Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 4: Clarifying the False Death
My grandfather once encountered a case of false death. The deceased was a woman, and according to the hospital's assessment, she was declared dead. She was placed in a coffin, and because it was Dog Days, the family requested a quick burial. My grandfather hastened the burial date, but unexpectedly, during the closed casket ceremony, he noticed that the woman's fingers were swollen and discolored. He was taken aback and concluded that she had not truly died; it was a case of medical false death.
At that moment, my grandfather gave her family a bowl of Reviving Water to pour into her mouth. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the woman slowly awakened. Her first words were, "I went to the Underworld and met a good person. He told me I wasn't dead yet and that I should return to settle everything before living for another two years."
At that time, her family found this situation quite strange. They were incredulous about her words but did not expect that two years later, she would die at home from complications caused by intestinal obstruction. In the end, my grandfather handled her funeral arrangements. He then warned me that we must be cautious when dealing with the deceased; if their time has truly come, there is nothing we can do against Yama's will. However, if it is due to a misjudgment and their life has not yet ended, we must save them. After all, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda; it is also an act of accumulating Yin De.
My grandfather taught me several methods to identify whether someone is in a state of false death. I used one on Su Aizhen's husband by pressing my finger against his eyeball. It appeared as if his pupil had deformed, but when I released my finger, the pupil did not return to normal. He was truly dead; his limbs were stiff, and a sheet covered his body. I asked Su Aizhen to set off firecrackers, and she agreed before leaving.
Before long, a series of explosive sounds echoed outside in the yard, accompanied by smoke and a pungent sulfur smell lingering in the air.
I gently pulled back the sheet covering the deceased and was startled by what I saw; my hand trembled as I stumbled back a step and called out urgently, "Aunt Su, come take a look."
Aside from her face being relatively clean, the rest of her body was gruesome with bloodstains. It looked as if she had endured a whipping or been cut by sharp instruments. Su Aizhen entered expressionlessly; upon seeing her husband's tragic state, she did not show any signs of grief but remained astonishingly calm. She stepped forward to gently cover him with the blood-stained sheet.
"He's like this now; I don't want anyone disturbing him anymore."
Hearing her voice filled with sorrow made me realize that her pain ran deeper than surface-level grief; it was an internal anguish that is hardest to articulate. I understood what she meant and followed her lead.
I covered the deceased with the sheet again and lit an incense stick for sending off souls. I bowed towards the sky and said, "Uncle, may you rest well. Today, Ma Qi will take care of your affairs. If you have grievances or unfulfilled wishes, feel free to trouble Ma Qi. Farewell; may your journey be smooth."
I stepped outside and received a call from Fatty notifying me that he could deliver items now. Everything prepared for the deceased was in the Ice Coffin and would be brought along; funerals require proper arrangements.
As I was on the phone, Su Aizhen stood nearby several times trying to speak but hesitated to interrupt my conversation with Fatty. Once I hung up, she spoke up: "Master Ma, I'm from a poor family; you see it's better if you handle everything. The children might come home tonight; just arrange things as you see fit while I prepare other items."
Life and death are merely a breath apart.
We may endure hardships while alive, but we cannot die without understanding the circumstances. I sensed something unusual about the deceased. I had my doubts, but it wasn't the right time to ask; I would wait for her child to return. However, I needed to consider the child's capacity to handle this situation.
With that concern in mind, I had to inquire about her child's age.
"Aunt Su, how old is your child?"
"Senior in college, why do you ask?"
A senior in college was an adult and could bear some responsibility. Su Aizhen looked puzzled by my question, and naturally, she would respond with a question of her own. Given her condition, I decided it was best not to inform her of the situation out of humanitarian concern. I nodded casually, "It's nothing, just curious."
Once the paper was burned, I asked about catching the chickens. She readily took me to the backyard, where I saw a yard full of running chickens and ducks, each one staring at me in terror as a stranger, clucking and quacking in alarm.
I was momentarily taken aback.
Since becoming a mortician, I had never received an order for killing chickens and burning paper. This wasn't about the task itself; it was more about thinking that this woman might be a bit unhinged.
"Master Ma wants that one; I'll go catch it." Su Aizhen appeared delicate and frail. I couldn't bear to let her chase after a flock of chickens and ducks. Reluctantly, I said, "Forget it; I'll catch it." With that, I crouched down like a thief and quietly approached the birds.
As they noticed my approach, they scattered in all directions. Unwilling to give up, I lunged toward a group huddled in the corner. In an instant, chaos erupted—chickens flew and ducks quacked as they all scrambled away. I had to admit that Su Aizhen's chickens and ducks were quite impressive; they even managed to fly over my head, leaving me covered in feathers and feeling utterly ridiculous.
Just as disappointment washed over me for being so inept, a large red rooster caught my eye. Its tall comb shone brightly, exuding an air of grandeur like a general commanding respect. Unlike the others that fled, it strutted back and forth defiantly.
Was this really a chicken? It seemed more like a warrior among birds.
I was momentarily stunned. Even Su Aizhen gaped, her eyes fixed on this incredibly handsome rooster.
The rooster tilted its head, its eyes sparkling with intelligence, and gave me a meaningful glance before suddenly speaking.
“Master Ma, Night Bat, Night Bat…” It spoke in human language, which was quite astonishing; I had never heard a chicken talk before.
This was tied to a rather magical legend.
Long ago, the Zodiac animals were said to have a debate over their ranking. To resolve the dispute, a human prophet devised a test involving two bowls of water. All creatures of the Zodiac, including humans, were invited to participate in this unique event. They had to use their intuition and cleverness to determine which bowl of water was safe to drink and which was not. One bowl, if consumed, would render the drinker unable to speak forever.
One bowl was clear and transparent, reflecting like a mirror, while the other was murky and muddy.
Among the Zodiac animals, the rat was considered the smartest but also quite lazy. Not wanting to expend energy running to participate in the event, it devised a plan to hitch a ride. However, it knew that others wouldn’t be keen on giving it a lift if it appeared capable of walking. So it tied one leg up to make it look injured and struggled to walk, making jumping impossible.
Comment 0 Comment Count