(1)
It was unclear when the rain had stopped.
The dark clouds had already scattered. The eastern sky was tinged with the pale white of a fish’s belly, and the world was no longer shrouded in a pitch-black darkness where one could not see their own hand.
Faint sounds of movement eventually roused An Jing from her sleep in the slightly vibrating car.
Not far away, a large truck was pulling in. A massive red cloth covered the truck bed, and it didn’t flutter in the slightest breeze, looking as heavy as stone.
An Jing covered her mouth with her arm and gave a small yawn. She rested one arm on the window frame and gazed out lazily. She watched as the truck came to a stop beside her car, only then snapping out of her daze.
The time had just reached 4:00 AM.
She got out of the car, letting the damp wind blow against her cheeks, which had become a bit oily after sleeping in the vehicle all night. Staggering slightly, she pushed open the door and walked into the mourning hall.
The adults were busy packing things, while Yu Minghui and Yu Mingfei stood by the door with exhausted expressions.
“Did Sister Mingfei not sleep last night?”
“I wanted to, but then I saw it was already 2:00 AM, so I didn’t bother,” Yu Mingfei said with a massive yawn. “I can’t go on… I don’t know if I can even… *ha*… *phew*… go to work today.”
“Did Sister Huihui sleep?”
“No.”
“But Sister Huihui looks more energetic than Sister Mingfei.”
“I exercise regularly, so my constitution is a bit better than Mingfei’s,” Yu Minghui said with a gentle smile. “Mingfei’s health is much worse than it used to be. Back in college, she could stay up all night and still attend classes normally the next day, and then not go to bed until 11:00 PM or 12:00 AM.”
“It really can’t compare to my college days…” Yu Mingfei let out a series of yawns, her mouth barely closing. “I don’t know how I was so energetic back then. It felt like I had infinite energy… *ha*… *phew*…”
By this time, the crowd in the room was bustling, and more people began to walk out.
First the women, followed by the men.
The men carried a heavy scent of tobacco, but An Jing didn’t find it unpleasant. Instead, it gave her a strange sense of security. Perhaps it was because her own father always carried that same scent of tobacco.
Another middle-aged man rushed in from outside, looking travel-worn. He placed a large foam box by the door, lifted the lid, and took out a large handful of warm rice cakes packed in small bags. He began distributing them to the people preparing to leave. “Come, come, eat some rice cakes. We have a long walk ahead. You won’t be able to make it if you don’t eat. Eat a little, everyone. Even if you aren’t hungry, take one and eat!”
“Dad, why are you here?”
“I thought our family still needed a man to show up. After all, it’s my eldest brother’s funeral,” Yu Minghui’s father, Yu Qingyang, said with a cheery smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling together. “Huihui, you worked hard keeping watch last night. If you’re tired, go sleep. I’ll take over from here.”
“It’s fine. Since I’m here, I should see Uncle off on his final journey.”
“Haha, that’s good. After all, when the family ran out of food when we were young, your uncle was always the one to find a way. If not for him, I might have died young, and then there wouldn’t be you.”
“Dad, did you sleep well?”
“I couldn’t sleep. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have rushed over in the middle of the night. I really couldn’t stay in bed, so I decided to come.”
“What about your orders?”
“Forget it. I’ll just earn a little less! My brother’s funeral only happens once in this lifetime, sigh…” Yu Qingyang let out a long sigh.
“It was a big order, though.”
“It’s fine. Since I’m here, I won’t think about those things.”
“Okay.”
“Uncle Yu, is there any Sugar Cake?” An Jing looked at the white rice cake he handed her and asked hesitantly.
“There’s Sugar Cake. Here, here, Sugar Cake.” Yu Qingyang pulled a piece of brown rice cake from the foam box and handed it to An Jing.
It felt softer than a regular rice cake but was less elastic because it was made of glutinous rice, whereas regular rice cakes were made of standard rice.
Indeed, this was the simplest breakfast in this small city. It was the equivalent of the white mantou buns found in the North. There were no side dishes, and the rice cake itself had a faint flavor — the glutinous rice version was sweet, and the standard rice version was salty.
Everyone simply tore open the plastic bags and took large bites. If they got choked, they took a sip of boiled water. They could finish breakfast in just a few bites.
Despite being small, square blocks, they were actually very filling. If one drank a lot of water, they could even feel uncomfortably full.
An Jing’s mouth wasn’t that large, so she couldn’t finish a rice cake in a few bites like her uncles and cousins. She took ten bites, and only half of the small Sugar Cake was gone, yet she already felt her stomach bloating.
“You little brat, do you want some sweet hot milk!” Yu Mingfei shouted from the crowd.
“Yes!” An Jing nodded vigorously.
Yu Mingfei squeezed past the uncles who had finished their rice cakes and were about to light cigarettes, then shoved a bottle of hot milk with a straw already inserted into An Jing’s arms.
“Is this used?”
“No, I just poked the straw in. I snatched it from Ronghua!”
“Cousin Ronghua is here too?”
“Yeah, he arrived in the early hours.”
“Mingfei, you’re stealing my milk!”
