The pastoral life of the grass tribe chief

It was a little after 10 a.m. on New Year's Eve.

After feeding the fish, Lu Yao returned to the village.

Firecrackers were set off one after another throughout the village, and New Year songs could be heard from some homes, making the New Year atmosphere increasingly strong.

Lu Yao spent the Lunar New Year away from home while working a winter break job during college. He found the New Year atmosphere completely absent and vowed never to spend it away from home again.

Although the festive atmosphere in the countryside isn't as strong as it was when I was a child, at least we can set off firecrackers.

What kind of New Year is it if there are no firecrackers?

From New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth, there are traditional programs of all sizes to enjoy every day.

The two older brothers have already put up the couplets on their respective doors.

The chickens, ducks, geese, and fish were all killed yesterday; what used to be the busiest day has now become the most leisurely.

"Big brother."

Lu Yao walked into the living room on the first floor, where Lu Jichao was mixing glutinous rice flour to make tin balls.

The difference between tin balls and glutinous rice balls is that they don't have any fillings; they only have two ingredients: glutinous rice flour and water.

Some people also like to add mugwort or rice cakes, which look festive.

Lu Yao's family still prefers to eat the original flavor.

When cooking tin dumplings, you can add your favorite ingredients. Most people add chicken or duck giblets, scallions, celery, etc.

"Dad, eldest uncle, youngest uncle."

The five nephews and nieces returned from playing wildly, each covered in sweat.

"Whoever takes a shower first can eat tin balls after they're done."

Wang Juan called her two children from the kitchen.

"I'll go first."

"That's what my sister said."

"You're sweating so much, rest for a while before taking a shower."

Lu Yaodao.

The five siblings watched TV together.

The two brothers chatted for a while, and then Lu Yao went upstairs.

"Having a son doesn't necessarily bring happiness / You have to marry a new daughter-in-law and separate houses / Some outsiders fly into the old house / They talk like chickens and ducks, their eyes darting around / Their eyes darting around..."

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I heard a familiar song coming from the living room.

In the living room, Lu Jiqun was mixing glutinous rice flour while watching a TV series.

He's a huge fan of this show; he not only watched all 4,300+ episodes, but also rewatched them online.

Wang Xiurong and Lin Xiaoqing were busy in the kitchen.

"Where's Dad?"

Lu Yao asked.

"At the old house."

"He took the couplets upstairs. Go and take a look, and while you're at it, tell the three siblings to come back and take a bath."

Lu Jiqun said.

"They're on the first floor."

Lu Yao turned and went downstairs.

Lu Yao's old house is behind Lu Chong's house, and it is also built against the mountain.

The three tiled houses, each with a rooftop terrace, total over 150 square meters. There's also a small threshing ground in front of the house. Cars aren't allowed in or out, otherwise, they wouldn't have been left to Lu Yao's family.

Lu Lide is tearing down old couplets.

His phone was on the coffee table in the living room, playing a rousing revolutionary song.

Lu Yao didn't say anything. He put his phone on the octagonal table, took out the couplets, spread them on the coffee table, applied paste, and stood on the bench to paste them.

The couplets that our parents bought were all old couplets.

The white-haired couplets are to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the War of Resistance against Japan, while the red parts represent joy and good fortune, and the yearning for a better life.

Young people like to shop online, and when buying couplets and lanterns, they like to keep up with the times and pursue novelty.

In their eyes, white-haired couplets are outdated and should have been discarded long ago; posting them would only invite ridicule.

The father and son each did their own thing, only speaking up when they needed something.

"Oh right, I almost forgot, starting this year, all the gods will be invited to come and offer sacrifices together."

"I'll have Ji Wang and Ji En set up a tent and tables in front of the ancestral hall. You can send a few young men to invite all the gods and deities here."

Lu Lide suddenly remembered something.

"I'll go with Lao Chong to see Uncle and Aunt, and I'll let Jianzai and the others go to see the Three Mountain Kings and Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Why invite them all together?

Lu Yao was somewhat puzzled.

"You young people don't go to worship often, so it's not good to make the elderly walk such a long way to worship. It's fine when the weather is good, but it's dangerous when it's windy, rainy, or the roads are slippery. So we made this decision after discussing it."

Lu Lide said.

After pasting up the couplets and setting off the firecrackers, Lu Yao went to call the Lu brothers, Lu Chong and Lu Yao.

Lu Jian went to call the other young men.

The Three Mountains King Temple is at the village entrance, and the Guanyin Temple is on the mountain behind Lu Yao's old home; they are very close to each other.

The two closest temples, the Earth God and Earth Goddess Temples, are located at the intersection of Wumutang Road and Maokenggu Road, respectively, and can be reached directly by car.

