Dinner at the City God
In the old town, there is a City God Temple, which is said to have been built during the Ming Dynasty. Although the temple here is not as splendid as the temples in the big cities, it also embodies the awe and prayers of the townspeople to the gods. However, in this small town, there is a man named Zhang Daring, who is bold and never believes in ghosts and gods.
On this day, Zhang Daring held a banquet at home to entertain friends, and the guests enjoyed the banquet. After the feast, there was a lot of food left. Zhang Daring looked at the leftovers on the table, thinking that it would be a pity if these leftovers were thrown away, so he had a plan and came to the City God Temple with the leftovers.
At this time, it was already evening, and the temple looked a little gloomy. Zhang Daring didn't care at all, and poured the leftovers into a corner of the City God Temple, and said to himself: "Master City God, if you don't dislike it, these leftovers will be regarded as a small filial piety to you." ”
After that, Zhang Daring hummed a little song and staggered home.
It was night, the moon was dark and the wind was high. Zhang Daring was lying on the bed snoring when he suddenly heard a knock on the door outside. He got up in a daze and opened the door, only to see a middle-aged man in an official uniform with a dignified face standing at the door.
"Are you Zhang Daring?" The middle-aged man asked in a deep voice.
"Exactly, exactly." Zhang Daring rubbed his eyes and looked at the stranger in front of him, "Your Excellency?" ”
"I am the city god in this city god temple." The middle-aged man said.
Zhang Daring was shocked when he heard this, and he didn't want to drink at all. He looked at the city god in front of him, and saw that although it was majestic, it was not malicious, so he relaxed a little.
"City ...... Master Chenghuang, what are you looking for me? Zhang Daring asked cautiously.
"You poured some leftovers in my temple today, but really?" Chenghuang asked.
"Yes...... Yes. Zhang Daring replied with a little weakness, "The little one just thinks it's a pity to fall down, so ......"
"Do you know that's disrespectful to me?" Chenghuang interrupted Zhang Daring's words, with a hint of displeasure in his tone.
Zhang Daring's heart tightened, and he hurriedly explained: "Master Chenghuang, the little one has no intention of offending. I just thought that instead of wasting, it would be better for your old people to enjoy. ”
Hearing this, Chenghuang frowned slightly, pondered for a moment and said, "Since you are not malicious, I will not care about you. But remember, godly as you are, don't be mocked. ”
"Yes, yes, little remember." Zhang Dadao hurriedly responded.
Chenghuang nodded, turned around and wanted to leave, but suddenly turned around and said, "By the way, your leftovers taste really good." Can you send some more tomorrow? ”
Zhang Daring was stunned for a moment, and then nodded again and again: "Of course you can, of course you can." ”
The next day, Zhang Daring prepared a sumptuous meal and personally delivered it to the City God Temple. Since then, the incense at the Temple has flourished, and Zhang Daring has become a celebrity in the town.
However, the good times did not last long, and one day Zhang Daring suddenly fell ill and had a high fever. He lay on the bed, and in a daze, he seemed to see the city god again.
"Why don't you keep your promise and bring me food?" Old Man Chenghuang asked with a sullen face.
Zhang Daring was taken aback, and hurriedly explained: "Master Chenghuang, it's not a small one who doesn't fulfill his promise, but it's really that he has been sick in bed for the past few days and can't move. ”
"That being the case, I will not care about you." Lord Chenghuang's face softened slightly, "But you need to remember that the matter of ghosts and gods should not be taken lightly. ”
With that, the old man disappeared. Zhang Daring woke up and found that he was in a cold sweat. He secretly rejoiced in his heart, fortunately it was just a dream. However, when he got up, he found a bowl of steaming food at the head of the bed, exactly the same meal he had given to Chenghuang earlier.
Zhang Daring was shocked in his heart, and immediately understood that this was not a dream, but the manifestation of the City God. He was both grateful and terrified, and from then on he was even more in awe of the things of ghosts and gods.
Later, Zhang Daring's illness quickly recovered. He never forgot to bring food to the City God, and the incense of the City God Temple has always been prosperous.
The town is also famous for the story of Zhang Daring and the Lord Chenghuang, and many people come here to see the style of the Lord Chenghuang. And Zhang Daring also became a legend in the town because of this strange fate.
