My 1995 Small Farm.

Around 7 p.m., it was already pitch black in December, and Rui Rui finally managed to finish her dinner.

Chen Ling's family, along with a group of children, set off for the local temple.

A group of dogs swaggered and ran proudly through the wheat field, excitedly chasing after the pheasants and rabbits that lingered there.

"Oh my, Fugui, you've finally come out of the house. We've been waiting for you to arrive."

At this time, the village entrance and the area around the land god temple were filled with shadowy figures of people and torches.

And there were also sporadic cannon salutes exploding in the sky from time to time.

The young people in the village couldn't stay idle, so they brought firecrackers from home and lit them in the wheat fields.

At other times, the elders would probably scold them for being ignorant and irresponsible.

But on this day...

The more fireworks there are, the more festive the atmosphere becomes.

"Uncle, uncle, why do they have so many torches?"

After being taken in by Chen Ling, the chubby boy was finally able to let loose and be himself.

He skipped and hopped all the way, extremely happy, and kept talking nonstop.

She directly replaced Xiao Lizi's previous position and became the source of countless questions.

"Because there are no electric lights!"

Chen Ling replied with a smile, "If there are no electric lights, everyone will have to use torches..."

"No, I mean these torches are really beautiful, they look like a long dragon, it's so much fun, I really want my classmates to see this."

The chubby boy looked shocked, yet also regretful.

"And Uncle, shouldn't we light torches?"

"Yes, Uncle, why don't we have torches?"

Little Chestnut also realized what was happening, ran over, and chased after Chen Ling to ask.

Chen Ling knew exactly what they were thinking, and waved the flashlight in her hand: "Because we have this."

After he finished speaking, the adults chuckled softly.

"Oh no, we want torches too! Uncle, could you make us one?"

Little Chestnut tilted her head back, grabbed Chen Ling's hand, and began to use her charm to win him over.

Before Chen Ling could say anything, Wang Laishun and the village accountant came over and snatched Chen Ling from her hands.

"Kids, your uncle has something important to do today. He has to stand at the front and can't play with you here tonight."

"Huh? Why?"

The children were stunned, their mouths agape in astonishment.

Rui Rui also called out "Dad" in a daze, and then rushed over like a strong little bear cub.

"Because your uncle is powerful, he will preside over the sending of the old Earth God to heaven and the arrival of the new Earth God in the temple today."

Qin Rong first explained to the children.

The meaning is not hard to understand. In the old way of saying certain customs, Chen Ling is to be the 'chief priest'.

This was originally supposed to be done by a respected elder in the village.

But Chen Ling's position in the village has become increasingly special in the past two years.

Moreover, their clan and ancestral hall are gone, and the Chen and Wang families are now scattered and disorganized.

Neither of them cherishes the past.

They basically only care about their own problems and don't care about the problems of others.

In fact, Chen Ling himself is the same. Now, the people he is closest to in the village are two people surnamed Wang.

"Wow, Uncle is amazing."

The chubby boy and the little chestnut's eyes lit up. Hearing that Chen Ling was going to send off the gods and welcome the gods, they thought their uncle was amazing.

Rui Rui, still a little confused, mumbled along, "Daddy's awesome!"

Liu Nier had already considered Chen Ling to be the most powerful, and at this moment she waved her little hand: "Let's go to my second uncle's house, I'll make you torches."

"By the time we've finished making the torches, Uncle Fugui and the others should be done with their work."

Then he led the large group of boy scouts and charged towards Wang Lishan's house.

Chen Ling was invited to the front.

The original statue of the Earth God was made of clay, which, as mentioned before, was made by mixing rice straw with yellow mud and clay to form a human figure.

Then use a trowel to scrape and carve the image.

Finally, the colors were added.

That's roughly it.

At this moment, men, women, and children from the entire village came out.

They stood in three orderly rows, each holding a torch.

The line started from the local temple and stretched all the way to the large pond near the village primary school.

As for why no one was scrambling to push forward...

First, this kind of ritual is considered sacred.

Secondly, there will be a roundabout procession later, giving everyone a chance to go up and worship the local earth god, so there's no need for a commotion or scramble.

Of course, they're not standing in neat rows right now, and there are groups of two or three young people going out to set off firecrackers in the distance.

Until Wang Laishun started banging the gong.

"Back to your positions! Everyone, stand in neat rows!"

They are all Han Chinese, but perhaps because they have lived in the mountains for a long time, this ritual of sending off and welcoming the gods has become somewhat like a shamanistic dance.

