The third day of Wang He's return was Qingming. As soon as breakfast was finished in the morning, the two brothers, Da Mao and Ermao, came running.

"Second brother, will you go to visit the grave today?"

Wang He replied:

"Go, aren't you going?"

Da Mao's face was relieved when he heard this:

"My mom told me to go, and if you don't go, I won't go. It's boring to sweep the graves, so it's better to go fishing. ”

Ermao also said:

"Yes. I also heard from my uncle that I saw a few net poles withered in the lower pit, and it was estimated that there was Toulon. Shall we tell him to go digging Tulon together?"

The net pole is a kind of grass, the two sides of the narrow leaves are as sharp as the blade of the sword, the whole grass can grow to more than two meters high, the scientific name does not know what it is called, it may belong to a kind of miscanthus or pampas reed, this grass has two main uses in the local area, one is the tender leaves can be cut off to feed the cattle, and the other is the corolla with ears that grows in spring and summer, which can be cut down and woven into a broom, which is light and easy to use.

According to Wang He's understanding, this animal likes to burrow under plants not far from the water source and have developed root systems, and after digging the hole, directly drag the plants on the top of the hole into the hole one by one to make food.

Toulon likes the new and hates the old, and after eating the root half-cut, he turns to another one, so that the experienced person can look at it from a distance, according to the wilting of the net pole or the tail of the bamboo, he can predict that there is a Toulon activity here, and after a closer look, if he finds traces of Toulon appearing, and then judge the approximate time of its appearance here by the degree of withering of the bamboo or the net pole, and whether it is still in the hole.

If you are there, you can go back and prepare the tools for excavation.

Wang He's heart moved after listening to Ermao's words, he also wanted to dig Tulon, in his previous life, he and Da Mao Ermao, under the leadership of his uncle, dug a lot of Toulon, which is the same as fishing, is part of his childhood memories. So much so that after he liked football in high school, when he heard the national football team go to participate in a cup called "Toulon Cup" for the first time, he laughed directly:

"Isn't this game better than digging Tulun? whichever team digs up Toulon is the team that wins!"

Later, Wang He learned that this Toulon Cup is actually called the International Youth Football Tournament, and the age of the players is generally 21-22 years old, because the competition is held in a city called Toulon (Toulon) in France, and it is named the Toulon Cup.

I want to think about it, but Wang He is different from the past, so he persuaded his two younger brothers to dig when Toulon wants to, and they will find it when they turn around the mountain, and they will only sweep the tomb once a year, which is of great significance, and it is still important to sweep the tomb.

Wang He suddenly remembered that there was a pair of Internet celebrity groups called "Huanong Brothers" on the Internet in later generations, which were famous for bamboo rat breeding and shooting videos related to bamboo rats.

Li Feifeng happened to come out to dry his clothes, and when he heard it, he said:

"Of course, the fine devil has to go to the grave, so that the ancestors can bless you to read good books, so that you don't have to be a farmer when you grow up. ”

Da Mao Ermao nodded and said:

"That's what my mom said. ”

Li Feifeng continued:

"Then what are you waiting for, go back to your Abba helper, while the sun is not so hot, you will set off later, there are more than a dozen tombs, and it will take a lot of time to sweep them down one by one. ”

When Da Mao Ermao walked away, Li Feifeng said:

"Two-two, wait a minute, be religious, be diligent, rush to do any work, and your ancestors will see what you do. ”

Wang He was a little moved in his heart, and nodded hurriedly:

"I will. Mom, aren't you going?"

Li Feifeng said:

"I already weed my ancestors yesterday, and they won't say I'm lazy. You and your father can go to our house, your sister and I won't go, there is still a lot of work to be done at home, while your sister is at home, I can grow more vegetables, if rural people even have to go to the market to buy vegetables, they will be laughed at. ”

Wang He hesitated for a moment before saying:

"That sister ......"

Li Feifeng finished drying his clothes without looking back:

"She went last year, but she won't be there this year. Don't be lazy, you didn't go last year, you must go this year. Be respectful in front of your ancestors, and your ancestors will bless you. ”

Wang He really can't remember what happened last year, it seems that he thinks too much, and his mother is not patriarchal.

