Chapter 488: Chapter 253: Tomb Sweeping Day_2
Iron nails were hard to find, and Thirty Mile Camp didn’t produce bamboo either. Fortunately, the Lian Family’s big broom was made of bamboo branches, and every year around this time, some of the branches and nodes of that broom would go missing, transformed into pinwheels by the children.
With the pinwheel completed, Xiao Qi puffed out his cheeks and blew hard; the pinwheel spun into motion. Xiao Qi then smiled so widely that his teeth showed but his eyes didn’t.
"Sister, let’s go out and play," said Xiao Qi, holding a pinwheel and speaking to Lian Manman.
The wind was strong outside, perfect for playing with pinwheels and, of course, having crafted a beautiful, smoothly spinning pinwheel, they wanted to show it off in front of their friends.
Lian Manman was also in a playful mood and took another pinwheel to go out and play with Xiao Qi.
Outside, there were children both big and small playing with pinwheels. Some had made pinwheels with paper that was either too soft or too brittle, which would wilt or tear apart as soon as the wind blew. Others had used suitable paper, but the blades of the pinwheel were asymmetrical, or of unequal size, so their pinwheels didn’t spin fast.
The pinwheels made by Lian Manman had none of these problems; faced with the wind, they spun so fast they almost looked like a blur, drawing envious gazes all around.
"Manman, did you two buy those pinwheels?" Er Ya asked Lian Manman. They all knew that Manman’s family had started a business and should have the money to buy pinwheels.
"They’re not bought; my sister made them herself," Xiao Qi proudly proclaimed before Lian Manman could reply.
"I made them. You can tell, can’t you? They’re made from the old New Year paintings from my house," Lian Manman said, showing her pinwheel to Er Ya.
"Indeed," Er Ya nodded, recognizing the chubby footprint pattern that was barely discernible on Lian Manman’s pinwheel; her family had the same New Year painting at home.
After playing outside for a while and returning home with their faces and hands reddened by the cold, Lian Manman said, "Manman is back, come warm up and help me fold the paper money," Lady Zhang beckoned to Lian Manman from atop the kang bed.
"Mom, what paper money are we folding?" Lian Manman asked, washing her hands.
"Tomorrow is Qingming, and your dad will be going to the graves with your grandfathers," Lady Zhang answered.
The Qingming Festival had arrived, and it was customary for tenant farmers to visit their ancestors’ graves. This was also known as tomb-sweeping during Qingming, adding soil to the graves and burning paper money for the ancestors below.
After drying her hands, Lian Manman climbed onto the kang and sat down to help Lady Zhang fold paper money.
Paper money could be bought readymade from a paper craft shop or could be made at home by purchasing paper. Every general store sold specialized paper for making paper money, similar to coarse paper, sold in very large sheets, known as "big paper."
Tenant farmers typically bought their own "big paper" and then cut and folded it into copper coin shapes to create the paper money for burning at the graves.
Lady Zhang folded a stack of "big paper" a couple of times, cut it, then folded the now rectangular sheets in half and cut out the patterns of copper coins before handing them over to Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi to fold.
Lian Manman had to separate the stacked sheets of "big paper" one by one and then fold them at the creases left by Lady Zhang. Every ten sheets were bundled into a stack, fastened in the middle with a folded paper coin. Only then was a stack of paper money considered properly made.
All three women had quick hands and feet, and while chatting, they swiftly prepared the paper money.
The next day was the Qingming Festival. School was out, and Wu Lang and Xiao Qi were helping at the breakfast shop. When the sun was three poles high, Lian Shouxin came over from the construction site of the new shop, planning to take Wu Lang and Xiao Qi back home to join Old Master Lian and the others in visiting the graves.
In Thirty Mile Camp, it was customary for only the male members of the family to visit ancestors’ graves.
Xiao Qi whispered a few words into Lian Manman’s ear, and she then put down the ledger.
"Mom, I’m going to take a look too. I’ll finish this account when I come back in the afternoon," Lian Manman said.
"Sister Manman, what are you going to do? Can I come with you?" Lian Yeye eagerly asked.
"If you guys go, you can’t follow to the graves... Never mind, go and play wherever you want," said Lady Zhang, waving her hand dismissively.
Lian Manman and Lian Yeye left the shop and followed Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi to the old house.
In the Upper Room, all the male members of the Lian Family had arrived. Lian Jizu was off work and at home; Lian Shouyi, Lian Shouli, Erlang, and Sanlang had all taken leave from the mountain. Qingming Festival, in those times, was a very important day.
Lady Zhou was still preparing paper money. Old Master Lian had decided to buy a lot more "big paper" than in previous years, and both he and Lady Zhou believed that the family had been struck by a run of bad luck lately. They planned to burn more paper money for the ancestors, hoping they would bless the family and dispel the bad luck quickly.
While the men were going to visit the graves, it was the women who prepared the paper money.
Because they had purchased a large amount of paper money, Old Master Lian had borrowed a coin-shaped mold from next door. One end of the mould was an iron block, and the other end had two concentric rings: the outer was comprised of two arc-shaped iron sheets, while the inner was hollow. By pressing this end onto the "big paper" and striking the other end with a small hammer, they could cut shapes resembling copper coins out of the paper. Lian Shouli was responsible for cutting out the paper money since he had the strength to process more paper at a time.
Once Lian Shouli had cut the copper coins, he passed them to Lady Zhou on the kang. Lady Zhou, together with Lian Xiuxiu, Lady Gu, Lady Chiang, and others, folded the paper money.
"Can you manage on your side?" Old Master Lian asked Lian Shouxin upon his arrival.
"I can manage," was Lian Shouxin’s terse reply; visiting the ancestors’ graves was of utmost importance, something all other concerns had to be postponed for.
When Lady Zhou looked up and saw Lian Manman and Lian Yeye, her gaze became stern.
"You two kids, how did you come here too?" Lady Zhou swept a strict glance over the faces of Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli, then lowered her eyelids and continued folding the paper money in her hands, "Don’t even think about following us to the graves. It would be disrespectful!"
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Here’s one update, seeking pinks.
Another update coming later. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
