Grandpa Sheng Guangyao passed away on the morning of the third day of the second lunar month, which, according to custom, is three days past the due date.

In my hometown, there are many customs associated with the funeral procession, including reporting to the temple, providing three meals a day, distributing travel expenses, and so on.

Fortunately, many people from the village came to help, and with their efficient arrangements, everything proceeded smoothly.

On the morning of the fifth day of the second lunar month, which is the third day of the mourning period, after offering soup and water at the local temple, the coffin was to be carried out for the funeral.

The red pine coffin, measuring six inches in the top, five inches in the sides, and four inches in the bottom, had already been painted red and decorated with patterns such as the Southern Heavenly Gate, lotus flowers, and auspicious clouds by a specialist.

Sprinkle a layer of lime or wood ash at the bottom of the coffin, then lay a layer of straw.

After everything was prepared, the children and grandchildren carried the quilt and placed the old man's body into the coffin.

Zhang Luo held chopsticks wrapped in cotton, dipped them in wine, and chanted incantations as if to consecrate the deceased.

Sheng Lianyi, as the eldest son, stood next to Zhang Luo. Zhang Luo would read a sentence, and Sheng Lianyi would repeat it after him.

Finally, after tidying up the bedding, clothes, and other items, Zhang invited the Sheng family members to come forward and take one last look at the elderly man.

The members of the Sheng family, according to seniority and age, circled the coffin once, as a final farewell to the old man.

Grandpa Sheng Guangyao lay in the coffin, his appearance unchanged, with a smile on his face, showing no trace of fear or dread.

As everyone circled the coffin, they gave instructions and reminders: no tears should fall into the coffin, and no one should reach out their hands, lest the deceased rest in peace.

After the relatives bid farewell, the coffin lid was closed, and the entire Sheng family knelt down, their cries of sorrow echoing through the heavens.

Zhang Luo took out seven nails, and Sheng Lianyi, holding a hammer, hammered them in one by one as Zhang Luo pointed.

The Sheng family members knelt on the ground, some calling out "Father" and others "Grandpa," shouting, "Get out of the nails!"

Helpers came forward and removed the incense table, curtains, and other items. Then, strong pallbearers came forward and carried the coffin out of the courtyard.

Sheng Lianyi carried the mourning basin and walked in front. After leaving the Sheng family gate, Sheng Lianyi led the way, and everyone knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.

Sheng Lianyi raised the mourning basin high above his head and smashed it to pieces.

The hired musicians immediately began playing funeral music, and the pallbearers lifted the coffin and carried it out. The Sheng family members then got up.

Then the eldest son carried the banner, the eldest grandson held the memorial tablet, the son-in-law scattered paper money, and the male members followed closely behind, heading up the mountain to the Sheng family's ancestral graves.

The women did not go up the mountain; they were escorted to the foot of the mountain and then walked back in a circle.

At this moment, the person who had been hired in advance to clean the kang (a heated brick bed), an elderly man from the village, took a new broom with red rope and money tied to it and thoroughly cleaned the kang where Sheng Guangyao had slept.

Then they took apart the pillow that Sheng Guangyao was sleeping on, filled a winnowing basket with the chaff inside, and burned it along with the paper money at the crossroads.

The women all took off their mourning sashes from their waists, burned them over the fire, and then went into the courtyard to sit for a while.

Next, a banquet was prepared to entertain the guests who had helped and those who had come to offer their condolences.

Sheng Xiping and his group followed him up the mountain and buried Grandpa Sheng Guangyao in the Sheng family ancestral cemetery. They didn't come down the mountain until almost noon and returned home.

Before entering the gate, the funeral procession ate a piece of tofu and washed their hands in a basin of water at the entrance before entering the courtyard.

In order to prepare for the funeral, the Sheng family specially bought a pig from another family in the village and slaughtered it.

The cook in the village, who specializes in preparing large banquets for weddings and funerals, was busy cooking and preparing dishes next door, leading his helpers, wives and mothers-in-law.

At this time, several tables and chairs were set up in the Sheng family's courtyard, and food was already laid out on the tables.

He made a great fuss, inviting all his relatives and friends to take their seats, and the filial son stepped forward to thank them.

Afterwards, the relatives and friends who had helped with the work ate a little food, said a few words to comfort the Sheng family, and then left.

After the guests had all left, the five Sheng brothers sat together, and the person in charge of the gift accounts reported the relevant accounts clearly.

In these days, people rarely give money when paying respects at funerals; they usually give a few bundles of paper money or a few feet of white or black cloth.

Paper is usually kept for three years to be burned, and for funeral banners, etc., it is usually divided among several families.

These are all manageable; the main issues are funeral expenses and how to handle the belongings left behind by the elderly.

In many families, the funeral for an elderly person is held in the morning, and by the afternoon, the siblings are fighting over the unfair division of the inheritance.

Of the five Sheng brothers, only the eldest lived with his parents; the others lived elsewhere, especially Sheng Liancheng, who lived in the Northeast and could not return home for several years at a time.

Sheng Liancheng felt guilty for not being able to fulfill his filial duty in the family hall, so he offered to contribute more to the funeral expenses.

As for what the old woman left behind, he didn't want a single penny. After all, there was still the Sheng Han family, and the old lady still needed to be cared for.

Upon hearing this, the third, fourth, and fifth brothers all agreed that they would cover the funeral expenses, and the eldest brother wouldn't need to contribute any money.

The brothers were polite to each other, yielding to one another, and never argued or quarreled, so they didn't cause any trouble.

Sheng Han's younger brother, who was also Sheng Liancheng's uncle, was a very old man who sat to the side listening to the brothers do their accounting.

Finally, the old man let out a sigh of relief, "Alright, let's do as they say."

Eldest son, you've had a hard time taking care of our parents all these years, so you don't need to pay for it. The rest of them can share the cost.

Your mother is getting old; you two will have to put in a lot of effort to take care of her in her old age.

As the saying goes, "a mother's love is more important than her brother's," and since Old Master Han is his maternal uncle, his words carry weight.

And so, with the decision made by Old Master Han, the four families of Sheng Liancheng shared the expenses equally.

The funeral was conducted successfully, but no one felt at ease.

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