Chapter 1, Funeral Home

After sitting for a while, the driver became much calmer. Hearing the shopkeeper say this, he took out the 50 yuan note again to examine it. This time, before he brought the money close to his face, he already noticed that it was a ghost money note. The driver quickly turned the note over and over to inspect it, and indeed it was a ghost bill.

At that time, my feeling was not fear; I did not find it terrifying, but rather a very strange sensation, a state of mind that transcended ordinary perception. It was an emotion that surpassed the usual joys, anger, sadness, and happiness, as if I could see through all the phenomena of the world. I do not know why it was this way

The boss was so frightened that he could hardly speak, saying, "It's not a matter of authenticity; what I see are paper offerings, which do not resemble Renminbi at all."

Over the years, Old Snake has gradually learned through various media channels and hearsay that it seems every city has similar bizarre incidents occurring in funeral homes. The plots are largely the same, monotonous. What Old Snake is referring to should be the Yichang version.

The driver turned off the engine and parked by the roadside. He watched as the passenger leisurely walked into the funeral home. He lit a cigarette and began to smoke. The sky had already darkened, and the driver smoked several cigarettes, finishing all the ones he had on him. He estimated that the person had been inside for about an hour, but still had not come out. The driver began to feel a bit anxious and scared; apart from the road they had taken, he could vaguely see a few buildings with faint lights in the distance, while the other directions were shrouded in dark mountains. The driver started to feel a bit flustered.

At the beginning, this young man was quite bold, claiming that he never believed in any ghosts or gods. He said there was nothing to fear from funeral homes or crematoriums.

The driver then felt that something was very wrong and pressed the old doorman, asking whether he really did not see anyone come in

The owner of the small shop said: "Master, don't joke with me. Bringing a piece of waste paper to have fun with me."

The terrifying rumors related to the funeral home, I indeed cannot recall the exact date. Perhaps I was in middle school at that time, or it seems I had already entered high school.

The old man said, "I am of an advanced age, why would I joke with you? The funeral home has long since closed, and if you don't believe me, just go in and see if there are any living people inside"

However, one morning when I was going to work, I saw the milk he was supposed to deliver still piled up at the distribution station. The young man had not yet left and was sitting in the distribution station. I didn't think much of it and assumed he was sick, so I asked him if he was alright

The driver was still very angry and continued to curse, "Damn it, they must have deliberately used counterfeit money to deceive me, knowing it would be so late. I didn't dare to closely examine the authenticity of the money at the entrance of the funeral home. Damn it, these scammers are just everywhere now, they can come up with all sorts of tricks."

There are a few more things to mention about the crematorium. The honey oranges from Yichang are famous, and everyone knows that the best honey oranges come from Yaowan. However, I have heard people say that the delicious honey oranges are actually grown on several hills near the crematorium. When I visited the crematorium, I paid attention to the large chimney and the ash that drifted with the wind to the nearby hills.

The driver took the money back, glanced at it; although he did not examine it closely, he could tell by the feel that the paper was indeed very brittle and did not have the texture of real money. The driver then began to curse, "Damn it, after working hard so late to take a person to the funeral home, feeling anxious all the while, I ended up receiving a counterfeit bill."

Subsequently, this matter spread widely. The entire city was abuzz with the news

Moreover, some versions even claim that the next day, the driver, undeterred, specifically went to the funeral home to take a look, and indeed encountered the person who had given him the paper money for the deceased. However, it was merely a corpse, an unidentified body retrieved from the river, which had been sent to the funeral home by the water police station that very afternoon.

This young man encountered something unusual while delivering

The old man said that he indeed saw the taxi parked at the door for half an hour, but no one came in. He was still puzzled as to why the taxi was lingering at the door so late without leaving

However, for the sake of money, the driver agreed. At that time, there were no formal industry regulations for taxis, and the prices were outrageous. It cost 50 yuan to go from Erma Road to the funeral home. This was a considerable amount at that time

The situation is as follows: it was said that one evening, when the sky was neither fully dark nor light, a taxi driver picked up a passenger on Jiangyang Avenue, Second Road, who wanted to go to the funeral home. The driver was somewhat reluctant, as the location of the funeral home at that time was quite remote. The Dongshan Development Zone had not yet developed, and beyond the Nanyuan Community on Gangjiao Road, there were hardly any people. Apart from a few rural households near the funeral home, there was little human activity.

I also forgot which year it was, it seems to be in the early 1990s. At that time, a rumor was widely circulated in Yichang about a ghostly incident at the funeral home

It seems that funeral homes are indeed frequent sites for strange occurrences, regardless of the city.

Later, both Dong Wei and I, as regional managers, refused to engage in the business of agricultural schools and crematoriums, regardless of how the company leadership tried to persuade us

The driver was still indignant when the owner of the small shop gently asked him, "Can't your son really see the problem with this money?"

The driver said it was not just now, but an hour ago. Moreover, my car has also been parked at the door for about an hour.

"Fake money! Haven't I already figured it out?" The driver was furious.

