked up their ears and watched honestly. They followed what others were doing and filed in together with everyone else.
As soon as they entered the ancestral hall, someone led them to stand in rows according to seniority.
At this time, Ye Yaodong also saw the size of their family. There were hundreds of people standing there, and every corner of the ancestral hall was occupied.
Even the men of several years old were brought in and stood in the last row according to their seniority. They all stood at the door and were watched by a special master of ceremonies.
However, some children may not be considered young, but they are older. There is a child of seven or eight years old next to him and in front of him.
"Dear guests and clan members, ancestor worship is a solemn and solemn activity. Please stay where you are, keep quiet, and do not move around at will."
"Please wear red flowers..."
Then someone brought a red tray and distributed red flowers to all of them, asking them to pin them on their chests.
"The ancestor worship ceremony has officially begun. Please invite the main sacrificer, the Ye family XX, and the accompanying sacrificers, XX clan members. Please invite the main sacrificer, and the accompanying sacrificers will clean their hands..."
"Please offer the incense to the officiant..."
Someone lit three sticks of sandalwood and handed them to a clan elder.
The clan elder took a big incense, made a series of incense in the four directions of southeast, northwest, and then said to everyone in a loud voice: Today is an auspicious day, and the descendants of my XXXXX ancestors of the Ye family will hold an ancestor worship ceremony to welcome their ancestors.
Come and take a seat and enjoy the offerings of incense and candles from your descendants.
Then he turned around and inserted the incense into the confession censer...
The ceremony was carried out slowly, solemnly and solemnly. Everyone stood upright and stared straight ahead, listening with their ears pricked up.
Ye Yaodong and a group of people stood together in one place, and they watched the actions of others, like puppets on strings. They held the incense when they were given, bowed when they were asked, stood up when asked, and bowed when they bowed.
Everyone spent the whole morning burning incense, kneeling, and kowtowing.
No one moved around randomly, and no one moved in or out, except for the dedicated person who went back and forth to bring incense to everyone.
During this period, sacrificial texts were read out and representatives of the clan gave speeches. The ceremony was particularly complicated and grand.
It was not until noon that all the ceremonies were completed, and the sound of firecrackers outside started again.
Then there were bursts of gongs and drums, creating a lively atmosphere of joy and excitement.
After the ancestor worship ceremony ended, everyone was laughing and chatting among each other. Just now it was solemn and solemn, without any sound, but now the excitement is almost breaking the roof.
Everyone lined up and walked out one after another.
Ye Yaodong and his group all stood to the side and let others pass first. They still had to go to the clan elders.
As I said when I came here yesterday, after today's ancestor worship is over, I asked them not to go out and wait at the side. They would also make a note for his grandfather's branch in the genealogy and write them all in his grandfather's family tree.
below the name.
When he was writing the family tree, he stretched his head and glanced at it. There was nothing next to or below his grandfather's name. The clan elder first wrote down his grandma's name, and then it was his turn.
After handing out the red envelopes yesterday, they had already written the names of their respective family members on the red paper, and would not let others do it for them.
At this time, you only need to take the red paper to confirm who they are, and then copy the names on the red paper into the family tree.
After they all completed the genealogy, they all knelt down and worshiped, and then they officially recognized their ancestors and returned to the clan.
At this time, there were fewer people in the ancestral hall. Those who came and went were setting up tables and chairs and serving wine and food.
"Okay, after you all recognize your ancestors and return to the clan, your grandfather's tablets will be placed in the ancestral hall later. In the future, if a hundred years later, your tablets can also be placed in the ancestral hall and enjoy the incense of future generations."
Father Ye and the three brothers were very excited when they heard that they could still enter the ancestral hall according to their ranking, and that they would be able to enter in the future and enjoy the incense for future generations.
Uncle Ye also smiled and thanked him again and again, "Thank you very much. This is God's arrangement. I didn't expect that after fifty or sixty years, I can still recognize my ancestors and return to my clan."
"Yes, Dad can smile now."
The clan elder also smiled and said: "You are indeed smiling. You should have no regrets. I heard that some of his grandsons are still very promising. Some of them are officials, and some of them make a lot of money."
