Chapter 8, Resurrection

The person sitting diagonally opposite the coffin was originally laughing, but suddenly the laughter stopped, and his expression became stiff. He understood why the person sitting in front of the coffin had rushed out. Through the gap in the white banner, he saw the corpse in the coffin, which had already sat up at some unknown time.

Originally it was a funeral for one person, but now there is another added. Everyone is discussing with the relatives of the person who was suffocated by the corpse, and it seems that the body is just there to accompany the deceased. Since the person is already dead, it is simply decided not to hold another funeral, but to dig an extra grave on the mountain and bury them together.

The person sitting diagonally opposite the coffin noticed that the corpse was slowly moving in this direction. He exchanged a glance with the person sitting across from him. Upon seeing that two people had changed their expressions, the person opposite felt an uneasy sense that something was amiss, yet he lacked the courage to look towards the coffin. Now, having seen the glance, he fully understood what was happening.

He thought of this and suddenly understood, quickly turning around. But it was already too late; the corpse had tightly embraced him. He was face to face with the corpse, the stench of death continuously flooding into his mouth and nose. The man was already terrified, and with his chest being constricted, he was unable to breathe, and immediately died.

At that moment, a situation arose. Later, I heard one of the people say that suddenly, all the dogs in the village began to howl together.

The stories of corpses coming back to life that I have heard are far more terrifying

It is about a funeral, and at night, someone is needed to keep vigil. However, the family of the deceased did not keep vigil; instead, four individuals who came to assist with the arrangements took their place.

The person facing the spirit mirror lost two more rounds, feeling unwilling in their heart, always feeling anxious when looking at the spirit mirror. Ignoring the opinions of others, they walked over and turned the spirit mirror around, directing the photo towards the side of the coffin.

The other three laughed at him, telling him not to move for the photo. He did not listen, and now he is facing the consequences. That person said nothing and stumbled out the door, tripping just as he reached the entrance

The coffin of the young man who died suddenly was placed into the pit, and everyone was filling it with soil. Suddenly, a particularly sharp scream emanated from the coffin, akin to the chilling sound of fingernails scraping against frosted glass. It caused everyone's eardrums to ache.

Upon reaching the entrance of the mourning hall, it became clear. The corpse was still holding that person, who was also dead, with the two bodies facing each other, their foreheads touching. The corpse that had risen appeared pale as a ghost. The face of the one who had been strangled was golden yellow. Black blood dripped from the corners of the mouth. The eyeballs were half-burst from their sockets.

It is crying, not barking. Those who recall emphasize that the sound of a dog crying is completely different from that of a dog barking. The dogs in the entire village kept whimpering, rather than barking loudly, and that sound indeed sent chills down the listener's spine. However, at that time, the few people playing cards did not take it to heart; after all, they were young, and if they were not bold, they would not be keeping vigil in the mourning hall.

One particularly profound story I remember is about a corpse coming back to life

The old man passed away after a month or so. He drowned in the fish pond in front of the house in the middle of the day

Everyone was too afraid to approach, so in the end, an elderly man knowledgeable in the ways was invited from another village to resolve the situation. When the old man arrived, he simply said, "There is nothing to worry about." He stepped forward to pull the corpse's arm. He could not move it by himself, and seeing him like this, others also gathered their courage to help, but the corpse's arm was too tightly clasped. It took several strong men to pull it open at the same time.

Poor is the person who stands with their back to the corpse, completely unaware of what has transpired

When we were children, adults liked to gather together at night to chat. As they talked, the conversation would often turn to ghost stories. We children would eagerly lean in to listen. Although we were scared and would burrow into our mothers' arms, we still perked up our ears to listen intently

The four individuals were all young people. As midnight approached, they set up a table in the mourning hall to play cards. It is considered very inappropriate to sleep during the vigil; the reasons for this are clear, as it is at least a sign of disrespect towards the deceased. Among the four, the one facing the portrait of the deceased, when he raised his head after drawing a card, saw the face of the deceased in the portrait and felt uneasy. The expression on that face seemed to be a smile, yet it was unsettling. Just then, he lost the game and discussed with the other three about wanting to cover the portrait with the tablecloth. The others disagreed, saying that if they did that, the deceased would bring misfortune. They advised against such foolishness.

