twojebook Chapter 648: Great Accumulation
Chapter 648: Great Accumulation
Gu Baoshu mingled inside and exchanged a few words with some familiar aunts, rolled up her sleeves, and had just started washing two bowls when she was chased out.
"Oh dear, go find your mother for a chat, or play with your sisters; we don’t need you here, be careful not to burn yourself."
Gu Baoshu chuckled dryly twice, wiped her hands obediently, and exited the kitchen.
From behind came the complaint of a woman from an unknown house: "It was fortunate we were watching, or else if she broke a bowl, it would be a bad omen."
Gu Baoshu: "..."
Finally, she found Qin Yuan and Old Madam Gu. Gu Baoshu said, "Mother, sister-in-law, I’m a bit hungry."
She had hurried back on horseback all the way and hadn’t even had any snacks for hunger, let alone a bite from the kitchen.
Qin Yuan took out two snacks from her pocket to appease her: "Your third brother is the main officiant, the patriarch accompanies, the master of the tenth house offers the wines... the hour will begin soon. Use these to fill your stomach for now; we’ll start the feast after the ancestral worship."
Old Madam Gu chimed in: "Sit here nicely, the women of the clan are all preparing dishes, and the patriarch’s wife is also busy organizing. We, being the direct lineage branch of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, need not do such tasks, but let’s not cause trouble and annoy others if we’re idle."
Gu Baoshu grabbed the snacks, stuffed them into her mouth, nodded, and sat down obediently.
Soon, there were sounds coming from afar. Xiao Hong hurried in and said, "Old Madam, Madame, Seventh Miss, they are starting the preparations for the worship outside. The Marquis has arrived; he is wearing his armor, looking very mighty, and all the young masters of the clan are gathered around him, talking."
Old Madam Gu hastily tidied her headwear, supported Qin Yuan, and walked out. From a distance, she saw Marquis Gu surrounded at the center, while the patriarch and the elders stood nearby talking and laughing with the clan members.
The patriarch’s wife and several elders, upon seeing Qin Yuan and others coming out, also gathered around.
Today’s main officiant is the Dingbei Marquis, so naturally, the subsequent affairs also revolve around Old Madam Gu. Moreover, the clan elders say that although Qin Yuan is young, she has foresight and understands the situation; she definitely needs the blessing of the ancestors and they even want her to divine in front of the ancestors, so they naturally seek to build a good relationship.
The bell tolled, the auspicious time had arrived.
The men all stood in order according to generational hierarchy, with Marquis Gu as the lead officiant, the patriarch accompanying, and Sixth Master Gu, though standing further back, felt a fiery passion watching his third brother’s every movement.
Across layers of silken draperies, the densely lined ancestral tablets were not very visible, but he knew that today, as his third brother officiated, their lineage’s ancestral tablets should be placed at the front.
In his heart, Sixth Master Gu lightly called out to his father and brothers, hoping they would also protect him, murmuring non-stop in his mind.
"...I too am of the Marquis Mansion’s bloodline; the ancestors have blessed my third brother and sister-in-law. Fathers and brothers, speak kindly before the ancestors and ask the ancestors to also bless me.
I do not wish to be as outstanding as my third brother nor as capable as my sister-in-law. I only wish to navigate life smoothly, to not bring shame before the world, nor let future generations bear a legacy they can’t be proud to mention."
He then made a grand vow: "When my painting skills are accomplished, I will certainly replace the ancestral portraits in the ancestral hall and family shrine to express my filial piety..."
After the worship ended, everyone proceeded with the patriarch to the main hall.
In the main hall hung the Gu Family Ancestor’s portrait, who accompanied the Grand Ancestor Emperor in the conquest of the land.
Rich curtains were suspended high, candles and incense on the colorful screens beside lighting up, highlighting the ancestor’s imposing and solemn presence adorned in brocade and jade.[
On the surrounding walls, portraits of offspring were hung according to generational hierarchy.
The men exited in the same order as earlier, while inside, the women, led by Old Madam Gu, offered dishes, meals, soups, wine, and tea.
Each dish was passed from the kitchen to the ceremonial gate, picked up by the male descendants of each house, relayed from one to another, passed to the patriarch, and then to Gu Jinghui.
Since there was no eldest grandson in the main house of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, it was passed over the threshold to Qin Yuan.
Qin Yuan passed it to the adjacent daughter-in-law, who then passed it to the patriarch’s wife and ultimately to Old Madam Gu.
Old Madam Gu personally placed it on the offering table.
Once everything - the dishes, meals, soups, wines, and dishes - was offered, Gu Jinghui stepped out, standing outside the threshold, before the patriarch as the head of the men.
After Old Madam Gu finished reciting the prayers, she picked up the incense and knelt to bow, and everyone knelt together, filling the hall, porch, steps, and walkway with no empty space left.
At this moment, there was silence except for the clang of iron pieces hanging from the eaves of the ancestral hall, sounding like the ancestors’ messages to their descendants. Then, a gentle sound of golden bells was heard.
The ceremony concluded.
It was still silent, only the slight sound of jade pendants and hairpins clashing, the rustle of boots as men rose from kneeling, and brushes lightly touching the ground.
After a brief silence, Old Madam Gu called Qin Yuan to the offering table to perform the divination.
Everyone watched with utmost care, intensely focused on the graceful figure slowly approaching the offering table.
This was the newlywed wife from the clan’s direct lineage, the daughter of the Imperial College Sacrificial Officer, who was previously not well-known but had accomplished many great things at a young age and had secured an unending fortune for the Gu family’s descendants.
Even the old soldiers who followed the Gu Family for years now had proper accommodations.
A wife like this must be the result of the ancestors’ blessing, hence she married into the clan.
The Dingbei Marquis Mansion was already the strongest branch in the clan, and with such a wise, capable, generous, and considerate mistress as head of the household, the clan could possibly prosper for another hundred years.
No one knew what divination would emerge before the ancestors.
This divination could relate to the future fate of the Gu Family clan.
Qin Yuan, not having the eligibility to enter the ancestral shrine at the Qin Family, was entering the ancestral shrine to worship the ancestors for the first time and was cautious in every way, fearing any mistakes would bring secret ridicule.
As the divination moment approached, her heart raced faster, fearing she might draw a bad sign.
Every step towards the offering table felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. When Old Madam Gu saw her solemn face and came nearer, she gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.
Qin Yuan understood in her heart that this was her mother-in-law’s way of telling her not to be afraid; she immediately nodded slightly, lowered her eyes to clear her mind, then picked up the incense to pray. After kneeling and kowtowing three loud times, she rose and picked up the divination tube placed on the table and shook it lightly.
The heavy iron sticks inside the tube made a swishing sound, finally one fell out onto the table. Qin Yuan opened her eyes, picked it up for a closer look, and saw inscribed in seal script the words "Great Storage."
Qin Yuan’s heart gave a sudden leap.
The patriarch’s wife and Old Madam Gu, after Qin Yuan finished bowing, came forward to see the divination stick, and seeing it was "Great Storage," they were slightly surprised but also sighed in relief.
"An auspicious sign," said Old Madam Gu. "The ancestors have blessed us."
The patriarch’s wife said happily, "The grand ancestor’s exploits will endure for a thousand years, and we descendants, having received the ancestor’s protection, can continue to thrive. A good thing, a good thing."
Those waiting outside, upon learning Qin Yuan drew an auspicious sign, were all overjoyed, each saying, "How could someone blessed by the ancestors not draw a good divination? Now there’s a guarantee for the expenses of descendants in studying and martial arts; shared lands within the clan have increased, and the old soldiers are even more loyal and steadfast - this is prosperity."