Chapter 392 - 70

Words : 1156 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

Chapter 392: Chapter 70Long illness makes no filial son at the bedside. At the funeral, those who wail and kick about the ground in exaggerated grief often are not the children who tended to the parent all year round. Rather, it’s those who have cared day after day and seen the elder off, who find it hard to cry during the mourning. Anything that can be suffixed with "value" is limited, such as emotions. After being consumed for a long time, naturally, they are depleted. Just like Yin Meng now, she smiled, not a forced smile, but one of liberation and relief. Her grandfather was trapped in the coffin, and she was trapped in the coffin shop. Both grandparent and grandchild were suffering. Now, both have finally found their release. The relief comes because she endured to the end, she didn’t show any impatience, didn’t display any depression; she maintained a positive and sunny attitude every day, helping her grandfather change diapers and clean his body, leaning over the coffin to talk to him. She knew this was her duty, after all, she was raised by her grandfather, and she would feel disgusted with herself for suddenly feeling numb and repulsed, followed by self-criticism and self-education. She was afraid she couldn’t bear it; she didn’t want to show anything that didn’t fit the image of a "good granddaughter" in front of her grandfather, not even slightly, it was absolutely not allowed. Now, she has won. She won a lifetime of having a clear conscience. Tan Wenbin was the first to step forward, also smiling, saying, "The old man passed away peacefully, it is a happy mourning." Run Sheng said, "Let’s hold the funeral." The funeral was simple, because there really were no external guests, Yin Meng didn’t need to wear mourning garments with black veils and white cords to kneel and invite people. Two white lanterns were hung on both sides of the shop’s signboard. A wreath set at the door carried three names; the elegiac couplet was written by Li Zhiyuan, as among the four of them, only his calligraphy was up to par. The shop already had an old stereo system, now placed outside, playing mourning music. But this place is Fengdu, and it’s Ghost Street, with the storefront being a coffin shop; even setting up so many things, passersby wouldn’t think someone had died, they’d instinctively think it was part of an event to enhance the atmosphere. For a time, more customers than usual came into the shop to look around. After changing the old man into his shroud, Yin Meng dressed in mourning clothes and sat cross-legged in front of the spirit hall. Tan Wenbin and Run Sheng sat opposite each other, burning paper money. Paper ash fluttered, making the room somewhat smothering. Just then it started raining outside; Li Zhiyuan decisively closed the family register and lifted a stool to sit at the doorway. The rain brought fresh air and also scattered the pedestrians on the street. Run Sheng asked, "How are you planning the mourning here, how long will you keep the wake?" Yin Meng replied, "I want to bury my grandfather tonight." Run Sheng reminded her, "That’s not according to the rules." Unless it was a time of chaos and urgent action was needed, he had never heard of a place that buried the dead on the same night they died. Yin Meng said, "Never mind the rules." Tan Wenbin quickly agreed, "Having fulfilled filial duties in his lifetime gives confidence, indeed no need for theatrics now." Run Sheng asked, "Then I’ll push him over for you, where is your family cemetery?" Yin Meng shook her head, "We don’t have a family cemetery, our tradition is a water burial." Run Sheng asked, "In which body of water?" Yin Meng again shook her head, "I don’t know, my grandfather never explained these things to me in detail." As Li Zhiyuan, sitting quietly listening to the rain with his back to the others, spoke up, "Jiuguai River." Yin Meng curiously said, "Xiao Yuan, how did you know?" "It’s written in your family register." "It’s written? I’ve looked through the register and I don’t remember seeing that." "It’s in the later notes, one of your ancestors from the Ming Dynasty recorded in detail the process of his father’s burial." "Oh, no wonder, I didn’t look at those notes, there were too many and too dense, the handwriting was also hard to read." Li Zhiyuan said, "Your grandfather, really too careless." Despite being of advanced age himself, he did not inform his granddaughter of these posthumous arrangements in advance. Of course, it’s also possible that the old man had long ceased to care about these conventions, even to the extent of lending out the family register when asked. His son "missing without a trace", his only blood relative his granddaughter, and he himself in poor health, he must have been prepared for a break in family lineage, otherwise he wouldn’t have failed to teach Yin Meng the ways of the underworld ritual. "Would you help me arrange grandfather’s burial, Xiao Yuan?" Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Run Sheng said, "Call him brother." Tan Wenbin set the tone, "Brother Xiao Yuan, what do you want for lunch, I’ll go buy." Yin Meng stood up from the cushion and walked over to Li Zhiyuan’s side, squatting down: "Brother Xiao Yuan, help me." Li Zhiyuan nodded. Yin Meng sighed in relief, turned her head to shout at Tan Wenbin, "Go to Aunt Wang’s braised food shop at that corner, I want to eat pig’s trotters." Tan Wenbin opened his umbrella and walked into the rain. Soon, he returned with a large bag of food. No wine, but good meat and dishes. The four sat in a circle, with plastic bags opened and set on the ground. The rice was from home, personally cooked by Run Sheng, not daring to let Yin Meng interfere. A large pot of rice was served, with Li Zhiyuan and Yin Meng each taking half a bowl, the almost untouched remainder of the pot handed over to Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin. While eating, Tan Wenbin asked, "What do you plan to do next, continue running this coffin shop?" Yin Meng paused from gnawing on a pig’s trotter, stealing a glance at Li Zhiyuan, whispered, "I already called him brother." "What does that mean?" Tan Wenbin didn’t understand at first. Run Sheng explained, "She’s claiming us." Yin Meng stretched her leg out to kick Run Sheng. Tan Wenbin somewhat surprised said, "What’s your thinking, want to come with us? This place is quite far from Nantong." Yin Meng nonchalantly said, "Anyway, I don’t have any relatives now, one person full, the whole family isn’t hungry, I can go anywhere, I don’t really have friends either, just you three."

Chapter 392 - 70

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