Chapter 2: Death 2: It's fate
There are three people in Jiang’s Coffin Shop: Jiang Zheng, Xun Shu, and He Xuan.
Jiang Zheng, now forty-six, is the owner of a coffin shop. Born and raised in Chaozhou, he has a sturdy build, thick eyebrows, and kind eyes, giving him a rather friendly look. The coffin shop was opened by Jiang Zheng's grandfather, passed down to his father, and then to him, over twenty years ago.
After his father died, Jiang Zheng and his first wife ran a coffin shop together. More than ten years ago, his wife passed away, and Jiang Zheng had been alone since then. Until he found Xun Shu, a ten-year-old boy whose family had suffered a disaster, at the foot of the mountain. After that, the two of them called each other uncle and nephew, and depended on each other for survival. So many years have passed in a flash.
Half a year ago, Xun Shu went to the mountains to pick wild bamboo shoots, and by the way, he picked up a man covered in mud and wounds and brought him home.
This person is He Xuan.
When Xun Shu saw him in the mountains, he saw that the wounds on his body looked like they were caused by swords and knives. He didn't want to cause trouble, but when he looked up and saw his rich and powerful face, other thoughts came to his mind.
The coffin shop hadn't been open for a long time, and with rice prices rising in the city, the shop had run out of food. That's why she went into the mountains to find food. If she could save this man, and ask for a reward after he recovered, the coffin shop's hard times might be over.
Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk. Xun Shu didn't know where he got the strength from, but he gritted his teeth and carried him back to the coffin shop.
Jiang Zheng was kind-hearted. When he saw Xun Shu carrying an unconscious injured person back, he did not ask many questions and treated the patient with great care. However, he did not expect that after the man recovered and woke up, he forgot everything and only remembered his own name.
Because of this incident, Xun Shu was so depressed that she couldn't eat for half a day. She thought that by saving the God of Wealth, she could improve her life in the coffin shop, but now not only has it not improved, but she even has one more mouth to feed.
If he were to be driven out of the coffin shop at this point, it would be a waste of his life. Jiang Zheng then asked if he was willing to stay and work there. Although it was a bit unlucky, at least he had a place to live and food to eat. After hesitating for two days, He Xuan agreed and stayed at the coffin shop ever since.
From then on, the coffin shop became their home. When there was work, the three of them would go to the mountains to cut trees and make coffins, carve patterns on the coffins, and occasionally take on the work of collecting corpses. When there was no work, the three of them would go out to find their own way to make a living, working hard to earn enough for their family.
Xun Shu felt that although they were not related by blood, they had long been a real family.
At this moment, in the backyard of the coffin shop, Xun Shu took off his shoulder bag and took small steps forward to take the steamed bun from Jiang Zheng's hand, but Jiang Zheng dodged him by moving sideways.
Jiang Zheng said disdainfully, "Go wash your hands quickly, don't dirty the buns I just steamed."
Xun Shu withdrew her hand and fetched some water. He Xuan came over and washed his hands before her, then splashed the water all over Xun Shu's head and face. Xun Shu didn't get angry and washed her hands slowly. At the end, she dipped the handkerchief beside her into the water, wrung it half dry, and when He Xuan wasn't paying attention, she smeared it directly on his face.
"...Xun Shu, are you childish?"
He Xuan removed his handkerchief, his eyebrows and eyelashes covered in water droplets, his entire face as clear as a distant mountain after rain, a faint smile in his eyes. He wrung out the handkerchief, wiped the water off his face, and when he opened his eyes again, two chicken wings were already in Xun Shu's bowl. He glared at the two chicken wings, gnashing his teeth. "We both like chicken wings, Uncle Jiang, you're biased! You always give them all to her!"
Jiang Zheng knocked him on the head with chopsticks: "You are an adult, and you are fighting with girls for food."
He Xuan pursed his lips and muttered, "She's not a girl."
Xun Shu gnawed on the chicken wings in his bowl, looked at the food on the table, and said vaguely, "Someone died in the city again?"
