Back to 1984: Hunting in the Mountains

When they turned around, they saw Yu Chuntao and Mi Yali waiting for them at the door.

"What time is it? Why are you still wandering around?" Yu Chuntao couldn't help but complain.

Miali didn't know what to say. Seeing her younger brothers and sisters taking so many things, she quickly understood what happened and felt relieved.

One of the main reasons why she was not in a hurry to get married was to take care of her younger siblings. Her father was the kind of man who didn't worry about anything. If she got married and her brother was like that, then the burden of the family would have to fall on her mother.

She felt bad and worried that her mother was overworked.

Now that I have met Yu Qiutang, I am very happy to see that he can quickly get along well with his younger brothers and sisters.

"Sister Chuntao, please go in and eat quickly. The elders are waiting." She couldn't bear to see Yu Qiutang being scolded.

"it is good."

Yu Chuntao was at someone else's house, so she couldn't say much about Yu Qiutang. She just whispered to Yu Qiutang behind Mi Yali's back, telling him to be more careful during the meal. Don't miss out on what you should say, and don't say too much of what you shouldn't say.

It's no big deal to be embarrassed, but if the mood gets ruined, Yu Qiutang himself will be the one who suffers.

Yu Qiutang did not refute either.

Being looked down upon by his own sister is not a bad thing. When his mother is not around, his sister's criticism and teaching will only make him feel very kind and he will not feel dissatisfied at all.

After all, he was actually the most relaxed one of them all.

The elders on both sides, including Yu Chuntao, are actually still trying their best to maintain a certain attitude, thinking about not leaving a bad impression on the other side.

As for him, because he was so familiar with this place and subconsciously felt that things would definitely work out, it was just like visiting his mother-in-law's house and there was nothing to be nervous about.

Meals still take place in the big room.

After Yu Qiutang went in, he found that Mi Wenzhong and Mi Wenxiao had also returned.

There seemed to be a lot of people here, and it was particularly lively.

It was obviously unrealistic to seat so many people on the original octagonal table, so a large round wooden tabletop was added to the table.

The diameter of this tabletop is estimated to be two and a half meters. It was originally made up of several pieces that needed to be pieced together.

It was placed on the original eight-immortals table, with stools placed next to it. After people sat down, the people inside basically had to lean against the wall, leaving only a 50 to 60 centimeter wide aisle outside for people to enter and exit.

"Come on, his aunt, daughter, and Qiutang, please take a seat. The place is a little small, please don't mind. The table could have been carried outside. But it's too cold, so just eat inside."

Tuo Runxiu greeted the guests.

Mi Youtang, who was supposed to do this kind of thing, sat in his seat early and looked at Yu Qiutang and the others with a smile.

Listening to Tuo Runxiu's words, he also pointed to several seats in the north with his pipe and agreed to let them sit down.

Although it is a round table, there are also east, south, west and north directions.

Yu Qiutang and his friends were guests, so naturally they had to sit facing north and south. Gao Meilan should sit in the northernmost seat, and next to Gao Meilan were Yu Chuntao and Yu Qiutang.

On the west side are Tuo Runxiu and Mi Youtang, followed by my aunt and the six children of the Mi family.

Gao Meilan frowned and looked a little unhappy when she saw the children sitting at the table.

According to the rules here, underage children are not allowed to eat at the table when there are guests at home, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the guests.

But the guest should follow the host's wishes, so she couldn't say anything.

At the dinner table, everyone was talking happily. Yu Qiutang noticed that his aunt, who had a generally good attitude, didn't say anything else at the table.

I feel much more at ease.

The peaceful atmosphere was very suitable for Gao Meilan to perform. She had a lot of good things to say, and both Tuo Runxiu and Mi Youtang were very satisfied with what she said.

Except for Mi Yaqin who joked from time to time, the other younger generations didn't talk much, especially the three brothers Mi Wenzhong, Mi Wenxiao and Mi Wenren, who basically just focused on eating.

Soon, the meal ended in a peaceful atmosphere.

The children took the things away to wash.

The elders from both sides stayed to discuss issues related to the bride price, while Yu Qiutang and Mi Yali were sent out.

Although their affairs are being discussed, their participation is not required.

Yu Qiutang told Gao Meilan to agree to all the conditions put forward.

Everyone here has been kind to him, and it is only right for him to repay them a little in this life. This is also what he had originally planned.

He and Mi Yali were talking to other peers in the next room, and they were discussing the finishing touches of the house with Mi Wenzhong. Mi Yaqin joked with him from time to time, and he handled it with ease.

In less than an hour, the negotiations over there were concluded.

The final result was that the bride price was 300 yuan, and there were three major items: a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a radio, all of which were included.

The engagement token is a gold bracelet.

