Chapter 22 Asking for a funeral couplet, past memories

When Jiang Ning was about to go up the mountain, Liu Mingan met He Wu on his way to fetch water.

"Brother Mingan, are you going to fetch water?"

Liu Mingan looked at He Wu, who was greeting him a little stiffly, smiled, and replied, "There is no water at home. Brother Xiaowu, is there anything you want?"

He Wu and his brother He Wen are two completely different extremes. He Wen is a glutton, a whore, and a gambler, and does all kinds of evil, but He Wu is honest and kind-hearted. When Liu Mingan's mother was bedridden, He Wu took pity on them and sent them a lot of vegetables, helped fetch water, and chopped firewood. Even after his mother died, He Wu also came to help with the funeral. It is for this reason that Liu Mingan always respects He Wu as his brother.

Liu Ming'an knew He Wu's personality. He was not good at speaking, or he was a little dull by nature. He would feel uncomfortable chatting with people face to face. Now that he came to greet him, he must have something to ask him.

He Wu was a rough man with a thin skin. When Liu Ming'an asked him directly what was the matter, he was a little embarrassed to ask for help.

Liu Ming'an waited for him patiently, with a smile on his face, giving people a sense of friendliness.

He Wu didn't know what he was thinking. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled the shoulder pole and the empty bucket on Liu Ming'an's shoulder, put them on his own shoulder, and then walked towards the well.

Liu Mingan was stunned and didn't react. He only heard him say, "I'll help you fetch water first."

"Brother Xiaowu, I'll do it myself. Just tell me what you want me to do. I will do my best to help you." Liu Mingan said as he caught up with He Wu, wanting to take his things.

He Wu stretched out his hand to block Liu Mingan, and walked forward with big strides, very stubborn: "You are a student with little strength, I will help you carry it."

Liu Mingan knew that he was stubborn and couldn't persuade him. He could only smile helplessly and follow him all the way, watching him fill two buckets of water, then carry it back to his yard and pour it into the vat. He Wu ran back and forth three times in total, filling the large vat.

During this time, Liu Mingan looked into the house and thought that Jiang Ning was hiding in the house again, so he didn't think much about it.

After fetching all the water, He Wu stood by the water tank to take a breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then he had some confidence to speak: "Brother Ming'an, I want to ask you a favor."

If it were before, Liu Ming'an would have asked him to sit down and talk slowly, but now, because of Jiang Ning's consideration, the two could only stand in the yard.

Seeing that He Wu finally started to talk about business, Liu Ming'an quickly said: "Brother Xiaowu, you said that we are brothers. If you need help, just ask. There is no such thing as asking or not asking."

He Wu seemed to be very entangled. He clenched his hands together, and after a long while, he took out a roll of pale paper from his arms and said: "I want you to help me write a... mourning couplet."

The last two words seemed to be squeezed out from his throat, and the voice could not be any lower. After He Wu finished speaking, he did not dare to look at Liu Ming'an's face.

Liu Ming'an heard it clearly, but he didn't say anything for a while. This request was beyond his expectation.

According to the customs of Daliang, after a person dies, someone needs to write a mourning couplet and paste it on the door of the house. It should be pasted for 49 days and then burned in front of the grave, so that the soul of the deceased can find the way home on the first seven days and can be reincarnated smoothly afterwards.

Generally speaking, families with the conditions will ask people of high moral character to write mourning couplets. For example, people in Hehua Village usually go to the town to ask Mr. Chen, a teacher, to write, bringing good wine and good food, holding red envelopes, and respectfully asking for it.

However, there is a saying about writing mourning couplets. Writing for people with both moral character and talent is a great merit, and everyone is happy to do it, and they will rush to do it even if they don't want wine, meat, or money; writing for ordinary people will accumulate good karma for yourself. But if the deceased had problems as a person during his lifetime, such as being a thief and a bad person, writing a mourning couplet for such a person will only bring bad luck.

This was what surprised Liu Ming'an. He did not expect that He Wu would come to him to help write a mourning couplet for He Wen.

But on second thought, asking him to write it seemed to be the best choice.

He Wu knew that his request was unreasonable. Seeing that Liu Ming'an did not say anything, he continued, "Brother Ming'an, if you really don't want to, forget it. I also know that you will take the imperial examination in the future, and being contaminated by this kind of bad luck may affect your future. Just pretend that I have never been here today..."

As he said that, He Wu was about to put the white paper in his arms.

Liu Mingan took it and smiled gently at him, saying, "What are you talking about, brother Xiaowu? It's just a few words. Wait for me in the yard for a while. I'll write it and give it to you."

He Wu didn't expect Liu Mingan to be so easy to talk to and agreed so easily. He stood there at a loss and could only nod his head repeatedly, saying, "Okay, okay, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you here. You can write slowly. Don't be in a hurry. Write slowly..."

Liu Mingan walked into the house with a blank paper. He didn't see the person who was supposed to be here, and he panicked instantly. When he saw the words left by Jiang Ning on the table, Liu Mingan felt that his heart was being tugged hard, and it seemed that even his breathing was not smooth.

Jiang Ning went into the mountain.

She went to that mountain alone.

"Mother, why hasn't Dad come back yet?"

"Ming'an, be good. Dad has gone to the mountains to find delicious food for you. You'll have meat to eat when he comes back."

"They're all dead, they're all dead... None of them survived, and their bodies couldn't be found..."

"Mother, I want Dad, I don't want to eat meat anymore, I want Dad! Woo woo..."

...

Memories from the depths of memory surged like a tide at this moment. Liu Ming'an's face turned pale, and he clutched the letter left by Jiang Ning tightly, almost unable to stand.

"Jiang, Ning, don't go!" Liu Ming'an opened his mouth and called silently.

Liu Ming'an slowly sat down, leaning on the table. His mind was in a mess. The complicated memories of the past and the reality were intertwined, making him not know what to do.

After sitting there blankly for a long time, Liu Ming'an finally felt his mind clearer. At this point, there was no other way but to believe that Jiang Ning was not an ordinary person, and that she would definitely return safely.

Liu Ming'an rubbed his temples vigorously, and caught a glimpse of the white paper on the table. Then he remembered that He Wu was still waiting for him outside to write the elegiac couplet.

Spreading the white paper for the elegiac couplet on the table, Liu Ming'an changed to a thicker pen, dipped it in ink, but was unable to write.

Liu Ming'an had never written an elegiac couplet, but he knew that elegiac couplets were a way of mourning for the dead and comforting the living. Their main function was to commemorate the deceased and express respect and remembrance for the deceased.

In Liu Mingan's memory, the most common elegiac couplets are those, either "The voice and appearance are gone, but the virtues remain", or "The good reputation will last for generations, and the love will last for thousands of years; the voice and appearance are still there, and the noble spirit will always exist", or "The noble character is passed down in the village, and the bright integrity is known to future generations".

But are these elegiac couplets praising virtues really suitable for people like He Wen?

Liu Mingan thought of He Wen's behavior when he was alive. It was really difficult for him to write such unpleasant words.

After thinking about it, Liu Mingan picked up the pen and wrote on the white paper what he thought was a more appropriate elegiac couplet:

This body will turn into dust and mud and become nothing. In the next life, you will cultivate yourself and become a good person.

Horizontal stroke: Death will make your sins disappear.