Jiang Zheng tried to hold it back, but couldn't help laughing. "I was out looking for work today when I saw the old lady of the Zheng family passing by. I noticed her forehead was yellow with faint black spots, and her face was pale with a dark aura that spread to her ears, until her earlobes were dry and black. It's the face of a 'death ghost'. I estimate that our shop will receive business from the Zheng family in ten days at the least, and a month at the most." As he finished speaking, he seemed to sense something was wrong, and he put on a serious face. "Xiao Shu, your stall isn't making any money either. Come with me to the mountains tomorrow morning to look for suitable wood. The Zheng family has always valued face, and if we can find cypress wood for coffins, we'll definitely sell it for a good price."
Xun Shu's cheeks puffed up, and after spitting out the chicken bone intact, he said slowly, "Tomorrow morning is not possible. I have to go to the residence of County Magistrate Zhao."
"At Magistrate Zhao's residence? Is something going to happen in his house?"
Xun Shu sighed and lost his appetite: "This matter is also my fault. Madam Zhao came to see me today, so I helped her to read her face."
Jiang Zheng frowned and lamented, "You mentioned her death date again?"
Three months ago, when Xun Shu first started setting up her stall, she still encountered a few customers who came to her for fortune-telling every day. At that time, Xun Shu would examine their palms, faces, and birth dates, and after a few words, she would start predicting the person's death date, saying things like they would not live more than three months or would suffer a catastrophe within three years, which always made the person leave cursing.
Within a few days, Xun Shu's reputation spread throughout Chaozhou City. Some people secretly called her a "death witch", and no one went to the stall under the tree to tell fortunes anymore.
Hearing Jiang Zheng's words, Xun Shu shook his head and said seriously: "I have remembered everything you told me. I will not look at the date of death, nor will I talk about the impending disaster."
He Xuan agreed, "Yes, Ah Shu shouldn't have lied. When I went to look for her, I saw that she had earned a few copper coins today. If she said those things, she probably wouldn't have earned a penny."
Jiang Zheng just breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could completely let go, he heard Xun Shu speak again: "Yes, I just told her that she will have no children or grandchildren in this life, so she should make plans early."
Jiang Zheng: ...
Magistrate Zhao and his wife were deeply in love and had a son and a daughter. This was a fact known to everyone in Chaozhou. What Xun Shu said was nothing more than nonsense. And yet, Mrs. Zhao was willing to give her money. What a kind person!
He Xuan was stunned for a moment, then he pointed at her and laughed: "What's the difference between you and me? We're both liars!"
Xun Shu frowned and corrected him, "You're the liar... But that's not the point. I looked at her palm and saw four calamities. The first three are related to her children, but the fourth is a major calamity for her." She paused, her expression serious. "If she doesn't handle this calamity carefully, it will be fatal. I looked at her face and guessed that this calamity would take some time, so I didn't tell her at first. But after I told her about the first three calamities, her face changed instantly. This fourth calamity has unexpectedly come early."
Jiang Zheng glanced at He Xuan, then turned his gaze to Xun Shu: "Are you going to help her resolve this disaster?"
Xun Shu lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then shook his head and nodded. All his hesitation finally turned into a sigh: "This calamity is related to her fate. It is her fate, and I can't interfere. But this calamity was caused by me in advance, so I still want to remind her a few words."
-
Magistrate Zhao's house is located in the south of Chaozhou. There is a wide road in front of the main gate and Maoshan Mountain behind it. On the left and right sides are houses on one side and a forest on the other.
It has a famous place in front and a backer behind, and it gathers wind and stores energy, making it a place with excellent feng shui.
Xun Shu stood at the door of Zhao's house, glanced around, and was about to go forward to ask the servant to pass on the message, when he looked up and saw Madam Zhao and the maid from yesterday walking out of the house with gloomy faces.
"Mrs. Zhao!" Xun Shu took a few steps forward and blocked Mrs. Zhao's way.
Compared to yesterday, Madam Zhao's expression was much worse today. When she saw Xun Shu, a flash of surprise passed through her eyes: "Are you the fortune teller from yesterday?"
