Rebirth Autumn Returns to the Countryside

The sudden bad news stunned Leng Yanqiu and her daughter. Ding Guihua changed her clothes, hairstyle and shoes according to her daughter's request, and even put a thin layer of loose powder on her face. She was truly reborn.

"I'll be there right away!" Leng Yanqiu calmed down, put down his phone and arranged for Ding Guihua, "Pay attention--"

"Keep it a secret! I remember not telling anyone." Ding Guihua had already formed an emergency response, but said, "How about I go and cry too? I'll keep you company."

"You can't cry!" Leng Yanqiu put on a big cotton-padded jacket and walked out, "Call me if you have anything."

It’s great that I squat on the ground and look at this person and then that person’s back. I wonder who I can follow to get out without getting any instructions.

Ding Guihua covered her chest and sighed, "I'm just worried that you won't cry and be laughed at by the villagers."

The mourning skills that young people are gradually losing are still very popular in the village. It starts from the moment the woman enters the alley, covering her face with a handkerchief and crying. She must recite the words clearly and loudly, with a gentle and long tone, and clearly express the relationship between the person she is crying for and herself, asking why the person left so early and so suddenly, and how she can live after being left behind...

Onlookers can comment on the scene, and if they see someone crying well and brilliantly, they can empathize with them with tears in their eyes and nose; if they see someone crying reluctantly and without true feelings, they can mock them; if they see young people who don't cry at all or don't know how to cry, they may discuss them for days and remember them for the rest of their lives, saying that you are an ungrateful person and that your love was in vain.

Ding Guihua, the mother, originally wanted to teach her daughter this skill, but unfortunately, the talent was not put to good use. Her daughter was not interested and even refused to accept the handkerchief that was used to cover her face.

Hey, silly child, you should at least cover your face and howl loudly so that people don’t see your incompetence!

"Ao ao ao!" Zhenbang urged in a low voice. It was very good at controlling this good-tempered master. It could get some food just by acting coquettishly, nodding its head, arching its hands, or hugging its legs.

It’s a pity that only a little is given each time. Ding Guihua wanted to give more, but she couldn’t bear to do so, fearing that she would have to spend money to buy more after it was gone.

She packed up and went out. The handlebars in her hands felt heavy. She wondered if she would take a detour today and see how her daughter was doing at Leng's house.

Unexpectedly, the front door of the Leng family was deserted. After all, it was the third day of the New Year, and relatives had to be visited as usual. There was not even a single person watching.

The Leng family’s house was also quiet. There was no one singing or announcing the death at the gate, and no one crying inside.

Ding Guihua was worried about what she would say if someone asked her, but luckily, no one asked.

After all, she drove past the Leng family's gate, the gate where she had spent her ignorant years.

Secretary Ma felt relieved after Leng Yanqiu arrived. He didn't blame him for looking up to this junior high school student. Although he was young, he knew the rules. As soon as he arrived, he asked about the costs of renting a coffin, setting up a mourning hall, and buying mourning clothes, and then transferred the money. He also said that she would pay for any other arrangements and make sure the old man passed away smoothly.

Secretary Ma simply ignored the mother and daughter. It was Chinese New Year now, so there would definitely be few people coming to pay their respects today. The funeral would be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow, and he would arrange the hearse and the people to carry the coffin and dig the grave.

"Qiu'er, since your relatives are not coming, we won't have any banquet. You can prepare cigarettes for the coffin bearers, one pack per person..."

Since all the expenses were paid by the little girl Leng Yanqiu, the village accountant who Secretary Ma arranged to keep the accounts could not give the gift money to the mother and daughter. The gift money would definitely not be much, but this was the rule.

In fact, the mother and son really didn't care about this at the moment. Leng Zhiqiang had been lying lifeless on the ground, with even his head covered by the quilt. From beginning to end, he never kowtowed to his father or cried.

Old Mrs. Leng was dazed and still had to worry about her son's psychological problems. Who could bear such a big blow? The old man was killed by the blow, so her son couldn't die with him.

Leng Yanqiu's arrival solved the old lady's urgent problem. She can now concentrate on accompanying her son, or sit next to the coffin and accompany the old man.

Secretary Ma left embarrassedly after giving his instructions. He felt that he had done the most he could as his wife's family was still waiting for him to arrive. The third day of the Chinese New Year was the day for married daughters to return to their parents' home.

The Leng family also has a lonely village accountant. It was not until the afternoon that neighbors began to come to pay their respects. Everyone had a strange expression on their face, because they had never seen such a quiet funeral in the countryside. There was no crying throughout the whole process. Only a granddaughter in mourning clothes stood beside the mourning hall and bowed.

Ordinary families would have someone kowtow to the guests, one by one, and then the family that was being courteous would have to give a small gift, called a "head-off gift", which did not need to be recorded in the account.

As a result, no one in the whole province kowtowed.

Legend has it that Leng Zhiqiang was so heartbroken after losing his father that he lay down and could not get up.

Legends... I can't even tell you. Old lady Leng was in a daze. The neighbors tried to comfort her but they didn't know where to start. It was obvious that the old lady was too sad. She kept muttering to herself and ignored everyone.

There are so many rules that cannot be followed, such as bidding farewell to the spirit, sending travel money, breaking basins and beating spirit banners, because, with only one granddaughter to support the family, these solemn ceremonies are not appropriate.

Many villagers sighed that they still needed someone, and they had to give birth to more children. If they gave birth to a son, the funeral would be so grand. Not only would the crying be deafening, but they would also hire a ritual band to come to the door, with drummers, gongs, suonas, and opera singers. They would pay attention to the fact that the funeral would last for seven days before the funeral was officially held. During the funeral, the sons, nephews, nieces, sons-in-law, and grandchildren would walk in the streets for ten miles. They would bow three times and kowtow nine times, and there were rules for which leg to step forward first, which leg to kneel first, where to put the hands, and where to hit the forehead. The rules required the training of the elderly in advance, and then they would be subject to public comments. If there was any slight discrepancy with the rules, it would inevitably cause boos from the whole room, and become a topic of conversation after dinner for at least a year and at most a lifetime.

What is the purpose of living a lifetime? Isn't it just to have a grand funeral after death?

┓(′?`)┏

In any case, the Leng family is bound to become a laughing stock in the whole village.

Leng Yanqiu took off her mourning clothes and mourning belt and walked out. She rejected Secretary Ma's suggestion to arrange for villagers to keep vigil. She said that it was just right for Leng Zhiqiang to lie there and keep vigil, so as not to disturb others' rest.

Old Mrs. Leng has never paid any attention to her granddaughter, letting her wander around the house arranging this and that. She has become almost a walking corpse. She only boils water and cooks to prevent her son from getting hungry or thirsty. If her son doesn't eat or drink, she won't eat or drink either.

Leng Yanqiu walked around the corner and saw a figure standing at the door of a house at the east end of the village. There was also a big fat dog running towards her as if she had met someone after a long separation. Her heavy mood immediately relaxed. She had seen many lives and deaths, so it was difficult for her to break down, let alone cry.

Therefore, Ding Guihua, who had been worried about her daughter, realized that she was just worrying about nothing. Her daughter was normal. During dinner, she once again emphasized the importance of learning to drive tomorrow.