PFC Chapter 251: Evil plot
Chapter 251: Evil plot
Gao Zheng.
Pan Village.
The east end of the village.
On the originally flat and open field, pieces of stone were piled up to form a rectangular stone platform half a meter high and the size of three basketball courts.
On the stone platform, logs as thick as a person's waist stood upright, and thick round beams were carried on the shoulders and hung with ropes by men surnamed Pan of different ages.
There were also thick wooden carved beams, rafters and door frames placed on the ground.
The experienced old carpenter directed the men of the Pan family to use mortise and tenon joints, build walls, lay rafters and tiles, and build the ancestral hall using the craftsmanship of their ancestors.
The women of the Pan family did what they could. Some cooked on the spot, others cleaned the extra rooms, heated the room, and sewed quilts...
The entire Pan Village was bustling with activity, waiting for the return of the clansmen who had been stranded outside.
When Pan Yinian and his companions took the bus back to the west entrance of the village, the mighty and majestic sound of war drums resounded through the sky and could be heard for more than ten miles.
Even though the Wang family members of Fallen Street had witnessed the majesty of Gao Zheng's war drums, they were still stunned. The surging blood made their spines and scalps tingle.
I saw.
Village entrance.
On the Tiger-shaped war drum with a drumhead of ten feet in diameter, eight men from the Pan family, led by Pan Mingshan, led eight high and upright war drums, continuously beating the drumsticks as thick as human arms.
Clang Dong...
Clang Dong...
Clang clang dong, clang dong, clang dong dong dong...
Crackling...
War drums are roaring and bright red firecrackers are exploding.
The strong smell of gunpowder, mixed with the sounds of war drums and firecrackers, awakened all the dazed members of the Wang family on Fallen Street.
Looking at Pan Yinian and others who had gotten off the car at some point and were waiting outside, the people from the Wang family hurriedly got off the car.
Under the leadership of the Wang clan elders, the Wang clan members lined up, straightened their clothes, and knelt down towards Pan Mingshan, who was standing at the head of the guard drum.
"Wang Yizu, the great-grandson of Pan Wangdong, the great-grandfather of the Wang family of the Pan surname in Jinling, has returned from his travels and met the young uncle of the host family..."
"Meet the young grandfather of the master family..."
"Meet the young great grandfather of the master family..."
"Meet the master..."
The villagers around, even though they had heard about it before, were still shocked and their eyes widened.
More than 300 people, all bowed down together.
This scene was unheard of, not only in the surrounding area, but even in Gaozheng and Shimen.
There is also this name.
My God, this generation is really old.
The villagers who had bullied the Pan family before by relying on their large families all changed their expressions.
However, neither Pan Mingshan nor Pan Yinian took them seriously.
Pan Mingshan stopped beating the drum, accepted the salute calmly, then jumped down from the Huwei war drum, walked quickly forward, knelt down and paid his respects to the remains of elders such as Pan Wangdong who were carried in the middle, then he helped Wang Yizu up, and shouted "Get up" to the crowd behind him.
More than three hundred people stood up to express their gratitude.
"walk home!"
These two simple words made the eyes of most of the tribe members red.
Children don’t quite understand, and young people don’t feel deeply.
But only older people know what the word "go home" means to them and their ancestors.
For our ancestors, Jinling was more of a place of residence and a place for passers-by, and it was never a home.
Now, standing on this land they have never set foot on, they not only do not feel the slightest bit of strangeness, but instead feel a sense of familiarity and attachment that comes from their blood.
It turns out that this is what home feels like.
Wang Yizu's lips trembled with excitement, and before he knew it, tears filled his eyes.
"My father told me that before the nationwide war of resistance began, we were already battling the small-footed peasants. To fight them and avoid implicating our fellow villagers, they followed the earthen hills and gullies into the Taihang Mountains overnight, and then engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese. Only during the busy summer and autumn months would they sneak back to collect, transport, and store grain."
