Chapter 004: Forcing the Duck onto the Rack
When they arrived at a relatively decent house in the middle of the village, the old man knocked on the door and shouted inside: "Wife, open the door"
Yang Heng once again expressed his gratitude to Wang Laozhang, who had previously hosted him, and then followed Steward Liu as they walked outside
After making up his mind, Yang Heng tidied up his clothes, then feigned a nonchalant demeanor and slowly walked towards the village entrance
It turns out that although Butler Liu is dressed well, he is entirely in white, which clearly indicates that he is in mourning for someone.
At this time, the front yard was already covered by white sails
Upon hearing the offer of five taels of silver from the other party, Yang Heng immediately cast aside all his previous reservations
Therefore, in recent days, the maids and servants in the house have frequently heard cries coming from the backyard, causing great unease among the people.
Yang Heng quickly stood up as soon as he saw the person coming in
Yang Heng felt a bit refreshed after drinking a bowl of water. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe, stood up, and deeply bowed to the old man.
After listening to this, Yang Heng felt somewhat at a loss. He had only been a Taoist for a few days, and regarding the rituals of funerals, he had only read about them in books and had never personally experienced them. He truly felt a bit anxious.
This kind-hearted man Wang nodded at the housekeeper's words and then sighed: "I hope Qiaoyun will not cause any more trouble this time; otherwise, life will truly become unbearable."
Ah, what is the hurry?
While Yang Heng was digesting his food, Wang Laozhang brought in a well-dressed middle-aged man from outside
Perhaps due to his urgent hunger, Yang Heng was extremely satisfied with this bowl of noodles, and in no time at all, he completely devoured the large bowl of noodles
It seems that the person sitting in the prominent position is the renowned Wang Dashanren of this village
Wife, this is Daoist Master Xitan, please prepare some vegetarian dishes
Then Butler Liu merely greeted a few servants at the door and brought Yang Heng to the main hall
Just now he looked at this old man Wang, who appeared to be at least sixty or seventy years old, yet in reality, he is not even fifty
Before the action, a young maid was kneeling there, continuously burning paper.
Old Wang finally stepped out of the main hall
Rest assured, benefactor, this humble monk has performed this ritual many times; you may leave everything to me
"This Taoist priest, this is Kaoshan Tun, you are probably heading to the county town, right?"
Since Yang Heng woke up, he has not had a drop of water or rice, and after running such a long distance, his throat feels as if it is on fire. Upon seeing this bowl of water, he does not hesitate, lifting it up and downing it in one go.
When Yang Heng arrived at the village entrance, he saw several old men playing chess under a large tree
He is currently in dire need of money, and this time he does not know if he can return. If he truly cannot go back, he must find a means of livelihood; otherwise, he will soon starve to death
Daoist, we can leave now
Just as Yang Heng was enjoying his noodles, he heard someone outside the courtyard calling out: "Old Wang, are you there?"
At this moment, another old man, seeing that Yang Heng's Daoist robe was quite decent, but that he was covered in dirt and had no belongings with him, realized that this Daoist priest was likely in trouble
Master, the Taoist priest has been invited; he said he can perform the ritual tonight
Seeing that Butler Liu found Yang Heng to be quite capable, he finally nodded in reassurance and left the mourning hall
In that case, I shall not decline any further. When shall we set off?
When Wang Dashanren said this, Steward Liu below felt a chilling breeze sweep by, causing him to shiver all over
Throughout the journey, Yang Heng asked the old man for his name.
Alright, the Taoist priest will sit here for a moment to recite scriptures for the deceased, I will go prepare right away
With these five taels of silver, he can buy some time to figure out when exactly he has traveled to.
Yang Heng now meets the strange woman, he stands up and first bows to the old lady, and then he picks up the noodles and starts to slurp them down.
One can see that this place has already been arranged as a mourning hall, with a coffin placed in the center and an altar in front of it.
It turns out that this old man who looks very old is now less than 50 years old, with the surname Wang and the nickname Wang Er Dan.
Very soon, they arrived at a large courtyard with three entrances.
That steward Liu also gave a bow like Yang Hengxing's before taking the lead to leave.
The old man hurriedly pointed to a road with his finger and said to Yang Heng, "Follow this road, walk south for more than fifty miles, and you will reach the county town."
Where does Yang Heng want to go to the county town, but he still nodded pretentiously.
Thank you, Mr. Wang.
The most important thing is that this Auntie Qiaoyun died a really tragic death.
At this moment, Yang Heng appeared to be muttering something on the surface, but in fact, he was squinting one eye and observing Liu Steward. When he left satisfied, Yang Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as Mr. Wang heard the sound, he immediately stood up and said to Mr. Yang, "Please have a seat here, I will be right back."
In this mountainous village, there are also seven to eight mu of thin land, and the family has two sons who have already started their own families, with grandchildren who can already walk
Yang Heng originally wanted to ask about the situation of the deceased, but seeing that the steward Liu seemed unwilling to say more, he could only keep quiet.
Yang Heng also quickly put the noodles on the table, bowed and said, "If you have anything to do, please go ahead, sir."
Others are unaware of the inside story, but this steward Liu is well-informed about the death of the concubine Qiaoyun.
