Xiaoyaoshanjun

Chapter 19 Preparations for the Afterlife

Neither Tian Buli nor the sick scholar mentioned anything about the exam.

The two of them quietly followed the others out of the examination room.

Fortunately, no one talked to these two poor bastards. They walked from the busy entrance to the street. As they walked, the street became quiet and there were not so many people.

Tian Buli was not a very quiet person, and since it was not a particularly solemn occasion, he started laughing to liven up the atmosphere.

"Sir, what would you like to eat tonight? I have some change in my pocket, let's buy some meat buns and take them back."

Mr. Sick forced a smile and said, "Okay."

Tian Buli didn't know what to say, so he paused for a while and then started talking about the children.

"Even though I failed the exam this time, I gained a lot of experience. I'll talk to Gou'er and the others about it when I get back. Who knows, they might be able to succeed in the future."

Mr. Bing nodded and walked towards his home. He seemed to have no strength to speak and did not say anything along the way.

After returning home, some of them worked while others cleaned up.

Tian Buli made and sold tofu, practiced martial arts, meditated and accompanied women.

Mr. Bing sorted out all the books, read each one, put it down, and packed them carefully in a box.

When Hu'er passed by him, he talked to Hu'er.

When a leopard walked past him, he would talk to it.

When his youngest son Gou'er called him to eat, he pulled him aside and told him a lot of things.

From the time he came back from the exam until he went to bed at night, Mr. Bing didn't speak to Bean Lady.

At night, the damselfly checked the soaked beans and covered them to prevent them from being damaged by mice.

After packing up, Dou Niang walked into the house and closed the door. She raised her hand and loosened the hairpin on her head. Some of her dry black hair fell down, mixed with a few white hairs.

Tian Buli was sleeping on the bed facing the wall. Dou Niang quickly undressed and sat beside the bed.

"It looks like that person can't hold on any longer. It feels like this is just a matter of days."

Tian Buli knew Dou Niang had come in when she entered the house, and couldn't help but persuade her: "Can't you just bear it for a few days? Go back to the house and sleep. I have to get up at night to work, and I can't stand it this way."

Dou Niang refused to leave. She sat on the bed and pushed the boy who was sleeping with his back to her.

"I'm just taking a nap, and you keep talking nonsense! Can I eat you?"

Tian Buli really didn't want to pay attention to her.

The dragonfly quickly blew out the light and crawled into bed in the dark.

After waiting for only half a minute and seeing that Tian Buli didn't move at all, the wolf-like woman turned sideways and leaned her soft flesh against Tian Buli's back.

"I have something to tell you. I'm afraid the money in this house is not enough. You should spend less in the future. Business has been bad recently. The two of you are spending money recklessly. You don't know how to live at all."

Tian Buli wanted to sleep quietly, but he didn't expect the woman behind him to reach out and touch him.

How can I bear this!
When I finally came to my senses, I realized that I had been tricked by this woman in the end.

While eating early in the morning, Tian Buli felt that this was not the right way to go.

This woman can't control herself, and I can't control myself, so we have to sleep separately.

"Second father, the meal is ready."

Gou'er came out from the kitchen and informed Tian Buli to eat.

Tian Buli quickly stood up and went to the kitchen, where Dou Niangzi was serving rice in front of a large pot on a stove made of mud and stones.

She has a thick waist, thick legs and a big butt, with some fat hanging in front of her body.

Dou Niangzi turned her head to look at Tian Buli who had entered the room, and said with a smile: "It will be ready soon. I will serve it to you. You can go back to your room and rest."

As he spoke, he scooped up the boiled eggs in the pot with a wooden spoon and placed them in the bowl next to him.

The dog that followed in looked at the eggs in the bowl and was only concerned with eating them.

Not only are the children greedy, the damselfly itself is also greedy and lustful.

Tian Buli said, "Prepare the sir's portion first. I'll bring it to him. You guys can eat it. The sir and I will eat it together."

Dou Niang frowned, but did not bother with a dying man, and quickly put the eggs and the slightly shabby vegetables and steamed buns into two bowls.

Tian Buli entered the house carrying the meal.

After entering the room, I found Mr. Sick lying quietly on the bed.

The room was dull and depressing. The sick man lay on the bed with his eyes open, looking at the beams, as if he was lost in thought.

"Sir, it's time to eat."

Tian Buli called softly, without asking him what he was thinking about.

Mr. Bing quickly and reluctantly got up and sat up by himself. Only after seeing Tian Buli carrying the food into the room did he force out an ugly smile.

"Thank you for your help, benefactor."

"It's okay, sir. You have nothing to do today. Let's go out for a walk instead of sleeping in the house all the time."

Mr. Sick also felt that he was about to die, so he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go out and take a look."

Tian Buli peeled an egg and handed it to Mr. Bing, while continuing to peel the egg, he chatted casually. "I slept with Hu'er and the others these days, and taught them how to make tofu and read and count. Otherwise, they won't know how to collect money or make change, and they won't be able to do business."

Mr. Bing said politely, "Thank you for your help, Tiger and Leopard are useless and can't learn well. You can just take care of the dog for a while."

"It's the same if I take one or three. Sir, you don't have to be polite to me." Tian Buli said with a smile: "Sometimes I also think Dou Niang is too harsh on Hu Er. She always beats and scolds him, and the food is not good. I don't blame him for going to other people's houses for dinner."

Mr. Bing waved his hand and said, "A loving mother often spoils her children. Children need more discipline. Dou Niang did the right thing. If the three children do something wrong in the future, you can beat them. I have already told them that they will listen to you from now on."

