Both He Ping and I were afraid and didn't want to take the first step, but someone had to take it.
I don’t understand why He Ping is in charge of funeral affairs, but he is so careful, he must understand something.
"If it's He Dana, will he go in?"
He suddenly said this and I was stunned. He Dana had said that he never hung out with these craftsmen because their evil was of another kind. But He Ping mentioned He Dana, obviously unconsciously. I looked at He Ping and he seemed to think that he had said something wrong.
"I think my godfather will go in."
I went in first. The room was arranged with north and south pits. It was very strange. This was a method used by the Manchus. No one was allowed to sit or live in the south pit. It was the place for worshipping ancestors. Usually, a table and a dog-skin hat would be placed on the kang. The Manchus did not eat dog meat. Is it true that Nurhaci was saved by a dog? It was probably a custom that people did not sit on the south kang, eat dog meat, or wear dog-skin hats.
It is cold in Northeast China, so most hats are made of dog skin, because dog skin is easy to work with, while other skins are not.
That's true. It surprised me so much. I can't understand how many years this ghost village has existed and who lives here. I have been to other rooms, but there is no such layout. This is the most unexpected thing.
The bed between the two kangs is the young lady's bed. This is too unexpected and inappropriate.
This kind of mix and match is really rare, so it seems that there are too many things involved.
There was a man lying on the young lady's bed. Even when we got closer, the shadows were still blurry because of the beaded curtain. We were only one meter away from the bed.
I didn't move, and He Ping didn't move either. It seemed that I had to take charge of everything today.
"I don't think we should move."
After I said this, I looked at He Ping.
"Why don't you move?"
I was wondering what was in He Ping's backpack. Why didn't he touch mine when he took He Ping's backpack, which I couldn't see? What was he after? This was the scariest thing. Now when I looked at He Ping, I felt uneasy. I underestimated He Ping. A paper craftsman had too many strange things. He Dana said that he didn't want me to provoke these people, but he was probably connected to them. So he must have suffered some loss before telling me. You should listen to what the old people tell you because they have experienced it.
He Ping reached out and lifted a red curtain, and I saw a woman lying there, very beautiful, wearing ancient clothes and makeup. So, it was normal to have such a fresh corpse in the Bone Village, but a fresh corpse that was hundreds of years old was probably too weird. I stepped back. He Ping was staring at something. I stopped at the door, and He Ping actually reached in, as if he was taking something.
"I think it's best if you don't touch anything. Anything can happen in Bone Village."
He Ping's hand was suspended in the air, hesitating, but finally he withdrew it and put down the bead curtain.
We left the room and sat outside until dawn. I was looking for my things, and He Ping was also looking for the thing he said he had been using for a hundred years. From this point of view, I didn't quite believe it. He seemed to be looking for something else.
"I'm telling you, it's best if you don't take anything from Bone Village. It's of no use at all."
He Ping didn't say anything. I brought him here and I regretted it. If I had listened to He Dana, perhaps not so many things would have happened. He Ping and I are friends, but I don't know him. We have known each other for so many years. I just thought that he was a good paper-making craftsman, but now it seems that is not the case.
I told He Ping to leave the village before dark.
Before it got dark, we went into a ditch and then into a room. There was a paper figure in the corner of the room. It was a colorful figure. When I saw it, I was completely shocked. When I first came in, there was a person standing there. When I realized that he was going to stab someone, He Ping had already gone over and stabbed the person with sticks. He stabbed him a lot. That was their method. I didn't quite understand it.
"Okay, it's okay. Thank you, Brother Zuo, for stabbing people for a hundred years. It's so beautiful."
I looked a little scared.
"My work is done. Whether you leave or stay, I will accompany you."
"My work is over."
I came to the Bone Village to find a way to crack the hook technique. I felt that it should be in this place, but after I came in, I no longer had that feeling.
We left the village and went back the same way we came, which took quite a detour. We couldn't go through the main gate because there were experts guarding it. They were studying the Bone Village, but no one dared to come in. They just kept observing this strange village.
The stabber followed He Ping like a human, and I was scared just watching. What kind of evil method was this
I can’t think of anything. If He Ping goes home, I will go home too.
My father was taking Xiaozhe to study. When he saw me come back, he said.
"Prepare to order food, two people are coming tonight."
"who?"
"Don't worry about it, just prepare the food, it's better."
I went to Da Lai to order some food and bought some wine.
My father seldom entertains guests, and it seems that today's guest is quite distinguished.
Xiaozhe always avoids me like that, keeping a distance of more than two meters. This is my final decision. Yunbai has been planted in Xiaozhe's mind since he was a child, that he will be eaten if his father hugs him. I don't want to explain, and it's not easy to change him, not to mention that he is not very old. If I explain again, he will have problems psychologically. I can only do nothing.
After dark, two people came. They were my father's colleagues. They brought a person whom I called aunt. This aunt brought a girl. I understood that they were introducing me to a partner, but I was afraid that it was unlikely because I was married and had a child. It was a bit ridiculous. After Han Xue left, she never entered this house again.
No matter what she said before, it seems that it was just a lie. I now seem to have a fear of women, which is more than seeing ghosts.
The girl was pretty, but I didn't think anything would happen. Things just developed naturally. We drank and chatted. My father glared at me several times, and I also drank more than half a pound of white wine.
After they left, my father ignored me. I knew I should pretend today, but that was impossible. What was the point of pretending
The most infuriating thing is that they sent a letter the next day saying that the girl was very satisfied and just looked at me.
