"Dad, what's wrong?" Zhiyuan walked over and asked gently.

"The old Yuan we went to the hospital last time, my big brother, is dead! Oh my God! The old horse tapped the table lightly with his left hand.

"What's wrong, grandpa?" Tsai Tsai came out of the house to go to the bathroom and saw that his grandfather's face was wrong.

"You...... One of your grandpa's friends is gone! Seeing that the old man was silent, Zhiyuan explained to his son.

"Huh? Dead? Tsai jumped back and shouted.

As soon as Gui Ying heard her son's call, she knew that something was going to happen, she put her hands in her pockets and leaned against the door frame to watch the excitement. Yang Yang heard his brother shouting, and he also put down the building block and got up and went out of the house to see the movement.

"Don't be surprised!" Zhiyuan softly accused his son.

"What's wrong?" Gui Ying saw that the old man was holding his forehead and was silent, and asked everyone loudly.

"How-what?" Yangyang also walked to the crowd to inquire about the situation.

Tsai strode up to his mother and said, "One of my grandfather's friends has passed away!" ”

"Huh?" Gui Ying was stunned when she heard this, then walked to the restaurant and pulled a chair and sat opposite Lao Ma. The two little ones followed and sat down in their chairs.

"Who's gone?" Gui Ying asked.

"The one who visited the hospital last time." Zhiyuan back.

"This funeral ...... What to do in town? ”

"There is a funeral home that is fully responsible!" Zhiyuan stood behind Yangyang and said.

"Oh! Doing a funeral in the city, I don't know about this yet! Gui Ying said.

The old horse sighed, lit a pot of cigarettes, and smoked to the side. The crowd thought he was going to say something, but they didn't say anything.

"You weren't so sad when my mother died?" Gui Ying raised his head and said to the old horse.

"Tsk!" The old horse turned a face, and then said, "I just came, and he is gone!" It's so sudden! ”

"Dad, I'll go with you tomorrow!"

"Dad, I'm going too!" Yang Yang interjected indiscriminately, causing Tsai to stare at him. Yangyang was afraid that his brother hid in his mother's arms.

"And what are we wearing?" Zhiyuan asked the old horse.

"That's a problem! Put aside the white mourning clothes in the village, don't do this in the city! Gui Ying scratched her head.

"Ordinary clothes, just be formal and plain." The old horse said with a sideways face.

"It's scary! The first time I heard of a dead man. Tsai Tsai was lying on the dining table grinning with an incredulous expression.

"You haven't seen your Hunan grandfather dead?" The old horse moved the cigarette holder and asked the boy seriously.

"Didn't let him go back! He was young, and he was about to take his final exams, so how could we care about him at that time! Gui Ying explained.

"That's right, you come with me!" The old horse pointed at the boy with his cigarette holder.

"Huh? I'm not going! I'm scared! Mom-" Tsai first sat up straight and refused, and then asked Gui Ying for help.

"Uh......" Zhiyuan wanted to say something, but he didn't say it.

"You're sixteen! Haven't seen it as a funeral? Hum! The old horse's jaw trembled.

"Mom, is the funeral home a morgue? Oops, I'm not going! Tsai clenched his fists and stomped his feet.

"Look at you! Sixteen is like a broken baby! I'm your age, and someone has already told me about my family! Lao Ma pointed at the boy with a disappointed expression.

Gui Ying, who had been stunned and silent, swallowed a breath, looked up and said to his son: "Boy, your grandfather is also right - you are still a doll in your heart when you grow up!" Mom, when you were your age, I already worked to earn money! This is the same as the coming-of-age ceremony, it is a very rare experience in your life, and you should also see it for a long time! Go with your grandfather! ”

"I don't go to the morgue!" Tsai Tsai twisted his thin body.

"A funeral home is a funeral home, and a morgue is a morgue — two different things." Zhiyuan clasped his hands to his chest and stood behind Gui Ying and said.

"Our old Qian is less than fourteen years old, both parents died, your Aunt Xiaotang and her mother left when she was only eleven or twelve, and your elementary school classmate Zhao Rui lost his father when he was four years old...... There are so many children in this world who lack fathers and young mothers! Do you think your dad and I will live a long life? If your dad leaves first or I leave first, who in this family will handle our affairs? By ripples or by another half-dead person? There are no young and old on Huangquan Road, you should also grow up! Listen, go with your grandfather! Gui Ying rubbed the handle of the water glass, her eyes deep.

"There are so many people in the funeral home every day, what are you afraid of?" Zhiyuan looked at his son who was lying on the table without saying a word.

"Look at the funerals of other families, in the future, when your grandmother or I die, you can still help your parents and your parents. People grow slowly without dying, and they also grow stupid and light! The old horse spat out the smoke after speaking.

