After checking into the hotel, Feng Shou and his group still had one day to rest.
Feng Shou did not stay in the hotel all the time. Instead, he carried a backpack, took the bus or swiped a shared bicycle, and traveled through the streets of the city.
I looked at the different scenery in different corners of the city, took photos and videos, and sent them to my grandma who was far away overseas. Although it is not the city where my ancestral home is, it is in this country after all, and these will make the old lady feel at home.
Feng Zheng is different. His family does not live overseas, and the city street scenes are nothing new to him. He prefers to get to know more people in hotel restaurants and clubs, or some public activity areas, and get more information from other clan members. It would be even better if he could know some interesting gossip.
The more news he heard, the more excited he became.
Originally, Feng Zheng just came to attend the ceremony on behalf of his father, to see the novelty and take a vacation. Unexpectedly, there were many powerful people among the clan members, such as the little girl he met who brought several bodyguards with her and looked like she was not someone to be trifled with.
He heard from a clan member that the little girl's father had a background that could not be disclosed, and that he was a very important guest of the Feng family in Yangcheng this time, and he enjoyed VVIP treatment among the clan members.
When they were waiting for the elevator, they saw the little girl coming out with her bodyguard. It seemed that the little girl was unhappy living here, so she left the hotel with her bodyguard to find another place to stay.
No wonder I haven’t seen him since.
"You can't compare!"
On the day of the sacrificial ceremony.
Feng Shou and Feng Zheng and their people would take the bus directly there. There were buses arranged here to take them directly from the hotel to the ancestral hall.
"We are like signing up for a group, which is convenient. Everything has been arranged. We just need to send people."
"I just came here to make up the numbers, just treat it as a government-funded tour."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe we can even see some internet celebrities!"
Feng Zheng came over and whispered, "I met other clan members at the hotel this morning, and someone told me that Feng Yi would be here!"
Ben was a bit lazy, leisurely enjoying the scenery outside the window. Feng Shou was delighted when he heard this: "Really?!"
Feng Zheng: "I heard what they said, I don't know if it's true. I heard before that they were expelled from the family, but they are still part of the main clan. It's just an invitation letter sent by a special clan member."
If Feng Yi wasn't doing well, the Feng family in Yangcheng would definitely ignore him, but with Feng Yi's current fame, they can't just take it seriously.
Feng Shou didn't care what the relationship between Feng Yi and the Feng family in Yangcheng was. He was only thinking about asking Feng Yi some questions when he met him.
The bus left the city center and the tall buildings gradually moved away.
Looking at the map on their phone, they had already reached the outskirts of the city, where there were mountains and water and the scenery was pretty nice.
They also saw other people's ancestral halls of various sizes along the way.
“The ancestral temple culture is very strong here.” Feng Shou said.
"This area is like this. There were more buildings in the past, but later on, for some reasons, some were destroyed and some were relocated. Some buildings should have been renovated in the past ten years."
The bus drove to an intersection and stopped briefly.
There was someone in front checking identities, and after a while, the bus continued to move forward.
Feng Shou looked at the people outside the window and said, "The security work is done very well."
Feng Zheng was not surprised. He glanced at it and then looked away: "The Feng family in Yangcheng is a big family in the local area. Moreover, there are people of high status attending the ceremony, so security must be done well."
The bus arrived at the parking lot, they got off and walked to the location of the ancestral hall.
The parking lot is not far from there, and there are people to guide us. If we continue forward, we will see a large area. In front of the area is a very imposing complex of ancient buildings.
The majestic building located in the C position is the ancestral hall of the Feng family in Yangcheng.
"This place is so big!" Feng Shou exclaimed.
"As expected of the Feng family of Yangcheng, they are so wealthy and powerful! It feels like the mansion of the nobles in ancient times."
"What are those animals on the roof?" Feng Shou pointed upwards.
"That's a house-guarding beast. Ancient buildings like this usually have this kind of decorative design to ward off disasters and evil spirits. If you see some historic sites during your travels, you'll see this on the houses. The location, number, and orientation of the beasts are all very particular. For example, in the places where the emperors lived and worked in the past, there were more beasts on the roofs!"
“What kind of animals are these?” Feng Shou took out his cell phone, adjusted the camera focus, and zoomed in on the picture, but he still couldn’t recognize them clearly.
"It depends on what the owner thinks. Some use legendary mythical beasts, such as dragons, phoenixes, and lions. Others use animals that exist in reality, such as lions," said Feng Zheng.
"Are there any snakes?"
"Snake? A dragon is more like that, but I've never heard of using a snake. I have heard of a real snake crawling on someone's roof! It was so thick!"
Clan members arrived one after another, and accents from all over China and abroad could be heard. Some people spoke too fast during conversation, and several foreign words were mixed into one sentence.
There are also direct translation.
However, no matter whether you bring an interpreter, an assistant, or a bodyguard, they cannot be brought into the ancestor worship ceremony.
