Reborn in the 60s and adopted

Time passes quickly in the busyness.

That day, the village chief called several educated youths to the brigade headquarters.

"In one day, we can put up the beams for the new house."

"Really? That's great." They were all very happy. These young women were responsible for "cooking"

The male educated youth had to break the soil and make mud into clay blocks for wall repair. They were so tired that they would lie in bed and sleep until dawn every night. Although it was hard work, they were very happy to think that they would soon move into the new house, especially Gao Xiang and Liu Jianguo.

“Yes, I came to you to ask if you want to hold a beam-raising ceremony. Our village used to have one, but later times became difficult and no one repaired houses. The village hasn’t been lively for a long time,” said the village chief in a nostalgic tone.

The educated youth looked at each other.

Lu Hua spoke first.

"A few of us decided to hold this beam raising ceremony."

"Haha, really." The village chief said in surprise.

"Yes," several people said in unison.

"I just don't know what I need to buy?" Lu Hua.

"It's actually quite simple. When conditions were better in the past, we mostly made steamed buns made from three-grain flour, some fruit candies, and copper coins. You guys don't have to be so kind. Just do as you see fit." The village chief.

"Well, okay, let's go back and discuss it with a few people."

"Okay, let's go back." The village chief looked at this group of educated youth and had only one thought in his mind: what a group of sensible children.

A few of them returned to the newly built Youth League Institute, which would be their home for an unknown period of time in the future.

"What should we prepare?" Gao Xiang asked.

"What do you think?" Lu Hua looked at the two female educated youth.

"It's fine for both of us. You decide." Pei Yanyan put her hands behind her back and said indifferently.

"Then why don't we ask Uncle Meimei." Wang Ran tried to say.

"No need. We decided it ourselves. This is our best chance to integrate into the village. Usually, the villagers don't dare to talk to us when they see us. This is not good." Lu Hua said.

"Okay, Lu Zhiqing, you three make the decision. We just need to pay our share of the money." Pei Yanyan didn't want to do anything too troublesome, it would be best if she could just hand it over.

"Okay, then we three will discuss it and tell you after we get everything ready." Lu Hua.

"Okay, then we'll go back." Pei Yanyan took Wang Ran and went to Tang's house.

Two days later, the village chief selected an auspicious day for raising the beam.

Because now is the time to break superstition, there is no preparation for sacrificial offerings.

Tang Mei, led by two educated youth sisters, came to the educated youth home. At this time, many people from the village could be seen inside and outside the educated youth home.

There were dozens of children running around, and since it was still construction time, there were sticks and mud everywhere. Parents were worried that their children would fall, so they kept scolding and shouting their children's names, making the place very lively.

When they walked in, they saw red paper pasted on the beams, doors and windows.

"Wow, it's so lively." It was the first time Tang Mei saw so many people except when she went to work in the morning.

"Haha, yes, there are so many people." Wang Ran looked very happy.

Because Pei Yanyan and Wang Ran were educated youth and could be considered the owners of the house, they had to follow the village chief with the other three educated youth to witness the raising of the beams.

The two educated youths protected Tang Mei on the left and right and pushed towards the front of the house, and they finally squeezed in with great difficulty.

The three of them and several others stood next to the village chief.

When the village chief saw that they were all there, he started to shout loudly, "It's time to put up the beams."

After hearing what the village chief said, a dozen strong men lifted the main beam onto the roof or pulled it up with ropes. When they lifted or pulled the beam, firecrackers rang out.

The strong men who were raising the beams began to sing the song of raising the beams, and shouted "Go ahead, good luck!"

In the process of raising the beam, some places require that the beam be raised steadily, and avoid tilting it one way or the other. But in other places, the east end of the beam is often higher than the west end, because the east end represents the "green dragon" and the west end represents the "white tiger". According to the requirements of geomancy, the "white tiger" should be lower than the "green dragon".

After stabilizing the main beam, the village chief ordered several educated youths to move the "grain bags" he had sent earlier to the roof.

It is placed in the middle of the beam, symbolizing a good harvest, and red cloth is draped on the beam. In some places, a pair of cloth insoles are sewn at the bottom of the red cloth, symbolizing laying a solid foundation for the new owner of the house.

In some places, a red cloth bag filled with red dates, peanuts, rice, wheat, evergreen, etc. is hung in the middle of the main beam, which symbolizes "blessings, wealth, longevity, happiness, and eternal prosperity."

After that, Wang Guoqiang, as one of the dozen people who was assigned by the village chief in advance, wrapped the fruits and food in red cloth, and threw the cloth bag into Lu Hua's hands while saying nice things.

This was what the village chief had told him before. As Lu Hua held the basket in both hands, the village chief said this process was called "taking over the package."

The most lively part of the beam raising ceremony is "throwing the beam". When Lv Hua "took the bag", Wang Guoqiang threw candies, peanuts, steamed buns, copper coins, "gold ingots" and other things from the beam to the surroundings, letting the men, women, old and young who came to watch the excitement scramble for them.

When "throwing the beam", the village head and Wang Guoqiang and others have to say auspicious words. They say: "Throw the beam to the east, the sun rises in the east and the house is full of red; throw the beam to the west, the unicorn will deliver a child and it will be a double happiness; throw the beam to the south, the descendants will become top scholars for generations; throw the beam to the north, the stored rice will be full every year."

Lu Hua and others were very happy to hear the auspicious words, and they kept saying "thank you, thank you, thank you". From then on, they had a temporary home in the Bayi Team.

After throwing the beam, everyone left the new house.