Chapter 013: Hundred Day Festival

Lu Xiaomi hesitated to speak, then smiled and went to the ear room, asking for help to move the pig's head and other items out.

A shrewd woman from a distance saw this and thought about whether her son could marry Xiaomi and bring her back home.

Although the Lu family also lived in the Old Bear Ridge and had close relationships with the villagers, they owned a courtyard and farmland. Mr. Lu and his third son were both scholars, and it was possible that they would pass the imperial examination and bring honor to the family. They might be reluctant to let Xiaomi marry a hunter.

More importantly, Mrs. Bai had passed away only three months ago, and Xiaomi had to observe a mourning period for twenty-seven months, with two full years remaining.

It was too early to talk about marriage now. It was not a good time.

With these thoughts in mind, the women turned their attention elsewhere and started chatting and keeping themselves busy.

Xiaomi was unaware that she had already been put on the list of potential daughters-in-law by many women. At the moment, she was hesitating whether to accumulate more blessings for Mrs. Bai.

Previously, the family had stocked up on glutinous rice and fine flour, and there was some leftover sorghum and buckwheat flour that they couldn't finish. Instead of keeping it until next spring, risking dampness and pests, it would be better to give the cakes to the refugees in the south of the city. It would be considered a good deed.

The women were soft-hearted, and having seen the pitiful state of the refugees when they went to the city, almost everyone agreed when Xiaomi suggested giving away the cakes.

"Alright, Xiaomi provides the grain, and we provide the labor."

"Yes, this is a good deed for accumulating virtue."

Half a tub of sorghum flour, half a tub of buckwheat flour, was poured out and filled five large pottery basins.

Aunt Liu, along with the other women, finished preparing the offerings and started making the cakes.

The work in the kitchen was not heavy, but it was tedious and troublesome.

They worked until three in the morning, and it seemed like the women had just taken a short nap when the sky began to brighten.

The Lu family had three sons and a daughter, which was considered quite a lot. However, there were no relatives from either the paternal or maternal side to help. Fortunately, this was the hundredth day memorial, and they only needed to set up the memorial tablet in the courtyard and burn the paper money, without having to go to the Lu family ancestral grave three miles away.

Speaking of which, Xiaomi was curious about her grandfather, who had laid the foundation for the Lu family and was buried in the "Bear Corpse." She had wanted to pay her respects on the way. However, Aunt Liu mentioned that there was no need to visit the grave on the hundredth day, which made her feel regretful and relieved that she had almost made a fool of herself.

The Lu family's courtyard was originally spacious, with the main house, east and west wing rooms, and two rooms converted into kitchens, a stable, and an ear room.

However, when the entire Old Bear Ridge gathered in, the courtyard seemed a bit cramped.

A large pine wood table, painted in reddish-brown, was placed in the center of the courtyard. Mrs. Bai's memorial tablet was placed on the table, and a three-legged brass incense burner with incense was lit in front of it. The smoke was chased by the north wind and dispersed in all directions.

Under the table, there was a long table that was now stacked with offerings.

The wild boar that Gao Ren had brought back was cleaned and placed in the middle as the main offering. On the left were sheep heads, and on the right was a whole chicken. There were also two large plates of steamed buns made from fine flour with red dots on top, as well as various dates, persimmons, various pastries bought from the city, and a dozen or so apples, oranges, and other fruits.

There were some children who didn't understand and were hiding behind their mothers, secretly swallowing their saliva, waiting for the Lu family's memorial to finish so they could share the offerings.

Mr. Lu, who had not been seen for several days, changed into mourning clothes. Underneath the mourning clothes, he wore a new jacket and pants that had been made a few days ago. He had washed his hair and shaved, which made him look three parts more refined and three parts less disheveled than usual. However, the weariness in his eyes easily revealed his vulnerability.

Losing his mother in his youth, his wife in middle age, and now his son in old age, it could be said that he had endured the three greatest pains in life.

The deep love between Mr. Lu and Mrs. Bai in the past was now replaced by grief and sorrow.

Mr. Lu took the lead in offering incense, and the three Lu brothers, along with Xiaomi, knelt down and kowtowed.

Xiaomi did not show any laziness and kowtowed sincerely. Her slender body knelt on the bluestone floor, and soon her forehead turned red.

By holding such a grand memorial for Mrs. Bai, kowtowing to thank her for nurturing her, and praying for the safety and prosperity of the Lu family in the future, Xiaomi felt that she had repaid her debt and could now live her life in peace, enjoying the good fortune of being reborn in this world.

This was her inner thought, unknown to others.

Aunt Liu and a few others saw this and felt sorry for her. Such a young girl, without her mother, had to take care of the family inside and out, which was truly pitiful.

Before the memorial was over, Aunt Liu reached out to help Xiaomi up.

"The ground is cold. Your mother loved you the most. If she saw you like this, she wouldn't be at peace. Get up and go to the kitchen to warm up. We are here for you!"

Xiaomi had been busy since early morning and hadn't eaten breakfast. Now, after kowtowing, she felt a bit dizzy, but she pushed away Aunt Liu's hand.

