Chapter 368: Ancestral Celebration, Robbers

Chapter 368: Ancestral Celebration, Robbers

  On the 14th day of the second lunar month, Saturday.

  For the clan members of the Naye Deng clan under the age ofthirty, this day held special significance.

  For the ancestral worship, the offerings prepared include the five animals (pig, sheep, chicken, goose, duck), rice balls, tea, and alcohol, which are essential, while other items like candy, cookies, and fruits are optional.

  If the five animals, rice balls, tea, and alcohol are considered the main meal for the ancestorsanceance  As for the gold and silver incense, there is no need to elaborate. There is also a long and large straw dragon made from ricestraws, which must be lit before departure, emitting smoke, and must not be extinguished. It must be brought along for the mountain clearing or ancestral worship and then returned.

  At 8 AM, everyone gathered at the entrance of the new ancestral hall, where they ate a few bowls of porridge to fill their stomachs.

  With everything prepared, Deng Shirong, the clan leader, gave the order, and thousands of people marched in a grand procession toward the Naye Deng clan's founding ancestor's tomb.

  At the front were the members carrying the straw dragon and the large Deng clan flag, followed by those playing the suona (a type of traditional Chinese wind instrument), and those playing drums and gongs, then those carrying the five animals and other offerings, and finally, those with tools and fireworks.

  The thousands of people formed a long line, moving with drums, gongs, and suona, creating a grand spectacle.

  The burial site of the Naye Deng clan's founding ancestor was not far from the Naye village, only about two and a half kilometers away. After a half-hour's walk, the group arrived at the foot of the founding ancestor's mountain, known as Gaolongtang.

  To help remember the burial locations of their ancestors, the Naye Deng clan devised a mnemonic: the first generation in Gaolongtang, the second in Miaoshanpo,  This mnemonic continued up to the tenth generation, making it easy to remember.

  Despite the name Gaolongtang, the mountain was not very high.

  In Baise, mountains were everywhere, but none were very high. The highest mountain in the county, Liutangjing, was only 929 meters above sea level. The mountains in Shuangwang were even shorter, rarely exceeding 100 meters, most being only a few dozen meters high.

  Like Gaolongtang, the mountain was only a few dozen meters high.

  Upon arrival, due to the large number of people, they had to disperse around the site, unable to all gather at the ancestor's tomb. Some clan members began clearing the weeds around the tomb.

  Deng Shirong and other prominent clan members stood with the heads of various branches and other prominent clan members.

  Deng Changfa, the clan leader of Xintian, remarked, "Thinking back, when I came to worship the founding ancestor with the elders, I was still a young man who hadn't even married. Now I have grandchildren, how time flies!"

  The clan leader of Shanh Deng added, "I came with the elders too, but I was much younger, about fifteen or sixteen. I haven't been back since then."

  The clan leader of Shahu Deng said, "Back then, only a few people came to worship the founding ancestor, nothing like the grand spectacle of today."

  The clan leader of Gongguan Deng smiled, "It was different, we had to walk for a whole day and night, just a few people could come. Now, it's just a couple of hours by car, much more convenient."

  The clan leader of Beiliu Deng agreed, "Yes, it's too far, especially for us, over a hundred kilometers. Even by car, it takes several hours, walking would take at least two or three days. It's really not easy to make the journey!"

  Deng YunGui smiled, "Now at least there are cars, unlike before when we could only walk. This allows us to strengthen our ties and develop together."

  Deng Shirong said, "The road is indeed difficult now, butonce  Deng YunGui replied, "Uncle Jiu, I've seen on TV that highways are built in big cities. Building a highway here in our remote area seems unlikely."

  In the 1980s, China's highway system was just beginning. Even major cities were not fully connected by highways, let alone a place like Shuangwang.

  Logically, a remote area like Shuangwang has little hope for a highway.

  However, no one could have predicted the rapid development of the country. Before Deng Shirong's rebirth, a highway was under construction in Shuangwang, unfortunately, he passed away before it was completed.

  "Our location is indeed disadvantageous, but with the country's rapid development, who knows? Perhaps one day every town will have a highway."