Xun Shu nodded: "I came here today to give Madam a fortune telling."
Madam Zhao frowned and waved her hand: "Let's forget about it today. I have urgent matters to attend to."
"Wait!" Xun Shu took a half step to the left and stood in front of her again. Seeing the impatience in Madam Zhao's eyes, he quickly said, "Madam Zhao, please be careful recently. Don't leave anyone by your side, preferably someone you trust."
Xun Shu's eyes were clear, and she spoke very seriously. Madam Zhao looked into her eyes, as if possessed, and her impatience faded, and her irritable heart gradually calmed down.
"Okay, I'll be careful."
After saying this, Mrs. Zhao did not stay any longer and hurried away with her maid.
Xun Shu watched her get on the carriage until the carriage disappeared among the streets, the dust raised by the horse's hooves settled back to the ground, and the sound of the wheels rolling gradually faded away, then he let out a long sigh.
Master is right, everything in the world is determined by fate and cannot be forced.
Xun Shu put the matter aside and prepared to go look for Jiang Zheng. As she turned around, she was startled by the smiling face that suddenly appeared before her. She staggered back a few steps and nearly fell. He Xuan, the instigator, pulled her up and grabbed her elbow to prevent the accident.
Seeing Xun Shu stand firm, He Xuan quickly let go of his hand, scratched his head, and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to be so easily frightened."
Xun Shu frowned, squinted his eyes, and looked at He Xuan with disgust: "You don't lie to others, but come to scare me, are you sick? What are you doing here?"
"I was just helping people solve their problems and comforting their hearts. How can you say I'm lying?" He Xuan corrected him. He pointed in the direction of Maoshan and said, "I figured you'd go straight to Uncle Jiang. I figured it wouldn't be safe for you to walk the mountain road alone, so I closed the shop and came to see you off. I'll also help Uncle Jiang, since he's old after all."
This sounded like something human. Xun Shu straightened the wrinkles on her sleeves and walked towards Maoshan. He Xuan followed her, chirping like a noisy bird: "You said Madam Zhao was in great trouble, but is that true?"
Xun Shu felt upset whenever this matter was mentioned. Although Madam Zhao's catastrophe had nothing to do with her, she was dragged into the cause and effect of others for no reason. There was no way she could pretend that nothing had happened, especially after seeing Madam Zhao's forehead, which was yellow with a hint of black, it was almost confirmed that it was a fatal catastrophe.
She grumbled, "Hmm," unwilling to pay attention to He Xuan. However, He Xuan seemed oblivious to her impatience and continued chattering, "Did you learn physiognomy from Uncle Jiang?"
Xun Shu suddenly stopped and He Xuan almost bumped into her.
Xun Shu turned slightly to the side and glanced at him: "Why are you asking so many questions?"
He Xuan blinked, his eyes blank: "Because I want to learn too."
"Oh." Xun Shu turned around and continued walking, reluctantly accepting the answer. "I learned it from him. If you want to learn, just go and ask Uncle Jiang. He won't refuse you."
He Xuan thought about it for a moment, and seemed to agree with this, so he didn't mention it again.
-
The three men from the coffin shop stayed in the mountains for two days, finding suitable wood to cut into planks. On the morning of the third day, Jiang Zheng drove a donkey cart, carrying He Xuan, Xun Shu, and the planks back to the coffin shop in Chaozhou City. They entered through the back door of the coffin shop, and before they had even unloaded their belongings, they heard a knock at the front door.
He Xuan and Jiang Zheng were busy unloading the planks, so Xun Shu went to open the door alone. She trotted across the yard, then through the coffin shop, removed the wood blocking the door, and opened it. She was startled by the official standing outside and stammered, "What's going on?"
The leader was Ni Daqiang, an old acquaintance of Xun Shu. His expression was quite serious, but he tried to soften his voice so as not to scare the girl in front of him. "Xun Shu, Madam Zhao's body was found this morning. Her maidservant said you had an argument with her two days ago. The county magistrate suspects you of having something to do with her death and has ordered us to bring you back to the county government office."
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