Before long, the old woman outside brought in a bowl of mixed noodles, without any particular seasoning, merely adding some sauce at random
It turns out that the concubine, Xiaoqiaoyun, did not just pass away yesterday, but had already been gone for five or six days. Tonight happens to be the seventh day after her death.
The Taoist master doesn't need to be polite.
What does that Taoist priest need?
Mr. Wang brought Yang Heng to the main hall. Please have a seat, and personally poured a bowl of hot water for him and placed it beside him.
Because his family still has some savings, that's why he brought Yang Heng to his home to entertain him. If it were someone else, even if they rented the land of the wealthy in the village, they wouldn't have this ability.
Throughout the journey, Butler Liu said little, merely leading Yang Heng forward in silence.
Speaking of Yang Heng, who just became a Taoist a few days ago, it is really difficult for him to recite any scriptures.
Everyone must be wondering how this Yang Heng, being merely a mortal being, could know so clearly.
Yang Heng nodded and came to the lower end of the altar, where there was a cushion and he sat cross-legged, murmuring words.
The old woman, feeling a bit embarrassed, placed the noodles in front of Yang Heng.
And Wang Laozhang sat beside Yang Heng, watching him eat with great appetite, and also revealed a smile
Prepare an offering table, place fresh fruits upon it, and then prepare some ingot candles and tiles. Tonight, I shall perform the ritual.
Please do not take offense, Daoist priest, as our farming family has nothing of great hospitality to offer, and we have been remiss in our reception of you
This old man is quite kind-hearted, so he stood up and invited Yang Heng to his home for a vegetarian meal
Upon hearing Yang Heng's question, the several old veterans raised their heads to scrutinize Yang Heng from top to bottom. One of them, who appeared to have some authority, stood up and cupped his hands in salute to Yang Heng
Yang Heng hurriedly walked over, cupped his hands towards the several elders and said: "Blessed be the Infinite Celestial Sovereign, esteemed elders, may I ask what place this is?"
Yang Heng's heart was now racing wildly, but on the surface, he still pretended to be confident and composed.
Yang Heng would refuse here, and upon hearing the old man's invitation, he hurriedly expressed his gratitude repeatedly
Old Wang bowed to Yang Heng and then introduced him, saying: "Daoist, this is the steward of the Wang family, a kind-hearted person in the village—Steward Liu. He has some matters he would like your assistance with."
The old woman looked Yang Heng up and down, said nothing, merely acknowledged with a sound before heading to the kitchen
When Butler Liu saw Yang Heng, he did not speak, thinking that he wanted some benefit. Therefore, he opened his mouth and said: "This time, I will not let the Daoist priest work in vain. After the matter is settled, I will offer five taels of silver."
Upon reaching this point, Steward Liu cupped his hands and said to Yang Heng: "Daoist, due to the urgency of time, my master was unable to invite other esteemed individuals. Therefore, for this ritual, only you will preside over it."
Steward Liu entered the inner hall and respectfully bowed to an elderly man who was seated there
Yang Heng frowned upon hearing this. He is currently penniless, both hungry and thirsty, and it is likely that he will starve to death before he even reaches the county town
It is precisely for this reason that this benevolent man, Wang, had no choice but to invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual for Qiao Yun, hoping to allow the wronged souls who died unjustly to find peace
At this moment, some villagers passing by the village gate cast curious glances at the approaching unfamiliar Taoist priest.
In that case, please lead the way, Master Liu
Upon hearing this, Yang Heng felt somewhat guilty. He had already realized that this steward Liu had invited him, likely to preside over the funeral arrangements
Furthermore, Liu the steward left the mourning hall and did not go to prepare anything for Yang Heng's evening ritual, but instead went to the backyard
Yang Heng's face turned slightly red under the gaze, yet he still forced himself to appear calm.
Yang Heng saw that Wang Laozhang had left, so he sat by the table and began to eat his noodles with a slurping sound
Yang Heng looked at the situation with some surprise, for in his understanding, in ancient times, when a concubine died, it was merely a matter of conducting a ritual in a secluded courtyard; it was nothing like now, where the entire courtyard had turned white.
With this sound, the door of the small courtyard was opened, and then an elderly woman appeared
Yang Heng sat in his seat, stroking his belly, and let out a long sigh. At the same time, he felt pleased with his good fortune
Various offerings are placed on the altar, and the smoke from the incense continues to swirl, seemingly never ceasing
I originally thought I would have to endure hunger, but unexpectedly, as soon as I entered this small mountain village, I was treated to a hearty meal
Butler Liu approached after Wang Laozhang finished his introduction, performed a respectful bow, and said: "Daoist, I appreciate your efforts. One of my master's minor concubines has suddenly passed away. I kindly request you to recite some scriptures for her rebirth, so that she may peacefully transition to her next life"
Thus, the old man led Yang Heng towards the village
Yang Heng looked back and truly could not discern the age of this elderly woman
He has read the Taoist "Durenjing" several times, but with Yang Heng's intellect, it is simply impossible for him to memorize such a thick book. Now he can only pretend, moving his lips while his mind is blank.
Yang Heng hesitated for half a day at the entrance of the villa, and finally decided to go in and investigate the situation