pjbooks Chapter 34 Ceremony
Chapter 34 Ceremony
Of course, Gu Huai wouldn't get involved in such matters.
It's not that he doesn't want to get involved, it's just that it's not his turn to get involved yet.
Although he is now a policeman, matters concerning waterways fall under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard and are not within his authority.
Furthermore, in the 1990s, traveling by water was a common practice.
There's a saying among locals: If it weren't for us piloting the big plane, where would we get a few dollars' worth of pork trotter rice?
Moreover, the issues involved were beyond the scope of a junior detective like him who hadn't even been officially promoted yet.
The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit of knowledge.
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While sighing, Gu Huai followed Ali into the ancestral hall.
As soon as I stepped through the gate, the old man I had just seen in the village came to greet me.
"Officer Gu, you've come at the right time. Everything is ready. Please come in."
Gu Huai looked inside in the direction he was pointing.
Good heavens! The courtyard in front of the hall was now packed with people.
It should be noted that the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall is quite large; roughly speaking, there were at least a hundred people standing in the courtyard.
This grand display startled Gu Huai.
"Old man... what is this...?"
The old man of the Zhang family, named Zhang Guiyuan, was over eighty years old, but he didn't look his age at all. Although he walked with a slight tremor, his spirit and energy made him look like he was only in his early sixties.
Seeing Gu Huai's surprised expression, he chuckled and said, "Officer Gu, don't be nervous. Some of these people's houses just burned down, and others are here to help set up their accommodations."
Hearing this, Gu Huai felt a little relieved.
He followed Zhang Guiyuan into the center of the main hall and stood under the plaque that read "Qinghe Hall".
On the altar in front of the shrine, there was a candle, three cups of tea, a plate of pastries, a piece of red paper, and several sticks of incense.
"Officer Gu, please don't be offended. Time was too tight, and we didn't prepare enough items."
"Not at all," Gu Huai quickly waved his hand and bowed, "It's already quite grand."
As a clan elder, Zhang Guiyuan stood before the shrine.
The village chief of Yinhu Village, representing the host family, stood on the left; Gu Huai stood on the right.
The rest of the Zhang family's younger generation stood solemnly in the back row.
Zhang Guiyuan picked up the incense from the altar, lit it with a red candle, and began to bow to the shrine.
As he bowed, he read aloud, "Today, we are deeply grateful for the great help of Mr. Gu Huai. Our whole family is grateful and has come to report to our ancestors. We will forever remember his kindness and never forget it for generations to come."
The crowd behind them joined in the chanting.
Hearing the deafening roar, Gu Huai felt immense pressure but dared not utter a sound. He could only mutter to himself, "Thank goodness I'm not a Party member yet, otherwise I'd definitely get criticized when I get back."
Just then, he saw Zhang Guiyuan pick up another piece of red paper from the incense table, which was covered with dense writing.
Without a doubt, this must be Xie Enwen, and the content written on it is the Zhang family's expression of gratitude.
Given Gu Huai's original personality, he would definitely have tried to stop him.
But the atmosphere today is different. Although he has lived two lives, he has never experienced such a scene before.
He didn't have to wait long before Zhang Guiyuan unfolded the red paper and began to read aloud:
"On the fourth day of the first month of the year Guiyou, a fire broke out. At this critical moment, Gu Huairen stepped forward and bravely led the villagers to fight the fire."
He remained calm and composed in the face of danger, and led the group to extinguish the fire, protecting the Zhang Clan Ancestral Hall and preserving the foundation of the ancestral hall and the ancestral spirits. His merits are immeasurable.
The entire clan is deeply grateful for his noble character, remembering it forever.
We, the descendants of the Zhang family, wish to remember this kindness for generations to come, to always cherish gratitude, to pass on the torch, and to repay this kindness.
May our ancestors bless our benefactor Gu Huai with lasting blessings, peace and health year after year, prosperity and good fortune always!
This is to inform you of this matter and to express my sincere gratitude for your kindness!
The Zhang clan solemnly records this.
As he recited the words, Zhang Huaiyuan picked up a brush and recorded the day's events in the ancestral hall's notebook.
Seeing this scene, Gu Huai was deeply moved. This was called "leaving a name in the family," which, to put it simply, meant that Gu Huai had left his mark on the Zhang family's history.
As Gu Huai listened, he thought to himself, "The old man's writing skills are truly remarkable, to be able to write such a classical-style article in such a short time."
Moreover, I only did a trivial little thing, and they expressed their gratitude so solemnly, which shows that the family has a very good tradition.
Thinking of this, Gu Huai straightened his clothes and solemnly bowed to the shrine to show his respect and willingness to form a bond.
Seeing the sincerity in his actions, Zhang Guiyuan slowly nodded, thinking to himself: It's rare to see such a well-mannered young man these days.
Thinking of this, he straightened his clothes and prepared to bow in return.
But before he could bend down, Gu Huai grabbed him and said, "Grandpa, there's no need, really no need."
"Yes, yes, I definitely want it," Zhang Guiyuan insisted.
But he was getting old and couldn't go against the young and strong Gu Huai.
The two were at an impasse when the village chief quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Uncle is getting old, let me do the bowing."
After saying that, he bowed three times to Gu Huai without further ado.
As soon as he took the lead, the people standing behind him bowed three times in unison.
With each bow, he spontaneously exclaimed, "Thank you, Officer Gu!"
Hearing the overwhelming shouts, Gu Huai's heart was in turmoil.
This was a scene he had never experienced in his previous life.
If I hadn't become a policeman, I would never have had such an opportunity in my life.
If it weren't for his police uniform, how could the villagers have willingly followed his arrangements?
Before this, he became a policeman simply to fulfill a dream he had once had.
But now, my feelings have changed.
Being a police officer is not just for yourself, but also to enable more people to live and work in peace and contentment.
At that moment, his resolve to become a policeman strengthened.
At this moment, the businessman's aura around him faded somewhat.
The more I thought about it, the more emotional I became, and my eyes unconsciously filled with tears.
However, he quickly wiped away his tears, waved his hands to the crowd, and said loudly, "Thank you all for your kindness. I hope you will cooperate with our police work in the future. Thank you very much!"
After speaking, Gu Huai bowed deeply to everyone.
......
After completing a series of ceremonies, Gu Huai solemnly declined Old Master Zhang's invitation to stay for dinner and walked out of the ancestral hall with Ling Yue.
Zhang Guiyuan was still in charge of the housing allocation, so he didn't come out to deliver the houses.
When the two walked out of the ancestral hall, the sky was already dotted with stars, and the moon hung high in the sky.
Looking at the crescent moon, Gu Huai let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew—it's finally over."
Ling Yue teased, "You really stole the show tonight."
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want this limelight," Gu Huai said with emotion. "Sister Ling, you have no idea how much pressure I was under just now, afraid of saying the wrong thing."
"You've done very well." Ling Yue's smile faded. "In that situation just now, if it were me, I probably wouldn't have been able to say a single polite word."
Seeing her serious expression, Gu Huai smiled and shook his head: "Alright, Sister Ling, stop reminiscing, let's go."
"Where to?"
"Go back to sleep," Gu Huai replied, stretching. "Get enough rest so we can arrest people tomorrow!"