Chapter 49: Occupying the Nest¹

After the snow fell, the weather grew even colder. The mountain roads became difficult to traverse, and the tofu business in Qingshan Village came to a complete halt.

The heavy snow severed Qingshan Village’s connection to the outside world. Nestled at the foot of Mount Qingshan, the village suddenly took on an air of being isolated from the world.

Every household began to hunker down for the winter. Zhao Mengcheng, however, quite enjoyed this tranquility. Every day, after eating and drinking his fill, he would sit by the fire pit and teach the children to read. The leisure was so profound it made one forget the passage of time.

Since the snow began, the fire pit in Zhao Mengcheng’s house had never gone out. He would even add a few logs before bed at night.

In this way, the heat from the fire pit was transmitted through the walls. Even the distant bedrooms could catch a bit of the warmth, making this winter no longer so difficult to endure.

Zhao Mengcheng had prepared more than enough firewood, stacking it until the backyard was completely full, so he was naturally not stingy with it now.

Every night before going to sleep, Zhao Mengcheng would damp down the fire pit. A few thick tree roots could burn throughout the entire night.

By hanging a clay pot over it, they could wake up the next morning to steaming hot rice porridge. After simmering all night, the rice oil would rise to the top. The only issue was the long duration, the clay pot had to be large enough, otherwise the liquid would boil dry and the pot itself might crack from the heat.

Zhao Mengcheng liked to add various ingredients to the clay pot, such as red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, and longan. Whatever they had in the house would occasionally appear in the pot.

The three little ones’ favorite thing now was to run to the kitchen as soon as they woke up each morning to see what kind of porridge was simmering in the fire pit.

With the fire pit burning, the Zhao family home remained warm and cozy, but this attracted a major nuisance.

When he discovered for the third time in the middle of the night that the White Snake had stealthily slipped down from the rafters to coil itself around the fire pit, Zhao Mengcheng’s brow furrowed into a tight knot.

“Why are you here again? Haven’t you learned your lesson?” Zhao Mengcheng grabbed the snake’s tail and gave it a sharp slap.

The White Snake let out a whimper and actually took the opportunity to sprawl beside the fire pit without moving.

Zhao Mengcheng laughed out of frustration. “You’ve really decided to mooch off my family.”

The White Snake closed its eyes, pretending it couldn’t hear him.

“It’s the middle of winter, why aren’t you hibernating? What are you doing in my house? Aren’t you afraid of roasting yourself? If you do, I’ll just eat your meat,” Zhao Mengcheng scolded crossly.

The White Snake had clearly deviated from the normal hibernation habits of common snakes. Although it looked lethargic, it was persistent in crawling in and out every day.

Zhao Mengcheng knew it coveted the warmth of the fire pit, but he didn’t want to tolerate the creature. “Leave quickly, or I won’t be polite.”

To his surprise, the White Snake tilted its head and simply played dead.

Zhao Mengcheng narrowed his eyes. In the next moment, he lashed out with his Mental Power. The White Snake jolted upright and fled at high speed.

He thought it would disappear after learning its lesson, but as soon as Zhao Mengcheng stepped away, the creature would sneak back in and sprawl in its old spot once more.

After several confrontations, the White Snake realized that although Zhao Mengcheng looked fierce and would hit it, his actions were actually just empty threats. He wouldn’t truly do anything to it.

Once it confirmed this fact, the White Snake grew even bolder. Previously, it only appeared stealthily late at night, but now it refused to leave even during the day, staying by the fire pit to warm itself.

It was freezing outside, nowhere near as warm as inside the house. The White Snake closed its eyes, blissfully enjoying itself.

Zhao Mengcheng looked coldly at the White Snake, which was playing dead and acting like a rascal. He contemplated whether it would be better to just kill it, skin it, and eat it, or throw it back into the mountains.

Before he could harden his heart, the three little ones all defected to the enemy camp.

“Dad, snakes are afraid of the cold. If you kick it out now, what if it freezes to death?” Zhao Chun looked at his father with pleading eyes.

Zhao Xin went even further, directly hugging the White Snake. “Dad, look how good it is. Just let it stay.”

Even Zhao Mao pulled at his sleeve. “Dad, it saved our lives. It just likes the fire, and it’s not getting in our way.”