Originally, Tuo Runxiu wanted to make a silver bracelet, but Yu Qiutang told Gao Meilan in advance to upgrade it to a gold bracelet.

In her previous life, his wife always envied other people who got married and had a token of love. He always promised to give her a token of love, but in the end, due to some unknown reasons, nothing happened.

In this life, you must be satisfied from the beginning.

Let her have no regrets.

At the same time, it will also help her grow. If the news gets out, the villagers will be envious.

The parents-in-law will also feel proud.

For weddings, book Twenty-Four Bridges.

What is Twenty-Four Bridges? It actually refers to the number of tables at a wedding banquet.

Ten people sitting at a table is a bridge.

According to the local custom, funerals for the dead usually have an odd number of bridges, with five bridges being the most common.

One seat, five bridges, depends on how many seats are arranged in total.

Generally there are twenty or twenty-five bridges.

For weddings, there are usually an even number of tables, and they are divided into male and female tables.

The man's side has a whole day and invites a wider range of guests, so there are more bridges, usually eighteen or twenty-four bridges.

The maximum you can go is Thirty-Six Bridges.

This depends on how many relatives and friends the man has, and his family conditions.

The bride's side takes half a day, and the wedding is over when the bride is picked up by the groom, so the banquet is short and the range of relatives invited will be smaller.

Usually there are only twelve bridges or eighteen bridges.

Corresponding to the bridge is the number of dishes and a series of rules, the number of which depends on how wealthy the family is.

Yu Qiutang was named Twenty-Four Bridges, mainly because the Yu family was not a large clan in Wangjiazhuang and there might not be too many neighbors around.

If you build too large a space, it won't be fully occupied when the time comes, which is not only a waste but also embarrassing.

Twenty Bridges is of medium to large size.

Regarding the marriage, Yu Qiutang meant to see the Mi family's opinion and it would be fine to have an engagement ceremony first.

But Tuo Runxiu thought that they were not a wealthy family, so as long as the wedding ceremony could be guaranteed, it would be fine. Engagement was just an extra expense and there was no need for it.

Yu Qiutang did not insist either.

Finally, both parties decided to hold the wedding on the ninth day of the first lunar month after the Chinese New Year.

After the matter was settled and people were sent out again, the atmosphere became much more lively.

Even Mi Youtang laughed more happily than before.

Although Mi Yali was still standing next to her mother, when she looked at Yu Qiutang again, she already regarded him as a very close person.

"Aunt, please be careful on the road. When you return, please convey our wishes to Carpenter Yu."

"Okay, you guys go in, it's cold." "It's okay, it's okay..."

Amid the polite words, Yu Qiutang started the motorcycle, took one last look at Mi Yali, waved gently, and set off on his way home.

On the way, Gao Meilan sighed that it was rare that the marriage proposal went so smoothly today.

If every marriage discussion was like this, she could be a matchmaker.

As far as she knew, when discussing marriage in the village, even if both parties met all the conditions, there might be several arguments over the betrothal gifts and the conditions for the wedding.

There are not a few cases where things get ruined due to dragging things out.

This is also the reason why people here say that marrying off a girl is like selling a daughter. It is like putting a daughter on the table and bargaining for the price bit by bit in the vegetable market.

Yu Chuntao felt similarly.

Things went more smoothly than they had imagined.

Yu Qiutang was the calmest one.

After returning to the village, Yu Chuntao met a friend and got off the car to chat. Yu Qiutang then sent Gao Meilan home.

When you get to the door, put it down and prepare to leave.

Gao Meilan said, "Now that we are here, why don't you go in and see your grandma?"

Yu Qiutang was startled and looked at his grandmother's room through the door. He was hesitating whether to go in when he saw his father Yu Dejin coming out and seeing him. The two looked at each other through the crack in the door for a few seconds.

Gao Meilan also noticed Yu Dejin and said with a smile, "Brother, are you here to see mom?"

"You've worked hard." Yu Dejin smiled rarely.

"Things are going smoothly. We have agreed on 300 yuan and we will get married on the ninth day of the first lunar month. You entrusted me with this, so I will make the decision for you."

"So fast?"

Yu Dejin didn't know whether he was surprised or happy, and he fell into silence for a short while. After a few seconds, he said, "Very good. Thank you for your help."

"What's the problem? It's normal. They are our children. If I don't help you with this, who will?"

"That... is indeed troublesome."

Seeing that Yu Dejin mentioned the problem three times in a row, Gao Meilan could probably guess the complicated psychology of this elder brother, so she left the space to the father and son and went into the house.

"Old Three, I'm leaving first."

Yu Dejin stood in the yard and shouted, and Yu Deshui came out hurriedly. Just as he reached the door, he seemed to be pulled by something.