I don't think it's a big deal. If you're satisfied, I have no reason to disagree. Just my conditions? He burned people to death, and he was married and had a boy.
I went on a date with this girl. We watched a movie that day. It was a red sun. We didn't talk. After the movie, I took her to dinner at Da Lai.
It was then that I knew her name was Lu Pin. When I heard this name, I was stunned.
Regarding Lv Pin, I have heard of this name. She was the deputy director of a crematorium in another county. She was the youngest deputy director in China at the age of only 24. I don't know how she became the director, but I have heard something about her.
"I don't think we're a good match."
We talked about this while we were having dinner, Lu Pin said with a smile.
“I think it’s very suitable.”
As for what Lu Pin was thinking, I don't know, but what she said must have made sense. She had her own ideas, and she probably knew me quite well, while I had only heard about her situation from hearsay.
I went home and told my father that Lu Pin and I were not suitable for each other. It turned out that I couldn't control her.
My father glared at me and said.
"It's good enough that I can marry you. Han Xue has already run away, what else do you want? I'm so old, and I can't close my eyes until I see you have a family."
"Dad, don't worry about this."
"I don't worry..."
It was the first time that my father was so excited and spoke to me like this. I thought a lot that day and I could understand my father's anxiety.
I didn't expect that Yun Bai would come to the crematorium to find me the next day. When I entered the refining room, I felt unhappy when I saw Yun Bai.
"Wait for me outside. I have to finish my work."
I came out that day, Yun Bai said.
"It's very simple. You can't be with Lu Pin."
"Who are you? You always tell me that I can't be with this person or that person. What's your business? Go and be a poor wife in a rich family."
My words were harsh to hear. Actually, I knew I shouldn't say that, but I couldn't help it. The hook technique was learned by Master Yun Zheng, and he taught it to his daughter, but in the end there was no solution. It was as scary as an unsolvable equation.
Yun Bai didn't say anything else and left. His desolate look made me feel sad. In fact, I also knew at that time that I had not completely gotten rid of that feeling.
But I always have to take a step forward. Whether I can achieve a happy ending with Lu Pin is not easy to say. Matters of marriage are the most difficult to say. If you always fail, it means you owe something. Only after you pay it back can you finally have a happy ending.
Lu Pin and I are still in contact. She comes here whenever she has nothing to do and brings some things for Xiaozhe. Those things cannot be bought here, as they are all from abroad. In this day and age, you cannot buy domestic supplies even if you have money.
Lu Pin brought Xiaozhe with him, and he gradually fell in love with Lu Pin, and his father also fell in love with this girl.
So what else do I need? As long as my son is happy and my father is happy, I don't care anymore.
We continued to interact like this, neither hot nor cold.
I never asked about Lv Pin's position as deputy director of the crematorium. I never thought that she could be a deputy director at such a young age. However, I never saw her acting like a deputy director.
It was my day off that day, so I went to Lv Pin's crematorium, which was in another county and not very big. When I went in, the guard asked me who I was looking for, and I said Lv Pin. He actually took me there. Later I found out that there was no full-time position in this crematorium, because almost half of the directors who were promoted to full-time positions were not used, either because they were sick or had accidents. So there was no full-time position here.
Lu Pin probably didn't expect me to come.
"Sit down for a while. I'll arrange my work and leave."
Lu Pin went out and came back with a strange look on his face.
"What's the matter?"
Lu Pin took a long time to speak.
"The body lies horizontally, and the family members just ask for makeup."
I was stunned. As for makeup, we, the makeup artists for the dead, basically don't know how to do it, but I can. I'm a refiner, but I can do it. It was Master Yunzheng who taught me. Master Yunzheng knew how to do makeup, which I didn't expect. So, speaking of it, many people in the crematorium are learning other things.
I have never told anyone else about this makeup. I have only done it once, as a private job for Master Yunzheng.
Regarding the corpse, the corpse that died suddenly, requiring makeup, it seems that someone has given some advice. Using makeup for a sudden death is a bold move, but makeup artists will not do it, and they don't know how to do it. This request can be completely rejected.
"You can refuse and say no."
"It's true that no one would, but we can't afford to offend this family. The higher-ups have also called us. This family has a bad temper and is not an ordinary person."
"Then I'll do it."
Lu Pin was stunned, obviously not expecting me to do that.
"You can?"
"yes."
"this… "
"Don't worry, I know what to do. I want to meet the family members."
More than ten family members came to the office.
"Leaving two is not okay. This is not a fight."
"You're a makeup artist, why are you so boastful?"
A man spoke, and when I heard it, I was really angry at this guy.
"We just want makeup. Do we have to find someone else? If not, I promise you won't be able to be the manager."
You bastard, you are so fucking arrogant.
"No problem, I'll do your makeup tonight and make sure you're satisfied."
"Well, if we are not satisfied, you don't have to do it."
These people went out sideways, damn them.
Lu Pin didn’t want me to come, but I said it was no big deal and I would come.
That day, Lu Pin and I went out to eat. I asked Lu Pin what she liked about me, and she smiled.
"I know too much about you. Actually, I don't know why I like you. I have seen you several times."
As for when it was, I don't know. Maybe love is like this? I can't explain it clearly and I can't figure it out.
That night, Lv Pin accompanied me to put on my makeup, and the makeup box was left to me by Master Yun Zheng. (To be continued)