Those who can afford to perform operas for ghosts are not ordinary people. The Hu family is considered a common surname in Wuligang. Almost one-third of the people in the village have the surname Hu.
Li Huowang already knew from Lu Zhuangyuan that the person who paid for the opera singer was Hu Qinghe, the richest landowner in Wuligang and also the most senior.
At this time, he was accompanying Lu Zhuangyuan and his party on their way to the Hu family ancestral hall.
"Mr. Hu said it was nothing serious. He had invited other troupes to sing ghost plays in previous years. Nothing happened."
Li Huowang glanced at him, wondering who he was trying to comfort by saying this.
Pressing the bell on his waist with his hand, Li Huowang felt reassured that it didn't matter if something happened. Having this thing made him feel much more at ease.
Of course, it's best not to get into trouble. After all, it will cost you three months of your life to hire You Daoye once.
Walking along the village path, they soon arrived at the Hu family ancestral hall where many red lanterns were lit.
The meeting was so crowded that Li Huowang and others couldn't squeeze in. Looking past the layers of heads, he saw many people kowtowing to the black spiritual altar.
"That's Mr. Hu. He also told us not to leave until the show is over. He's treating us to dinner."
Lu Zhuangyuan pointed at the old man in silk clothes at the front of the kowtowers and said.
While he was speaking, those who were kowtowing stood up and respectfully took down the black tablets of their ancestors and placed them on the half-immortal table that had been prepared.
There are many memorial tablets and tables, filling the spacious ancestral hall with three entrances.
The table in front of the queue is not empty. There are also delicious dishes on it, with many kinds.
Red candles, incense, gold ingots, and yellow paper are neatly arranged on the serving plate for the ancestors to enjoy.
As if fearing that they would not be taken care of well, there were still a dozen paper figures serving tea and water standing on the wall of the ancestral hall, and they would probably be placed next to the table in a while.
"Hey, Mr. Huang is so open-minded. He personally spent money to hire an opera troupe to perform for his ancestors."
"Yes, no wonder the rooms in Mr. Hu's house are safe from illness and disaster. This is all thanks to the blessings of our ancestors."
"Hey, I don't know if I will be this rich after I die."
"Then wait until your descendants can make as much money as Mr. Hu. It will cost a lot of money to hire someone to sing for ghosts."
Listening to the words of the Hu family and looking at the solemn scene in front of him, Li Huowang felt a little calmer. This didn't look like something was going to happen.
He leaned slightly sideways to Lu Zhuangyuan who was beside him. "Leader Lu, you have been traveling all over the country for so many years. Do you encounter more ghosts or people seeking a title?"
"Huh?! What, isn't this the same thing?" Lu Zhuangyuan's eyes widened with a very surprised expression.
"How can these be the same? One is the transformation after death, the other is..." Li Huowang said this, not knowing how to explain it.
But what Li Huowang can be sure of is that no matter the grandma Danyangzi used to make elixirs, Master You, or even the woman with small feet that night, they are definitely not ghosts, at least not the ghosts in his impression.
At this moment, the Hu family's memorial tablet had been invited, and Hu Qinghe led a large group of Hu family members towards Lu Zhuangyuan.
"Boss Leader Lu, please do your hard work. Well, Shuiliang, you can lead others to help Team Leader Lu set up the stage."
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, Mr. Hu is really too polite."
"Master Lu, you also know the rules of opera. When the ancestors come out to watch the opera, the descendants who invited the opera will leave and stay at home. I ask you to take care of me here in the ancestral hall." Master Hu said with a full face.
Kind instructions arrived.
"It should, it should. Don't worry, Mr. Hu, the ancestral hall will be fine as long as I'm here." Lu Zhuangyuan patted his chest and said decisively.
Although no one was watching, Lu Zhuangyuan really didn't dare to make any mistakes. If something happened to the ancestral hall, the Hu family could bury the entire Lu family alive.
"Also, when the opera begins, no one alive can talk to the opera singer, lest the ancestors hear it uncomfortable."
"As for the show, just pick something cheerful. Our ancestors told us in their dreams that the underworld is too deserted, so we want to see something festive."
"There is no need to sing all night. After the fifth watch, when my son comes to take the ancestors' memorial tablets home, you can rest."
Lu Zhuangyuan's head was on fire like a chicken pecking at rice, "Hey, hey, don't worry, Mr. Hu, you will never break the rules."
With the help of the Hu family, the stage was quickly set up in the ancestral hall. There were only five people singing on the stage tonight. Luo Juanhua did not come because women were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall.
Immediately after Hu Qinghe shouted, the crowd that had just gathered to watch the excitement dispersed and went home.
"Qiang Qiang~Qiang Qiang lift~!" When the Lu family started to perform on stage, Li Huowang stayed backstage waiting.
Time passed little by little, and the entire Wuligang became quiet. The rather large village fell into darkness, with only the ancestral hall having lights.
It was also the first time for Li Huowang that a living person performed for the dead. He opened the backstage curtain and looked outside.
I have to say, this was quite scary. The stage was bustling with activity, but the audience was completely silent. There was no applause, just rows of black tablets with names engraved on them, and yellow paper with precious candles between the tablets.
After walking around Qingfeng Temple, these scenes still couldn't scare him, but the Lu family class couldn't. After a while, Lu Juren, the opera singer, forgot his words several times, and Lu Zhuangyuan, who was playing the gong, was anxious.
.
But as time went by, they started to get into the groove and things started to go smoothly.
In the silence of the night, the sound of opera singers could be heard far away. Accompanied by the sound, Li Huowang, who was carrying a sword, sat backstage with his eyes closed and meditative.
Listening, listening, let alone talking, Li Huowang, who was a little bored, actually heard a hint of charm, and shook his head along with the babbling singing.
In this environment, the second watch passed unknowingly and came to the third watch.
Li Huowang had also figured it out at this time. The third watch day is from 11 am to 1 am, the fourth watch day is from 1 to 3 o'clock, and the fifth watch day is from 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock. Generally, after five o'clock, people in the village
The rooster is about to crow.
He had a hutch. He didn't know why, but he always got sleepier than others when he came here.
You can't really fall asleep while working with money, so Li Huowang simply put the Holy Book in his hand and pondered it to relieve his sleepiness.
Recently, during night vigils, he would take it out and study it, but apart from being more certain that it was a scripture that encouraged people to do good, he had gained nothing.
After watching it, the second watch day passed and the third watch day came. Everything in the whole ancestral hall was normal and nothing happened.
Li Huowang raised his head and looked at Lu Zhuangyuan, who was changing his makeup in front of the bronze mirror, and thought to himself: "Master Lu, his heart is probably bleeding right now. He is missing six taels of silver for no reason."
It's right when you think about it. Logically speaking, nothing should happen. This is the Hu family's ancestral hall. The younger generation invites the elders to watch the show, and the elders can't cause trouble.
Just when Li Huowang thought that tonight was going to be like this, an accident happened. He heard the sound of the drama outside suddenly stopping without any warning.