Chapter 77: May You Enjoy the Feast

After signing the contract, Wen Miao drove Shi Pengpeng to the nearby Puhe Town for lunch.

She had a good relationship with Cai Baojun, a local official in Puhe Town.

Cai Baojun was quite envious of the rapid development of Pinghe Village recently and insisted on hosting a meal upon hearing that Shi Pengpeng was visiting today.

Upon arriving in Puhe Town, Shi Pengpeng and Wen Miao had just stepped out of the car when they heard the deafening sound of gongs and drums, accompanied by a faint smell of gunpowder in the air-likely from firecrackers that had just been set off nearby.

Shi Pengpeng exclaimed, “What’s going on? Is there some event?”

Cai Baojun responded, explaining, “It’s the eldest son of the third branch of the Xiu family returning to pay respects to his ancestors.”

Puhe Town had several prominent clans, one of which was the Xiu family.

The eldest son of the third branch, Xiu Wancheng, had left town early to do business elsewhere and had amassed considerable wealth.

He was a well-known figure in the town.

A few years ago, when Xiu Wancheng’s father passed away, he donated a significant amount of money to renovate the Xiu family ancestral hall, earning a reputation as a filial son.

This time, for the ancestral worship ceremony, Xiu Wancheng spared no expense, hiring a gong and drum troupe and even a theatrical troupe.

It was said that he had specially invited a skilled spiritual medium from the south, who possessed the ability to communicate with spirits.

The medium was to summon Xiu Wancheng’s father from the afterlife to meet his beloved grandson.

At this, Cai Baojun shook her head and sighed, “Despite living in a big city for so many years, Xiu Wancheng is still so superstitious.”

Shi Pengpeng thought she was referring to the ancestral worship and didn’t comment.

However, upon hearing about the spiritual medium, she became intrigued and asked, “Can I go and take a look?”

Spirit communication, similar to practices like “asking the rice” or “soul summoning,” was a method of connecting with the deceased.

Its earliest records were traced back to the Lüshan Sect.

In regions like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and some southern provinces, similar practices were known as “observing the underworld” or “soul summoning.”

It was said that spirit communication could allow one’s soul to leave the body and enter the spiritual realm, or even bring the soul of a deceased person back to the living world, possessing the medium to converse with their relatives.

There were many branches of such practices, varying by region.

Since they had encountered it, Shi Pengpeng naturally wanted to witness it firsthand, treating it as a form of study.

Cai Baojun assumed Shi Pengpeng was just curious and said, “Of course, you can. Xiu Wancheng would be delighted to have more people attend it adds to his prestige.”

With that, she led Shi Pengpeng and Wen Miao around a couple of alleys to the front of the Xiu family ancestral hall in the eastern part of town.

The Xiu family ancestral hall had been renovated a few years ago with Xiu Wancheng’s generous donations.

The entrance was grand, adorned with intricate carvings and paintings, exuding an air of magnificence.

When the three arrived, the area in front of the hall was filled with the lingering smell of gunpowder and a bustling crowd.

Since the ancestral hall belonged to the entire Xiu clan and their shared ancestors, Xiu Wancheng had made the ceremony a grand and lively event.

Many onlookers had gathered, mostly members of the Xiu family.

However, the gong and drum troupe had already stopped playing, and the ancestral worship ceremony had just concluded.

Yet, the crowd of spectators hadn’t dispersed, still tightly packed around the hall’s entrance, forming multiple layers of people.

Cai Baojun inquired and learned that the medium was about to begin the ritual.

She quickly led Shi Pengpeng and Wen Miao to a less crowded spot near a side entrance.

The three squeezed together, peeking through the gaps in the crowd to catch a glimpse of the scene inside the hall.

In the center of the hall stood a large altar table, laden with an extravagant array of offerings, showcasing opulence.

According to those nearby, these were newly prepared for the occasion.

In the room, there was an altar set up to honor the common ancestors of the Xiu family.

This altar had been rearranged specifically to pay respects to Xiu Wancheng’s father.

Seated cross-legged beside the altar was an elderly man dressed in Taoist robes, wearing a square scarf on his head.

He appeared to be the spiritual medium, Chen Fashi, whom Xiu Wancheng had invited.