The Feng family in Yangcheng also considered this aspect, so they arranged tasks for all the family members in advance. For some important guests, they would act as translators and assistants.
Feng Shou craned his neck to look at the entrance of the ancestral hall: "Feng Clan Ancestral Hall, why is it called 'Ancestral Hall'?"
"Maybe it means that this is the orthodox and main ancestral temple of their branch?"
"Orthodoxy?" Feng Shou asked doubtfully, "I heard from my grandmother that the Feng family's orthodoxy is different from other families."
"That's just the main temple of their branch. I don't know whether it's authentic or not."
They didn't understand these things and didn't worry about them too much.
"Is the door closed?" Feng Shou looked at it curiously.
"It's not time yet. It starts at nine o'clock. Go to the room over there to rest, drink some tea and enjoy the fresh air. There will be someone to receive you."
Feng Zheng and his group were led by the receptionist into a room on the side.
The decoration is antique. When you step into the house, a cool breeze hits you in the face, suddenly dispersing the heat in the crowd.
Feng Zheng shook his arms and whispered to Feng Shou: "Do you feel the cold wind blowing?"
Feng Shou pointed to a corner and said, "Is it possible... that's the air conditioner?"
Feng Zheng coughed lightly and said with an awkward smile: "This design is too hidden."
As they were talking, another person came in.
The young man, wearing a white shirt, a black vest and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looked a bit literary and artistic, and his eyes looked around with a somewhat cold look.
Feng Zheng took the initiative to greet him: "Hey brother, are you also a relative?"
"Maybe, I came here to replace my father." said the young man.
"Eh? Me too! My name is Feng Zheng."
"My name is Feng..."
The young man paused, took out his ID and looked at the name on it, "My name is Feng Cheng, which means Successful Cheng."
There was no trace of embarrassment on her face for not being able to remember the name, and she continued with the same calm tone as before: "I don't use my Chinese name very often, so I'm not very familiar with it."
"Oh, I understand. The guy next to me, Feng Shou, too. I saw several relatives coming from abroad to attend the ceremony today. However, many people from abroad speak with an accent, but your pronunciation is very standard." Feng Zheng said.
"It's necessary for the career." Feng Cheng said.
Visit the official website of the original factory every day, pay attention to the product launch updates of the original factory, and watch every video they release.
The first updates from the original factory are usually in Chinese. Feng Cheng was fortunate enough to have a brief exchange with Yue Gengyang, the CEO of the original factory, at an important medical conference.
Mr. Yue told him that it was rare to meet someone who spoke Chinese so well, and he also gave him a small gift, a precious sample.
This time, he practiced Chinese for a few more days, waiting to go to the headquarters of the ancestor factory to participate in more exchanges.
He came to Yangcheng to participate in the event, not only to complete the sign-in task assigned by his father, but also to familiarize himself with the environment and find a sense of the language, in preparation for the subsequent itinerary.
Feng Cheng patiently looked at his watch, "Does this ceremony have to start at a certain time? How long will it last?"
"Uh... this is our first time participating as well." Feng Zheng said.
"I can't believe I'm wasting my precious time on something like this!"
Feng Cheng found a corner to sit down and took out his mobile phone to check the official updates of the Original Factory.
Feng Zheng originally wanted to say a few more words to this clan relative, but seeing this, he had to give up and continue to chat with Feng Shou about the news he had heard.
"I heard that there are people here who specialize in compiling family tree. We can go and take a look at the family tree. Maybe we can find out the fate of each family from 500 years ago."
Feng Shou hesitated and said, "But I heard from my grandmother that the Feng family genealogy is different from other clan genealogies and the records are not complete."
"It's enough to be relatively complete. No one dares to say that any family tree is absolutely correct and complete."
In another room not far from theirs.
Feng Chi stared with dead fish eyes at the young man not far away. The man was wearing headphones and had his eyes half closed. He looked very focused, humming and dancing.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Chi took out his phone and sent a message to Feng Yi:
That idiot started again! He is not even an 18th-tier singer! So pretentious! I got goosebumps just by listening to him, and I wanted to call someone to get him out!
Feng Yi replied to him: Can’t leave
Feng Chi: There is no other way. I have been enduring the task given by the old man since early morning until now!
Looking around, Feng Chi said again:
I'm fine, actually. Most of the work is done by my dad and his friends. People of my generation basically just take care of the young people or help take care of the kids. Kids are really energetic!
Feng Yi: Are there many people who are invited to participate in the ancestor worship ceremony who bring their children
Feng Chi: Looking at the overall number, it’s not a lot, but you don’t know that 4 kids can make the same noise as 8 people!
After a while, Feng Chi finally had some free time.
I wanted to tell his parents that I was going out for some fresh air, but when I looked at his mother not far away, her face became stiff from chatting with a few women. I guess the topic they were talking about was not very pleasant.
He still didn't go over and just sent a message.
Go outside.
