Chapter 2, Dust to dust, earth to earth

Yang Ersheng hurriedly nodded vigorously, and it was hard to tell that he was particularly sad. However, Yang Chuanming beside him looked as if he had been crying. As I was lost in thought, I heard Yang Ersheng whisper: "Second Uncle, don't worry. You have everything prepared as you instructed: copper coins, flow ropes, sealing money, and a few of the things my mother loved most in her lifetime"

It seems that all the talk revolves around the fear of corpses coming back to life. I can't quite understand what Uncle Er is thinking, as if he has truly encountered a resurrected corpse. I secretly spat in disdain and whispered, "Uncle Er, what you are saying sounds almost like a true story. Could it be that you have actually seen a corpse come back to life?"

Seeing me still standing there, Second Uncle let out a sound and handed over a copper coin: "Don't just stand there in a daze, hurry up and help me out. With these old arms and legs of mine, can't you show a little understanding? Quickly, set the other one up properly."

Uncle Er smiled, gently shook his head, and reached out to cover his feet with a white cloth: "Fool, when have I ever seen a corpse come back to life? This is all just the old generation's superstition, merely a precaution. However, I did hear an old man say that when he was in this line of work, he indeed saw a corpse come back to life. The body jumped up and chased after a living person, eventually cornering that person against a large tree, and it even managed to break the tree, which was as thick as a person's waist, with its embrace. Tsk tsk—"

Not long after, the two sons of Old Yang hurried over. Yang Ersheng is the eldest, and Yang Chuanming is the younger. Both were dressed in mourning clothes, which were essentially made of white cloth, tied around their waists with white fabric. However, it is said that there are specific customs regarding this tying method; sons and grandsons are treated differently, and of course, the eldest son is also different from other sons, though I could not discern the differences. They wore mourning hats on their heads, and the cuffs of their trousers were also tied with white cloth strips. Yang Ersheng was carrying a bag of items, while Yang Chuanming held a bundle of joss paper.

There is nothing left in the bag, and Second Uncle tossed it aside, letting out a soft sigh. He reached out to gently touch the old lady's eyes, murmuring softly: "The bridge leads to the bridge, the road leads to the road. Life is short, and death is the true release. Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth. Dear elder sister, may you journey well. Let the living remember the matters of the living, and do not worry any longer."

I do not know whether it is true or false; in any case, I will just treat it as a story. Following the second uncle, I walked to the old lady's side. Looking at her terrifying face, I felt a bit uneasy, but I was not afraid to any great extent. I just did not know what the second uncle was going to do next. To be honest, the old lady died a tragic death. Even after restoration, her head was still somewhat deformed, and her eyes remained wide open, refusing to close. It must be the legendary state of dying with one's eyes open. However, for some reason, I seemed to vaguely see what looked like a flame burning in the old lady's eyes.

These items are placed here to ensure that the elderly lady departs without any lingering attachments, to prevent her from returning home with any burdens after death. The living cannot bear such things, so her most cherished belongings are placed beside her, to be cremated together at the time, completely severing any lingering thoughts. This is a custom from my hometown, and I understand it.

Uncle Er gave me a mysterious smile, glanced at the Yang brothers kneeling in front of the spirit bed burning paper, and then leaned closer to me, whispering: "This question is not something to be asked casually. Do you know what the dead fear the most? Let me tell you, it is the fear of resurrection. If a corpse were to rise, it would have to prop itself up with its hands, so the palms must face upwards. In this way, the corpse would be unable to prop itself up like a book."

Uncle Er was tired, so he brewed a cup of tea and sat on a nearby chair, closing his eyes to rest. After all, he was an elderly man. Meanwhile, Brother Zhuzi and Fat Dog were chatting with me about the situation outside the mountains, their words tinged with a hint of envy. With their constant chatter, the atmosphere didn't feel dull at all; in fact, I felt much braver, perhaps due to having had a bit to drink.

As he spoke, Yang Ersheng handed the bag to my second uncle. My second uncle took it, opened it, and smiled in satisfaction. It must be said that Yang Ersheng is quite efficient in his work, so he did not say much more and waved at me: "Haizi, come here. Today I will teach you some old family rules. In the future, when I pass away, I will be counting on you."

Upon seeing that both of Old Yang's sons had arrived, Second Uncle opened his eyes, glanced at the bag in Yang Ersheng's hand, and said in a deep voice: "Ersheng, have you prepared the items I asked you to get ready? Not a single one of these items can be missing."

Uncle Er has no children or daughters, so naturally, I bear the responsibility for his care in his old age. However, when it came to facing that terrifying corpse, I was reluctantly pushed by Fat Dog and found myself beside Uncle Er. I could still hear Fat Dog and Brother Zhu laughing behind me; these two knew I was afraid of dead people, which is why they did this. They shamelessly called it a way to build my courage. Damn it, why don’t they come over to build their own courage? It’s not like they are any braver than I am.