The elder who was invited hurriedly ran back home and said to his family: "It is too terrible, too terrible, this village has not known peace for years"

Then, in a hurry, they searched for a coffin in the village. They hastily buried the young man as well. Together with the corpse that had risen from the dead, they were carried up the mountain and then laid to rest in the ground

As night falls, someone is left to keep vigil.

The person sitting diagonally opposite the coffin knew what he had to do. He quickly played a card from his hand, and his next opponent, who was facing away from the coffin, said, "Haha, I let this kind of card pass!"

The villagers who were still asleep were startled awake, and those who were disturbed were too frightened to get up and see what was happening. After shouting for quite a while, a few able-bodied men finally dressed and came to assess the situation. With all this commotion, the sky began to brighten dimly.

The person with their back to the corpse was still excited, thinking their hand would win, unaware of the strange expressions of those around. The two disloyal individuals, seeing the corpse had already passed the white banner, had no time to waste, so they quietly said, "Let's go see how XX is doing in the restroom, why haven't they come back yet?" and then immediately ran out as well

The corpse was dressed in a black funeral garment, with a black hat on its head. Originally, there was a red circular cloth on the hat, but it was no longer there. The corpse had risen, and those who saw it sit up were so frightened that they nearly fainted. The body was sitting in the coffin, its upper body continuously thrusting upward, yet it could not stand up, moving up and down within the coffin. Perhaps there was lime or some other substance placed inside the coffin; although the corpse's movements were considerable, it did not make any sound. The corpse was sitting in the coffin, its upper body continuously thrusting upward, yet it could not stand up, moving up and down within the coffin. Perhaps there was lime or some other substance placed inside the coffin; although the corpse's movements were considerable, it did not make any sound.

At that moment, the person facing the coffin suddenly held the牌 without making a sound or playing a card. He just stood there motionless. The other three urged him to hurry up and play. That person seemed to be in a daze, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. When others asked him what was wrong, he regained some composure and stammered, "I have a terrible stomachache, I need to go to the bathroom"

In Yichang, customs dictate that when a person passes away, the body must be kept at home for a period ranging from one to three nights. The coffin is placed in the center of the main hall. White banners are hung near the door of the mourning hall to separate the coffin, and a brazier is set up to burn paper offerings. Visitors who come to pay their respects kneel in front of the brazier to burn paper and incense

The corpse surged upward for a moment, finally standing up, and silently rolled out of the coffin, standing on the ground. The corpse's face was deathly pale, its mouth remained open, devoid of teeth, revealing bloodless gums. Its eyes were closed, yet it seemed to be able to see the three of them, adjusting its posture and walking towards them.

It was already four o'clock, and in about an hour, at five in the morning, the family of the deceased was preparing to carry the coffin of the deceased up the mountain

The three individuals who ran out were rolling and crawling, desperately shouting in the village: "The dead have risen! The dead have risen!"

The three individuals were so frightened that they were at a loss for words, unable to articulate anything clearly, only shouting: "It's a resurrection, it's a resurrection." The crowd gathered together and went to the mourning hall to see what had happened.

The phenomenon of corpse reanimation seems to have been quite common in ancient China. As I grew up and read classical novels, I encountered two stories about corpse reanimation. One is from "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio," which is rather terrifying, featuring a corpse that chases people around. In that story, the corpse circles a large tree, ultimately gripping the trunk with its fingers, embedding itself a few inches into the wood. The other story is from "The Scholars," involving a scholar who, while lodging overnight, finds that the elderly couple he is staying with has just died. At midnight, the corpse reanimates, but this is not frightening; the scholar is quite brave and methodically locks the room. The reanimated corpse does not harm anyone, merely walking around inside the room. Later, the scholar even takes the initiative to bury the elderly couple.

During a zombie resurrection, the living must not speak at all, and it is best if they do not even breathe. Otherwise, the corpse will sense the living person's vitality and will pounce on them, tightly gripping the living. This anecdote has been passed down for a long time, and everyone is aware of it. The two individuals exchanging glances likely have a good relationship but are also greatly frightened, not daring to remind the person who has their back to the corpse.

Still mumbling, why has everyone run away, leaving me here alone, what does this mean