Druid's Country Retirement

Accompanied by the celebrant's shouting.

Luo Long and Luo Hu stepped aside and knelt down. Beside him were Li Hongbing and his two brothers-in-law. Dad didn't have to kneel down, but his face was full of sadness.

The head of the black-clothed gang took the old dragon pole handed over by the gang's hand and passed it through the buckle of the hemp rope tied to the coffin.

The eight pole players took over the old dragon pole and stood beside the coffin.

The space of the ancestral hall is relatively small. When the ancestral hall was originally built, only eight people were considered. Who would have thought that there would be a descendant with thirty-two people and thirty-two people.

We can only use eight poles and eight people to carry out the coffin first, and then add poles and people after leaving the ancestral hall.

The head of the gong took the gong handed over by the celebrant and struck it hard.

Dang! !

"Awake!"

The suona band in the courtyard of the ancestral hall began to play sad music.

The young and strong pole wielders squatted down at the same time, and the old dragon pole was placed on their shoulders. With a sound, eight people exerted force at the same time, and the coffin weighing several hundred kilograms was slowly lifted.

"Come out of the hall!" Gangzitou beat the gong again and shouted.

In the courtyard, someone quickly lit firecrackers covering the ground.

Crackling!

Firecrackers carried electric sparks and bursts of gunpowder smoke rose into the sky.

The coffin was carried out of the mourning hall step by step, walked down the steps, stepped on the lit firecrackers, and walked out of the ancestral hall gate.

After receiving the letter of awakening outside the ancestral hall, preparations were made in advance. When the firecrackers went off in the yard, two benches were immediately set up.

The coffin cannot fall to the ground after leaving the mourning hall.

The gang leader in black came out first, beat the gong, and shouted to the back, "There is a threshold for the door!"

When the coffin bearers heard the sound of the gong and knew that the door threshold was in front of them, they would pay more attention and reply, "You can see it when we get there."

The coffin was carried out of the ancestral hall.

Landed steadily on the bench.

The head of the pole immediately arranged for the remaining 24 pole players to tie the dragon pole. The thirty-two dragon poles are not tied randomly. The more old dragon poles there are, the more complicated the tying method is. How to install it can save effort, and how to install it can reduce the effort. , how to install it so that it is easy to change bars, these are all things that need to be paid attention to and know-how.

32 people lift the dragon bar, also called the Erlong Bar. Two golden dragons are set up on the bar. There are two fulcrums on each of the two lifting bars. Each fulcrum is divided into two fulcrums, and then each fulcrum is carried by two people on their shoulders. This means that 32 people are needed to carry it.

There are 16 people in front, 16 people in the back, and a pole leader who is responsible for commanding and shouting. These 32 people carrying the dragon pole must be men, with white gauze around their heads to express mourning.

Gangzitou wears a black jacket and black trousers, and holds a gong in his hand. Different knocking methods represent different signals. Otherwise, the 16 people behind cannot see the front and don't know what to do, so they have to listen to the sound to distinguish.

The Erlong Bar is not carried casually, it is very particular. It usually requires dancing and singing, and a performance of bumping the sedan chair. The coffin bearers have slogans or perform chorus, forward and backward movement, shaking and other movements according to the band. It is not an easy task, and there are many steps before going up the mountain. It's very tiring to go around the village.

In particular, Uncle Mazi's coffin was of mixed size.

Hun Liuliu requires that the bottom, sides and lid of the coffin are all six inches thick, making it very bulky.

The weight depends on the material. Pine wood is slightly lighter, while cypress wood is heavier. The dryness and humidity of the wood also have a great influence. It is generally 600-800 kilograms. With the binding and rack, the heaviest one is close to one ton.

Thirty-two people carry the dragon bar in theory, each person can bear about 30-35 kilograms, which is similar to the weight of a bag of cement, about 70 kilograms. This weight is still bearable, but it will be difficult if the road is too far. Fortunately, it is still possible. There are hundreds of people who can swap shoulders.

