The sun was scorching and the air was scorching hot. Even standing under the shade of a tree, one would still sweat profusely.
Chen Ling looked up at the magnificent European-style stone arch gate in front of him. Several high-end cars passed by below, and the security guards on both sides of the gate saluted in unison.
Only after the car turned the corner and disappeared from sight did the security guards let go of their hands and resumed their upright stance.
Chen Ling fanned himself a few times with his hands, lowered his head and took out his cell phone to check whether his location was consistent with the records on the phone.
That’s right, it’s No. 1 Hongjing Road.
Chen Ling put his cell phone in his pocket, lowered his head to adjust his white shirt, thought for a moment, then took out the small bronze bell from his pocket and stuffed the bottom with toilet paper to prevent it from clanging when he walked and affecting his calm and reliable image.
After all, this is the first call from a potential customer that I have received since I started my business. Whether I can succeed in my grand business depends entirely on today.
The security guards at the door seemed to have been notified of the visitor a long time ago. When they saw the young man who had been standing under the shade of the tree approaching, one of them hurriedly came out from under an umbrella and greeted him with a smile.
"Excuse me, is this Mr. Chen?"
"Yes." Guessing that the client might have called in advance, Chen Ling said with a smile, "I'm here to see Mrs. Jiang."
Security guard: "We have been notified a long time ago. We will take you there right away."
Chen Ling didn't show it on his face, but he was slightly relieved in his heart. The security and guarding of this villa area were very strict, and not even a fly could fly in without the permission of the residents. For this reason, before coming here, he had imagined countless possibilities of sneaking in, including sneaking around to the back mountain and climbing over the wall.
Who would have thought that the first customer would be so understanding and thoughtful.
Jiang's house is located in the best location in the villa area. Before he got close, Chen Ling had already seen the artificial lake behind the house. A trickling stream extended from it and flowed through the west side of the house. Two small fish were swimming in it, and the golden scales on their backs sparkled in the sunlight and water waves.
Chen Ling's eyes followed the direction of the stream and fell on the green peaks in the distance. He couldn't help but sigh quietly: "This house is in a great location."
The security guard raised his eyebrows: "Yes, you can see the mountains and water when you open the window. There are not many houses like this nowadays."
He glanced around, looking like he was full of gossip: "Our villa area has won good reviews from the city for its environment. Oh, and it also won a garden design award. But the price is outrageously high. We can't expect to live there in this lifetime."
Chen Ling smiled but said nothing, his eyes already fixed on the gate of the Jiang family, not far from the two of them.
On both sides of the stone steps just below the entrance door, there is a silly-looking two-headed stone lion squatting. I don't know if the curly hair of the stone lion was touched by people or polished by wind and rain. When exposed to the sun, the smooth top is shiny as if it was oiled, and there is a big red bow tie around its neck.
Chen Ling thought that these two lions looked quite fashionable.
He looked away and followed the security guard up the stone steps. After the security guard helped him press the bell, a voice came out of the intercom: "This is Jiang's house."
Security guard: "Hello, housekeeper. The guest that Mrs. Jiang asked me to pick up has arrived."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the villa opened from the inside, and a woman in a white dress walked out. She smiled warmly and took Chen Ling's hand: "Mr. Chen, I finally waited for you."
Recognizing the woman's voice as that of Mrs. Jiang, whom he had contacted on the phone before, Chen Ling nodded and greeted her. He then quietly broke free of her hand and apologized, "I'm so sorry, I'm late."
"Is it a traffic jam?" Mrs. Jiang was very easy to talk to, and she didn't have the arrogance of some rich ladies. "It's okay. It's rush hour now. The traffic jam is terrible. I understand."
Chen Ling followed up with, "It's a bit congested."
Actually, it wasn’t a traffic jam, it was an almost car accident.
He was standing on the roadside waiting for a taxi. As soon as he waved, a van suddenly turned and hit him. If he had not reacted quickly and avoided it, he would probably be lying in the hospital with broken hands and feet.
Mrs. Jiang thanked the security guard and warmly invited Chen Ling in. The two sat on the sofa in the hall and exchanged a few words before getting down to business.
"I have already briefly mentioned the relocation of the grave to you on the phone before. It is a cenotaph. There is no need to collect the bones or move the urn, nor is there any need for a ritual."
As the saying goes, a poor man doesn't change his house, and a rich man doesn't move his grave.
“Not moving” does not mean that one cannot move, but that one cannot move at will, and all the rituals are indispensable.
As far as Chen Ling knew, the Jiang family wanted to move the tomb of the Jiang family's ancestor. If it was not handled properly, not only would the Jiang family members be affected, but he himself would also be in trouble.
Logically speaking, we should treat it with even greater caution.
Noticing that there was something wrong with the young man's eyes, Mrs. Jiang's face froze, and she realized that she was too anxious.
She picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea to cover up the panic on her face, and said, "Mr. Chen, I know this is a bit against the rules, but, but this is what our ancestor asked for in his dream, and there is nothing we can do."
The younger ones should not argue with the older ones. If they do, they would be considered unfilial.
Nothing wrong.
Chen Ling was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "Mrs. Jiang, can I take a look around first?"
"Of course." Mrs. Jiang quickly stood up and personally took Chen Ling around the villa.
