The Second Job: Special Funeral Service

Su's Funeral Company.

Sitting on the sofa as the knowledge and techniques of the suona continuously flooded into his mind, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes. In just a moment, he had mastered the relevant skills and knowledge of the suona and received a system reward: "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix"!

Perhaps he had been too distant from traditional culture before, but now that the relevant information about the suona filled his mind, Su Chen finally understood the saying, "Of all instruments, the suona is king."

The suona could be used for celebrations, funerals, weddings, rituals, sacrifices, and many other occasions. What he had received was merely a brief stroke in its long cultural history: Suona Funeral!

The piece the system had given him was the extremely famous suona composition, Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!

Volume 915 of the Taiping Imperial Encyclopaedia cited the Book of Tang:

"Haizhou reported that a phoenix appeared above the city. Several hundred birds followed it as it flew northeast toward Cangwu Mountain."

The melody matched the meaning of the words.

An ordinary person truly did not deserve Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.

Only someone of great virtue and high prestige, beloved by all, could be worthy of this piece!

The next day,

Su Chen was organizing Chu Guozhong's information at the company when the phone beside him rang again!

His expression froze for a moment before he hurried over to answer it.

Those who called the company were generally customers.

He did not dare neglect them in the slightest.

"Hello, this is Su's Funeral Company. We provide professional funeral services!"

He was becoming increasingly fluent with the standard business pitch.

Then,

A rather youthful voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hello, I saw your packages online. I'd like to purchase a funeral service!"

Su Chen was somewhat surprised. From the voice, she sounded like a young girl, not someone suffering from any illness.

Why would someone so young want to purchase funeral services?

However, he quickly suppressed the doubt in his heart.

His curiosity could not overcome his professionalism, and he responded warmly at once.

"Alright. We offer services at various price points. Which package would you like to purchase?"

The other party paused for a moment before continuing.

"It's not for me. Can you come to First Hospital? I'll wait for you here!"

"Of course. Please wait a moment!"

Su Chen did not hesitate and agreed immediately.

It was another job. He could not possibly let it slip away so easily.

After asking for her exact location, Su Chen quickly packed up, locked the glass door of the shop again, kicked his motorcycle into gear, and headed for First Hospital in the county seat.

Meanwhile,

At First Hospital.

Coughing continuously echoed through a hospital room.

A haggard middle-aged woman lay on the hospital bed. She hurriedly raised her right hand and covered her mouth with a piece of cloth by the bed, forcibly suppressing the urge to keep coughing. Naturally, she used it to wipe away the dark red blood at the corner of her mouth.

The woman lowered the bloodstained cloth in her hand and managed a difficult smile, forcing out a kind expression as she looked at the girl sobbing beside the bed. She patted the girl's head with her left hand.

"Xiaonian, the principal is fine. Why are you crying?"

"Principal Tang! I'm scared!"

Tears streamed uncontrollably from the girl's eyes. She could not bear to keep looking at Principal Tang's haggard appearance.

Seeing this, Tang Ying was about to comfort the child when her brow suddenly furrowed!

A faint pain began to spread through her abdomen again, a pain so unbearable it made her wish she were dead!

She clenched her teeth and endured the pain, trembling as she spoke to the girl.

"It's fine. The principal is fine!"

Though she tried desperately to hide it, her body would not stop trembling!

It hurt—an agony that pierced deep into her bones!

As time left wrinkles upon her face, it had also brought illness along with it.

Her name was Tang Ying. She had been the principal of a mountain village school for eighteen years.

Eighteen years ago, she had been assigned to teach in a remote mountain village. The conditions had been poor and harsh, but gritting her teeth through it, she had stayed for a full eighteen years!

To educate the children well, she had walked countless rugged mountain roads. To keep the school from being shut down, she had overcome countless difficulties. Yet now, she was confined to this single hospital bed, plagued by a grave illness.

Over the years,

She had walked rugged mountain paths more than anything else, and thought most about how to teach the children deep in the mountains well.

Only when it came to her own affairs had she always been muddle-headed.

Several years ago, the doctors had told her she had Stomach Cancer and needed proper treatment and rest, but she had not taken it seriously. At the time, so that the first batch of children could successfully enter school and see the world beyond the mountains, she had exhausted all her energy preparing funds and securing examination eligibility for them.

Heaven rewarded the diligent. Despite suffering countless cold looks and misunderstandings,

She had still successfully sent her students out of the mountains filled with confidence and hope. They entered one ideal school after another and saw the world beyond the mountains.

The children smiled, and so did she.

But what was meant to come would always come. Under her exhausting routine, her Stomach Cancer had eventually reached its final stage.

Principal Tang, whom the children had always believed to be indestructible, had now collapsed onto a hospital bed as well.

When the students learned that Principal Tang was seriously ill, they decided to care for her. She had once cared for them; now it was their turn to care for her. So as not to delay their studies, the children began taking turns keeping watch at the hospital.