Lu Chong drove his car, carrying Lu Yao, straight to Maokeng Valley. He would first pick up the uncles and aunts there, and then pick up the uncles and aunts from Wumutang on the way back.

The temples of the uncles and aunts are very small; the more distant ones are built with only three large stones, and there is a pine tree in front of each temple.

Some of these pine trees are over a hundred years old, and the old ones have only a few branches left.

In southern Guangdong, every village and every valley has a Bogong tree.

In some places, it is also called the Shegong Tree, Shewang Tree, Sheguan, etc.

There is a local temple under the Bogong tree.

The tiger entered the village and asked the local elder.

The "Bo Gong" represents the land and protects the villagers.

In fact, it is also a landmark of the village.

In ancient times, it was used to guide people who were away from home back home.

People leave home young and return old; without it, the descendants of those who go out to make a living cannot even find their roots.

When the two returned to the village, many young men were helping them. The tarpaulin had already been set up, and inside were two desks and three square tables.

The desk is where a stone incense burner is placed.

The stone incense burner is inscribed with the names of the Grandfather and Grandmother and the Three Mountain Kings.

The eight-immortal table is used to place offerings.

After everyone finished their work, they went home chatting and laughing to eat glutinous rice balls.

"Happy New Year!"

After finishing the tin balls, Lu Chang'an and his sister Lu Changyu went upstairs to offer New Year's greetings and ask for red envelopes.

He received five 100-yuan red envelopes at once and couldn't stop smiling.

"I want a red envelope too."

Lu Changchun was on his phone sending New Year's greetings and chatting with his elders when he saw them, and he also asked for a red envelope.

"How embarrassing! My second brother is already working and he still wants a red envelope."

His five younger siblings teased him.

"I'm not married yet, so of course I can accept red envelopes."

Lu Changchun refuted this.

"Grandpa gave your uncle money so he could send you a red envelope."

Lu Lide took a Red Bull and handed it to his youngest son.

"Take this and buy fireworks and firecrackers."

Lu Yao took it and handed it to Lu Chang'an.

"Thank you, Uncle."

The five siblings ran outside happily.

"I'm going to my uncle's house for tea."

Lu Yao sent his eldest nephew a 200 yuan red envelope, told his parents, and went downstairs.

Rural areas are known for their strong interpersonal skills and worldly wisdom.

Since my grandparents were at my uncle's house, we naturally went there first to wish them a Happy New Year.

I sat at my uncle's house for half an hour, gave a red envelope to the two elderly people and my uncle's granddaughter, and then went to my eldest uncle's house.

Then, at my second and fourth uncles' houses, we only stayed for about half an hour each time.

Around two o'clock, the women in the village went to worship the gods, and Lu Liquan went to invite the gods and send them off, with several young men helping him by setting off firecrackers.

Most men go to the Lu family ancestral hall in the village to worship their ancestors.

The Lu Clan Ancestral Hall in the township is built on the site of the old Paomagang in Maodong Village, covering an area of ​​several acres. It is nestled against the mountain and by the water, and surrounded by pine trees.

Lu Yao, Lu Chong, Lu Yang, Lu Changping and others went to pay respects to their ancestors.

The huge ancestral hall was packed with people inside and out, and the offerings were arranged in a long line.

The one who invited and sent off the gods was Lu Yao's grandfather, Lu Lunnian.

He wasn't the oldest of the five Lu-surname villages, but he was the most robust and vigorous, and also the most prestigious.

Lu Lunnian was invoking the gods, chanting incantations.

The people in front were all old guys, whispering and gossiping among themselves.

The further back in the family you go, the lower your seniority.

They gathered in small groups, chatting quietly.

"Old De, did your family donate money when your village rebuilt the ancestral hall?"

Lu Ligen asked Lu Lide beside him in a low voice.

"It's been donated."

Lu Lide said.

"How much have you donated privately?"

Upon hearing that he had made a donation, Lu Ligen immediately perked up.

People around stopped chatting and started listening intently.

"Ten thousand."

Lu Lide told the truth.

Once you've donated money, you can't hide it no matter what.

Even if the other three help cover it up, they can only keep it a secret for a while; everyone will find out sooner or later.

"How many?"

Lu Ligen didn't fail to hear clearly; he simply couldn't believe it.

The others also had strange expressions on their faces.

For wealthy people, 10,000 yuan is just a day's pocket money, or even less.

For someone already burdened with debt, it is a huge sum of money.

Lu Jichao still owes tens of thousands of yuan.

Even with Lu Jichao's abilities, he might not be able to pay off the debt in his lifetime, and in the end, Lu Lide would have to repay it for him.

They haven't even paid off their debts, yet they're donating 10,000 yuan? Is this really the Lu Lide they know?