1928: The rise of giant merchants

Shanghai Municipal Funeral Home.

Black and white elegiac couplets and wreaths were spread inside and outside.

The Vice President of the Executive Yuan and the top secretary to the Minister of Finance was shot dead. As soon as the news was released, countless dignitaries came to express their condolences.

At the place where the body was placed, Tan Duan, who had already put on mourning clothes, cried so hard that he held the coffin and could not get up for a long time.

She only held her wedding to Tang Fulu on June 23, and within two months, she became a widow. In addition, her father Tan Yankai and her mother also died of illness last year, and she was alone in an instant.

What's even worse is that during the Republic of China, there were still some feudal and superstitious concepts. A widow like her was constantly poked in the back by people behind her back, saying that she was hurting her family and husband, and her life would definitely be difficult in the future.

Next to her, Tang Ying's eyes were also red from crying. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were swollen, and her choked look made people feel distressed just to see her.

Feng Chengcheng, Lu Xiaoman, Zhang Anyi and others came over immediately to accompany their best friends.

At this time, even Lu Xiaoman, who had always had a rift with Tang Ying, remained silent and patted her back gently to express comfort.

"Sister Tang Ying, alas, my condolences."

"Brother Luo! Woohoo!!!"

When Tang Ying saw Ye Luo, the tip of her nose felt sour again. At this time, she didn't care about Bai Xiuzhu's presence, and just flew into Ye Luo's arms, greeting him with tears and nose.

Ye Luo hugged Tang Ying's petite body, gently stroked her back, and comforted her: "Cry, it will make you feel much better if you cry. Don't worry, I will always be here to accompany you."

"Woooo~" Tang Ying just hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go.

Bai Xiuzhu was wearing a plain white simple skirt today. After she comforted Tang Ying for a few words, she walked towards Tan Duan who was crying even more fiercely. She knelt down and whispered: "My condolences to Sister Tan. What are you going to do in Shanghai later?" Just call me directly. My husband and your husband are close friends, and your business is our business. Don’t stop coming to me because of trouble. "

"Thank you Ye Xiuzhu." Tan Duan wiped his tears and did not refuse Bai Xiuzhu's kindness.

She knew that there were many disputes in the widow's house. In her current situation, without her husband and parents, no matter how great her family background was before, she could not help her.

If he could be taken care of by the Ye family in Shanghai, no one would dare to come to harass him.

She obviously believed in Ye Luo more than Song Ziwen.

"Brother Tang's body, I heard, is being prepared for cremation?" Bai Xiuzhu asked with a slight frown.

Tan Duan nodded and sighed: "He is also a middle- and high-level official of the National Government, so he naturally has to respond to the principal's reform policies and lead by example."

After the establishment of the Jinling National Government, it has been committed to improving funeral customs, but it did not actively promote cremation for a certain period of time. The reason is that most people in the Republic of China still cannot accept such a new thing as cremation.

In the Chinese mind, after a person dies, he should return to his roots and be buried.

Putting it in an incinerator and burning it, leaving only the remains and ashes is always a bit creepy and unacceptable.

However, the construction of crematoriums is still underway in some areas, and a metropolis like Shanghai is naturally involved.

The Jinling National Government did not attach much importance to cremation until after the Anti-Japanese War.

With the final victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the Jinling National Government began to study the necessity of promoting cremation.

In some big cities, initiatives and discussions about cremation are particularly urgent. This is directly related to the continuous accumulation of civilian deaths caused by long-term wars.

Take the beach above for example.

In the 1940s, due to traffic congestion, the large number of coffins could not be transported back to the countryside for burial, and most of them were parked in funeral parlors or temples in Shanghai.

Over time, the coffins and corpses rotted and stinked, which not only seriously affected the appearance of the city, but also hindered health and epidemic prevention.

Therefore, by the end of the 1940s, the Health Bureau issued multiple orders requiring the coffins to be cleared out within a time limit, and actively discussed plans to conduct centralized cremations for those who had not moved out.

The senator who proposed promoting the cremation ceremony said this: "Although our country has a vast land, if each person finds a burial place, or each needs a burial place," the land occupied will be countless.

In particular, if the relevant land becomes a burial site and is not cultivated, agricultural production will be greatly reduced.

In addition, traditional burials require a coffin for both rich and poor, and are supplemented by earth-building and sealing, which are expensive.

"Using useful money for useless waste" is extremely detrimental to the economy and people's livelihood.

Finally, a wealthy family has the ability to protect the ancestors' Qiu Long from damage. However, a few generations later, when the family was in ruins and unable to defend it, they were allowed to be ravaged by livestock, exposed to decay, and damaged by wind and rain. It was bound to be "wrecked with bones and white bones on the roadside, and pestilence and plague would grow for a long time." "

Even so, the Jinling National Government is still vigorously promoting the cremation system at this stage, especially when the principal orders to abandon the feudal customs of the old society and learn more about the advanced ideas and concepts of Western countries. Officials like Tang Fulu can only lead by example.

"I have sent someone to contact the crematorium at Jing'an Cemetery, but..." At the mention of this, a trace of resentment suddenly rose in Tan Duanmei's eyes.

"What's wrong, sister?" Bai Xiuzhu smelled something bad and asked quickly.

"They are going to leave my husband's body for a few days and perform an autopsy first without cremation." Tan Duan said coldly, "I know that after my father and husband left, I, a widow, can't speak. They are powerful and have many people." Even Minister Song has to give them some thin noodles."

"Who are they?" Bai Xiuzhu asked with a frown.

At this time, there are still people who dare to openly bully Tang Fu's widow. This is too courageous.

"Who else is there from the Secret Service of the City Hall?" The woman who was also crying on the side wiped her face and whispered, "Isn't it just relying on the support of the principal to bully everyone in our Tang family?"

"Brother Tang was shot dead. What else needs to be done for an autopsy?" Bai Xiuzhu frowned.

She was familiar with Dai Li, the director of the Secret Service.

This guy was looking for trouble with Ye's investment every day, even though the principal had explicitly stipulated that they should calm down and not continue to interfere with Ye Luo's business.

But this group of people still bite the Ye family like a gangrene attached to their bones.

Not only the Ye family, but also wealthy families such as the Tang family are their targets. If someone has trouble with their family, they will swarm them if they smell it.

Like a wild dog.

"I'll ask my husband to ask about this. Sister, don't worry, the Tang family is not someone they can bully if they want." A hint of coldness flashed across Bai Xiuzhu's beautiful eyes.

After having many contacts with little Aqiao, Bai Xiuzhu's gentleness and savagery gradually became mixed with a hint of coldness. She is growing rapidly and now has the ability to stand alone.

"Thank you, Sister Xiuzhu." Tan Duan felt more at ease. She knew that this matter could be solved if Tang Ying came forward to ask Ye Luo.

But the relationship between Tang Ying and Ye Luo is now very awkward. She doesn't want Tang Ying to lose face and ask for Ye Luo at this time.

It is better to beg the mistress of the Ye family.

Unexpectedly, Bai Xiuzhu was surprisingly easy to talk to.

On one side, they were discussing the cremation of Tang Fulu's body. On the other side, Dai Li and Song Ziwen also came to express their condolences.

In recent years, the Secret Service has become more and more favored by the principal. Even though he suffered from Ye Luo several times in Shanghai, Dai Li still thrived.

At this time, he was only a few steps away from the "shadow" of the principal who covered the sky with one hand.

"Second Young Master, long time no see." Dai Li walked over with a sad smile. (End of chapter)