svetikya Chapter 210 : The Ancestral Tomb Caught Fire
Chapter 210 : The Ancestral Tomb Caught Fire
Chapter 210: The Ancestral Tomb Caught Fire
Hu Kou Village — the maternal hometown of Lin Mo and Su He, the brother and sister — was surrounded by mountains on three sides, remote and quiet. It was named “Hu Kou” (“Pot Mouth”) because the only exit of the village looked like the mouth of a pot.
That was in the past. With social development, roads had been built in every village, and Hu Kou Village was no exception. Originally, there had been only one road — the one Su He used to drive in — but after the village’s situation improved, they constructed another road on the other side.
That road directly connected to the national highway and linked with several other villages, greatly shortening the distance to South City and making the place feel far less remote.
However, Lin Mo and Su He rarely visited. Both were born to mothers who had married outside the village, so they had not spent much of their childhood there. After the elders passed away, they seldom returned, except for weddings or the annual tomb-sweeping.
But today, this once peaceful village was suddenly attacked by unknown vehicles.
“Old Zhou! Old Zhou! Come out quick! Your nephew and niece are back!”
At the gate of an ordinary countryside courtyard, a man in his fifties or sixties shouted loudly.
Soon, a gray-haired, dark-skinned old man stepped out, a paper-wrapped dry tobacco pipe dangling from his lips. His clothes were dusty — he had clearly just finished farm work — and he walked with a rolling gait that somehow felt steady rather than lazy, giving the impression of a man who could hold up the sky if it fell.
That kind of vigor was something found mostly in the older generation — though aged, their energy was strong — unlike young people these days, Lin Mo included, who all seemed not yet fully grown.
This old man was Lin Mo and Su He’s eldest maternal uncle, now living a typical rural life — raising cattle, farming — a true countryside man.
“What’s going on? My nephew and niece are back?” Zhou Jianping asked.
“Yeah! Your nephew and niece are something else! Must be doing great out there — maybe even became officials! There’re, what, a hundred or two hundred cars following them! Hurry and go have a look!”
The visitor, a man about the same age as Old Zhou, spoke with excitement.
Old Zhou was bewildered. His nephew and niece, officials? Bringing hundreds of cars? That made no sense! He only had one nephew — wasn’t that boy still in college? As for nieces, there were two: one married elsewhere, one working in Jiangning — never heard either was an official!
Still, family was family. He decided to go and see for himself.
When Old Zhou reached the old road on the east side of the village, he was stunned. A long line of cars stretched as far as the eye could see. At the very front stood a white car, and under it, two young people were bowing repeatedly to the drivers behind them.
“You’ve got the wrong people. These aren’t my nephew and niece.” Old Zhou squinted carefully. Those two looked fair and delicate — not at all like his relatives. Especially that young man — his face so pale it glowed, his clothes and bearing refined. If his real nephew stood beside him, he’d look like a scruffy mutt in comparison.
Shaking his head, Old Zhou turned to go home — he still had chores left unfinished.
Just then, a girl below shouted:
“Uncle! Uncle! It’s me — Su He! I’m back with Xiao Mo! Help, Uncle, you’re finally here!”
“Uncle, uh… we just came to visit you. You look healthy, right?” Lin Mo said awkwardly. Finally, they had found a family member.
Though the men behind them hadn’t blamed them, being stared at by so many people was nerve-wracking.
Old Zhou froze, then stepped closer to look carefully.
“Uncle, it’s really me — you don’t recognize me anymore?” Su He smiled bitterly.
At her words, Old Zhou suddenly recognized her and laughed: “Ah hahaha, it is you, girl! You’ve grown prettier!”
“Uncle, and me too,” Lin Mo added.
Old Zhou: …
Even after staring hard, he still hesitated. Lin Mo’s aura, voice, even clothing were all so different. He looked more like a rich heir now.
Still, the features were the same — just fairer.
“My heavens, boy, why are you so white? You okay?” Once he was sure they were his niece and nephew, Old Zhou hurriedly borrowed a ladder from a nearby house so they could climb up.
To an old farmer, dark skin meant health. If you were this pale, it could only mean anemia — maybe even illness!
“Oh, just been busy lately, haven’t seen much sun — got a bit lighter,” Lin Mo mumbled, exchanging a glance with his cousin.
Explaining this to a sixty-year-old was useless — easier just to say he hadn’t been in the sun.
Old Zhou immediately understood and clapped his shoulder: “You brat, I almost didn’t recognize you! But you need more sun — else you’ll lack calcium! Look at you, pale like a girl, no man’s strength at all! How’re you gonna get a wife like that?”
Lin Mo: …
In an old man’s eyes, pale was fine — but you had to be sturdy pale, not thin and bony. Lin Mo, unfortunately, was all bones.
“Hahaha, Uncle’s right,” Su He laughed.
But then Old Zhou continued, “Don’t laugh yet — what’s going on here? Everyone’s saying you two made it big, became officials, led a convoy back home — but this doesn’t look like that at all.”
Su He: …
“Uh, Uncle, it’s a long story.”
After ten minutes of rushed explanation, he finally understood.
“So… what now? Have them turn back!” Old Zhou said.
The siblings sighed.
“Uncle, turning back isn’t possible. We just checked — the road’s jammed all the way, and the other side’s blocked too,” Lin Mo replied.
“What? Eight or nine li of cars?!” Old Zhou exclaimed.
It wasn’t quite that bad, but close. Only the ones near the entrance could still reverse.
