Chapter 53: Funerals
Lu Heng, who was far away in Hanyu mountain, didn't know the lively atmosphere in Thousand Needle city.
Lu Heng knew nothing about the decisions and plans that Gong Shu Jie made when he went back after listening to Lu Heng's story.
Now he is cultivating in the holy palace below wolf God Temple.
His last epiphany gave him a deeper understanding of the essence of heavenly thunder, however he failed to succeed for a long time.
Outside Hanyu mountain, with the last heavy snow falling before New Year's Eve, the weather in the mountain gradually becomes sunny.
On the day of the lunar new year on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was clear and the snow inside and outside the mountains disappeared. Although the wind blowing through the mountains still brings a little chill, the coldest days in the middle of winter have passed.
In the Shuisheng village outside Hanyu mountain, there were one or two families who held funerals.
Even though there is plenty of food and clothing, there are still a few old people who can't survive the severe winter every year. One of the families is even close to Xiao Ai.
Although the other party didn't dare to disturb her in the mountains, Xiao Ai got up early on this day of the lunar new year.Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates
She took a firewood chopper and walked to the back mountain in the morning fog, cut a bundle of firewood, carried it back alone, and then opened a stove to cook.
In the Hanyu mountain in the morning, a wisp of cooking smoke slowly rose from the cooking house behind the wolf God Temple.
Xiao Ai originally meant to bake some cakes for breakfast, then cultivate a little, and then go down the mountain to attend her uncle's funeral in the afternoon. But as soon as the stove was lit, there was a creaking sound outside the door. A White Ape crept in from the door.
Seeing Xiao Ai looking at it, the White Ape hurriedly squeezed out a flattering smile, "Jiji... Jiji..."
Xiao Ai glanced at it and said, "Why are you lying outside? Since you are here, come in."
It has been more than a month since Xiao Ai last sent the White Ape to the mountains, but the White Ape has never returned to wolf God Temple to cultivate with Xiao Ai. Maybe he is playing too happily in the mountains.
Of course, it may also be that it is afraid of Xiao Ai, so It doesn't dare come back.
As for whether the White Ape has been cultivating since then, Xiao Ai doesn't know, nor does she want to know.
She calmly asked the White Ape to come in. She was not angry because the White Ape hadn't come back for more than a month. The White Ape didn't see any murderous spirit on Xiao Ai, so he breathed a sigh of relief and walked in with a chirp.
He looked at the firewood room in front of him and the girl who was standing beside the stove, sucked his nose, and ran to the fire on the other side of the stove with great dexterity. When the fire in the stove was a little smaller, he cleverly added firewood to the fire without waiting for the girl to say anything.
Soon, the girl finished baking the pancakes, and the scallion pancakes with alluring fragrance made the White Ape drool.
Xiao Ai thought for a while, but she didn't object. She unloaded the firewood on her back and gave it to the White Ape. Then she took the White Ape out of the mountain.
The journey of one human and one monkey is very fast. Ordinary people have to walk the mountain road for more than an hour. Xiao Ai took the White Ape for about half an hour and arrived.
This is because the cultivation of White Apes is low, which hinders Xiao Ai. Otherwise, she would be able to walk outside the mountain in about a quarter of an hour.
When arriving at the entrance of the village, the villagers on duty were shocked to see Xiao Ai appear, but they didn't dare to stop her.
After Xiao Ai entered the village, the White Ape with her attracted the curious eyes of many people.
But the villagers were curious and peek at the monkey. The monkey was not scared stiff, but walked all the way, looked left and right all the way, and was very happy. Everything was very novel.
Because of the funeral, the village had become quite lively.
When Xiao Ai led the White Ape to her uncle's house, she saw her uncle's body lying in the mourning hall wrapped in white cloth.
At meal time, the inside and outside of the mourning hall were very lively. Ten tables were set outside the mourning hall. The smell of food and meals filled the crowd. Everyone was looking for a place to sit down and wait for dinner. While others who could not find a place sat on the firewood by the roadside, warming and chatting.
The appearance of Xiao Ai surprised the villagers. The host family, old and young, welcomed the little girl.
No one expected Xiao Ai to take the initiative to come down the mountain. After all, no one dared to inform her. However, her appearance made the host proud.
But Xiao Ai didn't stay too long, and didn't even stay for lunch. After giving the firewood and chatting with her uncles, Xiao Ai asked the White Ape who was hanging around in the crowd to leave.
On the way, the White Ape was still excited. Today's activity is too novel for it. It can't help but ask the girl what these people are doing together.
Xiao Ai glanced at it and explained lightly, "Funeral for the dead. Didn't you find a body lying in the middle of the mourning hall? It was my uncle who died in the heavy snow not long ago."
Xiao Ai's explanation stunned the White Ape.
"Ji?" White Ape didn't seem to understand.
So Xiao Ai explained in detail the customs of birth, old age, death, funeral, and cremation to be carried out later.
The White Ape was more and more confused and kept asking questions.
Dead? Cremation? Burned to ashes? Then the ashes are scattered into the river and go with the water?
These human customs are very strange to the White Apes in the mountains. It listened with a blank face, but vaguely thought of something.
The White Ape, who was originally lively and happy, suddenly became silent.
On the way to coming here, he danced and shouted all the way. At this time, he followed Xiao Ai with his head down. He was depressed. The silent and depressed appearance was in sharp contrast to the cheerfulness of the time when they walked down the mountain.