Salt Xiao Fulang

At the end of summer and autumnal equinox, spring is born and winter solstice is born.

The shortest day of the year is the winter solstice.Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "winter solstice and one yang are born", that is, after the winter solstice, the world is getting warmer day by day, which means the beginning of a new cycle, and it is a day of great auspiciousness.

Modern people's sense of festival has been weakened to the point that Song Xu didn't even watch the Spring Festival Gala, and only started looking forward to the festival when he came here.

Because, you can take a holiday and rest in a fair manner...

Although Mo Shi'an said he would come back around the winter solstice, there was no news from the hotel until the day before.

Although Song Xu was disappointed, there was nothing he could do. The winter solstice came just like that.

In Dashi Village, celebrating the winter solstice is an even more important event than celebrating the new year, because this area is used to worshiping ancestors on the winter solstice, and every village that has built an ancestral hall will hold a grand ceremony on this day.

Even some people who travel far away and settle in other places will return to the ancestral hall to participate in ancestor worship.

The village banquet after the ancestor worship is larger, and the married girl Shuang'er can also come back to eat the feast.

The old village chief has been extremely busy these days. He not only has to prepare for the ceremony, edit the family tree, arrange the residence of the descendants from other places who return to the village, but also organize a village banquet.

Every family participating in the village banquet has to pay [-] Wen, which is mainly used for meals and other small expenses.

Families with too many people and some old clans will pay more as they like.

Song Xu naturally paid the money without distress, but he couldn't control some stingy people who could quarrel with his mother-in-law at home for twenty Wen.

It was Sun Jinyuan next door.

Speaking of that woman, Song Xu couldn't even roll his eyes.

When I meet him several times, I always look like I want to make the house restless, which is naturally annoying.I heard that her family has never been poor, and I don't know how they are so stingy.

Look at his family, Xiaochun, who used to live so badly that he couldn't eat enough or wear warm clothes.But now?I don't feel bad about buying anything, I eat eggs, stir-fry vegetables with oil, and I sneaked a penny from the cabinet two days ago, and I don't know what to do.

...thought he didn't know.

Song Xu's heart was ruthless, and he decided that his daughter-in-law could do nothing out of the ordinary, so he pretended not to know.

On the day of the winter solstice, when Song Xu woke up, it was only dimly lit outside.

In fact, it is already late.

Although Song Xu woke up early, he was a sleeper.Even though she made a thick quilt, Xiaochun still liked to sleep in his arms.

Hold it up and warm it up, it's simply... the enjoyment of a winner in life.

Finally, when Xiaochun got up with a blushing face and finished washing like a whirlwind, Aunt Niu knocked on the door.

The ancestor worship is about to begin.

"The world is long, the universe is bright, and the Song family has a long history. The ancestors and the ancestors have brilliant virtues, and the children and grandchildren admire them. Don't forget to respect and love..."

On the open space in front of the ancestral hall, an altar was set up, red candles were lit, and long incense was burned.

The Song and Li families stood on the left and right sides, each led by an elder, lined up in the order of males, twins and females, and they came forward to worship one by one amidst the sound of reciting.

The Song and Li families settled in Dashi Village hundreds of years ago, and they used to be very close.The descendants have reproduced to this day, and they still worship the ancestors together, and even the statues of the ancestors are placed together to accept the worship of the descendants.

"Loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness, common ethics, continuous ancestry, grandiose precepts. Inherit the past and usher in the future, carry forward the past, have deep roots and luxuriant leaves, flourishing flowers and branches..."

A little boy scattered paper money by the incense table, and the green smoke curled up into the sky, and dissipated in the cold wind after a while.

The atmosphere was solemn and solemn. Even an outsider like Song Xu restrained his expression and emptied his mind, not daring to have the slightest thought of disrespect.

When it was his turn, he brought Xiao Chun forward and knelt down one after the other.

"No. 20 three generations, Song Xu, with her husband Lang Chun, please—"

There was a red color in front of his eyes, the smoke blinded his eyes, and the god statue was high above him, staring down at him.He raised his head high, then solemnly knocked on the ground, feeling calm and peaceful.

Xiaochun next to him did the same, then half-kneeled, stretched out his hands to help Song Xu up, and stood at the end of the line.

Tiny snowflakes suddenly fell.

This is the first snow this year.

The white dots fall on this solemn picture, and there is a touch of tenderness in the harmony, like an immortal soul in imagination.

Tongjin knocked on the ear, and finally connected with the scene, becoming a touch of color in memory.

Until the end of the show, Song Xu still couldn't calm down for a long time.

What is the meaning of ancestor worship? After all, Song Xu is not writing a thesis, and he doesn't believe in the immortality of the soul, so he can't make any sense.

But in his intuitive feelings, the most distinctive point is the sense of belonging.

In such activities, you are part of a collective.

You don't need to make any effort, just rely on your natural ingredients, whether you are a scumbag or a holy son, you all naturally exist in this group.