"Our roots are here. Even if you go out, you have to come back and have a look. The overseas Chinese have come back across the ocean. If you become successful, you must also contribute to our family."
Father Ye nodded quickly and recognized the one who was an official and made a lot of money.
"Definitely, the ancestral ancestral hall is here. If anything happens in the future, let us know. We have to come over. We can contribute money and effort."
The clan elder nodded, "That's good. You go to the door first to watch the excitement. The dragon dance is starting outside now. After the dragon dance is over, the banquet will officially begin at noon."
"Starting from today, we will eat the flowing water feast for three days in a row. You can come here every morning, noon and evening. This is because our tribe has made great achievements. We have not forgotten our roots. We have made a lot of money and came back to repay our hometown."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Let's go first. It's rarely so lively. After dinner, you can go to the stage to get a seat. You have to go two hours in advance, otherwise you won't be able to get a seat in front of you if you are late."
"Okay, let's go out first."
Ten tables had been set up in the open space in the middle of the ancestral hall, and many dishes were served.
They didn't have the nerve to stay here longer, after all, no one had taken their seats yet, so they planned to go to the door to see the excitement first, after all, dragon dances were rare.
This is really a big investment, and it is really rich. Those overseas Chinese must have sponsored a lot, lion and dragon dances, three days of running water mats, seven days of troupe... It's so generous.
After walking out, the noise outside was loud, with various gongs and drums, cheers, and laughter everywhere.
On the road along the ancestral hall, dozens of meters away from the door, there are tables.
Judging from the number of people who have just worshiped their ancestors, there are at least two to three hundred men alone. The families of these men are related to at least four or five. The older generation has more children, and even married women bring their families.
It’s normal to come back and eat on the flowing water table.
There are also villagers in this village, although their surname is not Ye, they are also from this village.
He visually inspected that there were more than 100 tables outside, and dozens of women were busy serving food there. Many people had already taken a seat at the table in advance, and ate while watching the excitement.
As the dragon dance gradually moved from the entrance to the village, the clan elders watching the excitement at the entrance greeted everyone to go to the ancestral hall and sit and eat in the ancestral hall.
Of course, this kind of banquet also pays attention to the location. In the ancestral hall itself, only members of the family named Ye can enter.
Therefore, the people sitting here now are also the same group of people who worshiped their ancestors in the morning.
They didn't know anyone very well. They came here yesterday and got to know some clan elders and relatives from his grandfather's generation.
This morning he shamelessly chatted with other overseas Chinese, but he was not so shameless as to squeeze in and share a table with them.
So for lunch, their brothers would sit together, and if they couldn't fit at one table, they would sit at two separate tables.
The biggest thing was the ancestor worship. After that, the whole group had nothing to do.
But I was too embarrassed to leave immediately, not to mention that the village had been very lively in the past few days.
They just stayed. His father, uncle, and uncle, the three of them not only watched the fun, but also chatted with the clan members in the village. Although they didn't understand the language, it didn't hinder communication.
And he kept chatting with Lao Hai. After all, he was the most familiar with Lao Hai in the whole village, and Lao Hai was with the overseas Chinese from time to time, and he also kept hanging out with the overseas Chinese.
After a whole day, we got to know each other better, and even the distance between his fish sauce and lighter was a little closer to the exit. It would be up to him to see if he could live up to his expectations.
After getting acquainted with each other, he felt a little anxious about returning home and wanted to go back and have a big fight, but he couldn't rush it for a while.
He patiently followed them to listen to the opera, make tea, and chat, and soon it was getting dark.
The overseas Chinese only stayed until dark, then got into their cars and left the village together.
Ye Yaodong and the others stayed for three full days from beginning to end. They ate for three days and watched plays for three days. Then they left the village with satisfaction on the tractor arranged by the village.
The tractor that Lao Hai came with was now pulling his own brother, who had already greeted them in advance.
When they left, there were not only members of their family, but also some young adults from the village who were temporarily summoned to come back to worship their ancestors, so the village arranged for cars to be sent out.
When we left on the third day, the tractors pulled three large carts full of people out of the village. As we were walking on the road, we saw two large carts pulling from a nearby village.
