The family that made the coffin was surnamed Yan.
Along the way, the buck-toothed woman chattered on and on about the Yan family, her gossipy nature rivaling that of Huang Guifang.
While agreeing, Yu Qiuying subtly inquired about the two men, "That sorceress is quite powerful, huh? By the way, where are those two men from? Do they just stay at the Yan family's house all this time? Can they come out and meet people? Or do they have to stay inside and avoid people?"
"I don't know where they're from, they're quite unfamiliar. I only saw them from afar that day. Those two said they had to stay at the Yan family's house for five months. I've lived most of my life and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this. But you know what, that fortune teller is really amazing. I used to think those fortune tellers were just swindling people out of their money, but this time I really believe it. I'm even thinking of going to see that fortune teller myself."
Seeing that the woman was about to go off-topic again, Yu Qiuying quickly brought her back on track, "So, do they have to avoid people while living at the Yan family's house? Is it alright for us to go over like this now?"
"Yes, but we should avoid people. However, it's okay for us to go over there. Those two people stay inside and don't come out during the day."
"Oh, I see." Yu Qiuying frowned almost imperceptibly. If those two didn't come out, things would get complicated.
The two chatted all the way to the Yan family's house. Before even entering the courtyard, Yu Qiuying smelled sawdust and heard a rattling sound coming from inside, the sound of sawing wood.
"Old Yan, Old Yan, you've got business! Someone's come to you to make coffins!" the buck-toothed woman shouted as she entered the courtyard first.
The courtyard was piled with things, tree bark, sawdust, planks, and wood, all scattered haphazardly, making it difficult to find a place to step. Only a narrow passage, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, led to the main room.
The Yan family's house was more spacious than most of the houses in the village. It had five rooms in a row, with a slightly larger main room in the middle and two slightly smaller rooms on each side.
There are three low houses nearby: a kitchen, a woodshed, and a smaller one that should be a bathing area.
As Yu Qiuying followed the buck-toothed woman inside, she subtly glanced at the several closed doors, trying to guess which room the two human traffickers were in.
At that moment, the crackling sounds inside stopped, and then a man in his forties came out.
The man wasn't tall, he was very thin, and looked quite ordinary. The first thing Yu Qiuying noticed about him was his thick, slightly everted lips.
"What kind of wood do you want for the coffin?" The man had a yellowed towel around his neck and was wearing only a thin coat on a cold day. He was wiping the sweat from his forehead. He didn't ask which village Yu Qiuying was from, and his attitude wasn't particularly enthusiastic.
Yu Qiuying said in a serious tone, "I came to ask about the situation of a relative on my mother's side. Her elderly relative is over eighty years old, and she is thinking of preparing a coffin in advance, in case the elderly person suddenly passes away and there is not enough time. She also wants to suppress the death of her relative."
"Ya Shou" refers to placing some rice and a few copper coins in a coffin, symbolizing "accumulating blessings and longevity," and also expressing the hope that the elderly will live a long life.
The man didn't think much of it. These days, many families prepare coffins in advance and keep them at home. It's called "preparing coffins" or "making coffins" in many places.
Yu Qiuying casually asked about the types of timber available and their prices, and the other party introduced them to her one by one.
"Okay, I'll go back and tell my relative. She should be able to come over then."
As Yu Qiuying spoke, her expression suddenly turned a little awkward. "Um, do you have a toilet at home? I need to pee a little."
The man pointed towards the three low houses and said, "There's a chamber pot in the bathhouse over there."
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