Chapter 0008: The Liu Family's Funeral

I hurried over, and my mother pulled me aside, shoving the keys into my hand, saying: "Mom has prepared a meal for you, it's warming in the pot, you go eat. Your Uncle Liu has come, their family is overwhelmed, and Mom is here to help out."

At that moment, I heard someone calling me: "Xiao Ning"

My mother pulled me aside and said: "Child, don't look around aimlessly. Your grandfather is going to take charge. You should go back and have your meal first, then hurry to do your homework, and after that, go to sleep. Don't come out unless you have something to do."

According to my grandfather, all of this is done for the living, meant to showcase the filial piety of sons and daughters and their respect for their parents. In my view, it is a joke; when they were alive, there was no proper respect shown, yet after their death, it becomes a waste of money and a grand affair. Is this meant to flaunt your wealth or to display your filial piety

I turned my head, and it was actually my mother

Of course, I do not know whether this is true or not, but I do know that the wealthier families tend to be more fussy, while those with less money are more straightforward. They simply find a few wooden boards to make a coffin for the body, without adhering to so many formalities, and just hire a mediocre Taoist priest to lead the way and consider it done

Wealthy families tend to have more elaborate practices; the deceased must first be bathed and then laid on a door plank for several hours, waiting until the gentleman arrives before they can be placed in the coffin

As the days gradually improved, the sudden death of Old Liu was truly a further blow.

Although our home and Old Liu's home are separated by only a wall, our wall is nearly 2 meters high and theirs is just over 1 meter high, so from the top of our wall, the situation in their yard is clearly visible.

According to our customs, after a person passes away, relatives must be notified, the body must be placed in a coffin, and a Taoist priest should be invited to perform the rites

That being said, none of us have ever seen a zombie. Every time I ask about zombies, my grandfather refuses to discuss the matter with me. I believe he must have seen one.

The second son is the one who died last night, named Liu Quan, who is younger than the eldest, Liu Taiqi, by eight years.

That being said, I still could not focus on my classes throughout the day, as my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of going back to see how things were at Liu Laoye's house

Nobita also did not attend a proper class for a day, and the aura of mischief surrounding him directly led to him becoming the laughingstock of the class, to the extent that even the teacher frowned and looked around during the lesson

Liu Quan has suffered from a heart condition since childhood, and being the youngest, he has been deeply cherished by the elders, which has led to the development of a spoiled disposition from an early age

The term "Master" refers to a Yin-Yang Master, as it was commonly called by the older generation. Nowadays, the term "Master" has become too broad in its usage, so most have changed to calling them "Magicians".

After school, my purpose was almost the same as his; he wanted to go to my house to avoid the imaginary Liu Laojie, while I was going back to see how my grandfather was doing

Every child in the class, except for me, does not look at him with strange eyes. His female classmate, who is quite cute, directly covered her nose and gave him more than half of the desk, without even needing to draw a dividing line.

This hundred-family gray also has the benefit of securing the corpse, preventing any misalignment of the body during the lifting of the coffin

I hurriedly closed the main door, tossed my backpack aside, pulled the ladder over from the yard, and climbed up against the wall using the ladder.

Coward

This family is not from elsewhere; it is indeed the Gan Yunshan family. At this moment, Gan Chengxiong, that coward, surprisingly follows his father in a proper manner, walking respectfully to the mourning hall to pay respects to Old Master Liu.

The ashes from a hundred households refer to the ashes from the stove, which a filial son must collect by visiting a hundred families, and then have the teacher sprinkle them in circles into the coffin

Where has all this gone

It is rumored that after a person dies and crosses the Naihe Bridge, they will be interrogated by the ghostly officials. Those who have committed wrongdoings in the mortal realm will suffer the torment of being flayed. The ghostly officials will ensure that the flaying continues until the flesh is bloodied, which is why it is necessary to wear seven layers of funeral garments, with a red base.

Grandfather

This is how Liu Quan developed a habit of being lazy and indulgent. As he grew up, he engaged in all sorts of vices, including drinking, gambling, and womanizing, ultimately ruining a once prosperous family to the point of leaving nothing behind.

It turns out my mother has been waiting for me here all along, how long will she have to wait? I can't help but feel a warmth in my heart

Liu Laoye has two sons. The elder son is named Liu Tai, who is an honest farmer. He married a wife known for her stinginess from the neighboring village, named Xie Meizhi. I usually call her Aunt Meizhi.

I stood at the entrance of Liu Laoye's house and glanced inside, only to see a crowd of people in the courtyard, and I could not find my grandfather anywhere.

This bastard, didn't we agree that he would come to stay with me tonight? Now he has left me alone at home, has he gone to have a free meal?

One must eat well before working, especially in the case of such a funeral, where one cannot exert oneself casually

In a flash, I arrived at my doorstep and saw two large white flowers hanging on the gate of Liu Laoye's house. The courtyard was wide open, and many people were bustling about both inside and outside.

However, my grandfather insists on being addressed as 'Sir', stating that it is an old tradition that should not be changed

However, Liu Tai still prepared mourning clothes for Liu Laoye

I held onto the two yuan, smiling as I said, "Thank you, Mom"

I rushed home first and found the front door tightly locked. Not only was my grandfather not at home, but my mother was also absent.