I knew something must have gone wrong, so I hurriedly asked him

The driver went to Nanyuan to buy cigarettes and paid with the 50 yuan banknote that the previous customer had given him after taking the cigarettes

Initially, he had no thoughts of ghosts, but as soon as that idea emerged, he was immediately frightened. He quickly stopped riding and stood there in a daze for a moment. He turned the bike around and began to ride back. The more he rode, the more afraid he became, pedaling furiously. At that moment, he suddenly felt a chilling numbness on his back, and his entire body went tense. He couldn't help but glance back, and this time he was truly terrified, for he vaguely saw that the woman was indeed following behind his bicycle, and she was facing away from him, merely walking backward. He could even make out her hair. The absence of flashlight illumination indicated that the woman was very close to his bicycle.

I hurriedly asked him why, and he stammered as he explained the reason to me

In recent years, the urban area of Yichang has expanded rapidly. The Nanyuan area has become quite lively, with two large supermarkets having opened. The Jindongshan market is also thriving. The number of nearby residents has gradually increased, leading to a rise in land prices. Therefore, it is reasonable for the funeral home to sell its old land and move further into the mountains, as it does not need to operate in a bustling city center.

He trembled for quite a while and said to me: "Station Master, I am resigning, I quit"

He felt a bit curious about how a woman could be walking in this desolate wilderness at such a late hour. He wanted to ride faster to see what was going on. However, despite increasing his pedaling speed, he could not catch up. He noticed that the woman was not walking quickly, yet she always remained about ten meters away from him, constantly just out of reach of the beam of his flashlight. After a few minutes of pursuit, he suddenly realized that something was amiss

The driver became angry, opened the taxi door, started the engine, and drove towards the funeral home, preparing to confront that fraudster. The owner of the small shop sensed something was amiss and feared that the driver had just encountered something sinister.

I always suspect that he cannot endure hardship and has found an excuse to stop working. However, I find it difficult to say anything. He is usually quite responsible and does not casually skip delivering milk.

Due to the remote location of the funeral home, Bus 6 only reaches Nanyuan at that time, and it stops operating at 6 PM. At such a late hour, there are no buses coming to the funeral home, and there is hardly any business to be found there. The driver simply wanted to earn a few extra dollars. This can also be seen as consideration for the guests, as he was concerned that they would have no transportation back to the city.

This time, the driver was truly frightened. He immediately returned home, his mind in a state of disarray

Upon hearing the driver's words, the owner of the small shop felt a bit frightened and did not dare to say anything

A person in his thirties was arranged to make deliveries. He lived in the area of Yaowan Heihushan, so it was manageable for him, and he had no psychological burden. He performed well and also developed a few clients in the dormitory buildings near the crematorium. However, after six months of deliveries, he fell off his bike while riding down the mountain road and could no longer continue. Thus, another young man was arranged to take over the deliveries.

The job of the two-year-old snake was milk delivery, covering the sales area of Nanyuan and Yaowan. At that time, the agricultural school point business had a decent share, and although the location was remote, it was consistently maintained. This delivery work was quite troublesome, as it had to be done at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning. Just imagine, a person in the dead of night, riding a bicycle into Yaowan, with winding roads, no streetlights at night, mountains and trees on both sides, and having to pass by a funeral home, not far from a crematorium. This delivery work was quite troublesome, as it had to be done at 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning. Just imagine, a person in the dead of night, riding a bicycle into Yaowan, with winding roads, no streetlights at night, mountains and trees on both sides, and having to pass by a funeral home, not far from a crematorium.

In order to walk conveniently at night, the young man specially tied a large flashlight with iron wire to the front basket of his bicycle. He had been riding for two or three months without encountering any strange incidents. I even asked him if he was afraid every night. He replied that he was not afraid at all.

The owner of the small shop sees it clearly as well; the money is illuminated under the light, appearing distinctly, with the image resembling the Jade Emperor, albeit with a rough production quality

"That hair is so long, it hangs all the way down to the waist," the young man said, still in shock.

He said that when his salesperson was delivering milk to the dormitory of the crematorium at night, while walking in the corridor, a bed sheet fell from somewhere and wrapped around his salesperson, who struggled for a long time to get free. The salesperson was so frightened that he wanted to resign upon returning.

The old man was taken aback for a moment before saying, "No one came in just now"

That young man, after finishing his speech, declared that he would rather die than go to the agricultural school to deliver milk. He was resolute in his intention to resign.

Continuing to speak about the funeral home, it relocated again in 2007. It moved further into the Yao Wan area, still nestled within the winding mountains, making it even more secluded than before. The previous site was purchased by a developer who constructed commercial housing. I believe that those familiar with Yichang would not consider buying into this development; at least, I would not.

The guest had already taken several steps towards the entrance of the funeral home. Upon hearing the driver ask him, he did not turn back and simply said, "Then you wait for me."

I have been delivering for over half a year, and I haven't encountered anything particularly unusual. However, there is one evening that left a deep impression on me

I wonder if you still eat oranges

When the taxi arrived at the funeral home, the passenger paid the fare and got out of the car. The driver was puzzled, thinking that this person was quite strange, going to the funeral home at such a late hour, and he didn't appear to be a staff member of the funeral home. The driver thought that since he was already there, he might as well make the most of it and earn a little more money. He then asked the person, "Where are you going? I can take you back."