Seeing that Tsai Tsai lowered his head and did not refuse, Gui Ying asked, "Then what clothes is he wearing?" School uniform? ”

"How do you do with blue and white school uniforms? Wear a black T-shirt! He's got a lot of black T-shirts! Dad, do you want me to send you tomorrow? ”

"No need, I'll take a taxi with the baby!"

"I still have to make up for it!" Tsai interjected.

"What a lesson! It's a lot every day! The old horse shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"What time are you going tomorrow?" Gui Ying asked.

"I don't know, and I didn't say anything. Let's go early, leave the village early, and leave at eight o'clock! The old horse looked at his watch and said.

"What do you have to bring with you?" Gui Ying asked.

"It's enough to bring enough money!"

"You've got to carry something! I'm going to buy some flowers for the funeral tomorrow morning! Zhiyuan said.

"Wake up early tomorrow morning......

The three adults chatted about the things to bring and do tomorrow, and they were napping in Gui Ying's arms, and the boy held his chin to listen to the adults talk about the aftermath after death. The boy wasn't so scared, but he got goosebumps on his thin arms from time to time.

Early the next morning, Lao Ma used the old method to make paper money in the kitchen at six o'clock, Gui Ying prepared the gift money for the funeral, Zhiyuan went downstairs to buy fruits and fresh lily chrysanthemums, and the boy changed his clothes one by one until his mother felt that the last one was okay. At seven forty o'clock, Gui Ying went to work, at eight o'clock the old and young hurriedly finished breakfast, Zhiyuan called a Didi Express, and the old horse slowly went downstairs with a cane carrying things, and Zhiyuan sent the two of them to the car and watched the car go, and then returned with emotion.

At half past nine, the grandfather and grandson arrived at the city funeral home. As soon as I got out of the car, I saw the eye-catching sign of the funeral home, and after entering the gate, there was an empty square yard, which was more than ten meters wide and twenty or thirty meters long. The old horse walked ahead with a cane, and the boy followed closely beside his grandfather with his things. After walking through the courtyard and entering the funeral home, I felt that it was cold inside, and the boy's hair stood on end in an instant, and his elbows couldn't help shaking.

After entering the museum, there is a large auditorium, with dim lights and bright floors. This large hall is also a large mourning hall, but I saw twenty or thirty people wearing all black clothes standing in various parts of the mourning hall crying and crying. In the middle of the mourning hall is the coffin of the deceased, surrounded by several circles of flowers and plants. Through the noisy and miserable crowd, Lao Ma saw a statue of two or three square meters on the northernmost wall of the mourning hall, with countless flowers, wreaths and flower baskets placed in front of the statue. Lao Ma looked closely, the broad face and square forehead of the person in the portrait were obviously not Yuan Tiesheng, and he guessed that there were probably several funerals in the funeral home today.

Seeing that there was a small open door on each side of the gate, the old horse walked into the room on the right, which was a smaller mourning hall. There was also a coffin in the middle of the mourning hall, and four or five people were sobbing around the coffin. The old horse looked at the statue of a square meter in the mourning hall from a distance of seven or eight meters, and it was not Yuan Tiesheng.

The old man took his grandson and went into the small door on the left side of the hall, this mourning hall is even smaller, four or five meters wide and seven or eight meters long, and there is a small statue of one foot high hanging on the north wall at the end. There was only one portrait in the mourning hall, and nothing else. The old horse frowned, looking for people left and right, but there was no one. He instructed Tsai Tsai to put things under the portrait, Tsai Tsai twisted and frowned, and the old man had to bend down with a cane to arrange fruits, flowers, and paper money. After putting things out, Lao Ma took out a bottle of liquor from Zaizai's backpack, respectfully poured three cups of sacrifice to Big Brother, and then put the wine glass upside down on the wine bottle, and the wine bottle was placed in front of the mourning hall.

It's weird that it's empty. The old horse stood dry in front of the mourning hall for about ten minutes, and went out to find the principal but did not see him for a long time. There was no place to sit in the funeral parlor, and after standing for a while, the old horse's left leg was weak, and he went out of the mourning hall and saw that there was a flower bed outside the funeral parlor, and the old man sat on the brick porcelain tiles by the flower bed to rest. He Yiming, who really hasn't been killed, has not been more than a foot away from his grandfather's body from the moment he got out of the taxi to this moment. The timid boy looked around, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms with both hands.

"Hey, why don't you see anyone?" The old horse muttered to himself.

"Grandpa, if there is no one, let's finish our things and leave!" He Yiming was next to his grandfather's body to keep warm.

"I haven't seen the master's house, how can I go?" The old horse glanced at his grandson and secretly laughed at him for being as timid as a mouse.

