Before I even entered the ward, I heard a burst of crying, which spread throughout the corridor.

Li He's aunt and cousins wept as they dressed the dead old man in the longevity clothes that had been prepared long ago.

Li He said, "Grandpa, you will lie down." ”

The old man didn't cry, but the wrinkles on his forehead and the pursed mouth showed that he was not very comfortable.

"Is the car coming?" the old man asked Wang Yushan, "It's hot, you have to go back quickly." ”

Wang Yushan said, "I'll come later, it's an ice coffin, and it'll be fine." ”

As soon as he lit a cigarette, he was scolded by a passing nurse, and he hurriedly put it down again, but when he saw that he was far away, he lit it again with a sad face.

When the car carrying the coffin came, he didn't use a stretcher, so he picked up the old man and said, "It's so light, it's not a little weighty." ”

Wang Yuguo said, "I haven't eaten for a whole week, and I rely on glucose." ”

Wang Yushan got out of the ward first, and Li He trotted to the elevator entrance and opened the elevator door first.

After going downstairs, with the help of the driver, the old man was put into an ice coffin.

The driver swore and promised, "It's the same as the refrigerator, it's frozen, and if it stinks, I won't charge you a dime!"

"Let's go. Li He urged the driver, and after seeing the driver in the driver's seat, he said to Xizi, "You recognize the road, you follow the car, in front, we follow behind." ”

At the same time, he stopped his grandfather, who was about to get into the hearse, and pulled him to Liu Laosi's car.

"You're not awake, are you? Li He asked Liu Laosi.

Liu Laosi said, "How much wine is this, it's okay, I can deal with it when I encounter the traffic police." ”

"Then you drive slowly. Li He saw that he was sober, so he didn't make a big fuss, and asked a few cousins and cousin-in-law to follow him into the car, and after making arrangements, he turned back to Li Long and said, "Then you wait here until noon, and when you pick up Auntie and Daddy, they will go back." ”

Li Long nodded, "Don't worry, there will be no delay." ”

After explaining Li Long, Li He got into the passenger seat of Li Hui's big truck, and let Wang Yushan and Wang Jun sit in the second row of bunks.

These two are not Li Zhuang's, and they are not familiar with Li Hui, seeing that Li Hui is willing to help each other like this, they are naturally very polite, and they hand over cigarettes vigorously.

The car started and followed closely the hearse in front of it.

"Is there a notice from home? Wang Yushan asked his eldest son Wang Jun.

Like marriage, funerals are also to be held, not only to do, but also to do big, the more lively, the more filial piety of the children.

Wang Jun said, "I just called home with a coin-operated phone, and they will go to the street at dawn." ”

Wang Yushan nodded, stretched his head over the chair in front of him, and said to Li He, "Erhe, you have a phone, and as soon as you arrive in the town, you have to trouble you to call and let them prepare for the artillery battle. ”

Li He said, "Okay." ”

The night was very good, with the moon and stars, and the sky was uneven.

The group, three cars, arrived in the town at five o'clock in the morning, and it was already dawn.

Li He took out the phone, handed it to Wang Yushan and said, "Uncle, you call by yourself." ”

"I won't use this, I'll give you the number, you dialed, I'll say. Wang Yushan reported the number of the landline, and after Li He dialed, he took the phone and carefully explained it left and right.

As he spoke, the car had already entered the river bay, and the sound of firecrackers suddenly exploded in his ears.

Then, before the car could stop, a group of women chased the hearse and began to cry.

"Oh my god... Why are you leaving..."

"Mother, what should I do..."

"My life is so miserable...."

“....”

When the men brought the ice coffin out, the women threw themselves on it and wept.

"Don't hold it down..."

"Carry it in and cry slowly...."

The four men carrying the coffin couldn't withstand the tossing of more than a dozen women.

"You go aside. Wang Yushan was the first to go up and pull his mothers and daughters and daughters-in-law away, and then other men also came over to pull away the crying women.

"The ground is full of dust, wipe it. Li He also went up to pull the eldest sister Li Mei away.

"What about the third child?" Li Mei wiped the corners of her eyes and asked casually.

Li He took a puff of cigarette, spit it out and said, "Pick up A-Niang and they went." ”

Li He asked, "His father hasn't come back yet?"

He hadn't seen Yang Xuewen yet.

"I went to sell fish in the county, and I guess I'll be back later. It's cooking over there, you can get something to eat yourself. Li Mei saw that the ice coffin had already entered the hall, so she didn't say more, but followed in and continued to cry.

There was a large cauldron for cooking rice outside the door, and the stove was made of mud and red bricks temporarily, and it was Li He's cheap cousin who was in charge.