"Who would have thought that Er Gouzi would find out in the end."
"In order to evacuate the villagers, they left behind 20 or 30 people to fight the small-foot basins with homemade guns, homemade cannons, and homemade mines. However, our area was a vast plain, and there was no escape. In the end, all 20 or 30 people were killed by the small-foot basins."
"That's not all. Later, in a fit of rage, the little foot basin burned down our village. All these houses were rebuilt after the little foot basin was driven away."
"The only thing left is this pond and that old locust tree."
"Hey, for thirteen or fourteen years, we fought against the small-footed people here for thirteen or fourteen years. Almost every household had someone die at the hands of the small-footed people...
Pan Mingshan pointed at the pond in front and the old locust tree that was as thick as two people could hug, and his words were full of gritted teeth.
"Great-grandfather, wasn't it the Eight-Year War of Resistance?" The ten-year-old Wang Zihao looked at Pan Mingshan with a puzzled look.
Pan Mingshan rubbed Wang Zihao's chubby head and sighed, "It's true that the full-scale war of resistance lasted eight years, but in Yanzhao, to be precise, it started on January 2, 1933, when the Xiaojiaoben army bombarded Shanhaiguan, and barely ended the day before the Xiaojiaoben army surrendered."
Wang Zihao grasped a word, "Why reluctantly?"
Pan Mingshan: "Because many bound-foot trolls were inhumane and refused to accept surrender, they not only burned and killed people everywhere, but also hid in the mountains, supported bandits, and stubbornly resisted."
At this point, Pan Mingshan said with a serious expression, "Remember, during the Anti-Japanese War, a total of 256 members of our Gaozheng Pan family died in battle and 357 were tortured and slaughtered. We have a blood feud with the Xiaojiaoben people. This must never be forgotten, and there is no possibility of any peaceful coexistence with them. If there must be any, it is that they died at our feet and turned into fertilizer for this land..."
Pan Mingshan's last words were spoken in a decisive and murderous tone.
The surrounding villagers all felt a chilling sense of meaning.
A man who used to work as a transporter for Pan Mingshan was slightly startled when he heard this and asked repeatedly, "The stone statue you had customized some time ago, was it a bound-foot sprayer?"
Pan Mingshan nodded, "That's right, I want my little feet to kneel in front of my Pan family ancestral hall for generations to come."
"I want all the descendants of the Pan family to never forget this blood feud."
"I also want to let all the descendants of the Pan family and the people of Panjia Village know what crimes Xiaojiaobenzi committed here."
"According to the ancestral precepts passed down by my grandfather, no one in my Pan family, regardless of gender, can have any contact with people with bound feet. Violators will be expelled from the family tree, have their limbs cut off, and those who are executed will be imprisoned, and their family members will raise them together."
boom……
At this moment, a loud winter thunder exploded above everyone's heads.
This was an extremely rare scene in the land of Yanbei, and it immediately shocked everyone so much that they turned pale and looked up.
Although this is also a natural phenomenon, in the minds of many people, it has become a sign that heaven and earth are responding to Pan Mingshan's words.
There are even elderly people who thought they had lived since the Anti-Japanese War and cried out in shock, "Heaven and earth are in harmony. This is God reminding us not to forget our blood feud. Otherwise, Heaven will not tolerate it."
As he spoke, the hunched old man with a goatee looked at Pan Mingshan with a stern gaze. "Pan boy, if you dare to erect a kneeling statue of a woman with bound feet in front of the ancestral hall, do you dare to erect monuments in the four corners of our village? If you dare, my Zhang family will uphold this rule for generations to come and include it in our family rules and genealogy. If anyone in your family betrays their ancestors and has an affair with a woman with bound feet, I, with my old bones, will be the first to carry out the execution."
Then, an old woman with ragged clothes and gray hair came out, surrounded by a group of people, and said, "My Liu family also wishes to do the same."
At this point, the old woman's eyes swept across the room, and an invisible majesty swept across the whole place. "Is there anyone in the Liu family who objects?"
