20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 845 Jiang Family Funeral
Before they knew it, it was time for the Jiang family's funeral.

To be honest, Xu Ruqing's funeral was much more extravagant than Jiang Chenghai's funeral back then.

Back then, the Jiang family had just started out and didn't have much spare money, so they kept things simple. Unlike now, there are all sorts of red tape, old rules and regulations, and all the usual formalities.

As the ancients said, "The funeral of the dead is the most important event."

There are many rules and regulations for weddings and funerals. These customs vary not only from place to place, but also from family to family within the same area.

The funeral was held today at the Jiang family's residence, but in fact, preparations for the funeral had been underway for the past three days.

Because Xu Ruqing died a violent death, according to superstition, someone like her cannot enter the gates of hell or cross the Bridge of Helplessness. A grand ritual must be performed for her to be reborn in the Pure Land.

How could Jiang Lianheng dare to be negligent?

In fact, many such rituals were held during the days the body lay in state, and the funeral procession was even busier.

In the courtyard, monks, nuns, Taoist nuns, and red-robed lamas performed the ritual of feeding the dead, working in three shifts around the clock. The chanting of scriptures was so tedious that the neighbors were exhausted, but no one dared to say anything.

When the actual day arrives, before dawn, the geomancer arrives in the dark to explain the funeral procession to the family. He explains who is to do what and where to stand, just like a rehearsal. Everything has to be arranged in advance. The family is so busy that they don't have time to grieve. So, a profession called "grave mourner" has emerged. They don't have to do anything else but cry.

Throughout the entire mansion, everything that could reflect a person's image was covered with white cloth and newspaper to prevent evil spirits from returning and causing disturbances.

……

Everything was in order, and the first light of dawn appeared.

At this point, relatives and friends from all sides began to arrive one after another, preparing to carry the coffin for the funeral.

The Jiang family was a large and influential family. There were at least 180 relatives and friends who came to pay their respects. If you count the pallbearers, the musicians, the carriage attendants, and several disciples and brothers, there were several hundred people in total, filling the entire alley.

Although old friends like Feng Baoquan and Jia Yisheng were too old and frail to come in person, they still sent their younger relatives to see the old lady off on her final journey.

The Jiang family members, dressed in mourning clothes, all stood in the courtyard to thank the guests from all directions.

Although the scene was lively, Jiang Lianheng didn't take it seriously.

Since the chaos that night, he had finally understood that the bustling crowds were just icing on the cake. If the Jiang family really encountered any difficulties in the future, most of these people would scatter, and the remaining two or three might even stab him in the back.

That being said, we still have to put on a show of politeness.

After the formalities between the host and guests are completed, the funeral procession will begin.

The geomancer is neither a monk nor a Taoist priest, yet he is a master of both, straddling the realms of Yin and Yang, managing the overall situation, and ensuring that the entire funeral procession proceeds in an orderly and efficient manner. This is not a job that just anyone can do, and everyone must follow his arrangements.

First, they brought out a piece of clothing that the old lady often wore. It was neatly folded, with the clothes placed on top of her head and the trousers placed under her feet.

According to superstition, the souls of the deceased are lost and confused, not knowing where they should go. Therefore, they need to be consecrated by a filial son so that they can be sent back to the Jade Pool and return to paradise.

First, take a mirror, but do not reflect the deceased. Hold it horizontally and place a bowl of clean water on it. Then, take a tuft of cotton, tie it to the end of a chopstick, dip it in the water, and wipe the deceased.

The geomancer led Jiang Lianheng to the coffin, opened the lid, and taught him the incantation. While performing the blessing ceremony for the old woman, he chanted softly:

"Open your eyes to see the bright hall; open your ears to hear from all directions; open your nose to smell wonderful fragrances; open your mouth to eat beef and mutton..."

"A happy light shines brightly; open your hands and you'll grab money and food..."

"Open your feet, and all the saints will guide you back to the West!"

The ceremony is over.

