According to the local funeral customs in Chengjia Village, the deceased elderly person has to be sent out of the village to the crematorium early the next morning, and then the ashes are brought back to the mountain for burial.
That morning, everyone carried wreaths, wore sackcloth and mourned the old man and sent him away from the village.
According to the old custom in the village, women are not allowed to leave the village.
Xue Ling and her daughter and daughter-in-law can only follow the local customs in the village. They can only go back to the village entrance and are not allowed to violate the rules.
When the banquet started at noon, all the older people in the village came, and many old people even brought two or three children with them.
A total of twenty tables were added under the shade of the trees in front of the ancestral house. The total of more than thirty tables was still not enough for seating.
Xue Ling hurriedly asked his eldest son and son-in-law to rush to find more ingredients and drinks for the chefs to arrange. He then used a loudspeaker to shout, arranging for the elderly over sixty years old to be seated first, and the others would wait for an hour before coming over.
Cheng Tianyuan kept handing out cigarettes and candies to everyone, and kept shouting apologies and sorry, asking everyone to be patient when entering the ancestral house, etc. They drank water first, smoked cigarettes first, and immediately changed to another group after they finished eating.
The meal started at around ten o'clock and ended at two o'clock.
Everyone was exhausted, but none of them cared about rest and hurriedly followed Cheng Tianyuan up the mountain.
Cheng Tianyuan wanted to let his old mother lay down early for peace, so he decided to go up the mountain that afternoon. Fortunately, there were small hills here, and it only took more than half an hour to go to the back mountain.
The weather in the afternoon was very hot and the sun was shining brightly.
Cheng Tianyuan and Xue Ling led the children up the mountain and insisted on sending the old man off for the last journey. They were all sweating profusely due to the heat.
After the burial, everyone burned incense and paper money, and then prepared to go down the mountain.
Unexpectedly, a large dark cloud came over the sky, and suddenly there was lightning and thunder! Cheng Tianyuan frowned: "Find a cave to take shelter first.
Such thunderstorms fall and go quickly, taking at most half an hour.
It is very dangerous to walk on the mountain road during thunder and lightning, so you must find a place to hide."
"dad!"
Xue Yang looked around with a wry smile: "Where is the cave?
It’s either a tree or a grass!”
After all, Cheng Tianyuan was from the village. How could someone who had grown up wandering around the mountains not recognize a cave or two?
"Come on! Come with me!"
So, Cheng Tianyuan quickly led the way.
The sky became darker and darker, lightning struck here and there, and thunder rumbled.
Cheng Huanran raised his voice: "Everyone, please turn off your mobile phones! We all have mobile phones, and the signal goes in and out - it's too easy to attract thunder!"
"Yes, yes! Close it!"
"Close it now!"
"Close it, close it, safety first."
Xue Xin was frightened and hugged Chen Xinzhi's arm: "It's so scary... It feels like thunder is just above my head!"
"Not afraid."
Chen Xinzhi took her hand and protected her by his side: "We are now at the top of a high-altitude mountaintop, so the thunder sounds closer.
There are thundery showers in southern summer.
It’s been so hot these two days, it’s time to rain to cool off the heat.”
Cheng Huanchong walked behind them and joked: "If you don't do anything bad, what are you afraid of?"
"you shut up!"
Xue Xin hummed: "Be careful, I'll kick you down the mountain!"
Xue Yang stopped and shouted: "Don't be ridiculous! It's starting to rain! There are so many leaves on the mountain road that it's easy to slip! Be careful!"
Cheng Tianyuan, who was leading the way at the front, couldn't help but turn around: "Look at your mother! Of course, hold your mother's hand! When you encounter rough places, carry her on your back!"
"Why!"
The eldest son at the end answered.
Xue Ling was worried about her husband and shouted: "Be careful where you step! Don't walk too fast!"
Cheng Tianyuan shouted: "We're almost there! Just go around this mountain side!"
The rain started to fall, pattering on everyone, as densely as a rain curtain.
Xue Ling hurriedly put up the parasol and blocked the son beside him from inside.
Cheng Huanran couldn't care less about himself and held his mother's arm.
"Mom, be careful."
When everyone found out it was raining, they instinctively ran faster.
Fortunately, everyone in the family has long legs and is well equipped for going up the mountain. They wear good running shoes or sports shoes. The road downhill is downhill, so running is very fast.
After all, Xue Ling was getting older, and his legs and feet were not as agile as those of young people. He couldn't keep up after running for a short distance.
Cheng Huanran noticed it and quickly lowered his speed.
"Mom, let me carry you."
Xue Ling shook his head: "No, no, I just need to walk slower."
Cheng Huanran was already mostly wet and chuckled: "I have been sweating a lot today and I only had time to change clothes at noon.
This rainstorm came at an unfortunate time, but also at a good time, just in time to take a shower.”
Xue Yang waited on the spot and shouted: "Mom! It's a bit steep down there! I'll carry you!"
"Need not."
Xue Ling gasped: "We should be there soon! It's dark on this mountain road, so be careful - ouch!"
Before she finished speaking, she tripped over a dead branch lying across the mountain road! "Mom!"
"mom!"
Cheng Huanran only had time to grab her umbrella, but was unable to hold her mother's body forward.
Xue Yang, who was in front of him, was startled and rushed forward. Unexpectedly, Xue Ling ran too fast and threw himself on the ground, barely missing the hand stretched out by his second son.
Everyone was so frightened that they ignored the pouring rain and picked up Xue Linglao, carried her on their backs, and turned around the side of the mountain to hide in a deep, dark cave.
Chen Xinzhi quickly turned on his phone and clicked on the flashlight.
The cave is not big, only a few meters deep. It may be made of rocks gathered together. It is deep and cool inside.
Fortunately, the rainwater has not seeped in, and the soil under our feet and the cave walls are dry.
"Quick! Put your mother here!"
Cheng Tianyuan pointed to a small piece of dark rock: "Hurry and help her sit down!"
Xue Ling was wet all over and her hair was wet, but she didn't look uncomfortable at all.
"it's okay no problem.
The ground was covered with leaves and dirt, and I didn’t feel any pain at all after I threw it down, but my body was a little dirty.”
Cheng Tianyuan was still not at ease and asked: "Where are the feet?
What about the knees?
Doesn’t it hurt?”
"No pain."
Xue Ling shook his hands and feet and smiled bitterly: "I was just shocked by myself, nothing else."
Cheng Huanran helped her mother fix her hair and explained: "There are fallen leaves on the mountain road, which have accumulated a thick layer.
With them as cushion, it should be fine."
"Yep!"
Xue Yang pinched his mother's knees: "My pants are not torn.
It’s okay, you probably won’t break your skin.”
Xue Ling gave everyone a reassuring smile: "I'm really fine.
Quick, find some paper towels and wipe them, so you don’t catch a cold."
Cheng Huanchong hurriedly handed over a tissue, "Mom, wipe it quickly!"
Then, he quickly took out the tissue and handed it to others.
Everyone wiped their faces, hands, and hair, and chatted while looking at the heavy rain falling outside.
Cheng Tianyuan smiled slightly and said warmly: "According to the old traditional thinking here, if it rains heavily after a relative is buried, it means that future generations will be blessed, which is a good sign of good fortune."
"Grandma has always been a lucky old woman! Haha!"
"This is definitely a heavy rain! It has been raining for almost ten minutes, and it is still crackling!"
"Grandma finally got her wish and was buried together with grandpa. Maybe she is happy at this moment."