Just like now, a hexagon has been built out of bricks in front of the local earth god temple.

It's hollow inside.

We'll smash the old idols and throw them in, then burn them.

Smashing it is not an offense; it is only after it is smashed that God can ascend to heaven.

Fire is used in rituals.

"Fortune and prosperity, go to the temple and recite the prayer."

After his great-uncle wrapped a red cloth around his waist, he said...

Chen Ling nodded, and when he looked back, the group was now holding torches high and was incredibly orderly.

Now it really looks like three long dragons.

Chen Ling entered the earth god temple filled with burning candles, knelt down on the prayer mat, and silently chanted incantations.

Recite a passage and kowtow once, three times is enough.

After reciting the incantation, Chen Ling stood up and directed five young men to carry the old statue of the Earth God out.

These five young men had ears of wheat or sorghum tied to their bodies, symbolizing the five grains.

He couldn't do anything during this process; after it was carried out, it was placed in the hexagonal shape made of bricks.

Only then could he smash the old statue of the Earth God.

The tools used were also particular, including axes, sickles, hoes, and plowshares.

Well, the axe symbolizes the mountains and forests, and the local earth god is in charge of things in the mountains.

Other agricultural tools need no further explanation; they are like the five young men, symbolizing the five grains.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Chen Ling picked up an axe and chopped the old statue's descendant three times.

Then sickles, hoes, and plowshares were used to strike various parts of the statue's body.

There's no need to smash it too much; there are pine branches laid out underneath that will ignite directly.

"Send off the gods!"

Chen Ling lit the torch and shouted.

This isn't just about sending over the old statue of the Earth God from the local temple; it's about bringing over all the Earth God statues from the villagers' homes, whether they're painted or carved from wood, to ascend to heaven together.

According to the original process, for example, paper paintings are replaced every year, while wood carvings will last a little longer, but they still need to be replaced every three years.

The date for the change was set for Lunar New Year's Eve, which is the last day of the year.

However, this year we need to send off the old Earth God of the Earth Temple earlier than planned, and the people from each family who have been invited home will also go to heaven with him.

Then replace it with a new one.

So after Chen Ling shouted "Send off the gods!", the villagers holding torches, some carrying wooden statues of the earth god, others taking torn paper images from red cloth strips, came forward one after another and threw them into the fire.

Then the whole family knelt down and bowed, chanting prayers for blessings.

They sent the land they had invited back to their home, along with the statue of the land deity from the temple, to heaven together.

The flames roared, casting a red glow on people's faces.

During this time, Chen Ling and the village officials kept setting off firecrackers nearby.

The procession turned to the end and sent the Earth God to heaven.

We are about to welcome a new god.

Then Chen Ling stepped forward and tore the red cloth off the stone statue.

“From now on, when the villagers send their own local earth god to heaven, they will come to the earth god temple every year to burn in front of the statue. We don’t need to move this stone statue; let the earth god go to heaven on his own.”

Chen Ling tore off the red cloth and said this.

Stone statues, if used for a long time and without any special issues, don't need to be replaced.

Then naturally we need to rephrase it.

After he finished speaking, the villagers began waving torches and occasionally letting out a shout.

"Roar!"

"drink!"

It travels very far at night.

Welcoming a new god is indeed different from sending off an old one.

When sending off the old gods, they are accompanied by incense and candles.

When welcoming the new god, they bring all sorts of offerings and are greeted with enthusiastic calls from the villagers.

They pray that when the new Earth God arrives, he will see their piety and aspirations, and bless them with favorable weather and abundant harvests every year.

The stone statue was carried up by five strong young men, symbolizing the five grains.

Under Chen Ling's direction, the offerings were carried up, mainly consisting of various pastries and cakes, as well as fruits and sacrificial meats.

Then the group took turns lighting new incense sticks, inserting them into the incense burner, and kneeling in worship.

It's quite cumbersome, involving going back and forth once more.

Chen Ling then went to fire the cannon.

Rui Rui followed Liu Ni'er and the other children, a group of kids of all ages, holding small torches and watching intently.

He didn't blink an eye.

Children, especially in their early years, always show great interest in such exciting and mysterious things.

Rui Rui is too young to remember anything.

But I'm also curious.

And they are extremely curious.

When Wang Susu and the others stepped forward, he couldn't help but step forward and hand the torch to Chen Ling.

They pulled Chen Ling over there, and then each of her little hands held her parents' hands, and they joined the group in worshipping the gods.

After experiencing this special ceremony, he patted his knees and was about to rush into the temple to retrieve the offerings.

