Chapter 65: Visiting the Ancestral Hall
Mengxi was sleeping soundly when Zhiqiu pulled her up:
"Second Madam, wake up, wake up quickly, we have to worship at the ancestral temple today"
"Well, one minute, just one minute."
"One minute? Second Grandma, what is one minute?"
Zhiqiu's question drove away Mengxi's sleepiness. She finally remembered that she was in ancient times. She opened her eyes drowsily and looked at Zhiqiu:
"What time is it? It's past the hour of Mao. Second Madam, please get up quickly. Although you don't have to pay respects, you still have to put on your make-up, which will take a lot of time. By the way, Second Madam, what did you just say about one minute? I don't understand."
Zhiqiu asked while helping the second lady to dress.
"Oh, I dreamed of a bell. Is there a bell in the Xiao family ancestral hall?"
Mengxi closed her eyes and stretched out her hand for Zhiqiu to put on her clothes while talking nonsense.
"I have never been in there either. Since Second Madam dreamed about it, maybe it is true. I will know if I go and take a look today. It's a pity that you don't let me go in with you."
"There are dead bodies in there, nothing to see, what are you doing in there?"
Mengxi said casually. Zhiqiu opened his eyes wide and looked at the Second Grandma. What made her so brave? She even dared to disrespect the ancestors. She should shut her mouth consciously.
After finally putting on her outer clothes, Zhiqiu helped the second wife get out of bed and put on her shoes. Zhichun had brought in the water for washing her face. After Zhichun helped her wash up, she made the bed and then opened the door to call the maid who had been waiting outside to come in and put makeup on the second wife.
Mengxi sat there like a puppet, letting the maids paint and smear on her face . This was not putting on makeup, it was simply decorating a wall. Finally, the maids stopped and Mengxi looked into the mirror.
Damn, it would be the right thing to prepare a female ghost and go to the clan temple to pay respect to those old ghosts.
After the old woman left, Zhiqiu helped the second wife up and helped her change into the bright red peony brocade dress that had been prepared for her. She also put on the phoenix crown that weighed several kilograms. She took the handkerchief that Zhiqiu handed over and sat there dignifiedly.
After a while, the maid came to report that it was noon time. The old lady sent a message, asking the second wife to come over. Zhiqiu nodded quickly and ordered the maid to tell the people outside to get ready. She then helped the second wife out of the east wing.
The group went to the main room to pay their respects to the Second Master. Xiao Jun also got up very early today. Seeing the Second Madam in her finery being helped in by Zhiqiu, he was a little dazed for a moment. After a long while, Hongzhu quietly pushed him from behind, and then he realized that the Second Madam was greeting him and was still happy. He hurriedly said:
“Get up!”
"Thank you, Master Er"
"I have written down the etiquette for visiting the ancestral temple. Don't make any mistakes in front of the clan members or lose face."
"I've taken note of it. Thank you for your concern, Master."
Mengxi looked up and saw the Second Master looking at her. Their eyes met unexpectedly. You looked at me, I looked at you, but suddenly I didn't know what to say. Mengxi stood there awkwardly for a long time. Xiao Jun coughed and said:
"The old lady, the eldest master and the clan members are all waiting, Second Madam, please come over quickly."
Mengxi said hello again, turned around, and walked out slowly. She seemed to hear a sigh behind her.
A sedan had been prepared outside. The bearers were replaced by four servants instead of the usual maids. Zhiqiu helped the second wife into the sedan and lowered the curtain. The maid next to her shouted, "Lift the sedan!"
Four servants carried the sedan chair and slowly walked out of the gate of Xiaoxiangyuan. They did not go towards Shouxi Hall, but went directly to the outer living room. After turning left and right, they came to the gate of the outer living room. The etiquette woman who had been waiting came over, opened the curtain of the sedan chair, and helped the second wife get off the sedan chair. Zhiqiu followed behind.