Because the mountain region was so far away, each child stayed on duty for an entire week.

This week, it was this little girl's turn: Bai Xiaonian.

Although she was still young and did not understand many things,

She could take good care of herself and was even more confident that she could care for Principal Tang in the hospital bed.

She had been the one to call the funeral company just now.

Contacting the funeral company had been Tang Ying's idea.

With terminal cancer, she knew she did not have much time left.

Perhaps it was fate. Just today, she had received a message from Su's Funeral Company listing many services. The line that left the deepest impression on her was: "Create a mysterious and terrifying past for you!"

Thinking back on her unremarkable life, the girl who had once resolved to explore the world seemed to have been completely changed by reality. She had spent her entire life revolving around the children. Though she knew she could not accompany every child through their entire journey, she had never expected to get off so early—or so soon.

Create a mysterious and terrifying past?

Tang Ying was somewhat tempted.

So, she contacted this funeral company.

Because her coughing was so severe, she could only ask Xiaonian to contact them for her.

Soon,

Su Chen appeared at the door of the hospital room as promised.

Breathing in the hospital's distinctive medicinal scent, Su Chen adjusted his clothes and walked in steadily.

There was only a thin little girl beside Tang Ying's bed, making it easy enough to recognize them.

Su Chen stepped forward and greeted them politely.

"Hello, I'm Su Chen from Su's Funeral Company!"

At the same time, he glanced at the bespectacled middle-aged woman on the bed.

It seemed this was the customer who wanted to order the service.

As for that little girl... she did not seem to be her daughter?

"Cough, cough. You got here quickly!"

Tang Ying coughed twice in pain, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth as she responded.

Xiaonian watched Su Chen nervously from the side, not daring to speak.

There was a hint of timidity in her eyes.

"This is our funeral service price list. Please have a look! Which service did you see online? Our different services correspond to different prices. Fixed prices, fair to all, professionally creating a mysterious and terrifying past for you!"

Having gone through his previous job, Su Chen had become more skilled at getting straight to the point. He took out the price list and handed it to Tang Ying on the bed.

When she took the price list and looked at it, her brow immediately tightened!

She had seen those services in the message, but there had been no corresponding prices. Now, seeing one expensive price after another, hesitation filled her eyes again. Her previous anticipation for the funeral seemed to fade considerably at that moment.

The services were indeed good and unique, but the prices were far too expensive!

"Is there... anything cheaper?"

Tang Ying adjusted her glasses and asked weakly.

Su Chen's expression froze. Had he really set the prices too high?

After all, Chu Guozhong had felt the same way before.

At that moment, Tang Ying's information appeared in his mind.

Name: Tang Ying

Identity: Principal

Remaining Lifespan: 18 hours

Personal Assets: 300 Yuan

Recommended Service: 99 Yuan Funeral Package / 199 Yuan Special Funeral Service

After seeing Tang Ying's information, Su Chen was extremely surprised. The 199 Yuan Special Funeral Service had actually been triggered. In other words, after the system's analysis, she was worthy of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!

Thinking of the special significance of that piece, Su Chen immediately regarded the middle-aged woman before him with deep respect and hurriedly introduced it.

"We currently have a rather special funeral service. If you are willing to pay me 199 Yuan, I will play Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix on the suona at your funeral!"

When he mentioned the suona, Su Chen was actually somewhat hesitant. Not everyone understood the instrument. Those who did not understand suona music or the meaning of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix would not know how profound the significance contained within it was.

The moment he finished speaking, Tang Ying's expression froze, and doubt filled her eyes.

"Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!?"

Su Chen's expression froze. Was it just as he had expected?

He could only recommend another package.

"Yes. If you feel that isn't mysterious enough, you can also purchase our 99 Yuan Funeral Package. At your funeral, I will wear a black suit, black sunglasses, and headphones. No matter the weather, I will hold up a black umbrella and silently watch the crowd!!"

Unexpectedly,

Tang Ying shook her head. Tears slid down her pale face as she asked in a trembling voice.

"Is the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix you mentioned real?"

"Of course!"

Su Chen nodded firmly. After receiving the system's teachings, if even he could not play Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix in Huaxia today, then no one could!

"Alright, I'll choose Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!"

A trace of hope seemed to appear on Tang Ying's pallid face.

With difficulty, she pulled out two one-hundred-yuan notes from beneath the bedsheet and handed them to Su Chen.

Su Chen accepted the two hundred yuan, then quickly took out his phone, preparing to send her one yuan in change.

"Consider it money for cigarettes, tea, and drinks!"

She reached out and refused it, speaking weakly.

Su Chen's expression froze as he hurriedly handed her an information form.

"Please fill in your information, as well as the location where the funeral will be held!"

Writing this was heartbreaking. Tribute to every rural teacher, and thank you for their selfless dedication!

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