"Hey, come back!"

Chen Ling reacted quickly, grabbing the back of his collar and letting the brat kick his legs in mid-air.

They simply grabbed him and put him in the pile of dolls outside.

"You wait, I'll distribute it! You can't try to steal it again! Nobody's allowed to misbehave!"

The cakes and pastries among the offerings were best enjoyed by the children; adults could do without them, it was good if they managed to get some, but it didn't matter if they didn't.

After all, there are so many people in the village, how can everyone get a share?

Usually, we share food with the children.

It symbolizes that just eating a little is enough.

"Uncle Fugui, hurry up, we can't wait any longer."

Someone shouted something, but it wasn't a little kid.

It has a hoarse voice, probably from someone going through puberty. I wonder whose kid it is.

"How old are you? Aren't you ashamed?"

Chen Ling chuckled and scolded, "I can tell you're over there. I'll avoid you from now on."

Everyone burst into laughter. Now that the worship of the new Earth God was over, it was time to relax and enjoy the lively atmosphere.

They were just waiting for Chen Ling to start scattering the cakes and pastries.

Chen Ling stopped dawdling and came out of the temple with a basket on his shoulder.

The whole basket of cakes was tossed into the air.

"Ah, Uncle Fugui, you're so kind! Let the wedding cakes kill me..."

The children excitedly took off their cotton-padded coats and ran over to catch them, shouting loudly.

"Grandpa, this way, throw it this way!"

"Uncle, I'm Xiaoming, I want to eat rice cakes..."

"Uncle, I'm Little Chestnut, and I want to eat rice cakes too!"

There were too many people, and every child thought that Uncle Fugui was the closest to them, so they all said their own names, and as a result, Chen Ling couldn't hear anyone.

They started throwing baskets around randomly, and whoever found one could keep it.

Suddenly, everyone went crazy for it.

The adults, especially the young men, jumped up or lunged forward to help their children grab the prize.

The child is so close to Chen Ling, but when something happens, he only thinks of Uncle Fugui and forgets his own father.

Today they want to prove themselves.

As a result, people soon fell and got bruised and battered. There were too many people, the whole village was here, everyone was pushing and shoving, how could anyone not fall?

Fortunately, the number of cakes and pastries was limited, so they only fought over them for a short while before dispersing.

Otherwise, Chen Ling would have to worry about them causing a stampede.

After grabbing the wedding cakes and pastries, the children happily ate them while holding torches.

Some people throw the wedding cakes into the ashes in front of the local earth god temple, burning them until they are crispy and crunchy, then break them apart and eat them with relish.

"Dad, mom..."

Rui Rui ran over with two big dogs, holding up a piece of rice cake with a tearful little face.

"You, you don't eat properly at home, why are you in such a hurry to eat when you're out? You can't eat this now, you have to heat it up when you get home."

Chen Ling took the rice cake from his hand: "The rice cake is hard when it's cold, so we need to heat it up. Ask your older brother and sister if they can eat it."

He looked at Ya Ya, Little Fatty, and Little Chestnut running over. The three children pouted and shook their heads unhappily: "We can't eat them. We should have snatched the wedding cakes instead."

Everyone smiled.

Liang Hongyu teased her eldest grandson: "Xiaoming, you're the greediest and the most naive. You have no experience at all. You're nowhere near as shrewd as Liu Nier and the others."

That's true; city kids don't have experience in this area.

"Grandma, why do you always say I'm stupid?" the chubby boy grumbled, annoyed.

"Okay, don't be unhappy."

Chen Ling waved, picked up Rui Rui, and said, "Come on, I'll bake two wedding cakes for you using the leftover charcoal. I know who grabbed the most just now."

As she spoke, she walked over to Chen Yongsheng's son and said, "Come on, aren't you ashamed? You think I won't know it's you just because you call me 'uncle' with the kids? Bring out the wedding cakes!"

This kid is already fifteen years old, and he was the most aggressive in grabbing it just now.

"Brother, I'm still a little kid too." The boy, with thick eyebrows, a big face, and a look that resembled a big cricket, made a wronged expression.

"You're really shameless."

Chen Ling flicked him on the forehead, and he chuckled as he handed over the two pancakes.

"Let's go bake some flatbread, here we are!"

Chen Ling called the children to walk closer to the Earth God Temple, and sure enough, the children cheered up again.

With a smile on their faces, they held up small torches and began to jump and cheer around the fire pit.

"Baking flatbread! Baking flatbread!" (End of Chapter)