Druid's Country Retirement

The sky is bright.

The fog in the mountains has not completely dissipated, and the mountains in the distance are looming in the fog, giving people a hazy and mysterious feeling.

The sounds of suonas and gongs and drums came from the Luo family ancestral hall.

Li Hongbing knelt in the mourning hall, his face looked haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot from the smoke of fire paper. He kept vigil all night, and the suona team also beat gongs and drums all night. His ears are still ringing.

"Brother Red Soldier, you have been on guard all night. Go and catch up on your sleep. I will guard you."

Brothers Luo Long and Luo Hu walked into the mourning hall and came to Li Hongbing's side.

"Okay, I guess no one is coming today. I'm going to take a nap. Call me if you need anything." Li Hongbing yawned and stood up.

"By the way, don't forget to entertain the spoilers this afternoon."

"I know." Luo Long nodded.

Li Hongbing walked out of the mourning hall. He didn't have the energy to eat breakfast. He found the car with shaky steps, opened the door of the Deli truck, lay down on the back seat and fell asleep.

Wait until you wake up.

It's bright outside the car window.

I took out my phone and saw that the time was already past 2 p.m.

Fortunately, after catching up on sleep, I felt much more relaxed.

If he hadn't been woken up by hunger, he could have slept with him for three days and three nights.

Li Hongbing didn't even bother to clean up his messy hair and wrinkled clothes, and walked out of the car looking unkempt.

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice.

It seems to be Li Ming,
Why did he come to Shilipu? He must have been confused by his sleep!
"Mr. Li!" Just as Li Hongbing shook his head, the assistant's voice sounded behind him.

Turning his head, he saw Chen Li in a black suit.

"How did you come?"

"Not only am I here, but Mr. Li, Mr. Shangguan, Mr. He, and the department directors of the company are also here." Chen Li turned around and pointed in the direction of the funeral shed.

These people are so well informed.

"Come on, show me!" Li Hongbing shook his head helplessly and asked on the way, "How do you know?"

Chen Li pretended to feel guilty, looked around, and whispered, "The village purchaser called to inform the company."

A young man's face appeared in Li Hongbing's mind, a buyer stationed in Caogou Village responsible for statistics.

It turns out he is an undercover agent!

No wonder an employee was stationed in the village to purchase vegetables and monitored my movements for a long time.

Get rid of him when you get back.

The petty Li Hongbing muttered to himself and walked into the funeral shed.

At a glance, I saw people from the company sitting at several tables, eating and drinking.

When Li Hongbing saw them, they naturally saw Li Hongbing and hurriedly stood up to say hello.

"Mr. Li."

"Mr. Li."

"Chairman."

Various titles were called out, and Li Hongbing smiled and nodded in response.

He walked to Li Ming's table, found an empty seat and said, "Go on, eat. If the food is not enough, I will ask the kitchen to send more."

At this time, Li Hongbing was also hungry. After sitting down, he picked up his chopsticks and started to eat. Seeing this, the others smiled. The big boss has such a free and easy temper. When he is not provoked, he is just like his friends.

A descendant of the Luo family who was waiting in the kitchen saw Li Hongbing sitting at a table.

I quickly replaced the hot and cold dishes with fried fruits and vegetables.

After eating hard for a while, his stomach felt a little full, and Li Hongbing had time to talk to Li Ming.

"Has the company made arrangements?"

"It has been arranged. After the weather gets cold at the end of the year, the output of oak vegetables will decline. The company's focus will turn to the technology department to prepare for the launch of a new version of the APP next year."

"Yeah!" Li Hongbing just nodded after hearing this, picked up a frying pan and soaked it in the lotus root soup. As long as the company's development was in the general direction, he was too lazy to interfere.

Yan Hua, general manager of Oak Express, who was sitting next to him, also wanted to report on his work.

"Mr. Li, we"

Before he finished speaking, Li Hongbing raised his hand to stop him.