  Deng Shirong said meaningfully, "Ten years ago, even getting a meat meal was difficult, who would have thought that in ten years we could raise millions for a new ancestral hall?"

Deng Yunqiang shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Back then, we couldn't even dream of today."

Deng Changfa sighed, "Since our country's reform and opening up, things have changed dramatically every year. Perhaps in a few decades, just as Uncle Jiu said, every town will have a highway. By then, our country might be as developed as the United States."

The group stood there, chatting casually about various topics, while the clan members efficiently cleared the weeds around the tomb.

The reason for their speed was twofold: firstly, the clan members were accustomed to manual labor, and clearing weeds was a simple task for them, one they had mastered through repetition. Secondly, the tomb of the Naye Deng clan's founding ancestor was not an ordinary earthen mound but a white tomb.

A white tomb, known locally as a "bai fen," is a tomb that has been hardened with lime.

Building a white tomb is not a casual affair. In Baise, the primary condition for constructing a white tomb is that the grave must be a feng shui treasure site, as determined by a master. Constructing a white tomb on an ordinary small earthen mound would be a laughingstock.

Additionally, white tombs are usually old graves, with new graves rarely being converted into white tombs.

In the Baise region, white tombs and earthen mounds are significantly different.

A white tomb includes all the necessary elements of a proper grave, such as a tombstone and epitaph.

In contrast, an earthen mound is just an anonymous small hill, which is why, during later generations' grave-clearing activities, some people might mistake another family's ancestor for their own. These small earthen mounds are very difficult to identify, even if people go to clear the graves every year. It's even more challenging for those who, due to work, might only visit the graves every few years. Relying solely on memory, it's quite common for people to mistakenly clear another family's grave.

After the clan members cleared the weeds around the tomb, they began to arrange the offerings. Throughout this process, the sounds of gongs, drums, and suona (a type of traditional Chinese wind instrument) never ceased. The sounds, amplified by the mountain and the suona, which is known as the king of instruments, carried far and wide.

Once everything was prepared, the ancestral worship ceremony officially began.

Deng Shirong and Deng YunGui, who were responsible for the rituals, stepped forward to lead the ceremony, directing the clan members to perform the traditional three bows and nine kneels, as shown in the following image:

[This is the scene of the Naye Deng clan's ancestral worship. Since it was not for the founding ancestor and no relatives from other regions were notified, and because the ceremony in this era was not as grand as in the 1990s, many clan members who were working or doing business elsewhere did not return. Therefore, the number of participants was not large. There is a video in the following bonus chapter for those interested.]



By the time all the procedures were completed, it was already more than two hours later.

The reason for the lengthy process was mainly due to the long list of names in the memorial text. Just reciting the names took over an hour, and with all the other steps in the ancestral worship ceremony, spending two hours was quite normal.

After the ceremony, the clan members set off fireworks and continued to play gongs, drums, and suona.

These two hours gave many clan members and relatives a chance to understand the ancestral worship process. The older clan members, in particular, were moved by the scene, recalling the times they had accompanied their elders in the past.

However, now things are different. Many of the elders who once accompanied them are no longer with them.

After the worship of the founding ancestor, the clan members and relatives returned to eat a few bowls of porridge, then changed the offerings (in this region, offerings cannot be reused for different ancestors; the same offerings used for one ancestor must be replaced with new ones for another, to avoid the disrespect of offering leftovers to the ancestors). They then got into vehicles to proceed to the tomb of the second-generation ancestor.

Since the second-generation ancestor's tomb was further away, they had to travel by car.

However, not all clan members could go due to the limited number of vehicles. Although there were many cars provided by relatives and twenty large buses rented from the transportation company, the number of people was still too large, so some clan members had to stay behind.

The clan members were not disappointed, though. They had already experienced the ancestral worship process and understood what it entailed.

Thus, dozens of trucks and twenty large buses set out together, all flying the large Deng clan flag, with gongs and drums creating a grand spectacle as they passed through other villages, drawing the attention of the local residents.

Such a scene was a rare sight.

The subsequent procedures were similar and need not be detailed further.

