Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Following his father, they arrived at a nearby mountain. Graves were typically located in the woods near the village or on distant hills, although a few were situated among the fields. Jiang Yizhou's ancestors were buried on the mountain.
The mountain was divided among the nearby villages, much like farmland. Erecting a grave required paying a sum to the family that owned the land, which was essentially considered a purchase, and everyone accepted this practice.
"Creak… creak…" The sound echoed as Jiang Yizhou stepped on the thick layer of snow on the mountain. He wore a pair of high-top cotton shoes that looked quite ugly but were sturdy and practical, making them the best choice in the countryside.
"Hey, don't walk past it! Your Great-Uncle and Great-Grandmother's graves are here. You didn't forget, did you?" Jiang Maoqiang tugged at Jiang Yizhou's down jacket hood and shouted.
Jiang Yizhou felt embarrassed and remained silent; he really had forgotten. His current mindset was dominated by his previous life's experiences, and he didn't have many memories of his grandparents who had passed away early. He only cherished those who were still alive.
"Your Great-Uncle and Great-Grandmother died around the same time, so it’s good they were buried together," his father continued talking about his great-grandfather and great-grandmother without checking if Jiang Yizhou was listening, perhaps recalling his own parents.
The two elderly people were in poor health and could hardly travel far. They often relied on their children for support. Currently, only Jiang Yizhou's Uncle had extra space since he wasn't related to Jiang Maode's cousin's family. Therefore, the elderly lived with him while their other children sent some money and supplies each month.
Jiang Yizhou's father was the youngest child, and both elderly individuals were nearly seventy years old. Their health was fragile, and one cold winter could extinguish their lives in an instant. It wasn't like they had an illness that could be treated with money; rather, their vitality was waning due to age and frailty.
His father cleared a space in front of the grave, lit paper money with a lighter, bowed three times, and then urged Jiang Yizhou to kneel down and bow as well. He picked up a branch from a nearby tree to poke at the paper money, ensuring it burned thoroughly without tearing.
Incomplete paper money would not be accepted by ancestors in the afterlife. Although it resembled Renminbi or simply paper money, customs varied throughout history regarding what was needed in the afterlife.
"Stand back; I'm going to set off firecrackers!" His father waved Jiang Yizhou away, untangled a large bundle of firecrackers, lit them, and quickly ran back to Jiang Yizhou's side. The loud noise echoed through the rare mountainous area, causing the guard dogs at homes below to bark fiercely.
Jiang Yizhou couldn't help but feel sympathy for those dogs guarding their homes during such busy tomb-sweeping days; it must be tough for them.
Then the two of them burned some paper money at other graves, but they did not kneel or bow. Among them were the parents of Jiang Maode, who had passed away early, mostly during that special era. The firecrackers they lit were not very loud, and even the dogs at the foot of the mountain were too lazy to bark.
Perhaps it was because they were in this cemetery, surrounded by at least a hundred graves, or maybe they were influenced by the solemnity of the worship. Jiang Yizhou hardly spoke throughout the visit and quietly followed his father down the mountain, returning home.
"You're back! Wash your hands and get ready for dinner. We're starting our New Year's Eve Dinner at four o'clock, so sit down at the table for a bit!" His mother had just returned from washing vegetables at the well and, seeing the two of them back, said this before heading back into the kitchen. Er Ya was also in the kitchen helping to tend to the fire.
Inside the house, charcoal was still burning in a brazier with a clay pot on top simmering meat, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Jiang Yizhou couldn't help but swallow hard. Jiang Maoqiang smiled mischievously at his son and said, "It's fine, son. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat a couple of bites; your mom won't mind!"
Jiang Yizhou shook his head, ignoring his father's temptation. He took a large plate of firecrackers he had bought on the way back and went outside. He spread them out and first shouted into the kitchen, "Mom, I'm going to set off firecrackers now!"
After setting off the firecrackers, it was time for New Year's Eve Dinner. Hearing his mother respond affirmatively, Jiang Yizhou took the lighter he got from his father and lit it before darting behind the door like a startled rabbit. After a series of firecracker explosions, he felt justified in sneaking bites of meat from the clay pot.
Jiang Yizhou believed that these firecrackers marked both the end of one year and the beginning of another. The firecrackers set off at the gravesite were to inform their ancestors, while those set off before returning home for New Year's Eve Dinner signified the start of the new year. The family joyfully finished their New Year's Eve Dinner; this year they had money and bought two hundred-shot fireworks along with various other items.
Jiang Yizhou loved this feeling. How long had it been since he returned home for New Year? He didn't want to count; he worried that if he returned home, he would feel guilty about deceiving his parents but didn’t want to disappoint them either. After barely achieving some success by thirty, he planned to heed his parents' wishes and work near Jiangcheng, but then an accident happened that brought him to this era.
Here he also had family and a career; more importantly, he would no longer let his current parents down and would make them proud.
"Hey hey hey! Why are you eating already? Isn’t it still not four o'clock?" His mother placed two dishes on the table and saw the two enjoying themselves by the charcoal brazier.
His father avoided her gaze while Jiang Yizhou argued playfully, "Mom, didn’t I ask you? If we set off firecrackers, we should be able to eat afterward!"
"Don't try to talk your way out of this! Go behind the stove and take over for Er Ya," his mother commanded without buying into his excuse. Then she turned to his father and said, "And you! Go fetch some buckets of water and fill up the water tank! Hurry up!"
Such a warm daily life made Jiang Yizhou a bit intoxicated, and it also made him hate his past self even more. Why did he let down so many people's expectations? Why was he so insecure that he didn't dare to take even a single step? Why didn't he strive harder in his previous life?
Could it be like game theory suggests, that games are appealing because of the immediate sense of achievement and the quantifiable level of effort? How much experience can be gained from defeating monsters, how many levels can be upgraded—these are all obvious.
In contrast, life is undoubtedly a game with a poor experience. Perhaps it's because he knows many paths to success in this game of life! Those achievements that are attractive enough to draw people in become traceable in his eyes. If he still doesn't put in the effort, it would be better to just end it all.
“Xiao Ya, I'll take care of the fire for you. You go wash your face and hands first, and wait for the New Year's Eve Dinner!”
Comment 0 Comment Count