"Today is not a day to talk about work. Are you leaving today or tomorrow?"

Li Ming quickly replied, "We plan to send Uncle Luo up the mountain tomorrow and then return to the city!"

Li Hongbing picked up the napkin on the table and wiped his mouth, then stood up and said, "You're already here, so don't rush back. It's cold in the mountains at night and you city people can't stand it. Go live in Caogou Village first and wait for things to happen here." After we’re done, let’s talk in detail.”

"Okay, I'm done eating, you guys eat slowly."

After that, Li Hongbing patted Li Ming on the shoulder, said hello to the company executives present, and left in a hurry.

"Did I say the wrong thing?" Yan Hua was a little flustered. After all, it was the second time he met Li Hongbing after becoming the general manager of Oak Express, and the boss's character had not yet been fully figured out.

"It's okay, Mr. Li is like this. He regards work as a scourge." Li Ming picked up the wine glass with a smile, "Here, drink!"

It was night in a flash.

Tonight is the highlight. Li Hongbing is too lazy to worry about how Mr. Ou will come to see Uncle Luo off tomorrow and how Shilipu will receive him. Uncle Huaizhong and Zhao Qianjin are responsible for that.

The focus now is on making arrangements for the funeral tomorrow.

Due to the unpleasantness they had with the Luo family at Uncle Mazi's house last night, the Luo brothers decided to skip the Luo family and organize the funeral for Uncle Luo alone.

The village chiefs gathered together.

Li Hongbing took the statistics of the number of people on the list.

草沟村33人，茶树沟45人、朱家湾53人、山头村48人、桃花沟56人、杏花村43人、凉水河41人、下店子村38人.
Including the people from Shilipu, the number of people who can carry the coffin tomorrow will reach more than 500.

"Is the old dragon bar enough?"

Chashugou Xu Xuedeng asked cheerfully, "That's enough! Each village has brought at least ten old dragon poles. How many old dragon poles will Village Chief Li and Uncle Luo use?"

Laolonggang, also known as Zisungang and funeral stick, is an indispensable auxiliary tool for funeral and coffin carrying in rural burial ceremonies.

The old dragon pole is generally made of high-quality fir, but other woods are also acceptable, but it must be straight and hard. The length is generally about twice as long as the coffin, that is, about four meters, and the diameter is about 20 centimeters. It should not be too thick.

When carrying the coffin, it is generally used in rural families. Eight poles are used for funerals, that is, eight people carry the coffin for the funeral, also called the Eight Immortals.

Eight bars basically use bars. Less than eight people can't do this job. People with power, power, wealth, and wealth can have sixteen bars, thirty-two bars, sixty-four bars, or even more. The most is one hundred and two bars. Eighteen bars, in the past, was the emperor's standard.

Li Hongbing vaguely remembers that when his grandfather climbed the mountain, he used only 128 bars, not including the rope puller.

"Luo Long Luo Hu, what do you two brothers plan?"

At this time, Li Hongbing couldn't overstep his authority. Luo Longluohu had to make the decision. All he could do was to help pull people in and play the role.

The two Luo brothers whispered to each other, and Luo Long looked at Li Hongbing.

"Brother Hongbing, I plan to use a big pole or thirty-two poles. The mountain road is difficult to walk. Too many poles can easily cause trouble. Before I left, my uncle said that we would not be allowed to be extravagant and wasteful. We should save as much as possible."

There is one person per Kong, and thirty-two Kongs means 32 Kong players.

In the past, the thirty-two bars, called the big bars, were only used by wealthy people. Ordinary people had even fewer. There were only sixteen bars, which were called auspicious bars, followed by the small bars with eight bars, and the bull's head carried by three people. For the bar, two people lift the cross-center bar, and for children, one person lifts the cross-box.

Thirty-two bars can be considered a big bar, which is not bad.

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Li Hongbing didn't persuade him. According to his own idea, the more bars the better. Since Uncle Mazi left his last words, he should do as the old man told him.