The five-day ancestral worship activities attracted the attention of the major clans in the surrounding areas, making the Naye Deng clan the focus of discussion once again.

The clan heads of these surnames began to have their own ideas, planning to restart the ancestral worship activities next year, following the example of the Naye Deng clan.

During these five days, the clan members from various regions had a very comfortable time. The brothers from the ancestral land treated them very warmly, with a rich variety of dishes, and an abundance of cigarettes, tea, and alcohol, making these clan members almost forget their homes.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

"Uncle Jiu, we'll be heading back first. Come visit our mansion when you have time."

"Uncle Jiu, our seafood in Shan Kou is very fresh. Come stay for a few days whenever you're free!"

"Uncle Jiu, we welcome you to Shahu anytime."

"Uncle Jiu..." The clan heads from various regions came to bid farewell to Deng Shirong, inviting him to visit their places with hopeful expressions.

Deng Shirong smiled and responded uniformly, "Sure, I'll come visit when I have time."

After exchanging farewells, the clan members reluctantly got into their vehicles and left.

...

The next day, Deng Shirong went to Nanning by car.

At 2 PM, Deng Shirong met with Director Huang in his office and saw the renderings of the villa complex.

The moment he saw the renderings, Deng Shirong couldn't take his eyes off them. Director Huang, who had collaborated with him on several projects as an ancient architecture designer, truly understood what he wanted. The villa complex was entirely designed according to his ideas.

The architectural style is as follows:

[Imagine something like this traditional Chinese architecture. Director Huang's design is definitely more beautiful, but the author couldn't find a better picture.]



The individual buildings might not be stunning on their own, but when connected in a large scale, and with the greenery along the riversides, the overall effect is truly impressive.

With the addition of lighting, the visual impact would be even more enchanting.

In short, the renderings created by Director Huang looked absolutely beautiful.

Satisfied with the design, the next step was to have Director Huang prepare the construction drawings. Deng Shirong planned to have the Naye Deng clan's real estate company handle the construction of the villa complex in the village, without involving the architectural design institute.

After all, the construction of such buildings wasn't too difficult, and hiring the architectural design institute would be too expensive and not cost-effective.

Having the clan's company handle it would save a lot of money.

Although the Naye Deng clan wasn't short of money, there was no need to waste it.

Director Huang didn't mind, as Mr. Deng hadn't shortchanged him on the design fees. Moreover, their architectural design institute had a steady stream of projects, and the construction teams were already swamped. Losing one project wouldn't make much of a difference.

After discussing the villa complex, Deng Shirong and Director Huang talked about the progress of the Naye Deng residential area's renovation. Learning that it would be completed in three to four months, he left satisfied.

...

At noon.

A truck was heading from Bobai to Hepu. The driver of this truck was none other than Bu Dajun from Baoshan Village.

At that moment, Bu Dajun was skillfully maneuvering the steering wheel while chatting with the two friends in the passenger seats.

As a childhood friend of Bu Zhongshi, Bu Dajun had been learning to drive in Bobai with him before Bu Zhongshi bought the truck.

Once they obtained their driver's licenses, Bu Zhongshi took out a loan to buy the truck, and Bu Dajun started working as a driver for his friend.

Later, with the support of his uncle, Bu Zhongshi's business in the freight industry grew increasingly prosperous, and the number of trucks continued to increase. He became the individual with the most trucks in all of Bobai, and his business was thriving, making a fortune daily.

After becoming a true big boss, Bu Zhongshi naturally didn't forget his childhood friend, Bu Dajun.

With Bu Zhongshi's support, Bu Dajun, who was originally just a driver, also got his own truck and could take on jobs together with Bu Zhongshi. His income was far more than what a regular driver with a fixed salary could earn.

Over the past two years, Bu Dajun had made a fortune. Not only did he build a new house, but he also married a virtuous wife, and his life was truly enjoyable.

All of this was thanks to his friend, Bu Zhongshi, and Bu Dajun knew it well.

Just as he was chatting enthusiastically with his friends, the road was blocked by a large tree that had fallen across it after a sharp turn.

Seeing this, Bu Dajun, who had been driving for several years and had ample experience, felt a sense of urgency. He immediately shouted, "Watch out, danger!"

