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 him in the mountains, Xiao Ai got up early on this day of the lunar new year.

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.

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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.

The girl didn't tease it, and directly distributed three cakes to the White Ape."Here, yours."

After sharing the cake, the girl left the cooking room. The White Ape happily took three scallion oil cakes and followed up with a smile.

One human and one monkey are sitting on the wooden stairs at the front door of wolf God Temple, eating the freshly baked scallion cake in the cold winter wind.

The White Ape happily said this to the girl beside him.

The girl was a little surprised. "Did you come back especially to spend New Year's Eve with me? Does White Ape know about New Year's Eve?"

The White Ape felt embarrassed and scratched the hair on the back of his head.

It is intelligent by nature. It is much smarter and stronger than ordinary apes. It has been at Hanyu mountain for a long time. It knows that people at the foot of the mountain seem to have a very important festival every time.

Thinking of the little girl living in Wolf God Temple alone, it struggled for many days before coming back, biting its teeth and risking being beaten.

The little girl shook her head wordlessly. "You are a monkey, what New Year's Eve... After eating the cake, you can go back to the mountain to play. I don't need your company."

The White Ape shook his head hurriedly, indicating that he would never go back.

In the cold wind, the girl was silent for a while, then she nodded slowly.

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"It's good for you to stay. Human festivals have a lot of stress and trouble, if you stay you have to listen and help me with my work."

"Jiji!" The White Ape nodded repeatedly, indicating that he would be obedient.

So the White Ape lived in the mountains. When she forced the White Ape to cultivate in front of Wolf God Temple, she prepared a room for him. Now Xiao Ai cleaned the house again and let the White Ape check-in.

However with such a delay, today's cultivation has not yet begun, though noon had arrived.

Xiao Ai looked at the sky, and went directly to the firewood room to carry the bundle of firewood cut in the morning. She prepared to go down the mountain to attend the funeral in the village.

This country believes in the God of fire and advocates cremation. According to custom, every family who goes to the funeral should bring a bundle of firewood to the deceased's family.

As for gifts and other things, they are not popular in this remote mountain village. The village holds funerals, and every household in the neighborhood will go to help with cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning up, which requires a lot of manpower.

If Xiao Ai is still in the village, she must help such a funeral.

Now she has a special status, even if she wants to help, the villagers dare not bother her. It's enough to carry a bundle of firewood and send it to them.

When White Ape saw that Xiao Ai was going down the mountain, he hurriedly followed and kept asking to go with her.

The human village at the foot of the mountain, in which he has never set foot, is full of mystery. Now Xiao Ai is leading the way. He is excited to see what the human village is like.

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.

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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.

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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.