However, there are also those who are skeptical of Zhang's story. They thought it was just a lie made up by Zhang in order to gain fame. As a result, someone began to secretly investigate the relationship between Zhang Daring and the City God Temple.
After a period of investigation, they found that Zhang Daring did deliver food to the Chenghuang Temple every day, and every time after delivering food, he would stay in the temple for a while, as if talking to people. This makes people even more curious, who is Zhang Daring talking to? Is it really the Lord of the City God?
In order to unravel the mystery, someone decided to sneak behind Zhang Dang one night to see what he was doing. However, after they followed Zhang Daring to the City God Temple, they did not find anything unusual. After Zhang Daring finished delivering the meal as usual, he stayed in the temple for a while, and then left.
The stalkers were disappointed, they thought they would be able to uncover Zhang's secret, but they didn't expect to find nothing. However, just as they were about to leave, they suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the City God Temple.
Curious, they went in to check it, only to find that the sound was coming from behind the statue of the city god. They cautiously walked over, only to discover a hidden secret door. Behind the secret door is a small room filled with a variety of food and wines. In the center of the room, there was a middle-aged man in an official uniform, who was the appearance of the old man of the city god.
The people who followed were stunned by what they saw, they didn't expect that Lord Chenghuang actually existed, and he was still enjoying the food and wine. They tried to come forward and ask, but found themselves unable to move, as if frozen by some mysterious force.
At this time, the old man looked up and saw them, smiled slightly, and said, "You shouldn't come here. ”
With that, he waved his hand, and the stalkers felt a tremendous force push them out of the secret door. When they came back to their senses, they found that they had returned to the outside of the City God Temple.
Since then, no one dares to doubt the story between Zhang Daring and Lord Chenghuang. The incense of the City God Temple has also become more prosperous and has become a major attraction in the town. And Zhang Daring continued to deliver food to the old man every day until the day he grew old.
One night shortly after Zhang Daring's death, a strange light was seen coming from the Temple of the City God. They curiously walked over to check, but found that there was an extra bowl of steaming food in front of the statue of the City God, which was the meal that Zhang Daring gave to the City God every day before his death.
People talked about it, thinking that this was Zhang Daring continuing to deliver food to the old man in another world. And Lord Chenghuang has also been blessing the peace and prosperity of the town. This legend has been passed down to this day and has become a good story in the town.
A thank you gift from the city god
After Zhang Daring's death, in order to commemorate the strange fate between him and Chenghuang, the people of the town erected a stone tablet next to the Chenghuang Temple, which was engraved with Zhang Daring's deeds. The stele has not only become a tourist attraction in the town, but also a bridge between humans and gods.
However, as time goes by, people's reverence for the city god seems to be waning. The new generation of young people is no longer as religious about these traditional beliefs as the older generation, and some have even begun to question the existence of the Chenghuang.
It was against this backdrop that a strange thing happened in the town.
One night, when the old Li Tou in the town passed by the City God Temple, he vaguely heard a voice coming from the temple. Curious, he took a closer look, only to find the familiar bowl of food sitting in front of the statue and steaming hot. Lao Li Tou was so frightened that he hurriedly ran home and told the residents of the town about it.
The next day, word spread throughout the town. Some people think that this is the manifestation of the old man of the city god, and he is thanking Zhang Daring for his many years of worship; There are also those who think it's a prank and want to create panic.
In order to find out the truth, several young people in the town decided to visit the City God Temple at night. They brought flashlights and cameras, ready to record it all.
It was night, the moon was dark and the wind was high. A few young people quietly came to the temple but found that the temple door was closed. They pushed the door and entered, only to see that there was silence in the temple, only the faint light of the lantern in front of the statue of the city god flickered.
They looked around and suddenly heard a slight sound coming from behind the statue of the City God. They cautiously walked over, only to discover a hidden secret door. Behind the secret door was a small room, the same mysterious room that had been discovered by the person who had followed Zhang Daring before.
The room is filled with a variety of delicacies and wines, as if it were a place for a feast. And in the center of the room, the old man was sitting quietly, with the familiar bowl of food in front of him.
The young people were stunned by what they saw, they didn't expect that the old man really existed, and he was still enjoying the food and wine. They tried to come forward and ask, but found themselves unable to move as if they were frozen.
