Funeral
Li Guorong felt a chill run down her spine under everyone's strange looks. Why couldn't she make her own decisions about her money? Ever since Ye Fan became disabled and couldn't find a job in her previous life, he had to set up a stall with her. She could do whatever she wanted and scold whomever she wanted. Her face turned red, and she clenched her fists tightly, shouting loudly, "If you can't earn money, then go earn it! A bunch of good-for-nothings, always thinking about my money. If someone tries to please me, I might spend some money on them. The more you do that, the less I'll spend on you. I earn money, and if you spend my money, you have to listen to me."
Wu Cuihua looked at Li Guorong in disbelief. In her memory, her little girl was always a bit willful and capricious, but kind-hearted and good to her family. When did she become like this?
Wu Cuihua said, "Guorong, when has money ever been the deciding factor in family matters? Have we ever forced you to do anything before? Your older brother and sister have never forced you to do anything when they bought you things, right?"
Li Guorong said aggrievedly, "I want nice clothes, but you only let me wear my older sister's hand-me-downs. You won't buy me meat when I want to eat it, and you make me cut pig feed every day. You let my younger brother go to school but not me. Is that favoring boys over girls? Do you think I don't deserve flowers?"
With tears in her eyes, Wu Cuihua said with heartache, "Your little brother isn't wearing old clothes either. None of us can eat meat every day. We're not workers in the city. When you were in school, you couldn't sit still after finishing first grade. You didn't want to study."
Li Guorong shouted loudly, "No, if it weren't for having to cut pig feed and gather firewood, why wouldn't I want to go to school?"
Li Guolan scolded, "How dare you talk to your mother like that? You have money, so if you want to study, you can pay the fees and go. No one is stopping you. If you don't want to work, you can move out or pay some money to the family so you can eat for free without working."
Li Guorong glared angrily at her eldest sister. How dare she say such things to her! Originally, she wanted to stop her eldest sister from marrying that mentally ill man and then from marrying that brother-in-law far away. She pointed at them with a trembling finger and said, "I'm too old to study anymore, and you're just making sarcastic remarks. You're all targeting me."
The older woman said rudely, "How old are you? Are you a seventy or eighty-year-old woman?"
“My poor brother…” A cry came from afar, sounding like a ghost’s wail in the darkness. Li Guorong knew that her aunt had come.
Wu Cuihua growled in a low voice, "When the relatives come, we can talk about these things later. Just give your father a proper send-off and don't let others laugh at you."
The children returned to their places, behaving like dutiful sons and grandsons. Even the youngest son had tears in his eyes, showing no trace of the tense atmosphere from before.
Li Guoqiang, the eldest brother, stood up and went to the door to greet them. One by one, wreaths were placed into the mourning hall. Relatives and friends were filled with regret for Li Guoqiang's untimely death. Some of them were talking and tears and snot streamed down their faces.
Li Guorong bowed her head as she burned paper money for her father. A hand reached out from beside her, and she looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "Brother Mancang, you've come."
Qian Mancang's younger sister, Qian Duoduo, also jumped out, "Sister Guorong, I'm here too."
Today, Qian Mancang deliberately wore clothes without patches and comforted Li Guorong, saying, "Your eyes are all red from crying, you look like a little rabbit." Li Guorong burst into laughter through his tears and muttered, "You're so annoying."
Seeing Li Guorong's smiling face, Qian Mancang whispered, "A noodle shop opened in town. They say it's from the city. The soup is so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off. I'll take you there in a while."
Qian Duoduo also said, "I want to go too! I want to go too!"
Li Guorong glanced coquettishly at Qian Mancang and said, "Then I'll have to give it a try."
Li Guolan gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. Her father had just passed away, and her younger sister was laughing and joking around. Did she really not care about family at all?
Wu Cuihua quietly pulled her sister-in-law Li Lanfang aside and said, "My younger sister isn't feeling well, why don't we stay with you for a while?"
Seeing Li Guorong chattering away, Li Lanfang didn't notice anything wrong with his spirits. However, since her house was next to the Qian family's, and seeing how well the group was talking, she guessed that Wu Cuihua was trying to play matchmaker. Her eyes lit up, and she asked, "Do you want to go with the Qian family? The Qian family isn't a good place to go without a man. Old Mrs. Qian dotes on her son. She'll only torment your precious little girl."
Wu Cuihua glared at Li Lanfang, "What nonsense! The three above haven't even found partners yet, how could it be my daughter looking for one?"
Li Lanfang replied, "Coming to my house means you have to do chores. You know I'm a teacher at school and don't have time to clean the house. Are you willing to let your precious little girl do chores?"
Wu Cuihua said, "Children from poor families mature early and are very capable at work. How could I bear to let my daughter do chores?"
Li Lanfang rolled her eyes and said, "If you're willing to spend the money, then go ahead. My brother's funeral was quite grand. Do you have any money left? I have some spare change that I can lend you."
Wu Cuihua quickly stopped Li Lanfang. Her sister-in-law's husband was not an easy person to get along with. She heard that he was always playing mahjong and would flirt with the women at the mahjong table. If he lent money to her family, wouldn't that cause conflicts between the couple? "We have plenty of money. We don't lack money."
