Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 74 Funeral
The first ray of sunlight in the morning pierces through the haze in the east and falls warmly on the concrete roof.

The main hall door, which was always tightly closed, was opened by Ran Qing at this moment.

There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked a little tired.

After returning from the Wujiang ghost world last night, he stayed up late to read "Witchcraft, Ghosts and Magic" for a long time, and only fell into a drowsy sleep when it was almost dawn.

Now when I get up with my sleepy body and open the door, I see the bright sunshine outside.

The thick fog that had shrouded Yuezhao City for two weeks finally dissipated, and the warm sunlight shone on the city.

The group of pale ghosts that had been haunting Aunt Liu for two weeks also disappeared with her death and they probably won't come to Yuezhao City again.

The fog also dissipated at the same time.

"...It seems that the heavy fog before was indeed caused by those ghosts," Ran Qing murmured.

Without much delay or sighing, after opening the door of the main hall, Ran Qing walked into the house and brought all the sheets, quilt covers, and clothes that Aunt Liu had used during her lifetime to the door.

According to the customs of the Qiangke people, when an elderly person passes away, these clothes and quilts must be burned.

Aunt Liu did not leave behind a body, but Ran Qing had to return the damp old coffin to its original owner, a man named "Lao Yangpi" in the city.

He has a lot to do today.

A large iron basin was placed in the cement yard at the door. Ran Qing put Aunt Liu's clothes, quilt covers, and sheets into the basin one after another and burned them with flames.

The stench of burning cloth and the rising black smoke rose in the sunlight. Little Cotton lay beside the brazier, tilting his head and scratching his ears with his hind legs, like a real dog.

Ran Qing is no stranger to handling funeral affairs.

When he was young, he helped his grandmother take care of his mother's funeral.

After his grandmother passed away, Ran Qing, with the help of the elders in the village, was busy taking care of his grandmother's funeral.

Now, he is alone in taking care of Sixth Aunt's funeral.

The main room behind him was cold and deserted, without the pungent smell of smoke and the stuffy heat.

Aunt Liu passed away, and the incense she lit in this room went out.

If there is no ghost walker to continue the incense from now on, this room will remain cold forever.

The red ropes hanging from the ceiling also hung down sickly and lifeless.

In the large vat where the incense sticks were burning, the ash gradually increased, but the vat was ice-cold, without a trace of heat.

At noon, Ran Qing went to the intersection of Park Road and found a few porters. He paid them to carry the coffins from the main hall to Park Road below. He also hired a small truck to transport the two coffins to an old courtyard on the edge of Yuezhao City.

This is a paper-making shop. There are many colorful paper people and paper horses in the yard, and the house is filled with thick paper money and ghost money.

When the owner saw Ran Qing dragging the coffin over, he didn't react much.

He simply looked at Ran Qing coldly and asked, "Sixth sister is dead?"

Ran Qing nodded.

The shop owner, with only one eye left and the other eye socket empty, was silent for a few seconds before shaking his head: "What a pity."

He and Ran Qing unloaded the two coffins and parked them in the yard.

After watching the pickup truck drive away, the shop owner handed over a frosted yellow fruit tree and said, "So next time I need something, I'll come to you?"

The burly shop owner, with a rough face full of traces of time, gives people the illusion of a bandit.

His cloudy single eye gazed calmly at the boy, without any contempt or suspicion on his face because of his youth.

Ran Qing was silent for a few seconds before taking the cigarette. "Everything will be as usual, according to the old rules." Aunt Liu had no friends in Yuezhao City, but she had some acquaintances. Occasionally, someone would ask her for help, and Aunt Liu would occasionally go to these people.

Now that Sixth Aunt has passed away, all those favors and relationships have been inherited by Ran Qing.

All of this was explained when Aunt Six passed away last night, so Ran Qing was not surprised.

So, the middle-aged bearded man named "Lao Yangpi" finally smiled.

"Okay! Then when you come to my place next time, feel free to take whatever you want. And follow Aunt Six's rules as usual!"

On the way back, Ran Qing waited for a long time for the bus at the intersection, and finally got on a bus that was marinated in heavy odors such as diesel, vomit, and sweat.

The wobbly bus, like a sleepy boat, carried the sleepy and exhausted Ran Qing away from the edge of the city.

A heavy stench hung in the air, and the harsh sound of car engines and the chattering voices of passengers echoed in my ears.

In the noisy and chaotic environment, the tired Ran Qing leaned against the shaking window glass and quickly fell asleep.

In his dream, he seemed to go back to the night when he first met Aunt Six, and saw the vulgar woman in the hospital corridor.

But in the dream, this middle-aged woman with a pipe in her mouth and a foul smell did not make any harsh remarks to Ran Qing.

She touched Ran Qing's head with a smile and said kindly, "My son, Aunt Liu will definitely help you!"

At that moment, Ran Qing seemed to be bathed in the warm sunshine, feeling warm all over.

The heavy stench in the air seemed to have long gone away.

After an unknown amount of time in his drowsy sleep, the conductor suddenly shouted, "We've arrived at Park Road!" and the boy was awakened from his dream.

He opened his eyes drowsily and found that the car glass was a little wet.

Without Sixth Aunt, there are no dreams.

He was just sitting on the bus on the way back, and now the bus has arrived at the station.

Ran Qing rubbed his eyes and got out of the car silently.

Aunt Liu's house is halfway up the mountain. When there is no heavy fog, you can stand here and look up and clearly see the lonely cement bungalow halfway up the mountain.

Under a tree on the sidewalk not far away, several children were surrounding a parked bicycle, babbling and shouting.

The thin middle-aged man stepped on the pedals of the bicycle, and the wheel kept turning. Silky white sugar flocs sprayed out from the metal mouth installed on the wheel, and finally wrapped around the bamboo stick in the middle-aged man's hand back and forth, forming a light round ball.

Marshmallow……

Ran Qing was stunned when he saw this scene.

He remembered something he had promised before, so he walked over and took out a red bill.

"Two marshmallows."

When we returned to the single-story cement bungalow halfway up the mountain, the sun was about to set and the sick old dog was lying lazily at the door, drowsy.

Seeing Ran Qing coming back with two white marshmallows in his hand, the little girl in dog skin was stunned for a moment, then she rushed over happily, wagging her tail with joy, completely forgetting her sadness.

"I'll live here from now on."

A few minutes later, Ran Qing sat in the courtyard, holding a marshmallow in his hand. He watched the girl beside him happily licking the soft white candy and whispered, "I'll move the things here tomorrow, and we'll live together from now on."

The setting sun fell on the young boy, and his shadow and the shadow of the little girl squatting on the ground snuggled together on the wall.

Like a warm family.

(End of this chapter)