Chu Fang got up after only a few hours of sleep. It was still dark, and the weather seemed to be foggy.
He and Chu's father discussed today's procedures.
"Hmph..." When Chu's mother saw Zhong Tingyue, her future daughter-in-law, she snorted coldly and turned her head away.
Chu's father smiled apologetically: "You should sleep a little longer."
"She's already awake." Zhong Tingyue smiled.
After breakfast, Chu Fang and Zhong Tingyue went to the city to buy various supplies. Chu Fang originally planned to go alone, but then he thought that Zhong Tingyue didn't know anyone and it would be a little awkward to stay there alone, so he pulled her along.
We arrived in the city shortly afterward and went to a star-rated hotel to discuss business with the hotel manager.
“Um…” the hotel manager hesitated for a moment, “I’m sorry, we don’t cater to rural banquets.”
The so-called "Ba Ba Yan" is a traditional banquet in Chengdu, also known as "Liu Shui Xi" (flowing banquet). It is suitable for weddings and funerals, where relatives and friends gather together, and is very popular among locals.
Are you sure you've come to the right place? Dude, this is a five-star hotel, catering to elites, where a meal costs several tens of millions. And you want me to host a 'baba banquet'?
The hotel manager had endless complaints in his mind.
But in order to maintain an image, one must keep smiling.
I'm so annoyed!
"Add more money."
"It's not about the money," the hotel manager said.
By hosting banquets in public areas, the prestige of a five-star hotel is lost, and it appears quite low-class.
"Add fifty percent."
"No, it's not."
"Double it."
"We have principles."
"double."
"Deal!" The hotel manager bowed slightly. "We are dedicated to serving you."
Chu Fang and Zhong Tingyue then left.
"Manager, look at yourself just now, you were practically begging for their lives!" a waiter teased, mimicking the hotel manager's tone, "We have principles..."
"You think I'm after money? No! I was moved by that customer's filial piety." The hotel manager glanced at him sideways. "Hey, don't just stand there. Quickly gather the hotel staff, bring your pots and pans, I'll take you to make some money."
... ...
After leaving the hotel, the two went to a shop specializing in funeral and memorial supplies and bought flower baskets, wreaths, paper money, incense and candles, and mostly ghost money, with so many zeros that it was almost impossible to count them all.
Before he set off, Chu's mother specifically instructed him to buy a lot of ghost money so that his grandfather wouldn't be short of money in the afterlife.
"You said..." Zhong Tingyue asked, "With so much ghost money being printed at the top, won't there be inflation at the bottom?"
"Probably not."
"Why?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Fang stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and replied, "Generally speaking, only those who have died in the last hundred years have descendants who burn paper money for them, while those who died much earlier do not receive any paper money for the dead. Therefore, a monetary balance is formed in the underworld."
No, I was just asking jokingly. Are you really going to answer?
Zhong Tingyue wanted to pry open Chu Fang's head to see what he was thinking.
Is this a question a living person would think about?
“So by that logic, Qu Yuan should be the richest man in the underworld!” Chu Fang said seriously.
“... ..."
"Your mind is truly novel..." Zhong Tingyue pursed her lips.
The van was filled with funeral supplies. Chu Fang then bought a whole box of "Huazi" and "Maozi". After buying them, the two went home immediately.
When he got home, it was just dawn. The chef of the star-rated hotel was already busy at work, while many people had already come to his house, including relatives, friends, and neighbors. They all greeted him when they saw him.
"Xiao Fang is back."
"He's become much more handsome."
“... ..."
Chu Fang greeted everyone with a smile and introduced Zhong Tingyue generously. Everyone had already seen the latter, but only realized she was his girlfriend after the introduction, and they greeted her in a friendly manner.
Zhong Tingyue greeted everyone in turn, and instead of being aloof like she would with strangers, she communicated in a friendly and approachable manner, appearing poised and very polite.
"Tsk, Fang's girlfriend is great, she's poised and confident, not shy at all."
"Nonsense! He owns a company, he's a big boss, he's seen a lot of things, why would he be afraid of a few farmers like you?"
"How did you find Xiao Fang? Find one for my child."
"First, you need to have money."
"Never mind then..."
Everyone burst into laughter.
What are you laughing at?!
My child is useless, so do you think your children are so great?
Compared to Chu, it's like heaven and earth.
The group calculated the cost of the funeral. Just the star-rated hotel alone cost at least a million. And that was just one item. Other aspects were also priced to the maximum, with only the most expensive items being purchased.
Everyone was at a loss for what to do.
Your funeral cost so much money, how much should we give as a 'gift'?
A few hundred dollars?
It's not presentable.
Several thousand dollars?
That would kill me!
Qi Guan walked over to Chu Fang and handed him the gift money, but Chu Fang refused, saying, "Forget it, we're all neighbors, relatives and friends, there's no need for that. Let's just treat it as a get-together."
Chu Fang had no intention of accepting any "gift money." He didn't need that kind of money; the presence of guests was the best way to show respect to his "grandfather."
In this busy era, people rarely go to great lengths for a meal, and those who do attend are truly thoughtful.
“This is against the rules,” Qi Guan said.
Chu Fang thought for a moment. They had a custom of accepting gifts in their area, not for money, but as a sign of respect for the deceased. So he didn't insist and said, "Okay, I'll accept it."
Then he immediately said to the guests, "You are all elders, and I am a junior. I still have to say that I will not accept gifts that exceed one hundred yuan."
After settling the matter of giving gifts, Chu Fang arranged an important position for Zhong Tingyue.
The Minister of Rites, who was in charge of registering the gifts given by the guests, could become familiar with the family connections in Chu and have some impression of them.
At first, Zhong Tingyue thought the job was quite easy, but as time went by, she realized... it wasn't easy at all.
The town was mostly inhabited by elderly people who spoke with a thick Sichuan accent, which she couldn't understand at all. She almost wrote someone's name as "Fu" instead of "Hu"...
Fortunately, Qi Guan's wife, Bai Xiangping, was there to "translate," preventing a comical situation from arising.
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