This is quite novel; I have indeed never heard of it. I only know about hush money because when my grandfather passed away, I personally witnessed my second uncle putting it into the hush money. I was still young at that time, and although I remember how to address him, I cannot recall the specifics. When I think of my grandfather, I find it somewhat strange. I tugged at my second uncle's arm and softly said, "Second Uncle, I remember when my grandparents passed away, they didn't turn their hands over, nor did they tie their feet, did they?" However, I cannot recall the specifics.

Seeing that I had finished, the second uncle nodded in satisfaction, walked to the old lady's feet, and then lifted the white cloth, revealing her feet. It is well known that female corpses typically wear old-fashioned embroidered shoes after death, and women's feet are generally small. However, I did not understand what the second uncle was examining about the old lady's feet, nor what special custom this might be.

Sighing and with a mournful expression, I helplessly walked to the other side of the old lady. Taking a deep breath, I mustered my courage to grasp her hand and turned it forcefully upwards, palm facing up. At that moment, I realized that the hands of the deceased are indeed very cold and stiff, making it quite laborious to turn them over. No wonder Uncle Er was exerting himself so much earlier; it wasn't just for show for the family of the deceased. I don't blame Uncle Er for pulling me into this; at his age, such tasks are indeed physically demanding. However, I just couldn't understand why it was necessary to have the deceased's hand facing up. Couldn't we just place the coins directly inside? As I pondered this question, I blurted out, "Uncle Er, why must we struggle to turn the hand over, palm facing up? Can't we just put the money in directly?"

The mountain village of my hometown is actually built on the hillside, where there is a relatively flat open area. Thus, over one hundred households have gathered here to form the village. If a person were to roll down from the mountain, it would be impossible to leave behind an intact body. The old Yang family is indeed located at the very edge of the village, and just beyond their courtyard wall is a steep slope. It is estimated that the old lady must have fallen from that very spot.

As the words fell, the second uncle's expression changed slightly. He secretly glanced at the Yang brothers who were still burning paper, and then lowered his voice to say: "What nonsense are you talking about? Your grandfather and grandmother both passed away peacefully, so there is naturally no need for such things. Look at Old Lady Yang; she died an unnatural death. When I arrived, it was a bloody mess. The eldest son of the Yang family said that the old lady rolled down the mountain and smashed her head against a rock, leaving it crushed. Didn't you see that her eyes were wide open in death? Doing these things is merely a precaution; only those who die an unnatural death would rise from the grave."

Uncle Er took out a red string from his bag, threaded it through the shoelaces of each foot, and then tied a knot tightly, securing it. He then said to me: "This red string is called the 'Fulu String', and it is used to bind the feet of the dead, to prevent them from rising as zombies. When they do rise, they run using their feet, and they are very fast; few can escape from beneath the feet of a corpse. Therefore, as long as the Fulu String is tied, even if they rise, they won't be able to run, only able to hop, which significantly slows them down, giving people a chance to escape."

I raised my eyebrows, looking unconvinced. So many people have died, yet I have never seen a corpse rise again. Uncle Er is trying to scare me again. Since childhood, I have heard countless ghost stories from him, but despite all that, I have never encountered a single one. However, this is not the time to argue with Uncle Er, so I laboriously turned the old lady's palm upward and then placed a copper coin into her hand, struggling to close all her fingers to prevent the coin from falling out.

Second Uncle took a copper coin from his bag and weighed it in his hand. Then, he suddenly pressed hard on the old lady's ear. The old lady immediately opened her mouth wide, and I vaguely saw a wisp of white vapor escaping from her lips. However, when I blinked and looked again, there was nothing there. Taking advantage of the moment when the old lady had her mouth open, Second Uncle quickly placed the copper coin inside her mouth and helped her close it. He turned to look at me, and before he could speak, I preemptively said: "I understand this; it’s the legendary money to seal the mouth of the dead."

Nodding slightly, the second uncle smiled: "You rascal, this hush money is not what you think it is; it is not a bribe for the dead. Rather, it is meant to block the yang energy of the living from clashing with the yin energy of the deceased. Therefore, copper coins are used to separate the yin from the yang. Just now, you saw that white mist, didn't you? That was the last breath of yang energy exhaled by the deceased."

Looking at the old lady's wide-open eyes and somewhat deformed head, I remained silent. Together with Uncle Er, we placed beside her the things she cherished most in life: a pear wood comb, a jade bracelet from her dowry, a wooden jewelry box wrapped in copper, and a mirror. These were the only possessions the old lady had in her lifetime, indicating that her life was likely not very prosperous; otherwise, she would not have been left with so few decent items. Fortunately, she had her dowry; otherwise, she would truly have been left with nothing.

Without saying that I am overthinking, Second Uncle has already begun to handle the corpse. He laboriously turned the old lady's hand over, palm facing up, then placed a copper coin in it, and closed the hand again. He then said in a deep voice: "Haizi, placing money in the hand has its significance. As the saying goes, money can make the devil push the mill; this is the fare for the dead. To prevent the deceased from being bullied by little ghosts on the road to the underworld, one must place fare money in their hand, to ensure peace on the journey to the underworld, and to facilitate an early reincarnation. Even in the Hall of Yama, it will lessen their suffering."