As dawn broke, relatives and friends arrived one after another to pay their respects. The geomancer first read a eulogy, and then the relatives and friends began to wail. At this moment, everyone seemed to be sincere, whereas when the person was still alive and needed money for medical treatment, they all pretended to be deaf and dumb.
Qian Mancang stood behind Li Guorong and whispered, "From now on, Brother Mancang will protect you. Let's see who dares to bully you." Li Guojian walked over, lightly bumped Qian Mancang, and said, "There are men in the family, why would it be your turn?"
Li Guorong felt a sweet warmth in his heart. Ye Fan had never said such things in his previous life. In his past life, the funeral was hastily held because of lack of money, and he hadn't heard Mancang's words of comfort. It was truly a pity.
"Let the feast begin!"
The children, unaware of death, beamed with joy, knowing they would be able to eat meat. The first few tables at the funeral feast were occupied by the coffin bearers, who did the hard labor.
On the table were boiled tofu, braised peanuts, cucumber salad, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cabbage stew with vermicelli, and meat dishes such as braised potatoes with pork. There was also a platter of sausages and cured meats, as well as white meatballs, salted pork belly, steamed crispy pork, and braised pork belly, which were only served at banquets in wealthy families.
The children ate with their mouths full of oil, while the adults at the table smoked and drank. Several tables of villagers whispered among themselves, their eyes constantly glancing towards Li Guorong.
Wang Qiang's mother said, "Collecting medicinal herbs is really lucrative, and they only give my Qiangzi a tiny bit. My Qiangzi is overjoyed." His neighbor said jealously, "100 yuan is still just a tiny bit."
Sun Zhigang's mother said, "That's just a tiny bit compared to what the Li family girl got." Someone next to her said, "Then remember the location and go dig again."
Qian Duoduo's mother said, "Dream on. We dug it all up last time. There's no way we're going to dig it up. That little girl is shrewd and shrewish."
News spreads like wildfire in the village, and now these feasts, laid out from doorsteps to the main street, only confirm the rumors: digging for medicinal herbs is a real money-maker!
Soon, several girls and boys surrounded Li Guorong and Li Guojian. One of the young men said in a simple and honest way, "Li Guorong, next time you go up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs, take me with you. I also want to make money."
A little girl said, "Brother Guojian, take us with you too! Brother Guojian, you're really amazing!"
Li Guorong's expression changed slightly. How did they know? It must be Li Guojian, that big mouth. She said loudly, "Where did I make money? Today is my father's funeral. You guys are so annoying."
Qian Mancang quickly added, "There are wolves and tigers in the mountains, and poachers too. You've all heard about that, right? It's very dangerous."
Li Guojian quickly added, "Yes, yes, we got lost on the mountain and can't get out."
The girls had no choice but to leave dejectedly, while the young men looked displeased and said, "The things on the mountain belong to the collective."
Li Guorong was already holding back his anger, and now he erupted like a volcano, cursing, "My house wasn't dug up. Anyone who wants to dig can go ahead and see if they have the ability."
A young man clenched his fist and stared with wide eyes. Li Guojian quickly stopped him and apologized in a low voice, "My sister is closest to my dad. She's too heartbroken. Don't hold it against her."
Another young man said, "Who would believe that someone who's so heartbroken can still be laughing and joking with others?"
Li Guojian glared at his younger sister and quickly tried to smooth things over. These were the children of the coffin bearers, and if they started making a scene, their father wouldn't be able to leave for the funeral.
Li Guorong's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. These people were just jealous of her ability to make money. It was really annoying. It would have been better if only familiar relatives and neighbors came in her previous life. It was such a waste of her money. It was all Li Guojian's fault for sending so many people.
Qian Mancang quickly pulled Li Guorong away, saying that the funeral was about to begin and they would start fighting again later.
After the meal, it was time for the funeral procession.
The eldest son, Li Guoqiang, smashed the funeral basin. The second son, Li Guojian, led the way with a soul-guiding banner. The two daughters scattered paper money along the way to clear the path. The mother held her youngest son's hand and carried a photo. Behind them were eight coffin bearers carrying a coffin covered with a white cloth, followed by relatives carrying wreaths, children, and elders. This was a procession, a final farewell to the deceased.
The mountain path was difficult to traverse, and the few coffin bearers swayed and began to sing work songs;
"Nishan studied diligently and obtained an auspicious omen, and met a goddess sitting in a thatched hut."
The two brothers went to school together again, studying together by day and sharing a bed by night.
After saying goodbye to my teacher, I went home for a visit to see my parents.
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Then you shall marry me, my beloved, who awaits me before the Terrace of Longing for Home.
The long procession passed through tall grass, from brick houses to small thatched huts, and entered the mountains and forests. The coffin-carrying procession wound its way up the narrow mountain road, like a white dragon, with the paper in front of it like snow covering this village where snow is rarely seen all year round.
Looking up, one could see coffins placed in caves on the cliff face. Thick clouds blocked the sunlight, making everything seem gloomy and oppressive, as if someone might leap out of these cliffside coffins at any moment.
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