Chapter 96 Braised Pork Head

Author: Seven taels of broken silver

Chapter 96 Braised Pork Head

Cheng Miaomiao is really not very interested in dancing to worship herself.

There is indeed a part of the inherited memory about the scenes of human beings offering sacrifices to mountain gods, with singing, dancing, and endless prayers. However, these were experienced by her predecessors, and she had never experienced any of them, so she was very curious.

She pestered Madam Yu to ask what was so exciting about the Autumn Harvest Festival.

"The village usually uses pig heads, chickens, ducks, and grains harvested this year to sacrifice to the mountain gods. The elders of the clan will lead the dance. After the sacrifice is over, a flowing feast will be held, and the whole village can sit at the table and have a full meal."

"Where is the place of worship?"

"The altar on the east side of the village."

"Altar?!" Cheng Miaomiao opened her eyes wide in surprise.

There is an altar in the village? She didn't even notice it!

Seeing her surprised look, Zheng Bai couldn't help but laugh and said, "The altar is actually located near the big banyan tree. If you look closely, you will find a layer of circular stone slabs underground, on which are drawn the sacrificial runes left by our ancestors."

During the ceremony, the stone slabs would be cleaned, arranged and exposed.

At the same time, a simple altar made of wood is placed in front. Each household takes a piece of red cloth from home and ties it with a banyan tree branch, and makes a wish to the mountain god. After all this is done, the clan elders hold a sacrificial ceremony.

Only on the sacrificial day, all the villagers, young and old, will be present.

This was also the day that Zheng Bai looked forward to the most when he was a child. He remembered the ritual process very clearly, because it was the only day that his mother would not force him to stay at home to study, but could instead play with other children in the village.

On the table, there was not only a steady stream of fragrant dishes, but also endless conversations with friends.

Young men and women will also keep themselves clean and tidy on this day, and if they are interested in someone, they will send an ear of wheat or rice to that person.

What I saw when I looked up was the blue sky, and what I heard in my ears was the crisp jingle of wind chimes blowing on the banyan tree not far away. The red cloth strips were rising in the wind, as if sending the villagers' prayers to Xiaohuai Mountain.

It was a free and lively day.

Cheng Miaomiao's face turned red when she heard it, her eyes sparkled, and she was yearning for it. She was so excited that she wished she could time travel to the day of the Autumn Harvest Festival to see what kind of excitement it was!

Mrs. Yu glanced at her and said softly: "You can go and see if you want. Anyway, studying will not waste this time and a half."

Cheng Miaomiao's expression suddenly became tangled.

The temptation of finding something new that she had never seen before was too great, but she had already promised to study every day, and she had just promised Brother Zheng to accompany Aunt Yu, so it felt bad to just leave like this.

Ji Huai said at the right time: "Let's just watch it for a while, and then come back and continue reading."

"You can save the time to play out until the evening."

In this way, the total study time remains unchanged.

Don't feel guilty about it either.

Cheng Miaomiao: "!"

What a great idea!

…

The big banyan tree at the east end of the village.

The village chief Zhang Wei was leading a group of people to use brooms to clean up the sand and gravel buried on the ground. Soon a corner of the wooden board was exposed, and everyone suddenly became excited. Yes, this is the location of the altar!

Sitting on the rocks next to the banyan tree were many ladies having nothing to do.

The ladies leisurely fanned themselves with cattail fans, and someone said dissatisfiedly: "What kind of sacrifices are you doing when you are so good? Who has enough food left to make a banquet these days? If you don't have any food, how can you get money?"

"Why does the village chief always think that one thing comes out and the other comes out?"

"Hey, don't talk about the village chief. Look at the harvests of the Cheng family. If it were me, I would have to hold a sacrifice and quickly pray to God. Who doesn't want so much food?"

Hearing this, an aunt smiled half-heartedly and said, "Why don't we have a little lucky star in our family?"

She was shaking a dough-shaped fan that was different from the others in the village. Her hair was combed meticulously, with a silver hairpin stuck in her bun. She saw three children running over the bridge from the corner of her eye and raised her lower lip.

The aunt raised her chin over there: "Well, isn't this coming?"

Everyone immediately looked at it strangely.

Cheng Miaomiao, who had two little ones in her arms, was jumping and running happily towards this side. The child was born with red lips and white teeth, and her dark eyes looked particularly smart. When she smiled, the whole sky seemed to become brighter.

When she saw the corner of the place where the village chief and the others were cleaning, her eyes widened immediately. She quickly stopped, grabbed the hand of the friend next to her, shook it, and said, "There really is something down there."

Altar."

The child's voice is soft and his speaking speed is not very fast.

Anyone could hear the surprise in her tone.

Ji Huai smiled lightly and said, "Well, let's go over and take a look."

Zeng Ziji followed suit and said slowly, "What a coincidence." He happened to catch up with them cleaning the altar.

Cheng Miaomiao nodded repeatedly and hurriedly grabbed the person and ran over there, carefully avoiding the dust coming towards his face. Zhang Wei saw the three children at a glance and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Uncle village chief, are you cleaning up the altar?"

Cheng Miaomiao peered at that area and found that what was exposed was not a stone slab, but a wooden board.

Zhang Wei smiled and said: "Yes, we will prepare the sacrifice in a few days."

Cheng Miaomiao immediately danced and talked to him about what she heard from Zheng Bai. What kind of sacrifices required dancing, tying red cloth to make wishes, setting up big pig heads to sacrifice to the mountain gods, and setting up large running water mats, happy!

After he finished speaking, he looked at him with dazzling eyes and asked with flickering eyes: "So can the big pig head sacrificed be eaten?"

"..."

Zhang Wei suddenly couldn't laugh or cry.

He reached out and rubbed her little head, and said: "Of course, on the day of each sacrifice, the pig head will be specially used to make braised pork head meat slices. The portions eaten by the adults are spicy, while the portions eaten by the children are not spicy.

"

They also eat the sacrifices offered to the mountain gods?

Ji Huai's eyebrows moved slightly, and he asked in confusion: "Aren't you afraid that the mountain god will blame you?"

Cheng Miaomiao also raised her head to look at him curiously, nodding her head like garlic, yes, yes, yes.

Zhang Wei said solemnly: "The mountain god gave us a good harvest and taught us to be diligent and thrifty. When he sees our sincerity, he will naturally not blame us for such things. This is a blessing."

Ji Huai: "..."

These words sounded a little jarring, and Cheng Miaomiao was stunned for a moment.

But fortunately, her ability to understand has soared recently, and she quickly understood what she meant.

He means that the sacrifices offered to the mountain gods express the sincerity of the village, adhering to the principle of diligence and thrift without waste. After the mountain gods feel the sincerity, they will definitely be willing to let them take away the sacrifices and eat them. This is called blessing.

Cheng Miaomiao thought to herself, even the mountain gods won’t eat raw meat.

Maybe that's why people didn't show up and take away the sacrifices.

"Hey, our little lucky star also wants to dance on the festival day, right?"

At this moment, someone suddenly laughed loudly under the big banyan tree.

Cheng Miaomiao looked up in confusion, only to see the ladies sitting in rows, and was not sure who had spoken.

The next moment, he saw the aunt with a silver hairpin on her head smiling and saying: "You came to the village chief in advance to use the back door? How can anyone come empty-handed when using the back door? Why don't you go home and find your mother to get something good?"

.”
Chapter completed!