Who doesn't know how precious salt is? Kexiu looked at the bowl of salt in front of her and was frightened.

Zhong Mugen walked into the kitchen from the outside. Just now, he had heard the movement in the kitchen.

"What kind of salt? Have you run out of salt at home?"

As soon as Zhong Mugen entered the kitchen, he asked loudly. As for the salt at home, his wife was basically in charge of it, and no one could touch it.

"Husband, look, Xiaohua said Xiaowen cooked this bowl of salt."

When Xiu saw Zhong Mugen coming in, he pointed at the bowl of salt on the stove and started talking to it.

"What? Is this salt? Xiaowen cooked it? You didn't lie to me?"

Zhong Mugen looked at the bowl of salt on the stove. The gray-white crystals were somewhat different from the salt commonly used at home. Then he pinched some and put it in his mouth to taste.

"It's really salt. It doesn't have any bitter taste. Xiaowen, is this really the salt you cooked? How did you cook it? What did you use to cook it?"

After Zhong Mugen tasted it, his expression changed drastically, and he asked Zhong Wen loudly, fearing that there was something wrong with it.

"Husband, don't be too loud, you will scare them."

Xiu warned from the side, and then pinched some more and put it in his mouth to taste it. It was indeed good salt, and this big bowl was enough for the family for several months.

"Daddy, grandma, we boiled the salt from the ashes of plants. I burned some of the straw behind the house to cook this bowl of salt."

Zhong Wen looked at his parents' expressions and didn't know whether he was going to beat himself up or scold him, but he had to tell them how to make salt.

"Can salt be made by boiling plant ashes? Xiaowen, you didn't lie to me?"

Zhong Mugen didn't believe that salt could be boiled with plant ashes. If it was that simple, someone would have known about it a long time ago. Why would he need to spend money to buy salt for consumption?

"Dad, I didn't lie to you. It was really cooked from the ashes of the plants and trees. I helped with it."

Xiaohua heard her father's somewhat disbelieving tone and hurriedly defended herself to Zhong Mugen. Moreover, she was involved in the entire process of making the salt.

"Xiaowen, who taught you this method? Also, you can't tell anyone about this."

After listening to Xiaohua's explanation, Zhong Mugen pondered for a moment, and then spoke out to the family about his decision.

"Dad, although the method of making this salt is simple, we will not tell anyone about it, and the old man with a white beard who taught me before also told me not to spread it to others lightly."

Zhong Wen puffed up his little chest, thinking that because of his ability to lie, it was impossible for his father and mother to be discovered. As for the old man with the white beard, Zhong Wen picked it out casually.

"When did that old man tell you? No outsiders have come here in the past few months."

Zhong Mugen may have believed some of what his son said, but he still asked.

"Dad, that was a few years ago. I was still very young at that time and my little sister was just born."

Zhong Wen thought of what happened a few years ago, when a lot of people happened to pass by. As for whether there was an old man with a white beard, his father didn't know.

"That's good, that's good. This is a good thing. Our family's salt will be secure in the future. You must remember that you cannot tell this matter."

Xiu stood aside, listening to what Zhong Wen said, and he was very happy. Every time he went to Guanli to change the salt in his home, he always had to spend a lot of linen. Now that he has a method of making salt at home, how can he save money?

The linen he shed can be used to sew a few clothes for his children.

When Zhong Wen saw that his parents stopped talking, he felt relieved. At least he no longer had to ask questions. If anything happened in the future, he could just focus on the old man with the white beard.

You'll be in a lot of trouble.

After dinner, it was dark again, but what happened today made Zhong Mugen and his wife extremely happy.

Now that we have salt at home, we can save a lot of linen. Secondly, with salt at home, we can naturally make bacon from fish and meat, so there is no need to bake it into dried meat.

More likely, you can also make some salt and go to the village to exchange for something, even for some linen. Of course, this idea was rejected directly. This matter must be kept secret to avoid being known by outsiders.

Early the next morning, Zhong Wen called his father and went to the woods to check out the slings.

For two days in a row, I didn't even check the slings. When Zhong Mugen passed by, I discovered that there were many wild rabbits hanging on the slings.

When Zhong Mugen and the others returned home, there were eight hares, which made Xiu Da even more happy.

Of course, three or four of the fifteen or six slings have been destroyed, otherwise, there must be other prey in this set.

"Xiao Wen, I'll go take a look in two days. You can make a few more sling covers in these two days."

After Zhong Mugen came back, he took the wooden hoe and prepared to go to the fields to work. Before leaving, he did not forget to say something to Zhong Wen.

"Dad, I understand."

Zhong Wen responded casually, and then, taking a kitchen knife, he and Xiao Hua went to the edge of the forest and chopped some wild hemp.

For several days in a row, Zhong Wen and Xiao Hua lived a tense and busy life. They were either fishing, collecting firewood, or cutting some wild hemp to make hemp ropes. They even boiled salt twice to make the salt at home more delicious.

There are more and more.

One morning, Zhong Mugen and his wife did not go to work with a wooden hoe as usual, but were waiting for something at home.

Not long after, the sound of wooden sticks was heard in the village. Zhong Mugen and his wife tied a straw rope to Zhong Wen and his sister, and walked towards the village.

Zhong Wen knew that today must be the day of Aunt Ahua's funeral.