Old Zhou then climbed down the ladder to talk with the nearest drivers.
“Sorry, everyone — my niece and nephew came home, forgot the roadwork!”
“No worries, sir — we followed them ourselves, thought they were locals!”
“Yeah, Uncle, we tried to take a shortcut — no one’s fault. Here, have a smoke!”
Soon enough, the old man was mingling among them, happily puffing on a Huazi.
After finishing, he stubbed it out under his shoe: “Alright, no use worrying. Since we’re all stuck, go call everyone — if you’re thirsty or hungry, come to my place for some water and food. It’s nothing fancy, but better than sitting in the cars. Then we’ll figure something out.”
That was the simple kindness of rural folk. Seeing so many people stuck because of his relatives, Old Zhou felt bad — the least he could do was offer a drink and a bite.
And so, hundreds of people poured into Hu Kou Village. When Aunt Zhou saw the crowd, she nearly fainted.
Once everything was explained, she rushed to draw water and start cooking. But she was only one person — no way to feed hundreds! Luckily, some women from the cars came to help, even cleaning the yard.
There were perks — the village’s grocery store sold out instantly. Instant noodles, sausages, snacks — gone. Even the owner’s half-eaten iced watermelon was bought for a high price. The shopkeeper grinned so wide his gums showed.
After all, these were hundreds of heat-stricken travelers — food could wait, but cold drinks could not. Ice-cold beer became a treasure, emptied on the spot.
Nearby villagers also drew well water for everyone — cold and refreshing — perfect for summer.
Before long, traffic police arrived, scratching their heads helplessly. After hearing the story, they could only set up warning signs at the entrance and let people wait it out.
“Alright, a few of you, come with me!”
Just then, Old Zhou drove up in a tricycle loaded with shovels, picks, and sacks of fertilizer.
“What are you doing, Uncle?” Lin Mo asked.
“Fixing the road! We can’t just wait! I asked the police — the eastern end’s still blocked, so we’ll fill that drop over there, make a ramp so your cars can go through the village and leave from the west exit,” Old Zhou said.
Clearly, he was the kind of “idea man” who got people moving.
With hundreds of people, it wasn’t hard to gather a few dozen strong men. Building a two-meter ramp was child’s play.
Everyone agreed and followed. Soon, shirtless men were swinging shovels, while suited men filled sandbags.
In just over an hour, a makeshift slope was done.
“Whoa, awesome!”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, I only filled one bag of sand and it’s done?”
“I only shoveled twice! Man, I’ll go drop off some wine at the old man’s house — my wife’s still eating there!”
“Hey, I’ve got cigarettes too!”
“I only have a box of walnut milk!”
As Su He’s car drove up first, cheers rose — the road was clear!
While some stayed to give gifts, others bought fruit from the villagers — it was harvest season after all.
Children picked fruit from trees; mothers chased after them, offering money. Villagers, seeing their manners, refused to take payment, smiling and insisting.
“Uncle, just a little token of thanks — two bottles of wine.”
“I’ve got nothing but a box of walnut milk, please take it.”
“Uncle, here, some cigarettes for you.”
Drivers who had eaten at Old Zhou’s house offered gifts of all kinds — cigarettes, wine, tea, snacks — but no cash.
Old Zhou kept waving his hands.
“No, no, just a drink of water, can’t take anything!”
“What’s a bowl of noodles, eh? Keep your things!”
Seeing that, some people left their gifts and quickly departed, eager to get home.
Soon, an amusing sight appeared — cars slowed at Old Zhou’s gate, drivers hopped out, left something, and drove off — to onlookers, it looked like a toll station.
Even if only a small number left gifts, hundreds of cars meant plenty. The old couple didn’t even know what to do with it all.
Villagers passing by saw Lin Mo and Su He standing like gate guardians and whispered that Old Zhou’s family must have produced officials — people were lining up to curry favor.
The siblings, half embarrassed, half amused, kept bowing and thanking until their faces cramped.
By the time the last car left, it was almost six in the evening. The first day of their vacation was gone — utterly absurd.
“You two, honestly — grown adults and still this unreliable! Though those drivers were nice folks,” the old man said, smiling in his sweat-soaked undershirt.
He had worked the hardest — as the “idea man,” he had to lead by example — and the others, not wanting an elder to do all the work, had joined in earnestly.
Lin Mo chuckled helplessly. “Uncle, if you think this was okay, maybe my cousin can come again at the end of the year — the scene might be even grander!”
He was covered in dust — he’d joined in too, though soon the burly men took his shovel, saying he was too scrawny.
“Come again? Spare me! Your aunt and I nearly died of exhaustion today. Anyway, stay for dinner later, then go visit your grandparents’ graves and burn some paper,” Old Zhou said.
But Su He quickly replied, “No need, Uncle. We’ll skip dinner. About the graves — some of the folks who didn’t get to help felt bad, so they went with me earlier. They cleared all the weeds and burned plenty of paper. Our ancestral tombs didn’t just smoke — they almost caught fire!”
Old Zhou: …
Aunt Zhou: …
Lin Mo: …
Their luck — so great that their ancestral tombs weren’t “smoking with fortune” but literally burning. Calling 119 was useless — no signal!
Who else would lead a crowd of strangers to burn paper at their own ancestors’ graves?
Staring at his niece, Old Zhou, for the first time, felt the urge to spank a grown child. He finally just sighed.
“What a sin…”