“You miser, what’s wrong with letting little An Jing have a sip?”
“Dammit… I only bought one bottle.”
“Why didn’t you buy more?”
“How was I supposed to know you didn’t have any?”
“You’re just stingy.”
“Bullshit. I’ll treat you to dinner a few more times later so you stop calling me stingy.”
“Really? Okay!”
“Wait, I feel like I’ve been set up…”
An Jing awkwardly held the hot milk and tried to give it back to Ye Ronghua. “Cousin, you drink it. I’ll just have hot water.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just drink it. I was just joking with Mingfei. Drink if you want. I have Coke in the car anyway.”
“Hot Coke?” Yu Mingfei blurted out.
“Can you even drink that stuff hot?” Ye Ronghua rolled his eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into the back of his head.
“I thought you had special tastes.”
“I’m not an idiot…”
“Then get me a bottle!”
“You’re really not polite at all.”
“Why should I be polite with you?” Yu Mingfei glared at him.
Ye Ronghua shrugged helplessly, pushed open the glass door, and walked toward the car parked a bit further away.
It was a new car he had bought this year, but it appeared to have driven through muddy roads on the way here. It looked filthy, completely lacking the beautiful and clean appearance it had the last time they went out for hot pot.
Not everyone became busy at the same time. Even in a small city, the duration of the wake varied across different districts.
Villagers from the islands who worshipped the Anhai Great God believed that a person should not be kept in a wake for too long, so the burial usually took place the next day. In other areas, some didn’t hold a wake at all, while others held them for more than five days. In short, the only funeral being sent off from the city’s funeral parlor at 4:00 AM today was that of her Eldest Uncle.
The crowd gathered at the entrance while eating breakfast, their numbers growing until they formed a long line.
The Eldest Uncle’s two sons led the way, with the grandparents following closely behind them.
Behind them, there was no fixed order. Everyone lined up loosely according to their preference, holding a long, thick stick of golden incense as they walked slowly against the wind.
At the very back of the crowd was the large truck that had arrived that morning. It followed at a crawl. The red cloth on the truck had been pulled back, revealing a statue of the Anhai Great God.
Normally, an ordinary person wouldn’t receive such high treatment, but because the Eldest Uncle had served before the god for many years, the grandfather had made the final decision. Having the Anhai Great God see him off was considered a beautiful blessing.
“May your soul return to the God’s side, and may you serve the God for all eternity…” The eldest cousin at the front of the line spoke calmly with every step he took, while the second cousin beside him scattered large handfuls of yellow spirit money.
The Second Aunt, who had been smiling while warming wine and cooking noodles for everyone last night, was now sobbing uncontrollably in the crowd. She kept wiping her tears, the golden incense in her other hand trembling slightly.
In contrast, the Eldest Uncle’s wife remained silent, merely clutching a black-and-white photograph of him as she walked slowly ahead of the truck.
When they reached the first intersection, the band that had participated in the Ritual Assembly arrived.
First came the sound of gongs and drums, followed by the loud blast of the suona, as if trying to pierce the somber sky to welcome the bright sun into the world.
They were not playing mournful music, but rather melodies praising the god. At this moment, however, the music sounded less cheerful and lively, and more solemn and dignified.
Everyone walked in silence through the morning mist, heading all the way up the mountain.
They were going to the first stop of the funeral — the Crematorium.
This place naturally wasn’t too far from the funeral parlor, so it didn’t take long before they saw the massive sign in the distance.
The Crematorium itself looked very plain. Weeds, moss, and ivy grew haphazardly, and if one didn’t know better, they might have mistaken it for a large farmhouse courtyard.
They were the first funeral procession to arrive that morning. As soon as they entered, staff members walked out.
An Jing stood in the middle of the line and couldn’t hear what was being said. In any case, the person talking to the staff wasn’t either of the Eldest Uncle’s sons, but the Third Uncle.
While the Third Uncle spoke, the grandfather stood by listening. When the Third Uncle looked back at him, the grandfather would either nod or shake his head.
After about ten minutes of discussion, the procession began to move again.
This was the final farewell ceremony for the body.
“What did they say? Huihui, did you hear them clearly up front?” Yu Mingfei found Yu Minghui in the line and patted her shoulder.
“The staff asked if we wanted a funeral emcee, and Grandfather said no. I only heard that much.”
“Oh, an emcee. With such a large family, we really don’t need one… It should be Third Uncle presiding, right?”
“Mhm.”
Soon, An Jing followed the crowd into a large hall. It was filled with wreaths, and the Eldest Uncle’s casket had been moved there at some point, placed right in the center of the hall.
Everyone loosely found their spots. On the stage, the Third Uncle tapped the microphone and finally spoke in Mandarin with a thick local accent. “Direct relatives, please stand in the middle. Relatives, please stand on the left. Friends, please stand on the right. Everyone, please stand according to your relationship.”
An Jing reflexively moved to the left. The grandfather happened to walk past her, following the eldest cousin.
She vaguely heard him muttering something. After listening closely, she couldn’t help but curl her lips.
“When I die, choose a blue urn for me. Blue looks much better…”