The surrounding villages all intermarry with each other, and relatives are connected to each other. It is normal for some nearby people to be summoned back.
Fortunately, it's cold now, so it won't be uncomfortable if we all huddle together.
Father Ye sat next to him and whispered: "I didn't expect so many people to be working hard outside. As soon as the three days of flowing water feast ended, so many people left together."
"It's normal. Didn't you notice that all the people leaving are young people? You can work hard and have a career while you are young, and you can make more money. Moreover, our big family seems to be very united. Many of these people seem to be in the
We work together."
"Yes, yes, some of them seem to be working together. It seems that many of them are with Lao Hai."
"Well, don't worry about it, we are all relatives anyway."
They don't speak the local dialect, so of course they are separated by another level, but they are all relatives in terms of seniority, so it is naturally easier to build a relationship than with outsiders.
If you dare to fight hard now, you will definitely be able to do the same in the future.
After Ye Yaodong chatted with his father for a few words, he closed his eyes and rested his mind.
Next to him, his uncle and uncle were chatting with his son. Others were also chatting, and the atmosphere was lively.
This time they set off at dawn, and when they arrived at the provincial capital, it was only 8 o'clock in the morning, when the streets were busiest.
The tractor did not deliver them to the dock, but first to the door of the busiest department store in the city. After all, they were not the only ones on the tractor, but there were many other people on the truck.
It is impossible for everyone to be sent to their destination. They can only be sent to the most central place and let others go where they want to go.
However, there are many of them, and if they ask to be sent to the pier, they will be sent to it, but they still follow everyone and get off the bus in the city center.
This is what everyone requested after discussion. After all, it is their first time to come to the provincial capital.
Since they are all here, there is no reason not to take a stroll around the streets of the provincial capital and take a look. It is only early in the morning anyway, so there is no rush for them.
If you don’t take a walk and look around, you won’t have to brag when you go back, and you won’t have any material. How can you tell others that they have been to the provincial capital?
You can’t even describe what the provincial capital looks like, so there are too many opportunities to show off?
And even though you are here, you still have to bring some local specialties or some items from the provincial capital to show off, so that your visit is not in vain.
Father Ye understood the feelings of others, so he agreed immediately after discussing it, and then they all got out of the car together.
Ye Yaodong didn't care about the provincial capital. He had been here many times, but there was nothing wrong with wandering around too much.
What's more, he and those overseas Chinese didn't mess around in vain that day, and he also had a lot of foreign exchange coupons on hand.
It happened that they were playing cards and gambling for money when they had nothing to do. He also participated when he was bored. He had won all the foreign exchange certificates in his hand, which amounted to one or two hundred yuan.
Everyone knows that he can't keep the money he has on hand. As soon as he has some money, he wants to look around and buy everything he doesn't have at home.
So he also dived into the department store, and then went to the Friendship Store. He followed everyone around for a whole morning, and then everyone came out of the store satisfied.
"Dongzi, you are really rich. You need a lot of money for these things, one or two hundred yuan, right? There are also foreign exchange coupons. You can spend it anyway."
"Isn't the money you make just used to be spent? It's rare to come to the provincial capital, and everyone in the family has to bring some gifts. Aren't you reluctant to go there? You also spent dozens of dollars on something, right? My uncle recently
Living standards have skyrocketed? It seems that I have saved a lot of coffins, right?"
"Nowhere is there... These are all bought by others for me, and few of them are our own."
Just believe him.
It's just that the cousin owed too much money to the villagers, and he didn't dare let people know that they bought so many things, so he wanted to hide it.
Ye Yaodong turned his head and said nothing.
But Father Ye pointed to the rope he was holding, "What kind of book are you buying so many of? The child at home is about to burst into tears. He is asked to write every day, and yet he buys so many books, which makes him cry."
He looked at a loss for words. Half of them were copybooks he bought, and he planned to practice calligraphy in his spare time, so as not to be unable to use his handwriting.
"Two of them are sweater patterns for Ah Qing to make sweaters and crochet cotton shoes and hats. The other ones are exercise books and extracurricular readings. It is better to buy books than toys. A niece of Ah Qing's natal family is very good at reading.