I said a word to him, then turned and ran away

On the day of his partner's funeral, the old man cheerfully said to the old lady's tombstone and the gathering, "You are fortunate, even in death, you have such a grand affair. I wish that when my time comes, I could have such a send-off too"

Of course, this is merely my conjecture

I nodded slightly and turned to walk back. At that moment, my mother called out to me again and handed me two yuan, saying: "Mom might not be able to make breakfast tomorrow morning, so you can buy something to eat yourself"

Now that we are at the doorstep, I can hardly be bothered to care about him

The two children hurriedly got on the bus, their hearts racing with eagerness to return home, and after getting off, they headed straight to my house

When he reached the entrance of the village, Nobita stopped in his tracks, lowering his head in silence

This is not acceptable, I also need to go down and take a look. My grandfather and mother are over there helping out. At night, I sleep alone, and I am scared too

Well, go ahead!

I turned around in a hurry and asked, "What’s wrong with you again? Why aren’t you leaving?"

I have witnessed these matters several times since I was young, so I am naturally very familiar with them

From the outside, their home seems quite lively, but from my perspective, there are not many people.

Hearing that grandfather is fine, I am also relieved

She is standing at the entrance of Liu Laoye's house, waving at me

This filial garment also has its significance; it must consist of seven layers, with the innermost layer being a red garment as the base, while the outer six layers of the funeral attire should be in gray, brown, and black.

Liu Laolao was also so infuriated by this matter that she collapsed onto the bed, and not long after, she passed away

Then, during the funeral, there must be a Taoist priest leading the way while scattering paper money, followed by the filial sons and daughters mourning, those supporting the coffin, those carrying the coffin, and those digging the grave, totaling more than ten people.

However, regardless of the circumstances, it is always better to have done something than to have done nothing. Although the person has passed away, their spirit remains. At the very least, after their death, they are aware that their children have conducted such a grand ceremony, which can be considered a source of satisfaction.

If the corpse water is not absorbed but instead remains within the body, then it becomes a zombie

The old man lived for over ninety years, always longing for death, yet he did not die. He continued to live, watching his children grow old and pass away, leaving him as a lonely elder. He never had the grand funeral he desired. Now, he can only lament his own lack of fortune, wishing he had taken poison earlier instead.

However, I must admire Nobita's thick skin; this guy acts as if nothing is happening, sitting there with an air of calmness. He doesn't go out to play after class, and during class, he just shrinks back in his seat, only dragging me out when school is over.

I saw my mother waiting for me to open the door before she turned and walked into Old Liu's house

In our village, there is an old man who lived for over ninety years. When his spouse passed away, their children were all by their side, but they hired more than ten masters to conduct an elaborate ceremony that lasted for over ten days

Mom, where is my grandfather

The debt collectors found their way to the Liu family home and thoroughly searched both the inside and outside. The Liu family was so impoverished that even the mice would shed tears at the sight.

I wish to maintain a certain distance from him to ensure my own integrity, but this fellow clings to my arm like a stubborn pest, refusing to let go no matter what.

What people care about is not how well one lives in life, but whether their children will handle the arrangements lavishly after their death

Daxiong hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: "Old Liu lives next door to your house, I, I am afraid..."

This process is extremely cumbersome, yet indispensable, as it is used to absorb the moisture from corpses. Many ancient tombs utilized lime to construct walls, which follows the same principle

Digressing, the old man Liu has passed away, and it seems there are no preparations for an extravagant funeral. Instead, he simply asked friends from the village to help with the arrangements. That afternoon, a banquet was held, with about five or six tables set up, and the guests were all those from the village who came to assist.

The only Taoist in She Mountain Village is my grandfather. Liu Laoye died in the courtyard, and according to the rules, my grandfather must guide Liu Laoye's spirit in the yard.

Fortunately, Liu Jia's frugal daughter-in-law, Aunt Mei Zhi, knows how to manage the household, and the eldest son, Liu Tai, is diligent and hardworking. With the support of the neighbors around them, they have managed to regain some vitality over the past two years

Although Liu Tai is a filial son, the Liu family is indeed too poor to afford such a grand ceremony. My grandfather, I believe, was also doing it out of consideration for the neighbors, contributing his labor voluntarily, and afterward receiving ten or eight yuan as a formality.

Two years ago, this young man reportedly gambled heavily outside, losing all his family's savings in a single hand of cards, and subsequently died of a heart attack.

The coffin is to be kept at home for three to seven days, but from the looks of these people, it seems they do not intend to keep it for that long

Until now, the Liu family has not been able to build a decent house

Consider the poverty in the countryside; the so-called pampering merely means that he is allowed to choose the best food and drink first, with the leftovers going to his parents and siblings.

I can see the devout expression on his face as he bows down; I estimate that this fellow is currently praying that Liu Laoye does not come to him to buy tofu pudding tonight, otherwise, why would he be trembling so incessantly

Lime can absorb moisture from the outside as well as the moisture from within, and it becomes increasingly solid as it absorbs more

One by one, these people brought their wives and children to eat free meals. As I watched the number of people in the yard increase, I nearly fell off the ladder when the last family walked in

The process of placing someone in a coffin is relatively intricate, and it is customary to sprinkle ashes from various families at the bottom of the coffin

In the surrounding villages, whenever a wealthy family experiences a bereavement, they generally invite my grandfather first. Those with a bit of money will set up large silk lanterns and invite ten or eight scholars to properly chant incantations for several days.