After waiting for a long time, the second uncle came over with Da Mao Ermao and their black dog.

The second uncle is thin, about 1.7 meters tall, he wears a straw hat, and the flat pole on his shoulders carries two bamboo baskets, which are filled with sacrifices.

The second uncle first smiled and asked:

"Er'er, do you want to go today?"

After receiving an affirmative reply, he smiled:

"Okay, let the ancestors see, our royal house also has a little hero. ”

At this time, Wang Xiangyu took out a large piece of steamed pork, as well as firecrackers and incense paper in a bamboo basket.

When the second uncle saw it, he said:

"Big brother, you don't have to take the basket, put everything in the basket. ”

Wang Xiangyu thought for a moment and said:

"It's fine. ”

After putting everything into the bamboo basket, the two adults took three elementary school students, followed by two black dogs, and walked to the old house together.

Wang He has moved to a new home since he was seven years old, but he often goes back to his old house to play with his uncle. It's okay during the day, but it's a little troublesome at night, because of his young age and the fact that some ghost stories often tell in the countryside, make him afraid to walk alone at night. If you have a sister with you, it's fine, if you're alone, or only Da Mao is with you, then you will hold a stick to strengthen your courage, drive snakes and dogs, use flashlights, or walk at night by moonlight.

Walking on this old road, Wang He looked at the green weeds, colorful wildflowers and drooling wild fruits on the side of the road, and soon arrived at the old house.

The old house is composed of seven or eight rows of civil structure tiled houses, with a total of four patios, three large courtyards, and a feng shui pond. A few years ago, Wang He and Da Mao Ermao, plus the uncle, played hide and seek, jungle battles, and wrapped spider silk on the bamboo pole to stick dragonflies......

Coming to the hall of the old house, Wang Xiangyu had the most brothers, plus three or four people from Wang He's second uncle's side, as well as a few people from the same clan, and finally brought together more than ten adults, seven or eight children, and then followed by seven or eight earth dogs, under the leadership of Wang He's grandfather's generation, they formed a large army and set off.

Everyone started with the nearby tombs, one of which was on the side of the road where Wang He had just come, which was a very important reason why he did not dare to come to the old house alone at night in the first two years.

The weeds around the cemetery had been cleared yesterday, so a lot of preliminary work was omitted.

Tomb sweeping officially began. First, press a circle of yellow paper around the tomb, then press red and yellow paper on the stele, and then place a group of sacrifices in front of the stele. The offerings include a whole cooked chicken, a large piece of cooked pork with a pound or two, a whole fried fish, shelled cooked eggs, rice oranges, crab roe, apples, etc., after they are placed, six cups are placed on it, three cups of tea are sifted first, three cups of wine are sifted, then incense is sifted, candles are lit, and then tea and wine are sifted again, and then sifted again after setting off firecrackers, and finally the paper pressed before is collected and burned.

This is a complete set of tomb sweeping process, there are some details Wang He understands, such as the first time to sift the tea and wine, can not fill the cup at once, otherwise the second time the tea and wine will not be able to sift in, and some Wang He swept a few tombs before understanding, for example, in addition to the incense in front of the stele, in addition to the incense after lighting the firecracker can not be inserted anywhere, must be inserted in the right hand side of the tomb a few steps of the position, generally there will be two bricks pressed here, some tombs are too long, these two bricks can not be found, you have to use a hoe to shovel a little, and then insert incense.

Later, when Wang He became an adult, he also participated in tomb sweeping sometimes, but many of the processes were relatively simplified, and some details were not well remembered. In the Qingming Dynasty in later generations, many young people went out to work, some of them felt that the distance was far away or the work was too busy, and the number of people participating in this kind of activity to commemorate their ancestors was decreasing year by year.

Although Wang He was laughed at by everyone and said that he was a little hero, because he was still young, he could only start and follow his uncle to move things and hoe the ground, and learn the main.