"Aunt, I should kneel a little longer. You help me take care of the kitchen first, I'll be fine in a moment."

Mr. Lu, who had been listening to the commotion, had already turned cold. Seeing his daughter refuse, his expression became even more complicated, as if he was a little resentful and a little heartbroken. However, he still did not ask his daughter to get up...

Aunt Liu could do nothing but retreat to the group of women. She was grateful for the bowl of rice she had received that day and had made a small jacket for her son from the leftover cloth at home. She felt indignant for Xiaomi.

"People say that if there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather. Uncle Lu didn't remarry, so why doesn't he care for his daughter? If Xiaomi falls ill again, will he be anxious?"

The other women nodded in agreement, their gazes carrying a hint of reproach as they looked at Old Man Lu. However, while they harbored these thoughts, they couldn't bring themselves to speak out, as it was only natural for a daughter to belong to her mother.

At that moment, the door of the eastern wing creaked open.

Feng Jian, leaning on a cane and supporting Old Yang, emerged from the room with a furrowed brow.

After steadying himself, he looked around at the people in the courtyard with a calm expression.

Everyone on Bear Ridge knew that a distinguished guest was staying at the Lu residence. He had saved Lu San from the bandits but had ended up with a leg injury, which he was still recovering from.

However, despite hearing about this person, aside from Aunt Liu and Uncle Bi, no one had seen his face.

Now, Feng Jian finally made an appearance, and suddenly everyone understood why the word "distinguished" preceded "guest."

The man before them stood tall and handsome, with an air of nobility despite his slightly pale complexion due to his injury.

His dark eyes swept over the crowd, and anyone who met his gaze instinctively lowered their heads.

"Clack, clack!" The cane lightly tapped on the stone floor as the green cotton cloak brushed over the thin layer of snow. His pace was neither fast nor slow, yet it exuded a regal presence, as if the king of beasts was casually strolling through the forest, commanding respect from all creatures...

"Uncle Lu, may I offer incense for a moment?" Feng Jian's request interrupted Old Man Lu's contemplation of the memorial tablet. He nodded absentmindedly, and Old Yang immediately handed three sticks of incense to his master. Feng Jian solemnly bowed a few times, and then Old Yang placed the incense in the censer.

Just as everyone thought Feng Jian would return to the room, he instead stood by Lu Xiaomi's side.

The villagers instinctively made way for him, leaving a space for him.

Feng Jian glanced down at Lu Xiaomi, who was half-bowing her head, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white neck. She appeared different from her usual spirited and clever self, instead resembling an injured little creature, both stubborn and vulnerable.

Suddenly, he felt a softness in his heart and draped his cloak over her.

Lu Xiaomi, feeling dizzy and disoriented, wondered if it was due to the cold wind or a fever. She seemed to recall a few fleeting memories, or perhaps just simple images. She tried to grasp them, but it was in vain.

However, the lingering sensation of those memories stayed with her for a long time.

It was a kind of coldness, so despairing that even though she had been abandoned since childhood in her previous life, she had never felt such despair. What had the real Lu Xiaomi experienced, and what had she forgotten?

Suddenly, a cloak with a faint warmth fell on her, blocking the cold wind and lifting the icy feeling in her heart.

She instinctively looked up and saw a slight difference in Feng Jian's calm and deep eyes...

The north wind continued to blow, carrying the ashes of the burnt paper, fluttering in the sky. In the small courtyard, perhaps due to the burning flames or for some other reason, there was a faint warmth.

This confirmed the saying, "Winter has arrived, but can spring be far behind?"

After burning the paper offerings, the villagers came forward to burn the yellow paper, fulfilling their duty as neighbors. The mourning ceremony finally came to an end.

Lu Xiaomi struggled to stand up, rubbed her numb knees, and then began to distribute the offerings to the people.

The pig's head, sheep's head, and whole chicken were taken directly to the kitchen to be cooked. The remaining fruits and snacks were given to the elderly in the village, and the steamed buns with red dots were especially important.

According to an old tradition, eating these buns would protect children from being frightened by unseen spirits.

Lu Xiaomi didn't know if this was true, but she wasn't stingy with the buns and distributed them to the younger children in the village, one for each.

The mothers of the children were delighted and thanked her profusely, and they quickly helped prepare the banquet.

In the main hall, the east and west rooms, and the additional wing, a total of four tables were set up. In the backyard, two tables were placed in Xiaomi's room, and one in the kitchen, which just about accommodated everyone.

With the twenty taels of silver earned from selling candied haws, Lu Xiaomi had purchased ingredients and other items, saving two taels from the paper offerings. This allowed for a more sumptuous feast at the banquet.

There was white rice, large pieces of pig's head meat, chicken stewed with mushrooms, spicy lamb face meat, cabbage and wood ear mushrooms, tofu stewed in bone broth, sour cabbage and vermicelli with pork belly...

In addition, there was a large jar of strong liquor, which burned all the way from the throat to the stomach when drunk. The younger ones with a lighter tolerance were almost knocked out after just one bowl.