Chapter 85 Burial Place Burial Place
What's the point of a girl studying? Aunt Bai actually doesn't like her daughter to study. Compared to studying, she thinks that being able to do needlework and take care of household chores is the most important thing.
But her words don't count in this family. Erlang is willing to take his younger siblings to study, and Su Zhaoshi does not stop him. She is even happy to see it happen. The most important thing is that Su Huihui is willing to do so, and Aunt Bai can't stop her.
As time went by, she just let it go, as long as she didn't fall behind in needlework too much.
After all, Huihui will have to rely on Su Zhaoshi to find someone to marry in the future, and she will also have to have Erlang and Sanlang's support. There is nothing wrong with letting them get closer to each other on a daily basis. Aunt Bai has some wisdom of her own.
Seeing her worried look, Su Zhao patted her hand and consoled her, "Look at those wives of officials. Every one of them is literate. Huihui will have the same fate in the future."
Aunt Bai was also happy after hearing this: "Yes, Erlang will definitely be able to become an official in the future, and Huihui may be able to marry into a good family."
At this time, there was a knock on the door. Because of what happened before, Su Arong refused to rest no matter what and came here to help watch the door during the day. He opened the door and looked inside and called out, "Auntie, it's Hongyan from Master Gu's family."
"Please invite him in." Ever since Gu Beichen helped, Su Zhaoshi has paid more attention to him.
Hongyan was also familiar with the place, and when she came in, she said with a smile, "Madam, my young master asked me to bring a return gift."
"Erlang is in the study. Su Arong, please take Brother Hongyan in." Su Zhao said with a smile.
Seeing him walk into the study, Aunt Bai couldn't help but say, "The Gu family is also a good family in the surrounding area."
Su Zhaoshi laughed and said, "Erlang's marriage is not yet ready, so why worry about Sanlang and Huihui's? There is still a long time to come."
"Madam, I don't need to say more than one word." She had heard people say before that the Gu family wanted to marry into the Su family, but judging from what Madam said, it was unlikely to happen.
As soon as Hongyan entered the study, she shouted with a smile on her face, "Master Su, my young master really likes the painting you gave me. He loves it so much that he asked me to thank you and brought this gift."
"The young master said that this is also his intention. Please accept it, Master Su."
When Su Fengzhang opened the box, he saw a piece of top-quality Tianhuang stone. Its pure color made it obvious that it was not an ordinary item. As the saying goes, one ounce of Tianhuang is worth three ounces of gold. This stone was probably worth much more than one of his paintings.
Not only did this fail to repay the favor, but the debt became larger and larger. However, Su Fengzhang was not a rigid person and was not afraid of debts.
"Go back and thank Beichen for me." Su Fengzhang took it and put it away with a smile. "I'll find a skilled craftsman to make a private seal out of this Tianhuang stone. Then I can even put a stamp on the painting."
"Then I'll go back first." Hongyan didn't stay long.
"Arong, please help me send Hongyan off." Su Fengzhang said with a smile.
Su Fengzhang put the Tianhuang stone away. This kind of high-quality Tianhuang stone is rare, and he needs to find a good craftsman to make good use of it.
At this time, there was a noise outside. Su Fengzhang frowned and shouted, "Arong, what happened?"
Su Arong walked in with a bad look on his face: "Master, someone is coming from the government office."
Su Fengzhang also subconsciously frowned, but quickly said, "It should be Changqing's clansmen who have come to take him back. Lanzhang, Huihui, you guys continue studying, I'll be back soon."
As soon as he left, Su Lanzhang couldn't sit still anymore. But Su Huihui glared at him and warned him, "Don't go out and cause trouble."
The person who came to the yamen was an acquaintance, it was the constable Zhang San who came to move the manuscript away. He was sitting there drinking tea in big gulps. Su Zhaoshi also brought out some cakes to entertain him, with a cautious look on her face.
Seeing Su Fengzhang coming out, Zhang San stood up, bowed, and said, "Su Xiucai, the coroner asked me to bring a message. He said that if you are willing, you should go to the charity cemetery to see Lin Changqing off for the last time."
"But his tribesmen are here. Are they going to carry the body back to his hometown?" Su Fengzhang asked.
"This is hard to explain in a few words." Zhang San looked a little hesitant and subconsciously glanced at Su Zhaoshi.
Su Fengzhang thought for a moment and said, "Mom, Arong will accompany me to the charity cemetery. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Su Zhaoshi didn't want him to go, but she knew she couldn't stop him, so she said, "Then come back soon, Arong, and take good care of Erlang."
Su Arong hurriedly shouted, "Don't worry, Auntie. Even if I risk my life, I won't let Erlang get hurt at all."
Zhang San quickly said, "That's not the case. Although it's a charity cemetery, there's absolutely no danger."
After walking out of the Su family gate and getting on the ox cart, Su Fengzhang asked, "Brother Zhang, is there anything wrong with Changqing's future?"
Zhang San slapped his head, sighed, and said, "That's exactly what happened. The people of Mu Village are so rude and arrogant. No wonder they raised someone as stupid and vicious as Mu Wei."
