Chapter Thirteen: Journey to Western Hunan

  Third Uncle called me into the house after he finished speaking, and from under the pillow, he took out a package wrapped in paper. The package was unwrapped layer by layer, more than 60 layers, before revealing a book with a yellowish-brown cover. Third Uncle said that this book was left behind by his master, and since he went blind 65 years ago, he hasn't been able to take another look at it. To prevent the bugs from eating through it, every year he would wrap an additional layer of paper around it.

  Third Uncle handed me the book and said that this book would replace his master's gift to me. Seeing that I was a ghost-raising person, he hoped it could be useful for me. I took it over and looked at it, but the title on the cover had several characters that I didn't recognize. I didn't dare ask Third Uncle, fearing that I would reveal my limited literacy and he would regret giving the book to someone who was almost illiterate. It seems I still have to wait for Ye Fei to come back and teach me a few more characters!

  My great-uncle's last words to me were that he would soon be riding a crane to the west, and he hoped I could bring him back to his hometown for burial, fulfilling his desire to return home. Although I was willing, I found it difficult to say how to transport such a large body, fearing that if someone discovered us, they would accuse me of murder and I would end up in prison.

  "Your uncle smiled and said: 'You're so clever, can't you think of a way?'"

  I thought for a moment, and then I remembered that the ones buried in our family's tombs were all urns, and inside those urns were bones. If we put Third Uncle's bones into an urn and took them away, it would be much more convenient. But if we did that, wouldn't we have to put Third Uncle's body at the bottom of the river and let the sand-eating fish eat his flesh clean? Wouldn't that be treating Third Uncle like a food item?

  I think this approach is not quite right, but I still told San Shu Gong about it, and he said to just do it that way!

  Third Uncle said after he invited me out of the house, then the door closed, he shouted to me outside: "Remember to come and take me home tomorrow morning, thank you, Li Tiaohe, thanks!"

  Looking at the closed door in front of him, Third Uncle was no longer able to open it by himself. The moment the door was closed, his life had already come to an end, just like this closed door.

  "I shouted towards the house: 'No matter what, I will bring you back home, so don't worry and go on your journey to the west on the crane!'"

  I don't know how I walked back to Zhang Village Chief's home, and I didn't have an appetite for food all day. Until evening, Zhang Village Chief's family returned from sweeping the tomb, and Wang Researcher and Old Ding also came back.

  I told Village Chief Zhang that Third Uncle had passed away early in the morning, and his last wish was to return to his roots, hoping I could bring his remains back to his hometown for burial. Village Chief Zhang didn't suspect my words or ask any further questions, but only sighed that Third Uncle was a pitiful man who suffered hardships all his life.

  Village Chief Zhang said that his life was saved by Third Uncle, originally Village Chief Zhang was weak and sickly after birth, everyone who saw him said he would definitely not grow up. In the end, it was Third Uncle who found a big stone for Village Chief Zhang to recognize as his godfather, and later his body gradually recovered. At that time, it was during the Cultural Revolution, and what Third Uncle did would have been considered counter-revolutionary, so Village Chief Zhang has always been very grateful to Third Uncle.

  That night, I and Zhang Village Head went to the town overnight to buy a ceramic jar for bones, wrapped in a snake skin bag so as not to be seen by others. At 4:30 in the morning, we arrived at Third Uncle's house, he had no breath and his whole body was stiff, it is estimated that he had passed away after twelve o'clock.

  The village head, Zhang, symbolically called out a few times to Third Uncle Gong but got no response. He then quickly found a plate and started burning paper money. I was in the room lighting incense and candles while saying: "Third Uncle Gong! I've come to take you home."

  As soon as the voice fell, I saw Third Uncle appear in the hall. His face and feet were invisible, but he waved at me and bowed three times before turning around and walking into the wall, disappearing from sight.

  I told Village Chief Zhang, Third Uncle wanted us to put his body into the river and then bring back the remains, Village Chief Zhang nodded. After burning paper money, lighting candles and incense, Village Chief Zhang carried Third Uncle's body on his back, I held the urn with the remains, and the two of us sneaked out of the village like thieves, arriving at the riverside.

  After arriving at the riverbank, I and Village Chief Zhang put Third Uncle's body into the water. Then, I secretly called out Tóng Tóng and had her pull Third Uncle to the middle of the river to sink him. Village Chief Zhang couldn't see Tóng Tóng; he only saw Third Uncle's body seemingly swimming by itself to the middle of the river, scaring him into asking me if it was a zombie.

  I deceived the village chief, saying that Third Uncle was a corpse driver. He taught me a spell today and I used it on him, so after he died, he could still swim to the middle of the river. The village chief believed it without a doubt, saying that Third Uncle had suffered all his life and finally found relief today, returning home being his lifelong wish.

  At this moment, I closed my eyes and seemed to see Third Uncle lying quietly at the bottom of the river. The sand crawled from all sides and covered him, and his physical body in the sand immediately melted like a candle in the heat.

  Ten minutes later, under Tongtong's protection, I went into the water and retrieved San Shu Gong's remains, putting each bone into a jar, which was then wrapped in a snake skin bag and taken back to his home.

  After daybreak, we pretended to have just discovered Third Uncle's passing. I asked someone to buy a coffin and hastily nailed it shut. As Third Uncle was a bachelor with no parents above him, no children or grandchildren below him, and no siblings on either side, there was no need for a funeral.

