Crossflow

Jingpu City, the Tao family's ancestral home.

Tao Fengche had already knelt in front of Tao Zhixing's coffin for three days, and even though Xu Song had brought him a futon from the Buddhist hall in advance, he couldn't kneel anymore.

But he couldn't fall, let alone vent his strength.

Jingpu has a tradition of keeping spirits.It is said that the deceased will go home to visit within three days after his death. During this period, relatives, friends and children will gather together and wait in the mourning hall to ensure that there are relatives around the coffin at all times, so that the deceased will not be missed when he returns. until the body is buried.

According to the usual practice, the candidates to keep the spirit are usually the children of the deceased and their children's peers. After several people discuss, they will keep the spirit at different times. However, the Tao family has always had few descendants.

He is already the last surviving bloodline of the Jingpu Tao family, so how can anyone else succeed him?

Xu Song couldn't bear Tao Fengche's support alone, and suggested to find a few people from the gang to guard the spirit, but Tao Fengche was very stubborn on this point, thinking that those people didn't count, and insisted on walking with his father by himself. This last leg.

After three days, Tao Fengche leaned against his father's coffin and closed his eyes only when he couldn't hold on any longer, and woke up again within an hour at most.In addition, he has been kneeling before the coffin without saying a word, with his head slightly lowered, his eyes falling on the smooth marble floor, as if he was meditating or confessing.

Tao Fengche knelt here for three days, and Jingpu's stock market was also in turmoil for three days.Since the news of Tao Zhixing's death came out, countless people's eyes have gathered on the Tao family's ancestral house, some are sad, some are cold-eyed bystanders, and some are ready to move. Now Jingpu has become a pool of muddy water, and everyone wants to come and mix it Step up.

Amidst the turbulence of an undercurrent, Tao Fengche, who was in the middle of the storm, seemed to be ignorant. After he came out of the hospital, he instructed Xu Song to pass a leave note to the school, and then went home, concentrating on arranging for his father. The mourning hall.

The Tao family's huge manor is well-equipped with facilities, and there is an old building specially reserved for this purpose. The last time it was unsealed was more than ten years ago.The time has passed so long that even Tao Fengche's memory has become blurred. He only remembers that the eminent monk who was hired with a lot of money led his disciples to perform a ritual ceremony in the mourning hall. It hurts, I just want to sneeze after smelling it for a long time.

Tao Zhixing was only in his early 30s at the time, and he held his youngest son in his arms as a joke, saying that since you can’t smell it, don’t waste the money when I leave. Ask someone to dance the Great God for me.

The surrounding people were amazed by the godfather's detachment from life and death, and shocked by his contempt for ghosts and gods. Tao Fengche was still young at the time, so he didn't understand his father's words at all. His uncles and uncles all changed their faces; later, when he grew up a little bit, he felt that this matter was too far away from him, so he didn't take it to heart, and over time he left it behind.

But he didn't expect fate to play such a big joke with him.

The old building that was supposed to be closed for at least 40 years was restarted. More than ten years ago, Tao Fengche accompanied his father to send away his grandma here; more than ten years later, Tao Fengche came here alone, preparing to send his grandma away. Father.

It is true that life is impermanent.

In the mourning hall, rich sandalwood was lingering. In this mellow and mellow smell, Tao Fengche suddenly fell into memories.Speaking of which, although the old man also believes in Buddhism, the way he believes is extraordinarily unrestrained. Except for going to the Buddhist hall to burn incense every year, and a few special time points, he is rarely seen in the Buddhist hall.

No matter what kind of problems in the business below, he never asks Gods and Buddhas to help him solve the predicament. He only goes to offer a stick of incense on the anniversary of the death of his parents and wife, and asks him to give them a safe and happy afterlife.

It's really free and easy, so Tao Fengche really didn't invite a Zen master to do the exercises for him, and he didn't know whether the old man was happy or not.

"The guests have arrived."

Zhao Jiayang suddenly pushed the door open and came in, interrupting Tao Fengche's thoughts.

In the center of the mourning hall hangs a black and white portrait of Tao Zhixing, with elegiac couplets hung high on both sides, a spiritual tablet is placed on the altar table, surrounded by chayote fruits and a string of ever-burning lamps.

In front of the coffin made of sandalwood, the young man was dressed in snow-white linen filial piety, kneeling straight like a tall and straight bamboo.He hadn't closed his eyes for a long time, and the blood on his face had already faded away, except for a pair of obsidian eyes that were still astonishingly bright.Except for the faint redness in the eyes, and the paler lips compared to yesterday, the whole person can't see the slightest decadence.

——Even though he was played by fate in every possible way, he seemed like he would never be defeated.

Tao Zhixing's son was indeed raised well.Zhao Jiayang stared at him for a while, feeling a little complicated, and sighed quietly.

Tao Fengche spoke, his voice was as dry as sandpaper: "Then... please come in."

The coffin will be suspended for three days, and on the last day, guests who come to express their condolences will be received.Before you know it, the sky is already bright, and it's time.

Tao Fengche didn't speak for a long time, when he opened his mouth, he startled himself first, and cleared his throat hastily.His knees were numb, and when he stood up he staggered and nearly fell, and hurriedly moved his sore muscles.

The Tao family maid who came in with Zhao Jiayang handed over a glass of honey water at the right time. Tao Fengche took a sip after taking it, and turned to Zhao Jiayang and said, "Thank you."

Tao Fengche spoke very solemnly.He is still young, and has no experience in handling funerals, and he is worried about leaving the matter in the hands of others. Xu Song is old. He created a web of relationships that criss-crossed like a spider's web, and he alone was not enough to achieve perfection.

Fortunately, Zhao Jiayang was there.

