Before dawn, Li Yanqing used a camphor wooden box as a table and lay under a light and dark soybean oil lamp to write quickly. He was writing the story of Sun Wukong vs. Red Boy. He told Qing'er twice this story, and he was already familiar with it, and he could write it by holding up the pen.

The grain tank was bottomed out, and there were only two holes left in the money bag. Their family was penniless. It was impossible to rely on his father to make money. He could only rely on himself.

During the Song and Yuan dynasties, various versions of the story of Tang Monk's pursuit of scriptures were circulated among the people. Wu Chengen's Journey to the West was just a master. Li Yanqing also refined some classic storytelling and melodies from later generations and dissolved them in his writing, making this story of Sun Wukong vs. Red Boy even more imaginative, thrilling, and more tortuous and thrilling, with suspense that made readers unable to stop.

He has written this vernacular novel for ten days, with nearly 50,000 words and is about to end. He needs to leave a big suspense and ask the owner of the bookstore to come to find him.

At this time, my father's cough came from the kang. The medicine sent by Aunt Hu was very effective. In just three days, my father's injury gradually healed. However, my body was too weak. Aunt Hu stewed an old hen to nourish his father's body. He did not thank him for his great kindness, and Li Yanqing silently remembered this kindness in his heart.

"Qing'er, when is it now?" my father asked weakly while lying on the kang.

"It's still early!"

After Li Yanqing finished writing the last line of words, he finished his work. He put down his pen and put away the manuscript. He scooped a bowl of chicken soup from the pot to his father, helped him sit up, and smiled and said, "Dad, drink chicken soup before resting."

Li Daqi took a few sips of chicken soup, turned his head and looked outside the door. It was still dark outside. He frowned, "Qing'er, why did you get up so early?"

"I'm practicing calligraphy!" Li Yanqing casually asked for a reason.

Seeing that his son was so diligent, Li Daqi was very pleased and nodded instructed him: "The saint of poetry once said that wealth and honor must be obtained through hard work. Men must read the five cart books. Qing'er, if you are so diligent, you will definitely be able to get a title in the future."

Li Yanqing heard three words from his father to the imperial examination. After serving his father, he drank chicken soup, helped him lie down, and walked towards the yard.

"Qing'er, where are you going?"

"I'll go chopping wood, and I'll send it to Uncle Jiu's house early in the morning."

The firewood chopping was a job taken by his neighbor Hu Da. The father and son were poor and even eating became a problem. Li Yanqing chopped firewood for the villagers and could exchange some grain and rice for a living.

Li Daqi's eyes were wet, and he felt both ashamed and relieved. He looked at the dark roof and murmured: "Yun Niang, look at our child. He is only six years old, so sensible!"

As the sky gradually became brighter, Li Yanqing was working hard to chop firewood in the yard. It is still unknown whether the manuscripts can make money. Even if they can make money, they will have to wait at least ten days and half a month before there is news. The distance water cannot quench the near thirst, and their rice jar is now empty.

Li Yanqing shouted in a low voice, and the hatchet in his hand slashed away like lightning, and a round wood, as thick as a bowl, was immediately split into two halves.

With a casual swing, two pieces of firewood landed accurately on the pile of firewood ten feet away. He didn't know how he had this ability. Although he possessed this stupid boy, he had extraordinary talent on the other hand.

Li Yanqing took another round firewood and slashed it with a knife. "Bang!" A firewood flew out, almost hitting Li Daqi who had just walked to the door.

"Dad, why are you getting up?"

"Dad remembered something very important."

“What’s important?”

Li Daqi cleared his throat, "Qing'er, Dad will take you to the ancestral hall to burn incense later."

"I won't go!" Li Yanqing's face suddenly sank, and he slashed the log in half with a fierce knife.

He had no affection for the so-called Li clan ancestral hall. He had never seen his clan members help them. In particular, Liu Chenghong, who injured his father, was the housekeeper of the Li clan leader, which made him extremely disgusted with this family and even had a hint of hostility.

"You have to go!"

Li Daqi raised his voice and compromised with his son in many things, but he was not ambiguous about going to the ancestral temple. He said to his son very seriously: "If you fall into a well and survive a disaster, you have received the protection of your ancestors. I have made a wish for you before in front of the ancestor spirit. You must repay this wish yourself. Thank you for your blessing."

"Let's talk about it when my father's health is completely cured!" My father had just recovered from a serious illness, and Li Yanqing didn't want to argue with him, so he changed his strategy.

