Chapter 39: Nowhere to be found after wearing iron shoes
The air in the early morning was very humid, and when I took a deep breath, I felt like a large amount of water had entered my nose.
The misty morning light shrouded the surroundings, adding a hazy feeling even when looking into the distance.
Zhang Hao stepped on the flat cement pavement under his feet and walked upward for more than ten minutes. He finally saw the entrance of the funeral parlor.
At this time, many vehicles were parked in front of the funeral home.
Some people are squatting on the side of the road, smoking lonely, some people are sitting in the car covering their faces with tissues, some people are slumped in the courtyard, refusing to get up despite being pulled by their relatives, and some people are wailing, that sad sound It seemed to pierce the sky, as if to call back the departed person.
When I came here, it was as if even the air had its own emotions, constantly infecting everyone present, amplifying their inner sadness to an unbearable level.
After all, this is where you say your final goodbyes to your loved ones.
As long as it is put into that furnace, you can only see it in photos in this life.
When Zhang Hao witnessed all this, he felt that his chest seemed to be a little blocked, but he had no way to vent his emotions, and he always felt suppressed.
After taking several deep breaths, he raised his feet and walked into the funeral parlor.
……
"Ahem, what are you doing? Outsiders are not allowed in here. Are you a family member or who?" the middle-aged man with a cigarette in his mouth and stubble all over his face scolded.
Zhang Hao looked at the sign hanging in front of the door and smiled: "I am not a family member."
"If you're not a family member, let's not let anyone in. Hurry up. Hurry up." The middle-aged man waved his hands in disgust.
Zhang Hao, however, had no intention of leaving. Instead, he stepped forward, stood in front of the middle-aged man, and took out a wad of red banknotes from his pocket: "Brother, I want to collect some of the ashes, just a little. I want a woman."< br>
Zhang Hao's purpose in coming to the funeral parlor was simple.
Just to get the ashes of the women scattered by the ten families.
If you ask about the easiest place in the world to obtain ashes, it must be a funeral home.
Moreover, compared to going to every house to collect ashes, it is obviously much easier to obtain ashes in a funeral home.
The middle-aged man looked at the money, then at Zhang Hao, and immediately looked around.
When he saw that there was no one around, he quickly pushed away: "What are you doing? We have rules here, don't do this, it won't work!"
Zhang Hao smiled and took out a cloth bag with his other hand: "Hey, rules are dead, people are alive, brother, don't you always have a lot left after burning them? Don't you just throw them away? , just give me some from those that are going to be thrown away.”
"You...why do you want these ashes?" The middle-aged man squinted his eyes and looked at him suspiciously.
Zhang Hao sighed silently: "Well, my mother-in-law has been in poor health. I just found a master. The master gave me a recipe, saying that I need the ashes of women from ten families to make medicine."
"Seriously?" The middle-aged man was dubious and kept counting the money with his eyes.
Zhang Hao nodded: "There's no point in me lying to you."
"Okay, you wait here." The middle-aged man took the money and the bag, turned around and walked in.
……
Not long after.
Zhang Hao was holding a shabby cloth bag in his hand, which seemed to contain something.
He walked out of the funeral home without looking back.
He walked to the roadside at the foot of the mountain, took out his mobile phone and called Zhao Yuan, and then waited quietly.
Half an hour later.
The east was still dark, with no sign of skylight.
On the road not far away, a van was speeding towards with its two dazzling lights on.
Then, the van stopped in front of Zhang Hao.
Zhang Hao didn't care and directly opened the door and got in the car.
"Haozi, are you busy? Are you done?" Zhao Yuan swallowed his saliva and asked curiously and a little strangely. Zhang Hao nodded: "Yes, Brother Zhao, let's go back."
"...Okay."
Zhao Yuan stepped on the accelerator suddenly, feeling a weak push on his back, and the van moved straight forward along the road in front of him.
At this time, Zhang Hao blurted out and asked: "Hey, Brother Zhao, do you know whose family has died during this period? It would be better if the head of the family dies, leaving only orphans and widows, or even a widow."< br>
Zhao Yuan's hand holding the steering wheel trembled again, and he felt that the blood all over his body was cold.
Zhang Hao today... is so strange!
First, I got up early in the middle of the night and went to the funeral parlor, and now I have to ask whose family the deceased is, leaving the widow’s own...
He, what on earth does he want to do?
Wait, is he really Zhang Hao...
"You, what's wrong with you, asking, why are you asking about this?" Zhao Yuan stuttered a little while speaking, and his forehead was covered with sweat.
If he hadn't been reluctant to part with his van, he would have jumped out of the van right now and run away from this "Zhang Hao".
Seeing this, Zhang Hao naturally understood something, and immediately laughed: "Don't get me wrong, Brother Zhao, I just asked around for nothing, and I just need something for going up the mountain."
Zhao Yuan swallowed his saliva and raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead: "Let me think about it...don't, don't be anxious."
After a while, Zhao Yuan frowned: "I remembered, Haozi, it seems that such a thing really happened."
Zhang Hao's eyes lit up and he quickly asked: "Elaborate."
"When I went to buy goods today, I heard from people in the town that a man was stabbed yesterday and could not be saved. He just got married and his wife was pregnant. It was so miserable." Zhao Yuan said thoughtfully.
Zhang Hao was stunned.
This...is this what he heard yesterday?
"Brother Zhao, do you know when the funeral will be held in that family?" Zhang Hao asked.
Zhao Yuan paused and his pupils shrank: "It seems...it seems like there will be a funeral today."
"Turn around! Go back to town."
"Haozi, what do you want to do?"
"Brother Zhao, I will give you 1,000, turn around immediately and go back to town!"
"...Okay, sit tight."
……
Yaqian Town, an old residential area.
The east gradually became brighter, and a streak of fish belly white emerged from behind the mountain, bringing the warm and dazzling sunlight back to the earth.
Didi Latala~
Boom-boom-boom~
Suona, gongs and drums, and firecrackers blasted.
A group of people dressed in pure white mourning clothes, white hats and black cloths on their arms scattered paper money around, sobbed softly, or held up flags, walking through the residential area.
In the crowd, a young woman who looked about thirty years old, with dull eyes and a haggard face, was holding an urn in her hand and walking forward with the crowd and the sad music.
"Haozi, what are you doing here?" Zhao Yuan stood outside the crowd and asked in a low voice with a frown.
Zhang Hao did not answer, but kept looking at the young woman holding the urn.
The tears of a widow in mourning are right before my eyes.
Fortunately, I had prepared a small bottle to hold tears in advance, otherwise I would have been blinded.
Now I just have to find a way to come forward and ask for a tear.
However, how to get up there, where you can get tears without being easily beaten and kicked out by the master, is a problem.
After all, today is a big or trivial matter in the master's family. If he fails, he will deserve to be beaten.
(End of chapter)