Chapter 1230 How can we show favoritism?
Life is a journey of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
Life is filled with eight sufferings: birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, resentment, unfulfilled desires, and attachment.
Song Chunxue remembered that her second sister was exceptionally competitive throughout her life. When chatting with others, she would always speak highly of her family. Although she would criticize her daughter-in-law, she would mostly praise her own children, telling them what nice things she had bought for them and what delicious food she had cooked for them.
In her previous life, Song Chunxue was the same. In her old age, when she was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) and could only open her eyes to look at the ceiling, unable to even get off the kang, she would count in detail what she had done in this life.
At that time, she hadn't seen through things yet, and she always thought that if she died, perhaps her second and fourth sons would come back to observe mourning.
She hoped to have a grand burial, so that everyone in the village would talk about how Song Chunxue, though her life had been very difficult, was also very capable, raising her children all by herself.
She also thought that with so many of her children and grandchildren, she would surely receive a lot of money on the anniversary of their deaths during the Qingming Festival.
The people in the village all hoped to have a son to carry on the family line, simply because they hoped that after their death, someone would still worship them and that someone would break bowls and wail at their burial.
All I want is for my child to treat me well.
Many people spend most of their lives preparing for the days after they die, but rarely strive for anything in the present beyond having enough to eat and wear.
If someone asks why I would be so foolish?
Why else could it be? My parents and grandparents are all like this, everyone else is like this, the elderly always say things like this, they always say, "When I die, you will do this and that."
But so what?
It is said that Chinese people value filial piety, but there are many unfilial people in poor and remote areas where there is no need for the imperial examinations.
When people reach a certain age, aren't those people who are taken to the mountains and sealed in tombs?
Even animals don't do that.
However, it has been recorded in historical books for thousands of years.
Song Chunxue sat in the mourning room, kneeling on an old quilt, cutting paper money, making rubbings of paper money, and folding ingots for her second sister.
The elderly people in the village who were able to walk around and had nothing else to do also came. They all talked about how their second sister was when she was alive, how they were now, and what would happen after she died.
They all said they really envied my second sister for having such a good sister. She's been enjoying a lot of good things these past few years. She doesn't even wear ripped cloth shoes anymore when she goes to work in the fields. She even wears leather-soled shoes when visiting relatives and friends. She dresses very elegantly during the New Year.
They also remarked that no one in the village had ever burned gold ingots before, and Second Sister was the first.
The funeral clothes my second sister prepared for herself were very beautiful; they were made of cotton and had several layers. She also chose expensive materials and patterns for the quilt.
The second sister's son and daughter stayed by her side every step of the way, keeping the corpse cool and swatting away flies, while the craftsmen in the yard were making a coffin.
It's made of pine wood, carved with flowers, and painted. Qi Yun said it's no worse than the ones in the city.
The next day, a geomancer was invited to burn paper money, and all the relatives came.
Song Chunxue then realized that they were not afraid of dead people. They would lift the white cloth to look at them and even tell the people next to them that they were still young and had enough hair to wear hairpins.
But she didn't dare.
She never saw her second sister lying down and not breathing again from beginning to end.
Qi Yun was quite nervous at first, but then the geomancer followed closely behind, asking him all sorts of questions, which annoyed the geomancer to no end.
If it weren't for Qi Yun's luxurious attire, I probably would have wanted to beat him up.
But the geomancer quickly smiled, cheerfully inviting Qi Yun to follow him, and took the initiative to explain the local funeral customs to him.
This was because Qi Yun had given him an ivory brush, and also provided him with a box of fine cinnabar and a jar of gold powder for writing.
Song Chunxue stayed in the main room the whole time, burning incense and cutting paper money for her second sister, and didn't go out much.
When the suona and erhu started playing, she was as if possessed, tears streaming down her face. A gentle breeze lifted the curtain, and she saw the person kneeling on the ground crying intensely, yet managing to control their emotions.
In her past life, she didn't receive this treatment when she died.
There were no suonas or erhus, and not many paper torches, only a paper horse and paper figure, and not even paper cranes.
On the morning of the third day, before dawn, Yin Yang and the people of the village were busy preparing for the funeral.
