Chapter 33: The Green Mound and the White Mound

  When it comes to the Qingming Festival, many people naturally think of Du Mu's poem: "On a clear and bright day, rain falls in torrents, travelers on the road want to break their souls. Borrowing a wine shop where is there, a shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village from afar."

  In the Chinese people's emotional world, Qingming Festival is actually a melancholic but also relaxed day. It's melancholic because Qingming is the time for us to express our condolences and thoughts for our deceased loved ones. During those few days, almost all Chinese people go to sweep tombs, which is a ritual and a ceremony for the living to remember and miss the dead. However, Qingming Festival is also a relaxed holiday, especially in Jiangnan, where it's the time of lush greenery, flying swallows, everything reviving, and flowers blooming everywhere, making it a great opportunity to go out and enjoy nature.

  Yu Xin Yuan was an orphan, his parents had died in the war and their graves were unknown. Shu Fang's parents were still alive, so there was no need for her to sweep tombs or make sacrifices, therefore Yu Xin Yuan sent two assistants back ahead of time, while he himself remained in Lei Jiang.

  The Lei River before Qingming Festival is a picturesque season. It's the beautiful scenery of "spring breeze and green riverbank", it's the touching season of "thousands of green silk ribbons hanging down". If a few soft oriole calls can break the silence of winter, if a few tender peach blossoms can spread into a magnificent spring color, then those rape flowers full of spirituality are the most dazzling stage in the March spring light.

  The gentle spring breeze is the most tender gift of nature in a year, and the soft cow hair-like rain is also the protagonist of "Apricot Blossom Rain in Jiangnan". The spring wind, green valley, yellow flowers, the entire outskirts of Leijiang City have become a great place for people to relax and enjoy themselves. Along the river, tens of thousands of acres of rapeseed flower fields create a spectacular feast of "the whole city is dressed in golden armor", with pink peach blossoms and green-white pear blossoms shining together, creating the sweetest pastoral scenery.

  In the city of Leijiang, there is another unique charm. The fine rain falls on the black tiles and white walls of the Huizhou-style architecture, drifting into the deep alleys. In the deep alleys, a silk-faced umbrella would occasionally appear, followed by a gentle and elegant woman from the Jiangnan water town, her subtle and delicate beauty like a pure and elegant white cloud, softly spreading in the warm spring breeze of the Jiangnan water town, exuding a refreshing and elegant charm like a small bridge flowing with water.

  Droplets of crystal clear rainwater dripped down from the eaves of the old house, crisp as pearls hitting the ground, simple as a gentle strumming of a zither string. It moistened the tender green grass in the small alley, awakened the peach blossoms and willows, stirred up the songs of orioles and swallows, and nourished people's eyes and hearts.

  In this refreshing spring, Yu Xin Yuan also swept away the gloom in his heart over the "2.15" case, feeling invigorated and refreshed, ready to fully enjoy the beautiful spring scenery of Jiangnan.

  Just like the seasons, the lingering winter of "**" has gradually passed, and the new spring of a new era has just arrived.

  The traditional ancestor worship customs, which had been suppressed for many years and were referred to as "feudal superstition", have gradually recovered. During the Qingming Festival, the people of Leijiang flocked to sweep tombs continuously.

  On the Qingming Festival, Leijiang people have a custom that has been passed down for generations: collectively worshiping at the tomb of Wang Xiang to pay respects to this embodiment of "loyalty and filial piety" in the hearts of Leijiang people. Due to repeated repairs over the years, the tomb of Wang Xiang has been tightly wrapped with three-layered earth, appearing grayish-white on the outside, hence the name "White Mound".

  During the War of Resistance, a new large tomb was added next to Wang Xiang's grave: a joint burial tomb for Ruihui and Meixia mother and daughter - a loyal woman and a heroic woman's mound. Because it is relatively recent, the grave is still covered with green grass, so it is called "Qingzhong". Since the victory of the War of Resistance, after the people of Leijiang collectively worshiped the "White Mound" on Qingming Festival, they would again collectively worship the "Green Mound", the embodiment of "Jielie" in the hearts of the people of Leijiang.

  Since learning more about Lu Suxia's family from Fang Zhengwu, Yu Xinyuan has increased his respect for Lu Suxia; due to the sincere friendship with Lu Suxia, Yu Xinyuan also has a sense of kinship towards this "Green Tomb".

  During that time, like most areas of the country, "Bai Mausoleum" and "Qing Mausoleum" were also seen as symbols of "feudalism, capitalism, and revisionism", and were destroyed by the Red Guards. Despite the efforts of the local people to protect them, they were smashed by a group of outside Red Guards who came to the area. These ignorant and fearless thugs even dared to dig up the Qing Mausoleum, attempting to expose the remains of Ruihui and Meixia who had been at rest for many years.