The Lius all bowed their heads. The only one or two young men who showed some disapproval were slapped to the ground by their fathers before they could even sneer. "No, who in Pan Village doesn't have a blood feud with the small-footed person? If anyone dares to object, the four elders of our clan are willing to join forces to execute him and break his legs. What do you say, Uncle Ma?"
The old man who was named was about 50 years old, fat and wearing a baggy suit.
The old man of the Ma family smiled bitterly at this. "How can I disagree? Although our Ma family has produced Er Gouzi, there are even more people in our Ma family who have perished together with Xiao Jiao Penzi. You can't just kill all of us with the surname Ma because of that one Er Gouzi."
"I'm here to make it clear that I'm willing to be the first executioner."
"Also, I suggest that when it comes to erecting a monument at the village entrance, we can't let the Pan family bear the brunt of the damage, nor can we let them take all the credit. Each of our four families should be responsible for a monument at the intersection."
"The day the Pan family holds a memorial ceremony for their ancestors is the day we erect a monument at the intersection of Pan Village. I even think this shouldn't just be Pan Village's responsibility. Which village within a radius of ten miles hasn't been harmed by the small-footed people? Which village doesn't have a blood feud with them? Since we're going to erect a monument, let's get it together."
"When we were little, we all clung to each other in the surrounding villages. Let's do the same this time."
Hearing this, everyone nodded.
The old woman from the Liu family cast a sharp gaze on Old Man Ma. After pondering for a long time, she nodded and said, "You finally said something sensible. I hope you won't play any tricks, otherwise your Ma family will not be able to stay in this village."
Old Man Ma's face turned a little ugly. "Sister-in-law Liu, what you said is not pleasant to hear. We in the Ma family also have martyrs."
Grandma Liu: "I hope so."
The old man from the Zhang family nodded slowly and said to Pan Mingshan, "Pan family boy, what do you think?"
Pan Mingshan nodded, "Okay."
The old man of the Zhang family said, "Okay, then this matter is settled. I will notify the other villages, and leave the monument to the Liu family's younger brother and sister-in-law. As for the Ma family, take good care of your boys. The past is over, and no one is allowed to mention it again."
Return to the village.
After the people of the Pan and Wang families in Fallen Street were taken back home by the Pan family,
Pan Yinian leaned over to Pan Mingshan and whispered, "Dad, over the years, the Ma family has been causing trouble for our Pan family. I'm afraid they're not cooperating this time for any good reason."
Pan Mingshan flicked the ash from his cigarette. "When it comes to major issues, the Ma family doesn't dare to cause trouble. Otherwise, not only in Pan Village, but also in the surrounding area, the Ma family won't be able to gain a foothold. As for the rest, don't worry, I have it covered..."
Looking at the corner of his father's mouth curled up, he said, "Dad, you are just hoping that the Ma family will cause trouble so that you can kill the chicken to scare the monkey, right?"
Snapped!
Pan Mingshan slapped Pan Yinian on the back of the head, but when he saw Su Ying and others following behind, he turned around and slapped Pan Yinian on the back, "Your father is not that sinister."
But even so, a burst of suppressed laughter came from behind Pan Yinian.
After all, there are not many people who can make Pan Yinian lose face now.
This kind of scene is even harder to see.
Pan Yinian looked embarrassed.
Mother Li Lanyu glared at Pan Mingshan and blamed him for not knowing how to save face for her precious son.
Zhang Xing had already gotten used to this scene, and no one else reacted much. Instead, a hint of envy flashed in Su Ying's eyes.
Her life seemed wonderful, but like a circuit board, every step was planned.
What to do at each step, how to proceed, and when to set off.
She can't make the decision.
In the past 18 years, the only time I did something extraordinary was when I went against my parents' wishes and gave up Peking University and Tsinghua University and chose Nanjing University.
The uproar that was sweeping across her was almost too much for her to bear.
