Twilight Boundary Chapter 110

 Chapter 110 Sesse's Godmother

Mother-in-law is really back?

Hu Ma looked towards the table and didn't see it. In his eyes, there was only a ball of air, blending with the night outside the door.

 But when he saw Xiao Hongtang's face, the happiness and closeness were not fake.

If her mother-in-law really came back, then she would naturally be able to see it. If her mother-in-law came back in another form, it stands to reason that she would also let him see it. This did make Hu Ma feel a little confused, but he resisted asking. Second Master I told myself that at this time, I couldn't ask similar questions, otherwise it would be disrespectful.

Just because I can't see her, it doesn't mean that my mother-in-law hasn't come back. Others in the village can't see their ancestors, and they are just as pious.

So Hu Ma also put on a smile, went to the table first, poured wine for her mother-in-law, and then made dumplings herself.

 The first three were served to the mother-in-law first and placed on the table. Then a small bowl was served to Xiao Hongtang, and then a large bowl was served to herself.

　　The family huddled in this small room dimly lit by oil lamps and had another reunion dinner.

 In a daze, he really felt that he saw his mother-in-law sitting on the Taishi's chair, looking at him and Xiao Hongtang with loving eyes, and he felt very stable in his heart.

This night, the lights of thousands of houses were kept on all night, and every family had their ancestors living there.

Humans and ghosts live in the same household, but everyone in the village slept very peacefully that night.

Everyone is afraid of ghosts, but who would be afraid of the people who give birth to themselves?

"Mother-in-law, don't worry about me. I have learned the skills of a year-keeper. I haven't learned them all yet, but I will soon cure myself."

　　After taking her mother-in-law home for a year, Hu Ma sent her mother-in-law back to Laohutangzi again the next day.

Just like when I brought my mother-in-law back, I burned three sticks of incense to lead the way, and together with the endless stream of soul-bearers in the village, we arrived at the old fire pond. Everyone put the incense in their hands in the pond, and then went their separate ways. He took out his purse, poured the pond ash inside, and replaced it with a new one.

　　Because this is the time to prepare for the return trip, and we go to each village to visit relatives.

 When traveling in the forests of Laoyin Mountain, pond ash is indispensable.

 It's just that the families in the village have many relatives who interact with each other, but the Hu family does not.

After offering sacrifices to Laohuotangzi, Hu Ma was thinking about when to go back.

In this first year of joining the Red Lantern Club, although I got the opportunity to come back to celebrate the New Year, the circumstances were special after all, so I had to rush back to work.

Especially, Miss White Wine's blood pills have been prepared, and she hastened back to share the spoils...

 …No, it depends on chance.

 “Little Huma, don't be busy yet, your second master and I will come to you if we have something to do.”

However, just when Hu Madu had started to pack things, the patriarch and the second master came again.

The old patriarch, as if he had arrived at his own home, sat down on the Grand Master's chair, put in a dry cigarette and smoked, saying: "This year, you guys have come out, and our village has really become more beautiful. In the past few days, the village has become more prosperous. People from all over the country visit relatives and talk about your affairs, which will make the neighboring villages envious."

 “They all say that green smoke is coming out of our fire pond...”

“All of a sudden, five people entered the Red Lantern Club and got involved, and one of them even became a steward!”

“This is the first of the eight villages in this country. The brother-in-law who was in charge of the village in the past is showing off and bragging everywhere!”

"This is a good thing in our village, and we can't help but accept this favor."

The old patriarch first reminisced happily for a while, and then he knocked on the pipe and pot, and said seriously to Hu Ma: "So I have also discussed with your second master that it is not enough for us to sacrifice Lao Huotangzi this year. I want to take advantage of it before you leave. , and also burn incense and make offerings to the mountains and forests around our village, saying good things."

“After all, if you guys are able to make a career, it's not only the ancestors who protect you, but we, Lao Yinshan, also protect you...”

 “Sacrifice to the mountain?”

Hu Ma was shocked. This old patriarch was really brave...

 In the memory of the past life, no one who dared to sacrifice to the mountain was a simple person, and even the emperor might not be able to resist.

 Especially the mountains in this world, they are even more evil.

 Even if we are well-known in the eyes of the people in the village, we are just a steward of the Red Lantern Lady Association. How can we be qualified to offer sacrifices to the mountain?

Even if the Red Lantern Lady came in person, she might not be qualified...

 “Not a high sacrifice.”

The old patriarch saw Hu Ma's surprise and said, "Just go outside the village and say something to the mountains and woods to ask for peace of mind."

"Don't shirk this matter. I have discussed it with your second master and several elders in the village."

"Now among the several villages and villages around here, and the neighbors on the left and right, who doesn't know that our Dayang Village is the most beautiful? If you don't burn incense at this time, when will you wait?"

“Especially, after this forest, our Dayang Village is the most outstanding one around.”

“Even if we eat blood, people will choose from us first…”

“It turns out that it's not just a matter of face, but also actual interests. Let's just say that he won't do anything by patting his head on his head…”

Hu Ma understood what the old patriarch meant, but she still felt uneasy and turned to look at the second master.