"Is there anything to eat?" Li He looked at the vegetable pots on the big table one by one, and they were basically empty, only a pot of mung bean balls.

Cousin Wang Yucheng waved a big spoon and pointed to the place where the water was pressed, "Take the bowl yourself." ”

After speaking, he kept wiping the sweat that kept falling from his forehead.

Li He walked to the pressurized water well, removed the bowl under the water outlet, put his head under the bottom, pressed the water with one hand, and flushed it directly, making it wet.

But it's a fever reliever.

From the moment he got out of the car to the present, the sweat on his body has not stopped at all.

took a big bowl, and didn't look for a shovel, so I used chopsticks to directly pull a large bowl of mung bean balls.

After eating casually, he felt in his pocket and found that the cigarette was gone, and his luggage was in Li Long's car.

Seeing that Xizi was scattering cigarettes there, he asked for a pack of cigarettes, although the smoke was very poor, but it was better than nothing.

Before a cigarette was finished, Wang Yucheng shouted at him, "Erhe, you help me chop wood." ”

"Okay. Li He didn't refuse, picked up the axe and went to the firewood pile to work.

Zhang Bing wanted to come over to help, but he refused, otherwise it would seem that he was so delicate that he would even have to let someone do it for him.

Zhang Bing whispered, "It's so hot, let's do it." ”

Li He waved his hand, "You go to the town to find a place to rest, you don't need to be here." ”

"This..."Zhang Bing hesitated a little.

Li He said in a low voice, "At my doorstep, what can you do if you're afraid of me? Go ahead, leave me alone." ”

Zhang Bing thought about it, paid 10 yuan at the place where the gift was submitted, turned around and left.

Wang Yushan came over and said to Li He, "Your friend left without eating?"

Li He said, "You don't have to worry about him, he has his own place to go." ”

The axe fell, the thick wood was split in two, and he still had some ability to chop wood.

But before a while, Liu Laosi wanted to come over to help, Li He refused, Li Hui came over again, and he continued to refuse.

The people of Li Zhuang saw the face of Li and his family came to participate in this funeral one after another, and they originally had no etiquette with the Wang family in Hewan.

Liu Legend said, "When did you come back?"

Li He wiped his sweat with his clothes and said, "I arrived at night, and I haven't had time to go home yet." ”

He saw that He Laoxi also came over, holding his son He Yao, but he didn't see the person he wanted to see.

"Hey, when did you even smoke across the river?" Chen Fatzi took Li He's cigarette and teased.

"What about yours?" Li He glanced at the pocket of Fat Chen's shirt, and after taking it out, he saw that it was a good cigarette, so he put it in his pocket.

"There's a consignment store next to it, I'll buy it. Li Dong stood next to him, he came with Li Fucheng and others.

"You help me with some work, I'm going to lose weight. Li He gave the axe to Li Dong and asked his younger brother to work, but this person couldn't say anything.

"Good. Li Dong didn't refuse, he picked up his arms and worked hard there.

At noon, the sons and grandchildren of the Wang family were all guarding the ice coffin in the hall and kowtowing to people, moving the table, setting the dishes and chopsticks, and serving the dishes, which naturally belonged to Li and Yang Xuewen and others.

After the sixteen dishes were served and he was sweating profusely, he had the time to squeeze onto the table of Liu Legend and others to drink a bottle of beer and eat a mouthful of food.

Wang Yulan didn't come until more than three o'clock in the evening, and she cried as soon as she entered the door, and the whole person seemed to be paralyzed.

Li Zhaokun went to the coffin, kowtowed to his mother-in-law twice, burned two knives of paper in front of the brazier, and went to the side to chat with others.

At night, Wang Yulan wanted to keep vigil here, and Li He and the others went home.

Duan Mei and Aunt Li Mei came back early and cleaned up and brushed the mats.

Li He told Li Fucheng about seeing Chen Mingjing, Li Fucheng smashed it and said, "That's also my own relatives, you can help if you can, don't really be an outsider." ”

"Definitely. Li He knew that his father must have said so.

This old man has always taken relatives and affection very seriously.

"Hey, you don't know how long you'll last, it's more than ninety. Li Fucheng has his own worries, and it is obvious that the death of his own mother has touched him.

Li He thought about it and said, "Why don't I accompany you to Kaifeng again?"

This is his grandfather's wish, and he still has to fulfill it.

Besides, his grandfather is not young now, and when he thinks that he will live in a few years, Li He feels a little sad in his heart, and he doesn't want to leave regrets for the old man.