The old dragon pole is tied up, and the new pole member holds the old dragon pole.

Several celebrants each took out a stack of red envelopes and distributed them to the gong players one by one.

The amount of the red envelope is not big, just one yuan. It probably means telling the deceased that these people are good people and don't blame them.

After the red envelopes were distributed, Gangzitou walked to the coffin, beat the gong and shouted.

"The filial son comes forward, pulls the fiber cloth, and draws the soul flag!"

Luo Long held Uncle Mazi's portrait, and Luo Hu held a white cloth and walked to the coffin.

Luo Hu opened the white cloth in his hand, tied one end to the coffin, and tied the other end to his and his brother's waists.

This is the filial son Lala fiber cloth.

Li Hongbing walked in front of the two brothers holding a soul-inducing flag.

Dang! !

The man in black banged the gong and shouted again.

"Awake!"

Crackling!

Dong Dong Qiang, Dong Dong Qiang!
The sound of firecrackers and the sound of suona, gongs and drums sounded at the same time.

Under the command of the gang leader, 32 gangsters steadily lifted the coffin.

After that, the dutiful son was no longer qualified to speak, and the ceremony master and Gangzitou controlled the whole process.

The funeral procession was huge, with hundreds of people standing together for a mile long, not to mention keeping distance between people.

At this time, errands are needed to help deliver the message.

A young man from the Luo family ran to the front to find the guide, waved his arms and said hastily.

"Let's go, let's go! Let's go around the village first!"

The guide held the kerosene lamp, waved it in the air in a circle, and then walked forward.

When the band behind them saw the leader moving, they started to go on the road. Those playing the suona played the suona, and those playing the gongs and drums followed behind.

As soon as the team in front moved, the team behind them followed suit.

Under the joint action, 32 people lifted the coffin.

The last ones to show off were the vehicles, relatives and friends, and the guests who came to attend the funeral, like a long queue.

The mournful music played by a hundred-member band resounded through the sky.

The whole of Shilipu was immersed in a sad atmosphere. People spontaneously walked out of their homes to see Uncle Luo off, and stood quietly by the roadside, watching the huge funeral procession fade away, and paying their last respects to the deceased.

Between the mountains, the sun shines brightly.

A huge funeral procession walked along the mountain road.

The sky is clear, the breeze is gentle, the blue sky is as bright as gems, and the white clouds are as leisurely as sheep.

The mountains looked particularly majestic under the sunlight, and the mountain wind rustled the tree branches, as if nature was singing an elegy for the hero.

The guide walked at the front of the procession holding a lantern.

Accompanied by bursts of firecrackers, a band of hundreds of people played suonas, beat gongs and drums, and mournful music resounded throughout the sky.

The people holding wreaths and flying white flags looked solemn.

Behind them followed a long queue.

Not to mention that it was difficult for the villagers to see such a large funeral procession, even the executives of the Oak Tree Company who came from the city to express their condolences opened their mouths in shock.

The day before yesterday, I learned from an undercover agent that an elder of Mr. Li's family had passed away. As people are so sophisticated, the company's top executives decided to go to the mountains to show their faces.

I originally planned to meet Mr. Li, follow him up the mountain the next day after the ceremony, and then return directly to the city.

Who knew the scene would be so big!
Those walking in the front may not know how long the queue is, but those at the end seeing it off can really see it.

The entire funeral procession was at least two to three kilometers long.

"Xiao Chen, are there so many people attending the funeral in your hometown?" Li Ming turned to look at Chen Li, who was also shocked.

Chen Li shook her head silently.

Although I am also from a rural area, I have seen a lot of weddings and funerals since I was a child.

But such a large funeral procession was really eye-opening. It was several kilometers long and hundreds of people could fill the sky in my hometown.

"Magnificent, shocking, spectacular!" Shangguan Yun beside him muttered as he recorded the video on his mobile phone with an excited look on his face.

