178 Ancestral Worship
The siblings went to make snacks after getting water.
There was actually a requirement for offerings. Take fruits and snacks for example. Peaches and pomegranates were Yang fruits. They could be used to ward off evil and exorcize ghosts, so they were not suitable to be used as sacrifices.
Although there were not many taboos regarding the types of snacks, the number was usually singular.
Among the five elements, singular was Yang, and even was Yin. The tomb was already Yin. The offering had to be Yang, and Yin and Yang had to be harmonized to protect the peace of the aristocratic family.
Su Xiaoxiao made sweet barley, radish cake, and date cake. Su Ergou helped her. The siblings cooperated well. When Steward Yu came over to ask how long it would take to cook, Su Xiaoxiao was already loading the plate.
A refreshing fragrance filled the entire room.
Steward Yu swallowed.
Who would make offerings so fragrant?
Ordinary people thought that the offering was not for people to eat. It meant that it was fine as long as there was food. In terms of taste, it would be much worse than the snacks sold on the market.
Steward Yu drooled. He thought to himself that this was making even ghosts cry…
He touched the corner of his mouth and confirmed that there was no residual saliva. Then, he composed himself and said to Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou, “You’ve worked hard. I’ll arrange for someone to get it now.”
“Steward Yu,” Su Ergou called out to him.
Steward Yu asked warmly, “Little Brother Su, what’s the matter?”
Su Ergou felt that this big family was quite easy to get along with. The people he interacted with were all very polite, unlike the Qi family and the Wang family in the past.
Su Ergou said, “Are you selling your spring water? Can I buy two buckets back?”
Steward Yu was amused by this child’s serious expression. “No.”
“Ah…” Su Ergou was disappointed.
“However.” Steward Yu held back his laughter and said to Su Ergou, “We can give the mountain spring water to people fated to get acquainted with the family. Brother Su, you can bring as much back as you want.”
Su Ergou scratched his head. “How embarrassing…”
After thinking for a moment, he took out an oil paper bag and handed it to Steward Yu. “Ergou Pancake, for you.”
—-
Today was dedicated to sacrifice. It could be done in one go. There was no need to eat at noon and at night like a banquet.
“Sister, are we done?” Su Ergou asked.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “The sacrifice is done. The snacks at the banquet in the next two days have to be made for them to taste and choose.”
“Oh.”
“Are you sleepy? Do you want to go to the chair to catch up on your sleep? I don’t need your help here.”
It was just a sample. The amount was not big. She could do it herself.
“I’m not sleepy.” Su Ergou shook his head and walked to the stool to lie down for two hours.
The ancestral worship had already ended.
When he woke up, Su Ergou rubbed his eyes. “Sister, why are you still making snacks?”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “There’s still some fermented dough left. It’s a waste not to make it. Are you hungry?”
“I’m not very hungry.” Su Ergou sat up. “I’ll get some mountain spring water!”
Su Xiaoxiao looked around and didn’t see Manager Sun. There was no need to guess. He must be looking for an opportunity to get business.
Su Ergou picked up the shoulder pole, hung up two empty buckets, and rushed towards the mountain spring!
He came to the spring and drank to his heart’s content before taking out a bucket to scoop up the water.
The mountain spring water flowed slowly. A bucket would take half a day.
As he waited, he squatted on the ground and drew circles.
“Hey, who’s that! Come here for a moment!”
Not far away, a man spoke.
“I’m talking about you!”
Su Ergou looked up at him in a daze.
“Yes, it’s you! Come here!” The man waved at Su Ergou.
The man was only in his early twenties. From his clothes, he looked like a servant from a rich family.
Su Ergou glanced at the less than half-filled bucket and stood up to walk over. “What?”
The servant put down the cart in his hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “The cart seems to be broken. I can’t push it anymore. Give me a hand.”
“Is it broken? Make way.” Su Ergou came to the cart and grabbed it with both hands. He gently raised it and passed it to the servant. “Isn’t this good?”
The servant was stunned.
However, when it was the servant’s turn to push, the servant couldn’t do it again. He either couldn’t push it or overturned the cart. Fortunately, the box above was tied with rope. Otherwise, it would have been scattered on the ground.
“Y-You push it!” the servant said angrily.
“Then wait.” Su Ergou ran to the spring and removed the filled bucket. He placed an empty bucket and continued to receive it.
Seeing that he was fetching spring water, the servant thought that he was a servant guarding the Su family’s ancestral shrine. When Su Ergou pushed the cart into the back door of the courtyard, the servant ordered him to help unload the goods.
