Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 321 Blessing Ceremony
Aying knocked on the door and invited Yan Ciwan to dinner.

Lunch was a soup-based dish called "Bo Tuo," made with flour that the village chief had just given us, and with some wild vegetables added. However, due to the lack of seasonings and oil, it tasted very bland.

What Yan Ciwan considered extremely coarse food was a rare delicacy to Aying.

Aying picked up her bowl and chopsticks and devoured all the flatbread and broth in a few bites, even slurping her chopsticks one last time as if she wanted more.

She went to see Yan Ciwan and saw that he was still eating slowly and gracefully, clearly well-mannered. In comparison, her own eating habits were really rude.

Aying felt a little envious.

Yan Ciwan noticed the other person's gaze and asked, "What's wrong?"

"nothing."

Yan Ciwan asked again, "Why didn't your mother come to eat with us?"

"She's not feeling well and it's inconvenient for her to go out, so I'll bring her some food later."

Yan Ciwan took the opportunity to inquire, "What illness does your mother have? Have you seen a doctor?"

Ah Ying replied succinctly, "There is no doctor in the village."

“It’s not far from Xiao’an Village to Chang’an County. You can take your mother to Chang’an County to see a doctor.”

"I cannot leave the village without the village chief's permission."

Yan Ciwan asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"There's no reason why, that's just how it is. It's not just me, everyone in the village does it this way."

Yan Ciwan pondered to herself that the village chief was a member of the Five Gods Sect, and the reason why he was so strict with the villagers might be related to the Five Gods Sect.

She kindly suggested, "If you have the chance in the future, you should take your mother to Chang'an to see a doctor. Keeping her like this without treatment is very bad for her health."

Upon hearing this, Aying's expression turned very somber.

She said in a low voice, "Even if we see a doctor, what then? Doctors can't cure every disease."

"That's not how it works. We need to see a doctor first to know if it can be cured."

Aying shook her head: "Let's not talk about this anymore. You should eat quickly. I'm waiting to wash the dishes."

Seeing that she was unwilling to bring up the matter again, Yan Ciwan had no choice but to stop talking and quickly finish the remaining dumplings in her bowl.

Aying wiped the table clean, carried two sets of bowls and chopsticks outside, and Yan Ciwan followed her out curiously. She saw Aying squatting by the well, washing the bowls and chopsticks with the well water she had just drawn up, and then taking the still dripping bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen.

Yan Ciwan thought she was going to put the bowls and chopsticks away in the cupboard, but instead she saw her lift the pot lid, scoop out the remaining flatbread from the pot, and put it into the freshly washed bowl.

Seeing Yan Ciwan staring at the bowl in her hand, Aying explained somewhat awkwardly.

"My family only has two sets of bowls and chopsticks."

Normally, it's just her and her mother at home, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks are just enough. But now that two guests have moved in, they have to eat at different times, otherwise they won't have enough bowls and chopsticks.

Yan Ciwan then asked, "Where did your father go?"

“He passed away many years ago.” Ah Ying’s expression darkened as she said this.

She handed one of the bowls of flatbread to Yan Ciwan and said, "This is your mother's lunch."

"Thank you, but no need, she can't chew this kind of food."

Without saying a word, Aying poured the flatbread back into the pot, brought it to a boil, and kept cooking until the flatbread melted and turned into a thick soup. Only then did she ladle it out and put it into a bowl.

"Your mother should be able to eat this kind of food, right?"

Yan Ciwan took the bowl: "Thank you for your trouble."

Ah Ying picked up another bowl of steamed buns and walked out of the kitchen, into the main room on the right, seemingly to deliver food to her mother.

Yan Ciwan returned to the guest room on the left and saw that the envoy was still lying motionless on the bed. She casually placed the porridge on the bedside table, then pushed open the door and went to the main house opposite. The door was ajar, and she stood outside, listening intently. The conversation between Aying and her mother inside reached Yan Ciwan's ears.

Mother: "I'm full, you can eat the rest for me."

Ah Ying: "You haven't eaten enough, have a couple more bites."

Mother: "I really can't eat anymore. You should eat quickly, or it will get soggy."

After a moment of silence, the conversation continued.

Mother: "Today is the fifteenth. Are you going out to attend the village's prayer meeting again?"

Aying: "Mm."

Mother: "Can you please not go?"

Aying: "Every household in the village has to go, that's the rule. Mother, you're still sick and can't go out, so I can represent our family."

Mother: "But your father and older sister both went to the prayer meeting and never came back. I'm really scared that you won't come back either..."

There was silence again.

After a long while, I heard Ah Ying's voice.

"Mother, don't worry, I will definitely come back."

The mother stopped speaking and began to sob softly.

Aying gently comforted her for a while. After her mother calmed down, Aying picked up the bowl and chopsticks and went outside. When she opened the door and stepped over the threshold, she saw Yan Ciwan standing outside.

"Why are you here?"

Yan Ciwan cut to the chase and asked, "What is a prayer ceremony?"

Aying frowned: "You were eavesdropping on our conversation?"

Yan Ciwan showed no shame whatsoever and readily admitted, "Yes."

Aying was speechless; it was the first time she had ever seen someone so brazenly eavesdropping.

"You are so thick-skinned."

Yan Ciwan touched her cheek, feeling proud rather than ashamed: "Thank you for the compliment."

A mother's voice came from inside the house: "Aying, is that Madam Xiao?"

Ah Ying turned around and said into the house, "She came to talk to me about something. Mother, you should rest well. Just call me if you need anything."

After saying that, she gently closed the door, then took the bowl and chopsticks and walked to the well. As she drew water, she continued to speak.

"The prayer meeting is a custom in our village. Every month on the night of the full moon, at least one person from each household in the village participates. You are not from our village, so this has nothing to do with you."

Yan Ciwan pressed further, "Why didn't your father and elder sister come back after attending the prayer meeting? What exactly is the prayer meeting for?"

Ah Ying looked up at her and said expressionlessly.

I'll say it again, these things have nothing to do with you!

Yan Ciwan guessed that the prayer ceremony was likely related to the Five Gods Sect, and she asked, "Can I go to the prayer ceremony with you? My mother has been ill for a long time, and I want to pray for her."

When Aying heard her mention her sick mother, she couldn't help but think of herself and her own mother, which softened Aying's attitude slightly.

"The prayer meeting is not as simple as you think. I advise you not to get involved in this mess."

"Then can you tell me what exactly the prayer ceremony is about?"

Seeing her persistence, Aying had no choice but to say, "You should have seen the river next to our village, right? That river is called Moon River. Legend has it that a river god lives in the river. We all call him the Moon God. Every month on the fifteenth of the full moon, our village and Da'an Village upstream will worship the river god together to pray for blessings and protection for both villages to have good weather and abundant harvests."