Standing in a row below the altar were four people: a somewhat short and stout elderly woman, a middle-aged man in his forties, a young woman in her early twenties adorned with gold and silver jewelry, and a boy around five years old who bore a striking resemblance to the young woman.

Cai Baojun informed Shi Pengpeng and Wen Miao that the middle-aged man was Xiu Wancheng, the elderly woman was his mother, and the young woman and the boy were his wife, Gan Yanmei, and their son, Xiu Jizong.

Wen Miao was surprised and remarked, “That’s his wife? I thought she was his daughter. She looks so young.”

“Well, of course, she’s young,” Cai Baojun snorted with a hint of disdain.

“She’s his second wife.”

Wen Miao: “…Oh. I see. Well, for wealthy people, it’s not that unusual.”

As they spoke, the ritual officially began.

Chen Fashi stood up and walked over to Xiu Jizong, making a gesture toward him.

“Xiu Jizong, the worthy grandson of the Xiu family, come with me.”

Xiu Jizong, still very young, didn’t quite understand what was happening.

Seeing a strangely dressed, wrinkled old man approaching to take him away, he immediately hid behind Xiu Wancheng, crying loudly, “Daddy, I’m scared, scared—”

Xiu Wancheng quickly crouched down to comfort him, “Jizong, don’t be scared. This is Chen Fashi, whom Daddy invited. He’s just taking you to greet Grandpa…”

“I don’t want to, I don’t want to “Xiu Jizong covered his ears, crying and shaking his head vigorously.

The child’s high-pitched wails echoed throughout the ancestral hall.

Xiu Wancheng’s expression darkened, but he patiently coaxed, “Jizong, be good. It’ll be over soon.”

Xiu’s mother and Gan Yanmei quickly gathered around.

Xiu’s mother pulled Xiu Jizong into her arms, gently patting his back, “Grandma’s precious grandson, don’t cry, don’t cry. Be good, and when we return to the city, Grandma will take you to the amusement park and rent the whole place just for you, okay?”

Gan Yanmei, however, scowled and scolded sharply, “Jizong, what did Mommy just tell you?”

Faced with his mother’s stern tone, Xiu Jizong immediately quieted down, sniffled, and said, “Jizong is the eldest son of the Xiu family. Jizong must be obedient.”

Xiu’s mother was visibly displeased and shot Gan Yanmei a glare, “Why are you shouting so loudly? What if you scare my precious grandson?”

“Or should I wait for you to slowly coax him?”

Gan Yanmei retorted with an equally sharp look.

“Chen Fashi is waiting. Do you still want to invite Dad or not?”

“Enough, both of you stop arguing,” Xiu Wancheng interjected, seeing that they were about to start bickering again.

He then handed the now-quiet Xiu Jizong to Chen Fashi, “Thank you for your trouble, Fashi.”

The sight of three adults fussing over one child made Wen Miao’s lips twitch.

She whispered, “What a picture of familial harmony and filial piety.”

“Only toward the son, though,” Cai Baojun quipped.

“They’re not like this with their granddaughter. Back when the old man was still alive…”

“Back then, the elderly couple constantly berated their daughter-in-law for not bearing a son. I had to go to their house several times to mediate.”

Upon hearing there was some juicy gossip, Shi Pengpeng instinctively leaned in, ears perked up: “Do tell.”

Cai Baojun continued:

“It turns out that Xiu Wancheng’s family was extremely patriarchal. Xiu Wancheng had actually married quite early, but his first wife was in poor health. After giving birth to two daughters, she refused to have any more children. At that time, Xiu Wancheng had already gone to another city to do business.”

“Seeing this, he simply abandoned his wife and two daughters in their hometown, leaving them to fend for themselves. His ex-wife lived with her daughters and in-laws, enduring a miserable life.”

“At the time, Xiu Wancheng’s father was still alive. He and Xiu’s mother, furious that their daughter-in-law wouldn’t try for a son, would frequently beat and scold her. It got so bad that they often had to call the police to mediate.”

“Not only that, the elderly couple would also secretly abuse their granddaughters. They had somehow come across a rumor that mistreating the girls in the family would prevent other female spirits from being reincarnated into their household.”

Back then, Cai Baojun had just started her job and would occasionally go with her colleagues to mediate at the Xiu household.