In the eyes of outsiders, the excellent and capable mother's desire for control is as strong as a dragnet, which binds her without any freedom and makes her feel suffocated.
Although his father Su Dongchang seems open-minded, he is actually a complete tracheitis sufferer.
From childhood to adulthood, she has never felt the relaxed and comfortable family atmosphere of Pan Yinian.
Noticing the envy and disappointment in Su Ying's eyes, Pan Yinian didn't bother to show off in front of Old Pan. He quickly grabbed Su Ying's hand and said to Old Pan and Li Lanyu, "Dad, Mom, she is Su Ying, and she is also my girlfriend. What do you think of this daughter-in-law?"
Su Ying, who was originally feeling lost, was stunned when she heard this. A faint blush rose on her pretty cheeks, and she pinched Pan Yinian's palm with her backhand.
This bastard.
I mentioned before that I wanted her to watch the Pan family's ancestral worship ceremony.
But now, she suddenly realized that the real purpose of this bastard was to trick her into coming to meet his parents.
Especially the in-law-like gazes from Pan Mingshan and Li Lanyu, even though she had a cold personality, she could not stand it.
The undisguised laughter of Zhang and others, and the way the uncles, aunts, and other aunts around them were talking and laughing and looking at her, made her feel like she was being pricked by needles.
However, none of them noticed the disappointment hidden in Su Ying's eyes.
No.
Someone noticed.
Li Lanyu pulled Su Ying and others into the house, brought some fruits and melon seeds and candies, and then called Pan Yinian out.
Seeing the sharpness hidden in his mother's eyes, Pan Yinian felt a chill down his spine.
"mom……"
Walking out of the house, Pan Yinian clung to the door frame, shouted tremblingly, and prepared to escape.
But in the blink of an eye, Li Lanyu's fingers twisted Pan Yinian's ear, and there was no trace left.
"Oh...it hurts, it hurts, Mommy, it hurts..."
Pan Yinian tried hard to hold back and not let himself scream, after all, his friends were in the room!
But it really hurts.
Li Lanyu, "Mom doesn't feel any pain..."
Pan Yinian wanted to cry but had no tears, "Mom, it hurts, it hurts..."
Li Lanyu, "You still feel the pain? Let me tell you, whether it's the old Pan family or the old Li family, no one has ever had such a thing as cheating on their partner. Even in feudal society, there was no scumbag like Chen Shimei..."
Pan Yinian said, "Mom, Mom, was Chen Shimei wronged? In history, Chen Shimei was an honest, selfless official who never did anything like killing his wife and children or being ungrateful. He was wrongly accused, mainly because he offended a villain and was framed and falsely accused..."
Li Lanyu's eyes widened with anger. "I said he was a scumbag, so he is a scumbag. What, you don't accept it?"
Pan Yinian, "I obey, I obey. You are my mother, whatever you say is what I am."
Li Lanyu, "Tell me, what's wrong with Chen Ningning? Did you bully her? Huh? You've become so capable, you've done everything your father wanted to do but never dared. Do you believe me, I'll chop you upright?"
Pan Mingshan, the innocent victim, “…”
Pan Yinian, "Mom, can't it be that your son is handsome?"
Li Lanyu, "Bah! I was lying when I said you weren't ugly. You're the only one who's handsome?"
Pan Yinian, “…”
After Pan Yinian took great pains to explain the whole thing, his mother finally let go of Pan Yinian's ears.
But when he turned his head, Pan Yinian saw a row of heads lying on the window.
Everyone was smiling happily, even Chen Ningning was laughing uncontrollably.
What made Pan Yinian's eyes pop out the most was that Su Ying and Chen Ningning actually swung their arms towards him...
In the following days, as the New Year approached, the Pan Family Ancestral Hall also came to an end.
Just when everyone was waiting for the ancestor worship ceremony to begin, an uninvited guest cast a shadow over the originally joyous Pan Village.
Pan Yinian, on the other hand, looked at the newcomer with hatred, his teeth itching...