Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 161 The lonelier you are, the busier you are

August 20th, the 8th day of the seventh lunar month.

Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival)

Located in a remote corner of Dongyang County, where several rivers converge, there is a beautiful cemetery with clear waters and lush mountains.

Zhai Da has many relatives buried here.

As the sky grew high and the sun shone long, three figures carrying several plastic bags walked uphill from the foot of the cemetery.

Perhaps it was because it had been too hot these past few days, but there were very few people in the huge cemetery. A few families could be seen, but they were all far apart and did not disturb each other.

In front of a tombstone, incense has been lit and offerings have been made. There is no photo on the stone tablet; that wasn't common back then. Only the name is written on it.

Zhai Zhihong.

At that time, joint burial plots were popular, so in addition to the three characters Zhai Zhihong, the tombstone also had "Yu Xiaoli" on it, but the three characters Yu Xiaoli were colorless.

In Zhai Da's memory, it once had color.

Yellow paper burned in a rusty communal iron basin. The summer heat was particularly intense when sweeping tombs, with the sun behind and the fire basin on one's chest working together.

It makes everyone who comes to it constantly waver between "formalism" and "sincerity".

Zhai Da and Lu Wei burned paper money, while Yu Xiaoli wiped the tombstone, muttering incantations.

It's not sadness, it's mostly just memories.
"When you left, Xiao Da was only three years old. Fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the child has become the pride of the entire county."

“My name is engraved on the monument. According to the old saying, I shouldn’t have come, but in this day and age, when someone is gone, the rules don’t matter. It’s just for the sake of remembering them.”

"We've been husband and wife; if I don't come to see you, who will?"

“I spoke with Sister Ma on the phone before, and she praised me for raising such a good son for Xiao Zhai. But I'm sorry, I didn't raise this child for you or for myself. He's my son, flesh of my flesh, and we're destined to be together. I didn't think about all that.”

After the paper money was burned, Yu Xiaoli asked Zhai Da to take out a small bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) from the bag and sprinkle it evenly around the tombstone. Finally, she poured the remaining little into a cup and placed it in front of the tombstone.

She never asked Zhai Da to talk to Zhai Zhihong in a rambling manner like she did, because she knew that Zhai Da had no memory of her husband, and even his relatives had hardly appeared in his world.

Instead of forcing children to pretend to have "deep feelings," it's better to be more relaxed and at peace.

"Alright, kowtow to your dad, let's move on."

Zhai Da kowtowed three times before the tombstone.

Lu Wei, who was behind her, seemed to be influenced by the atmosphere of tomb sweeping. She didn't know the rules and knelt down in front of the tombstone to kowtow. Yu Xiaoli opened her mouth, but in the end she didn't stop her.

Let's just keep kowtowing, we'll treat her as our goddaughter.

Then the three of them carried the scorching brazier to their next destination.

In the narrow path separated by tombstones, three living people walked in a line, passing by the tombstones one by one. Under the bright light, everything was like a silhouette.

Although the steps were small, they seemed light and quick.

The cemetery areas were developed in phases, but not in the same direction.

So after walking through about two "intersections", we arrived at the second stop of this trip.

The tombstones in this area are noticeably newer, and therefore mostly more ornate and flamboyant.

Improved economic development is reflected in all aspects of life.

Among the sea of ​​black granite tombstones, one stood out from the others, being shorter and thinner than the others.

The closer Lu Wei got, the slower her steps became. Finally, she stopped a few meters away, her body trembling slightly.

A hand took Lu Wei's small hand and patted it gently, dispelling her hesitation and fear.

Turning around, I saw Yu Xiaoli's smiling and kind face: "Good child, don't be afraid, we've come to bring good news."

Then, pulling Lu Wei along, they walked forward.

The sesame white stone appears almost like cement under strong light, and only a name is engraved on it.

Yan Jingwen.

Because the monument was erected last year, there is a photo on it, showing Zhai Da seeing what Lu Wei's mother looked like for the first time.

When Zhai Da covered him with his school uniform on that rainy day, his appearance was already unrecognizable.

She was a gentle woman with the same large eyes as Lu Wei, but her features were softer. She was also a rare beauty.

She looks remarkably young; you'd never guess she's already a mother of a grown woman. I wonder when this photo was taken.

Yu Xiaoli asked Zhai Da to bring out three sets of offerings and arrange them, while she wiped the tombstone with a handkerchief, muttering incantations:
"Little sister, this is the first time we've met Xiaowei. She's living with us now; she's my apprentice and also my goddaughter. Don't worry."

“This child has you in her heart, but she’s too young and no one has taught her these old customs. She doesn’t even understand the lunar calendar. I’ll remind her when it’s time to burn paper money during festivals.”

Lu Wei looked at the tombstone in front of her, her eyes already filled with tears, lost in thought.

Zhai Da looked at Lu Wei with concern, afraid that the girl would be traumatized again by recalling the scene from that day.

Fortunately, Lu Wei only cried silently, like a swaying white flower shaking off dew.