Su Ergou did not say anything and helped him remove it.
Su Ergou had just turned 14, but he was much stronger than the servant. He carried down a few big and heavy boxes and they landed lightly.
“Kid, not bad.” The servant patted his shoulder in admiration. “What’s your name?”
“Su Ergou.”
“A family child?” the servant asked.
“What?” Su Ergou didn’t understand.
Many servants would be given their master’s surname. Such servants had a higher status than those bought outside.
The servant could not order him around casually and was about to let him leave.
Suddenly, an imposing young man walked over with his head held high.
He looked about the same age as Su Ergou. He was dressed luxuriously and had the arrogance of a young master of an aristocratic family.
The servant hurriedly bowed. “Little High Duke!”
Seeing that Su Ergou did not move, he quietly tugged at him.
Su Ergou asked, “What?”
The servant secretly took a deep breath, wondering why this silly kid didn’t bow in the presence of the little prince.
The young man ignored the two servants and turned around to instruct the guard behind him, “Bring my horse over. I want to go into the mountains to hunt!”
The guard looked troubled. “Young High Duke, this… isn’t good, right? The mountains are very dangerous.”
The young man snorted coldly. “If you’re afraid of danger, stay here! I’ll find someone else!”
The guard said, “Little High Duke!”
The young man glanced around indifferently, raised his chin, and said arrogantly, “Whoever goes hunting with me will get ten taels each!”
The servant immediately said, “Little High Duke! I’m willing to go with you!”
The young man looked at him and then at Su Ergou. “What about you? You’re not going? Are you afraid of danger too?”
Su Ergou was naturally not afraid of danger. He was fetching water.
However, the water could be drawn later. Anyway, the mountain spring could not run away.
“Can I go?” Su Ergou asked.
His sister had said that he could not run around. He had to get the owner’s permission. This young man should be the owner of this place, right?
The young man said calmly, “As long as you’re not afraid.”
Su Ergou said, “I’m not afraid!”
The young man threw the horsewhip to Su Ergou. “Take the horse.”
Su Ergou said, “I don’t know how.”
The servant hurriedly brought the horsewhip over and smiled brightly. “I’ll do it. I’ll hold the horse for you!”
The young man snorted and stepped on the stirrups to get on the horse.
178 Ancestral Worship
The siblings went to make snacks after getting water.
There was actually a requirement for offerings. Take fruits and snacks for example. Peaches and pomegranates were Yang fruits. They could be used to ward off evil and exorcize ghosts, so they were not suitable to be used as sacrifices.
Although there were not many taboos regarding the types of snacks, the number was usually singular.
Among the five elements, singular was Yang, and even was Yin. The tomb was already Yin. The offering had to be Yang, and Yin and Yang had to be harmonized to protect the peace of the aristocratic family.
Su Xiaoxiao made sweet barley, radish cake, and date cake. Su Ergou helped her. The siblings cooperated well. When Steward Yu came over to ask how long it would take to cook, Su Xiaoxiao was already loading the plate.
A refreshing fragrance filled the entire room.
Steward Yu swallowed.
Who would make offerings so fragrant?
Ordinary people thought that the offering was not for people to eat. It meant that it was fine as long as there was food. In terms of taste, it would be much worse than the snacks sold on the market.
Steward Yu drooled. He thought to himself that this was making even ghosts cry…
He touched the corner of his mouth and confirmed that there was no residual saliva. Then, he composed himself and said to Su Xiaoxiao and Su Ergou, “You’ve worked hard. I’ll arrange for someone to get it now.”
“Steward Yu,” Su Ergou called out to him.
Steward Yu asked warmly, “Little Brother Su, what’s the matter?”
Su Ergou felt that this big family was quite easy to get along with. The people he interacted with were all very polite, unlike the Qi family and the Wang family in the past.
Su Ergou said, “Are you selling your spring water? Can I buy two buckets back?”
Steward Yu was amused by this child’s serious expression. “No.”
“Ah…” Su Ergou was disappointed.
“However.” Steward Yu held back his laughter and said to Su Ergou, “We can give the mountain spring water to people fated to get acquainted with the family. Brother Su, you can bring as much back as you want.”
Su Ergou scratched his head. “How embarrassing…”
After thinking for a moment, he took out an oil paper bag and handed it to Steward Yu. “Ergou Pancake, for you.”
—-
Today was dedicated to sacrifice. It could be done in one go. There was no need to eat at noon and at night like a banquet.
“Sister, are we done?” Su Ergou asked.
