Chapter 2

In Panshi Ridge, there is a folk song that goes like this:

At the beginning of Qingming, there's no worry about tomb sweeping and worship.

In the middle of Qingming, descendants of all ages pay respects to the ancestors.

At the end of Qingming, lonely spirits and wandering ghosts have no home to return to.

The so-called beginning, middle, and end of Qingming are calculated based on the lunar calendar.

The solar calendar date for Qingming is fixed on April 4th or 5th, but the lunar calendar dates vary each year.

If it is the first or second day of the lunar month, it is considered the standard beginning of Qingming; if it is the 28th, 29th, or 30th, it is definitely the end of Qingming.

As for the middle of Qingming, any day in the middle of the lunar month can be considered the middle of Qingming.

For the beginning of Qingming, normal tomb sweeping and worship are carried out without much fuss; for the middle of Qingming, it is required that as many male descendants as possible attend. The so-called "mountain public" refers to the ancestors buried on the mountain. A large number of male descendants in the family signifies prosperity, and a lively tomb sweeping is not a problem.

As for the end of Qingming, it is quite eerie. According to the folk song of Panshi Ridge, on the days at the end of Qingming, various unattended lonely spirits and wandering ghosts wander around.

On such days, when sweeping the tomb, from the moment you leave home until you reach the mountain, you must burn a sheet of yellow paper at each intersection.

This is to buy a safe journey and avoid being entangled by impure things.

The ancestors of Panshi Ridge have passed down this folk song orally, and until the generation of Jiang Yue's father, they have strictly adhered to these rules. Each time they return to their hometown to sweep the tomb, they never lack a sense of ceremony. Especially in the years when it is the end of Qingming, they are even more particular, not the least bit careless.

Don't look at San Gou being young; he has taken to heart the traditions passed down by the older generation.

Seeing Jiang Yue lost in thought, San Gou couldn't help but remind him, "Second Brother? Today is the 29th of the second lunar month, the end of Qingming. Could it be that some dirty things have come to our home?"

These words made the two brothers standing outside the courtyard feel a chill.

Fortunately, at this moment, a phone call brought them back to the normal world.

On the other end of the phone was the anxious voice of their younger aunt.

Clearly, their younger aunt had just discovered that San Gou was missing. Upon learning that the little rascal had safely returned to Panshi Ridge, she let out a sigh of relief. She then specifically reminded them of the various ancestral teachings for the end of Qingming, repeatedly emphasizing them. After that, she scolded San Gou for a while before hanging up.

"Alright, San Gou! What time did you get up? You made it home after a few dozen miles of mountain road? Are you a soil sprite or a thunder god?"

"Hehe, I didn't sleep much last night. Second Brother, why don't we burn some paper?"

San Gou, as his name suggests, had not slept much but was still as energetic as a dog.

Jiang Yue didn't intend to go against the ancestral teachings. At his age, it was a time to be rebellious and independent, but returning to Panshi Ridge to sweep the tomb showed that he valued these traditions.

Watching the yellow paper burn to ashes, Jiang Yue's doubts did not diminish.

Despite the drizzle, the tomb sweeping activity could not be compromised.

Jiang Yue carried a hoe on his shoulder, and the offerings were placed in a bamboo basket, which is now rare in the city, and carried on his back. San Gou had a machete on his waist and a bag of yellow paper, paper ingots, and paper silver coins in his hand.

The two brothers burned a sheet of yellow paper at each intersection. After about an hour, they arrived at a mountain hollow. From a distance, they could see a pavilion at the end of the road, perched at the foot of the mountain. From afar, the pavilion looked like a phoenix spreading its wings, with a unique shape.

"Second Brother, should we rest at the Nine Mile Pavilion?"

"Only the dead rest at the Nine Mile Pavilion. Do you want to rest?"

"No."

In Panshi Ridge, whenever an elder passes away, they are buried in the Dajin Mountain area.