The villa is very large, with four floors totaling more than a thousand square meters, and the decoration style is luxurious and simple. The sunlight shines in through the windows, making the whole house bright and clear, without a trace of gloom.
The two of them walked up and down the stairs and soon returned to the living room on the first floor.
Chen Ling went to the bathroom under the pretext of going to the toilet.
After entering, he leaned his back against the door, took out his cell phone from his pocket, and called his master.
The call was connected, and the voice on the other end was full of energy, deep and rich. After listening to his apprentice's story, he made the final decision: "It's okay, just answer it."
Chen Ling expressed doubt about the Master's indifferent attitude: "Is it really okay not to perform rituals?"
At least you have to recite a few scriptures to appease the dead soul, or drive away evil spirits or something.
The person on the other end of the phone seemed very busy, and said quickly and perfunctorily: "Our ancestors always said to keep everything simple, so let's not worry about it, just do what Mrs. Jiang says."
Chen Ling muttered: "What if Mrs. Jiang is lying and there is no such thing as the ancestor appearing in a dream?"
He thought his voice was low enough, but the person on the other end could still hear it clearly.
"The Jiang family's prosperity is not only due to the ability and skills of the Jiang family members, but also because the Jiang family's luck has never been broken. Don't worry, as long as they are not stupid, they will not deliberately destroy the ancestral tomb and ruin their own excellent feng shui."
After the master finished speaking, he urged, "By the way, come back quickly after you finish your work. A lot of workers have just arrived and are sitting on the top of the mountain waiting for you to come back and make arrangements."
The top of the mountain does not refer to a small hill, but a barren mountain called Yuhe, which is 30 kilometers away from the suburbs.
Chen Ling held the phone and thought, the master is different from him, a half-baked person. He is a real descendant of the Heavenly Master. Since he said there is no problem, then there must be no problem.
What's more, there is a lot of things to do at home, so I have to go back as soon as possible.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Ling adjusted his shirt collar in front of the mirror, raised his chin and put on a serious expression, then walked out with a calm pace.
Mrs. Jiang seemed to have just talked to someone on the phone, with the cell phone in her hand. When she saw the young man's handsome and elegant face, she frowned and moved closer.
"Mr. Chen, my husband just called and said that our family's affairs are urgent and it is a bit difficult for us to do it. Out of sincerity, we will double the price."
Chen Ling was very excited and smiled brightly: "Don't worry, I'll take this order. If it's convenient, can you take me to see the old tomb of the Jiang family's ancestor first?"
The young man has fair skin, rosy lips, and when he smiles, his eyes narrow slightly, revealing a row of neat white teeth, giving him a very friendly look.
The anxiety in Mrs. Jiang's heart was calmed down by this smile: "I'll take you there now."
The tomb of the Jiang family's ancestor is not in any cemetery, but near a factory owned by the Jiang family.
The factory is located on the edge of the city, close to the Jiangliu Scenic Avenue, surrounded by lush greenery and pleasant scenery.
Chen Ling followed Mrs. Jiang along the scenic avenue. At an inconspicuous fork in the road, the two left the driver and walked into a dense forest.
The forest was completely silent, the noisy cicadas became silent, and the sunlight was completely blocked by the lush branches.
Chen Ling noticed that Mrs. Jiang's walking posture had become a little stiff, and her exposed arms were covered with goose bumps. She swayed her head slightly from side to side to observe the surrounding situation. Every step forward with her legs in high heels was tentative.
"Mrs. Jiang, what are you afraid of?"
The sudden sound frightened Mrs. Jiang so much that she almost cried out. She pursed her lips and pretended to be relaxed: "No, I just felt it was a bit chilly in the woods."
Chen Ling's face showed belief: "It is a bit cold. The trees here are quite old."
Mrs. Jiang slowed down and walked side by side with the young man. She lowered her voice and said, "That's right. There is an old locust tree in front of us. It is five or six hundred years old."
Sophora japonica is a Yin tree and is not usually planted near graves. I don't know whether the Jiang family kept this Sophora japonica tree to make it a spirit or to make the person lying under it to resurrect and jump up.
The leaves under their feet made a crunching sound, and soon they stopped in front of a lonely grave.
A simple stone tablet is erected on the grave. It does not have the deceased's birth or death time, nor the name of the person who erected the tablet, only a simple name.
—Jiang Yu.
The river flows endlessly, the territory is boundless, and the name is truly grand.
After greeting the tomb owner in his heart, Chen Ling quietly turned his gaze to Mrs. Jiang.
The elegant woman's face was as pale as paper. Her two hands hanging on both sides were tightly clasped together at some point. Her ten fingers were tightly twisted, and her knuckles turned white from the excessive force. The veins on the back of her hands were bulging.
It was obvious that the rich lady was in great fear.
Chen Ling took out a pack of tissues, took out one and handed it over.
Mrs. Jiang looked at the young man slowly, her eyes blank. It took her a long time to come back to her senses as if awakened from a dream. She took the tissue awkwardly and wiped away the cold sweat dripping from her forehead.
"Mr. Chen, this is the grave of our ancestor." Her voice was hoarse and trembling, as if she had thought of something terrible and shuddered. "If it's convenient, can you start digging the grave tomorrow?"
Chen Ling: “…”
I've seen people who were anxious, but I've never seen anyone as anxious as this one.
Mrs. Jiang gave him the feeling that she was not moving house for her ancestors, but rather getting rid of a hot potato.