Chapter 7 Arranging Funeral Services
Lin Changshi's fingers gently caressed the faded paulownia wood box. The late spring breeze swept through her silver hair, carrying the lingering smell of firewood from the kitchen.
The wooden box, its edges stained with dark brown soil, was something she had personally buried under the stove on New Year's Eve.
"Mother, this..." The eldest daughter-in-law, Wang, twisted her handkerchief into a rope, her eyes glued to the neatly stacked silver ingots in the box.
Wang was still thinking about counting how much silver money there was in total.
Madam Lin sighed, "No need to count. It's fifty taels in total. I buried it under the stove during the New Year. It was originally saved up to supplement Fifth Sister's dowry for Sixth Brother's wedding. Now, let's use it for the funeral. The person is gone, so the funeral should be held with some dignity..."
Overcome with grief, the two daughters-in-law sobbed, burying their faces in Lin Changshi's lap, weeping uncontrollably: "Mother, how are we going to live from now on..."
Madam Lin tucked the box into her bosom: "Let's get the funeral arrangements done first, then we'll have to carefully plan how we'll live from now on."
We must see Er Ya and San Ya grow up. Once Liu Lang is better, he can take the imperial examinations. I heard from the tutor at Shushu that if Liu Lang practices for another year, he can take the exams to become a candidate for the lowest degree. There is still hope for the family.”
Hearing this, the two daughters-in-law felt slightly relieved.
Lin Changning sighed, "Mother, is there anything I can do?"
Madam Lin turned to look at Lin Changning, who had acted like a younger brother and chased people away earlier that day: "Fifth Sister, your mother and sisters-in-law are still at home. You should take good care of yourself. Your father has passed away, and you'll have to observe three years of mourning, which might delay your marriage..."
Lin Changning shook his head and hugged his mother, whose hair was turning gray: "What do you mean by delaying things when you're family?"
Lin Changshi took out a piece of silver and handed it to Wang Shi. The cold silver, covered in stove ash, left a faint white mark on her palm.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, go and find a few of the uncles to come over and discuss the funeral arrangements. We should get it done as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications..."
Three days later—
The draft in the mourning hall lifted three soul-summoning banners. Lin Changshi stared at the three thin coffins side by side, her fingernails digging deeply into the carved crevices of the paulownia wood boxes.
Only some clothes were found inside; the bodies of the group of people were never found.
Even if it's just a cenotaph, Madam Lin Chang wanted them to leave with some dignity.
The ashes of the burnt paper horse stuck to Liu Lang's eyelashes as he huddled in a corner of the mourning hall, counting his coughs.
"Brother, if you're not feeling well, go back and rest."
The sickly, scholarly-looking boy, who looked exactly like Lin Changning, slowly shook his head: "I am the only male left in the family. If I am not here, my father and brothers will not be able to rest in peace..."
"Cough cough...Sister..."
He reached out to hook Wu Niang's sleeve; the twins' congenital weakness made their fingertips bluish-purple.
Lin Changning, dressed in men's clothing, was standing on tiptoe tying a rope to the soul-summoning banner when he heard this, and a piece of melted pear syrup was stuffed into his mouth.
It was the pear syrup candy that my aunt gave them when my uncle came to visit them yesterday.
The same phoenix eyes reflected different expressions.
The older sister's eyes flickered like candlelight, while the younger brother's gaze was as deep as well water.
"Second Uncle won't let this go easily. Sister, if anyone causes trouble later, go and ask Fourth Uncle to come and uphold justice."
Lin Changning nodded: "I'm from my province, little brother."
Madam Lin has fallen ill from exhaustion these past few days, and her two widowed sisters-in-law are rather soft-hearted. If they can't stand up for themselves soon, this family might truly be devoured by those wolves and tigers.
In just the last two nights, people have been sneaking into the house at night, trying to steal something.
It's obvious who did it without even thinking.
Madam Lin Chang has already taken her two widowed sisters-in-law to the village head's house to discuss the matter; they will surely give her an explanation.
As Uncle Lin's cloth shoes stepped into the mourning hall, Liu Lang suddenly coughed violently, his thin back bending like a boiled shrimp.
Lin Changning hurriedly patted his back, feeling a pang of anxiety as the bones in her palms dug into his skin.
"Good nephew, why don't you rest when you're so sick?" Lin Erniu asked, feigning concern.
After his cough subsided a little, Lin Changping said, "No need for your trouble, Uncle. You're not welcome here, so please go back!"
