Chapter 10: Midnight Twelve

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that if they just sat there, who knows when they would unknowingly fall asleep

Others also cannot make sense of it

Although the spirits standing outside are all relatives and friends who have already passed away, at this moment, no one feels a sense of familiarity; instead, there is more fear.

When that person called out, everyone turned to look at the incense, only to see that the incense, which should have been burning slowly, was now crackling and burning fiercely, with flames shooting out.

Midnight twelve o'clock, it has arrived

Secondly, it is almost twelve o'clock, and everyone is reminded of the dreams they experience daily, as well as the fact that they went to bed promptly at twelve o'clock last night

When the river no longer flows

There are so many people, and just one stick of incense is not enough to share. At this moment, Uncle San also spoke up, saying, "When it is about to burn out, make sure to replenish it quickly; it must not be interrupted."

To speak frankly, in this moment of dire straits, where spirits block the door and life and death hang in the balance, the scene of singing a love song is truly too bizarre

No one's face appears so shadowy anymore

I believe everyone is definitely conspiring against me

Seeing my second aunt with a face full of concern for my well-being, I felt a chill run down my spine. I forced a smile and nodded, only to sit up and return to the crowd, waiting for the arrival of midnight

"What is going on? Is this candle useless?" someone shouted

Firstly, the supply of candles is not high; the remaining quantity along with the *illustrated* books can indeed last through tonight, but what about tomorrow night? The night after tomorrow?

However, although there is a large stock of paper money in the ancestral hall, it cannot withstand such a burning.

Shall we sing a song? someone suggested

Clearly, candles are useful, but their effect is certainly not as good as that of paper money and incense

As a result, I had just dozed off for a while, and before I could fall asleep, someone shook me awake

Although this matter has not been directly addressed by anyone, it is evident that a strong sense of unease is currently lingering in everyone's hearts

Although everyone knows that this is a case of drinking poison to quench thirst, at least at this moment, everyone is still alive

I am indeed that girl

No one knows what to do

As everyone sang along, they began to forget their fears, each person sporting a playful smile, as if recalling some scenes from "My Fair Princess".

Just as I was seething with anger, I discovered that the ancestral hall was unusually quiet

However, the scent produced by the burning incense seems to be no different from that of burning paper money; at least the spirits remain quiet as before

After about an hour, the paper money had surprisingly begun to run low

Everyone began to cheer and rejoice, a spontaneous joy born from the exhilaration of having escaped death

When time stands still, day and night become indistinguishable

When the mountain peaks are devoid of sharp edges

The third uncle lit a candle

The closer it gets to twelve o'clock, the more intense the atmosphere of tension becomes

By the time it was nearly ten o'clock in the evening, the incense was almost burnt out.

Although it is unknown what will happen after these spirits enter the ancestral hall, no one wishes for such an event to occur

The person who woke me up was my neighbor, Aunt Er. She smiled and reminded me, "Yangzi, you must not be careless and fall asleep; it is very frightening to sleep deeply."

Incense that can burn for over ten minutes is likely to be consumed in less than a minute

This candle burns so quickly! someone shouted

To speak honestly, I am actually the one who is most afraid

"No, they did not move; they merely opened their eyes," said another bold individual who had been staring outside.

The atmosphere becomes increasingly elevated, rising higher and higher, as everyone sings and dances joyfully, celebrating a time of peace and prosperity

I was thinking, why not take a nap before it reaches twelve o'clock

Everyone then looked outside and discovered that the spirits had merely opened their eyes, without any further actions.

But before anyone could be happy for too long, someone exclaimed in surprise, "What’s going on? Why is that incense burning so quickly?"

When heaven and earth, along with all things, transform into the void

This made me blush in an instant; how could a man like me sing these lyrics

If today is like any other day, and everyone falls asleep collectively after twelve o'clock, what will happen to those shadows and the spirits of the books outside once the candles have burned out

There is a girl who is somewhat rebellious

But I definitely won't have that dream at night; by then, I will surely be awake. Who knows what terrifying things I might see.

Certainly, while the phrase "unity is strength" is catchy, not everyone can sing it. However, even if someone does not remember the lyrics to the song from "My Fair Princess," they can still hum a couple of lines.

In the end, they even began to sing "There is a Girl"

Upon hearing what Uncle San said, everyone also came to realize it

Thus, everyone began to sing together

Thus, everyone raised their voices in song, starting from "When" and continuing to "Can't Break Up with You," before beginning to sing "The Weather is Beautiful Today"

This immediately captured everyone's full attention

At that moment, Uncle San openly stated, "Since paper money is useful, then incense should also be useful, and candles are likely useful as well. Bring over all the items used for offerings."

This left the people inside the ancestral hall quite frightened, as everyone exchanged glances, some appearing at a loss, saying, "What should we do? The joss paper is almost burned out."

Everyone recalled the scene outside just now, where those spirits densely jumped into the courtyard, each one shrinking their necks, beginning to feel afraid

She still has some madness

But if one sings while doing things, it is possible to get through it

In 2010, although the popularity of "My Fair Princess" had already waned, everyone in the village had watched "My Fair Princess" at least two or three times on television, and they were all well-acquainted with the songs from the show

Where did so many candles come from in the village

Indeed, there is not enough paper money to burn, but there is plenty of incense and candles; these two items burn quite well

As I sang, I began to feel that something was amiss. It was originally a chorus, but when it came to the part where I sang "I am this girl," I was the only one singing

Thus, as the paper money was about to burn out, Uncle San tremblingly lit an incense stick

The paper money burned rapidly, and the incense smoke produced was absorbed in wisps by the wandering souls

Everyone took a deep breath, staring intently at the phantoms outside, fearing that something strange might happen to them

Thus, I found a quiet place and prepared to sneakily take a nap first

As the candles were lit, the once benevolent spirits all opened their eyes, fixating intently on the people in the room

At that moment, the clock hanging in the ancestral hall began to chime.

But everyone is well aware that this is only temporary; once the paper money is burned, who knows what they will do next

The atmosphere in the room was almost suffocating

The other villagers automatically fall asleep by twelve o'clock, and no matter what terrifying events occur, they remain unaffected.

It is inexplicable, yet I find it somewhat amusing. I believe that even singing "Unity is Strength" from https://m.hetushu.com would be better than singing these songs.

At least for now, paper money and incense can pacify the spirits, causing them to close their eyes and enter a state of semi-sleep.

They fear that those vengeful spirits will come to claim their lives

Thus, everyone became busy; one by one, they began to fixate on the burning incense, waiting for it to finish so they could promptly refill their cups

Slowly, I also got into the spirit and couldn't help but sing along for a couple of lines

There is a young lady who is somewhat headstrong

At this moment, those restless spirits had already gathered in the courtyard of the ancestral hall; with just a slight leap inward, one could directly enter the hall.

Although it is still quite safe at the moment, there is still a sense of unease within everyone.

She is still somewhat arrogant

As time gradually passes, a tacit understanding seems to develop between the living inside the house and the spirits outside.

At this moment, everyone was no longer as fearful as they had been at the beginning; some even curiously turned their heads to look at the deceased friends and family members standing outside.

With the precedent set by Xiang, everyone has become accustomed to it and knows that this item is certainly not as durable as it used to be

Turning my head to look, I saw the villagers scattered on the ground, each with their eyes closed, having fallen into a deep sleep

Once again, I have started to shiver.

But the candles, they will open their eyes

Oh, which young lady is this?

As the paper money burned, the expressions of those spirits became increasingly calm, even appearing somewhat benevolent