I trade in both worlds

After the guests had almost finished eating, Xu Xu took his two younger brothers and Xu Jizong's family to a separate table.

After the banquet, Xu Xu paid the chef for his service, and washed the dishes and cleared the table with the relatives who helped. After that, he divided the dishes among the families, and took a bowl of meat and vegetables, which the two brothers Xu Youliang returned to each family one by one.

There were also unused vegetables and untouched meals on the table, which Xu Xu and Aunt Xu distributed to each of the helpers according to the number of people they served.

They were busy like this until the evening. Lin Erya sent Yang Tiantian back and brought dinner for Xu Xu and his sister and Xu Qiwei. Aunt Xu looked at the time, stood up and went back with Lin Erya.

After dinner, Xu Xu stood at the entrance of the main hall and looked at Zhang Yunxiang's house. He felt that his heart was empty. From then on, he could no longer find anyone or anything to rely on. Looking back at the twins and Yang Qiwei sitting on the threshold of the main hall, he realized that he would take over the burden of his parents and become their support.

The first seven days will come soon. The first seven days are also called burning the seventh day, doing the seventh day, keeping the seventh day, and offering sacrifices. It is counted from the day of the death of the deceased, and every seven days is a memorial day, called the first seven days, the second seven days, the third seven days, the fourth seven days, the fifth seven days, the sixth seven days, and the last seven days, a total of 49 days.

Early in the morning, Xu Xu hung white paper lanterns at the front door to show that the family was in deep mourning. On the seventh day, they would set up a spirit tablet at home, burn incense and candles, and prepare various offerings for worship. Xu Xu set up an offering table in Zhang Yunxiang's room, arranged Zhang Yunxiang's spirit tablet, and placed an incense burner.

The offerings for the sacrifice usually consisted of three cups of tea, five cups of wine, three bowls of vegetables, and three bowls of rice. Xu Xu placed the tea and wine in front of the spirit tablet in the order of tea before wine.

Then put a bowl of braised pork, a bowl of braised fish, and a bowl of braised tofu, three bowls of vegetables, each with three large pieces of vegetables, three bowls of rice and three pairs of chopsticks, and the offerings were ready. Finally, Xu Xu lit a pair of white candles and inserted three incense sticks.

Second Aunt Xu took a quick look and turned to Xu Xu and said, "Xu Xu, prepare a few eggs for the Chicken Feet God. Put them in a jar and put it in the corner. Give the Chicken Feet God some benefits and ask him to let your mother stay at home for a while longer."

"Okay, I'll go right away." If Aunt Xu hadn't reminded him, Xu Xu had forgotten about this matter and quickly turned around to prepare the eggs.

Second Aunt Xu walked out of the house and found Xu Youliang: "Youliang, go prepare some wood ash and sprinkle it from the door all the way to the altar to pave a way for your aunt to go home."

Xu Youliang nodded and left.

Xu Jizong, Xu Jin, Xu Zhun and Xu Youyin worked together in the yard to stick money on bamboo poles. They stuck a piece of money on the poles one foot apart. After sticking them, they would stick them under the eaves of Zhang Yunxiang's house. It was said that when the ghost came back, he would be able to find his home by seeing the bamboo poles.

After Xu Xu put a jar of eggs in the corner of the room, Xu Youyin followed and spread the ash. When Aunt Xu saw that it was done, she started to drive people away: "Leave now that everything is done."

After Xu Xu left, she stood in the yard and watched Xu Jin and Xu Zhun inserting bamboo poles at the door of the house. It was only at this moment that she truly accepted that her mother was gone and she would never see her again. Thinking of this, Xu Xu couldn't help but shed tears.

The twins turned around and saw it, then ran to Xu Xu, each hugging one of his legs and starting to cry.

When Second Aunt Xu saw the three siblings wiping their tears, her tears also flowed uncontrollably. Everyone looked silently at the house where Zhang Yunxiang had lived until the clan leader and the second grandmother came over with a basket of gold ingots and paper money, breaking the depressing atmosphere.

The second grandmother looked at the three siblings, sighed deeply, and patted Xu Xu: "Xu Xu, don't cry. Crying too much is bad for your health. You have to take good care of yourself, okay?"

Second Grandma wiped Xu Xu's tears and patted the twins' heads: "Okay, stop crying. The time has come. Light some incense. We will burn some more money for your mother later."

According to the rules, three incense sticks, also known as soul-guiding incense, should be placed at the door or window of Zhang Yunxiang's room at the hour of Si on the seventh day in the morning. They are mainly used to guide the deceased.

Xu Xu looked at the sky and saw that it was already noon. He lit three incense sticks and handed them to Xu Jin: "Xiao Jin, put the incense at the door."

Xiao Jin looked at the incense, and the tears that had just stopped began to accumulate again. He took the incense with his little hands, walked to Zhang Yunxiang's door, looked back at Xu Xu, a little at a loss, not knowing where to insert it, afraid that if he inserted it in the wrong place, his mother would not be able to find the way when she came back.

Second Grandma directly instructed Xu Jin: "Just put it on the ground at the door. Use a little force to insert the incense."

After hearing this, Xu Jin turned around and squatted, holding the incense in both hands, and used all his strength to firmly insert the incense into the door of Zhang Yunxiang's room.

The clan leader looked at Xu Jizong and asked, "Jizong, are you ready?"

Xu Jizong nodded: "Everything is ready."

Second Aunt Xu brought over a clay basin. When Xu Xu saw it, he went to the main room and brought out the gold ingots and paper money that he had folded yesterday. Xu Jizong took a few pieces of paper money, lit them and put them in the basin. Everyone started picking up gold ingots or paper money and throwing them into the basin.

After burning all the paper money in silence, Second Grandma looked at the house where Zhang Yunxiang had lived and advised Xu Xu: "Xu Xu, the dead are gone, and the living are like this. You have to take care of yourself. The children are counting on you. Your husband's family..."

After thinking about it, Second Grandma didn't say anything else.

Xu Xu wiped his face and looked at Second Grandma: "Second Grandma, I know that the Yang family will probably need help from the clan later, but let's sort out the family affairs first in the next few days."

The Second Grandma nodded and said, "As you should. You are the aunt of the Xu family. If anything goes wrong, the Xu family will definitely support you. Don't worry."

Xu Jizong looked at Xu Xu and finally sighed: "Okay, that's it for today, we'll go back first."

Second Aunt Xu was afraid that Xu Xu and the children would be scared, so she wanted them to stay at her house for a night: "Xu Xu, why don't you come back with me and stay for a night?"

Xu Xu looked at the twins, shook his head and said, "I won't go. Please ask Second Aunt to take the four of them there."

Xu Jin pulled Xu Xu's sleeve and said, "I won't go either. I'll stay at home with my sister. Xiao Zhun will go over to help Second Aunt take care of the two nephews."

Xu Zhun also wanted to stay, but when he heard that he had to take care of his nephew, he nodded.

Aunt Xu hesitated for a while and then said, "How about letting Youyin stay?"

Xu Xu still refused: "Second Aunt, there's really no need. She's my own mother, I have nothing to be afraid of. If she can really come back, maybe I can see her again." As she spoke, she began to sob again.

Xu Jizong was afraid that Xu Xu would be sad, so he interrupted her: "Alright, let her stay, we'll go first."

Aunt Xu was still worried and said, "Stay in your room at night and don't come out, okay? Stay away from your mother's room and go to bed early at night."

Xu Xu nodded and said, "I understand."

As soon as I walked out of the door, Second Mistress came over and asked Second Aunt Xu in a low voice: "Has anyone from the Yang family come over in the past few days?"