I could only smile and say, "Brother, why don't you sit for a while?"

"No."

Yu Dejin didn't say much, he just walked out the door and walked to Yu Qiutang, as if he was going to pass by him, but he said, "Come with me to see your mother."

Yu Qiutang was slightly startled, then nodded: "Okay."

Yu Dejin walked in front with his hands behind his back, while Yu Qiutang turned the motorcycle around with great effort and walked behind him pushing it.

Motorcycles move fast, but they are very heavy if you push them like this. I guess an average person can't push it more than a few steps.

Yu Qiutang really wanted to start the motorcycle, but he didn't know how to deal with his and his father's current situation.

I can't just ride away and leave my father behind.

But if he brings his father along, he will have to be in close contact with him. His father may even hold his shoulders or waist to help him maintain balance. Just thinking about it makes him feel very uncomfortable.

But persistence means discomfort.

My mother's grave is on a mass grave in the east of the village. It's more than three kilometers to walk there, which is not an easy task.

In the end, the body was defeated by the mind.

He started the motorcycle and rode to his father's side, "Dad, let's get on the bike and go."

Yu Dejin turned around and looked at his motorcycle, hesitated, and finally climbed onto the motorcycle clumsily.

He was originally walking on the left side of Yu Qiutang, but because the muscles in his left leg had atrophied and could not be used as a supporting leg, he tried twice and could only lift his right leg halfway. He had no way to go around to the right side before he got on the car.

Yu Qiutang saw it out of the corner of his eye and felt mixed emotions.

I was struggling over whether or not to help him.

But in the end, he didn't move.

"Let's go."

Yu Dejin began to feel uncomfortable even when he got on the motorcycle. Yu Qiutang thought of his father's brutality when he beat people and felt that he really couldn't understand his father.

“Tutu~”

With the help of a motorcycle, the two of them sped up significantly.

The journey was more than three kilometers, and even though the road was bumpy, it only took a few minutes to get there.

The car was parked on the side of the road. There were still several hundred meters of wild grass ahead, and it was impossible to go in, so people had to walk.

My father suddenly stopped and said, "I forgot to bring some paper money and donations. He said he bought them at the store, but I forgot about them while I was in the car."

Yu Qiutang said, "I'll go buy it now, you go ahead."

"Okay," my father nodded, "Buy some yellow paper and some incense. Buy one piece of incense. It costs 80 cents and won't burn for long. Then get two more piles of paper to burn. And light some paper for your grandfather as well."

"it is good."

After giving the instructions, my father turned around and looked in the direction of the cemetery in front of him. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky, took a long breath, and then walked inside on the weeds.

Yu Qiutang returned to the store alone to buy supplies for the grave.

Because today was not an important festival like Qingming Festival or Double Ninth Festival, the people in the store didn't expect anyone to come to buy paper to burn. They rummaged through the paper stacks for a long time before they found a few stacks, all of which were covered with dust.

Still a little damp.

"I'll give you all of these. Count them as one stack. When you burn them, throw away the damp ones on top. The ones below will be fine."

Yu Qiutang didn't say much and bought some incense and some snacks as a contribution.

I also bought a pack of matches.

When I returned to the cemetery again, my father's figure had disappeared behind the pine and cypress trees on the graves.

He had no choice but to stop his motorcycle and go over there with the things in his arms.

This cemetery is called a mass grave, but it is not a mass grave in the ancient sense.

Instead, it is a public land where everyone in Wangjiazhuang can bury their deceased relatives.

It is similar to the cemeteries in later generations.

Rongcheng has always practiced burial, and even after forty years, this custom has not changed.

Anyway, this place is vast and sparsely populated, so there is plenty of land.

But different eras have different requirements for specific burial locations.

Before the land was subcontracted, each household did not have the right to use their own land, and naturally it was impossible to bury graves on public land. Therefore, 80 years ago, all graves were on public land.

But later, when the contract responsibility system was implemented, people were reluctant to bury their relatives so far away, and began to bury them nearby around the manor.

As a result, for a long time, when walking on the road, you would see large and small graves piled up in the fields of each household. In the worst cases, it even interfered with the normal cultivation of the land.

It was not until two thousand years later that the village began to pay attention to this matter and no longer allowed people to be buried in the contracted responsibility land. They could only be buried in the cemetery, and this custom was gradually eliminated.

Yu Qiutang's mother died before the land was divided, so like other relatives in the clan, she was buried in a mass grave.

The so-called chaos is not the chaos of graves, but the chaos of surnames. There are people of all kinds of surnames.

They each had their own interests during their lifetime, and were even enemies, but after death they might be buried next to each other, which is also a kind of irony. (End of this chapter)