A life of two souls traveling through time

Chapter 316 Ma Ming's "Stunning Success"

The anniversary of Li Xingyuan's death is also called Xiaoxiang Festival. Xiaoxiang is the name of the festival. Xiang means auspicious. After Xiaoxiang Festival, the filial son Li Yunye can gradually take off his mourning clothes and put on auspicious clothes, and the mourning band on his head can also be removed.

On the day of the worship, the snow along the way in the Li family cemetery in the farm was cleared early in the morning. Prayer flags were hung high and fluttering on the hillside, and thick smoke filled the air. Li Yunye and Mu Liang led the servants of the mansion, the managers and employees of the farm, as well as Taoist priests and monks who were invited to perform rituals to pray for the souls of the deceased, and more than 20 people gathered in front of Li Xingyuan's tomb.

The auspicious day chosen was the afternoon of Wei. When the sacrificial ceremony began, the Taoist priests and monks each performed rituals and chanted scriptures around the tomb. The ritual bells tinkled, the wooden fish sounded solemnly and distantly, and both sides murmured incantations and scriptures that others could not understand.

In front of the tombstone, offerings of tea and wine were placed on the table. Li Yunye and Mu Liang once again knelt in front of the table in mourning and held incense to worship. Time passed quietly, and last year seemed like an old dream that reappeared before their eyes, making them feel sad and grief-stricken. Ten steps away from the tombstone, the housekeeper An Ge also had a sad face, and with tears in her eyes, she threw the money and paper in the bamboo basket beside her into the furnace one by one.

"Father, a lot of things have happened to Jiangnan Mingli in the past year, and we have faced many tests, but don't worry. Brother Muliang and I have worked together to protect Jiangnan Mingli. Now everything is fine in the Li family." After crying for a long while, Li Yunye calmed down and looked up at the tombstone in front of him, his eyes still filled with tears, and he spoke slowly.

"Please rest assured, foster father. Liang'er will do his best to assist your brother in continuing to carry forward the famous Li family in Jiangnan." Mu Liang also wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and made a solemn promise in front of Li Xingyuan's tomb.

An hour passed, and the Xiaoxiang sacrifice was coming to an end. After the ritual, the Taoist priests and monks were led by Ange to the tomb of the former housekeeper. Li Yunye and Mu Liang also stood up with the help of the servants. The dead are gone, and the living are like this. Even if they are reluctant, they must say goodbye and continue to complete their mission as members of the Li family.

The Li residence of the farm had been cleaned up by the steward Li in advance, so that the young master and the shopkeeper Mu could rest after the worship. After leaving the Li family cemetery, Li Yunye and Mu Liang went to the steward's tomb at the foot of the mountain to worship. Aunt Xin's tomb was at the back of the mountain. Although she was a concubine of low status, Li Yunye still asked Bi'er to carry the offerings and incense paper to worship. This was also what he promised Bi'er before, so he brought her here today.

After the sacrifice, Li Yunye and Mu Liang, accompanied by Manager Li, prepared to go to Li’s house to rest, but as soon as they entered the village, they met Ma Ming, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time.

"Sir, Manager Mu..." Ma Ming stepped forward and bowed to greet him, but he was stopped by An Ge before he could open his mouth:

"Ma Ming, the young master is a little tired. If you have anything to say, we can talk later."

Ma Ming saw that both the young master and the shopkeeper Mu were exhausted due to excessive grief, and he suddenly felt that he was indeed a little immature and came at the wrong time. When he was about to leave, Mu Liang stopped him and said, "But has the dyeing workshop produced new cloth?"

"New cloth? Have you dyed new cloth?" Without waiting for Ma Ming to respond, Li Yunye suddenly became interested and asked him with anticipation, repeating Mu Liang's words.

Ma Ming and his grandmother have been living in Lijia Farm for half a year. Although Mu Liang kept him because of his father's tie-dyeing skills, he hoped that he could dye new cloth soon. However, after months of failure and being framed by the village chief Ma and imprisoned for a long time, Li Yunye and Mu Liang gradually lost hope.

"Yes, I dyed it last night. I was thinking of letting you and Manager Mu take a look at it today." Ma Ming nodded nervously and responded.

After hearing Ma Ming's words, Li Yunye and Mu Liang turned from sadness to joy and smiled at each other. After waiting for half a year, they finally saw hope.

Seeing that it was getting late, Mu Liang asked Ange to arrange for the others to leave the village first. He and his brother went back to the old house to change into wedding clothes, and then, accompanied by Manager Li, followed Ma Ming to the dyeing workshop.

"It is like a long painting of mountains and rivers, capturing all the beauty of nature. This majestic scenery is like a poem or a painting, which is really refreshing."

The four of them came to the dyeing workshop. When Ma Ming slowly unrolled the several feet of cloth he had just dyed, the three of them opened their eyes wide at the same time, and Mu Liang couldn't help but praise him.

The several feet of dyed cloth no longer depicts the gentle misty scenery of Jiangnan, but magnificent mountains and peaks; rivers are surging like rolling dragons; lightning flashes across the sky and strong winds rage; spectacular waterfalls cascade down from heights like silver gauze; peach blossoms in the steep valley are in full bloom and are reflected in the lake water, and a pair of lovers under the peach trees are smiling at each other with deep affection.

"Ma Ming, you are amazing. There is no repetition in the paintings on these several feet of dyed cloth. But you grew up in Majia Village. How do you know about the natural scenery outside?" Li Yunye also praised, but he was more curious about how a young man who had never traveled outside knew about these magnificent scenery.

"That's what he came up with after reading his father's travel notes." At this time, Ma Ming's grandmother walked into the room with a cup of hot tea and continued to tell Li Yunye, "His father often traveled outside when he was young. Because he went to school for a few years when he was a child, he loved to write down the places he visited in detail. Ma Ming also read these travel notes with his father since he was a child. He has a good memory and often read his father's travel notes over and over again, and gradually drew the descriptions in the travel notes."

"Young master, this is the travel notes left by my father." After his grandmother finished speaking, Ma Ming turned around and handed a stack of tattered straw paper on the wooden table to Li Yunye, and said timidly with his eyes lowered.

Jiang Siyao looked at the sloppy words on the paper and couldn't help but secretly admire Ma Ming for being able to understand it, even though her calligraphy was previously all over the paper and was unbearable to look at.

"It's already very rare that you can imagine the scene just by relying on your father's description. And you've figured out such a complicated tie-dyeing technique after only staying here for a few months. You're truly gifted." Mu Liang also took the straw paper handed to him by his brother and took a look at it, then continued to look up and praise Ma Ming.

At the beginning, Mu Liang took in Ma Ming just with the mentality of giving it a try. Unexpectedly, this young man not only did not disappoint him, but also created such stunning scenery of mountains and rivers. He was naturally very pleased.

"I didn't expect that you usually keep quiet, but it turns out you wanted to give the young master and Manager Mu a surprise. As the saying goes, if you don't make a sound, you will be a surprise when you do!" Manager Li at the side also patted Ma Ming's shoulder and exclaimed.

"Master Mu Liang, Manager Li, please don't praise him. If you two hadn't been so kind to take him in, how could he be what he is today? It is also thanks to Manager Li's daily care for us, the two of us, that he can work hard in this dyeing workshop with peace of mind." Faced with everyone's praise, Ma Ming, who has always been introverted and taciturn, was a little at a loss. He just lowered his head shyly, and his grandmother had to respond modestly for him.