  Just as the group of "Red Guards" were determined to dig up the "Green Tomb", and were in a fierce standoff with the people of Lei Jiang, a middle-aged woman suddenly rushed out from the crowd. Under everyone's gaze, she violently crashed her head into the broken tombstone of the "Green Tomb", splashing blood everywhere! When people rushed over to pick up this blood-soaked woman, they only then discovered that she was actually Mei Xia's personal maid, Mei Xiang!

  Because of Mei Xiang's determination to die, this collision was extremely fierce. In an instant, the fragrance disappeared and a wisp of soul followed Miss Mei Xia into the "Green Tomb". Lei Jiang's daughter once again used her own life to interpret the connotation of chastity. Mei Xiang's heroic act of defending the "Green Tomb" with her life shocked everyone and stirred up the blood of the people of Lei Jiang, who rushed forward and beat the unruly "Red Guards" until they cried out for their parents and fled in disarray, never daring to step over the thunder pool again. The people of Lei Jiang spontaneously organized themselves under the pretext of "preventing class enemies from destroying", day and night guarding these two spiritual gardens in the hearts of the people of Lei Jiang.

  On Qingming Festival day, Yu Xin Yuan also followed the slow-moving crowd to pay respects at the two sacred places in the hearts of Lejiang's people.

  This is the first public sacrifice hosted by the current government after the rainstorm in Leijiang, so the activity seems particularly grand.

  The public memorial service began at 9:00 am. The county magistrate, Tan Guishui, read out the memorial speech:

  It was on April 4th, 1980, when the earth rejuvenated and all things were renewed. The people of Leijiang gathered to pay their respects with flowers and reverence at the tomb of loyal and filial martyrs, saying:

  The Mei River is long and storied. To the east, it gazes out at the five states separated by mountains, to the west, it surveys the nine tributaries that divide it; connected to Huaiyang while facing Yangzi, neighboring three provinces while communicating with all eight directions. With misty haze drinking in the scenery, peaks rise and fall in succession, majestic and unyielding; spanning the long ridge, stretching out without end.

  The prosperity of Lei Jiang is truly thanks to Wang Xiang; sleeping on ice to seek carp, moving heaven and earth. A man of outstanding talent and a land of spiritual energy, the sages' virtues are abundant; the people's customs are pure and thick, righteousness is as high as the clouds. For thousands of years, it has been a model, its influence extending to countless generations. The tradition of filial piety and brotherly love, the foundation of great righteousness, loyalty, integrity, and bravery, the root of patriotism.

  The Republic is weak, and the jackals are coming. The beautiful Jiangnan is now a broken wall and a residual beam. The Japanese invaders are cruel and brutal, the people are left gasping for breath. The benevolent scholars and gentlemen rise up to resist. They destroy the enemy's leader, burn their grain and fodder. They throw away their heads and shed blood, daring to take action and be responsible.

  Men are heroes, with a sense of justice; women are chaste and heroic, sharing the country's calamity. Facing the executioner's knife, they stand tall in the execution ground. To save their fellow villagers, they sacrifice themselves to serve as human shields, their bodies broken like willows and flowers, their hearts torn apart! The spirit of chastity and heroism is as high as mountains and as long-lasting as rivers. Their loyalty shines brighter than the sun and moon, their righteousness spreads far and wide. Their noble spirit shakes the heavens, their great love knows no bounds. The fragrance of orchids and plum blossoms will be remembered forever.

  Today, I am pleased with the Jiang River, and the gentle breeze is smooth. Reforming the old and bringing in the new, cutting through thorns and breaking waves. The people are at peace and prosperous, all industries are thriving. The beauty of nature is a treasure from heaven, and the fields and villages shine brightly. I offer sacrifices to my ancestors, and the curved stream flows with wine cups.

  The river rages on, the green clouds are vast; The pines and cedars are lush, the peach blossoms are fragrant. Loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and bravery have been passed down for generations, I offer my condolences to the noble spirit, respectfully presenting incense. The grand ceremony is complete, I humbly wish you a peaceful rest!

  The elegy is written in ancient parallel prose, with a smooth and stable tone. Accompanied by the sound of Tan Gui's water clock, it has a sense of pearls and jade joining together. Although Yu Xin couldn't fully understand the meaning of the elegy, he could clearly feel that this elegy was written by Lu Sijun.

  After the reading of the memorial, starting from the county magistrate, everyone circled around the "Green Mound" and "White Mound" once. Unlike other places that burn paper money or tin foil, Leijiang adopts a unique way of worship by throwing flower petals on the tomb, scattering each person's reverence and flower petals to their own spiritual home. The seasonal flowers such as pagoda tree flowers, apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, and pear blossoms fluttered about, and in an instant, the "Green Mound" and "White Mound" became a colorful and fragrant mound of flowers, filling the entire air with the elegant scent of spring.

  After scattering the flowers in his hand, Lu Xialu did not leave the cemetery like other county leaders, but stood beside the "Green Mound", fulfilling the duties of the deceased's family members, and bowed to the later mourners one by one. When he saw Yu Xin yuan in the crowd, he couldn't help but show a surprised and astonished expression.