Several times, they discovered bruises on the two granddaughters.

The ex-wife, enraged, would confront her in-laws, but the old couple, tough as nails and backed by their son, were unafraid.

Instead, they would mock her and even encouraged Xiu Wancheng to divorce her.

Seeing how they treated her daughters, the ex-wife became even more determined not to have another child.

Thus, Xiu Wancheng, who was already dissatisfied with his wife, finally filed for divorce a few years ago under the constant pressure from his parents.

By then, his ex-wife had long been disheartened.

She took her two daughters and left Puhe Town, moving to another city to start anew.

After the divorce, Xiu Wancheng quickly married his current wife, Gan Yanmei.

The elderly couple eagerly awaited their new daughter-in- law to bear them a grandson.

Unfortunately, Xiu’s father never lived to see a grandson.

Not long after, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

It’s said that on his deathbed, he held Xiu Wancheng’s hand and made him promise to have a male heir.

Without a grandson, the eldest line of the Xiu family would be cut off, and he would never rest in peace.

At this point, Cai Baojun leaned in closer to Shi Pengpeng and Wen Miao, whispering so others couldn’t hear: “I heard that when Xiu Wancheng donated money to rebuild the ancestral hall, it wasn’t just for his late father’s dignity. It was mainly to accumulate merit and pray for a son…”

It turns out that although Xiu Wancheng had married a younger wife, he was already getting on in years.

Combined with his indulgent lifestyle, his body was worn out.

After marrying Gan Yanmei for over a year, even after Xiu’s father had passed away, there was still no sign of a pregnancy.

The whole family was growing anxious.

Fortunately, persistence paid off.

Not long after Xiu Wancheng rebuilt the ancestral hall, Gan Yanmei became pregnant and gave birth to a son, finally fulfilling the hopes of two generations of the Xiu family.

Now, the entire family revolves around this only male heir.

As soon as Xiu Jizong was old enough, they hurriedly took him back to their hometown to pay respects to the ancestors, ostensibly to comfort his father, but really to save face.

In the end, Cai Baojun shook her head, “The Qing Dynasty has been gone for so many years.”

Shi Pengpeng and Wen Miao were left speechless for a long time.

It was only then that Shi Pengpeng realized that when Cai Baojun had earlier called Xiu Wancheng feudal, it wasn’t just about the ancestral worship.

In the ancestral hall, Chen Fashi led Xiu Jizong to kneel before the altar, placed a talisman on his forehead, and began chanting incantations with his fingers raised.

As Chen Fashi’s chants filled the air, Xiu Jizong gradually grew drowsy.

Soon after, a yellow paper horse on the altar stood up, caught the wind, and landed on the ground.

It then began hopping toward the gate.

The onlookers gasped in astonishment at this strange sight.

Even the Xiu family, including Xiu Wancheng, widened their eyes in disbelief.

Xiu’s mother clasped her hands together and murmured excitedly, “Chen Fashi truly has remarkable skills. Old man, if you’re watching, hurry back with the horse and see our dear grandson, Zongzong.”

Shi Pengpeng, observing this, began to understand.

Chen Fashi was performing the “Soul Retrieval Ritual.”

This ritual required a child related by blood to the deceased.

The child would be put into a dream state, and a paper horse would be burned to pave the way.

In the dream, the child would ride the paper horse, guided by the earth god, to bring the deceased’s soul back to the living world.

Sure enough, as the paper horse reached the gate, the crowd instinctively made way for it.

However, the horse did not leap over the threshold.

Instead, it halted mid-air and spontaneously combusted, turning into a wisp of smoke.

The next moment, Chen Fashi solemnly rose from his seat, walked to the main position at the altar, and sat down.

He picked up a plate of lamb leg, sniffed it, and then eagerly began devouring it.

Seeing Chen Fashi’s behavior, Shi Pengpeng knew the ritual had succeeded.

Xiu Jizong had indeed brought back his grandfather’s soul, which was now possessing Chen Fashi.

Cai Baojun, puzzled, remarked, “Is this priest pretending to be possessed by the Xiu family’s old ghost? His acting is quite poor; it doesn’t seem convincing at all.”

Wen Miao nodded in agreement, expressing disdain, “His eating manners are far too crude.”

Shi Pengpeng:”……”