Having been born abroad since childhood, he was accustomed to simple funerals abroad, where relatives and friends gathered together to say a brief farewell to the body before being buried. This massive funeral ceremony was like opening up a new world for him.

My scalp feels numb just by looking at it.

The other executives all had similar expressions, and they were even more shocked.

The Luo family, who should have been excited about such a big scene, had mixed emotions.

Who knew that there would be such a big commotion after Uncle Luo left. Not only did people from Shiliba Village come to express their condolences, but Mr. Luo even sent a message saying that a big boss in the province came to see Uncle Luo off in person. He urged the Luo family all night to send him to Shilipu. Scan the inside and outside and lock all the chickens, ducks, dogs and pigs in cages.

Just last night, several elders of the Luo family went to the mourning hall to watch Uncle Luo's wake for half the night.

It almost cost them half their lives.

Let you think about Uncle Luo's house and land.

Deserve it.

What did you do early?
And that Li Hongbing, he really made a big show and responded to every call. All the villages in the forest area listened to him. Originally, the job of carrying the coffin was supposed to be the job of the Luo family, but he let people from other villages do it. After this, it spread that the old Luo family of Shilipu wanted to do it. shameless.

The funeral was held at seven o'clock in the morning, and the procession was non-stop, with people resting on the coffin.

On both sides of the coffin, which weighs several hundred kilograms, there are always backup pole hands. As long as the pole lifter yells to change shoulders, someone will immediately take up the position and take over the old dragon pole.

A journey of more than thirty miles took three hours to reach the foot of Qinglong Mountain.

An offering table was set up at the entrance to the mountain. The mountain master and the mountain people from Qinglong Village stood behind the offering table wearing sackcloth and mourning.

The guide stopped, raised his lantern and waved it.

The funeral procession slowly stopped. Because the procession was so large, there was a slight collision with the convoy behind it.

Li Hongbing walked through the funeral procession holding a soul-inducing flag and came to the altar table. He said in a low voice, "Master Shan, Uncle Mazi is back!"

Master Shan nodded, took the soul-inducing flag from Li Hongbing, walked to the coffin, held the coffin covered with a red brocade quilt with his hands, and looked sad.

"Brother Mazi, Shanzi will take you up the mountain. Dad and uncles will be waiting for you alone. Shanzi will take you home."

After speaking, he raised the soul-drawing flag and waved it inward, his voice hoarse with vicissitudes of life.

“Go up the mountain and go home!!!”

Crackling! ! !

Firecrackers sounded and the band played sad music.

Suddenly a mountain wind blew from Qinglong Mountain, causing wreaths to rustle, white flags fluttering, and paper money rolled up to fly into the sky.

Master Shan, who was immersed in grief, held up the soul-drawing flag and strode towards the entrance of the mountain.

The newly built mountain road is one lane wide, and the thirty-two bars are a little crowded. The head of the bar adjusts the direction of the old dragon bar, and the funeral procession sets off on the road again.

Fortunately, the mountain road leading to Qinglong Village is open, otherwise just walking on the mountain road would be enough to drink a pot.

When the team arrived at the foot of Qinglongzhai Mountain, several cars with license plates starting with 00 were parked on the roadside.

Li Hongbing was stunned for a moment when he saw the car, thinking that Mr. Ou was still on the way, but he didn't expect to arrive early.

"Brothers of the Red Army, these cars came to the village early in the morning. There was an old man who seemed to be a high-ranking official. He said he was here to see Uncle Luo off." Tieniu, a mountain man next to him, murmured in a low voice.

A high official indeed.

He is also the largest official in Northern Province.

However, Zhao Qianjin and the Luo family will be disappointed.

In the middle of the night, the whole village went out to clean the inside and outside of Shilipu, except for the red carpet paving.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Ou crossed Shilipu and came directly to Qinglong Village.

Li Hongbing smiled secretly in his heart and stepped onto the stone steps of Qinglong Village.

If you walk on the flat road with number 32, you won't be able to exert your strength when going up the mountain. At this time, the role of the pole hand is to keep the coffin balanced, and the next characters rely on the effort of pulling the rope.

