break out of the ice

Chapter 235 Suona sounds

Xing Lulu's due date is after New Year's Day and before Spring Festival.

Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin originally planned to stay in Wenzhou and wait until Xing Lulu's child was born before discussing their return to Mincheng.

But before they could wait for Xing Lulu's child to be born, they received a call from Mincheng.

The call was from Qi Kun.

The old village chief passed away.

After returning from BJ, the old village chief was in much better spirits. Everyone hoped that he could live longer.

But everyone is also prepared for the death of the old village chief.

After receiving the call, Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin immediately bought train tickets and prepared to rush back.

Xiao Pomegranate has already gone on winter vacation, so he can go back with him, otherwise Xiao Pomegranate's matter will be a big trouble. ,

Qi Kun said on the phone that when the old village chief was dying, they urgently drove the old village chief back to Shijiawan. The old man breathed his last at his home in Shijiawan.

Cremation was not compulsory at that time. The old village chief had to lie in a coffin and accept the sacrifices of his filial son and grandson for three days, and then be buried in the ancestral grave of the Shi family.

Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin took the train directly to Mincheng.

At Mincheng Railway Station, Pan Changhe came to pick them up.

Over the past year, Pan Changhe has become much stronger, and he looks like a young and strong young man. If you look closely, you can see that there is still stubble on his lips.

Pan Changhe drove a dilapidated van, which was as good as the dilapidated van that Shi Jingqi and the others drove when they were working at Lengdie Refrigerator.

Shi Jingqi's heart had been clenching since he answered the phone, so he didn't pay attention to the obviously adult Pan Changhe and the van.

Instead, Liu Qinqin asked: "Is this the car?"

Pan Changhe took the pomegranate and put it on the van: "Well, aunt also got me a driver's license."

After saying that, several people had already sat down. Pan Changhe started the car and said: "My father, grandma, and others are all in Shijiawan. Let me pick you up and place the little pomegranate, and then go directly to Shijiawan. Uncle , Auntie, why don’t you take the little pomegranate back to the courtyard first?”

Liu Qinqin waved her hands hurriedly: "No, no, let's go directly to Shijiawan. The little pomegranate should also be delivered."

Since Liu Qinqin said so, Pan Changhe started the car and headed for Shijiawan.

It is winter, and the fields and houses in Shijiawan are all covered with residual snow, patches of white.

Even in this white, the white cloth hanging on the old tree at the end of the village is particularly conspicuous.

The old village chief has been the village chief for many years and is a highly respected elder named Shi Reed.

The village in Shijiawan was named after its surname. When the old village chief passed away, almost everyone in the village was wearing hemp and mourning.

Standing at the entrance of the village were Shi Jingqi's contemporaries, all with white cloths wrapped around their waists. This should be arranged by the village to welcome guests and guide them.

Perhaps it was because Pan Changhe had driven this van back and forth several times in the past few days, and someone recognized it from a distance.

Before the car stopped, I heard someone ask: "Are Mr. and Mrs. Jingqi back?"

Shi Jingqi immediately opened the car door and walked out. There was already a woman wearing mourning clothes under the locust tree over there, handing her mourning clothes.

Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin took it and put it on.

When the woman saw Little Pomegranate, she followed suit, and tore off a piece of white cloth the size of a handkerchief to make a filial piety hat for Little Pomegranate.

Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin were crying while leading Little Pomegranate to Shi Chunhua's house. Little Pomegranate was confused. When she saw her parents crying, she cried loudly too.

The atmosphere in the village was sad and quiet, and the little girl's cry echoed in the sky above the village.As we approached the old village chief's house, there was a long black table at the door. Around the table were people from the ringer class, and there were people standing scattered in twos and threes.

The rule here in Mincheng is that when there is a funeral, a ringer class will be called.

Qiu Sheng and several young people were standing near the intersection when they saw Shi Jingqi and others coming.

Qiu Sheng hurriedly walked back a few steps, said something to an older man, and then came towards Shi Jingqi and the others.

The elderly man was a well-known deacon from all over the country, and the villagers came to him for weddings and funerals.

"Shi Jingqi, a descendant of the Shi family, came with his wife and daughter to express his condolences."

The high-pitched but slightly old voice of the deacon rang out, drowning out Little Pomegranate's cries.

The sound of the suona sounded immediately, covering the deacon's voice again.

Amid the sounds of suonas and cries, Qiu Sheng welcomed Shi Jingqi and the others into the courtyard.

A shed was erected in the yard, and the mourning hall was located in the yard.

Men and women wearing mourning clothes knelt on the ground.

According to the rules in this area of ​​Shijiawan, a mourning hall is set up outside the house and the spirit is kept inside.

Qi Kun was kneeling in front of the rankings. When he saw Shi Jingqi and his wife coming over, he looked at each other and continued to kneel.

Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin knelt down and burned the paper.

Shi's mother was also among the large group of kneeling people. She had been paying attention to Shi Jingqi's family since they entered the yard.

Seeing Shi Jingqi walking out of the crowd of kneeling people, he hugged a small pomegranate and said to Shi Jingqi: "You go inside, I will take the little pomegranate with me."

Now is not the time to hold each other's arms, cry, and tell each other about parting. Shi Jingqi nodded and followed Qi Kun, who stood up, into the main room.

There was a black coffin placed in the middle of the hall. The lid of the coffin had been sealed. Shi Jingqi's wish to see the old village chief for the last time could not be fulfilled.

Shi Chunhua, accompanied by Lady Chunhua and a group of close female relatives, knelt on the left side of the coffin. Shi Jingqi and Liu Qinqin cried. Liu Qinqin went over to kneel beside Shi Chunhua and comforted her in a low voice.

Shi Jingqi and Qi Kun came out again. They were planning to kneel outside. As soon as they knelt down, Father Chunhua chased them away: "You two go and talk to the side. The old man doesn't care about this either."

Qi Kun pulled Shi Jingqi up. The yard was full of people, and the two of them had nowhere to go, so they stood under the eaves of the wall.

"Old Mo and the others have all been here. They were originally going to stay here to help, but Chunhua refused and rushed back." Qi Kun said, "The old man was very quiet when he left."

Shi Jingqi nodded. People are born, old, sick and die. The old village chief is getting older, and one day he can accept it.

The suona sounded again, and someone came to express condolences again.

Qiu Sheng led people in.

The leader was Lu Hongmei. Lu Hongmei was wearing a black cotton-padded jacket with a white cloth on her head.

Pan Changhe was followed, and finally a woman dressed as a student, her head also wrapped in a white cloth, was pressed against her head. Only when she got closer did Shi Jingqi recognize it, it was Yan Zhengqing.

Lu Hongmei and Pan Changhe had already burned the paper yesterday. While Yan Zhengqing was burning the paper, Lu Hongmei went to find the stone mother and held the little pomegranate in her arms.

"It's so cold, please tell Little Pomegranate to come back with me." Lu Hongmei held Little Pomegranate in her arms. She didn't want to enter the house for fear that the child would be frightened, so she directly said to Shi Jingqi, who was approaching, "Tell Qinqin."

Liu Qinqin got the news and has come out.

Liu Qinqin came out, and Yan Zhengqing went into the room: "Sister Hongmei, you and Changhe wait for me, I'll go talk to Sister Chunhua."

(End of this chapter)