"Changqing is already dead, what else do they want to do?" Su Fengzhang asked curiously. The murder case has been settled, are they still going to make a fuss about it?
Zhang San lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Su, you don't know that Mu Wei's father is the village chief of Mujia Village and the patriarch of the Mu family. He holds an extraordinary position and is a man of great authority in the local area."
"After the news of Lin Changqing's murder spread, the Mu clan leader rushed over and cried and begged Lord Cai, hoping that he would show leniency."
"How is this possible? The case files have already been sent to Qingzhou Prefecture. Maybe they have already been sent to the capital." Su Fengzhang knew more about this than most people. After all, his father used to be in charge of paperwork.
"It is indeed impossible. Lord Cai said that he did not educate his son well, which is why Mu Wei was so vicious. Not only did he not give him a lighter sentence, but he was also beaten with a stick and sent away." Zhang San said.
"Master Cai fights well." Su Arong couldn't help but shout excitedly.
Zhang San sighed and said, "Who would have thought that Village Chief Mu, knowing that there was no way back, would abandon Lin Changqing's body and return home with his men."
"He said that Lin Changqing was not originally from Mujia Village, but just an outsider. If it weren't for the pity of his fellow villagers, he would never have had the opportunity to study and succeed. Now he has even killed their only student. Such a person is not worthy of hiding in Mujia Village."
Zhang San sighed, also thinking that the Mu family was a scoundrel, and cursed: "This Mu guy wants Lin Changqing to die without a burial place!"
Su Arong also shouted angrily: "When the son is cruel and ruthless and kills, and when the father is insidious and treacherous, it can be seen that this evil is also inherited from generation to generation."
"Yes, but they've already left. We can't chase them with the bodies," Zhang San said helplessly. "Even if we send the bodies back to Mu Village, if they dump them in the wilderness, wouldn't Mr. Lin be in even greater misery?"
Su Fengzhang frowned. Ancient people attached great importance to funerals, even more than weddings. For them, dying in a foreign land was already tragic, and not being able to return home was even more desolate.
"Brother Zhang, who will handle Changqing's funeral in this case?" Su Fengzhang asked.
Zhang San explained, "In previous years, there were also travelers who died in foreign lands. If they couldn't find their relatives, they would first be laid to rest in a charity cemetery. After a certain period of rest, they would be carried directly to a mass grave and buried. If they left money, they could also get a coffin. If not, they could just wrap it in a straw mat."
How could Su Fengzhang let Lin Changqing be thrown into a mass grave? He quickly asked, "Brother Zhang, can I take him away?"
Zhang San smiled upon hearing this, nodded, and said, "If any friends are willing to handle the funeral, the government will naturally not stop them. The cause of Mr. Lin's death has been investigated, and the murderer has been apprehended. If Mr. Su is willing, all he has to do is inform the charity cemetery. They are eager for someone to take over."
"Of course I am willing." Su Fengzhang then breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang San added, "Mr. Su is kind-hearted. There are a few barren hills near the lake. We can buy a piece of land with a few dollars. It won't cost much to find someone to dig a grave and buy a tombstone. Then we can have a place to worship in the future."
"It's too desolate to have a tomb standing on a desolate mountain. It's all alone, just like a wandering ghost." He was obviously an atheist before, but now he has the thinking of the ancients.
Zhang San sighed and said, "Even so, at least there is a tombstone, which is much better than those lonely ghosts. Su Xiucai should remember to offer sacrifices every year in the future. He won't starve in the underworld."
Lian Su Arong also said, "Yes, this is the most appropriate solution. If we send him back to Mujia Village, even if we force them to bury him, they might dig up his grave as soon as we leave, and there will be no one to offer sacrifices."
"Arong, do you think we can bury Changqing on Yuexi Mountain?" Su Fengzhang suddenly asked.
Su Arong was startled and said quickly, "Erlang, the village chief and the elders will definitely not agree to this. People with other surnames in the village may not be buried in the ancestral tomb. How can they agree to bury an outsider there?"
Even Zhang San said, "Not only that, Lin Changqing died a violent death, a tragic one, crying out for injustice and hatred. Anyone would harbor resentment. Su Xiucai, you're very kind to help him erect a monument."
But there is no one to take care of the barren mountain, and how many years can a lonely grave remain there, especially when he goes to Beijing to take the imperial examination in the future. Such a remote place is overgrown with weeds, and others may not know there is a grave, and they may just go directly over it when picking mountain products.
The more Su Fengzhang thought about it, the more he felt it was feasible. He jumped out of the car and shouted, "Brother Zhang, Arong, wait for me."
After saying this, he ran directly towards the village. He ran so fast that Su Arong couldn't stop him even when he called out to him. He could only jump up and down.
"Erlang, Erlang, the village chief will definitely not agree to this. Come back soon. Hey, how about we choose a better hilltop?"
Zhang San cried out helplessly, "This Su Xiucai is being too nice to Lin Xiucai. Sigh, I don't understand the friendships between scholars, but for Lin Xiucai to have a friend like this in his life who is willing to collect his body, it's not a wasted trip to the human world."
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The author has something to say: Huihui, Linlang and the heroine are the three most feminist people in the book.
Although on different levels
Oh, not my son.
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