The Jiang family members all knelt before the coffin.

The geomancer shouted, "The old lady lived a long life, fortunate to be cared for by her filial sons and grandsons. Now her time has come to an end and she has passed away. The jade coffin is closed, and the paths of the living and the dead are separated. I hope all relatives and friends will accept this with compassion! Guards, seal the coffin!"

At his command, several strong young men immediately went over, lifted the coffin lid, and closed it again.

Then they began preparations to seal the coffin.

The finest wood from Fengtian City was coated with seven layers of lacquer, making it gleam and shiny, as if cast in bronze and iron. It was decorated with gilded patterns, with the character "福" (fortune) above its head and lotus flowers under its feet. A golden boy held a banner, and a jade maiden carried a censer. This coffin alone was more than an ordinary person could earn in a lifetime, which shows just how extravagant the Jiang family was.

Large iron nails, about the thickness of chopsticks, were nailed to the four corners of the coffin, each with a strip of red cloth underneath.

The geomancer standing beside them wasn't idle either; with each nail hammered in, he would mutter a phrase.

"One nail brings wealth and prosperity; two nails bring heavenly blessings; three nails bring success in the imperial examinations; four nails bring generations of descendants to sit on lotus thrones!"

In the north, when sealing a coffin, five nails are usually driven in instead of seven, and the last nail is padded with a strip of colorful cloth.

Seeing that the four corners of the coffin were sealed, the geomancer then said, "The filial son, step forward!"

Jiang Lianheng got up and walked over.

The geomancer whispered, "Boss Jiang, this last nail is called the 'Descendant Nail.' Tap it three times lightly, but don't nail it in completely. This is to ensure the family line continues and the descendants never die out."

Jiang Lianheng nodded and knocked three times as instructed.

The sealing of the coffin ceremony is complete.

The geomancer, holding a compass, walked out of the mourning hall and said to the guests who had come to pay their respects in the courtyard, "Dear relatives and friends, please move aside and wait outside!"

Everyone nodded and retreated outside the courtyard gate. Since there wasn't enough room in the alley, they had no choice but to disperse to the surrounding streets to wait patiently.

At this point, only family members remained in the courtyard.

Jiang Lianheng, Xue Yingqing, Sifengkou, Sister Hua, Shu Ning, Cheng Fang, Gu Yu, Jiang Ya, as well as Jiang Chengye and Hai Xinnian.

Hu Xiaoyan sat by the window of the second-floor study, carefully observing the situation in the courtyard through the gauze curtain.

Jiang Chengzhi was too young and feared being cursed, so he stayed behind and did not participate in the funeral procession.

Everyone was present except for Zhao Guoyan and Chuang Hu.

The geomancer looked around and suddenly asked, "Who will be staying home later?"

Zhang Zhengdong stepped forward: "I'll stay."

"Oh, the rice is all prepared?" the geomancer instructed in a low voice. "After the old lady's coffin leaves the house, remember to scatter rice in every corner of the house. Don't move it. Tomorrow morning, gather it up with a new broom. You can throw it away or leave it. If you throw it away, throw it far away. If you leave it, leave it in the corner of the kitchen. Do you understand?"

Zhang Zhengdong is meticulous in his work, so there's no need for repeated reminders.

The geomancer, seeing that the time was almost right, handed the earthenware basin to Jiang Lianheng and assigned tasks to the four windward directions—who would carry the lantern, who would hold the banner—arranging everything before strolling to the courtyard gate. He gestured, muttered a few words under his breath, then turned back and continued muttering:

"Heaven is round and earth is square, laws and decrees are in nine chapters, the Eight Trigrams are above my head, and I tread on the Big Dipper. I am here by the Jade Emperor to carry out the funeral. Today, the spirit departs, and may it be transformed into good fortune!"

"The pallbearers are coming in; they're carrying the coffin for the old lady!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than sixteen young men filed in through the courtyard gate.