Li Daqi understood his son's thoughts and shook his head firmly, "I have no health problem anymore. I can't delay going to the ancestral hall anymore. Anyway, you will go sooner or later, so why not finish this matter today."

Li Yanqing thought for a while and said, "Then I have something to say first, I don't want to kowtow!"

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The Li family was a big family in Tangyin County and was said to be a celebrity. The tribesmen mainly lived in Yonghe Township, Tangyin County, and were divided into four houses: Lushan, Qianshan, Wencun and Songhe, and were named after their location.

The ancestral hall of the Li clan was built in Lushan Town. Lushanfang is of course also the main trunk of the Li clan. The head of each term of the Li clan comes from Lushanfang. The current clan leader is Li Wenyou, and he is also a famous gentry in Tangyin County. Li Daqi raised horses for Li Wenyou to pay off his debts.

The ancestral hall is not based on the official road, and is built alone at the foot of Lushan Mountain. It is surrounded by lush pine and cypress trees. Although it is the season when thousands of trees are withering, the pine and cypress are still vigorous and green, adding a bit of solemnity to the ancestral hall.

Li Daqi washed his hands and face in the stream outside the ancestral hall with great devout devotion, but Li Yanqing caught two small fish in the creek and prepared to take them home to make a bowl of fish soup. It was not until his father urged him several times that he reluctantly walked into the gate of the ancestral hall.

Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, ancestral temples have been the political, cultural and spiritual center of various major families, and are also the link that unites the entire family. Even the royal family in the world will have their own ancestral temples.

Even the poorest families would set up an open space in the corner of the thatched hut and place an altar to worship their ancestors. Although they only have a small inch of land, only a stick of incense and a spiritual card, it was also the extremely sacred spiritual world of the poor families.

The first day of the first lunar month every year is the day when the Li family holds the New Year's Festival. All the people of the clan have to put on the best clothes and gather in the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors. Even if someone really can't come back from another place that day, they must worship their ancestors from afar.

In addition to the first day of the first lunar month, we also have to worship our ancestors every year on Qingming Festival and Zhongyuan Festival. Even each house will gather separately on the death day of their ancestors.

Sacrifice to ancestors is as important and ordinary as eating and sleeping for the people of the Song Dynasty. The biggest punishment for the violating tribe members is to cancel the qualification for clan sacrifice, which will become a great shame for this person in his life.

There are obviously sacrificial activities these two days. The yard has been covered with carpets, and red ribbons and lanterns are hung on the big trees. Two one-person-high beast-headed copper incense burners stand in the yard like two loyal guards on their hips.

The Li clan ancestral hall is not big, covering an area of ​​only about two acres, made of blue bricks, and there is a sacrificial courtyard in front of it. When there are too many tribesmen, everyone can only stand in the yard to hold a ceremony. An old locust tree was planted in the center of the courtyard. The branches were twisted and vigorous and covered with cracks, which has been at least a hundred years.

A pentagonal building in the middle is the main hall that worships the spiritual positions of the ancestors and sects. On both sides are the left and right wing rooms, on the left is the meeting hall where the elders of the family discuss major events in the clan, and on the right is the patriarchal hall that punishes the clan and maintains the authority of the family.

Below the village, the laws of the Song Dynasty had no meaning, and family law was the kingly way.

On the left side of the wing is a corridor that leads directly to the backyard. The backyard is very small and has only two small houses. It should be the residence of the guardian of the ancestral hall.

Li Daqi was extremely pious. When he walked into the yard, he knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times.

Although Li Yanqing knew that the ancestral temple was important, he did not have this heart. At this time, his legs were like two hard iron sticks. It was impossible to make them bend and kneel down.

Li Daqi understood his son's thoughts, but he did not dare to let his ancestors know. He had to sigh secretly and did not force his son to kneel down and kowtow in the yard.

"Qing'er, I'll go find your fourth uncle to ask for two incense sticks. You can go to worship your ancestors first, and Dad will come soon."

Li Daqi hurried to the backyard to find the guardian of the ancestral hall. Li Yanqing looked around the yard. He was only interested in the pair of beast-headed copper incense burners. After speculating how much they could be sold, he walked towards the main hall.

The main hall door was covered with a faint veil, and there seemed to be someone shaking inside. Li Yanqing leaned his head and looked into the crack of the door. He saw a gray-haired middle-aged man standing in front of the altar, secretly holding the wine pot on the altar to pour wine into a small gourd.
Chapter completed!