According to legend, on the Ghost Festival, King Yama will order the gates of hell to be opened wide, allowing the ghosts who have suffered all year round and been imprisoned in the abyss of hell to come to the human world. On this day, they are free and can enjoy the delicacies of the world as much as they want. It can be said that there is injustice.
To avenge an injustice, there is revenge. In the human world, Ghost Festival is regarded as a very unlucky day by the people. On this day, they will buy incense paper candles and burn them to their ancestors underground, praying that their deceased ancestors will protect their family’s safety.
Be free from harassment and persecution by evil gods and ghosts
In addition to paying homage to their ancestors, the people also worship various gods, the land father-in-law at the head of the village, the mother-in-law in the small temple on the roadside, etc. They will offer everything they can to seek peace of mind.
Regarding the Ghost Festival, Xiu'er is both afraid and looking forward to it. Adults will always tell children not to run around on July 14th, and they must go home before the sun sets. They must not wander outside, otherwise they will be killed by the evil spirits in the underworld.
Caught away and eaten.
On July 14th, Xiluo became the time boundary between Yin and Yang, and the dark ghost world began.
Before the sun goes down, every household will get up early for dinner, and no stove fire will be lit after dark, in order to avoid the light of the fire attracting evil spirits. Children are not allowed to talk nonsense while they are sleeping, for fear of making the sound louder and provoking evil spirits wandering outside.
The lonely ghost outside
The human world fell into silence
July 14th, since it is the Ghost Festival, is also Xiu'er's birthday. Due to various horrific legends about the folk ghost festival, her family has not held a birthday party for her since she can remember.
At the beginning of July, the third brother had been persuading my father to celebrate Xiu'er's birthday, saying that Xiu'er had grown up and it was time to celebrate his birthday. My mother was also persuading my father, saying that it was time to celebrate my child's birthday after so many years.
Dad reluctantly agreed, and the third brother happily rode Xiu'er on his neck and ran around on the lawn in front of his house, "My Xiu'er is having a birthday."
Xiu'er was afraid of falling, so she hugged the third brother's head and said, "Third brother, slow down, Xiu'er is afraid of falling."
"Don't be afraid, Third Brother is here." Third Brother's eyes are dark and deep, like flawless black jade at the bottom of the sea. When he narrows his eyes, they look like two crescent moons, shining brightly. "Third Brother will protect Xiu'er."
The third brother promised Xiu'er that he would give her a surprise gift
Xiu'er was looking forward to Third Brother's gift with great anticipation. The first thing she opened her eyes in the morning, Yi Gulu climbed out of bed without even bothering to put on her shoes. She ran straight to Third Brother's room and stretched out her hand towards him who was sleeping, "Third Brother
,my present"
The weather was extremely hot. The third brother was wearing shorts made of coarse cloth and was sweating profusely while sleeping shirtless.
The third brother is different from the men in the village. He faces the loess and his back to the sky and is tanned. He is fair and clean. The wind and rain not only did not tan his skin, but also developed strong muscles.
He loves to be clean. Unlike other men who are covered in mud and sweat, Xiu'er likes to touch him. He has a nice clean smell. Many women in the village like the third brother. He is an old man who is about to be married.
I will always find ways to get close to him. As long as I can talk to him for a few words, I will be happy for a long time.
The third brother has grown up. From time to time, matchmakers come to talk about marriage. The parents are naturally happy from ear to ear. But the third brother always says in a calm way that there is an order between elders and young ones. The eldest brother has not returned from studying abroad, and the second brother has not yet gotten married, so he cannot mess around.
The three cardinal principles and five constant principles, etiquette, filial piety, and marriage will be discussed after the eldest brother and the second brother get married.
"No rush, I'll give it to you in the evening."
An Yueze got up and got dressed neatly, planning to go to Butcher Zhang's house in the east of the village to cut some pork for Xiu'er's birthday. The spring and summer harvests were not good, and the family had not eaten meat for several months, so his mother secretly gave him some pork the night before.
Copper plate and asked him to buy some food for Xiu'er tomorrow.
Xiu'er wanted to go along, but she had to help her mother make breakfast, wash clothes, and feed pigs. There was a lot of work waiting for her, so she had to give up.
Su Huiru stepped on the dew to pick vegetables from the vegetable field in the west of the village. Just as Xiu'er was about to wash rice for cooking, An Dalang walked out of the woodshed carrying a bamboo basket and said, "Xiu'er, go up the mountain with dad to collect herbs."
The family lives in poverty, and An Dalang often takes the An family brothers to the mountains to collect herbs to supplement the family income. An Qixian injured his foot a few days ago and has difficulty moving. Xiu'er carried a bamboo basket on her back to catch up with her father's hurried footsteps.
Oriental fish spit white, and villagers can be vaguely seen kneeling and worshiping on the roadside. The stimulating smell of incense paper candles permeates the mountains.