Zhong Wen remembered that after Aunt Ahua died on the same day, she began to bury her. There were rituals and worship, and today was already the eighth day.

Aunt Ahua has been dead for seven days, and during these seven days, it was a small coffin, and until today, it was a big coffin.

There are rituals for large coffins, which are also called coffin coverings. Of course, each place has its own customs and will definitely be different.

After the enshrinement ceremony is over, there is a funeral, which is also a burial.

Today, everyone in the village, whether they are adults or children, must go to see Aunt Ahua off. This is also a rule, and it expresses a kind of nostalgia and grief.

The ceremony was held early in the morning, and the funeral was held at noon. The coffin bearers were supposed to be relatives, but the Acai family had no relatives in the village, so they could only have men nearby to help carry the coffin.

Ah Cai's family is wrapped in linen, with a thick straw rope tied around their waists, and a tall straw hat on their head, while everyone in the village only needs to tie up a straw rope.

And these are very particular. Relatives wearing hats and sackcloth refer to standing upright and making a trip to the next world. Wearing sackcloth refers to carrying the burden of life and moving forward for a lifetime. And wearing straw ropes around the waist refers to the person's future.

It comes from the belly, but returns to the world between heaven and earth, and this world refers to the theory of vegetation, spirits and monsters, so I won’t go into details here.

Four members of Zhong Wen's family, each with a straw rope tied around their waist, stood outside Ah Cai's house. After the ceremony, the Taoists began to read scriptures and save everything that could be saved, and then they shouted

With a sound, the coffin was covered, stood up, and prepared for the funeral.

Ah Cai was holding the spiritual tablet in one hand, and the other was holding a brazier, followed by his two sisters. Each of them was holding a frightening bell in one hand and a Luo Nian Sha in the other. The four of them were crying and wiping their tears. It was very interesting to watch.

Good people give rise to bitterness and sadness.

Then, eight men carried the coffin and slowly walked out of the house. They did not step on the wooden eaves or the ground. There was a thick layer of straw spread all the way to the side of the path.

The Taoist holds the religious utensils in his hands. He leads the way and mutters words. Behind him are the elders in the village, and then the families one by one.

A group of people walked on the path, escorting Ahua towards the mountain in the distance.

Regardless of whether they are adults or children, they all have silent faces and shed tears. Women with better relationships will cry a few words to show their sadness.

Zhong Wen's family was in the middle and front of the team, but Xiu was a little too sad at the moment. Zhong Mugen supported his wife, and then Zhong Wen followed behind, holding Xiao Hua's little hand.

Zhong Wen was in a very bad mood, maybe he couldn't stand such a scene.

Life is full of grass and trees, and this is the age that should be good, but it was poisoned by a big tiger, leaving behind a disabled man and three young children.

Zhong Wen could not imagine how the Ah Cai family would live in the future. At least for now, the future life would be difficult.

Walking all the way to the distant mountain, Zhong Wen's mind has been immersed in how to help a bunch of Ah Cai's family, but no matter what, he can't think of any good way. Maybe fishing can be a trap or something, but he can teach one and two.

Water them.

As for whether Er Shui is willing to learn, Zhong Wen doesn't know. For now, he has only thought of these methods, but Zhong Wen's ideas are a bit too selfish. In this era, it's not about what you want to do, but what you want to do.

What can be done.

After walking for half an hour, we were about to reach the top of the mountain. The Taoists in front began to perform rituals and shouted some words loudly. Zhong Wen was a little far away and could not hear clearly what they were shouting.

.

After another quarter of an hour or two passed, Zhong Wen and his family arrived at the grave.

The coffin has been placed in the pit that has been dug long ago. At this time, every family needs to come over and sprinkle a handful of soil to say their final goodbyes.

As for the rest, only Ah Cai and his family can finish it, while other people who are seeing him off can go home.

Zhong Mugen supported Xiu and walked slowly on the path home. Zhong Wen held Xiao Hua and sometimes looked back at the top of the mountain.

Zhong Wen knew in his heart that all this would end. Perhaps this was also the beginning of suffering, or more perhaps, the beginning of a new life.

Zhong Wen did not cry or shed his eyes. In this world, tears are worthless, not even life. The fact that he did not shed tears does not mean that Zhong Wen is not sad.

Zhong Wen was sad, and at the same time, the door of sympathy in his heart also opened.

Not only Zhong Wen was sad, but also Xiao Hua shed a lot of tears along the way. Zhong Wen wanted to help his little sister wipe them, but Xiao Hua dodged them.

The whole journey was silent and speechless. After returning home, I could only sit for a while to calm down the sadness in my heart, and I was not in a hurry to make something to eat.

Although it was already past breakfast time, it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon, so if you wanted to eat, you could only wait to make dinner.

Zhong Mugen and his wife will definitely not go to work in the fields today. The sad mood today makes them not go. It is estimated that even the people in the village will not go to work in the fields.

Brother Zhong Wen and his sister were sitting under the tree in front of the open space, their eyes blank, looking at their parents at home, not knowing what to do. Although they were a little hungry, they couldn't say they wanted to eat.

After all, this matter still needs a little time to settle down. Let's wait until dinner to fill our stomachs.

The frightening bell means to frighten away the lonely ghosts nearby, and the Luo Miansha means to stop the nearby evil spirits and guide the deceased to the road to hell. The specific use and function of the frightening bell and Luo Miansha will not be described here.
Chapter completed!