The same incense burning, the same paper burning.

Lu Wei knelt before the grave, bowed her head, and whispered, "Mom, I've come to see you."

Her voice trembled slightly with a sob: "I was so immature before. I was too scared to come alone. I'm so sorry, Mom." Zhai Da said softly, "It's alright. Nobody taught you these things. Just forget about it, don't mention it. Auntie won't blame you."

As if by coincidence, the keychain in Lu Wei's pocket made a clear metallic sound as its owner kept knocking.

Yu Xiaoli said at the right moment, "Xiao Da, since you've seen Aunt Yan off on her final journey, why don't you pay your respects as well?"

Zhai Da nodded, and together with Lu Wei, kowtowed, whispering, "Auntie, I didn't have time to say it then, may you rest in peace. Please rest assured, we will take good care of Lu Wei."

Lu Wei's mother doesn't drink alcohol, or rather, she dislikes alcohol, so she no longer performs the ritual of offering wine.

After waiting for the embers to die down, the three tidied up again and headed to the third location.

The path was still divided by tombstones, and the three of them still walked in a long, winding line. The cloudless sky in the distance seemed to have become their fixed backdrop.

These kinds of holidays seem to be characterized by both loneliness and busyness.
The busier I get, the lonelier I feel.

"Mom, will the offerings be taken?"

"Definitely, otherwise this place would be a garbage dump!"

"Then why not throw it into the brazier?"

"Why waste food? Just take it if you want."

"You're so good at taking things easy."

"I learned it from your maternal grandfather."

This time they walked further, arriving at another cemetery area about five minutes later.

Yu Xiaoli stopped in front of a tombstone, somewhat puzzled.
"Strange, it's cleaner than I expected. Does someone actually come to clean this cemetery?"

Zhai Da looked at the marks on the tomb: "It seems someone has been here? Just in the last couple of days?"

"I wonder if he might be Dad's old colleague."

The tombstone bears two names, both in color this time.

The author was formerly known as Yu Lihua.

The late mother was Liu Huijuan.

Yu Xiaoli took out a handkerchief to wipe the tombstone again, but Zhai Da saw the sweat on his mother's forehead and took the initiative to wipe it for his grandfather, while Lu Wei placed the last offering.

Yu Xiaoli clapped her hands together and said, "Dad, we have good news to share! Xiaoda has done well! He got the top score in the college entrance exam and even got into the university you couldn't attend before."

Zhai Da wiped the already clean tombstone again, thought for a moment, and then, imitating his mother, muttered a few words: "By the way, I've found all four of your notebooks. I think the wool mill no longer needs to study and learn on its own, so your things haven't been wasted."

"There's also a pocket watch, which seems to be one of yours, a Seagull brand."

At this point, Yu Xiaoli chimed in: "What pocket watch? Your grandfather's pocket watch?"

"Uh, I think so. It's still with Xu Xuejun. I'll go get it on my way back."

Yu Xiaoli shook her head directly: "Impossible. Your grandfather used to have a Seagull pocket watch, but it's always been at home, in my jewelry box, and it stopped working a long time ago."

This is truly Zhai Da's blind spot; he wouldn't go through Yu Xiaoli's jewelry box.
Is it really not my maternal grandfather's?

Why is it a "special item" and why is it so rare?
Dengdeng had always believed that the pocket watch was the zigzag line he hadn't found when he first met Xu Xuejun.

However, the existence of the "uncertainty pocket watch" was confirmed a month after I first met Xu Xuejun, so it's impossible to say that the two are the same thing. In fact, Xu Xuejun may have had it long ago.

Never mind, I'll get the answer once I get it.

The three of them stayed the longest in front of their grandfather's tombstone. Yu Xiaoli kowtowed, Zhai Da kowtowed, and Lu Wei followed suit.

Finally, Yu Xiaoli sniffed and said, "Let's go. Your grandfather never cares about these things. As long as he has the will, that's enough. He's going to get heatstroke in a little while."

The brazier used for repeated offerings was eventually left in front of my maternal grandparents' graves; staff will come to collect it.

Or they might choose some offerings that catch their eye.

After the three of them finished lighting all the incense and burning all the joss paper, covered in smoke, they headed down the mountain.

Some say that the passing of a loved one is not a downpour, but rather a long, damp period in one's life.

Fortunately, the humidity rises under the scorching sun, so it's good to get plenty of sunshine.

"Mom, what kind of person was Grandma?"

"Your maternal grandmother is about the same age as me."

"That person must be incredibly talented."

"Am I that great? Why does it feel like you're blaming me for being fierce?"

"Mom, believe me, I am a cultured person and a writer. I'm praising you."

Zhai Da has no clear memories of his grandfather passing away when he was one year old and his father passing away when he was three.

But for Xiaoli, losing her father at twenty-six and her husband at twenty-eight was the real, devastating blow.

But she is a mother.

So in front of her children, she never showed any signs of injury.

(End of this chapter)