The White Snake seemed to understand the children’s words. It pitifully nuzzled each of them in turn, then looked at Zhao Mengcheng with a pathetic expression.

Zhao Mengcheng was helpless. “It can stay, but don’t cause any trouble. If anyone comes over, hide immediately.”

If the villagers found out his family was harboring a “White Dragon,” there was no telling what kind of trouble it would cause.

Knowing it could stay, the White Snake tried to lick Zhao Mengcheng to show its gratitude, but he rejected it with a cold face.

Thus, from that day on, there was an extra member among those warming themselves by the fire. The White Snake was quite tactful, knowing Zhao Mengcheng didn’t like it, so it usually stayed near the three little ones’ feet.

Zhao Xin adored the White Snake the most. She would hold it in her arms every time and say, “Daddy, let’s give it a name.”

“It will leave when the weather warms up. There’s no need for a name,” Zhao Mengcheng refused.

Zhao Xin didn’t listen and said to herself, “Look at its scales, they’re like gemstones. Let’s call it Zhao Baobao² from now on.”

Zhao Mengcheng countered, “Why not call it Zhao Shitou³?”

“Baobao sounds better than Shitou,” Zhao Xin said with a bright smile. “Dad, does that mean you agree to give it a name?”

“Whatever you want,” Zhao Mengcheng leaned back, warming himself by the fire and eating peanuts with his legs crossed, looking very relaxed.

Zhao Xin stroked the White Snake’s body. Normally, snakes should be icy cold, but this fellow lay by the fire pit all day long, so even its scales had become warm. Touching them felt like touching warm jade.

Now, Zhao Xin’s favorite thing to do was to hold Zhao Baobao while warming herself by the fire.

Zhao Chun and Zhao Mao also liked the White Snake, but the snake didn’t care much for them. Zhao Chun was too rowdy, always trying to climb on it or grabbing its tail randomly.

Because of Zhao Mengcheng, the White Snake didn’t dare do anything to the brat, but it frequently used its tail to smack him when Zhao Mengcheng wasn’t around.

Zhao Mao was a bit better, but whenever the White Snake saw him, it felt like it was seeing another Zhao Mengcheng, which made its heart race with fear.

In comparison, the little girl was simply too adorable. The White Snake loved nesting in her arms, where it could occasionally snag a bite of food.

Seeing the White Snake, which seemed to eat anything from peanuts to melon seeds, Zhao Mengcheng began to doubt his own eyes.

“Xin’er, don’t just feed it anything,” Zhao Mengcheng felt compelled to warn her when he saw his daughter secretly stuffing a piece of rice cake into the snake’s mouth. “It’s a snake. it can’t eat those things. Eating too much will kill it.”

Zhao Xin was startled and immediately stopped.

The White Snake nuzzled her as if acting spoiled. Zhao Xin quickly covered its mouth. “Baobao, you can’t be so greedy. Dad says you’ll die if you eat too much, and if you die, you won’t be able to play with me anymore.”

Unable to get that bite, the White Snake slumped dejectedly on Zhao Xin’s lap and stopped moving.

Since the children liked it, Zhao Mengcheng turned a blind eye to the White Snake’s presence.

The heavy snow continued for half a month. The entire world turned white, and as far as the eye could see, Mount Qingshan was a vast expanse of white.

On New Year’s Eve⁴, the snow finally stopped.

A few days earlier, the Old Village Chief had mentioned the ancestral sacrifice on New Year’s Eve. As dawn broke on that day, the doors of the Ancestral Hall finally opened.

The Ancestral Hall had been cleaned thoroughly a few days prior, and even the roof was mostly clear of snow.

The Ancestral Hall enshrined the deceased relatives and elders of the village. Since the village was not made up of a single surname⁵, the arrangement of the tablets was somewhat disorganized, placed according to their generational rank during their lifetime. The original owner’s wife, Liu Yunniang, was among them.

The Old Village Chief was a man of his word. This year, a new tablet for the White Dragon Lord of Qingshan had been added to the Ancestral Hall. Its position was particularly prominent, as it was meant for a deity.

The offering table was already laden with food, including a large pig’s head to serve as one of the sacrificial animals.

The men of the village gathered together, including the children, but the women were not allowed to enter and could only wait at the entrance.

