1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Time flies, and two days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Today is August 14th, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, also known as the Ghost Festival or the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Legend has it that on this day, the gates of the underworld open wide, allowing the souls of the dead to return home and enjoy the offerings of incense and paper money from their descendants.

This is what the folk saying goes: "On the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell open."

In this vibrant era of overthrowing all demons and monsters and eliminating feudal superstitions and dross.

Although the Ghost Festival is not as grand and lively as it was during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

However, with the reform and opening up in the 1980s, many traditional folk customs are rapidly being restored.

On this day, every household visits ancestral graves to pay respects, burns paper money, releases river lanterns, and organizes opera performances.

Even in some southern regions where clans are deeply rooted, activities such as Taoist rituals for the deceased and processions of the City God are not uncommon.

……

On Daowai Street, there is the Liu family's small Western-style building.

In the morning, the family of six sat around the octagonal table to eat breakfast.

Today's breakfast was very simple, even rudimentary, consisting of only white rice porridge, cornbread buns, and a dish of spicy and sour cabbage.

Everyone found breakfast rather bland and unappetizing.

The only exception was Cheng Kaiyan, the new son-in-law this year, who received an extra bowl of brown sugar egg custard.

"Aunt Wan is so kind to me."

Cheng Kaiyan counted them and found that besides the frangipani flowers floating outside, there were actually six eggs lying at the bottom. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Aunt Wan is so good to me."

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it. As the saying goes, a new son-in-law eats eggs when he returns home. The more eggs he eats, the more good fortune he will have! Aunt Wan will cook them for you every day from now on."

Aunt Wan smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this; it was so pleasant to hear this child speak.

"Mom, you think he is..."

Hearing this, Liu Xiaoli was both pleased and amused, saying, "Even if you like something a lot, it's not good to eat too much of it."

"Yes, yes, yes! No matter how delicious something is, it's not good to eat too much of it."

The fifteen-year-old sister-in-law was eating white porridge with pickled cabbage, but she was really craving brown sugar and eggs. She even tried to trick Cheng Kaiyan into giving her an egg by making eye contact and acting cute.

She put her hands on her hips, swallowed hard, and said, "Brother-in-law, can you finish this? How about I help you finish some? Let me tell you, I can eat eggs really well! I'll show you! I can eat two or three in one bite..."

"Pfft!"

Everyone burst out laughing upon hearing these quirky words.

"I'll eat your head!"

Aunt Wan glared at her with displeasure and explained the custom: "That's how the Ghost Festival is. When eating at home, try not to have too much meat and fish. Keep the meals simple."

It's fine if the meals at home are simple, but the offerings to our ancestors should be more lavish.

For example, chicken, duck, pork, or fish. If there's no meat, you can use tofu or dried tofu.

However, alcohol and paper money are indispensable.

"If we prepare so much good wine and food, and our ancestors finish it all, then we'll be eating leftovers. Wouldn't that be like eating leftovers?"

As Liu Xiaoling listened to her mother recount the rules and taboos of offering sacrifices during these ancient festivals, she idly stirred the thin porridge in her bowl with her chopsticks, rambling on and on to vent her resentment.

"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever do is eat! Explain to me what it means to eat leftovers!"

Aunt Wan was taken aback, slammed her hand on the table, and glared at them angrily.

"Children's words are without restraint, children's words are without restraint!"

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and smoothed things over, holding a spoon in her hand, scooping two eggs for her sister-in-law, and changing the subject, saying, "Some people think it's a waste not to eat the food offered, but if they eat it, they feel it's disrespectful to the gods."

However, as the ancients said, those who consume qi (vital energy) are immortal. Ghosts and spirits feed on the essence of food; the food itself has no effect on them and is hardly considered leftovers. Therefore, it is actually a good thing for us to eat it.

He wasn't a staunch materialist; he believed that whether or not ghosts and gods existed, maintaining a sense of awe was enough.

After all, the fact that time travel and rebirth have already proven that there are indeed things in this world that cannot be explained by the current level of human science.

His remarks were seen by everyone as a novel yet reasonable explanation.

"Kaiyan is right."

Aunt Wan nodded to Cheng Kaiyan with satisfaction, then turned to her youngest daughter with a look that was half serious and half threatening: "Today is a special day, Xiaoling, you must be careful with what you say and do! Don't break any taboos."

Especially at night, you're not allowed to go out and play around aimlessly with your classmates, and definitely don't go to the riverbank. If a stranger greets you, don't respond, lest you become someone's stand-in and get harassed..."

"Mom, you're so old-fashioned and superstitious, talking about gods and ghosts."

Liu Xiaoling ate the egg and felt relieved, wearing an expression of complete indifference.

