After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country's funeral culture has gradually been influenced by foreign countries, but the custom of burial has been retained.
Nowadays, people believe in returning to one's roots. Even city dwellers usually choose to send the body back to their hometown for burial and a banquet. As for those who have no hometown to return to, they will keep the body at home, hold a banquet, and then bury it in a cemetery purchased in the suburbs.
In the early 1950s, there was a period of propaganda to change customs and habits, advocating more fashionable funeral methods such as tree burial and sea burial, but the effect was predictably not very good, and even later generations could not fully accept it, let alone today.
The turning point came in 1956, when at a meeting state leaders promoted cremation, not preserving the body, only the ashes, and not building a grave.
They set an example themselves, and from top to bottom, major cities responded to the call and established crematoriums, which were later converted into funeral homes.
During the Cultural Revolution, feudal customs were criticized and even funerals were not allowed to be held in some areas. Leading cadres and state employees in various provinces took the lead in responding to the policy of cremation, and this form of funeral flourished.
In 1967 alone, the city added three funeral homes, which were divided into "35" funeral homes based on their size, with "5 people, 5 acres of land, and 50,000 yuan" or "38" funeral homes, with "8 people, 8 acres of land, and 80,000 yuan".
Huaian Funeral Home is one of the largest in the city, and it is a 38-story funeral home. Due to the special nature of the work, the staff inside often come into contact with the dead, which in the eyes of others means being contaminated by bad luck.
Most people are not willing to come, and those who are willing to come may not be brave enough, so the salaries of funeral home employees are very high.
Moreover, these days, families who can afford to hire a funeral home to hold a funeral are not short of money, and they usually give big red envelopes to the people inside.
In particular, some people do not want their family members' ashes to be mixed with others, so they want to be the first to burn the ashes, and the bribes they offer are quite large.
With the extra income they get from time to time plus their original salary, the money a funeral home employee earns in a month is equivalent to several months' salary for an ordinary person.
When I reached the end of the path, I saw a metal plaque hanging in front of the door with the words "Huaian Funeral Home" written in running script. The guard room next to it was empty and there was no one in sight.
As you step into the funeral home, what catches your eye is the towering chimney. The house is simple but fully equipped with a cremation room and a farewell room.
There is a small hill standing behind, and the cemetery is enclosed on the sunny slope. Looking up, you can vaguely see the standing tombstones and lush green pines and cypresses.
Perhaps because it was in the funeral home, the temperature here was lower than outside, the wind was cold and the air was filled with a faint sense of sadness.
When I walked into the reception room, I saw a man sitting there, dozing off with his head propped up.
Hearing footsteps, he quickly stood up and straightened his clothes. "Comrades, are you here to pay respects to your relatives? I'll have someone take you there."
When she saw his appearance, He Xiaojie opened her mouth wide, subconsciously slowed down her breathing, and her feet seemed to be rooted to the ground and she could no longer move.
Don’t blame her, even He Ruixue felt a flash of excitement.
The person in front of him did not conform to the current aesthetic of being upright and rough. He had more of an ethereal feeling of an immortal. He was wearing a modified narrow-sleeved green Taoist robe. His hair was cut short in the front, but he stubbornly left a small braid in the back. It was not long, like a child's "smart braid".
The vast clouds and mountains reveal his sword-like eyebrows, the vast waves reveal his star-like eyes, the nose is like a hanging gall bladder, and the lips are light in color.
The air is ethereal and misty, and the clouds and mists are high and far away. After taking just a few steps, it seems as if you are riding a crane and soaring into the clouds.
Although he was in a desolate and secluded suburb, it seemed to him like he was living in a secluded city or a lonely mountain temple.
First see its appearance, then get its voice.
The sound was so clear and melodious that it was like the low notes of a golden bell or the first strike of a jade chime. He Ruixue wondered if she had walked into the wrong film set and accidentally entered the legendary world of cultivating immortals.
“You…you…”
He Xiaojie was speechless for a long time and hid behind He Ruixue in a cowardly manner.
The other person smiled faintly, and in an instant, the mist dissipated and the sky was bright. "I'm the person in charge here. What can I do for you?"
"No, well, where is the toilet here? I'm in a hurry."
After she was distracted, He Xiaojie remembered that she had been holding it in all the way. After she finished speaking, she picked at the corner of her clothes, her face flushed, and she felt so embarrassed.
The man didn't show any strange expression and helped her show the way. He Xiaojie thanked him and left quickly.
"And you?"
She didn’t know if it was an illusion, but He Ruixue felt that the way he looked at her was strange.
It's not narcissism, and it's definitely not because of her appearance. After all, if he looks in the mirror for a long time, he should be immune to beauty. Instead, it's as if he has discovered an outlier in the crowd.
Sitting down, she spoke first, "I'm here to look for someone. Is there anyone here named Jiang Yanxu?"
"That's me, comrade. I've guessed what you're here for. If you don't mind, let's find a place to talk privately."
He Ruixue followed him into a separate lounge. When she saw him lock the door, her eyes suddenly became alert.
Jiang Yanxu smiled knowingly, just like a sea of clouds swaggering, "Don't worry, it's just that what I'm about to say is quite private, and I don't want to be disturbed."
"What if He Xiaojie can't find me later?"
"Are you talking about your companion? Don't worry, she won't be able to leave that corridor until our conversation is over."
He Ruixue's eyes were sharp, "Who are you?"
Jiang Yanxu's demeanor suddenly changed. He pulled out a stack of talismans from his sleeve and spread them out on the table. "I am the 39th generation descendant of Maoshan. I am proficient in drawing talismans and fortune-telling. I can help you with marriage, wealth, and health. I can also help you prolong your life, curse, and borrow luck. It depends on the specific situation. You have to pay extra."
He pulled out a toolbox from somewhere and said, "I'm good at fixing radios and televisions. I can also mend walls, fix plumbing, mend pots, and repair shoes."
"Of course, if you have needs that are difficult to express."
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his forearms, a pearly white skin covered in a thin layer of muscle. "I'm also a bit skilled in boxing. Whether it's teaching a lesson to a superior or a treacherous person, I guarantee that no one will find the real culprit."
Don't use your perfect face for this kind of thing!
He Ruixue retracted her indescribable gaze and waved her hand, "Forget it, I don't have any money, I don't need anything you said."
Jiang Yanxu was inexplicably certain, "No, you must need me. You have an impermeable body, your luck is harmonious and never leaks out. However, all things have their own laws of increase and decrease. If you blindly absorb the luck of heaven and earth without giving back to heaven and earth, you will definitely be rejected. If there is no interference, your life span in this life will not exceed thirty."
He Ruixue was unhappy and asked who was the short-lived ghost. He wondered if he was going to sell his so-called life-extending products next.
How come the fortune tellers at the fortune-telling stalls under overpasses have always used the same tricks throughout history?
"Isn't it a good thing to live short? I just don't want to live anymore. If I die at the best age, I won't have to do anything myself."
Of course this was false, she was terrified of death.
But no matter whether this person is a real Taoist priest or a fake one, she will not easily expose her weaknesses.
Just like buying clothes, the more eager you appear, the more you'll be manipulated.
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