Zhao Mengcheng left Zhao Xin in the care of Auntie Wang and walked inside with the twins, inwardly scoffing at this rule.

The food on the offering table was all prepared by women, yet they were not allowed to enter during the sacrifice. It was truly nonsensical.

The Old Village Chief had Zhao Mengcheng stand behind him. “Follow my lead later. When the ancestors see this, they will surely bless our Qingshan Village with peace and prosperity for our descendants.”

In his heart, he was certain that Zhao Mengcheng carried good fortune, so he naturally wanted him to stand at the very front, even placing his own biological sons further back.

Zhao Mengcheng stood behind him, while the twins remained in their original positions.

He looked up slightly and could see hundreds of tablets. They were all wiped clean, possessing a unique solemnity.

Offering food, burning incense, and bowing, the Old Village Chief performed every step to perfection.

The able-bodied men stood at the front. Only after they finished their bows was it the children’s turn to step forward one by one and kowtow.

The twins stood in the crowd, side by side. When it was their turn, they were filled with excitement, their kowtows making loud thumping sounds.

Even the children who were only a few years old had been taught by their families to be incredibly well-behaved. They didn’t dare to be careless. Those who were too small to walk were held by the adults of their families to perform the bows.

If anyone dared to make a scene at this time, the Old Village Chief would personally strike them.

Only after the spirit money⁶ was burned did the sacrifice come to an end. Everything had gone smoothly.

The Old Village Chief looked at the flourishing incense and smiled. “The ancestors are very satisfied. We will surely have a smooth year ahead with plenty of food and clothing.”

The villagers smiled upon hearing this. “May the ancestors bless us.”

The Old Village Chief said with a smile, “Our village will surely get better and better. When the time comes, we’ll gather all Three Sacrificial Animals for the offering, and the ancestors will be even happier.”

The Three Sacrificial Animals consisted of a cow, a sheep, and a pig. This year, they only had a pig’s head. It would not be easy to gather all three.

Wealthy families who were more particular would use three whole animals for their sacrificial rites. Qingshan Village naturally lacked such means. Even the pig’s head was only obtained because the Old Village Chief had exhausted all his options, and finally, Zhao Mengcheng had reached out to the Cao Family to secure it.

Once the flames from the paper money had completely died out, it was time for the part the villagers looked forward to most – distributing the sacrificial offerings.

There were specific customs for distributing the offerings. The villagers believed that the family who received the most would be the most blessed by the ancestors in the coming year, so everyone was keeping a close eye on the process.

The Old Village Chief cleared his throat and spoke. “This year’s pig’s head was only bought because Mengcheng found a way, and his family paid for it. Therefore, the pig’s head belongs to him.”

“The rest of the items were bought with money contributed by every household, so every family gets one share. It is the New Year, so let everyone be harmonious. If anyone dares to make a scene, do not blame me for being unkind.”

Liu Fengshou laughed and shouted, “Old brother, you are the most fair man alive. Why would we go looking for trouble during the New Year?”

“It is best if you do not. I only fear that some people are like snakes trying to swallow an elephant⁷, never satisfied,” the Old Village Chief said indifferently.

When the cotton was distributed a while ago, some people had whispered behind his back that he was biased, gossiping about which family got more or less. The Old Village Chief knew all about it, but since they had not brought the trouble to his face, he had not bothered to manage it.

Zhao Mengcheng followed the local customs, collecting his family’s large pig’s head and one share of the offerings before leaving the Ancestral Hall.

“Dad, let me take it.” Zhao Chun was waiting at the entrance. As soon as he saw him, he hurriedly took the pig’s head.

The pig’s head weighed over ten pounds, but Zhao Chun lifted it with one hand quite easily.

Zhao Mao took the other share of offerings. The Old Village Chief was always thorough in his work. The offerings included meat and vegetables, and there was even a piece of cloud cake⁸. Everything was distributed properly.

Aside from the large pig’s head, the Old Village Chief had not given Zhao Mengcheng any special treatment.

Too much is as bad as too little. The Old Village Chief knew how to maintain the right balance. Sure enough, the villagers were satisfied when they saw this, feeling that he was truly fair.

“Dad.” Zhao Xin had been waiting at the entrance the whole time, and she ran over as soon as she saw him.

“Was the sacrifice fun?” the little girl asked curiously.

