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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 004: The Woman Who Hanged Herself (Part Four)
I really didn't want to touch the dead person's hand; I couldn't stand that cold, clammy feeling. But in a situation where I had no choice, I reluctantly reached out and, suppressing my discomfort, pried open the deceased's fingers. As I did so, I inadvertently caught a glimpse of her fingers—pale and with purple nails. I placed the Rice Ball in the palm of her hand, but no matter how hard I tried, her stiff fingers wouldn't close around it. In the end, I had to use White String to tie them together. After finishing, I looked over at Yan Zi as she distributed Red Envelopes to the Eight Great Warriors.
People tend to present a false front when interacting with others; they often want something but feel the need to be polite about it. However, when it comes to funerals, it's expected that the Host Family rewards with Red Envelopes without any pretense. Accepting them is a given, and one cannot complain about the amount. In short, once you accept it, you must do the work, regardless of whether it's dirty or exhausting.
Once the Eight Great Warriors left, Yan Zi handed me a box of cigarettes. I glanced at it and saw it was Zhonghua; not bad, I thought.
I took one out and stuffed the rest into my pocket.
Yan Zi snorted coldly and shot me an annoyed look before reaching out—her other hand was hidden behind her back.
I was irritated and handed her the cigarette box. As she turned away, I noticed that hand was holding something; I couldn't see clearly what it was, but it must have been a romance novel.
Before I could light up, Peng Caifu rushed in, clutching something in his hand.
Seeing what he held made my blood boil.
Peng Caifu was gripping a Willow Branch and a brand new pair of scissors.
These items should never appear in the hands of the deceased's family during such a time unless that person harbored deep hatred for the deceased. The Willow Branch is used to ward off spirits, while scissors are considered tools for suppressing Evil Energy. On the surface, these items seem simple but can effectively seal off the deceased's soul.
If Peng Caifu intended to use them against the deceased, he was truly heartless.
Noticing his mysterious demeanor and the flicker of malice in his eyes as he beckoned me closer, I could guess what he wanted to say. Sure enough, once he stood still, he impatiently said, "Brother, I've got something for you; you need to help me with this." As he spoke, he glanced back at Peng Hai who had followed him in and cursed, "Go burn some paper for your mother." Then he pulled me aside a few steps before stopping.
"Damn," he followed me just to get the Red Envelope.
I was pulled aside by Peng Caifu, while his son glared in anger but felt too embarrassed to speak up.
"Brother, here's the deal. Someone who's Hanging by a Beam needs a substitute. We must use Willow Branch Scissors to ward off evil. This should be placed under the child's mother, you see..."
In the countryside, the practice of finding substitutes for those Hanging by a Beam has existed for a long time.
This matter is indeed tricky. My grandfather once encountered a difficult situation where the deceased gasped for breath, suddenly Zha Shi, jumping up and chasing after people, biting whoever he caught. It scared the whole family into chaos. In the end, it was my grandfather who stepped in, stuffing half a brick into Zha Shi's hands, which caused Zha Shi to collapse and settled the issue.
Dealing with Zha Shi was actually quite simple for my grandfather. The purpose of Zha Shi is to grab something; as long as you understand this and stuff something into Zha Shi's hands or arms, he would definitely fall.
This isn't just talk. My grandfather ran a Funeral Home for decades; he didn't make money by deceiving people. He relied on his skills. Exorcism and ghost-catching are one aspect, while Feng Shui is another. He could discern a person's fortune and ensure peace in their home through Feng Shui.
Even burial practices depend on Feng Shui.
Feng Shui can nurture people or harm them; that's how it works.
Although I've heard many rumors about ghosts seeking substitutes, I had never seen it with my own eyes until now. Hearing Peng Caifu say this made me quite angry.
The deceased was his beloved, the wife with whom he had two children. Out of love and reason, he shouldn't even consider sealing her soul after her passing.
Regardless of whether ghosts truly exist in this world, his actions were clearly irrational.
"Uncle, if your wife chose to commit suicide willingly because she was afraid of burdening you, she wouldn't seek a substitute to cause trouble. But if she died out of resentment, due to some unknown reason that left her no choice but to die, then seeking a substitute would be inevitable. She would want to take revenge on those who made her suffer in life."
