The Ups and Downs of the Commoners Page #18

This non-fiction novel tells the life of ordinary commoners in the middle of the 20th century in China, from the series of movements such as "Land Reform", "Great Leap Forward", "Cultural Revolution" and "Educated Youth Going to the Countryside" to the early days of Reform and Opening-up. The book has four volumes, and was published by Hong Kong Chinese International Publishing House in 2015. The protagonist of this book, Fang Zhengben, was born into a bankrupt family of landowners. Their family has lived in Taiqing Town for generations. When he was six years old, he left Taiqing Town with his parents and came to Longyun Mountain, where the mountains overlap. From then on, he began an unusual life: their family hard work, but they couldn't eat enough; he yearned for reading, but he has dropped out of school three times before graduating from junior high school; he is diligent and studious, with excellent grades, but the door of colleges is

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After lunch, Fang Xinwen spread the white paper he purchased on the table, cut into 32 equal parts, and placed it neatly next to it. After cutting the paper, he divided the paper evenly into many stacks, and put them on the stool, and using a ghost-money-chisel chiseled semi-circular cuts in row after row  in the paper. After every two cuts are closed to each other, they represent a coin. Then, he sealed a stack of cut-out paper into a small bag using the leftover white paper, and said to his two sons: "You have all seen it, Ghost-money are sealed like this. You guys also come to pack it." It's hard for the brothers to have the such an opportunity, today they didn't have to go up the mountain to collect firewood and mow the grass, they of course were happy to do this. They immediately helped his father pack simulated coins.  Fang Xinwen seeing that there was not much left, he said to Fang Zhengqing: "Qingyuan, Go take some water to grinding ink." Fang Zhengqing agreed to go.
When Fang Zhengqing grinds the ink, the simulated coins are also packaged. Fang Xinwen is like writing remittance documents, using a Writing brush to write on the package the reason for the coin gift, the payee's name and the sender's respectful name to him (her), the sender's name and its relationship with the beneficiary, and finally the burn time. At the same time, he said to the Fang Zhengqing: "You have also learned the Chinese calligraphy. Bring a Writing brush, and write with me."
Fang Zhengqing saw the words "Today is the Zhongyuan Festival, I have prepared a pack of coins for you" and asked: "Dad, what is the 'Zhongyuan Festival'?" Fang Xinwen said: "I don't know when it started, there is a ‘Three Yuan’ festival: the 15 of the first month of the lunar calendar is called Shangyuan Festival, it is said to be the day when the officials in charge of heaven give benefits to mankind; July 15 is the Zhongyuan Festival, the day when the officials in charge of the underground affairs pardon the sins of the dead; October 15 is the Xiayuan Festival, the day when the officials in charge of underwater affairs relieve the people of calamities. On the seventh day of July, the officials in charge of the underground will open the gates of hell, release the ghosts of the dead, and let them return to the world to reunite with their families; after July 15th, they should go back again. Therefore, every household must make some delicious food, as offerings for the ancestors who have returned at this time, and burn Ghost-moneys for them to use in the underworld. However, the time of sacrifice is from the seventh day of July to the July 15th."
Seeing Fang Zhengben standing aside and doing nothing to do, Fang Xinwen said: "Zhengben, you take a basket, go to the tree to pick the some biggest pears, will as a sacrifice." Fang Zhengben hurriedly carried the basket and went out. He climbed to the pear tree, picked the largest pear and filled half of the basket. Knowing that it was used to sacrifice to ancestors, he dared not eat it first, fearing that the ancestors would blame him.
After Fang Zhengben left, Fang Xinwen put down his writing brush, took out a piece of tea cake from the drawer of the locker, and said to Wang Qihui: "You go and make a pot of tea first." Wang Qihui took the tea cake and went out and washed the pot. Add water to boil, break a small piece of tea from the tea cake, wash it with water, put it in boiling water, boil it slightly, put it in the teapot and put it on the table. Then she took out a few gold-threaded tea bowls produced in Jingdezhen, wash it clean, serve tea.
After Fang Xinwen finished writing on the mock coin packaging, he took out the tobacco leaf, stood by the table, rolled two cigarettes, put them in the pipe, and put them on the table with the match respectfully, and said solemnly: "Grandfather, grandma, dad, mom, our family has been farming on this mountain since this year. I planted these tobaccos, you taste it. This tea is the old Yunnan Xiaguan Tuo Tea that my eldest sister has just brought back from Chengdu. It is made with mountain spring water here. You can also taste the taste of tea made with this mountain spring water. "It's as if his grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother are really sitting there.
Fang Xinwen seeing that Fang Zhengben had picked the pears and returned, he chose to four big pears, and peeled, put them on a plate, put them on the table, and said, "These are pears from our own tree. They are fresh. Please taste them."
It was getting dark. Wang Qihui came in and said: "The rice is ready and you can burn Ghost-moneys." Fang Xinwen then removed the cigarettes, tea, and pears. Wang Qihui wiped the table again, set the tableware and chopsticks, put a Twice-cooked pork with green chili, a fry pumpkin shreds, a fry cowpea and a fry towel gourd on the table. Fang Xinwen took out  cups, poured four full cups of liquor, and said apologetically: "Dear ancestors, your children and grandsons,  we are now in the countryside, the conditions are not as good as before. I can only ask you to have some rough tea and eat light rice and dishes. I hope you don't dislike it. But, for better or worse, these things are obtained by our own cultivation. Please enjoy them slowly." He then went to the root of the wall in the corridor to light incenses and candle, and burn the Ghost-moneys. Fang Xinwen first bow down and prayer, and said: "Dear ancestors, we don't have prepared much money, please forgive me. I also hope that all ancestors will protect the whole family and free from disease and calamity." Wang Qihui, Fang Zhengqing and Fang Zhengben knelt down in turn. Fang Xinwen returned to the house, took a cup of liquor from the table to the outside, raised it high, and then slowly put it down, carefully dripping on the ground. Wang Qihui put four bowls of rice and a large bowl of Mung bean soup on the table, and said, "Please have dinner, everyone." The family stood aside solemnly. After a while, Fang Xinwen said, "Please the ancestors went outside to counts the moneys. After harvest the moneys,  and come back to in house drink tea." The family began to eat.
After the meal, tea and fruit were offered again. Fang Xinwen also went to smoke a cigarette. He saw that the time was a bit late, and said, "Now it’s very late. I think, the ancestors are also tired, It's best to go back and rest early." Wang Qihui bring an oiled paper umbrella and walked under the eaves, bid farewell to the ancestors, and said : "Please ancestors go slowly!" She seems to be sending guests away.
The sacrificial activities came to an end after sending off the ancestors. The whole process is solemn. Both Fang Zhengqing and Fang Zhengben felt a little mysterious. Fang Xinwen said: "The conditions are now limited. In the past, Zhongyuan Festival worshipped ancestors, and the scene was much larger than this."

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