Yes, give her a few copies when the time comes."
"It's good if you can read. Then you give it to those who can read. If no one in the family can read, if you give it to them, they will cry to death."
"Let's go, let's go. Everyone is so unsatisfied, and they get angry when they say it. Go to the roadside and wait for the bus. There is a bus going to the pier. When the time comes, get off and walk for a while."
No one had any objections. No one had ever taken a bus. Such a high-end car was unthinkable before. But it would be great if they could ride on a tractor.
This is also an experience that you can take back and brag about.
Ye Yaodong still wanted to ask Lao Hai about the plastic bag factory, so he was not in a hurry to go back. After arriving at the dock, he let them board the boat by themselves. He said that he had something to do and wanted to go out for a while, so that they should not run around, and then he
Went to find Lao Hai again.
It's not that he doesn't want those people to go out for a walk and then come back to the pier after shopping.
Rather, he was worried that these people would not be able to come back if they went out. Each of them did not understand the language, did not speak Mandarin, and did not know the way. When the time came, they would get lost, and it would become troublesome for him as well.
It would be better to wait for them to finish shopping, take them all to the boat and wait until he has finished his work, then come back and sail back together.
This is his boat. Even if they all want to go home before dark and enter the village to enjoy the scenery, they still have to wait until he has finished his work.
You have to hold in your displeasure and wait honestly.
Ye Yaodong had already made an agreement with Lao Hai, so when he arrived at the pier, Lao Hai was already there, and the shop at his pier was still closed.
After a few simple greetings, they got on the tractor again, and Ye Yaohai took him to the factory he knew that produced the plastic bag outside the ice pack.
He introduced me first on the way.
"I heard that this plastic bag factory is also invested by overseas Chinese, but I don't know it. I don't know where the overseas Chinese are from. You have to ask yourself."
"Okay, those overseas Chinese are really rich."
"Isn't that right? Now there are some open policies that are beneficial to these overseas Chinese, so in the past few years, everyone has heard about it and returned to China to invest. Those people have seen too many good things abroad and know that our country is lacking this and that.
Many things that are common abroad are very expensive here, so I feel that the city has developed very fast in the past few years and is changing with each passing day."
Ye Yaodong thought in his mind that those plastic bags should be very cheap, after all, foreign technology is mature.
Moreover, it can be used to hold ice water in the summer. A bag only costs a dime, and the water in there has to be flavored. The cost of plastic bags must be low, otherwise it will not be possible to make ice water.
However, in the past, he just recognized the door, knew the way, and went to the person in charge to learn more about it to see if what he requested could be done, and then inquired about the price, and then went back without rushing to place an order.
After all, he hasn't found the machine yet, and it will take some time before it can be shipped back. The cost may be even cheaper by then, and it won't be too late to discuss the price and place an order when necessary.
At this time, a bunch of people at the dock were waiting for him, and they were all complaining.
After Ye Yaodong followed Lao Hai back to the pier, he handed him two packs of imported cigarettes bought at the Friendship Store and thanked him for helping to guide him.
After getting on the boat, everyone else couldn't help but complain.
"What took you so long?"
"If you have something to do, you should go and do it first in the morning. But after everyone has boarded the ship, you go to do something impromptu and a whole bunch of people are waiting for you."
"That's right. There are so many people waiting here. If you have something to do, wouldn't it be the same if you came back next time? Anyway, your father said that you often come to the provincial capital."
"We've been waiting for so long and now the sun has set. It's completely dark by the time we get home."
"You should have done something earlier. It's been so long. I thought you would just go and come back..."
Ye Yaodong said angrily: "If you are in a hurry, go and take the car back by yourself. I didn't ask you to wait for me?"
"This is my boat. I can go back whenever I want. I haven't finished my work. If you want to take my boat back, of course you have to listen to me and follow my time."
"My time is also precious. Who has time to go back and forth to the provincial capital all day long? Don't you need to pay for gas? My boat trip to the provincial capital only costs about a hundred yuan for a round trip. Can you help me pay for it?"
Everyone was suddenly speechless...
Originally, it was just that I had waited too long, and I casually complained a few words when I saw someone. After being criticized, I felt that what he said made sense...