Lao Ma only knew Yuan Jiancheng's phone number, as for what he looked like, he hadn't seen him for 20 years, and Lao Ma had long forgotten it, so he stared at the people who came in and out of the funeral home one by one. An old man and a young man sat at the door of the main mourning hall of the funeral home, and saw that the people coming and going were either sad or wailing, the young man was trembling, and the old man was suspicious.

"You grandfather, you used to be a capable person!" Half an hour later, Lao Ma pointed in the direction of the mourning hall and said to Zai Tsai with his face turned sideways.

"Can you?" Tsai scares the old horse.

"More than I can! He's a college student! ”

"Wow, what an old college student!"

"Yes! When he was your age, he was the captain of the production team in the village, leading everyone to work everywhere! Their village was famous in the town at that time! Later, the leaders of the commune saw that he was doing a good job, performing well, and being a smart person, and nominated him to be the village head. At the age of twenty, he became the head of a village! Do you say you can do it? ”

"Uh...... All right! It's a bit like the school's student council president. ”

"At that time...... The year is not good! There are a lot of starving people in other villages, but not too many people died there! Thanks to you, the grandfather, you let the villagers grow sweet potatoes and artichokes in the corners early, hehe...... Also a visionary! Later it was opened and restored high. After the test, guess what happened to your grandfather? ”

"Taking the college entrance examination? Grandpa, your suspense is not at all level! Tsai Tsai looked disgusted.

"Humph! Do you know how old your grandfather was when he took the college entrance examination? Thirty-six years old! The kids are all old! At that time, he was going to take the college entrance examination, and the commune still didn't let him go - reluctant to let him go! He couldn't quit the village chief and went to study! At that time, people went to study and go to university in the big city of Xi'an! Amazing! The old horse said with a fluttering eyebrow.

"And who will take care of his child?"

"His mom and dad and his wife. Your grandfather Yuan was also poor when he was in college, and he told me that the corn steamed buns his mother brought him were moldy, and the hair was half an inch long, and he ate it correctly! No way, it was just opened at that time, and the village was very poor! You grandfather is cheap, you weren't greedy for a penny when you were the village chief, and you didn't have anything! Good guys! The old horse gave a thumbs up.

"Then you and this grandfather are not from the same village, how do you know each other!"

"We are relatives, my grandfather is his mother-in-law - his grandmother's own brother! My relationship with my brother is like ...... You have the same relationship with your Aunt Xinghua's children! ”

"It's so far! As far as Lhasa! ”

"It's far away, and it's not far from the village! The main reason is that my father and his mother-in-law left early, and we still contacted in the previous generation, but we don't contact in this generation! I met you, Grandpa Yuan, first, and then I realized that we were relatives! Hahaha...... Coincidental or not, you say? After a few laughs, Lao Ma continued: "When we met, I was in my forties, and I became the village chief, and I didn't know how to do anything!" Thanks to your grandfather for helping me, guiding me, and dialing me, if it weren't for his Majiatun, he wouldn't be as good as he is now! ”

"Oh!" Tsai nodded.

"If there is any movement in the town and township, he immediately told his grandfather, and then I worked hard in the village to earn honor and win a lot of policy preferences for Majiatun! My grandfather's family had just started planting orchards, and at that time there were very few people who planted fruits, and the farmers were timid and cautious to plant! I was afraid that I would lose my capital and delay the land if I couldn't sell it, but your grandfather Yuan encouraged me at that time, let me plant first, and take the lead for everyone! A few years ago, when my grandfather was selling fruits, he contacted many fruit sellers for my grandfather, and he got through the road little by little! Later, Majiatun planted more and more fruits, and dared to plant any fruit! ”

"Oh! So he sent you a message! "I don't know when I started to get goosebumps on my arms and thighs.

"It's not just me, your grandfather Yuan has helped a lot of people, and his network is very wide! The people that Grandpa later contacted in the town and the countryside received his favor! Many of the town's policies and projects to benefit the people were led by you, Grandpa Yuan! If it hadn't been seriously ill that year, your grandfather Yuan would have become the mayor of our town! At that time, I was nominated, and I was already preparing for the operation! Tut! Ay...... There are indeed good and bad fortunes in people! When the people who knew your Grandpa Yuan in those years mentioned him, they all gave him a thumbs up, and there was nothing to say about his character, ability, and brains! ”

"Then why is he like this?" Tsai Tsai pointed to the mourning hall.

"Hey...... Old! He arrived in Shenzhen in his sixties, and when he arrived in Shenzhen, he was diagnosed with a heart attack! Hum! It's good to be alive so far! The old horse shook his head with a smile, sad and old.

"Grandpa, are you sad? Why didn't I see you crying? ”

"Huh! People are old and have fewer tears! Besides, I'm not sad! Your grandfather didn't die until he was seventy-six, and I don't know if I can survive him! I'm sad if I can't live him! The old horse joked.

"I think you're healthy, you can live to be ninety years old!" Tsai Tsai comforts his grandfather.