Determine the number of bars.

The next step is to arrange the departure team tomorrow morning.

As the old saying goes, ten miles have different customs, and five miles have different customs. There is no fixed pattern for the funeral processions in each village. They are basically the same. The funeral rules in Shilipu and Caogou Village are only slightly different. There must be a guide at the funeral in Shilipu.

That is, someone has to walk in front carrying a lantern or lantern to light up the road. This is called leading, and using lights to lead the way for those who have passed away.

The rest are pretty much the same. In forest areas, the mourners usually go in front and the deceased in the back. It is considered unlucky to have the deceased in the front.

The suona, gongs and drums band followed the guide, beating all the way. Play mournful music to create an atmosphere of mourning.

Behind the band is the paper-tying activity, including wreaths, money paper, and white flags. These items are usually carried by men.

The third in line, the dutiful son, holds the portrait of the old man and pulls the fiber cloth (white cloth) in front of the coffin, followed by the coffin-carrying team.

Dutiful sons march in descending order of seniority. Female dutiful sons usually walk with the hearse, with their daughters-in-law in front, daughters in the back, and they are arranged in the order of grandson-in-law, granddaughter, etc.

Uncle Mazi has never married a wife, so there is no such thing as a filial son or daughter. However, since the two brothers Luo Long and Luo Hu adopted Uncle Mazi's family, his family is not considered an extinct heir.

Relatives, friends, neighbors and other people accompanying the funeral cheer and support. They can participate in ceremonies such as setting off cannons, scattering paper money, and carrying coffin covers.

Dad appeared out of nowhere and joined the discussion team, making suggestions from time to time.

Li Hongbing checked every link and process several times with the Luo brothers and village chiefs. Once there were no problems, he started arranging manpower.

Despite the simplicity of the process, it was already dark by the time it was settled.

Li Hongbing looked up at the night sky. The moon was like a silver plate, hanging high in the sky, emitting dazzling light.

The moon is sparse and the stars are sparse, and the sky is sunny.

It's going to be nice weather tomorrow.

The rooster croaks and the world becomes white.

As a thin layer of mist filled Shilipu, the crow of roosters echoed over the village.

In front of the Luo family ancestral hall, a huge crowd with Xiaobu wrapped around their heads fell into a commotion and all kinds of noises were heard.

"The band's over there, hurry up and gather here."

"The first group of gangsters are gathered together. Come with me into the mourning hall. Go to the other side and don't cause any trouble."

"Hold a wreath and carry a white flag over there."

"Where's the cannon? The guy with the dog in his hand moved the cannon box away."

"Where is the gang leader? Hurry up and take people into the mourning hall."

When everyone found their place, the panic gradually became orderly, and everyone performed their duties according to the tasks assigned in advance.

Extending along the Luo family ancestral hall, a long funeral procession slowly took shape.

In the mourning hall, Gangtou, who was wearing black clothes and black trousers, had already led people to tie the coffin with ropes.

everything's ready.

The celebrant stood outside the mourning hall, raised his head and sang loudly to the sky.

"Awakening!!"

Rural funeral ceremonies generally consist of several links, the most important of which is the wake-up ceremony.

The custom of throwing basins before rising from the dead has a long history. Although there may be differences in different regions, its core meaning is the same. The purpose of throwing basins is to destroy people's memories so that ancestors can forget their earthly cares in the afterlife. At the same time, It is also to pass on the legacy of our ancestors.

Before the wake-up ceremony, the family will prepare the clay pots needed for the pot-breaking ceremony.

There must be a hole at the bottom of this pottery basin, which is related to Po Meng in the underworld.

According to legend, people will pass by the Wangchuan River after death. After drinking Mengpo soup at Wangxiang Terrace, they will forget their past and present lives. The pottery basin with holes can allow Mengpo soup to drain away, allowing people to remember their relatives.

Therefore, this kind of pottery basin is also called "auspicious basin" or "yin and yang basin".