Father Ye also looked at everyone and said: "Dongzi has not finished his work. Of course, he has to wait until he has finished his work before he can leave. It is not easy to come to the provincial capital, but it won't matter if you wait a while. I haven't asked you to pay for the return trip, so don't do it."
That’s a lot of talk.”
Uncle Ye immediately changed his face and said with an awkward smile: "Everyone has been waiting for too long, so I just want to ask a few questions. It's good to be here now. Let's leave quickly. It's too late now."
"It's too late. Why don't you go to the city and stay one night? Go back tomorrow? Then you can brag when you go back. After all, you spent the night in the provincial capital and stayed in the provincial capital guest house."
Uncle Ye couldn't laugh anymore, and his face kept trembling.
Father Ye was afraid that he would say unpleasant words again, so he pushed him twice and said, "Let's go, let's go and sail the boat back. You go ahead and sail."
Ye Yaodong took advantage of the situation and moved forward. He didn't care about them, otherwise he would be angry to death.
At any rate, I was able to put on a good show in front of my clan members a few days ago. I didn't act stupid in front of others. If I did act stupid in front of him, just be stupid.
As long as you lose it and don't throw it outside, that's fine.
After he got on the helm, Father Ye smiled and said a few words to smooth things over, asking everyone to help him untie the rope and collect the anchor.
Everyone also smiled in a tacit understanding, changed the subject, and moved on.
They also all know that they did not see the reality clearly for a while and were impatient due to waiting for too long.
People under the eaves have to bow their heads.
Ye Yaodong drove the boat slowly away from the shore. After a while, the lights on the boat came on, and night gradually fell.
After a while, Father Ye brought the food to him.
"You eat first instead of me?"
"Who cooked it?"
"I cooked it."
"Damn, you spoil them, take care of their food and drink, and you still have to cook and serve them?"
"No, no, Ah Sheng and Ah Fan also helped."
"I just caught an honest person and bullied him, it's true."
"It's nothing. Just help with the easy things. Anyway, I'm not tired today. It doesn't matter if I do more or less. Don't hurt the harmony. You see how united the clans are, so we can't make it too ugly.
.”
Ye Yaodong frowned and sighed, "People are united because they come and go, and they are polite and humane. Helping each other can gain people's sincere gratitude. If you only think about taking advantage and don't think about paying, you can
Unity?”
Father Ye was silent for a moment.
"We're all a family after all. Forget it, it's all trivial, don't worry about it too much."
Ye Yaodong stopped talking. Sometimes his father was a bit of a good man and didn't care about things.
It sounds like it's of good quality, forget it.
He simply ate and asked his father to take him home, and left it to him to eat at night as usual.
When they left, the sun had set, and by the time they got home, it was already one or two o'clock in the middle of the night.
They happened to catch up with other fishing boats going out to sea, and there were flashlights hanging on the dock. As soon as they entered the village dock, they were discovered by the villagers.
After we docked, we were surrounded by fellow villagers talking, but everyone was anxious to go to sea, and they were also anxious to go home.
Ye Yaodong could only say hello with a smile, and went home without stopping.
The house was pitch dark, so he went around to the back door window and knocked on his own room window.
Lin Xiuqing was startled at night, but the knock on the door felt a bit familiar.
She put on her coat and whispered to the window, "You're back? I'll open the door."
"You know it's me?"
"If it wasn't you, who else could it be? Who would stay up late at night and knock on someone's wife's window?"
"Hey, doesn't this mean you're used to it?"
"I'm used to your head. If you say something like this, you'll scold me as soon as you come back. Go ahead." Lin Xiuqing scolded him and then ran to the front door to open the door for him.
As soon as he was put in, she hit him.
"Those who don't know better think I'm used to stealing from others."
Ye Yaodong laughed and said, "Don't be afraid, daughter-in-law, I am your adulterer."
Lin Xiuqing almost lost her composure, "You are an adulterer, then who am I?"
He slapped himself in the mouth and said, "You said it wrong, don't be afraid, wife, I am your concubine."
Lin Xiuqing gave him a blank look, "What are you talking about? Why did you get home at midnight?"
"Something delayed me."
Chapter completed!