This group of pallbearers were tall and strong, wearing red-tasseled hats and green robes meant for carrying the dead. They looked imposing and powerful.

If there's anything to criticize, it's that the clothes don't fit quite right.

But this is normal. The clothes used in the pallbearer's room are all fixed. No one will make them to order, and no pallbearer will prepare their own clothes.

Two strings of firecrackers were set off outside the courtyard gate.

Afterwards, everyone entered the mourning hall, first using small palanquins to carry the coffin outside, then changing to large palanquins carried by sixteen people, and finally hiring forty-eight palanquin bearers to respectfully send the old lady on her way.

Someone asked, "How big is your coffin? Do you need so many people arguing about it?"
Little did they know that the pallbearers were carrying not only the coffin, but also a sedan chair for guiding the soul, a shadow pavilion, and several plaque pavilions—all tasks that the pallbearers were responsible for.

The so-called photo booth is actually a relatively new invention. In the past, without photography, the deceased naturally did not have a portrait. Later, as photographs became more and more common, this kind of thing was added to funeral processions.

In moderately wealthy families, it is common for the filial son to carry the deceased's portrait and walk in front of the coffin during the funeral procession.

The Jiang family was extremely wealthy and powerful, so they specially commissioned someone to build a memorial pavilion to display Xu Ruqing's portrait.

Furthermore, the coffin cover belonging to the Jiang family was no small matter. It was so large that it covered the entire coffin, resembling a small house from a distance. It completely covered Xu Ruqing's coffin, and it was no exaggeration to say that it could hold several more people with room to spare.

The entire funeral procession stretched out in front of and behind the large coffin, seemingly without end.

"Filial son, step forward!"

The geomancer then called Jiang Lianheng over and whispered a reminder: "Boss Jiang, listen carefully, I'll say one line, then you say one line."

Jiang Lianheng nodded and said okay, and then began to chant loudly.

"With the blue sky above and mountains beneath their feet, filial sons and grandsons kneel before the spirit tablet. Separated by life and death, worldly ties are severed. The earthenware basin is smashed to send off the deceased in peace."

"The pot shattered on the ground with a loud crash, and from that moment on, they were separated by life and death!"

"Snapped!"

The ceramic basin fell to the ground and shattered beyond repair.

The band immediately began playing loud music, and with gongs leading the way, they set off on their journey.

The mourning troupe immediately knelt down and wailed, "Oh, old lady, how could you be so heartless? The New Year isn't even over yet, and you're already leaving us like this!"

The geomancer earnestly advised, "May the deceased rest in peace and be reborn in the Pure Land. Filial sons and virtuous grandsons, please accept this with compassion and understanding!"

"Let me see the old lady one more time!"

"Someone come here! Help her over quickly so she can catch her breath!"

It was all an act, and everyone knew it was fake, but the mourning troupe was no pushover. They wailed and lamented all the way, making the fake seem real.

Not long after the commotion, the funeral procession finally set off.

At this time of year, dawn was breaking.

The group left Jiangjia Hutong, passed through Dabeiguan Cross Street, and slowly made their way towards the outskirts of Fengtian City.

The funeral music played continuously along the way, and the procession stretched out in a long line for two miles, a sight that made anyone who saw it shake their head and sigh.

"Bang—bang—bang!"

The large gong was struck slowly and forcefully, quickly attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

At the head of the funeral procession was a 36-foot-long funeral banner, followed by paper figures and horses, ghosts that cleared the way and fought the way, as well as Qin Qiong, Jingde, the two generals Heng and Ha, and other gods.

Behind them were the attendants and deacons, lined up in two rows, holding banners and canopies, and carrying signs that read "Silence" and "Avoidance".

A band of musicians, monks, nuns, and Taoist priestesses, with children leading the Dharma drums and chanting scriptures.

Hai Xinnian walked in the middle, carrying a cloth bag in his hand. At every crossroads, he would take out a handful of paper money from the bag and scatter it out, making it flutter and scatter.