Tian Buli knew a few days ago that Mr. Bing had made arrangements for his funeral and had even written his suicide note.

The damselfly also knew about this, but everyone just pretended not to know.

Tian Buli didn't say much and just accompanied Mr. Bing for dinner.

When the meal was almost over, Tian Buli said, "I'll go out and buy a piece of fat meat later, and take you and Gou'er back to the fields in the countryside to visit Gou'er's grandmother. I guess you haven't been there yet."

Mr. Sick suddenly burst into tears and nodded.

Tian Buli continued, "I'll borrow a cart to take you and Gou'er to the countryside. Let Hu'er and Bao'er take care of the business. We need someone to look after the house, so let Dou Niang stay."

In the past, I thought that Mr. Sick was not in good health and was not suitable for bumpy rides.

I am actually feeling much better now, and the journey is not long, so I can go back and forth in half a day.

And if you don’t go now, it’s hard to say what will happen in the future.

Mr. Bing no longer cares about his health, and as a son, he must pay tribute to his mother before she dies.

"Thank you for your help, benefactor!"

Tian Buli was quick to act. He quickly said hello to Dou Niang and went to the street carrying two boxes of tofu on his shoulders. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for children and women to lift them.

Mr. Bing followed and watched as Tian Buli set up his stall.

After Tian Buli had given all the instructions, he set off with the puppy who did not need to work and was envied by his two brothers.

After walking a few steps, he saw Tailor Zhang with his mouth full of greasy food.

Zhang Fulai's eyes lit up, and he came over with a smile and bowed, "Hey, isn't this Mr. Hu? I usually see Dou Niang and Tian Ge'er together, and today the sun came out from the west, and I saw Mr. Hu!"

The sick man's face suddenly turned red and he couldn't raise his head.

Tian Buli said with a smile: "Tailor Zhang, you can't even read a few words, so why are you talking so rudely? My master won't understand your nonsense, just talk to me!"

When he smiled, his eyes showed a threatening look.

Zhang Fulai knew that Tian Buli had overturned the millstone with a carrying pole, and he also knew that Tian Buli had some skills and was not to be trifled with, so he quickly smiled along.

"Hahaha, don't be angry, don't be angry, I just drank dog meat soup, and I don't have much food in my stomach. Well, I'll go back to do business first. I'll buy a piece of tofu to go with the wine and make some sour water."

Tian Buli didn't want to pay any attention to this greasy man, so he walked out of the street with Mr. Sick and the puppy.

On the way, I borrowed a cart from a restaurant, bought a piece of fat meat that my mother liked to eat, and prepared yellow paper and yellow incense to offer sacrifices.

On the way, Tian Buli said, "Sir, don't pay attention to that kind of villain. Just treat his words as fart and stay away from him."

Mr. Sick sighed, "It's my problem. He has every reason to look down on me."

"Nonsense!" Tian Buli advised, "There is no one in this world who is free of dirt. If there is, then he is a saint! We are mortals, and as human beings, we have seven emotions and six desires!"

"Whether you are an official or a commoner, it's all the same. Sir, don't be too intolerant. Just know what you want."

"Take Zhang Fulai for example. He is a bad mouth, but I didn't hit him because that's just his personality. He didn't say anything unforgivable."

"He left tactfully, and I ignored him. He was nice to his daughter, but not so nice to others. All businessmen are like this, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and I am the same."

Mr. Sick smiled and said, "I will talk to him properly next time."

"No need!" Tian Buli said dissatisfiedly: "Don't try to debate with someone who has moral integrity and rules. Do you think he will pity you if you win him?"

"No, sir, when your family was in trouble, those people would not pity you. If you want to tell those businessmen how difficult it was for you, they will just laugh at you."

"I know you feel ashamed about the damselfly incident. This kind of thing shouldn't be mentioned. We all know how difficult it is for damselflies, but Boss Zhang has a daughter himself. How could he not know how difficult it is for women?"

"But the more you talk about how difficult life is for damselflies and how helpless they are, the happier they feel. The more anxious you are to defend yourself, the happier they are. This group of people is just enjoying our suffering. The more you suffer, the more they blame you, thinking that we deserve it. The more we suffer, the more comfortable they feel."

"Just wait, if that idiot dares to spread rumors, I will kick his daughter's door in the middle of the night! Let him know that trouble comes from the mouth!"

The little dog sitting in the car quickly said: "Mom told Second Dad about the daughter-in-law, the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, and my mom said that they looked down on Second Dad."

Tian Buli smiled and said, "Gou'er is right. People still have to make their own way. Sir, please don't pay attention to those bullshit things. Just leave this kind of shit to me."

Mr. Bing was comforted by Tian Buli all the way, and thinking that he would not live long, he soon stopped caring about some things and became carefree.

The three of them went back to burn paper and kowtow. Tian Buli didn't say a few words to the old woman, but for the sake of Dou Niang and the adults and children, he also knelt down symbolically a few times.

The dead are greatest, but we should also respect the living.

After the worship, Mr. Bing took the dog and talked to the overgrown grave.

While Mr. Sick was talking, the puppy pulled some weeds.

When I went back, I naturally took the fat meat and steamed buns in the bowl back with me.

I had some noodles with meat in the evening.

Tian Buli did not continue to sleep alone. In order to prevent Dou Niang from making mistakes, Tian Buli slept in the hut with the three children to stop the woman from thinking about him.

(End of this chapter)