The choice of pottery basins is also very particular. Generally, pottery basins with beautiful appearance and excellent texture are chosen.

The number of times you throw a basin is also important.

Family members surrounded the basin-breaker. During the process of smashing the pottery basin, everyone shouted in unison and smashed the basin hard, making various breaking sounds.

Generally speaking, you can only drop it once. If it doesn't break once, you have to step on it with your feet. You can't pick it up and drop it again.

If it is not broken once, you need to crush it with your feet. You must not pick it up and break it again.

The more broken it is, the better, which means that the ancestors can bless the descendants safely and well.

When breaking the basin, you should try your best to make the loudest noise. When the soul hears the sound of breaking the basin, it will know that it is time to leave.

People who throw pots also have specific identity restrictions.

Generally speaking, only the eldest son (or eldest grandson or second son) of a family member can break the basin.

This regulation originates from the ancient social concept of distinction between superior and inferior, and the order of elders and younger ones.

Daughters and sons-in-law are not allowed to break the basin because it is considered to bring bad luck to the family.

Depending on gender, men break the pot with their left hand when they die, and women break the pot with their right hand when they die.

At the same time, the more broken it is, the better, which means that the ancestors will bless the descendants every year.

In particular, before breaking the pot, you need to burn a pile of fire paper as a favor for the little ghost to lead the way.

In the ancestral hall.

The head of the gangster in black is holding an old rooster, and the other eight gangsters are standing on both sides of the courtyard of the ancestral hall, carrying the old dragon pole.

The two brothers of the Luo family, wearing dutiful hats and holding fire paper in their hands, walked from the mourning hall to the center of the patio and burned a stack of fire paper in the four directions of southeast, northwest and southeast. The intention was to pray to the ghosts and gods in all directions. There are family members on the way today. Please pray. Ghosts and gods from all over the world are doing their best and don't embarrass your family.

Burn the fire paper.

The Luo brothers returned to the mourning hall and knelt down.

With the head of the pole prepared long ago, he walked into the mourning hall with the old rooster in his arms, placed the old rooster on the coffin, took out the comb, used money paper, dipped the chicken feathers in blood, and pasted it on the coffin.

After finishing, Gang Zitou retreated to the door of the mourning hall, clasped his hands in front of the coffin, bowed deeply, and shouted.

"With your head resting on the mountain and your feet in the treasury, your children and grandchildren will be rich for generations to come; if you cover it with gold on top and silver on the bottom, your children and grandchildren will be able to hold a cornucopia of treasures; if you put seed flowers on the left and right side of your body, your children and grandchildren of future generations will be able to make a fortune."

"Cover up!"

The celebrant waiting next to him came forward with a stack of cloth covers. The man in black clothes took the cloth cover and put it on the coffin.

The cloth cover is a coffin cover, bright red, with embroidered dragons and flying phoenixes on the front and back, eight immortals crossing the sea in the middle, and double vertical door couplets at the door.

There are embroidered couplets on the horizontal side, and the gold-line words are: children should be filial, raise children to guard against old age, be good in body, voice, and appearance, and have good wishes in life.

After covering up.

The man in black retreated to the entrance of the mourning hall again, clasped his fists and bowed to the coffin.

"My uncle, please give me a basin."

Hear Gangzitou's cry.

Luo Long picked up the pottery basin filled with incense ash and walked out of the mourning hall. His father, who was waiting next to him, followed with Li Hongbing and his two sons-in-law.

Luo Long walked into the patio, grabbed the pottery basin with his left hand, raised it high, and slammed it to the ground in front of everyone's eyes.

"broken!"

"broken!"

"broken!"

Luo Hu, Dad, Li Hongbing, and two brothers-in-law standing around shouted loudly.

Bang!

The pottery basin fell to the ground and fell into pieces, and the incense ashes turned into a cloud of gray mist and spread out.

When the celebrant saw the pot broken into pieces, he shouted quickly.

"Awake!!"

(End of this chapter)