At this time, the old man looked up and saw them, smiled slightly and said, "You are here." ”
The young men nodded in astonishment, and one of them, a little bolder, asked, "Master Chenghuang, what the hell is going on?" ”
Master Chenghuang put down his chopsticks and explained, "This is my gratitude to Zhang Daring. He has been worshipping me for many years, without stopping. Now that he has passed away, I am still grateful for his dedication. So in the dead of night, I would prepare these delicacies and wines to treat myself and repay him. ”
After hearing this, the young people suddenly realized that the old man had not forgotten Zhang Daying's offering, and repaid him in this way. They have expressed that they want to pass on this story, so that more people know the existence and gratitude of Lord Chenghuang.
Since then, the incense of the temple has flourished again and has become a tourist attraction, attracting countless tourists to visit and pray for blessings, and the mysterious small room has also become a major feature of the temple, making people feel the wonderful fate between man and god.
Over time, this legend has become known to more and more people, and has gradually evolved into a cultural symbol that represents the power of gratitude, piety, and faith, inspiring people to maintain a grateful heart in their lives and cherish their fate with others.
The story between Zhang Daring and Chenghuang has also become a beautiful conversation in people's mouths, inheriting the excellent qualities of godliness and gratitude in the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. When night falls, the everlasting lamp in the temple lights up, as if telling an eternal story of faith and gratitude.
The trial of the city god
However, just as the town is fame because of the legend of the city god, a sudden disaster shatters the peace.
This year, the town was hit by a drought not seen in a century. Crops withered, rivers dried up, and people were miserable. Faced with such a predicament, some people began to wonder if the Lord of the City God really existed, why didn't he show his spirit to help him in such a time of crisis?
In this context, the incense of the City God Temple has gradually cooled down. Instead of coming to pray as religiously as before, young people choose to go out to earn a living or find other ways out.
Just when people were about to give up their faith, Lord Chenghuang appeared again.
One night, the old man told the elders of the town in a dream: "If you want to relieve the drought, you must find three treasures in the town: a golden key, a pearl of the night, and an ancient book. Only by collecting these three treasures can you open the door to the water source and save the town from danger. ”
When the elder woke up, he immediately told the townspeople the news. People were skeptical, but in order to save their homes, they decided to give it a try.
Thus, an operation to find the three treasures began. The young people set out in groups to search for clues in all corners of the town. After several days of searching, they finally found the golden key and the pearl of the night. However, the ancient books have not been accounted for for a long time.
Just when people were in despair, an old man stepped forward. "I know the whereabouts of the ancient book, but it is hidden in a dangerous place," he said. Only the brave and pure can get it. ”
After hearing this, the young people said that they wanted to get the ancient books, but the old man shook his head and said, "There is only one person who can go, and that is Zhang Daring's grandson - Zhang Xiaoyong." ”
Zhang Xiaoyong was stunned when he heard his name, he didn't expect that he would be entrusted with such an important task. But instead of backing down, he bravely accepted the challenge.
Under the guidance of the old man, Zhang Xiaoyong came to a mysterious cave. He took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to go into the cave. The cave was pitch black, with only the occasional flickering glowworm to show him the way.
Zhang Xiaoyong groped his way forward in the cave, and suddenly he felt a softness under his feet, as if he had stepped on some mechanism. Immediately after, a loud noise was heard, and the walls of the cave slowly opened a door.
Zhang Xiaoyong cautiously walked in, only to see a yellowed ancient book on a stone platform. He stepped forward and gently picked up the ancient book. At this moment, the cave suddenly began to collapse, and Zhang Xiaoyong ran out quickly holding the ancient book.
When he ran out of the cave, he found that the entire town had gathered at the mouth of the cave to wait for his return. They let out cheers when they saw the ancient books in Zhang Xiaoyong's hands.
After collecting the three treasures, the elder led the residents to the front of the City God Temple. They put the three treasures together and recited the incantation. Suddenly, the sky was cloudy, lightning and thunder, followed by heavy rain.
The drought has finally eased, crops have begun to recover, and rivers are flowing again. The townspeople cheered and thanked Lord Chenghuang for his protection.
Since then, people have worshiped the Lord Chenghuang more religiously, and Zhang Xiaoyong's heroic deeds have been passed on as a good story, inspiring generations of small town residents to move forward bravely and defy difficulties. And Master Chenghuang has been silently guarding this town, making people feel the power and warmth of faith.