However, she still felt a little uneasy after what her mother said, and with a quick thought, she suggested, "I heard from the neighborhood office that the city's cultural troupe is putting on a big show in our community tonight."

Let's all go see a play tonight, shall we? If the whole family goes, I refuse to believe we'll encounter anything unclean."

"Going to the theater as a family is probably not an option. Work is busy, your mother and I might be working the night shift, and your aunt is going on a long trip today."

Uncle Liu smiled and shook his head, politely declining.

They don't care about gods or ghosts; they just don't want the little girl to run around and play wildly late at night.

There are plenty of bad elements out there; it's not safe.

"Is Auntie going on a long trip at this time? Where is she going?"

Liu Xiaoling was a little frustrated, but her attention was suddenly diverted. She asked the beautiful, icy woman sitting to the side, eating her breakfast silently.

"go home."

The beautiful woman's concise and economical reply.

"go home?"

Liu Xiaoling found this strange. "Isn't this my aunt's house?"

The beautiful woman gently shook her head, remaining silent.

"My aunt isn't home, so my sister, brother-in-law, and I can just go see a play, right?"

That's just how my aunt is, so Liu Xiaoling didn't think much of it and asked again, still not giving up.

"I'm sorry, your brother-in-law is going on a long trip with your aunt today and has to protect her. That means it'll just be you and me at home tonight. You should just watch TV and go to sleep."

Liu Xiaoli, with a smile on her face, shattered the little girl's last illusion.

"Ugh...why won't you let me out?!"

The little girl, like a wilted eggplant, lay sprawled on the table, curled up in a ball.

"Hahaha……"

Everyone burst into laughter upon seeing this.

In the end, Cheng Kaiyan suggested that the two sisters go out to watch a play in the evening and come back to sleep when it gets dark around seven or eight o'clock.

……

After breakfast, Jiang Ting prepared to take Cheng Kaiyan out.

Aunt Wan and Xiaoli were in the storage room, helping them tidy up their things.

What is it mainly about?

There were two baskets in total, lined with soft cloth and hay for cushioning.

Inside the container were two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor), a pair of small drinking cups, and three bowls of food placed upside down.

In the other basket were two pairs of white candles, a bundle of incense sticks, a large stack of yellow paper made of straw paper with circular patterns made by a mold, and a stack of paper money printed with the Rebirth Mantra, which was said to be handwritten by the master.

At this moment, Liu Xiaoli brought over two dark blue cloths, covered everything with them, and instructed, "Everything is ready. Let's leave early and come back early."

"Then let's go."

Cheng Kaiyan reached out and hugged his wife, then whispered in her ear with a smile, "I might not be able to come back tonight, so I'm sorry to leave Xiaoli alone in her room."

"Pooh!"

Liu Xiaoli playfully scolded him, blushing slightly as she slapped him lightly, "Be careful on the road, and protect your aunt."

"Do not worry."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and nodded, taking all the bamboo baskets.

"Xiaoli, do you want to come along?"

Jiang Ting, who hadn't spoken for a while, suddenly asked, "I won't go. The place is too far and the road is difficult to travel. Going there would just be a burden. It would be better to have Kaiyan ride a bike with you. It would be easier for the two of you."

Liu Xiaoli shook her head. Her aunt was going back to her hometown to pay respects to her maternal grandparents. Although she had never met the two elders, she wanted to go and pay her respects if she had the chance, so that she could comfort her aunt.

However, the road back was indeed difficult to travel.

My hometown isn't in the city, but in a small mountain village southeast of HEB city, about 40 or 50 kilometers away as the crow flies.

The city buses are inconvenient; they only go to the town.

The remaining road consisted of a small portion of dirt roads in rural towns and a large portion of steep, rugged, and shady mountain paths through dense forests.

However, Cheng Kaiyan planned to bring her bicycle and ride it there, only walking the parts she couldn't ride.

"If I really can't come back tonight, I'll stay at Cuilan's house for the night and see how she's been doing these past six months."

Aunt Wan mentally calculated the time and distance, and gave her some instructions.

"Okay, then we'll be going."

Jiang Ting nodded slightly, turned around, and pushed Cheng Kaiyan's shoulder to go out.

The bicycle was already parked at the door.

The basket containing the offerings, with its bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups, was fragile, so my aunt carried it, and the other basket was placed in the cart.

Cheng Kaiyan tidied up and secured the basket before sitting down in the car.

Soon, she felt a full, soft body press against her from behind, carrying a rich, cool, honey-like fragrance, and asked gently, "Are you seated?"

There was no answer, only the rustling sound of clothes rubbing together.

The beautiful woman's long, slender arms wrapped around his waist like snakes, and her five delicate, white fingers gripped his clothes tightly.

"Well, let's go."