After entering the door and turning around a rosewood screen carved with the word "Three Yangs Bring Good Luck", Mengxi looked up and saw that the hall was full of people. A man with a white beard sat in the main seat, and the old lady and the eldest master sat at the lower seat. Mengxi guessed that this was the patriarch of the Xiao family. With the introduction of the etiquette woman, Mengxi slowly stepped forward, kowtowed to the patriarch, and offered him tea. This meant that she, the daughter-in-law, was recognized by the Xiao family.
Then, under the guidance of the old woman, Mengxi went to pay respects to the main members of the clan one by one. Mengxi didn't remember the names and identities of those people introduced by the old woman at all. She just kept kowtowed. She suddenly understood why the ancients used roosters as a symbol of good fortune when they were getting married. She felt that if they scattered some rice in front of her now, it would definitely be a chicken, and then a rooster, which would be a perfect match.
Finally, when Mengxi was dizzy and about to collapse, he finished visiting the last guest.
Helped by a maid, they returned to the main hall. A maid had already brought a futon and placed it there. The maid helped the second wife kneel on it and began to listen to the patriarch's lecture. The patriarch actually talked about the "blood and tears history" of the Xiao family. Mengxi knelt there straight like a sculpture, watching the patriarch's mouth opening and closing. The sound was like heavenly music, entering her left ear and leaving her right ear. She didn't understand a word. The patriarch also sighed inwardly that the future mistress of the Xiao family was really dignified.
The long "history of blood and tears" was finally over. At this time, someone came to report that the auspicious time had arrived and asked the second grandmother to go to the clan ancestral hall to worship. Everyone then stood up and filed out. Mengxi was helped into the sedan chair and carried to the ancestral hall.
When they arrived in front of the ancestral hall, Mengxi was helped down from the sedan chair. Standing in front of the sedan chair, he looked up and saw a red wall and layers of pine and cypress trees, setting off the magnificent and orderly buildings. The main hall was on the platform, with white marble arch bridges on both sides. At this time, the dark red door had been slowly opened. The clan leader went in to pay homage first. After coming out, he stood on the platform and called out loudly:
"The seventh generation and future head lady of the Xiao family, Xiao Jun's wife, Li, entered the ancestral temple to pay homage to the ancestors."
At the suggestion of the etiquette maid, Mengxi released the support of the maid, clasped her hands, held them flat in front of her chest, straightened her body, slowly stepped onto the platform, and walked step by step into the mysterious and solemn ancestral hall. The people of the Xiao family looked at Mengxi's calm and composed back and her unhurried steps, and they secretly praised the grace and magnanimity of the future mistress of the Xiao family.
She stepped onto the platform step by step. He should have accompanied her all the way, but now she was dancing alone. From the moment she was helped onto the wedding sedan, he, who was supposed to ride a tall horse to welcome her, was not in the wedding team. From then on, except for the man kowtowed three times with her, she was dancing alone. She felt that if this gorgeous wedding was a play, then she was the clown performing a one-man show. Dancing alone was really tiring.
Every step she climbed felt heavier. Mengxi felt that the bright red wedding dress and the heavy phoenix crown were like shackles, imprisoning her body and her heart. How could she dance barefoot with such heavy handcuffs on her back?
The hall seemed particularly gloomy and dim. Mengxi stood for a long time before she could see everything clearly. She looked at the tablets of Xiao's ancestors and the portraits on the wall in front of her. These were the ancestors of the Xiao family. She looked around and her eyes met the portrait in the middle of the front. He vaguely resembled Xiao Jun. This must be the ancestor of the Xiao family. Mengxi felt in a trance that he was looking at her with a smile on his face. Cold sweat seeped out of her back. She steadied herself, took a deep breath, stepped forward, took the incense on the table, lit it in front of the oil lamp, and did not kowtow according to the etiquette taught by the nanny, but knelt directly on the cushion on the ground.
