Chapter 8

After each feeding, the baby should be held upright for 20 to 30 minutes;

The baby should be fed before it becomes extremely hungry...

...

Ren Jie's gentle voice echoed softly in the room, and Chen Du and the others listened with great attention, occasionally taking out the paper and pen they had prepared in advance to jot down what they considered important.

Shang Jianyao maintained his initial posture, gazing intently at Ren Jie, though his eyes seemed a bit unfocused.

After two or three minutes, Ren Jie stopped, her gaze sweeping over everyone.

"That's all for today.

"All of the above are the teachings of the divine."

"Praise Your Tolerance!" Before Chen Du and the others could speak, Shang Jianyao had already stretched out his arms, mimicking the motion of cradling and gently rocking a baby, appearing very enthusiastic.

"..." The other believers were stunned for two seconds, but ultimately followed Shang Jianyao, extending their arms, bending their elbows, and gently rocking, saying, "Praise Your Tolerance!"

Ren Jie's mouth opened, but she said nothing.

She glanced at the old electronic watch on her wrist.

"It's getting late. We need to return to our homes before the streetlights come on.

"The next part is the final segment, the Eucharist."

After speaking, she and the woman surnamed Li walked through the door into the inner room.

Less than a minute later, they came out, one carrying various utensils—small bowls, large bowls, plastic lunch boxes, and porcelain spoons—and the other holding a cylindrical container filled with a dark substance.

The rich aroma quickly wafted into Shang Jianyao's nose, making him involuntarily raise his right hand to wipe his mouth.

It was the scent of sesame and sugar mixed together!

Similar items, including ordinary pastries, cost 60 contribution points per catty, more expensive than pork!

As for high-end items, they cost about 720 points per catty, while Shang Jianyao's daily breakfast only cost 8 to 10 points.

Soon, the woman surnamed Li distributed the utensils to everyone, while Ren Jie, holding a translucent plastic container in one hand and a ladle in the other, scooped the dark substance into the bowls and lunch boxes of the believers, one spoonful per person.

Each time she gave a spoonful, she would say:

"This is today's Eucharist, black sesame paste."

The person receiving the Eucharist would solemnly respond:

"Praise Your Tolerance!"

As a new member, Shang Jianyao was the last to receive the Eucharist after Ren Jie and the woman surnamed Li. The spoonful was quite large, almost filling his small bowl.

"This is today's Eucharist, black sesame paste." Ren Jie said as usual.

Shang Jianyao responded with utmost piety:

"Praise Your Tolerance!"

In a sense, Ren Jie, who distributed the Eucharist, was the embodiment of the "Year Master" Siming, so "You" referred to Siming, not Ren Jie.

The woman surnamed Li observed Shang Jianyao's expression and smiled, asking:

"Are you moved?"

"Moved!" Shang Jianyao held the bowl in one hand and raised the other to wipe his mouth again.

Ren Jie and the woman surnamed Li said nothing more, returned to the bed, and divided the remaining black sesame paste, bowing their heads slightly and speaking in a low voice:

"Praise Your Tolerance."

Everyone echoed, then began to enjoy the Eucharist.

The Eucharist seemed to have been prepared in advance, slightly cool, but this did not affect its taste—rich, sweet, and with the unique aroma of sesame.

After carefully tasting a small bite, Shang Jianyao paused for a moment, then quickly scooped the black sesame paste into his mouth.

Clang, clang, clang, he didn't even leave the bits stuck to the bowl, scraping it clean.

After finishing, he looked around and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

When the Eucharist ceremony ended, everyone praised the Year Master, who presided over the twelve months, in unison, then lined up to return the utensils to the woman surnamed Li and Ren Jie.

When it was Shang Jianyao's turn, the woman surnamed Li smiled and asked:

"Since this is your first time attending the gathering, what are your thoughts?"

Shang Jianyao answered seriously:

"Very delicious."

The woman surnamed Li's expression froze, then she asked:

"Do you have any suggestions for us?

"Don't hesitate. Since you've joined the congregation, we are all family, and there's nothing that can't be said among family."

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and said:

"More Eucharist."

"… Anything else?" The woman surnamed Li forced a smile.

Shang Jianyao's eyes flickered and he said:

"Brush teeth in advance."

The woman surnamed Li couldn't help but cough:

"Everyone can leave now. Shang Jianyao, stay. The 'Guide' has something to say to you."