Man is a social animal, an animal that can obliterate the ability of independent thinking for the sake of "collective will".No wonder the family as a unit of the collective has a natural cohesion.

Song Xu realized this, and asked Xiaochun with a feeling of uneasiness: "Then if the twins and women who know that they will marry, will they have a sense of belonging if they participate in ancestor worship before they get married?"

"...I don't know about others, but I don't." The two returned home temporarily, and there was still a while before lunch, so they could change into warmer clothes and slowly go to the drying yard.

Xiaochun thought for a while, and then said: "Except for being with you, I don't feel happy anywhere else."

Song Xu was amused at first, but after thinking about it, Xiaochun's indifferent attitude when he first came was obviously not pleasing to the eye, and he didn't look like he wanted to integrate into the group.

This kind of person has a firm will, doesn't care about what others think, is independent and cool, and presumably doesn't bother to give any good face to people he doesn't agree with.

The snow flakes are very face-saving, but they fluttered symbolically, and soon the sky cleared up for a small area.

When Song Xu and his wife came to the drying yard, there were nearly a hundred tables, and it was really crowded at first glance.

"Why are there so many people?" Song Xu was stunned for a moment, there were many unfamiliar faces in his sight.

"Why is Xu so stupid suddenly?" Aunt Niu happened to pass by and carried him to a table not far away, "Some married women take their families with them. Although they don't worship their ancestors, they can still come to eat Yes. I used to come here occasionally, but this year I don’t know what’s wrong, they all come here for lunch.”

She swiftly moved the bench, stacked Song Xu and Xiaochun neatly on it, and said with satisfaction, "Sit upright!"

Song Xu puffed up her chest, and Aunt Niu continued: "Eating out, a bowl of noodles costs eight yuan, but when holding a village banquet, there are big fish and meat, and the whole family only needs twenty yuan! Basically, there are three people in a family , isn’t it worth eating? But if you bring too many people, although you won’t be driven away, it’s also uncomfortable to look at.”

After Aunt Niu finished speaking, she was called away to help, but Xiaochun's heart skipped a beat.

There are not many villages with ancestral halls for village banquets. Many men have nowhere to go on the winter solstice, or have places to go but the distance is too far.

Then going to the daughter-in-law's natal village is also something that many people will do.

The more lively the village banquet, the more face it has. As long as there is a real relationship, no village will reject such a family.When the village is strong and prosperous, it is easy for the villagers to marry.

Gradually, not only the natal family of the daughter-in-law who is in charge of the family, but also the village where the son-in-law lives, but the further the relationship is, the more people will look sideways.

But there is one family that has embarrassed Xiaochun.

This happened in previous years.That was his snobbish uncle's family.

It was the first year of his marriage. Although Song Xuniang was in poor health, she was still alive.Those uncles and aunts who usually don't care about everything, the three children, big and small, dragged their families to Dashi Village to find him for a banquet, and they even called him "this kid said he won't come back after the New Year, why is he so ignorant? We can't do it." But let's see if he's doing well."

It's them who have the cheek to say.

That year, his uncle and aunt had humiliated him by eating and drinking, so when Aunt Niu said this, Xiaochun became vigilant.

After a while, cold dishes were served one after another.This table was all from the Song family, and besides Aunt Niu's family, there were several other families living nearby.Song Xu was only familiar, and Xiaochun reminded him one by one of whose family he belonged to.

"I haven't seen you interacting with anyone, how do you remember it so clearly, huh?" He took advantage of Xiaochun's opening to bite his ear, and bit it back. Xiaochun's ears turned red and she shut her mouth.

"Hahaha, Xiaochun looks much better. Did Song Xu listen to you recently?" A woman teased.

Except for Sun Jinyuan, Song Xu didn't dislike the people at this table, and replied with a half-tongued smile: "What's the point of doing what you say, I'm willing to be a cow or a horse."

Sun Jinyuan rolled her eyes at the sight.

The woman was happy, and after thinking about it, she persuaded: "Life is made by people. Xiaochun is pregnant, and you should treat him better now. But if you give birth to twins or a girl, don't give birth to me." People are angry. There will be opportunities in the future..."

These words are a bit shallow, in some people's ears, it may be the curse of not being able to give birth to a man, but Song Xu is very grateful, at least this aunt is sincere.

"I like both sons and daughters. Even if there is really no man, you can hire a wife. My husband, who will love me if I don't? I used to be ignorant, but now I think about it, and I will live well in the future."

The woman smiled and praised again and again.Song Lao Er who was sitting next to Sun Jinyuan also looked at him in surprise, with a touch of emotion on his face.

Xiaochun: "..."

If he went on like this, he would think that he really had a baby.

The old village head didn't know what he said at the beginning, and everyone finally started eating after it was over.

The dishes are good, there are hard dishes such as stewed pork.Although Song Xu can afford meat, the farmhouse cauldron has been passed down for many years and has its own flavor.

