When my master and I were drinking in the evening, his daughter Yunbai actually came to the restaurant. She knew we always drank here.
"Dad, Zhao Tie's dad and mom are here at our house."
I was stunned. Zhao Tie was fine when he returned home, the master looked at me and said.
"You go back first."
Look at me, he said to Yunbai, and Yunbai left.
"Did anything happen today?"
I just told him the situation.
"What was his condition when he left the crematorium?"
"I was so stunned. I thought..."
"It looks like we're in trouble. Stop drinking and let's go."
I followed my master home, and Zhao Tie's parents were there. Their faces were livid and they seemed very angry.
"Master Ke, I have to find Master Yun. How did you take on your apprentice?"
Zhao Tie's father was very angry.
"I bring it normally."
"But now he has a fever and is talking nonsense. He won't wake up even if we call him."
This is something I didn't expect, said my master.
"This is normal. The crematorium does require some time. If you feel that your child is not suitable here, you don't have to go to work tomorrow. Of course, not many people can stay here. Most of them can't bear it psychologically."
"Isn't that right? We asked Yi He's apprentice, Qian Meng just watched first and never took action. There is a process of acceptance, but this Master Ke..."
"Each master has his own way of doing things. It's just that his ability to bear it is not good enough. That's not the master's fault."
I didn't expect that Master Yun would protect me so much. I was indeed a little anxious. I thought that since Zhao Tie was tall and big, there should be no problem. I didn't expect that under his tall body, he had such a weak ability to endure.
Master Yun’s protection of me made Zhao Tie’s parents angry.
"We'll find the director tomorrow."
They left and Master Yun glanced at me.
"Go back and continue drinking."
We came out and Yunbai followed us out and glared at me. Yunbai's nickname is Baiyun, which is quite interesting.
We went back to the restaurant and continued drinking. The waitresses sat aside and chatted with the chef. They were very familiar with the chef and treated him like a brother. They also knew that the chef could burn people to death. I don't know how the chef did it.
The master told me that day.
"You are too impatient. This is what will happen."
However, the master did not blame me.
The next day I went to the unit. Although it was not my shift, I knew that Zhao Tie's parents would go to find the director. If I didn't go, they would send someone to my house to look for me.
I went to the director's office and the master was there too. Today was Yi He and Qian Meng's shift.
The manager looked at me and my master.
"Why are you here?"
"Someone will come to make trouble soon, so I came here."
After the master finished speaking, he took the director's cigarette, lit one and started smoking.
After a while, Zhao Tie's parents came. They were very excited and told me what happened. The director looked at me.
"You have to adapt to life here. If Zhao Tie can't adapt, then forget it."
"There is a process for boiling water. If you come up and ask him to hold a dead person, no one can stand it. I asked Qian Mengle, and his master just asked him to watch."
"Each master has his own way of leading. This has nothing to do with the master."
The manager excused me, saying that I had indeed acted too hastily.
"So what do you want?"
The director's tone was not very good.
"Change master."
The director glanced at Master Yunzheng.
"Okay, I'll take him with me, but he and I are not master and apprentice."
After Master Yunzheng finished speaking, he lit a cigarette.
"That won't work. If you learn, you are a master. If you don't have a master, what is he called?"
It was Zhao Tie's mother who was talking all the time.
"Then follow Master Yihe, and let Qian Meng follow Master Ke."
They hesitated and agreed.
That's how the matter was resolved.
At work, I was sitting in the office waiting for Qian Meng. When he came, I called him "Master", and behind him followed Zhao Tie's parents.
"Mr. Ke, what did you do to our Zhao Tie? He is still unconscious."
I was stunned. This is impossible, right? It's been several days.
"I have to finish my work today. We'll talk about this after I finish it. You can go find the manager first."
I took Qian Meng to the refining room. I thought, I can't let Qian Meng do it again. If something goes wrong again, I can't bear it.
"Just sit there and watch."
I lit the stove and sat aside to smoke. When the fire was burning, I went into the morgue, pushed the deceased in, carried him onto the stretcher, and carried him in.
"Master Ke, I'm not afraid if you tell me to do something."
"It's okay, I can do it myself, you just watch first."
"Master Ke, can you change the contract?"
I was stunned for a moment.
"It depends."
I was busy until around 2:00 in the afternoon. I took a shower and changed clothes, then went to the director's office. Zhao Tie's parents were still there, and the director's face was livid.
"What's going on?"
"Zhao Tie is still unconscious and has been sent to the hospital. They couldn't find anything wrong with him. You guys and the master should be held responsible for this."
After Zhao Tie's father finished speaking, his mother burst into tears.
“We are responsible.”
The manager stood up and put on his clothes.
"Go find your master, and then go to the Central Hospital."
The manager left with them, and I went to find the master.
My master and I went to the Central Hospital and saw Zhao Tie, who was in a coma and couldn't find out the cause. My master took a look and pulled me out.
"Corpse Qi, when this kid was holding a corpse, did you tell him that he couldn't be face to face?"
"I told you everything, step by step, very carefully."
"Unlucky, this kid has a bad fate."
"What should we do then?"
"Tie the rope! Let them take Zhao Tie home. I'll go get something."
The master rode away on his bike. I told Zhao Tie's parents about this. They asked me if I had any solution. I nodded. They asked me to carry Zhao Tie on my back and take him home. I didn't want to say anything. I wanted to wait until Zhao Tie got better and if he was willing, I would continue to take care of this apprentice. But now it's impossible. I can't afford to have parents like this.
I took Zhao Tie home and went to the intersection to wait for the master, but the master didn't know Zhao Tie's home.
The master came on a bike, carrying a small bag.
