father snake

Seeing that the day of Lidong is approaching day by day, all households that can come back have basically rushed back.

The rest of them who couldn't come back honestly asked their elders in the family and the elders of the Shi family to ask for leave early in the morning.

Originally, according to the practice of previous years, it would be fine to ask for leave. After all, March [-]rd is not a national statutory holiday, and those clansmen who work outside are not able to spare time to return to their hometown every time.

Taking a leave of absence is also a compromise.

But this year is different from previous years, not only because of the time change, but also because the elders have spoken, this year, whether they can come back in time or have something to do, they must come back.

As soon as the word spread, some people became unhappy. Those women who liked to gossip, chirped together and began to guess what was going on.

To put it bluntly, the younger generation is educated in atheism every day, and has never experienced those strange things. Although they have been exposed to it since childhood, they don't say that they sneer at the insistence of the adults in the family that they must participate in the clan sacrifice. It is impossible to make them believe in those rumors.

As a result, some people came back, and some people went out to live their usual lives on their own. No matter what happened, it was just their own destiny.

On the day of Lidong, the sky became more and more gloomy. Early in the morning, it began to rain coldly. The fine rain mixed with large and small snowdrops fell from the sky, crackling and falling on the roof, trees, and the road. It melted as soon as it touched the ground, forming puddles one by one.

Today it's cold.

Originally, the Shi family's clan sacrifice had nothing to do with Shi Xiaochuan. He had never participated in it before, and this time he didn't think he would have anything to do with him, but this year is destined to be very different from previous years.

On the morning of Lidong, he was woken up by Shi's mother, hurriedly put on his clothes, followed Shi's father, and went to the Shi family ancestral hall.

As usual, there are no women here, except for the unmarried daughters surnamed Shi. Those married women must stay at home peacefully on this day.

This is the second time for Shi Xiaochuan to enter the ancestral hall of the Shi family. In this solemn and solemn place, because of the death of sister Zhang Guo last time, in Shi Xiaochuan's eyes, the red paint on the two rows of round wooden pillars felt as if they had dried up. The bloodstains on the ground, those lions and gluttons that can be seen everywhere have also lost their previous dignity and majesty, and instead appear ferocious.

Shi Xiaochuan felt that he was suspicious.

People come and go in the ancestral hall, it is very lively, waves of people come to the altar, kneel down respectfully and kowtow, kneel down to worship the densely packed ancestral tablets enshrined on it, and the most conspicuous unnamed plaque among the ancestors bit.

Shi Xiaochuan saw the tablet at the first sight, and he felt very uncomfortable. The tablet seemed to be inserted in the middle of those ancestors of the Shi family, which seemed very incongruous.

It excludes the tablets of the ancestors of the Shi family, occupies the front position, enjoys the best offerings, and looks carelessly at the descendants of the Shi family who are kneeling.

Every descendant of the Shi family who has finished kneeling will be led to the next room. After staying there for a while, it will be decided who can leave the ancestral hall immediately and go home, and who must stay in the ancestral hall to watch the night.

Shi Xiaochuan was a little awkward, he grew up so big, he had never bowed down before, and now he is not doing such things during the holidays, Shi Xiaoshan standing with him is quite natural, kneeling on the futon next to him, Kowtowing three times neatly, he stood up.

Only then did Shi Xiaochuan remember that Shi Xiaoshan had long been used to this.

From the year he was born, before he could walk, he was brought into the ancestral hall by Shi's father, and participated in this sacrifice as a member of the Shi family's descendants.

Shi Xiaochuan kowtowed silently, and followed Papa Shi to the next room. There was only a table and a few chairs in the room in a circle, and a few old men in their twilight years sat on it. The Great Elder holding a pipe and "cracking" smoking.

There is a copper tripod on the table with a patina on it, which looks old. Next to the tripod is a sharp dagger with a finely carved handle, engraved with a lifelike dragon playing with a bead.

Shi Xiaochuan watched Papa Shi walk over to pick up the dagger, and slashed at his finger without hesitation, bright red blood oozed out, Papa Shi raised his hand, and the blood dripped into the copper tripod, followed behind him Shi Xiaoshan also followed the instructions of the gourd painting.

When it was Shi Xiaochuan's turn, he picked up the dagger used by Papa Shi and Shi Xiaochuan, looked at his own finger, and scratched it cruelly. Maybe the wound was too shallow, and his blood seeped into it. The speed of coming out is slower than Papa Shi and the others.

Shi Xiaoshan, who was watching from the side, curled his lips in disdain, probably because he felt that his brother was so afraid of pain that it was too embarrassing for him.

Only Shi Xiaochuan knew that it was because he had lost too much blood these days, and was bled every night by the half-human, half-snake Tianqiu. Now that he can stand here firmly, it is because of his strong willpower.

His face became paler as the knife went down. Because he was afraid of the cold, he was dressed thicker than the old man next to him, but the bloated clothes still couldn't cover his thin body, and he looked like he would fall when the wind blows Same.

The few drops of bright red blood sank into the copper tripod, Shi Xiaochuan tiptoed slightly, trying to see clearly what was inside the tripod.

The inside of the copper tripod was dark, and he couldn't see anything. He retracted his hand in disappointment, but heard a slight humming sound from the tripod. The elders who were chatting next to him immediately raised their heads and looked this way. The elder waved his hand, motioning for Papa Shi to come over.