With his hands now free, Zhao Mengcheng simply picked her up. “It wasn’t very fun. It was actually a bit boring.”

“I knew it. Auntie Wang said the same thing. She also said it was cold and gloomy inside the Ancestral Hall,” Zhao Xin said with a smile.

Zhao Mengcheng stroked the girl’s hair but said nothing.

After greeting Auntie Wang, Zhao Mengcheng carried the child home. Behind them, others were laughing.

“Mengcheng dotes on his daughter far too much. Xin’er is already six years old, yet he still carries her everywhere.”

“When you have many sons, they aren’t as precious. He only has this one daughter, so it’s only right to dote on her a bit more,” Auntie Wang said with a smile.

Someone else whispered a question. “Does he really not plan to find someone else? If he’s afraid a stepmother would be bad to the children, he could just choose carefully. He shouldn’t have to be a widower for the rest of his life.”

“That’s what he says. I’m not his mother, so there are some things I can’t really say,” Auntie Wang replied, brushing the topic aside.

Zhao Mengcheng had long legs and a quick pace, walking very fast even while carrying the child.

As the sacrifice ended, Zhao Wencheng and his son wanted to call out to him, but he was already gone. Zhao Mancang supported his father as they hurried to catch up.

After winter began, the hard times for Zhao Laoda’s family had truly arrived.

Their family had originally been quite well-off. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to send Zhao Mancang to study for over a decade.

But no matter how wealthy they were, they were still ordinary commoners. This year, misfortunes had come in pairs. First, the grain yield decreased, then Zhao Laoda’s leg was injured, and later there was the matter of the taxes.

If not for the silver obtained from selling their daughter, the Zhao Family would have collapsed long ago. Even so, they had been forced to sell two acres of land to make up for the shortfall.

With no money and no grain in the house, even their New Year’s meal was watery and thin, without a single drop of oil.

Zhao Laoda and his wife could endure it, but Zhao Mancang was used to a comfortable life and could not stand it. After a few days, he was at his limit.

However, he had no silver in his pockets, so he could only grumble at home.

To make matters worse, this winter was freezing. Zhao Laoda’s leg was injured, and Zhao Dasao was a woman with little strength. Since Zhao Mancang had been staying in town and hadn’t returned, the family hadn’t gathered much firewood and had to use it sparingly.

Other families had warm cotton-padded clothes and quilts, but the Zhao Family hadn’t even received any cotton. The three of them had to huddle together under one quilt for warmth.

The family of three did not reflect on their own mistakes. Instead, they resented the villagers, especially Zhao Mengcheng.

They cursed and swore under their quilt, wishing they would never have to deal with him again.

But just now, seeing Zhao Mengcheng receive a large pig’s head all for himself, Zhao Mancang’s mind began to work again.

“Dad, you and Second Uncle are biological brothers after all. There’s no grudge between brothers that can’t be settled. Just bow your head to him, admit you were wrong, and we can be relatives again.”

Zhao Mancang was certain his father had offended his uncle and advised him earnestly.

Zhao Laoda’s face was dark. “I am the eldest brother. Why should I admit I was wrong to him?”

Zhao Mancang countered, “Dad, look at the life Second Uncle’s family is living, then look at ours. My stomach has been sour from hunger these past few days, and I’ve lost a lot of weight. If this continues, how can I participate in the Imperial Examination? If I don’t take the exam, how can I achieve a title and bring honor to our family name?”

At these words, Zhao Wencheng hesitated.

Zhao Mancang pressed on. “Dad, if you won’t think of yourself, you must think of your son. I have many places where I need to use silver. Now that Second Uncle’s life is prosperous, how can we cut off such a good path?”

He lowered his voice and added, “If you are angry with him, just keep that anger in your heart for now. Once your son becomes successful in the future, won’t a small-time businessman like Second Uncle be at your mercy?”

Hearing this, Zhao Laoda nodded. “Fine. For your sake, I will bow my head to him.”

The father and son had planned it all out, but they never considered that while they were willing to bow their heads, Zhao Mengcheng might not be willing to accept it.

Zhao Mengcheng was walking fast, but Zhao Laoda, despite his limping leg, managed to catch up, driven by the lure of that large pig’s head.

“Mengcheng, wait a moment.”