The Nine Mile Pavilion is at the foot of Dajin Mountain.

Generally, during a funeral, there are taboos, and the coffin cannot be placed on the ground along the way.

However, the custom in Panshi Ridge is a bit different. Even if the bearers are as strong as oxen, they must rest at the Nine Mile Pavilion.

If they try to be strong and go directly up the mountain, something is likely to go wrong halfway. Either a bearer will stumble and fall, or the coffin will tip over.

According to common belief, the distance from Panshi Ridge to the Nine Mile Pavilion is nearly ten miles, mostly winding mountain roads, making it very difficult to walk. By the time the bearers reach here, they are already at their physical limit. Without a rest, their strength is not enough to support the climb up the mountain.

A more mysterious belief is that the Nine Mile Pavilion is the intersection of yin and yang. Once on Dajin Mountain, the yin energy is too strong. If they do not rest and regain yang energy at the Nine Mile Pavilion, they are likely to encounter problems if they climb the mountain rashly.

The most eerie belief is that after a person dies, their soul does not immediately dissipate. If they do not wait at the Nine Mile Pavilion, the body will be buried, but the soul will have no place to go, easily forming a malevolent spirit. They must wait for both the body and soul to be buried and the yang energy to dissipate before true peace can be achieved.

In the local area, there are many legends about the Nine Mile Pavilion.

It is said that hundreds of years ago, a feng shui master found a dragon-shaped spot on Dajin Mountain, calling it a place with the power of a living dragon. The surrounding terrain was excellent, with all five elements of dragon, spot, sand, water, and direction in perfect harmony.

The only flaw was the lack of a mountain peak to the south, preventing the formation of the five-star gathering.

Later, after calculations by a feng shui master, a way to compensate was found. A pavilion shaped like a phoenix was built to the south of Dajin Mountain.

As the saying goes, a thousand feet for the shape, a hundred feet for the form.

Using the pavilion to replace the mountain, it was a way to compensate for the flaw. However, it did form the five-star gathering, symbolizing peace and prosperity.

Jiang Yue and San Gou had heard many of these legends.

The two brothers burned another sheet of paper at the Nine Mile Pavilion and found the path up the mountain.

The path up the mountain is rarely used, and without a machete to clear the way, it would be difficult to climb.

With the continuous Qingming rain, the soil and rocks were loose, making the path even more difficult.

It took them about forty minutes to reach the old Jiang family's ancestral tomb, where several generations of ancestors, up to their grandfather, were buried.

Jiang Yue, being strong, was responsible for clearing the weeds, cleaning the tomb, and adding new soil.

San Gou placed the offerings, lit incense, and burned paper.

After completing the rituals for seven or eight tombs, the two brothers were quite tired but managed to finish smoothly.

"Brother, isn't it strange? In previous years, it was hard to get the paper to burn in the rain, but today, the rain is like oil, and the yellow paper burns easily."

San Gou couldn't stay idle; when he was idle, he tended to be superstitious.

After San Gou pointed this out, Jiang Yue noticed that the paper did burn unusually well today.

Perhaps the paper this year is of a different quality, with some flammable additives?

Strange things happen often, and this is just one more.

After the paper money was completely burned to ashes and there was no risk of rekindling, the two brothers packed up and prepared to go down the mountain.

People who are used to mountain paths know that the descent is more difficult than the ascent.

From a metaphysical perspective, the ascent is upward, with full energy, making it difficult for evil to attack; the descent, with the body tired and the energy downward, makes it easier to encounter evil.

As they were walking, San Gou suddenly said, "Second Brother, do you hear any noise?"

Jiang Yue listened, but all he heard was the rustling of the rain, so he shook his head.

"No! Second Brother, listen carefully. There's a child crying."

In the deep mountains, at the old cemetery, during the Qingming season, San Gou claimed to hear a child crying!

Even Jiang Yue, who is quite brave, was startled by this and broke out in a cold sweat.