Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 10: Ancestral Worship, Fortune Reappears
After the sun rose once again, the Zhu household became bustling with activity.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, second daughter-in-law, go to the kitchen and prepare everything. Take out the rabbits and wild chickens that the second son prepared yesterday.”
“Third daughter-in-law, sweep the yard again.”
“Fourth daughter-in-law, go wake the fourth son. Have him go to the village store to buy some snacks, sunflower seeds, and fruits, and also get some wine.”
Early in the morning, Grandmother started ordering her daughters-in-law around, busying them until the house was cleaned up and looked brand new.
The ingredients gathered the previous day had been prepared overnight. The wood ear mushrooms and other wild fungi had been dried by the stove, and that morning Aunt Wu and Chen soaked them. The bamboo shoots had been peeled, and the remaining ingredients had also been prepared.
Grandfather, rarely seen in new clothes, was wearing an almost-new blue cloth gown, clean and neat. He sat in the center of the courtyard, smoking his pipe, occasionally glancing at the door and listening for any sounds.
The gown Grandfather wore was a common formal style of men’s clothing in the Ming Dynasty: a long one-piece robe slit at the sides, with the center opening concealed by folds.
Eldest Uncle was not studying in his room that morning. Dressed like a scholar, he looked much more presentable than Grandfather as he strolled around the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
Before long, Fourth Aunt had roused Fourth Uncle. He emerged lazily, yawning and disheveled.
“Fourth son, straighten your clothes! Look at yourself!” The moment Grandpa Zhu saw Fourth Uncle’s sloppy appearance, he flared up and scolded him.
Because Fourth Uncle was Grandma Zhu’s favorite, she quickly stepped in when Grandpa Zhu became angry.
“Alright, I already told your wife to hurry you up. You rascal, clean yourself up and go to the village shop for snacks, fruit, and sunflower seeds. And bring back some wine for your father.”
Grandma Zhu stuffed some money into Fourth Uncle’s hand. He accepted it cheerfully, tucked it into his sleeve, and promised to complete the errand properly.
Eldest Uncle, Zhu Shouyi, and Third Uncle went to borrow tables and chairs from the neighbors. The family owned two sets, but with Grand Uncle’s family coming, they expected a crowd and knew two sets would not be enough.
By mid-morning, the sound of horses neighing came from outside. Grandpa Zhu put down his pipe and rushed out like the wind.
“They’ve arrived!”
Grandpa Zhu’s voice came from outside, and everyone rushed out in a swarm. Zhu Ping’an squeezed out with them.
Outside, three large horse-drawn carriages had stopped, two of which were identical, while the third was slightly larger.
It turned out that not only had the great-uncle’s family come, but the great-aunt’s family had also arrived. It was a lively scene as the three carriages squeezed together to bring both families over. The two identical carriages belonged to the great-uncle’s family, while the slightly larger one belonged to the great-aunt’s family.
The great-aunt had heard that the great-uncle’s family was moving south to join their eldest son, so she brought her family along to bid farewell to the great-uncle’s family.
The great-uncle and great-aunt’s families were clearly more prosperous than Zhu Ping’an’s. Their clothing was of a higher grade, with everyone dressed in the latest styles made of silk. Although the great-uncle’s family engaged in commerce, the great-uncle was clever and wise. After earning money, he invested in land, buying a lot of it. By spending some extra money at the local government office, he was able to register as a farmer. If anyone questioned it, the great-uncle would simply say, “I’m a landowner. Look at all the land I have. What else could I be but a landowner?”
Grand Uncle’s eldest son—an older cousin of Zhu Ping’an’s father—was doing business in the south. His wife remained at home with their two children and cared for the elders. Grand Uncle’s younger son, another of Zhu Ping’an’s cousin-uncles, had only recently married and had no children yet.
Great-aunt was a warm-hearted and generous old lady, while her husband was as taciturn as a gourd with its mouth sawn shut. Their son and daughter were both married. Their son’s household had two children, a twelve-year-old boy and a ten-year-old girl; their daughter’s household had one eight-year-old girl.
Looking at the clothes worn by his young relatives, Zhu Ping’an found both the cuts and fabrics far more fashionable than his own. He felt rather shabby by comparison. At least, he thought, he no longer had to wear split-crotch pants; otherwise he truly would have wanted to hang himself from a southeast branch.
The Zhu ancestral hall had been built with contributions from the clan after they settled in the area. It was not especially large, but great care had gone into its construction, and it had cost far more than the Zhu family’s old residence. Grand Uncle presided over the ancestral rites, first reading a dense and difficult sacrificial text. He then offered incense, burned paper money, and presented wine. Afterward he led Grandpa Zhu and the eldest son of another senior branch of the clan in placing sacrificial pork and mutton on the offering table, reciting prayers and performing the prescribed bows and prostrations with great solemnity.
Zhu Ping’an, his older brother, and the other boys were led by their elders to kneel in the courtyard. Zhu Ping’an could not help envying the girls, who did not have to participate in the ancestral worship; such a long kneeling ritual would have been especially hard on the younger children.
Rather than go through such cumbersome rites, Zhu Ping’an thought it would be better to work hard and bring genuine honor to the family. Naturally, he did not dare say that aloud.
As he knelt and worshiped, the strange phenomenon appeared again. Zhu Ping’an once more saw the aura of fortune. This time it was not limited to people: a column of fortune also hung above the ancestral hall itself.
The ability was completely beyond his control. He had no idea when the aura of fortune would appear; it simply came without warning. Clearly, he still had a long way to go before he could use it at will.
Grand Uncle’s and Great-aunt’s families were surrounded by misty white fortune. More strangely, a strand of rich blue ran through the white column above the Zhu ancestral hall, making up roughly a tenth of it. Blue represented the aura of officialdom. Perhaps the ancestors were blessing a descendant with prospects for office. Zhu Ping’an could not tell whether that person was Eldest Uncle or himself, since they were the only two in the family with a path through study. Still, he suspected it was himself. If the blessing belonged to Eldest Uncle, surely after so many years he would already have passed the academy examination and become a xiucai.