After walking for more than two hours, Xiu'er followed An Dalang to the deep mountains, which are steep and dangerous, with few people and many varieties of medicinal herbs.
Following the undulating mountains, Xiuer's bamboo basket was filled with more than half of the medicinal materials before she knew it. She had been climbing ahead, looking for precious medicinal materials.
Not long after, the sun was strong and Xiu'er, who was so tired and sweating profusely, sat in the shade of a tree. She took off her straw sandals and looked at her feet that were scratched by sharp stones. There were long cuts on her feet, and blood stained the straw sandals.
It solidifies together with the soil into a hard black object
The wound was soaked with mud, and Xiuer gritted her teeth in pain. She looked up at the sun in the sky, and said to An Dalang, who was resting not far away, "Shall we go back?" Today is the Ghost Festival, and we have to hurry up before the sun sets.
Back home before
"Xiu'er, since we are all here, why not climb two more hills and listen to the elders in the village saying that there are a lot of dendrobium growing there."
Xiu'er was a little hesitant, "But..." The third brother was still waiting for her at home and promised to give her a gift.
"Xiu'er" An Dalang wiped the hot sweat from his forehead, "As long as we can collect dendrobium, it will be more valuable than the medicine in these two bamboo baskets."
Xiu'er looked at the tallest and precipitous mountain peaks in the distance, and was a little worried that the ironstones were growing on the overhanging cliffs, which would easily lead to danger when picking. Her father was already old and could no longer collect herbs in such dangerous places.
"Dad, my third brother and I will come to pick tomorrow. It's getting late. Let's go back."
"Why bother going back and forth? Let's go over and have a look. If it doesn't work, go back. Tomorrow I have to go up the mountain with your third brother to cut firewood and bring it to the town to exchange for some money. I hope to raise some seeds for next season during this time.
money”
Xiu'er nodded. If he could really pick up the ironstone, he could earn a lot of money.
The mountain peaks are so steep that they reach into the sky. If you are not careful under your feet, you will fall into the abyss of eternal destruction. Xiu'er was scratched in many places. Her fingernails were broken when she climbed tightly on the stone, and the blood that oozed flowed backwards along her fingertips.
The back of the hand...
It took a lot of effort to climb up the dangerous peak surrounded by clouds and mist. Xiu'er shivered a few times and had goosebumps all over her body. It was already getting late, and she didn't care about rest. She stabilized her body and stuck her head out on the cliff.
, you can vaguely see Dendrobium officinale growing under the cliff.
An Dalang was sitting not far away, panting. Xiu'er looked at his pale hair and wrinkles on his face, and couldn't help recommending: "Dad, I'll go down to collect herbs, you hold the rope."
"No, you are still young and your body can't bear it." Dad shook his head and tied a rope around his waist. "You have never done this kind of work. If you are not careful, you may die."
"My third brother has taught me the unique skill of picking herbs on the cliff." Xiu'er grabbed the rope and tied it around his waist, "Dad, just let me go down. You are weak, and I am not strong enough to hold you or me down."
It’s lightweight and doesn’t require much effort to climb up and down.”
An Dalang thought about Xiu'er's usual monkey-like agility. After careful consideration, he couldn't help but agreed to prevent accidents. Xiu'er tied the other end of the rope to the giant protruding hanging edge, and her father held the rope.
Move down step by step
There was an abyss beneath her, and the cool wind blew by her ears. Xiu'er was so frightened that she broke into a cold sweat. Her hand holding the rope slipped, and her palms were bruised and bleeding. She put her toes on the stone and moved down cautiously.
After thousands of years of wind erosion and rain erosion, the stone has cracks. Occasionally, if you step on a piece of gravel, the small pieces will fly into the abyss. The sound is inaudible. Xiu'er's heart is beating wildly, and tears are rolling in her eyes.
, but she can't back down. Instead of letting her father bear this danger, she might as well grit her teeth and persevere to the end.
After a lot of effort, I finally arrived at Yabi where there were Dendrobium officinale trees. Xiuer's feet were pressed against the rocks, and the hand that was tightly grasping the rope struggled to free up one of his hands to pick the Dendrobium officinale. This reminded the third brother of his daily life.
After being taught herbal medicine picking experience, after reaching for the dendrobium, she was afraid that excessive force would be dangerous. She carefully controlled the strength and repeated the movements one by one. Finally, she pulled out a herb and fumbled to put it in the bamboo basket...
"Ah..." An instinctive and sudden scream rang out in the high mountains and deep gorges, quickly drowning in the sea of clouds.
Xiu'er's body fell rapidly, the wind in her ears hurt, and it was like a sharp arrow piercing her heart. Her clothes and hair fluttered, and the blurry scenery around her disappeared in front of her eyes like lightning.
"Third brother!" Xiu'er's eyes darkened and she lost consciousness.
On July 14th, the legendary Ghost Festival, her birthday, the third brother promised to give her a gift, but unfortunately it was too late.