Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

Chen Yongqiang also sensed something, glanced at the center of the reservoir, and thought to himself, "I didn't expect the village to attach so much importance to the La Festival prayers, even inviting a shaman priest."

At this moment, Liu Qiaozhu was driving a black boar weighing about 200 jin (approximately 100 catties) towards the middle of the reservoir.

The black-haired boar was driven to an open area in the middle of the ice, where it paced restlessly.

Hu Chuyao said calmly, "Let's offer the sacrifice first."

Upon hearing this, two men dressed in shamanic attire immediately stepped forward.

One person stood solemnly to one side, holding a torch, while the other held a wooden stick and exchanged a glance with Hu Chuyao.

Holding the Wenwang Drum and drumsticks, Hu Chuyao began to strike the drum rhythmically while chanting purifying incantations.

Chen Yongqiang turned and walked towards the embankment, where he joined the villagers who were cooking Laba porridge.

He greeted Qin Shan first, and then heard villagers whispering among themselves.

"The Jin family is really rich, donating such a big boar."

"Wasn't that all to pray for Old Man Jin's longevity?"

"Old Jin must be eighty years old, right?"

"He's eighty-six. I heard he's been quite ill lately, I'm afraid..."

Chen Yongqiang listened silently, and information about the Jin family surfaced in his memory.

The Jin family was a respectable family of scholars and officials, and merchants. They were well-known and respected in the surrounding area.

Later, due to the turbulent times, the Jin family's openly owned land and wealth were confiscated. The villagers said, "The Jin family's foundation is not outside, but inside."

But Chen Yongqiang knew that the Jin family had engaged in a lot of speculative and profiteering businesses.

It seems that the Jin family contributed the majority of the sacrifice this time, and also hoped to use it to pray for the safety of the elderly in the family.

"That old man Jin, it seems he didn't make it to the New Year!" Chen Yongqiang remembered this fragment from his past life. But such birth, aging, sickness and death are quite common.

Looking at the busy crowd on the ice and the black-haired boar that was about to be sacrificed, Chen Yongqiang suddenly felt a sense of emotion.

The life of an ordinary person, from birth to old age, sickness and death, is like the cycle of the four seasons, from which no one can escape.

Even though the Jin family was incredibly wealthy, at this point, they could only resort to this ancient ritual to pray for their slim chance of continued existence.

"With the protection of the mountain god, perhaps... I can go further and live longer than them."

The thought flashed through Chen Yongqiang's mind; the Mountain God assessment was not yet complete.

At this moment, he is still just like the villagers on the dike who are worried about their livelihoods, an ordinary person struggling to survive in the mortal world.

Only by passing the mountain god's test and officially stepping into the threshold can the legendary breathing exercises and longevity cultivation no longer be just an ethereal legend, but a true path to immortality.

"The way they slaughter pigs is so strange!" Liang Meie's voice rang in Chen Yongqiang's ears.

"It's used for sacrificial rites, so it's naturally a bit different." Chen Yongqiang's gaze never left the ice surface.

He saw the man plunge a blessed magic knife into his throat and catch the blood in a wooden basin.

The pig didn't even grunt; its four hooves went limp, and it collapsed onto the ice.

The torch held by the other person was not for burning; the rising smoke from it carried the scent of herbs.

In the ancient ritual of the Laba Festival, the emphasis of sacrificial animals lies in "offering" and "purification." Taking their lives without causing them excessive pain and struggle reduces their fright and panic.

The animal is first purified with specially made medicinal smoke, signifying that it is no longer an ordinary creature, but a pure offering.

Yang Dahai walked over and called out loudly to the gathered villagers, "Don't rush off after you've had your Laba porridge! After the ceremony, you'll get to share some 'lucky meat'!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers, who had initially just been watching the spectacle, suddenly showed a more genuine sense of anticipation.

While the sacrificial ceremony is certainly eye-catching, the real good fortune at the end of the year is receiving a piece of "lucky meat" that symbolizes good luck.

Chen Yongqiang knew that the Jin family wanted to do good deeds and accumulate blessings from all families.

"Line up, everyone, let's start distributing the porridge!" He Jun shouted from beside the large pot.

This shout was like a command, and the previously somewhat loose crowd immediately stirred, moving towards the large pots.

The rules of respecting elders and genders naturally came into play at this moment, with the elderly being led to the front and children being held by the hands of adults to prevent them from running around.

Several villagers responsible for distributing the porridge picked up long-handled ladles and began to scoop Laba porridge into porcelain bowls.

Chen Yongqiang also received a bowl. He carried the rough porcelain bowl and walked a few steps towards the less crowded embankment.

The villagers' barely suppressed chatter reached my ears:

"How strange, this year's Laba porridge tastes especially good!"

"It is a bit different. The rice is more glutinous, the beans are more sandy, and it seems to have an indescribable sweetness."

"He Jun, you've really gone all out this year, haven't you? What good stuff did you put in?"

Chen Yongqiang took a sip of the Laba porridge in his bowl; of course, it wasn't because He Jun had added extra rock sugar.

This is because of the grains and cereals he took out from the mountain god's space.

Those grains were imbued with spiritual energy, so the crops that grew from them were naturally extraordinary.

Even just a small amount mixed into ordinary grains is enough to elevate the flavor of this large pot of Laba porridge to a whole new level.

After drinking Laba porridge, the villagers gathered in the center of the ice, waiting to see the main event of the sacrificial ceremony and prayer.

Chen Yongqiang also joined the crowd and stood in the throng.

The large black pig has been prepared and is now placed on the offering table as the most important sacrificial offering.

Most notably, the pig's "halaba," or complete scapula, had been removed, which later became an important medium for shamans to predict the year's fortune and misfortune.

The atmosphere on the ice became slightly more solemn, and everyone's eyes were focused on Hu Chuyao, who was dressed in shamanic robes.

Hu Chuyao held the God-driving whip, which was tied with strips of red, yellow, blue, and white cloth, in her right hand and the Wenwang Drum in her left.

With each flick of her wrist, the whip tip struck the drumhead, producing a deep, resonant "thump, thump" sound that seemed to strike directly into one's heart.

Four male shamans, all dressed in shamanic attire and each holding a burning torch, stood in the east, south, west, and north directions, surrounding Hu Chuyao in the center.

They raised their torches high, and the leaping flames created an invisible and solemn space, briefly separating the shaman in the center from the secular world.

Hu Chuyao's singing grew louder, carrying a strange tone, and with her slow dance steps, the bells tied around her waist made a crisp sound.

As Chen Yongqiang gazed at Hu Chuyao, who was surrounded by flames in the center of the ice, with the deep beat of drums in his ears, a thought surfaced in his mind.

"With the help of that mysterious mountain god protection system, I can communicate with the mountain god and obtain guidance on tasks."

"And this Hu Chuyao communicates with the immortals she believes in through an ancient ritual."

"So, Hu Chuyao and I are the same kind of people?"

"Or is it that there are many ways to communicate in this world, just with different barriers to entry?"

He watched as Hu Chuyao seemed to gradually enter a state of complete absorption, which was clearly not fake.