Zhao Mengcheng raised an eyebrow and set Zhao Xin down. “You kids go inside first.”

Zhao Chun looked back and glared at his uncle and cousin before carrying the items straight through the door.

Zhao Mancang glanced at the large pig’s head and gave his father a gentle nudge.

Zhao Wencheng had originally wanted to put on the air of an elder brother, but after receiving his son’s signal, he paused and said, “It’s almost the New Year. We can’t keep going on like this. What about the sacrifices for our parents?”

Zhao Mengcheng knew they hadn’t come with good intentions. He said indifferently, “We will each do our own.”

Zhao Mancang couldn’t help but interject, “Second Uncle, how can we do them separately? If Grandpa and Grandma knew in the afterlife, they would be so heartbroken.”

“Second Uncle, even if you resent my father, you must show some respect for the sake of the family. You can’t let Grandpa and Grandma be uneasy in the afterlife just because of this, right?”

“If they have food and drink, what is there to be heartbroken about? If they were capable of being heartbroken, they would have been heartbroken by you people years ago,” Zhao Mengcheng sneered.

Zhao Wencheng’s face darkened. “What do you mean by that? Have I done you wrong? Back then, our parents favored you. All the family’s silver was spent on your schooling. Did I say anything? Now, just because of three silver taels, you want to break off our kinship? Zhao Mengcheng, you have no conscience.”

“You’ve told that lie so many times you actually believe it.”

Zhao Mengcheng said with a cold laugh, “Our parents spent silver to send me to school, but the annual tuition was only two silver taels. All other expenses combined were less than one tael. At most, I only spent three silver taels a year.”

“In total, I only attended the private school for three years. Even by a generous estimate, I only spent ten silver taels of the family’s money.”

“What about you? When you got married, the dowry alone cost ten silver taels. It was said to be for your wife’s family, but in reality, it all stayed in the hands of you two. Building the house cost another ten silver. Then there are the ten acres of fertile land, which are worth at least twenty silver.”

“Despite all that, you constantly blame our parents for being biased. If they were still alive, they would probably be provoked to death by you. To have raised an ungrateful wolf of a son like you, they truly wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.”

Zhao Mengcheng felt that the original owner had been too indifferent, which was why he had been bullied to such an extent. “Back then, you relied on being the eldest to make me leave the house with nothing during the family division. For the sake of our parents, I didn’t argue with you, but no one is a fool.”

“Now that we’ve broken our kinship, there’s no need for any further contact. Get lost, or I’ll take a formal complaint to the government. I’d like to ask if there’s any logic in one brother taking all the house and land while the other gets not a single penny.”

The villagers who had finished distributing the offerings were passing by and heard the brothers’ conversation. They began pointing and whispering at Zhao Laoda and his son.

Wang Ming shouted even louder, “Do you two have no shame? Don’t come looking for trouble during the New Year, or I’ll call the Village Chief over to settle this.”

Zhao Wencheng cared about his reputation. After being humiliated, he turned to leave with a dark face.

Zhao Mancang still wanted to salvage the situation. “Second Uncle, we are relatives bound by blood after all. Dad already knows he was wrong. Can’t you forgive him this once for the sake of our late grandparents?”

Zhao Mengcheng looked at him with a half-smile. “You probably know I have good relations with the County Yamen. If you don’t leave now, your family’s house and land won’t be safe.”

Zhao Mancang felt a jolt of fear in his heart.

Looking at Zhao Mengcheng’s icy expression and the coldness in his eyes, there wasn’t a trace of familial affection left for them.

“Let’s go. Haven’t we been humiliated enough?” Zhao Laoda grabbed his son and limped away with a dark face.

Zhao Mancang’s expression was also unsightly. As he followed, he said in a low voice, “How did Second Uncle change so much? He wasn’t like this before.”

Even though they had been rejected last time, in Zhao Mancang’s heart, Zhao Mengcheng had always been a soft-hearted person.

Otherwise, their family wouldn’t have been able to take advantage for so many years, and Second Uncle wouldn’t have kept putting up with it, even going so far as to be quite indulgent.

Zhao Laoda sneered. “He’s always been that way. When he was little, he coaxed our parents into favoring him, and he never had any respect for me as his elder brother. Now, he looks down on me even more.”