  After killing the chicken and burning incense in front of the coffin, a string of firecrackers was lit and it was carried out of the mountain. Of course, what was being carried was an empty coffin. In order to make the pallbearers feel that the coffin wasn't too light, Village Chief Zhang stuffed a water-soaked quilt inside, which made the shoulders of the pallbearers ache under the weight.

  Fortunately, the burial site is not too far away. Apart from the eight people carrying the coffin, it was just me and Village Chief Zhang who attended the funeral. The grave had been dug early in the morning, and after placing the coffin inside, they started filling it with soil. After setting off a string of firecrackers, everything was complete.

  It stands to reason that incense should be burned every morning for three consecutive days, but Third Uncle had no descendants and couldn't care less about this anyway, not to mention the fact that Third Uncle wasn't even in the coffin.

  In the afternoon, I tied the urn containing San Shu Gong's ashes to the back of the car and arrived at Ye Fei Jiao's powder shop in the county town. At that time, she was lying on a rocking chair inside the powder shop, while Xiao Jian Qi was standing beside her pouring tea and water.

  I called out to Xiao Jianqian, she saw it was me and immediately put down the teapot in her hand, excitedly rushed out, I squatted down and asked if Fei Jie jiejie had bullied her, Xiao Jianqian nodded.

  Ye Fei jumped up from the rocking chair as soon as he saw me coming, pretended to pat the dust off the chair with his hand, and then bowed solemnly to say: "Boss, please sit down!"

  I told her not to come here, let you take care of Xiao Jianzi. Xiao Jianzi said you bullied her, what's going on? Ye Fei retorted with a disgruntled face, saying that Xiao Jianzi wouldn't eat and always wanted to eat sweets. She didn't give Xiao Jianzi so much sugar, so Xiao Jianzi would frame her for bullying her.

  I said forget it, you can turn black into white, Xiao Jiancai is only four years old, how could he frame you? Ye Fei asked me why I ran to the county town, was I afraid she would sell Xiao Jiancai? I laughed and told her that even if you wanted to sell him, you wouldn't have the guts. I came to tell you some good news, I've decided to raise your salary to 20 yuan a day. Ye Fei was overjoyed when she heard about the huge raise, jumping up and down, praising me for recognizing her talent, saying she's worth every penny of it.

  I told her to stop messing around and gave her a raise, hoping she could go with me to Xiangxi. She understands many dialects and learns quickly, so I need to bring her along. Ye Fei asked me what we're going to do in Xiangxi and how long it'll take. I told her it's estimated to be within a week, and if it exceeds a week, she'll get 30 yuan per day. After hearing this, Ye Fei got excited and clapped her hands, asking what are we waiting for, let's set off immediately!

  I said I'm not in a hurry, it's already late afternoon now, let's leave early tomorrow morning. But Ye Fei Jiu said that although we didn't set off today, the 20 yuan daily wage will be counted from today. This Ye Fei Jiu is really unwilling to suffer any loss, she'll take advantage of every little opportunity, I'm speechless about her.

  At this time, a boy of eleven or twelve years old walked into the store. Ye Fei immediately pulled his arm and introduced him as her brother, named Ye Fei Chui. I laughed and said that you three siblings' names are really unique. Ye Fei retorted, "So are yours!" This counterattack made me feel a bit stifled.

  Before long, Ye Fei Jiao's mother also came back from outside with a bamboo basket in her hand, with several empty bowls on it, saying that she had just returned from delivering takeout. When Ye Fei Jiao's old mother saw me, she was pouring tea and asking about the cold, addressing me as Mr. Li, flattering me to the point of goosebumps. Indeed, like mother, like daughter, Ye Fei Jiao inherited her mother's traits.

  I carried the urn with Third Uncle's ashes out to the entrance and took it down from the car. Ye Fei asked me what it was and if she could eat it. I told her it was explosives, and if she wanted to eat it, I had no opinion. Ye Fei's mother also came out of the store and said that Old Li was being too polite and still wanted to buy things. This mother-daughter pair almost drove me crazy, and I nearly told them that there were human bones inside, but I was afraid that if I said it out loud, we wouldn't have anywhere to put it. So I just said that there were poisonous insects inside and asked them to find a safe place to temporarily store it, warning them not to open it, or else they would be bitten to death.

  Several people came to the restaurant to eat noodles, Ye Fei's mother was busy, and Ye Fei took me and Xiao Jianzi to stroll around the county town. We bought several strings of candied hawthorn and ate while walking, finally coming to a pavilion to sit down.

  I told Ye Fei Jiu that since we're going so far this time, her parents might not be at ease, so I hope she won't tell them. After completing the task and coming back, I'll reward her with 100 yuan. Ye Fei Jiu almost knelt down to thank me after hearing this, but she said no matter what I'm doing in Xiangxi, she'll only do translation and take care of Xiao Jianzi, and she won't do anything dangerous. I told her not to think too much, just with her being a weak woman, what kind of danger could I possibly bring her into? She's overestimating herself.

  At night, I stayed overnight at Ye Fei Chao's house. My brother Ye Fei Chao and I slept in the same bed. Ye Fei Chao always grinds his teeth when he sleeps, and from time to time, he stretches his legs onto my chest, making me unable to sleep all night.

  The next day, I temporarily left the car at Ye Fei Jiu's house and took the bus to Yongzhou with San Shu Gong's ashes. After arriving in Yongzhou, we need to transfer to Shaoyang, then from Shaoyang to Huaihua, and then from Huaihua to Xiangxi, finally taking a bus to Hua County.