Acai's Sky

Chapter 666: What Does the Heroine's Escape Have to Do with Me?

The Tong Family Ancestral Hall was completed.

After careful study and calculation of the lunar and almanacs, the tribesmen and the respected Feng Shui masters finally carefully selected a date that was considered an auspicious day and time.

This day not only cleverly avoids all possible dangers of conflict, but also specially selects many dates suitable for holding important events such as "consecration" and "sacrifice".

Such careful selection undoubtedly symbolizes that the new ancestral hall, which is about to be put into use, will be in accordance with the will of heaven and receive the blessing and favor of heaven.

When the renovation work is completed, the next thing to do is to carry out a thorough cleaning of the entire ancestral hall.

All debris left over from construction must be cleaned up thoroughly, leaving nothing behind.

Then, people would sprinkle every inch of the space with clear water, fragrant mugwort, or tall, green cypress branches.

Such an action contains profound meaning, aiming to drive away the evil spirits lurking in the corners and usher in good luck and prosperity.

Next, the most critical step is to re-place the tablets that carry the souls of the family ancestors.

According to the traditional Zhaomu system - Zhao on the left and Mu on the right, these tablets will be arranged neatly and orderly, thus clearly showing the order of seniority within the family.

At the same time, the shrines, incense burners and offering tables were all wiped clean and looked brand new, exuding a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Even the couplets and plaques that had been temporarily moved away due to the renovation work have now been hung back in their original positions, restoring the entire ancestral hall to its former glory and solemnity.

As for the preparation of sacrifices, no one dared to be careless at all.

The so-called three animals and six rituals specifically include a whole fat pig, a whole sheep with bright fur, and a lively rooster.

These three animals represent the heaven, earth and man respectively. They complement each other and together form a harmonious and happy picture.

In addition, it should be paired with whole grains, seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as delicious wine and fragrant tea.

In addition to the abundant food offerings, incense, candles, paper and silk are also essential and important items.

The specially customized gold paper for ancestral worship shines with golden light, as if it can travel through time and space to convey the descendants' longing for their ancestors.

The eternal lamp continues to burn, just like the loving eyes of the ancestors always watching over their descendants.

And the bright blood-red candle is like the flame inherited from the family, everlasting and never extinguished.

They all act as mysterious mediums of communication with ancestors, allowing the connection between the living and the dead to continue.

...

Tong Family Old House

At this moment, at the magnificent entrance of the Tong family's old house, two heavy vermilion doors were wide open.

The third master of the Tong family led everyone from the third branch of the Tong family to wait here early. They were looking forward to seeing the relatives of the Tong family coming from Kyoto.

Just as everyone was waiting anxiously, the sound of horse hooves finally came from afar.

A huge team gradually came into view, and the leader was Tong Lei, the eldest uncle of the Tong family.

He rode a tall and mighty horse, galloping towards us in a heroic manner.

Tong Lei jumped off the horse with great agility. After landing steadily on the ground, he turned slightly sideways, reached out and gently brushed off the dust on his body. Then he elegantly adjusted his clothes to make himself look neat and dignified.

Then, with a smile on his face, he walked forward steadily and met Tong Yan, the third master of the Tong family, who was standing not far away.

The two of them exchanged a standard parallel salute, their movements in perfect unison, fully demonstrating the etiquette of a large family.

After completing the formalities, Tong Lei turned around and walked to the carriage.

He stretched out his right hand and carefully lifted the curtain, only to see Tong Xin, the old man of the Tong family, supporting his eldest son and slowly getting out of the carriage.

Although Tongxin is old, he is still energetic and his eyes are bright.

After getting off the car, the old man first nodded to his third son Tong Yan to show his greeting.

Then, his sharp eyes quickly scanned the crowded crowd at the gate of the old house, and soon found his lovely granddaughter.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a kind smile, and he waved his hand gently, signaling Acai to come over quickly.

When Ah Cai saw her grandfather's gesture, she happily trotted to the old man's side.

The old man nodded with satisfaction, then led his sons and grandsons in a mighty procession towards the large study in the front yard.

Along the way, everyone was talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Meanwhile, the old lady of the Tong family was also busy. She looked lovingly at her daughters-in-law and granddaughters, and softly instructed them on some matters.

Then she led them to the back house and prepared to start taking care of housework and other matters.

...

Inside the large study in the front yard of the Tong family's old house

The old man of the Tong family smiled and introduced to everyone present the heroic and awe-inspiring commander of the imperial guards, Qiu Changhai, who had been following closely behind him.

Qiu Changhai was tall and straight, with a resolute and stern face, and he exuded an awe-inspiring aura.

Everyone present knew very well that it would not be easy for the old man of the Tong family to leave the capital as the Minister of Rites, an important official.

After all, according to court rules, this situation must be approved by the current emperor himself before it can be carried out.

What is even more surprising and puzzling is that even the commander of the Imperial Guard, Qiu Changhai, came along on this trip.

From this we can see that an extremely important event must have occurred, otherwise why would such an important person be invited to come?

After everyone had sat down peacefully, the old man of the Tong family carefully took out a secret letter given to him by the third master Tong Yan from his arms, and passed it to everyone present in turn for them to read.

After taking the letter, Uncle Tong quickly read through it and then handed it to his second brother beside him.

He frowned, turned his head with a worried look on his face, and looked straight at his old grandfather.

"My son still has some impression of the renovation of the old house. I vaguely remember that my grandfather was holding a cane and chasing the foreman in charge of the project all the way, running a full two miles away!" Uncle Tong recalled.

Upon hearing this, the old man beside him, Tongxin, nodded in agreement. "From this point of view, the foreman who was in charge of renovating the old house did have some serious problems. Perhaps there is some unknown secret hidden in it, and there is someone behind the scenes directing it."