"You're busy, aren't you?" Li Fucheng didn't say he agreed, nor did he say he didn't agree.

Li He said, "Don't be busy, I'll go with you." Otherwise, I don't know when I'll be back next time. ”

No matter what time or age a person is, it is natural to miss their mother.

In the eyes of the mother, no matter how old the child is, he is his own child, and there will be no less love.

"Then we'll talk about it in two days. Li Fucheng didn't know what to hesitate about.

Li He nodded, "Okay." ”

After taking a bath, Li He lay down, originally due to lack of sleep.

But he always felt that he had just been woken up as soon as he lay down.

"Hurry up. Standing at the head of his bed was Li Zhaokun.

"Why are you doing so early?" Li He found that it was still dark outside, and it was not even dawn.

"Go to the crematorium today. "In such a matter as weddings and funerals, Li Zhaokun is not a little stronger than Li He.

"Oh. As soon as Li Zhaokun said this, Li He had to get up if he didn't get up.

Li Long's car had already stopped at the door, and Li Fucheng said to Duan Mei on the side, "Let's see if your milk is here, let her go to see the child." ”

Duan Mei said, "The milk has been there, cook porridge for me there, and you can eat it when the child wakes up." ”

"Let's go. Li He looked at the time, afraid that he wouldn't be able to catch up, so he only copied a handful of water and washed his face, and didn't even have time to brush his teeth.

Five or six hearses had already stopped at the door of Wang Yushan's house.

As soon as the ice coffin came out of the hall, the firecrackers were remembered, and then there was a burst of women's cries.

As soon as you enter the crematorium, what catches your eye is the eight white lime characters on the high wall: "Change customs and practice cremation".

The crematorium is a square courtyard house facing north and south, and the largest building is the incineration room.

Getting out of the car, Li He looked at the ash smoke coming out of the towering incinerator chimney, and then looked at the dust falling from the ground, he didn't know whether it was coal ash or bone ashes, and he always felt that the air was a little dignified.

Wang Yushan went to pay the money and received the number, and then waited for the gap in the queue, and then went to a special place of worship, set off firecrackers, and burned paper.

Li He never cried, in fact, most men didn't cry.

However, the moment he saw the old man enter the incinerator, both men and women present cried.

Li He thought he wouldn't cry, but when the old man's thin and small body was stuffed into the stove with a smile from the rough worker, the tears couldn't stop falling, and finally let out a sigh of relief, wiped the corners of his eyes, and didn't let himself cry.

Li Zhaokun also wiped the corners of his red and swollen eyes, sighed and said, "People, it's just like this, how can you distinguish between old and young on Huangquan Road." ”

He saw his father-in-law squatting at the door, without blinking at the incinerator, so he went up and shook it in front of his eyes with his hand, pulled it up and said, "It's okay, I'll drink two cups with you at noon." ”

"You go and ask, when will you get the ashes?" Grandpa struggled to get up.

"Asked, half an hour. This is the first time Li Zhaokun has been so polite to his father-in-law.

He has been married to Wang Yulan for nearly 40 years, and he doesn't treat him very well from his father-in-law to his two brothers-in-law, a second-rate son, what is there to say!

Not beating him is enough to give face!

What else to say!

He is also not cheap, you don't look down on Lao Tzu, Lao Tzu still looks down on you!

Therefore, for decades, they have not violated each other, each has its own way, but it has been peaceful.

The ashes were taken out, and Li He asked Wang Yushan to hold the urn and get into Li Long's car first, and he found a handcart and climbed up.

The cemetery was chosen on a high ground of the Wang family, next to a river, which was specially carried out by someone.

"This piece is on the wind. "Feng Shui people fell in love with this place at a glance yesterday afternoon.

The countryside is particularly particular about the feng shui of the cemetery, whose grave has good feng shui, whose family will be prosperous, and the people will be prosperous.

The graveyard is all men, women are not allowed to come, men dig the earth, and men carry the earth, and none of them are idle.

After the grave was dug up, in order to prevent water from going away, the four walls were paved with red bricks and cement, and when the cement was almost dry, the ashes went down, and the men began to bury the soil, and after a while, a small bag of soil came out.

After taking a shovel to make the soil solid and setting off three firecrackers, the men smoked a cigarette and lit paper money by the way, and the sons, grandsons, and grandsons knelt down one by one quietly and kowtowed three times according to their seniority.

After the firecrackers went off, everything fell silent.

"Family salute!" Li Zhaokun roared!

Wang Yushan and Wang Yuguo, the brothers, took their sons and grandchildren and bowed to everyone.

"Alright, alright, go home for dinner. Li Zhaokun patted the dust on his hands.