The Yamashita Family

Untitled Part 16

　　Banxia shook her head and smiled: "White fox, what a lovely little animal, I can't bear to kill it. Besides, how many wild foxes will be caught with a fox fur coat? Give it to me, and I can slowly raise it up."

　　While talking, the two had walked out of the endless thatched hut and came to the street. The people on the street in twos and threes, all wrapped up tightly, braved the cold and deep to go to the patriarch's house. Everyone is familiar with each other on weekdays. Now that they meet, it is inevitable that they will gather in groups of three or five to talk and laugh and move forward. On the other hand, the two of Wumo Banxia are naturally a bit deserted.

　　At this moment, I heard a joyful cry from behind: "Panxia!"

　　When Banxia looked back, it was a wooden baby.

　　Muwa wore a dog skin hat, a wool cape, and a shòu bone necklace around her neck. She jumped up and down: "Banxia, ​​are you going to my grandfather's house? Come, let's go together."

　　At this time, she suddenly saw Wumo next to Banxia, ​​but she was startled, and took a step back with an ahh.

　　Wu Mo Shen swept the wooden doll indifferently, tightening the hands of the original landlord Banxia's waist a little bit. Muwa herself seemed a little embarrassed, and Chong Wumo smiled apologetically, but Wumo ignored her. Seeing this, Banxia patted his hand lightly, motioning him not to speak, then walked over and held Muwa's hand: "Let's go Muwa, let's go to your grandfather's house together."

　　Muwa was busy holding Banxia's hand: "Well, let's go together."

　　===========================

　　There is a large open space in front of the patriarch's house, and now the whole family is gathered here. Everyone stood there in groups holding tung oil torches, waiting for the patriarch to speak, while the patriarch's son Fei was busy counting the number of people.

　　The highly respected patriarch put on his ancient deerskin coat, which was only worn on important occasions, and still held the fish-head crutches that symbolized the patriarch's authority. He coughed lightly, and everyone on the field suddenly shut up. On winter nights, there is only the sound of torches burning in the dark night.

　　The patriarch looked at everyone with majestic and loving eyes, and then slowly asked, "Is everyone here?"

　　Fei respectfully stepped forward and said: "There are 131 households of the Quanwang family, and there are 521 men, women and children, all of them are here."

　　The patriarch nodded with satisfaction: "I called everyone here today because there is a major matter to discuss."

　　Everyone looked at each other with curiosity in their eyes, but they didn't dare to speak.

　　The patriarch sighed: "There have been many visions in the village recently, do you know this? The temple is screaming swords in the starry night, the dry spring is watering in the cold winter, and—"

　　The patriarch paused when he said this, and everyone was secretly curious. Everyone knows the first two things just said, but are there other visions?

　　Only Banxia knew in her heart that the third fear was that the patriarch's shòu bones cracked, and the cracked shòu bones were stained with blood, which was definitely not a good omen.

　　Sure enough, the patriarch took out the shòu bone that he had treasured for many years from his bosom, and said, full of vicissitudes: "This shòu bone was passed down to me by the old patriarch fifty-two years ago, and now it has come to an end."