Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

As dawn broke, Ma Xiangju, carrying a basket of paper ingots, dragged Mao Dan'er into the mourning hall.

"Come, kowtow three times to our benefactor, and call him godfather. It won't be in vain that he brought you back from the clutches of the King of Hell."

The fact that Mao Dan'er recognized Ai Min as his godfather was not a trick that Ma Xiangju did on her own initiative, but rather an arrangement made by Qin Laishun after consulting the Yin-Yang Immortal.

Aimin was neither married nor had any children, and there wasn't even anyone to carry the funeral banner or break the burial basin at his funeral, which was really against the rules. Before the funeral procession, the chief steward of the funeral and Qin Laishun specially arranged the "family reunion" ceremony for Maodan'er.

Of course, Qin Huozi was still opposed to his son calling a dead person "father," but when Qin Laishun brought up the compensation, he had no choice but to accept it dejectedly.

Seeing Mao Dan'er call him "godfather" and respectfully kowtow three times, Ma Xiangju finally felt a lump in her throat. Her voice was already hoarse like a broken gong, and her speech was like a bellows, but even so, she still kept nagging Mao Dan'er, "Kid, we must always remember our godfather's kindness..."

In front of everyone, Mao Dan'er sniffed and nodded, thus completing all the preparations for the funeral.

Dark clouds gathered, an autumn wind picked up, and it looked like rain was imminent. Worried that the coffin would get wet, the head of the funeral arrangements hurriedly expedited the process.

At eight o'clock in the morning, all the men, women, and children of Qin Yunhai's branch of the family arrived at the mourning hall, and the funeral attendants also took their places, thus beginning the funeral.

"Today is the grand memorial service for the passing of Lord Qin Aimin. Aimin's merits in saving lives deserve his place among the immortals. The presence of all relatives and friends brings honor and celebration. Filial sons and grandsons, please step forward—"

As soon as the black-clad steward finished his shout, Mao Dan'er, Yue Chuan, Shou Feng, and the other juniors dressed in mourning clothes all moved forward in unison.

"The bereaved family invites guests to accompany them in the ancestral worship. Before the spirit tablet, the bereaved family members bow and prostrate themselves—kneel! Bow once, bow twice, bow three times, then rise and bow again."

As the black-clad butler shouted, he gestured to Mao Dan'er and the others. The younger generation, as if they had rehearsed, kowtowed repeatedly to the mourners filling the courtyard.

After the ceremony, the black-clad attendant approached the paper horse at the main gate. He stuffed straw into the horse's mouth and suddenly began to sing: "This white horse is handsome, carrying the deceased to the Western Paradise! Silver saddle and golden stirrups, the deceased mounts and the bells jingle! Feet on the saddle, hands on the reins, don't panic on the road to the Yellow Springs, don't drink from the winding stream, don't stay in the City of the Dead, the Buddha of the Western Paradise is your home!"

The chant was delivered in a unique singing style characteristic of the Shuangling area, instantly elevating the solemnity of the funeral.

After singing this part, the black-clad butler gathered his strength, his neck veins bulging, and roared:

"The filial son smashes the basin, and the horse is summoned!"

At this moment, Mao Dan'er timidly stepped forward, first smashing the jar to pieces, and then sticking the torch into the paper horse's belly.

Flames suddenly leaped up, and everyone in the courtyard held their breath, afraid to move. The younger generation, dressed in mourning clothes, began running back and forth between the coffin and the paper horse, wailing and circling. They ran around three times until the paper horse was burned to ashes, and only then did these teenagers stop.

Once the coffin was sealed and the nails were fastened, the black-clad steward led Mao Dan'er to the front of the mourning hall alone, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The deceased has mounted his horse; the filial son bows before the hall!"

While Mao Dan'er was still in a daze, Ma Xiangju suddenly pressed him down from behind. Seeing this, the other filial sons and grandsons all knelt down on the ground.

"One kowtow... a second kowtow... a third kowtow..."

Following the black-clad deacon's shouts, the younger members kowtowed three times towards the mourning hall. Afterward, the black-clad deacon tossed his chin and announced, "Ceremony complete! Proceed to the funeral!"

Before the words were finished, a mournful duet of suona and sheng (traditional Chinese wind instruments) came from the funeral procession. At the same time, sixteen burly men in plain clothes surrounded the coffin, carrying it on their shoulders and lifting it with their hands, managing to lift the more than 400-pound cypress coffin.

Aimin was not of high rank, yet his funeral procession was unusually large. The young men from his clan carried wreaths and paper offerings, creating a spectacle that astonished the onlookers.

At the funeral, Mao Dan'er, Yue Chuan, and Qin Shoufeng stood out the most. The three walked side-by-side to the front; Yue Chuan held the portrait on the left, Qin Shoufeng carried the memorial tablet on the right, and Mao Dan'er in the middle laboriously carried a banner made of willow branches and paper—which, in addition to the deceased's birth details, had neat calligraphy written on the two ends of the banner.

"A golden boy leads the way, riding a dragon eastward; a jade maiden escorts you to Penglai, where you ride a crane to freedom."

The funeral banner, also known as the soul-guiding banner, is usually carried by the eldest son or grandson who inherits the family business. Mao Dan'er wearing mourning clothes is already a source of gossip, and now that he's taken over the task of carrying the banner, it's bound to cause a stir.

Sure enough, the old hunter's five daughters-in-law were pointing and whispering about Mao Dan'er.

"Oh my! This is quite something! Someone died, and the one carrying the funeral banner wasn't their own son or nephew, but a complete stranger!"

"Exactly! Even if Aimin saved his life, it's one thing to let him become Aimin's godson, but why make this kid do the job of 'carrying the banner'? Isn't Qin Huozi afraid of having no descendants?"

"Shh...who said he's a godson? Didn't Qin Ergou mention it before? Mao Dan'er is actually..."

……

Several gossipy women were talking animatedly, spittle flying everywhere, when Ma Xiangju, following behind Mao Dan'er, glared at them fiercely. Her gaze was like an icicle, piercing them so much that they all shrank back and shut their mouths. Believe it or not, if they said another word, Ma Xiangju would really pounce on them and tear their mouths apart.

As the funeral procession passed through the central square, the pallbearers lowered the coffin to rest. The dutiful sons and grandsons then performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.

The funeral music started again, followed by wailing. By this time, Mao Dan'er had no strength left; he could barely breathe, let alone cry.

Seeing her son's listless appearance, Ma Xiangju reached out and pinched his bottom hard. The child cried out, and seeing that everyone was looking this way, Ma Xiangju's brows relaxed a little.

When the procession set off again, the sixteen coffin bearers had been replaced by a new group. Before the thirty-two strong men were exhausted, the coffin had to be placed steadily and firmly in the burial ground.

This is no easy task!

Firstly, the burial site was chosen in Jutai, halfway up the mountain, which was a long way and involved climbing. Secondly, Aimin's coffin was made of solid cypress wood and was quite heavy. If two shifts of people were not prepared to carry it, it would probably take until sunset to get it into the burial site.

As expected, the men were all panting heavily when they finally carried the burial to the grave. But the main event was just beginning. The burial and the sealing of the grave were all strenuous tasks. Whether the funeral would be a grand affair depended on the final steps.