The Wake
The couple went back to the school in a bit of a mess and found the two teachers and the elderly of the town here.
They had failed to procure the Suona, so they were told this:
Principal Tang's funeral was scheduled for the next day.
Tonight was the last night of the wake, so it was especially important!
The two of them were required to keep watch for the entire night.
The temporary mourning hall was in the abandoned school halfway up the mountain.
"What? The entire night of the funeral?"
Juan 'er's eyes widened in disbelief.
She was required to keep watch for the entire night? In that dilapidated school?
The man beside her also had a reluctant expression.
The elder of the Bai family took two steps forward, coughed, and said in a husky voice,
"The mourning hall for filial sons and grandchildren is a rule! Those who come to attend the funeral also need someone to serve tea, smoke, and boil water. This is basic etiquette! Since you are the closest people to Principal Tang, you must go to the mourning hall!
Unless you are not her family, you can leave now.
"We will never stop you!"
When the surrounding elders heard this, they also nodded in agreement.
They did not care about the others, but Principal Tang's funeral had to follow the rules of Huayi Town!
In the face of this, Juan 'er smiled bitterly and explained,
"Great! You misunderstood, didn't you? I'll definitely go. It's such an important matter. Don't worry, I'll wear a mourning robe and attend my aunt's funeral tonight!"
"You're really going?"
The man was a little surprised and blurted out the question.
Hearing this, the expressions of the people who had just eased up immediately changed.
When her husband did not see the big picture, Juan 'er glared at him fiercely, gritted her teeth, and spoke in a low voice,
"Why don't you take a look at the situation? Can I not go?"
"En, that's good!"
The elder of the Bai family nodded and continued,
"Keeping vigil is to demonstrate filial piety, and there's no room for ambiguity! If there's nothing else, go over early to make preparations!"
"Sigh, we've also informed those kids out of town about Principal Tang's matter. Hopefully, they'll be able to make it tomorrow!"
As they got older, tears became more unsightly.
They could not be bothered to watch these old people cry, and they also did not want to hear anything else.
Juan 'er and the man packed up their things briefly, then brought their two children to the abandoned school halfway up the mountain.
The mountain road was not easy to walk on.
Juan 'er and the man were panting from exhaustion and had to hold onto the two children.
The mountain road was in a poor state and it was easy for them to slip and fall.
The man was very unhappy.
"What kind of lousy road is this? What kind of shit place is this? What kind of shit rules are those? Let me tell you, we are not getting involved in anything like this any longer! I don't want to come here anymore!"
"Do you think I wanted to? I didn't see you so furious when you took the money from them! If you don't want the money, then get lost! Take the money as compensation for all this. Don't you act up with me here!"
Juan 'er retorted angrily. If not for the fact that she wanted to inherit her aunt's property in a reasonable manner, she would have turned around and left when they were informing her about the mourning hall!
She did not know that there would be so many rules before the funeral,
She sighed and grumbled.
"It's still better in the city. Can't we just cremate them and bury them? Why do they even have vigils and wakes? It's so troublesome!"
"That's right. This mountain is quite remote. How many people will even come for the funeral? There are no relatives or friends here, yet those people still want to make such a big fuss. It's simply easier said than done!"
The man quickly chimed in. He was very impatient.
His words also made Juan 'er fall into deep thought.
Her aunt did not have any relatives or friends here either. She did not know how she had managed to persist here for eighteen years.
This bumpy mountain road was already torture. She could not imagine crossing it daily.
...
The temporary mourning hall was very simple and crude.
The old school next to it was also dilapidated.
When the two of them arrived, they discovered that there were already quite a number of wreaths piled on the old walls.
Since they had come, they should fall in step with the others.
Juan 'er walked into the mourning hall, put on her hemp clothes, and put on her mourning scarf.
No matter what, Principal Tang was her aunt, so she had to put on a white mourning hat for the two children.
She inserted incense and kowtowed a few times.
She knelt on the straw mat next to the coffin.
The sky gradually darkened, and weariness swept through the people in the mourning hall.
Looking at the man who was not pleased with himself, Juan 'er yawned and said sleepily,
"Since no one is coming, I'll just take it as resting here for the night!"
Just as she said that..,
Suddenly, two figures walked in.
It was Xiao Lin and Xiao Ai. They had rushed over to observe the funeral after settling the matters at the school.
Soon, a few more figures walked in.
Even the elderly from the day had actually walked up the mountain road and entered the funeral hall.
Tonight was the last night of the funeral, so everyone paid special attention to it.
The funeral hall was soon filled with people. There were even people helping to boil water, pass cigarettes, and receive even more people who came to pay their respects.
The night added a mysterious luster to the entire mountain peak, and it also added more risks to the road up the mountain.
Even so...
The number of people who came to the mourning hall was increasing!
Everyone endured their sleepiness and held a vigil for Principal Tang.
As they watched the number of people gradually increase in the mourning hall, Juan 'er was a little puzzled.
As an ordinary principal, it was already rare for her to stay in this poor place for eighteen years.
Who would have thought that there would be so many people spontaneously coming this late at night!?
Even the older generation had paid no heed to the difficulty of going up the mountain and insisted on coming to the funeral for her aunt, preparing to send her off tomorrow.
She turned to Xiao Ai grumpily. Juan 'er suppressed her drowsiness and asked, "Why are so many people coming to the funeral? Is this also a rule of your Huayi Town?"
"Everyone came here on their own accord to send Principal Tang off."
Xiao Ai's voice was a little muffled as she said this, not wanting to pay any attention to Juan 'er.
How could a selfish person understand Principal Tang's character?
The people who came to the funeral hall were not only the parents of the children, but also many people who had once received the help of the principal.
Some of these people were from the nearby villages.
Some had rushed over from other cities overnight upon hearing the news of Principal Tang's death.
...
Juan 'er felt her legs go numb after staying in this temporary mourning hall.
She wanted to go out and get some fresh air.
She looked at the person carrying the tea. She would go out from time to time and go outside the mourning hall for a while. She believed that that person must have gone out to get some fresh air as well.
She immediately squeezed out of the mourning hall and walked out.
She lifted the hanging curtain of the mourning hall and looked up. Immediately, her entire body trembled violently. Her expression was one of shock as she stood rooted to the ground.
At that moment..,
Other than the dilapidated school halfway up the mountain, in the temporary mourning hall...
There were even more people standing outside!
There were at least a few hundred people!
When he saw Juan 'er coming out to get some fresh air, her husband hurriedly followed her out. When he saw the scene before him, his expression was one of shock!
Why were there so many people!?
What kind of existence was this aunt?
...
White Paper Flowers were pinned on the chests of the children. The adults voluntarily stayed behind to help receive the people who were attending the principal's funeral.
They needed people to serve tea, smoke, and boil water.
At the foot of the mountain, the principal's former students were still on their way
Unlike normal funerals, many people came to the mourning hall, but it wasn't very lively.
Everyone who came here carried a solemn, sorrowful, and nostalgic feeling!
The night was cold and long, but in the end, it welcomed the morning light of the next day.
The day of Principal Tang's funeral arrived with the rising sun...