She felt a little uncomfortable being so close to Cheng Kaiyan in front of her niece and sister.

But today was a particularly special day, so the beautiful woman tilted her fair and delicate widow's peak back and rested it on Cheng Kaiyan's shoulder, speaking softly and gently in his ear.

As she spoke, her warm, moist breath brushed against his ear and into his heart.

"Ding Ding Ding-"

Cheng Kaiyan took a breath, rang the bell, stepped on the pedal, and carried the beautiful woman.

He waved goodbye and walked away, watched by his family behind him.

……

It took ten minutes to get to the station and find the long-distance bus heading to Longshan Town.

If you're lucky, even though the bus is full when you go, there are still standing seats available.

Cheng Kaiyan, that shameless fellow, brought the bicycle onto the car right in front of everyone.

With a loud bang, black smoke billowed up, and the car started.

The ride was smooth all the way through the city, but once we left, the road became bumpy.

After a long and arduous journey, it was already ten o'clock when we arrived in town.

After getting off the bus, the bicycle came in handy.

The dirt roads in the countryside are used by village tractors, and the roads are well-maintained.

As long as it's not raining, riding a bicycle shouldn't be a big problem.

"Bangdang..."

The bicycle frame bounced up and down with a clanging sound as it was jolted.

The people aren't much better off either.

"Auntie, are you alright? Why don't you come ride over there?"

Cheng Kaiyan could hear the beautiful woman behind her let out a cold, soft hiss from time to time.

He felt very guilty and heartbroken for his aunt, whose health was already not very good.

You know, the back seat of a bicycle is not good, but the front seat has a soft pad; it's all made of steel bars.

Even an iron butt can't withstand this.

Thinking of this, Cheng Kaiyan couldn't help but recall the beautiful buttocks she had glimpsed in the cave.

It is pale and delicate, round and full.

You must have quite a few red marks on your buttocks now.

Moreover, my aunt's skin is naturally sensitive...

The two stood close together, seemingly sharing some kind of telepathic connection.

The beautiful woman behind her noticed that Cheng Kaiyan had suddenly fallen silent, and quickly realized what was going on.

Biting her lip, she pinched the soft flesh around Cheng Kaiyan's waist angrily and spun her around.

"Ouch! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

This time it was Cheng Kaiyan's turn to feel the pain.

"You know that, so why aren't you riding slower?"

After a long while, the beautiful woman's embarrassed and annoyed voice drifted from behind.

"Yes!"

Cheng Kaiyan put aside her distracting thoughts and slowed down.

During this time, pedestrians, oxcarts, tractors, and villages passed by.

They would stop every now and then to ask the elderly for directions.

Finally, at 11:40 AM.

A secluded, pristine hill covered in dense forest appeared before us, completely blocking our view.

"finally reached!"

The mountain isn't very high, probably only two or three hundred meters high, but it covers a large area and stretches for several miles.

At the foot of the mountain is a village that looks quite prosperous, with white-walled and gray-tiled houses arranged in a staggered pattern, and a wooden archway standing at the entrance of the village.

It was lunchtime, and wisps of smoke were rising from the chimneys.

"Is Aunt Cuilan, whom Aunt Wan mentioned, from Gongping Village? Shall we go to her house and have lunch there?"

Cheng Kaiyan looked at the village not far away and asked softly.

"Let's not go now, let's go up the mountain first."

The beautiful woman coldly refused, picked up her basket, and got off the car using both hands and feet. With her hands behind her back, she quietly and gently rubbed her buttocks.

"Then sit down and rest for a while, and have something to eat."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded and rummaged through the basket on the cart to find a small package.

Inside were some steamed buns, biscuits, candies, and Cheng Kaiyan's thermos.

After parking the car, the two sat on a rock.

Here, have some hot water.

Cheng Kaiyan unscrewed the thermos and handed it to her aunt; the water inside was still steaming hot.

The beautiful woman held the thermos in her delicate hands, sipping it slowly. After quenching her thirst, she handed it back, looking at the man's already parched lips with concern. "You should have some too."

"Ah."

Smelling the fragrance of her aunt's body from the bottle opening, Cheng Kaiyan drank the water and found that even the tasteless water had become sweet.

"call……"

After eating and drinking their fill, the two rested their shoulders together, feeling both satisfied and tired.

Fifteen minutes later, the two still entered the village, after all, they needed to find a place to park their bicycles.

However, Auntie still didn't want to go to Jiang Cuilan's house, so Cheng Kaiyan stopped at the entrance of the brigade office and gave the village secretary 50 cents to keep an eye on things.

I asked the village secretary about the way into the mountains, and he gave me a simple map.

So the two of them picked up their baskets and went into the mountains. (End of Chapter)