We entered Zhao Tie's yard and the master glanced at me.
"I'll tell you to do it in a moment, and then you stay here."
I nodded. No matter what, it was my fault.
We went in and entered Zhao Tie’s room, the master said.
"You get out. From now on, you can't come in."
The master locked the door and glanced at Zhao Tie, but there was no response. The master took out a paper package from his bag, wrapped in black paper, a total of four small packages.
"Here is a black line. Don't tie a knot. Don't tie a knot. Tie it to Zhao Tie's wrists and ankles. Then connect the four lines together and you will tie them."
The master sat down and started smoking. I was a little nervous and started sweating.
The master suddenly pulled the curtains shut, which startled me. I looked up at the master, but he didn't say anything.
I finished tying it and pulled the four black lines together, and the master stood up.
"This can't be tied with a fixed button, it has to be loose, and it will come apart when you pull it. The string can't be tied into a knot, so it will come apart when the time comes.
After the master finished tying the ropes, he took out four packages of red thread as well.
"It is also tied to the wrists and ankles, and then to the four bed legs. Then I will leave, and you stay there. A black gas will come out of Zhao Tie's mouth, either light or heavy. You have to keep an eye on it. When the black gas comes out, you open the window and let it out. Everything will be fine."
"Master, is this possible?"
The master didn't say anything. I thought he probably didn't know whether it was possible or not. I was just guessing.
The master left. The dark room made me feel scared. I was sitting close and worried that I couldn’t see anything. The master said that what was exhaled was corpse gas and that you must not inhale it. Hold your breath and then open the window to let it out.
I sat and waited, not daring to mistake my eyes, for I didn't know what would happen in the end.
It's almost dawn and it's getting white outside, but there's still no reaction. I don't know if this trick will work.
There's a knock on the door.
"How is it? My son."
She is Zhao Tie’s mother.
"Don't bother me. If anything goes wrong, it's your problem."
The people outside have become quiet, and I understand their anxiety.
Suddenly, Zhao Tie grunted and opened his mouth, and I jumped up. A black gas came out, not too heavy, but clear enough. I jumped up and pushed open the window. The black gas actually circled in the room before going out. When it went out, I closed the window, opened the curtains, and looked outside, but saw nothing.
I immediately untied the black and red threads, one by one, and then wrapped them around a small stick that looked like a match. When I looked closely, I realized that it was bone, absolutely, wrapped around a skeleton. Oh my god, my hands were shaking.
After I finished everything, I wrapped them in paper and put them in my bag.
Zhao Tie suddenly sat up.
"I want to eat meat."
Damn it, you gave me a scare.
I opened the door.
"alright."
Zhao Tie’s parents rushed in, hugged Zhao Tie and cried, and I left.
I'm going to the crematorium. Today is the master's shift.
When I went in, the master was smoking.
"Master, you go home, I'll do it!"
"No, you stayed up all night."
"Don't you want to ask?"
"What are you asking? If I don't have confidence, would I dare to do that? That's a human life."
I didn't expect that the master knew what was going on.
The master stretched out his hand, I was stunned for a moment, and then I understood.
I handed the bag to the master and he took it and said.
"Look for a while, furnace number four hasn't broken."
I took the pick and looked at it.
The master went out, and I have a special feeling towards him, it’s hard to describe what it is.
I was sitting there and a man came in and glanced at me. I was stunned because it turned out to be the third uncle of makeup artist Master Yi Qiuju.
"Uncle, you..."
"Take me to find Master Yi. I have never been to this place."
My master came over and didn't ask who I was.
"Just go and do your thing."
I took Master Yi's third uncle to find her. When we entered the dressing room, Master Yi was teaching Bai Jie how to put on makeup.
"You guys wait outside."
Master Yi seems to be very popular.
I took the third uncle to my office, and after he sat down, I poured him some water.
"What's Xiaoju's temper? She wasn't like this before?"
I didn't say anything, just smiled. I really don't know what it's like. I have never dealt with Master Yi.
It was three hours later when Master Yi and Bai Jie came in. It seemed like there was a lot of work to do today.
"Xiao Ke, didn't your master tell you that you can't just enter the dressing room casually? You came in through the back door. Do you want to live?"
I was so angry after being yelled at, and my master really didn't tell me.
"I'm sorry, Master Yi."
"Okay, let's go eat."
We went out to have dinner, and of course I had to treat them because it was about Bai Jie and I.
While eating, Master Yi said.
"After this is done, I, Third Uncle, will be in your care until it is over."
I nodded, and that day Bai Jie and I brought the third uncle to Bai Jie's place and let him live there.
The third uncle seemed to be here to enjoy himself.
"Tomorrow morning we will have a stewed chicken and some wine. At noon we will have six dishes, three of which must be meat. At night we will have dumplings, and four of them must be meat. Wine is indispensable."
After saying this, the third uncle went into the house to sleep. He drank a lot today.
Bai Jie and I heard a sound in the middle of the night, a strange sound. The sound actually came from the third uncle's room. I had never heard such a sound before. It was too strange.
Bai Jie and I came out of the room and heard the sound coming from the third uncle's room. Bai Jie's hands were shaking. We couldn't hear what the sound was. Bai Jie's parents also got up and heard it. It was really strange.
"What's that sound? Did something happen to the Third Master?"
I frowned and spoke in a low voice.
"I'll go over there."
I slowly walked to the third uncle's room, raised my hand, and was about to knock on the door, when suddenly there was a loud shout, and I jumped to the side, and they were also trembling with fear, what's wrong with this third uncle? Don't let anything happen, I pushed the door open, and he didn't lock the door, but what I saw made me stunned. (To be continued)