“Mancang, you must work hard. Study well and earn your official rank. On the day you pass the imperial examinations with honors, every single one of them will come to our door crying and begging for our favor.”

Zhao Mancang opened his mouth, wanting to offer his father some advice, but seeing his dark expression, he didn’t dare say another word.

Thinking of the family’s situation, Zhao Mancang felt a wave of worry. Education cost money, and where would the family find any silver now?

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t spare them even a glance as he pushed the door open and walked inside.

Upon entering, he was met by three pairs of bright, sparkling eyes. The three siblings each had their own look, but their eyes were remarkably similar.

Zhao Chun said huffily, “It’s so infuriating. I really wanted to rush out and give them a beating.”

“If you hit someone, you have to pay for their medical bills. That’s no good. We can think of other ways,” Zhao Mao said, already deep in thought.

Zhao Mengcheng chuckled and patted each of their heads in turn. “Don’t waste your anger on people who don’t matter.”

He didn’t let the matter bother him. He went into the room and set out four newly made ancestral tablets.

Three of them belonged to the original owner’s parents and wife. The fourth had no name, representing the original owner who had vanished from this world.

“Come and pay your respects.” Zhao Mengcheng had also prepared an offering table, which was laden with a rich variety of items.

The ritual at the Ancestral Hall was too general. After returning home, villagers usually offered sacrifices to their own relatives again to ensure they wouldn’t have to fight for offerings in the underworld.

This time, Zhao Xin also followed her two brothers in kneeling and kowtowing.

The three children kowtowed with great sincerity, the sound of their foreheads hitting the floor even louder than it had been at the Ancestral Hall.

When they finally looked up, their foreheads were red and swollen.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t stop them. He offered incense before they did, performing the ritual with great solemnity. He didn’t believe in ghosts or gods, but he was willing to follow the local customs to offer a small measure of comfort to the departed.

After the kowtowing was finished, Zhao Mengcheng took the longevity cakes⁹ from the offerings. “One piece for each of you. After eating this, the ancestors will protect you so you grow up safe, sound, and healthy.”

Zhao Chun took a large bite and said with a smile, “It’s delicious. Thanks, Dad.”

Zhao Mao asked curiously, “Dad, why are there four tablets? Whose is the one without a name?”

Zhao Xin tilted her head. “Is it for Baobao? Do we have to worship Baobao too?”

In the next room, Zhao Baobao, who was lounging by the fire pit, flicked his tail to show he was listening upon hearing his name.

Zhao Mengcheng shook his head but said seriously, “It belongs to a very important person. From now on, you must worship him with all your heart every year. Do you understand?”

The three children didn’t quite understand, but they nodded obediently.

With the ritual complete, New Year’s Eve had only just begun. Zhao Mengcheng rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work.

---

Translator’s Notes

---

1. Occupying the Nest: The Chinese title uses the idiom 鸠占鹊巢 (jiū zhàn què cháo), literally “the turtledove occupies the magpie’s nest,” meaning to seize another person’s home, place, or position. ↩
2. Zhao Baobao: Baobao (宝宝) means “baby” or “treasure,” a very common affectionate nickname for young children or pets. Giving the snake the surname Zhao integrates it into the family. ↩
3. Zhao Shitou: Shitou (石头) means “stone” or “rock.” It is a common, humble, rustic nickname for boys in rural China, implying strength and the hope that they will be resilient and easy to raise. ↩
4. New Year’s Eve: The final day of the lunar year (大年三十, dà nián sān shí), the most significant time for family reunions and ancestor worship in Chinese culture. ↩
5. single surname: Many traditional Chinese villages consist primarily of people sharing the same patrilineal surname, tracing back to a common ancestor. A multi-surname village often indicates different historical settlement patterns. ↩
6. spirit money: Also known as joss paper; imitation currency burned in offerings to deceased ancestors for their use in the afterlife. ↩
7. snakes trying to swallow an elephant: A literal translation of the Chinese idiom 贪心不足蛇吞象 (tān xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng), used to describe insatiable greed. ↩
8. cloud cake: A traditional Chinese sweet snack made of glutinous rice flour and sugar, known for being thin and white like clouds. ↩
9. longevity cakes: Traditional pastries symbolizing a wish for long life. In ancestor worship, eating food that has been offered to the spirits is believed to transfer blessings to the living. ↩