Young people are strong; with a swing of their arms, they throw paper money higher than the city wall.

Immediately following, Jiang Lianheng, dressed in mourning clothes, led Jiang Chengye, with Nanfeng and Xifeng following on either side.

Wang Zhengnan carried a paper lantern to light the way for the old lady's journey to the afterlife; Li Zhengxi held an umbrella to shield the old lady from rain, snow, and wind.

Following that is the shadow pavilion, then the soul-guiding sedan chair, and then the coffin cover.

Zhao Zhengbei was also dressed in mourning clothes and walked in the middle of the procession, side by side with the coffin bearers, looking after the funeral procession from both sides.

Further on, there were plaques, paper offerings, wreaths, elegiac couplets, children and willow branches, as well as relatives and friends who came to pay their respects.

The women of the Jiang family were all sitting in the car.

Xue Yingqing rode in the same car with Sister Hua and Jiang Ya, with Lao Dao at the helm.

Zhuang Shuning, Cheng Fang, and Gu Yu rode in the same car, with Kang Zheng at the helm.

The car curtains were tightly drawn, and a dozen bodyguards surrounded them, keeping the women at a distance from other relatives and friends.

The funeral procession was so grand that it attracted the attention of people in the north of the city. Local residents flocked out to watch the spectacle, and many others spontaneously joined in the farewell.

Li Zhengxi had made arrangements in advance, ordering his men to guard various intersections in advance, and to set off firecrackers whenever people passed by, in order to drive away evil spirits blocking the road.

They hurried along the way, and it wasn't until dawn that they finally left the gate of Dabeiguan.

If the funeral procession doesn't go all the way to the cemetery, not just anyone can be present at the burial. Besides, there's still quite a distance from here to the foot of Longshan Mountain. Nobody is a busybody; if the spirits are there, the funeral procession will know. Sending the coffin here is enough.

As soon as Xu Ruqing's coffin passed through the city gate, the funeral procession immediately shortened by half.

Most relatives and friends disperse after this point.

A few old acquaintances wanted to continue seeing them off, but the Jiang family politely declined, asking them to return to the city first and promising to host a banquet for them later that evening.

As a result, apart from the hired laborers, the funeral procession consisted only of Jiang Lianheng's close relatives and disciples.

The group continued their slow journey towards the northeastern outskirts of the city.

Around noon, we finally arrived at the foot of Longshan Mountain.

But at that moment, the funeral procession stopped without warning.

Old Dao stepped on the brake, his brow furrowed, rolled down the window, and peered ahead.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xue Yingqing asked softly, "Are we almost there? The road gets rougher further ahead, shouldn't we get out of the car?"

"Hmm, this doesn't seem like it..." Old Dao muttered. "We've only just reached the foot of the mountain. There's a main road ahead, and we haven't even started going uphill yet!"

On the other side, Kang Zheng also rolled down his car window and looked over in this direction with a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding what was going on either.

"I'll go over and ask."

Xue Yingqing couldn't sit still any longer. Just as he was about to open the car door, he saw Beifeng running towards him from the front.

"What's going on?" everyone asked anxiously. "Why did they suddenly stop moving?"

Zhao Zhengbei ran straight to the passenger window and said calmly and quickly, "Manager Xue, my brother wants you to turn around and leave right now."

Xue Yingqing frowned and asked, "Where am I going?"

"Beida Camp".

"Are you kidding me? That's a military camp. Do you think we can just walk in like that?"

“You don’t need to go in, just get to that area,” Zhao Zhengbei said. “I’ve already spoken to the brothers, you’re guaranteed to be absolutely safe in that area.”

Xue Yingqing immediately realized what was happening and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean? What happened up ahead?"

Zhao Zhengbei pulled a mirror box made in Dagu from his sleeve and said in a low voice, "I don't know where the news came from, but my brother said that when we carry the coffin up the mountain, there will be some obstacles on the way, so he told you to leave as soon as possible!"

(End of this chapter)