Tenant farrs’ funerals required the preparation of wreaths; so fashioned their own to save money. Wealthy families, however, would purchase wreaths from Paper Craft Shops. These wreaths, crafted by skilled artisans, featured flowers made from specially wax-dyed paper, and were significantly more beautiful than those made by the tenant farrs themselves.
Lian Manman didn’t understand why so families would burn the wreaths after visiting the graves, while others would not.
Xiao Qi, having heard from his playmates that this family’s wreath wouldn’t be burned, told Lian Manman. That was why they had co today—waiting for the family to finish their offerings and leave, so they could pick the flowers from the wreath.
This was a common activity for the children of tenant farrs, who were free from taboos and did it just for fun. The owners of the wreaths, anwhile, paid them no mind.
As Lian Manman and a few others approached the new grave, the family paying respects had just turned to leave. Two wreaths were stacked on top of the grave mound. Like children springing up from the ground, seven or eight kids rushed in, each vying to pluck the flowers they had eyed.
With a shout, Lian Manman also dashed toward them.
After a frenzied scramble, all that was left of the wreaths was a bare fra and a few scattered paper-crafted leaves. The children, each gripping their claid flowers, left chuckling and chatting.
Lian Manman had managed to grab a large pink gradient paper flower and a paper-crafted longevity peach, while Lian Yeye got a big red flower. Xiao Qi, having been outmaneuvered by Liulang and Si Lang, only managed to pick up a small purple flower.
"Sister, that was the flower I picked, and he snatched it from ," Xiao Qi pouted, pointing to a gold-speckled paper flower in Si Lang’s hand as he complained to Lian Manman.
Lian Manman and Lian Yeye imdiately surrounded Si Lang.
"How dare you steal Xiao Qi’s flower? Don’t you have any decency as a brother? Give the flower back, or I’ll beat you up," she threatened.
"You wouldn’t dare?" Si Lang’s eyes darted around.
"Hmph, just watch !" Lian Manman continued to threaten.
Si Lang wiped his nose with his sleeve; although he was older than both Lian Manman and Lian Yeye, he and Liulang were outnumbered. Lian Manman was fierce, and Lian Yeye had also learned to be tough.
Unable to win a fight and unable to run, Si Lang knew when to bend. He handed the flower back to Xiao Qi.
Just then, Old Master Lian and his group arrived.
"Xiao Qi, go visit the grave. Yeye and I will just walk around here, and we’ll wait for you. We’ll also wait for Dad and our brother to co down from the mountain together," Lian Manman said.
Xiao Qi acknowledged and ran off to join Old Master Lian, along with Si Lang and Liulang.
"Let’s also see where our family’s graves are?" Lian Manman suggested to Lian Yeye. They didn’t approach but followed far behind Old Master Lian’s group. When they saw them pause and start bowing to the graves, burning joss paper, and Shouren and Jizu began shoveling more dirt onto the graves.
"Why does our family only have three graves?" Lian Manman observed clearly, as Old Master Lian and the others only burned paper and bowed at two adjacent graves. Then, only Shouren and Jizu burned paper at the third grave, but only Jizu kowtowed there.
"I heard from my father that they’re paying respects to Great Grandfather and the others," Lian Yeye explained.
It seed the Lian Family had moved to this place starting with Old Master Lian’s father’s generation, Lian Manman concluded. She also wondered why Old Master Lian had never ntioned where they originally ca from.
As Lian Manman pondered, Old Master Lian finished burning the joss paper and started to head down the hill with Shouren and others. Shouxin stayed behind with Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, not following imdiately.
"Yeye, are you going to follow your father down the mountain, or do you want to co with and have a look?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"Sister Manman, I’ll follow you," Lian Yeye said.
Lian Manman had not previously joined the crowd, but now with only her family present, she felt no reservation. She quickly walked up to the graveside. Wu Lang’s basket still held a fair amount of unburned joss paper. Shouxin was covering the burnt joss paper ashes with soil.
The spring wind was strong atop Nanshan, with wild grass everywhere and woods not yet fully green. If the embers were not completely extinguished, a wildfire could start, which would be no small matter. That was why Shouxin waited until the end to cover the ashes with soil, ensuring everything was safe.
Shouxin was very careful and responsible. Old Master Lian could fully trust him with this task.
"These are the graves of Great Grandfather and the others," Wu Lang pointed to the two grave mounds, informing Lian Manman. Their Great Grandfather was buried in the upper mound, while the others lay in the lower mound.
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