Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

Kikuta, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, is indeed a place of auspicious geomancy. Aimin's grave is just a few steps away from his mother's. The two had little time together in life, but now they are together in the afterlife, a truly poignant sight.

The tomb was meticulously constructed. A two-meter-deep square pit was first dug down the slope, and then a seven-cubic-meter burial chamber was carved out towards the mountain. Inside, in addition to the coffin, niches were specially carved into the left and right walls to hold ever-burning lamps.

Such a high-standard tomb is not something ordinary people can afford; it seems that the people in charge of the funeral arrangements put a lot of thought into it.

Excavating soil and building a tomb is time-consuming and labor-intensive. If there is a problem with the hoisting and placing of the coffin, everything done before will be in vain.

At this moment, the deacons gathered together to brainstorm and arrange the relevant matters properly, and then the group of coffin bearers began to lay logs in the rectangular tunnel.

The group chanted slogans and used ropes and wooden poles to slide the coffin onto the rolling logs. Immediately afterward, two strong men crouched down and crawled into the pit. Holding their breath, they worked together to push the coffin into the tomb chamber.

Without the logs, no matter how strong you are, you can't move the coffin. But once the coffin is inside the tomb, removing the logs becomes difficult; it's definitely a skilled job—the strong man inside holds the corners of the coffin, while the man outside exerts a burst of strength, and the two of them, panting heavily, shove the coffin into the center. One holds the coffin steady, while the other, with quick eyes and hands, pulls out the logs, thus completing the most dangerous task.

The two burly men, soaked to the bone as if they had been pulled out of the pit, didn't even have time to rest before waiting to receive the kneeling obeisance of their filial son and grandson.

Before the burial mound was sealed, the black-clad steward called out to the people dressed in mourning clothes, "Nephew of Aimin's family, come here!"

Everyone else was too tired to lift their heads, but Yue Chuan and Qin Shoufeng moved over and took the broom from the steward.

The two brothers knew their mission perfectly well. Grabbing brooms, they jumped into the pit one after the other. One swept the clods of earth off the coffin lid, while the other spread out the embroidered velvet cloth on top of the coffin. They worked together efficiently and skillfully.

After doing all this, Yue Chuan didn't rush to leave the tomb. Instead, he stroked the coffin, looking as if he was reluctant to leave.

Qin Shoufeng quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Chuan'er, I know you're reluctant to part with Uncle Aimin, but it's about to rain, and our uncle likes things clean, so we can't let rainwater get in!"

Without waiting for his cousin's consent, he pulled and dragged him to the ground.

In the traditional burial practices of Shuangling area, "sweeping the coffin and covering it with a velvet cloth" expresses the younger generation's remembrance and reverence for the deceased. However, at this stage, there are always cases where the filial sons and grandsons are unwilling to leave the grave. To ensure the smooth progress of the funeral, a special person is usually assigned to "assist" in completing this process. For example, Qin Shoufeng today was instructed by his elders to take care of his cousin. It seems that this reminder was very necessary.

After the final procedures before sealing the coffin were completed, the funeral director asked all relatives to recuse themselves to prevent significant emotional distress among the family members.

In this way, the younger generation, dressed in mourning clothes, were led behind a certain earthen slope. They could not see the scene of the coffin bearers building brick walls and backfilling the earth, so there would be no trouble.

Ten minutes later, the coffin bearers and villagers who had come to watch the ceremony left one after another, which meant that the sealing of the tomb had ended.

The loess buried the tomb pit, and a large mound filled with wreaths and paper offerings appeared in the cemetery. This is Aimin's final resting place.

The younger generation and relatives in mourning clothes reassembled in front of the grave. At this time, the black-clad deacon lit the paper wreaths and recited the last verses of the day.

"The burial ceremony is complete! May the deceased rest in peace! The bereaved family members bow, kneel, kowtow once, kowtow twice, kowtow three times, rise, bow again! The ceremony is complete!"

……

The grave was ablaze with firelight. Except for the banner that was raised high, all the wreaths and paper offerings had turned to ashes. Just then, a mountain breeze swept by, and a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

The flames were not greatly affected at first, stubbornly burning in the wind and rain, but were eventually extinguished by the rain after the fuel was burned out.

The red earth was damp, and the air suddenly turned chilly. But for some reason, Yue Chuan felt no cold at all. He looked up at the sky, letting the raindrops fall on his cheeks.

He had thought he would lie on the grave and weep bitterly, but now, with even the heavens weeping, the boy could not shed a single tear. He had cried for too long; his tear ducts were already congested, and even this last outlet for his emotions had been taken away.

How should we mourn our uncle?

The three kneelings and nine kowtows seemed a bit contrived, and speaking in front of the grave was hardly enough to vent the bitterness in his heart. After standing there for a long time, Yue Chuan suddenly remembered the book of Pushkin's poems that Ai Min had given him.

There was a poem in the book that he particularly liked, and now that the desolate tomb was silent, he simply recited it to the blue stone tablet:

I built myself a monument that wasn't man-made.

The grass no longer grows on the path people take there.

He raised his defiant head.

Towering atop the Alexander Column

No, I will not die completely.

My soul will outlive my ashes.

I will be forever glorious

Even if only one poet lives in the world under the moonlight

Yue Chuan is usually a science student who focuses on solving problems and shouldn't have much talent for recitation, but at this moment, he read "Monument" with great emotion and melancholy.

The sound of recitation spread through the rain. In a daze, Yue Chuan traveled from Jutai to the frozen wasteland of Siberia, heading west, and finally arrived at the center of Palace Square in St. Petersburg.

Looking up, Yue Chuan saw the bronze angel holding a cross on the memorial column and felt a sense of familiarity. That mysterious face represented an indomitable will.

A century from now, the graves before us will all be gone, but may poets still sing of his short but heroic life. Let this be a eulogy, along with the inscription carved on the blue stone tablet, to comfort the spirit of the departed.