Lin Erniu bowed before the coffin: "What are you saying? It's not right for a younger brother not to come and see his elder brother's funeral. You too, if there's anything you need help with, just ask your uncle. We're all family, everything is easy to talk to..."
Lin Changping knelt upright, his back straight, like a small green bamboo, his clear eyes fixed on Lin Erniu.
"Although things are difficult at home, the funeral has finally been completed. If Second Uncle still has designs on the family's land, he's probably mistaken."
Lin Erniu didn't seem to care what Lin Changping said. After paying respects to the memorial tablet, he turned around with a smile and said, "Life is unpredictable, Liulang. Don't be so absolute. What if you want to sell it again someday? As your uncle, I certainly can't bear to stand idly by. After all, we're family. If that happens, it's always better to benefit our own family than outsiders!"
Lin Erniu used his pipe to pry open the offerings in front of Lin's father's coffin, and the candied plums rolled to Lin Changping's feet.
The fourteen-year-old boy curled up on the prayer mat, coughing violently. His pale face turned cyanotic, and blood seeped from between his fingers, splattering on the front of his mourning clothes like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.
"With Liu Lang's health, I'm afraid he won't last..."
Lin Erniu's rough, large hand suddenly patted Lin Changping's thin back.
In his emotional state, the boy coughed so hard he curled up like a shrimp, causing the ever-burning lamp on the offering table to sway, spilling oil onto the gilded characters that read "The Spirit Tablet of Lin Gong, whose given name is Da Niu".
"Cough cough, get out! Cough, get out!!!"
The sound of the carrying pole breaking the wind is faster than thoughts.
Seeing his younger brother being bullied, Lin Changning swung a mulberry wood carrying pole leaning against a pillar. The pole, reeking of river mud, swept across Lin Erniu's chin, sending two large teeth flying into the pile of paper money mixed with blood and saliva.
When the octagonal table was overturned, the sacrificial offerings of three kinds of animals hit Lin Erniu squarely on the forehead, and crumbs of cakes and pastries covered his face.
"You've gone too far! You brat!!!"
Lin Erniu wiped the dust off his face, raised his fist, and was about to attack Lin Changning.
Lin Changping's phoenix eyes widened in fright, and she struggled to get up to help her older sister block the punch.
Before Lin Erniu's fist could get close, Lin Changning brought down a second blow with his carrying pole.
Lin Erniu's shoulder ached from the blows. He didn't know where Lin Changning got her strength from, but she managed to hit him so hard in just a few moves!
Having learned his lesson, Lin Erniu panicked and knocked over the soul-summoning banner.
As the white banner carrying the person rolled out of the mourning hall, it startled the sparrows perched under the eaves.
Lin Changping stood up, supporting himself on the coffin, the metallic taste of blood still lingering in his throat.
He saw his elder sister standing amidst a shower of paper money, the hem of her hempen dress tucked into her belt, revealing the floral belt his sister-in-law had woven for him last Dragon Boat Festival.
"Sister..."
He had barely opened his mouth when he was choked by the smell of blood.
Outside the mourning hall, Lin Erniu's howling mingled with the sound of a copper basin being overturned.
"Get out of my house, Lin Erniu! If you ever step into my house again, I'll beat you every time I see you!"
"This is outrageous, Lin Changning! I am your second uncle!"
"Are you getting out of here or not? If you don't, I'll have to have someone carry you out of the house!"
Lin Changning's movement of swinging the carrying pole suddenly froze.
A violent coughing sound came from behind him, and Lin Changning hurriedly turned around.
She saw her younger brother leaning against their father's coffin, his phoenix eyes filled with the flickering flame of a dying candle, and the bloodstains at the corners of his mouth were glaringly red.
“Brother…”
The carrying pole clattered to the ground. Lin Changning, disregarding Lin Erniu's condition, hurriedly returned to the mourning hall to support his younger brother.
Lin Changping saw the crack in his sister's hand and the ash from the paper stuck in her disheveled hair.
Even the lingering ferocity in her eyes when she turned around was clearly visible.
It was his fault; he failed to protect his family, forcing his older sister, a young woman, to fight with his second uncle just to protect him.
"Sister, I'm sorry, it's my fault..."
Lin Changning hastily wiped the blood off his hands with his mourning clothes, his knuckles twitching as if he were trembling from the force.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Go inside and rest for a while. I'll stay here. Mother and sister-in-law will be back soon..."
"Sister, I promise I'll make something of myself someday and never let you be bullied again..."
"Alright, alright, go and rest first. If you cough like this, your mother will worry when she gets back..."
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