Peng Caifu listened intently, his yellow-brown eyes fixed on me.
He averted his gaze awkwardly, avoiding my stare, gripping the object in his hand tightly as if afraid someone might snatch it away.
"Uncle... did you hear what I said?"
"I heard you." He raised his hand and brought the Willow Branch Scissors closer to me. "What about this?"
"If you don't want her to leave, then place these items on her corpse. This way, her soul will remain here forever, every minute, every second, allowing you to be together."
Upon hearing this, Peng Caifu was clearly startled, as if he could truly see her standing before him. For a moment, fear washed over his face; he cleared his throat and feigned calmness while glancing around nervously, sniffing slightly. "Brother, I appreciate your help. How much do you think this will cost?"
"That depends on you—whether it's a grand affair or a simple one."
Peng Caifu's impatience showed in his expression, typical of a miser as he asked, "What do you mean by a grand affair? And what about a simple one?"
I recalled a time when my grandfather helped organize a funeral in Dongle Village for a wealthy family. The deceased was the Old Mother of the Host Family who passed away peacefully. The funeral was lively with family rituals, songs and dances for entertainment, and an Honor Guard present. The expenses for hosting guests amounted to over a hundred thousand.
Peng Caifu did not have the financial means for such an elaborate event. Moreover, according to rural customs, those who die before the age of fifty cannot have a funeral band. The Peng Wealthy Lady had not yet turned fifty; she was precisely forty-two at the time of her death.
For those who die before fifty, the burial must be simple and low-key. This is something I must adhere to. Besides, someone like Peng Caifu would likely want to bury his wife as soon as possible.
However, if he wants to listen, I must comply.
I will handle the arrangements simply with the Honor Guard's support, enjoying the festivities without needing to recite the family memorial.
Dying young can be due to overwork.
But this kind of overwork is truly not worth it.
I watched as the deceased's children argued endlessly about who should dress their mother, feeling that her death was quite unjustifiable.
Arranging a funeral means simply holding a ceremony and then burying the deceased on an auspicious day, ensuring they rest in peace and everything goes smoothly.
Peng Caifu listened to me and resolutely chose to proceed with the arrangements. This was something I anticipated, so I did not alert the Honor Guard.
Typically, if the Honor Guard is involved, they would start playing music and creating an atmosphere from the night of the deceased's passing.
"Make sure to finalize the burial time quickly; I still need to get back to work at the construction site. This time, I took leave to come back."
I nodded. "Of course." As I spoke, I glanced back at the makeshift Spirit Pavilion and recalled that nightmare, a chill running down my spine as if a cold wind had swept through.
Peng Caifu did not bring up placing the Willow Branch Scissors under the deceased again. As I was about to leave, he accompanied me to the door and said, "Brother, you make good money in this line of work."
"You could try switching careers."
He was at a loss for words.
I shouted back that I saw the motorcycle and walked over, ignoring him afterward.
I turned the key to start the motorcycle, and as I hopped on, I suddenly felt the wheels sink. Taking a closer look, I was taken aback.
Who had punctured the tires? They were completely flat.
"Damn it, who slashed my tires?"
"It can't be anyone; all the kids in the village are asleep."
I realized it must be Peng Hai. Not getting the red envelope, he resorted to this kind of revenge. What a real mess.
With the motorcycle unrideable, I asked Peng Caifu if there was anywhere nearby to get it repaired.
"Nope, even if it's late at night, no one would come."
What should I do now?
Frustrated, I slammed my hand down on the motorcycle seat.
"Look at me getting angry," Peng Caifu said, accompanying Xin. "It's almost dawn; why don't you rest in the seaside house?"
"To hell with you."
This was exactly what Peng Hai wanted.
Monet followed closely behind Peng Caifu and headed to Peng Hai's room.
Peng Hai was playing a game.
This family was truly bizarre.
Someone had died, yet there was no sorrow; those who played games continued to play, and those who watched continued to watch. Even Peng Caifu surprisingly wanted to seal away the deceased's spirit.
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