Upon hearing this, the driver exclaimed, "What? What? I have really embarrassed myself today. They even accept paper money." The driver quickly raised the money, holding it up to the store's light bulb to examine it closely

It was a cold winter day. As I began to deliver near the Zengjiawan community by the funeral home, a thick fog suddenly rolled in, resembling a scene from a horror movie. The fog seemed to rise from the ground, clearly visible as it slowly moved, enveloping one unit after another. Where the fog spread, there was an eerie silence, a heavy stillness. However, in the areas not yet reached by the fog, strong winds blew, lifting the litter and dead leaves high into the air. The fog continued to creep in, unit by unit. Where the fog spread, there was an eerie silence, a heavy stillness. However, in the areas not yet reached by the fog, strong winds blew, lifting the litter and dead leaves high into the air. Yet no matter how strong the wind was, it could not disperse the fog, as if the mist were an incredibly heavy substance.

However, the business at the funeral home has been quite good, and I have never been able to bring myself to give it up. When there are no people to send off, I go to send them off myself

He turned on the flashlight as usual, illuminating the road ahead for more than ten meters, and rode slowly. It seemed he had traveled halfway down that stretch of road when it made a turn. As he rounded the bend, he saw a faint figure illuminated by the flashlight ahead. At first, he did not look closely and rode a bit faster, making the silhouette clearer. It was a woman, dressed in a red outfit (why are all female ghosts in red clothing?), and he could also see that she was wearing high heels, walking with a thud about ten meters in front of him, and it did not seem like she was walking quickly.

The funeral home was initially located in the city, perhaps near the East Gate or the North Gate. However, it relocated in the 1980s. At that time, I was still young, and there were not many deaths in the family, but I vaguely remember from the conversations of the adults that it seemed to be in that location. Later, the funeral home moved to Zhoujiachong, which is directly across from the current location of Shuanghui. It is much closer to the crematorium. The crematorium is situated in Yaowan, on a hillside near Heihushan. However, it also relocated in the 1980s. At that time, I was still young, and there were not many deaths in the family, but I vaguely remember from the conversations of the adults that it seemed to be in that location. Later, the funeral home moved to Zhoujiachong, which is directly across from the current location of Shuanghui. It is much closer to the crematorium. The crematorium is situated in Yaowan, on a hillside near Heihushan.

The owner of the small shop hurriedly grabbed a stool, asked the driver to secure the money first, and then sat down to take a break. The two of them exchanged pleasantries and shared a cigarette. Once the cigarette was finished, the shop owner said to the driver, "Master, could you take that stack of money out for me to have a look at?"

That young man was so frightened that he could hardly catch his breath. He pedaled desperately, riding his bicycle to the entrance of Shuanghui, where there were streetlights. Only then did he dare to look back. At this point, he saw nothing unusual.

However, after a while, Dong Wei also withdrew from the agricultural school business. When I asked him why, he scolded me harshly, saying that I was very cunning and that he knew I had ulterior motives in sharing such a lucrative opportunity with him

The driver drove straight to the funeral home, walked directly inside, found the old man at the reception, and asked if the person who arrived over an hour ago had left.

"Is this a painting of the Renminbi? Although it is counterfeit money, it is still quite realistic," the driver muttered.

He said that at 1 o'clock in the evening, he picked up the milk and rode his bike to deliver it to the agricultural school. After passing the funeral home and Zhoujiacong, he continued along the road into the mountains and saw something strange. That stretch of road is the most remote, with mountains on one side and farmland on the other, and there are hardly any houses.

After all, a person staying outside the funeral home so late, in a place where there are no villages in front and no shops behind, made the driver even more anxious. After waiting for more than 10 minutes, the driver decided not to earn this little money. He didn't care how the passenger would return to the city. He planned to finish work and go home, driving along the Gangyao Road towards the city. When he reached Nanyuan, which is now the area opposite Huijin Supermarket, there were finally residents. At that time, Nanyuan was the most densely populated area in the development zone, with already thousands of residents, but it was still not considered lively. The residents usually did their shopping in the city, and at night, everyone stayed indoors. He planned to finish work and go home, driving along the Gangyao Road towards the city. When he reached Nanyuan, which is now the area opposite Huijin Supermarket, there were finally residents. At that time, Nanyuan was the most densely populated area in the development zone, with already thousands of residents, but it was still not considered lively. The residents usually did their shopping in the city, and at night, everyone stayed indoors. Therefore, there was only one shop in the entire Nanyuan, located by the canal. The Nanyuan community and the 515 staff dormitory were separated by the canal, with a small bridge connecting the two residential areas. That shop was located at the southern end of the bridge, very close to it, and that small shop is still there.

The old doorman asked him what he was doing, and the driver recounted to the old man the incident of being deceived with counterfeit money.

There is no other way; I can only deliver it myself. I am rather lazy and unwilling to take it to the agricultural school and the crematorium. Therefore, I entrusted the business of the agricultural school and the crematorium to my good friend Dong Wei. At that time, Dong Wei's area was very close to mine, and he had salespeople who rode motorcycles, so he took over the business.