There were also some clan members standing in groups of three or four outside, both men and women, mostly young people.
Feng Chi touched his face narcissistically, worried that someone would covet his handsome appearance!
However, compared to indoors, he still prefers to go outside to breathe the fresh air in a wide area.
Continue walking outside and slide around the field outside.
After a moment.
Feng Chi clearly realized a very cruel fact - he was not popular!
I thought that after being in the entertainment industry for some time, I had gained some fame and had been on the hot searches online several times, so I should be somewhat recognizable.
But at this clan gathering, few people recognized him!
Maybe there are more people from overseas
Alas, all in all, he is still a long way from his goal.
Feng Chi sighed and sent a message to Feng Yi to urge him.
Feng Chi: Brother, when will you arrive
Feng Yi: On the way, almost there.
At an ordinary cocktail party, nothing would be said even if you were late for some reason.
However, there is an "auspicious time" for this kind of ancestor worship activity.
Some people think that it doesn’t matter if it’s a little later, but Mr. Feng takes this very seriously and treats this matter seriously.
When the "auspicious time" arrives, the ceremony will begin regardless of whether anyone has not arrived yet.
Feng Chi: I heard that he specially asked a master to calculate the time. I think, he did ask a master to calculate it, but he probably took many factors into consideration when setting the time, such as the schedule and living habits of some important guests, who could not come if it was too early.
Feng Yi: Well, for example, Uncle Zhen, he was about ten minutes later than me [laughs]. I mentioned you when I sent a message to my uncle just now, and he said that he would have a chance to talk to you then.
Feng Chi immediately laughed: Hehehe, my dear brother!
Knowing his uncle's attitude, Feng Chi was happy and thought about performing well when the time comes.
Feng Chi: It's a pity that the lion dance team's drummer didn't apply for it because they thought I wasn't professional enough and my coordination wasn't perfect enough. Otherwise, I would definitely play a song for my cousin!
Feng Chi was sneaking around while chatting with Feng Yi via text messages.
Hearing some noise, Feng Chi looked over.
Not far in front stood a little girl of about seven or eight years old, wearing a skirt with a bit of ancient style and pigtails. In her hand was a thin wooden pole, at the front of which was tied a brown lantern the size of an egg.
It is woven with fresh palm leaves, probably not long ago, and the colors are still very bright.
Feng Chi: There is a very cute little sister among the clan members!
I won’t post the photos, you can see them over here.
Before coming here, his father told him not to take random photos of the guests to avoid offending the wrong people.
Being in the entertainment industry, Feng Chi has encountered some troubles of being secretly photographed. Of course, he would not take pictures of others without permission.
There was another noise and Feng Chi looked over.
A little boy, who was slightly taller than the little girl, came over, grabbed her braids, and tried to snatch the straw lantern from her hand.
Feng Chi was about to go over to stop it.
See—
The little girl put the lantern aside, rushed over and punched the little boy twice, knocking him to the ground.
At that moment, Feng Chi felt that this cute little sister from the clan family was as strong as a bull.
You can tell at a glance that he’s practiced it!
The angle of the hammer is very particular!
The security officer in charge of this area walked over quickly and picked up the little boy who was crying loudly on the ground.
Feng Chi looked at the little girl standing in front of him, opened his mouth and wanted to say something.
The little girl turned around expressionlessly.
Although he was young, he was quite imposing. He shouted in a gruff voice, “What are you looking at?!”
Feng Chi: "Sorry to bother you!"
He turned around and ran away quickly.
He suspected that if he watched for a while longer, the other party would come over and hit him.
It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that there's no need to bother with such a young child. I guess she's in a bad mood.
Forget it, I won’t bother anyone anymore.
My handsome face has lost its function!
On the other side, Feng Yi's car was moving forward along the newly built driveway.
The security guard at the intersection stopped the car and said, "Can you please show me your invitation letter?"
In fact, when the person in charge of the intersection sees the license plate, he or she will be mentally prepared.
When the car window is rolled down, you don't even need to look at the invitation letter, you can determine the identity just by looking at the person sitting inside.
This person is also a target who needs to be paid special attention to according to the orders from above.
"This way please. Continue along this road. There are signs leading to the parking lot."
After the car drove away, the security guard picked up his phone to report.
Feng Yi ignored the security guards' attitude, arrived at the ancestral hall, and looked around.
There was too much and too complicated emotional information, Feng Yi didn't want to directly accept so much interference information at the beginning. Switch to shielding mode, avoid those interferences, and walk through it like an ordinary person.
A small green straw lantern rolled over.
Feng Yi bent down to pick it up, took a few steps forward, and handed it to a little girl there.
The little girl was holding only a bare lantern pole in her hand, and the lantern that rolled over fell from it.
The little girl holding the lantern looked at Feng Yi and her face slowly turned red.
Taking the straw lantern, the little girl said softly, "Thank you, brother."
Feng Chi rushed over:
Sister, you are obviously treating us differently!