"Xiaotian, you are now twenty years old. According to your grandma's will, now I can tell you some information about your grandma and your real ancestors."
After lighting the incense and burning the money paper, Leng Jidao suddenly said to Leng Xiaotian with a solemn expression.
Lengxiaotian was taken aback and asked in confusion: "My real ancestor? What does this mean?"
Leng Jidao thought for a moment, as if he was planning what to say. After a long time, he said slowly: "Xiaotian, we are not from Lengxi Village. Our real ancestors are in Lanshan County in the Northern Province."
Next, he told Leng Xiaotian how they came to Lengxi Village.
"At first, like you, I always thought that I was from Lengxi Village. When I was twenty years old, your grandfather had passed away. Once, during the Chinese New Year sacrifice, your grandma suddenly said to me: Ji Dao
, after you worshiped your ancestors on the shrine, you had to burn incense outside, bow a few times to the north, and offer sacrifices to your real ancestors from a distance. I was just as shocked as you at the time, and asked quickly what was going on? Your grandma
He sighed and told me something."
Speaking of this, Leng Jidao looked at the portraits of Grandpa and Grandma Lengxiaotian on the shrine, and continued: "Your grandma told me: I am not the biological child of your current grandpa. My real hometown is in Lanshan County, Northern Province.
A small mountain village. Your real grandpa was raped during the war years and died on the battlefield. At that time, the Northern Province was fighting a large-scale battle. In order to
To escape the war, your grandma took me, who was less than two years old, and my seven-year-old brother to flee south, begging all the way to Zhongzhou Province. Who knew that there was also a war in Zhongzhou Province, and the people here were also very poor, and there was no way to beg.
Eat. Your grandma tried every possible means to give it to us two brothers as soon as she got something. She often went several days without eating, and was so hungry that she couldn’t even walk.
It was difficult. Although your eldest uncle was only seven years old at the time, he was very sensible and filial. Seeing that your grandma had been starving for several days because of us two brothers, he cried and begged your grandma to eat something too every day.
But in order to let us two brothers survive, your grandma still saved the pitiful little things she got for us two brothers to eat. One day, we were
When a wealthy family was begging for food, your eldest uncle suddenly said to the housekeeper of that wealthy family: He is willing to be sold to this family as a slave, on the condition that he gives his mother a basket of white flour buns and two guangyang. Your grandma wanted to stop her, but your eldest uncle suddenly said
Kneel down and say: Mom, if you don't agree to sell me to this house, all three of us will die sooner or later. Why don't I crash into this wall and die now..."
Speaking of this, Leng Jidao's eyes were wet and his voice was a little choked: "Although your grandma is reluctant to let go of her son, she thinks about it on the other hand: if she leaves her son in this wealthy family, she might still be able to have a full meal, at least he won't be in trouble.
She would starve to death or freeze to death on the road. So, she was so cruel that she left your uncle in that wealthy family and took me with her to continue fleeing south. Two more days passed.
In March, we arrived in Wushui County. It was already the twelfth lunar month of winter, and there was heavy snow every day. Water dripped everywhere and turned into ice. The two pieces of Guangyang your grandma got from a wealthy family had long been used up, and the steamed buns were basically eaten by me.
On the streets of Wushui, your grandma took me with her. After not getting a grain of rice for several days, she was cold and hungry, and passed out in front of a small shop. It just so happened that your current grandpa is also
My stepfather, who was carrying a load of firewood to this shop, saw your grandma passed out in the corner with a one-year-old child in her arms. He quickly bought two bowls of porridge with the money he earned.
He fed your grandma and me some pickles, and then took us to Lengxi Village. Your grandfather is an old bachelor in his forties. Because his family was poor, his parents died very early and he had no other brothers.
Sister, that’s why I still haven’t found a wife in my forties, and have been supporting myself by doing part-time jobs and working as slave laborers for other people. After your grandma came to Lengxi Village, she saw that your grandpa was honest and loyal, so she married him. I was still
I was ignorant and always thought that I was your grandfather's biological son. It wasn't until your grandmother told me when I was twenty that I knew that my real ancestors were in Lanshan County, Northern Province..."
"Then what is our last name? Where are we in Lanshan County? Why have you never been to the north in all these years?"
Sneered Tian asked impatiently.
Leng Jidao shook his head and said: "Your grandma repeatedly told me before she died: 'Your stepfather is very kind to us mother and son, and he has no other children or grandchildren to inherit the incense, so you must not leave Lengxi Village unless you give birth to two children in the future.
One of the above sons can be left in Lengxi Village
Only by inheriting the incense of your stepfather's family can you go to the north to recognize your ancestors!" In order to prevent me from going back to the north without obeying her instructions, your grandma did not tell me my original surname or my real identity until her death.
Which town in Lanshan County is my hometown?"
Lengxiaotian was confused by his father's sudden narration of family history. He kept looking at the portrait of his grandfather on the shrine, and then he realized that his grandfather and his father were indeed not similar at all!