While speaking, he stopped the truck and quickly grabbed a hunting rifle from the side.

The two friends, who were also experienced, quickly grabbed their own hunting rifles.

With the rifles in hand, Bu Dajun felt slightly more at ease.

He could now see clearly that next to the fallen tree, about seven or eight people were standing scattered, holding tools like hoes and shovels, looking like they had just finished working in the fields and were taking a break there.

Seeing Bu Dajun brake, the others did not approach but stayed there, silently smoking.

Bu Dajun understood the situation. These people were not the kind who would rob and kill indiscriminately; they just wanted a "toll."

With this in mind, Bu Dajun took out five large notes from his pocket, opened the car window, and while waving the money, said to the group, "Brothers, could you please help move this tree out of the way? This is a little bit of hard-earned money for you."

Seeing Bu Dajun's "understanding," someone in the crowd immediately responded, "Brother, this tree is quite heavy; we might not be able to move it alone!"

Hearing this, Bu Dajun took out another large note and a five-yuan note, saying, "Brothers, please help me out. I'm just a driver, and this is more than a month's salary for me."

As he spoke, his two friends, at Bu Dajun's indication, showed the weapons they were holding.

Seeing this, the man reluctantly said, "Alright, since you've said it like that, it wouldn't be right for us not to help. Wait a moment, we'll move the tree for you."

As he spoke, a young man from the crowd walked over.

Bu Dajun handed the money to him, and the man, after taking it, went back to help the others move the tree that was blocking the road.

Bu Dajun thanked them and then restarted the vehicle, driving away under their watchful eyes.

Throughout the entire process, the two friends did not say a word. Only after they left did one of them ask, "Dajun, why did you give them money? They just had a few hoes and shovels. We had three guns; were we afraid of them?"

Bu Dajun shook his head and said, "It's not like that. When we're out on the road, we should prioritize peace. If we can avoid trouble by giving up a little money, there's no need to fight to the death. Of course, if they had demanded too much, we would have had to fight."

There was another important reason he didn't mention: he now had responsibilities. His wife was waiting for him at home, so it wasn't worth risking his life over a bit of money. If he hadn't been married, he wouldn't have given in so easily.

The other friend cursed, "Damn, we let them off easy."

Bu Dajun, while driving, said, "We were lucky just now. I've heard from many colleagues that in some areas, they not only rob the drivers but also the cargo. If the driver resists, they might even kill him."

Friend A said, "Damn, being a truck driver is really dangerous."

Friend B said, "No wonder Brother Zhongshi often reminds us to be vigilant. If people can openly rob during the day, imagine how dangerous it is at night."

Bu Dajun said, "That's why we never drive at night. It's too dangerous."

Friend A said, "When we get back, we should remind Brother Zhongshi to warn the other brothers about the Gongguan route."

Bu Dajun said, "No need to wait. I'll call him as soon as we deliver the cargo."

...

At the same time.

On a bus heading to Nanxiong County, Deng Shirong was pondering how to transplant the ginkgo trees to the village. The most reliable method would be to hire trucks to transport the trees one by one, either from a neighboring county or a place not far from Shuangwang.

This method was reliable but very troublesome.

The easiest way would be to use the system space to plant all the trees directly.

However, this posed a problem: how to keep it a secret from the clan members?

After much thought, Deng Shirong came up with a plan: he could find a way to get the clan members to stay at the Naye Deng clan's residential area in the county for a few days. This would give him the opportunity to carry out his plan.

Planting a few hundred trees at once was unrealistic, but planting a hundred or so should be manageable.

So, what excuse could he use to get all the clan members to the Naye Deng clan's residential area in the county?

The first idea that came to Deng Shirong's mind was the mooncake factory, which was under construction. Once it was operational, it would be around the Mid-Autumn Festival. He could organize a Mid-Autumn Festival party and invite all the clan members to celebrate in the county.

As Deng Shirong was thinking through various plans, a rough voice suddenly shouted on the bus, "Hands up! Everyone, don't move! Hand over all your money. Anyone who tries to be clever will get a bullet in the head!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end