It is said that one should not look up before the burial. The people carrying the coffin drank rice soup before burying the person, and Song Chunxue went with them.
She watched as her second sister's coffin was covered with soil, and her son buried it with a mound of earth. At first, he didn't understand and made a lot of noise with his shovel, which later earned him a scolding from the old people in the village.
Song Chunxue thought to herself that she didn't like the sound of the suona, and thankfully she didn't have it in her past life.
She doesn't want it in this lifetime.
The relatives all left yesterday; today, it's all villagers who are helping out.
Originally, no meal was provided on the day of the burial, so the erected tent and the borrowed tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks, and plates were all dismantled and returned.
But Qi Yun felt that such a big thing was happening, and the people in the village had worked so hard. He even paid out of his own pocket to have the kitchen make long noodles. When everyone was eating the noodles, no one in the village said anything unpleasant.
The second brother sat next to Song Chunxue, holding a roasted potato in his hand. "Your apprentice is quite good. He must be from a wealthy family. He's very generous. Everyone in the village praises him."
As he spoke, Song Zhizhu laughed, "Even I got a silver coin."
Song Chunxue forced a smile. "Yes, I heard it too. Everyone is saying that Second Sister benefited from me. Her funeral was so dignified. Everyone not only had meat to eat but also wine to drink. No one was watching over her, so she could drink as much as she wanted."
"Yes, we farmers, whether alive or dead, have never really had a glorious or respectable life." The second brother grabbed a small wine jar from the side, poured himself a cup, and asked, "Want some?"
Song Chunxue sat on the steps, feeling like she had grown up there, and slowly raised her hand to pick up a bowl, "Pour a bowl for Second Sister first."
“Yes, she’s closest to you. When you were little, she would carry you everywhere she went.” Song Zhizhu also poured the first bowl of wine onto the ground.
Hearing this, Song Chunxue felt like crying again, but her eyes were dry and her heart was heavy with emotion.
"Do you think Second Sister has come back with us and is watching over us here?" Song Chunxue held up her bowl. "Second Sister, did you receive the money?"
She must have received it. In her past life, around this time, she had just taken some money and made a brief visit to the house.
After a person dies, the earth spirit remains in front of the grave, while the heavenly spirit and the human spirit leave with the ghost messengers.
The earth's soul is a person's obsession, leaving only temper.
Therefore, they will feel resentful if they cannot see the paper money burned by their descendants.
"Fifth brother, I'm fifty now. Lately, I often dream about our childhood, about not having any pants to wear, playing in the mud and herding donkeys in the fields," Song Zhizhu said with a smile after downing two bowls of wine. "I'm not far off either. If you don't come then, my son will invite your eldest son. You should focus on your spiritual practice and not let our passing affect your state of mind."
Song Chunxue watched Qi Yun follow behind the geomancer, carrying wine and snacks as a gift. Although the accents were different, he could understand everything.
"If I find out then, I'll still have this apprentice come to escort you; I'll definitely be willing to spend the money."
Song Zhizhu laughed, "Then I will definitely inform you not to come. I like this apprentice, I really like him."
Who wouldn't like a wealthy apprentice?
"Isn't your apprentice going to get married? I overheard the women in the kitchen talking about finding him the prettiest girl available for marriage."
"Then don't waste your time. He won't marry an ordinary girl."
Even a fox spirit might not be able to withstand it, let alone a mortal.
"Aunt, Second Uncle, why don't you go to the kitchen for dinner?" Second Sister's daughter asked them, her eyes swollen. "Are you going home tonight?"
Qi Yun came in from outside and whispered, "Master, let's go visit our other two aunts and uncles."
Why?
"Let's familiarize ourselves with the way," Qi Yun said in a low voice, "and while we're at it, let's prepare some pine wood for them, I heard it from the old folks."
Song Zhizhu laughed loudly, "Alright, let's go, I've been planning to stock up on timber for the next two years. If your apprentice is willing to buy it for me, I don't mind."
"..." Song Chunxue wiped her face with both hands, "Fine, how can you be so biased and not prepare a pair for me?"
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