Su Xiaoxiao said, “The sacrifice is done. The snacks at the banquet in the next two days have to be made for them to taste and choose.”
“Oh.”
“Are you sleepy? Do you want to go to the chair to catch up on your sleep? I don’t need your help here.”
It was just a sample. The amount was not big. She could do it herself.
“I’m not sleepy.” Su Ergou shook his head and walked to the stool to lie down for two hours.
The ancestral worship had already ended.
When he woke up, Su Ergou rubbed his eyes. “Sister, why are you still making snacks?”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “There’s still some fermented dough left. It’s a waste not to make it. Are you hungry?”
“I’m not very hungry.” Su Ergou sat up. “I’ll get some mountain spring water!”
Su Xiaoxiao looked around and didn’t see Manager Sun. There was no need to guess. He must be looking for an opportunity to get business.
Su Ergou picked up the shoulder pole, hung up two empty buckets, and rushed towards the mountain spring!
He came to the spring and drank to his heart’s content before taking out a bucket to scoop up the water.
The mountain spring water flowed slowly. A bucket would take half a day.
As he waited, he squatted on the ground and drew circles.
“Hey, who’s that! Come here for a moment!”
Not far away, a man spoke.
“I’m talking about you!”
Su Ergou looked up at him in a daze.
“Yes, it’s you! Come here!” The man waved at Su Ergou.
The man was only in his early twenties. From his clothes, he looked like a servant from a rich family.
Su Ergou glanced at the less than half-filled bucket and stood up to walk over. “What?”
The servant put down the cart in his hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “The cart seems to be broken. I can’t push it anymore. Give me a hand.”
“Is it broken? Make way.” Su Ergou came to the cart and grabbed it with both hands. He gently raised it and passed it to the servant. “Isn’t this good?”
The servant was stunned.
However, when it was the servant’s turn to push, the servant couldn’t do it again. He either couldn’t push it or overturned the cart. Fortunately, the box above was tied with rope. Otherwise, it would have been scattered on the ground.
“Y-You push it!” the servant said angrily.
“Then wait.” Su Ergou ran to the spring and removed the filled bucket. He placed an empty bucket and continued to receive it.
Seeing that he was fetching spring water, the servant thought that he was a servant guarding the Su family’s ancestral shrine. When Su Ergou pushed the cart into the back door of the courtyard, the servant ordered him to help unload the goods.
Su Ergou did not say anything and helped him remove it.
Su Ergou had just turned 14, but he was much stronger than the servant. He carried down a few big and heavy boxes and they landed lightly.
“Kid, not bad.” The servant patted his shoulder in admiration. “What’s your name?”
“Su Ergou.”
“A family child?” the servant asked.
“What?” Su Ergou didn’t understand.
Many servants would be given their master’s surname. Such servants had a higher status than those bought outside.
The servant could not order him around casually and was about to let him leave.
Suddenly, an imposing young man walked over with his head held high.
He looked about the same age as Su Ergou. He was dressed luxuriously and had the arrogance of a young master of an aristocratic family.
The servant hurriedly bowed. “Little High Duke!”
Seeing that Su Ergou did not move, he quietly tugged at him.
Su Ergou asked, “What?”
The servant secretly took a deep breath, wondering why this silly kid didn’t bow in the presence of the little prince.
The young man ignored the two servants and turned around to instruct the guard behind him, “Bring my horse over. I want to go into the mountains to hunt!”
The guard looked troubled. “Young High Duke, this… isn’t good, right? The mountains are very dangerous.”
The young man snorted coldly. “If you’re afraid of danger, stay here! I’ll find someone else!”
The guard said, “Little High Duke!”
The young man glanced around indifferently, raised his chin, and said arrogantly, “Whoever goes hunting with me will get ten taels each!”
The servant immediately said, “Little High Duke! I’m willing to go with you!”
The young man looked at him and then at Su Ergou. “What about you? You’re not going? Are you afraid of danger too?”
Su Ergou was naturally not afraid of danger. He was fetching water.
However, the water could be drawn later. Anyway, the mountain spring could not run away.
“Can I go?” Su Ergou asked.
His sister had said that he could not run around. He had to get the owner’s permission. This young man should be the owner of this place, right?
The young man said calmly, “As long as you’re not afraid.”
Su Ergou said, “I’m not afraid!”
The young man threw the horsewhip to Su Ergou. “Take the horse.”
Su Ergou said, “I don’t know how.”
The servant hurriedly brought the horsewhip over and smiled brightly. “I’ll do it. I’ll hold the horse for you!”
The young man snorted and stepped on the stirrups to get on the horse.