Gangzitou called for someone to bring the rope.

A bundle of hemp rope as thick as a child's arm, one hundred meters long, was tied to the coffin's dragon pole with three bundles.

Leave some spare poles to hold the dragon pole, and everyone else goes to the front to pull the rope.

The stone steps leading to Qinglong Village are only one meter wide, winding and extending to the top of the mountain.

At this time, the coffin cannot follow the stone steps. It must go straight up and down. No matter whether there is a slope or a ridge in front, it must be carried straight up the mountain. This will test the skill and ability of the pole hand. If you fail, the coffin will fall to the ground.

There is an old saying in the forest that "the ground is the grave." Once the coffin falls to the ground, it means that the soul of the deceased cannot smoothly enter the afterlife. This is regarded as disrespectful and disrespectful to the deceased.

Although these customs and rules may contain some superstitious elements, they also reflect people's respect for the deceased and reverence for life.

After Gangzitou inspected the route, he returned to the funeral procession and called for substitutions.

"The road up the mountain is not easy. There are big steep slopes and several ridges. If you are not sure, you have to change your shoulder."

At this time, the pole player should not act on impulse, nor should he act blindly. If you feel that you can't hold it, get off quickly.

Soon, the young kung fu players in the team took the initiative to step down and let the more experienced old kung fu players take over their shoulders.

Three hemp ropes are placed on the head, and the person who pulls the ropes stands crosswise to the left and right, so that it is easier to exert force when the ropes are pulled.

Wait until both sides are ready.

The gang leader picked up the gong and stood on a high place, banging the gong hard on the coffin and shouting.

"The members of Gang Club obey my orders."

"Put your hands on your shoulders and get off the bench. The higher you lift, the more stable it will be."

"Look back and look at your shoulders in front, keep your back straight and don't bend it."

"Align the front, back and four corners. Don't lift your shoes if they are worn and your pants fall off."

"The front head is the same height as the back head, and the back head does not overtake the front head."

"No one can touch anyone."

When the pole players heard the slogan from the pole head, they knew that they were about to start going up the mountain. They shouted "Hi" in unison, exerted their strength with their half-bent legs, and slowly stood up with their shoulders against the old dragon pole.

Wait for the coffin to leave the bench.

The head of the pole banged the gong again and shouted in the direction of the rope.

"Comrades ahead, please work harder."

The team pulling the rope knew that they had to exert force. They grabbed the thick hemp rope and exerted force while also responding.

"Hey!"

"Pull forward!"

"Hey!"

"Pull forward!"

"Hey!"

Three hemp ropes as thick as children's arms were used by hundreds of people. The polehands used this force to carry the coffin up the mountain.

Because it is a slope, it will test the cooperation of the front and rear lever players.

Especially on uneven slopes, if you make mistakes in your steps, it is easy to become unbalanced, which will cause an invisible weight to hit your shoulders, and the person will almost collapse in an instant. For example, it is the principle of a weight weighing a thousand pounds.

As the saying goes, this is when you encounter "evil"
When most people's steps are on a low place, and a few people happen to be on a high place, the force will be poured into several points in an instant, which will inevitably make the lift heavier and heavier, especially if one foot is landing on a high place. Those at high places are bound to be able to bear a thousand pounds, which is difficult to bear.

At this time, the lever player’s adaptability will be tested.

You need to move your feet to a lower place as quickly as possible, step on the ground firmly, relieve the pressure crisis, make the power flow and balance, and disperse the gravity to everyone's shoulders in a short time, so that everyone can relax.

In the final analysis, it is crucial that the force of the barre hand must be balanced, the steps should be coordinated and coordinated, and the coordination should be in place. When under pressure, do not grit your teeth and resist forcefully. This will cause "sha" and make a person's face turn blue under pressure. But if you fall down, you can only adjust your pace to a low position immediately, and nothing will happen.

(End of this chapter)