From arranging the mourning hall, choosing the coffin, to posting the obituary, everything was completed with the cooperation of Zhao Jiayang and Xu Song. It was also because of his help that Tao Zhixing was able to complete this last journey with dignity.

"...What are you talking about." Zhao Jiayang was silent for a moment, then stretched out his hand and rubbed his head, "It's all what I should do. Besides, I have more experience than you in this matter."

Tao Fengche understood that the experience Zhao Jiayang was talking about was... Chu Yin's funeral was arranged by him two years ago.

He opened his mouth, not knowing what he could say at this moment, but fortunately, Zhao Jiayang himself was unwilling to bring up such a sad incident, so he quickly changed the subject: "Did you find the thing?"

Tao Fengche sighed: "No."

"Things" refers to the jade wrench in Tao Zhixing's hand. As a symbol of power, it has been passed down from generation to generation in the hands of the Tao family's godfathers.

The Tao family's pharmaceutical company is not listed. In addition to Tao Fengche's 5.00%, Tao Zhixing still holds 80.00% of the shares, owning an absolute controlling stake in the company.Once the share transfer is over, everything can be discussed at the negotiating table; but the secret business has been unstable recently, Tao Zhixing has been murdered, and anyone who has two intentions is holding their breath and waiting for an opportunity to attack , Now throwing the finger away, it's like passing a target in someone else's hand.

Tao Zhixing's personal lawyer will come to read the will this afternoon, and Tao Fengche is not too worried about the contents above, but the finger is gone, he will never be able to convince everyone in the gang.

For the past three days, although Tao Fengche has been kneeling in the mourning hall, he has not been idle. He asked Xu Song to do two things. One is to find out the truth about Tao Zhixing's car accident, and the other is to look for a finger at home—the day before the accident. , The things that the father and son were wearing on their hands when they quarreled, couldn't suddenly disappear, right?

But in the past few days, Xu Song and his men have turned the Tao family's ancestral house upside down. Whether it's the safe or the darkroom, they have searched inch by inch, but they didn't even see a shadow.

The uncle and nephew looked at each other and sighed.

Definitely a tough day today.

"Soldiers come to cover the flooded water with soil, let's take a step and see." Tao Fengche gritted his teeth, drank the water in the cup, and stood beside the coffin.

"You can let the guests in."

This sentence was said to the maid, who immediately took orders and left.

···

Tao Zhixing made a long resignation suddenly, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it caused Jingpu turmoil.

As soon as the obituary was issued, letters of condolence arrived like snowflakes, and wreaths from merchants and dignitaries were placed from the foot of the mountain to the gate of the mourning hall.The bodyguards of the Tao family stood in two rows at the entrance of the manor, and they could only enter after checking their identities one by one. Those with low grades and journalists were not allowed to receive them. Even so, there was still an endless stream of guests who came to express their condolences.

The guests, dressed neatly and wearing white flowers on their chests, entered the mourning hall in an orderly manner, lit incense and bowed in front of the coffin in the middle, shook hands with Tao Fengche and said some words of encouragement.

Regardless of whether these people are sincere or false, at least they have done enough on the surface.After a long time, Tao Fengche's ears were already numb, and Zhao Jiayang, who was standing behind him, was also very tired.

The five councilors and the mayor of Jingpu City came in a different order. When it was close to five o'clock in the afternoon, Tao Fengche sent the last one out of the mourning hall, looked up at the sky, and sighed deeply.

Today's weather is good, the sky is cloudless, and the wind is blowing gently. It would be great if the atmosphere in the room can be the same as the weather.

Although the lawyer hasn't arrived yet, some old people in the gang can't sit still anymore.A few old fellows were watching, if not for Zhao Jiayang standing behind to support the situation, there is no guarantee that they would not attack on the spot.

As time passed by, Tao Fengche dealt with the guests absent-mindedly. The expression on his face was as standard as if it had been carved out of a mold. No one could see his anxious mood at the moment.

But what to do next, Tao Fengche still couldn't think of an answer.

"No one except lawyers can enter! The attendants are waiting outside!" There was a sudden commotion outside the mourning hall, and Tao Fengche knew immediately that the one who yelled the loudest was the most impulsive bodyguard in the house.

Let him continue shouting, and there will probably be a gun battle later.Seeing blood at a funeral is unlucky after all.

He sighed, and raised his voice to stop: "We don't use guns at the funeral, let them in."

The sound gradually stopped.

Since hearing the word "lawyer", the irrelevant guests have left one after another. Now those who are still in the mourning hall are those who are deeply involved in the Tao family's secret business. Their expressions are different, and their eyes are focused on the mourning hall At the door, everyone's calculations were clattering.

But it was not the lawyer who first appeared in everyone's eyes.

The man who came in first was wearing a full black suit, probably because it was too hot outside, he took off his suit jacket and handed it to his subordinates to hold him, he only wore a black shirt with a white rose pinned to his chest, at this moment Slowly put away the black umbrella in his hand.

He is extremely tall, at least 1.8 meters tall. His light gray hair is shoulder length and slightly curled. It is as smooth as a piece of fine silk. His facial features are also extremely delicate, even a little feminine. , but also has a high nose bridge, a pair of gray-blue eyes that seem to be covered with fog all the time.

It was a very delicate, very exotic face.

He was young, in his twenties, but he brought a lot of men behind him, all of them carrying guns. Tao Zhixing's personal lawyer was even half a step behind him, clearly stating his position.

There were murmurs around, but Tao Fengche stared straight at his face, as if dazed.

The sunlight came down from behind the man, making his skin so white that it was almost transparent. On his right thumb was a green jade wrench finger.

Whether it's this finger or this face, they are all very familiar to Tao Fengche.

He will never forget this face in his life.

Although...he always thought he was dead.