Leng Jidao added: "Xiaotian, do you know why your grandma became blind in her later years? That's because she missed your uncle and didn't know his life or death, so she cried all day and night. When she was sixty years old, she became blind.
She couldn't see things at first, and then she was completely blind. Until she died, she was still chanting: "Shitou, mother is sorry for you! Mother sold you to survive! If you are already dead, mother will come to the underworld to kowtow to you to apologize!"
'"
Having said this, Leng Jidao covered his face and tears flowed down his fingers...
Lengxiaotian's eyes also became moist. He stood blankly for a while and said to his father: "Dad, after the New Year, I will go to Lanshan County to find out if my uncle has returned to his hometown."
Leng Jidao shook his head and said, "How are you going to find it? Lanshan County is so big and you don't even know your ancestral surname. It's harder than finding a needle in a haystack!"
"Doesn't my grandma have a name? Her surname is Zhen. I guess there are not many people with this surname in Lanshan County. As long as you find my grandma's hometown and ask her name, some older people will definitely remember it and they will definitely know where she married.
, who we are married to. If we continue to inquire along the way, we should be able to find our hometown and our relatives there."
Leng Jidao still shook his head and said: "Oh my God, the reason why I am telling you this now is not to ask you to recognize your ancestors and return to the clan. Your grandma is a person who values love and justice and keeps her promises. She promised your grandpa: If
If a descendant does not have more than two sons or grandsons, it will definitely not arrive
If you go to the north to recognize your ancestors, you will definitely stay in Lengxi Village to inherit the incense of the old Leng family. I only have you as my son now, so you must abide by your grandma's last words now and cannot go to the north to find your roots. This is the right thing for us as descendants.
Therefore, the respect of ancestors. Do you understand?"
Sneer Tian had no choice but to nod.
At this time, Lin Xue saw that his father and son were outside and kept refusing to go back into the house. She couldn't bear it anymore, so she opened the door a little and shouted: "Xiaotian, do you want to hold a grand ceremony to worship your ancestors?"
Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve finished offering sacrifices, I’m still waiting to eat the meat!”
Leng Jidao wiped his tears quickly and said with a smile: "My dear, I'm here, I'm here."
During the meal, Sneer Tian smiled and said to Lin Xue: "The rules in our village are that the reunion dinner must be finished before four o'clock in the morning on New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year. Do you know the reason?"
Lin Xue's eyes widened in surprise and said: "Four o'clock in the morning? Then I can't get up. Tell me, what's the reason?"
"This is a way the poor people in the old society had to come up with to deal with debt collectors: New Year's Eve is the last day for debt collection. In the old society, most people in our village were tenants of the landlord and owed money to the landlord.
Rent grain. In order to prevent my family from having the New Year meal, debt collectors from the landlord’s family would break into my house and steal the New Year’s rice and meat.
Go, so every household got up when the rooster crowed for the first time and hurriedly cooked the New Year's meal. After the rooster crows for the third time, they finished the New Year's meal. Over time, this forced behavior of eating New Year's meal in the early morning turned into a kind of custom in our village.
It is a custom to eat early on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year to prevent New Year greeters from coming in during the New Year dinner and ruining the year's fortune."
Lin Xue listened with great interest and said: "You still have so many rules and allusions during the Chinese New Year in rural areas! I have never had a meal at four o'clock in the morning in my whole life! Haha, it's so interesting!"
She was talking interestingly at this time, but at 3:30 the next morning, when Leng Xiaotian knocked on the door and asked her to get up for dinner, she made a "huh" sound from her nose and stayed in bed without wanting to get up. Later, she was
Lengxiaotian was in a hurry, so he lazily said inside: "I can't get up, so you can eat first. Leave me a chicken leg and I'll eat it after I get up."
Leng Jidao said at the door: "Daughter, this is not okay! You must eat this New Year's Eve reunion dinner with us, otherwise your grandfather will be angry."
Lin Xue thought for a while and said, "Okay. Uncle Leng, please Xiaotian and bring me the cotton-padded jacket that is roasting on the charcoal stove shelf. I'm a little cold."
Leng Jidao hurriedly took off the cotton coat that was baked on a bamboo pole above the stove, handed it to Lengxiaotian, and said, "Send it to Xiaoxue. It's dry and cold at this time, so don't freeze her."
Leng Xiaotian was a little embarrassed, but he didn't dare to disobey his father, so he took his cotton-padded clothes, opened the door and walked into the room where Lin Xue slept.
Lin Xue had already turned on the light and sat up. She was wearing a set of pink pajamas, with her long hair spread over her shoulders. Because she had just woken up, her plump cheeks were flushed red, and her eyes were sleepy.
Misty, like a layer of crystal mist, revealing an alluring charm...
Lengxiaotian didn't dare to look any further. She lowered her head and put the cotton coat on her quilt. Just as she was about to go out, Lin Xue suddenly stretched out her hot hands, hugged his neck, and whispered: "Farmer, today is New Year's Eve."
Ten, kiss me and we will be reunited!"
As he spoke, he brought his equally hot lips together.