Chapter 0009: A Flawed Funeral

According to the rules, the coffin must be kept for at least three days to be considered proper, but Old Liu's coffin was only kept for one day. Does this not violate some principle

Do not mention that matter, who in our village does not know about it? Is it necessary for you to say it?

Moreover, my grandfather is still wearing a Daoist robe

So soon? Is it not supposed to be three days or more before the coffin is stopped?

Indeed, where has Liu Tai gone? Have you seen him?

It should be noted that these individuals also came prepared with gifts of money, yet until now, there has been no one to receive the gifts.

In that era, having three thousand or five thousand in hand was considered a small wealthy household. Households with ten thousand were regarded as affluent families

Indeed, Brother Liu Tai also helped carry the coffin for our family last year, so we must certainly return the favor

No one is accepting gifts, his wife is definitely not around, when it comes to receiving money, how could Mei Zhi not be present

Call out to Liu Dazhuang, who was among the first in our village to prosper by engaging in the mountain goods trade in the town

Do not be deceived by his seemingly foolish appearance; if you take him to be truly foolish, then you are simply a fool yourself

I am puzzled; I have only heard of selecting auspicious dates before, but I have never heard of selecting specific times as well. At 5:30, all the various procedures will be completed by 6:00, just in time to coincide with the moment before Liu Laoye's death

Although I am young, I have been by my grandfather's side since childhood, and I understand quite a few of these rules, easily identifying the problems within them

What he should be doing now is chanting spells and singing around the coffin, rather than greeting guests outside

I was still pondering when someone over there had already asked

You may not entertain guests outside, but you must keep vigil by the coffin, right

Moreover, judging by the demeanor of the old village chief and my grandfather, are they planning to move the coffin within a whole day before the burial? Could it be that Liu Laoye was truly frightened to death by something?

Are Liu Tai and that fellow acting as a Taoist inside the house while my grandfather and the old village chief are outside acting as filial sons

A coffin may not be considered a good one, yet it was still purchased with money. The burial clothes are also of seven layers, and even significant expenses such as crossing the fire basin and performing rituals have been undertaken.

The villagers are quite simple and honest, with several men exchanging words back and forth, each one demonstrating a strong sense of loyalty. Naturally, the others have no objections, as they are all from the same village, and they see each other frequently. In such matters, everyone can understand.

Alas, the Liu family has been living a difficult life these past two years; it would be better to quickly settle this matter and put an end to this lingering concern

My grandfather once said, a big man possesses great wisdom

At that time, Liu Tai was crying uncontrollably, which shows how deep the bond between these two brothers was

However, just as the funeral was prepared and it was about to commence, an incident occurred

Pah, what am I thinking?

This is quite absurd; the filial son did not see anything but a coffin, which is highly illogical

Indeed, the coffin is only to be kept for one day, and the spirit will be summoned tomorrow morning; this is truly too hasty

The old village chief pulled open the wine box at his feet and placed it on the table one by one with my grandfather.

I still remember that at that time, the Liu family was originally poor, yet Liu Tai resolutely sold three dan of rice from his own household to arrange the funeral for Liu Quan

Indeed, how is it so fast

Throughout the entire process, it was the old village chief and my grandfather who were busy, while Liu Tai and his wife remained absent, which inevitably made me feel puzzled again

How could others not know about the trade of mountain goods running into the town

What I mean is, that old Liu might not come back to cause trouble like Liu Quan, right

It is estimated that, otherwise why would the old Liu family only stop the coffin for one day? It is likely due to concerns about further issues arising

In fact, regardless of the era, whether in the past or present, wealthy individuals always speak with confidence. When this person suddenly asked such a question, others also sensed something was amiss. When there is a death in the family, how can there be a filial child who is not present?

Everyone knows that Liu Tai's wife is a miser; how could she possibly miss out on receiving gifts?

Haven't you heard? The year before last, when Liu Quan died, there were reports of hauntings in the Liu family

The one calling out is the village head of our village, who is a relative of Liu Laoye, sharing the same surname Liu. His name is Liu Naisheng, and he is older than my grandfather. We affectionately refer to him as the old village head

Amidst the murmurs of discussion, the old village chief Liu Naisheng waved his hand and sighed, saying: "Indeed! I must say something that perhaps I shouldn't. That scoundrel Liu Quan wasted a lot of money while he was alive. Just look at our village now; whose house isn't made of bricks and tiles? Only the Liu family still has mud walls. Although life has improved somewhat over the past two years, it is still quite tight. And now, encountering such distressing matters, anyone would feel uncomfortable. Our village's life is gradually getting better, and as fellow villagers, we should lend a hand and help each other out. Life has improved somewhat over the past two years, but it is still quite tight. And now, encountering such distressing matters, anyone would feel uncomfortable. Our village's life is gradually getting better, and as fellow villagers, we should lend a hand and help each other out. Alright, everyone, let's stop discussing this. This matter is settled. After this meal tonight, everyone should rise early tomorrow to go up the mountain. Old Ou has calculated that five-thirty tomorrow morning is an auspicious time, so I kindly ask everyone to come and lend a hand then.

His hoarse voice, tinged with a sense of weariness, was unmistakable: "Ladies and gentlemen, today Old Liu has passed away, as you all have seen. The purpose of gathering you here today is to assist the Liu family in handling the arrangements for the deceased. I have discussed this with the Liu family head and Old Ou, and we will be hosting a dinner for everyone tonight, with the funeral procession to the mountain scheduled for tomorrow morning"

Alright, let's get started. Today, I, Old Liu, have prepared a whole box of Red Star Erguotou for everyone. Make sure you all eat and drink to your heart's content

Liu Dazhuang is a man who lives up to his name; he is robust and sturdy, tall and imposing, with a somewhat simple-minded appearance

Liu Dazhuang is indeed a person of great wisdom; in certain details, he is even more meticulous than a woman.

Where can I go to see? It seems that his wife is not here either

Hello, Old Ou, where is that guy Liu Tai? We are all ready to start the banquet, yet we haven't seen him. Who is this gift for? Where has his wife gone? As I look around, there is only a coffin in the main room, and not a single person is present. This is not right

Rest assured, I will definitely come tomorrow morning

As I was preparing to put away the ladder, I heard a shout from the yard across the way, and I immediately crouched down and listened intently.

Everyone began to harbor doubts in their hearts, and whispers of discussion started to arise.

In principle, such matters should be handled by a filial son himself; what kind of situation is it to have two old men serving guests outside?

As soon as these people spoke, I immediately recalled that two years ago, when Liu Quan passed away, his elder brother Liu Tai held a funeral for him despite the strong opposition from Liu Laoye.

Moreover, Liu Dazhuang's question was quite insightful, as he noticed something amiss and directly addressed it with the matter of the monetary gift

However, such a strange situation has arisen now; the host is not at home, yet two outsiders are assisting with the funeral arrangements. How can this not raise suspicions

Liu Tai said, Liu Quan is my biological younger brother. Regardless of any wrongdoings he may have committed during his lifetime, now that he has passed away, everything is over. Even if it means selling everything I own, I must send him off properly

As soon as the old village chief finished speaking, a wave of astonishment erupted.

It is easy to say, the old village chief has spoken, how can we not lend a hand