Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

"Wow! No, I want to order myself!"

Chen Rongjie didn't care whether Xiao Rongguo was happy or not. Holding him in one arm and holding incense in the other, he squatted by the pool, lit a firecracker, and threw it into the water. With a muffled "bang," water splashed high into the air. Xiao Rongguo was startled, but then he excitedly shouted.

Little Chen Hui stood to the side, covering his ears and jumping up and down, shouting, "One more! One more!"

Little Rongguo, held in Chen Rongjie's arms, cried out desperately, "Second Brother, put me down! Let me order one! Let me order one!"

Chen Rongjie took the firecracker from Xiao Rongguo's hand. This time, after lighting it, he didn't throw it into the water, but just tossed it on the ground. With a crisp "bang," red firecracker paper scraps flew up like snowflakes, and the air was instantly filled with a familiar smell of gunpowder.

Little Chen Hui covered his ears and shouted again, "It exploded! That was so loud! Second Brother, do it again!"

Xiao Rongguo struggled to get off his second brother Chen Rongjie and pulled his older brother Xiao Chenhui, saying, "Brother, I'll show you the fireworks."

As he spoke, he picked out the short-fuse firecrackers one by one, removed the covers, and began to play a game that all children enjoyed most during the Lunar New Year. By taking the firecrackers apart, pouring out the gunpowder, lighting it with incense, and making a "pop" sound, they could get a lot of fun.

Clearly, Xiao Chenhui was very happy. Looking at the huge ball of fire rising up, he kept shouting "Wow wow wow!" and yelling "How beautiful!"

"You two, stop playing too wildly. You'll get your clothes dirty and get scolded when you get back," Chen Rongjie called out helplessly from behind, but the two little ones were already having too much fun to listen to.

"Ah Dong, look at this scene," Chen Zaiguang said with emotion, looking at the altar full of offerings. "It's been so many years since it's been this lively. When I was a child, I would come with my father to worship our ancestors, and we would just put up a chicken and some meat. It was nothing like this lavish feast."

"Life is better now, so naturally we need to eat more," Chen Dong said with a smile. "This is also to let our ancestors see that our Chen family is doing well now, so they can rest assured."

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

"Ancestral worship!"

Chen Xianfu, who was assigned to hold the megaphone, shouted to the crowd, "Everyone line up according to seniority, hurry up, don't waste time!"

"Rongjie, quickly bring your two younger brothers over, we're going to the ancestral hall to pay respects to our ancestors!" Upon hearing his second uncle's call, Chen Zaiguang immediately shouted to Chen Rongjie and his two younger brothers, who were still playing nearby.

Chen Rongjie was carrying one child in each arm. Little Rongguo and Little Chenhui were so engrossed in playing that they didn't even want to come for the ancestral worship ceremony. When they were put down in front of the adults, the two little devils tried to run away, but Chen Zaiguang grabbed them and pulled them back. "We're about to have the ancestral worship ceremony. If you dare run away, I'll pull down your pants here and spank you naked!"

"don't want!"

Xiao Chenhui and Xiao Rongguo shouted at the same time. The Chen clan members who had already lined up around them looked at the two little uncles with smiles. The two rascals knew that it was very embarrassing to have their pants pulled down and their bottoms spanked in front of so many people.

Moreover, many of these people would have to call them "uncle" when they met. Little Chen Hui and Little Rong Guo, these two little devils, still knew how to maintain the dignity of being called "uncle".

Chen Xiangui, dressed in a brand-new dark blue Tang suit, stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall and called on the clansmen to line up according to their seniority. He was in exceptionally good spirits today, his hair was neatly combed, and he didn't even bother to smoke the cigarette that he usually had in his mouth.

Grandma Wei Shufen, leaning on her cane, walked out of the ancestral hall. The men were about to go inside to pay their respects, so she couldn't stay inside. The people who had already lined up greeted her as soon as they saw her come out, saying, "Greetings, Grandma!"

"Grandma, please slow down!"

"Good, good, good, all good," Grandma Wei Shufen said, her smile stretching from ear to ear as she listened to the greetings from her children and grandchildren.

She hadn't seen the ancestral hall so lively in many years. The last time it was like this was when her husband was still alive and presided over the worship ceremony.

When the auspicious time arrived, Chen Xiangui, the clan leader, took the lead, and the clan members followed in order of seniority into the ancestral hall. Chen Dong, holding little Chen Hui's hand, followed behind Chen Zaixing and stepped over the high threshold.

The ancestral hall was filled with the smoke of incense. The ancestral tablets were placed on the shrine, and the offerings that had just been placed there were still steaming. Chen Xianfu held a large bunch of lit incense sticks and distributed three sticks to each person.

"With our ancestors above, the eldest grandson of the Chen family, along with all the elders and children, respectfully wishes that our ancestral virtues will endure, protecting future generations, ensuring the prosperity of our family and the well-being of our descendants!"

"One kowtow!"

"Kowtowing again!"

"Three kowtows!"

As Chen Xianfu shouted through a megaphone, Chen Xiangui, as the clan head, stood at the front and led the men of the Chen clan, young and old, in performing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows before the ancestral tablets.

Outside the ancestral hall, as soon as the kneeling and worship began, someone lit firecrackers. The crackling sound of firecrackers was deafening. However, Chen Dong did not find any of this tedious. On the contrary, being in the midst of it, he felt the centripetal force of the clan's cohesion.

At this moment, he was not some billionaire who had returned from America; he was a descendant of the Chen family. He felt a sense of peace every time he stepped into the ancestral hall, as if the ancestors of the Chen family were watching over him from above.

Looking at the people around him who were connected to him by blood, he felt a sense of peace he had never felt before. He had spent the Spring Festival in America, and Chinatown also had lion dances, firecrackers, and ancestral worship, but that was a time of wandering.

And this is where the roots are!

Perhaps this is why every man in Tuocheng wants to build an ancestral hall in his entire life!

"Alright, the ceremony is complete!"

Little Chen Hui cried out in pain, pushed himself up with his hands, and brushed the dust off his pants, saying to Chen Dong, "My knees hurt from kneeling, Daddy!"

"A little man like you isn't afraid of this little pain. Come on, let's go see your Yingge," Chen Dong said, pulling Chen Hui's hand as they walked out of the ancestral hall. Chen Hui then called out to Rong Guo, who was also walking out of the hall, "Little brother, let's go see Yingge!"

"Oh! Let's go see Yingge," Xiao Rongguo said, pulling his father Chen Zaixing along to catch up with Chen Dong and his son. Chen Rongfei and Chen Rongjie also quickly followed.

As you walk into the courtyard in front of the street office, the drumbeats become more frequent. The Yingge dance troupe has already reached the center of the courtyard. One hundred and seven Liangshan heroes, holding wooden mallets, move with vigorous and powerful steps, changing formations under the command of the drumbeats.

"Fun, fun!" Little Chen Hui, who was being held by Chen Dong, clapped his hands and shouted. The people next to him turned their heads and saw that it was Chen Dong. They nodded politely and greeted Chen Dong, who also politely replied.

Tian Chulian, the Party Secretary, who was standing in the entrance of the subdistrict office surrounded by people watching the commotion, also saw Chen Dong. He smiled and walked around the crowd towards Chen Dong. "Cai Dong, how is it? Isn't Ying Ge beautiful? This is our village's own team!"

"Fantastic, Secretary Tian," Chen Dong praised, giving a thumbs up. It was indeed very beautiful; Chen Dong had never seen anything like it in New York.

"Secretary Lin will probably be coming over later."

"Really?"