"In the past few decades, the number of people sent away by grandpa is uncountable, and he tells you: how long this person lives has nothing to do with whether he is healthy or not! There are no young and old on the road of life and death, and when they reach seventy-three or eighty-four, the king of Hades does not call him to go alone. The long life of a person depends on the meaning of Lord Yama! The old horse pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

"Then why is this Grandpa Yuan...... Why is he very good, but no one comes to the funeral? ”

"Hey, the people who remember him are dying if they are not dead! He has only one son in his life, how can he live without this son? The old horse shook his head again and again with his cane in both hands.

"Na...... This funeral is too shabby, grandpa, look at the middle and the next door, everyone has everything they should have, and there are a lot of people! This Grandpa Yuan is so pitiful! It's almost eleven o'clock, and his child hasn't come yet! Tsai tilted his head and was anxious.

The young man's words struck the old horse's sadness, and the old man looked dull and silent.

At half past eleven, Tsai Zi whispered: "Grandpa, make a call!" ”

"Tsk! Maybe the master's family is busy with big things right now! Sensei is causing trouble for others! ”

In the midst of the small cries, the old and young waited for another half hour. Suddenly, I saw a middle-aged man walking towards the main hall of the funeral home, the man was thin, his forehead was shining, and his eyebrows were a little similar to Yuan Tiecheng.

"Huh! Isn't this your uncle? The woman next to her pointed to the old horse and said.

"Oh! Right, right! It's you! Lao Ma remembered Tie Sheng's daughter-in-law and stood up.

"Uncle Jianguo, I am built!" The middle-aged man came over and shook hands with the old horse.

"Oh, good, good!" Lao Ma nodded, shook his hand and pointed at the boy and said, "This is my grandson, my legs and feet are inconvenient, so I brought my grandson over." ”

"Oh! Let's go in, uncle! Yuan Jiancheng led the old horse to the smallest mourning hall.

"Where's your dad's coffin?" The old horse asked.

"In the back, they waited for us to come over! I'm going to let them move now. After finishing speaking, he went to the staff to move the coffin.

"How is the mourning hall arranged?" The old horse turned around and asked Jiancheng's daughter-in-law.

"It's not ...... Isn't this an elegiac couplet and a posthumous image? Jiancheng's daughter-in-law pointed to the north wall, and then squeezed her eyes and said, "Uncle, you don't know, things here are so expensive to death!" A shroud costs 3,000! An urn costs two thousand! We didn't know how much money it cost to go to the hospital! ”

The old horse nodded, bowed his head again, and was silent. Tsai squinted at his grandfather's sad face, and the fear in his heart was dispelled by sadness.

Jiancheng and the staff pushed the coffin in, and after the coffin was placed, Jiancheng went to post an obituary. After posting the obituary, Jiancheng walked up to Lao Ma and said, "Uncle, what else do you think you have to prepare?" ”

"You...... What about your relatives? The old horse asked, wiping his sweat.

"Relatives I notified thirteen, only two came. Fortunately, I notified me when I was too old to breathe, or these two wouldn't have been able to make it! Jiancheng rubbed his hands together and said.

"Oh! So how did you arrange it today! ”

"I originally wanted to do a good job, but there was no one in the main city, there were two relatives in total, and I wanted my good friend to leave Shenzhen and go back to his hometown, so there was no one, so it was like that...... It's easy! ”

"Uh...... Just a few of us, right? Didn't you say that your baby finished the college entrance examination? He didn't come? The old horse's eyes flickered from side to side in embarrassment.

"That cowardly baby doesn't want to come! Don't even come here! I can't help it! Jiancheng spread out his hands and looked helpless.

"Oh, it's done! So be it! I waited until the evening to be cremated before leaving. ”

"Uh...... All right. Hey uncle, this is what my dad gave you! Jiancheng took a bag from his wife, and pulled out a mass of things wrapped in layers of old newspapers. The old horse took it, and handed it to the boy without looking at it, who knew that the boy was dead or alive, and the old horse had to hold it with one hand.

"This is for you big!" Lao Ma took out a dozen gifts from his trouser pocket and handed them to Yuan Jiancheng.

"Thank you, uncle! That...... Uncle Jianguo, you have to wait until after the cremation, right? ”

"Yes, I'll give you a big one!" The old horse's slight voice was irresistibly affirmative.

"Okay, then I'll find you a stool!" Jianyi turned around and went out.

At noon, Yuan Jiancheng chatted with Lao Ma, and talked about his father's living in the city over the years, his physical state, and his hospital life before his death, and Lao Ma only sighed and shook his head. At two o'clock in the afternoon, Jiancheng went to the train station to pick up relatives. Yuan Tiesheng has an older sister and a younger brother who are still alive, and the sister and brother are old, and only two of the six nieces, nieces, nephews, and nieces under him came.