Now that my mother-in-law is not in the village, the second master is my elder, and he is also knowledgeable. It is definitely right to listen to him when encountering difficulties.

 “This is not a barbarian sacrifice.”

When the second master saw Hu Ma looking over, he also put down his pipe and said, "In our village, there has always been a tradition of offering sacrifices to mountains."

"In previous years, when we had good harvests, we had more blood and food, and there were too many babies in the village, so they all had to be sacrificed." "But in recent years, although the village has been relatively peaceful, there is nothing to be hungry for." The important things have gradually faded away."

“Besides, it's said to be a mountain sacrifice, but it's actually just a small fuss.”

"Don't you still have a godmother in the woods? Let's provide for her. Isn't it natural for a godson to provide for his godmother?"

“Furthermore, when your mother-in-law was here, she was kind-hearted and helpful. She had many acquaintances in the old forest. Even the herb collectors from our village were taken care of when they entered the forest.”

“You kowtowed to them when you left. Now that you are back, you should pay some tribute and burn incense sticks.”

Hearing what the second master said, Hu Ma felt a little relieved.

Although the second master is a rough man, he knows the rules and can do whatever he thinks makes sense.

 Besides, Hu Ma also heard some other meanings from the second master's words.

Earlier when he was offering an offering to his godmother, some mysterious things came to him in the forest, so the second master immediately turned the offering to them and even kowtowed to him.

 The village didn't know about this, but the second master thought he had written it down.

This so-called mountain sacrifice is not actually a mountain sacrifice, but a way to respect these spirits as if they were ancestors in the old fire pond.

Earlier, people remembered their mother-in-law's old love and took care of themselves. But as long as I take the initiative to make sacrifices this year, it means that I have connected with the old love and started to move around.

 “I listen to the second master.”

After understanding this section, Hu Ma nodded, but still couldn't help but speak, wanting to keep a low profile.

I always feel that this kind of thing is too big and I can't bear it.

 “Don't worry, your second master, I have a sense of propriety.”

The second master understood what Hu Ma meant, so he and the old patriarch left to prepare.

They did not lie about this matter. Although offering sacrifices to Linzi is a bigger event than offering sacrifices to Lao Huotangzi, the scale is much smaller than offering sacrifices to Lao Huotangzi.

First, women and children were not allowed to participate, and all the young and strong men in the village were not called. Only a few elders led them, plus Hu Ma, and a few other guys who had joined the Red Lantern Lady Club, and even Li Wazi, They all specifically asked him to stay.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, a group of people brought offerings, incense and candles, changed into new clothes, and left the village.

Walking around in the forest, I found Hu Ma's godmother. It was the cold winter and the willow trees were bare.

The godmother was stretching her body under the sparse sun in the forest, when she suddenly saw so many people coming, and she was so shaken that the icicles fell off.

“Liu Erniang, your godson has become famous, so he came back to see you during the Chinese New Year...”

The second master knew his godmother best, so he greeted her warmly, chattering, and put a red paper on her body.

The godmother doesn't seem to care about her godson at all, but she can't throw him away when he's older, right?

The second master put red paper on the godmother's body, and asked the people around to clear away the weeds and dead branches, leaving a clean area, and put down all the offerings.

The godmother looked at the bowls of chicken, fish, steamed buns, meatballs, and even a pig's head, and she was a little confused.

 What a willow tree, but it seems to have a timid temperament.

"Hu Ma, the grandson of Hu Bai's hag in Dayang Village, encountered a disaster early on and almost survived. Thanks to the deep blessings of the Hu family, the elders in the forest missed him and protected him. Now he is in good health and has escaped the disaster. Today I come to express my gratitude. I hope the elders will accept it..."

After laying out the sacrifices, the second master burned a piece of red paper with Hu Ma's name written on it while talking.

After a while, I felt that the surroundings suddenly seemed to be much darker.

Deep in the forest, there were many rustling sounds, figures swaying, and dead branches swaying, it was like a different world.

Looking directly with your eyes, you can only feel the gloomy wind and can't see anything. But if you look with your peripheral vision, you can feel that there are people standing behind the forest.

　　Everyone had different eyes, some were pleased, some were laughing, and they all looked at Hu Ma.

 And in front of these many eyes, Liu Erniang simply trembled.

"Damn it, how can you have the nerve to say you are here to sacrifice me?"

 “Sure enough, it's here…”

At the same time, after noticing these gazes, Hu Ma felt a little chilled in her heart.

 It's those people.

Those who came out to see off my mother-in-law were also the ones who came to see him and received a gift from him when they left the village.

He can't see these "people" clearly now, but he can detect the familiar eyes.

Especially, when he raised his head slightly, out of the corner of his eye, he did see something deep in the forest again.

That tree stump.

 The old patriarch and the second master discussed the matter of offering sacrifices to the mountain, and I felt a little unsure.

 But they seem to have been waiting for a long time?

Took a deep breath and was about to bow down, but suddenly he heard a noise in the distance, and there were faint shouts and curses:

"How capable are you, Danyangzhai, that you have to go outside to offer sacrifices to the forest?"

 (End of this chapter)

Chapter end