A dish of tofu meatballs was served, Xiaochun's eyes lit up, he stretched out his chopsticks to pick one up, held it up in the air for an undetectable moment, and put it into Song Xu's bowl first.

Not to mention how beautiful it was in Song Xu's heart, when the meatballs were eaten into his mouth, the delicious fragrance filled his mouth, and he couldn't help but groan!

Xiaochun hurriedly said: "What? Is it hot?"

Song Xu shook his head, and before he could swallow it, he brought another one to Xiaochun's mouth: "It's delicious, try it!"

Xiaochun's ears turned red, and he opened his mouth pretending to be calm under the watchful eyes of everyone.

The freshly-killed pork is moderately fat and lean, perfectly combined with the tender tofu.No thick oily red sauce is used, just the deliciousness of the ingredients alone conquers everything.

There is nothing to lose face at a banquet in the country. Everyone eats breathlessly, and the dish is empty after a while.

"I knew that so many irrelevant people could come to eat, and I tied Tian Tian back."

Xiaochun nodded when she heard this: "It's true, she looks young, so no one cares about it."

After all, today is the day for ancestor worship and reunion. Yesterday, the two of them were afraid that they would not go home every day and would be too lonely by themselves, so they tried to take her back to the village.

But every day she refused, and refused to go with them, claiming that she was happy alone.

Song Xu understands the little girl's concerns, she is afraid that she will be looked down upon by others as an outsider, no matter how good the Dong family is, it has nothing to do with her.

But seeing that little person working hard every day for such a small salary, it is really unbearable to spend the holidays alone.

It's a pity that Jiang Tiantian's attitude was firm, and Song Xu didn't insist on it later.

But look at this... What a loss!

This meal will take a long time, but after two or three hot dishes, everyone let go a lot.

When the food and wine were served, the men took bowls and poured them out one after another, and began to walk around the table to chat, drink with you and him, and it was very lively for a while.

There were four other men at Song Xu's table besides him. After a while, two men ran away, and after a while, two more men came.

Song Xu didn't know them all, so he just drank well, hahaha.

Fortunately, the wine at this time is very dilute, at most you can drink until your face turns red, and your brain will not be clouded.

After changing several groups of people, Xiaochun suddenly tensed up.

Song Xu looked up in surprise, but saw that it was a couple who came this time.

The man is tall and strong, but the smile on his face is fake, and the woman's smile is even more exaggerated, but her face is calculating.

"Hey, my little Xia, I heard that you are pregnant, why didn't you even report a letter!? How worried are your uncles and aunts... No, we hurried to see you!"

Xiao Chun turned cold, took Song Xu's wine bowl and stood up, without saying a word, directly drank it down.

Put it down after drinking, and said after a while: "Thank you uncle and aunt. I dare not forget the kindness of nurturing. There is no other friendship."

aunt:"…………"

She said in embarrassment: "Look at what you said!? We can't come to Dashi Village! We are willing to come to save face for you. Don't you want your mother's family?"

Xiao Chun said in a deep voice: "When I got married, how much dowry did you receive from the Song family, and how much dowry did you give me? I never had one in my natal family, so naturally I don't need it now. Come whenever you want, and don't talk about my name in the future."

The aunt screamed: "What do you mean, you bastard!? Are we still greedy for your meal!?"

Of course it is greedy for this meal.

There are five people in Uncle Xiaochun's family, and they can eat a full meal for twenty Wen.If Xiaochun's name was not reported, how could such a good thing happen! ?

Although every family contributes money, it is definitely not enough to rely on those [-] Wen for such a large amount of meat. The family's hometown with high morals or rich family background generally pays more.

These are all real bargains.

Xiaochun was disgusted in her heart and didn't want to say too much, but her aunt would not let her go.

"Do you still have any respect for your elders? I heard that your family has opened a shop and made money. Have you ever thought about your uncle's family? We have raised you so much, and you still dislike us for being kissed by you! "

She said angrily: "You can come to the feast if you get married, that's the rule!"

"Tian Xiaoqing!" Song Xu couldn't bear it any longer, suddenly he slapped the table and stood up, calling names loudly.

Tian Xiaoqing, who was watching the excitement not far away holding a rice dumpling secretly, was excited and rushed over.

"Here, brother Xu, tell me what you want my little brother to do!"

Song Xu smiled slightly: "Borrow a car from the village chief and go to the shop to pick it up. Isn't it possible to have a banquet today if you get married? Then my relatives will also have to eat enough."

Aunt Xiaochun was confused, she clearly remembered that Song Xu had no direct elders after his mother died.

"What is Tiantian, who are you?"

Song Xu rubbed his chin: "Jiang Tiantian is Xiaochun and I's adopted daughter."

"Cough cough cough --" Xiaochun choked on water, Tian Xiaoqing staggered, and the others nearby were curious to death, the woman on the table couldn't help asking: "Adopted daughter? How old is it?"

"Fourteen...five years younger than me?"

People watching: "..."

Adopted daughter or concubine, that is the question.