"Where are the n of the house?"
Anning asked Mrs. Zhao.
Mrs. Zhao pointed outside: "Naturally, they went to buy burial clothes and a coffin. We have nothing in our hands; how can we wash and dress the deceased mother?"
Anning looked at Mrs. Zhao, squinted slightly, and kicked her again: "Wait here."
She ca out from the inner room and said to Xiao Song and the others: "Gather anything red from the courtyard and the rooms, and replace them with white cloth in the courtyard and a mourning flag at the door."
The children quickly sprang into action at Anning’s instructions.
Anning then said to Mrs. Wei: "Go call over the children from your two families. Their dear grandmother has passed, and none of them is here to keep vigil, what does that look like."
Seeing Mrs. Zhao get hit, Mrs. Wei dared not argue with Anning. She promptly got up to find the children from the first and second rooms.
Within monts, Mrs. Wei brought Xiao En, Xiao Hui, Xiao Ming, Xiao Jin, and Xiao Han.
Xiao Yuan looked at the children, who shrank back in fear like quails.
"Go inside and kneel."
Xiao Yuan pointed to the inner room.
But these five children, although scared, did not enter the inner room.
It was Xiao En who mustered up the courage: "Third Uncle, we’re afraid, we don’t dare go in."
Xiao Yuan’s face darkened: "Then just kneel here."
The five children knelt down, and the Xiao Jin’s family and Xiao Ling arrived just then.
Now that more people had arrived, the Old Master spoke: "Third and fourth, whatever the circumstances... she did raise you after all, let her leave with so dignity."
His words carried a hint of pleading.
Xiao Yuan noticed the increased wrinkles on the Old Master’s face and the nearly complete whiteness of his hair, indicating how hard things had been for him recently.
"Alright."
Xiao Yuan nodded in agreent.
Xiao Jin, seeing Xiao Yuan agree, nodded to the Old Master and softly asked Xiao Yuan: "Where are the eldest and second brothers?"
Xiao Yuan replied in a low voice: "They went to buy the coffin and longevity clothes."
Indeed, the Old Madam’s passing was so sudden, nothing was ready at ho; naturally, they had to buy everything.
As they spoke, Xiao Jue and Xiao Su returned with the purchased coffin and funeral clothes.
Seeing Xiao Yuan and the others arrive, Xiao Jue ignored them, and Xiao Su looked even less friendly.
Xiao Yuan glanced at them: "Where’s Fifth?"
Xiao Jue pointed at Lan Siniang: "Ask her."
Lan Siniang hesitated: "Fifth Young Master drank, he’s still drunk now, no matter how we call, he won’t wake up."
"Impressive indeed."
Xiao Jin couldn’t help but sneer coldly.
Xiao Yuan then instructed the guards who followed him in: "Bring two people to carry the Fifth Young Master over, and prepare a bucket of cold water."
Soon, two guards carried the drunken Xiao Fang over and set him on the ground, and Xiao Yuan took the cold water and poured it right over him.
With the splash, Xiao Fang finally woke up.
"What, what’s going on?"
Xiao Fang sat up abruptly, wiping his face: "Who’s ambushing , do you have a death wish? Co here, drag them out and sell them."
Xiao Yuan kicked him: "Who do you think you are calling yourself ’master’? Who do you plan on selling?"
Only then did Xiao Fang see Xiao Yuan, and when he saw him, his mouth wavered and he burst into tears: "Third Brother, Third Brother, you must help , help find Ms. Jin, find my son, where did they run off to, I can’t find them."
Xiao Yuan’s face was dark: "And you have the nerve to cry, can’t even keep your own wife and child in check, and now you cry to , hurry up and get up."
Xiao Fang dared not resist, only crying as he got up.
He stood up, looked around the room full of people, and asked: "What’s going on? Why is everyone here?"
Xiao Jin was furious, gave him a hard slap: "Why are we here? You were drunk into a stupor, unaware that the Old Madam passed away—and you say..."
"The Old Madam passed away?"
Xiao Fang didn’t believe it: "Nonsense, the Old Madam was as energetic as ever, how could she pass away."
This ti even Xiao Jue couldn’t help but kick Xiao Fang.
Seeing this, Xiao Fang knew that the Old Madam must indeed have passed away.
At that mont, he didn’t know how to react.
To say he was sad, definitely not.
After all, the Old Madam wasn’t his mother, and even on the way to Southern Yi, his own mother passed because of her; he resented the Old Madam dearly, he ought to be happy she was gone.
But he dared not show his happiness in front of everyone.
Xiao Fang just squatted down covering his face: "How could she pass away, how could she."
He was all sound and no fury, just putting up a show.
"Quickly, tidy up and keep vigil."
Xiao Yuan said softly, then went with Xiao Jue to inspect the coffin.
The Old Master was apprehensive and followed to check the coffin and burial clothes as well.
Upon seeing the purchased coffin, the Old Master couldn’t help but grab Xiao Jue and Xiao Su each and slap them several tis.
"Truly filial sons, really my good sons."
The Old Master looked at the coffin in the side room; tears were streaming.
The coffin Xiao Jue bought was just thin wooden boards, without any carved designs or red lacquer, extrely plain. More than just plain, the coffin was small, possibly made by an apprentice, visibly shorter than normal.
The Old Madam wasn’t short; to fit her in, her legs would have to be bent.
Understanding that burying isn’t just about putting one body in; it’s traditional to add items both at the head and feet, to guard against knocking during transport, and to accompany with belongings the deceased enjoyed in life.
This coffin couldn’t even fit the Old Madam, let alone other items.
The Old Master, seeing such a small coffin, was trembling with rage: "She was your mother, yet you hate her this much? Even in death, you won’t let her rest peacefully. People often speak of petty vengeance, this is worse."
Xiao Yuan circled the coffin, his face dark: "Old Master, this coffin cannot be used."
"Naturally, it can’t be used, absolutely not."
The Old Master waved his hand: "Get another, buy another quickly."
Xiao Yuan steadied him: "It’s not just its small size; the coffin is made of locust wood."
As soon as he said this, the Old Master truly couldn’t stand.
If not for Xiao Yuan supporting him, he would’ve collapsed.
Locust wood, also called ghost wood, is said to be the worst material for coffins; traditional belief says with a coffin made of locust wood, the deceased cannot rest in peace.
"What have I done to deserve this."
The Old Master cried out and fainted.
Xiao Yuan quickly let Xiao Jin and Xiao Ling take him to another room to lie down.
He turned back to Xiao Jue: "Big Brother, what’s with this coffin?"
Xiao Jue’s face reddened with embarrassnt: "I don’t know, how would I know it was made of locust wood."
"Is the locust wood the only problem?" Xiao Yuan was thoroughly disillusioned with Xiao Jue: "You couldn’t recognize the material, but can’t you even see the size and length? What are your eyes for, just for show?"
Xiao Jue was rendered speechless by Xiao Yuan’s reprimand.
Just then Xiao Jin ca over.
He too was furious with Xiao Jue: "Big Brother, really? The Old Madam has passed, can’t you even let her leave with so dignity?"
Xiao Jue lowered his head: "It’s easy for you to say, if you want her to leave in style, you pay for it. Anyway, I’m broke."
Xiao Su took a few steps back, repeatedly waving his hands: "I’m even poorer, all the Old Madam’s valuables went to Big Brother, I didn’t get a thing."
He ant that the Old Madam favored the eldest, and as the second and a bastard, it wasn’t his place to handle her funeral.
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