Chen Du and the others left one by one, and the woman surnamed Li and her husband carried the utensils into the inner room.

Ren Jie walked to Shang Jianyao and said with a gentle smile:

"You've just joined the congregation and need to quickly learn the knowledge related to prayer.

"Don't worry, it's all very simple. My Lord Siming, the true deity who governs the years, does not care about these formalities."

Shang Jianyao nodded, indicating he was listening.

Ren Jie slowed her speech:

"We don't have a fixed time for prayer, but we often choose the moment just after waking in the morning to thank Siming for keeping us alive.

"We place the greatest importance on the birth of infants and the departure of the deceased, so our formal rituals or religious ceremonies are held when a new life is one month old or when a deceased person is buried. Otherwise, it's similar preaching, with no fixed time.

"Um, on the first day of the twelfth month, there is a grand ceremony to welcome my Lord Siming, and on the last day of the twelfth month, there is another grand ceremony, wishing my Lord to open the door to a new world.

"You've already learned the way to bow, which is to mimic the motion of cradling and gently rocking a baby. The corresponding phrases are mainly divided into three categories: when discussing death or passing, say 'Ultimately return to Siming'; when mentioning the sanctity of life or my Lord's grace, use 'Praise Your Tolerance'; when involving new life, you can say 'New life like the sun' or 'Life is the most important.'

"Basically, that's it. As for the Eucharist, it's different each time. It could be black sesame paste, milk, juice, soy milk, meat broth, vegetable soup, or yogurt. Hehe, have you noticed their common point?"

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and said:

"They are all delicious."

"..." Ren Jie maintained her smile, "They are all liquid or nearly liquid, and liquid is the main food for new life and the dying."

Before Shang Jianyao could speak, Ren Jie pointed to the door:

"Alright, you can go now."

Shang Jianyao looked back but didn't move, instead asking:

"Aunt Ren, how many Year Masters are there in total?"

"Normal people, after learning the definition of Year Masters, would assume there are twelve, but that's not the case." Ren Jie smiled, "There are thirteen Year Masters in total, one of whom represents the intercalary month. Hehe, in places that don't recognize the intercalary month, He symbolizes the entire year."

"What is His title?" Shang Jianyao asked.

Ren Jie shook her head:

"I'm not sure. We believe in Siming and don't need to know about other Year Masters."

Shang Jianyao didn't ask further and turned to leave the room at No. 35 in Area A.

With the help of his flashlight, he returned to No. 196 in Area B, turning off the flashlight and hugging the wall whenever he approached a crossroads, just like Chen Du.

Back home, Shang Jianyao walked to the sink, picked up a tube of toothpaste that seemed to be only a thin layer, and with great effort, squeezed a bit onto his sparsely bristled toothbrush.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face thoroughly, Shang Jianyao saw that the ceiling had not yet lit up, so he sat at the wooden table, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

He raised his hand to pinch his temples and then let it drop.

...

In the vast hall filled with "stars," Shang Jianyao's figure appeared.

He first glanced at the nearby cold, dark metal walls, then raised his head to look up.

The countless sparkling points of light, like the stars described in textbooks, formed one galaxy after another, and these galaxies formed multiple rivers of stars.

These "galaxies" had boundaries, but they were not clearly defined.

Shang Jianyao had counted the number of "galaxies" here long ago, and now he began to count silently again:

"One, two, three... eleven, twelve, thirteen.

"Thirteen..."

He fell silent, his figure gradually fading and disappearing in the hall filled with stars.

...

After a while, Shang Jianyao saw the window suddenly brighten.

The fluorescent lights on the street ceiling lit up simultaneously.

The underground building welcomed the dawn.

Still wearing his dark green thick cotton coat, he picked up his plastic lunch box, left the room, and headed to Area C.

Destination: "Supply Market."

On the way, Shang Jianyao encountered Long Yuehong, who lived nearby. Clearly, she had woken up early and had not been in the public restroom queue.

"The allocation results will be announced today..." Long Yuehong deliberately waited for Shang Jianyao on this road to share her nervousness.

"Yes." Shang Jianyao looked ahead and saw a woman soothing a crying baby at the door of a room.

His expression changed instantly, as if he was thinking about something, yet also a bit lost.

Long Yuehong glanced at him, walking alongside him and asking:

"What's wrong with you?

"Did you have a nightmare last night?"

Shang Jianyao was silent for two seconds and said:

"Doubting life."

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