Papa Shi walked over, he and Papa Shi whispered a few words, pointed to Shi Xiaochuan, Papa Shi nodded.

They walked out of the room, Father Shi let Shi Xiaoshan go home first, and then took Shi Xiaochuan to the backyard, "You will watch the night here tonight." He pointed to the room, "Sleep here at night, later, Shi Chuanxin " He looked at Shi Xiaochuan's blank look, "Do you know Shi Chuanxin?"

Shi Xiaochuan nodded, this person is a well-known bag inquirer in Lingshan Town, and many messy things came from him. Shi Xiaochuan knew that Mama Shi didn't like it, so it should be said that he hated this person, because it was him The first one to say that Shi Xiaochuan and Papa Shi are not at all alike, that they don't look like the Shi family.

When he said these things, he never used an affirmative tone, "maybe", "looks like", "probably", "not quite", these uncertain words are sandwiched between his words that sound reasonable and well-reasoned. In secret, one spreads ten, ten spreads a hundred, and in the end, the unreliable gossip becomes a "fact" that everyone knows well. Even if you jump into the Yellow River, it is difficult to reverse those who are immersed in these "facts" and cannot extricate themselves. Impressions inherent in people's minds.

Therefore, Mama Shi hated him.

Shi Xiaochuan heard the soft cries of children from time to time in the front yard. It should be those children who were forced to cut their fingers, but these cries were often forced to swallow back when they first appeared, leaving only a few I couldn't help sobbing.

It was still raining outside, and it was too cold for him to be alone in this room. Shi Xiaochuan walked up and down in this room, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that the room looked familiar. Suddenly he remembered, this seemed to be a wedding That day, he wandered to the backyard and saw the room where the Great Elder was talking with his son.

Shi Xiaochuan remembered that they were very afraid that something might happen to this clan festival.

The room opposite him is the new house where Zhang Guo’s sister died. Shi Xiaochuan pushed the door open, wanting to take a look, but found that there was a lock on the door of the room that used to be the new house. But in order not to cause trouble for Papa Shi, he still decided to restrain his curiosity.

He had always wanted to find out the truth about Zhang Guo's sister's death. Just like Zhang Guo, he instinctively disbelieved those perfect autopsy reports.

Although he told Zhang Guo over and over again that his sister's death was an accident, it was just to let Zhang Guo get out of the shadows and stop seeking revenge on Shi Daquan and his son like crazy.

When it was almost dark, Shi Chuanxin finally remembered Shi Xiaochuan who had been left here, and hurried over to lead him into the hall. There were probably dozens of people in the dark, probably all of whom were killed after the ceremony of dripping blood. Among those who remained were old people on crutches, babies who were waiting to be fed, men with capable faces, and girls who were in their prime.

Although there were many people, but because the rule is to keep quiet, everyone sat in their respective positions without speaking.

The atmosphere was very oppressive. After a long time, I even unconsciously breathed lightly, for fear that a slightly louder voice would break the silence of the room and make people around me look sideways at me.

At eight o'clock, the restaurant in the town delivered boxed lunches. Shi Xiaochuan looked at the oversized lunch box in his hand. The food was very rich, even seafood that is rarely eaten now, but in this environment , Shi Xiaochuan really didn't have much appetite, in order to maintain his strength, he forced himself to finish the rice, ate some vegetables, and put the boxed lunch aside, and soon, someone came to take away his boxed lunch.

With the Shi family's financial resources, it would be easy to hire some people to do cleaning and miscellaneous work.

The hot meal dispelled the chill on Shi Xiaochuan's body, and he felt more comfortable. He quietly opened the down jacket on his body, and the box inside the inner pocket contained Xiaobai who was still sleeping.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the hall, Shi Xiaochuan raised his head and looked over, and saw Shi Chen's father, Shi Anqing, hurried in, sitting in the hall with presbyopic glasses, smoking a pipe, holding a Seeing him, the Great Elder Ben was watching immediately stood up and waved to him. Shi Anqing walked over immediately, and after the two talked head to head, Shi Anqing sat on the seat next to him.

Shi Xiaochuan looked at him, and wanted to stand up and ask if Shi Chen had been found. However, when Shi Anqing just passed by him, he looked at him with undisguised disgust and hatred, letting him know Well, Shi Anqing didn't really think that he was innocent, but let him go for some reason. If he stabbed a hornet's nest at such a time, the only consequence would be to be stung by a hornet.

People say that it is the habit of pigs to sleep when they are full.

On this cold night with pattering snowdrops outside, in such a tense and oppressive hall, Shi Xiaochuan thought that he would definitely not be able to fall asleep. However, after a while, he felt more and more confused, like a sleepy bug possessed It's the same.

He thought, maybe he was too tired recently.

He managed to pull himself together, and stayed for a while until he could go back to his room before going to sleep. Although there was heating in the hall, the temperature was still low anyway. With his current physique, he would easily catch a cold and have a fever. Tianqiu, who comes here on time to "eat", has no "food", so it is not very good.

When he slightly raised his head and looked around, he realized that the people in the hall, except the Great Elder and Shi Anqing sitting on top of him, almost fell asleep lying there. Shi Xiaochuan was taken aback, and he pinched Put your own hands.

The hand was a little weak, but still felt a little pain.

He wasn't dreaming, everyone in the room was stunned.

He saw two people coming in from the side door of the hall, one was sitting in a wheelchair and the other was walking beside, they were actually the strange old man he saw in the "Three Cleansing Temple" and She Junhan.