Professional Team

After leaving the food shop, Xu Qing headed straight for the broker's office.

Earlier, he had bought two coffins from Hu Baosong's Coffin Shop to hold the corpses he had delivered from the afterlife.

Now the corpses in the coffins had filled them to capacity, so he had to find a place to deal with them.

Xu Qing had considered sending the corpses with no remaining value to the mass burial ground outside the ward, but he ultimately abandoned the idea.

He gave up for two reasons.

First, when he had once followed Liu Youdao through the woods and grave mounds, he had encountered quite a few bizarre and uncanny incidents.

Going out to bury corpses, especially at a mass burial ground, was far too dangerous.

Second, the defenses along the river had recently begun to take shape. With the number of refugees increasing, anyone going in or out was bound to be questioned by the soldiers stationed in the ward. If they discovered him taking so many corpses outside, it would inevitably cause trouble.

Xu Qing had also considered burying the corpses in the rear courtyard of the Corpse Driver's Shop, but that courtyard was too small. It did not fit his business philosophy of growing bigger and stronger.

After turning the matter over in his mind, he decided it would be better to find another place that specialized in handling corpses.

When Xu Qing arrived at the broker's office, he had not even gone inside before he heard Fourth Master Li cursing within.

"Those dog-begotten members of the Jinmen Gang! Seizing Old Fifth's territory would be one thing, but they actually dared to reach their hands right in front of me!"

"Third Brother, don't stop me! Today, I have to go to the wharf and fight them to the death!"

In the chilly early-spring weather, Fourth Master Li, dressed in scholar's robes, fanned himself hard as he angrily lifted the door curtain. But before he could take a step out, Fourth Master pulled his leg back again.

Inside, Third Master Huang poured a cup of steaming hot tea and said calmly, "I wasn't stopping you. If you've cooled off, come over and have some tea. Just look at you. Even a commoner like me, born a merchant, isn't in a hurry, yet you, a degree-holding scholar, are the one losing your head first."

Xu Qing had sharp ears and keen eyes. Hearing the commotion from afar, he felt it would be inappropriate to go over and disturb them for the moment.

He waved to a broker's clerk he knew. When the two drew close, he asked, "What happened to Fourth Master Li? Why is he so furious?"

The clerk sighed and shook his head. "It's neither a major matter nor a minor one. A few days ago, Fourth Master spotted an old acquaintance among the refugees. That man used to be a physician from Xiping County. When Fourth Master was young and traveling to take the examinations, he came down with a sudden illness. With a miraculous mastery of acupuncture, that physician dragged Fourth Master back from the hands of King Yama!"

"Of course Fourth Master kept that kindness in his heart. Now that he saw his benefactor reduced to wandering the streets, he couldn't bear it. He got the old man an Identification Plaque and even arranged a shop near the wharf, so the man could continue practicing medicine and treating patients."

"But who could have expected that someone from the Jinmen Gang would somehow hear about it? They deliberately found a dying man and had the old doctor treat him. The man hadn't even had his pulse examined. He merely exchanged glances with the doctor, then collapsed with a bang and died right there in the clinic."

"The Jinmen Gang members immediately barged in, claiming that Fourth Master's benefactor had killed their brother through malpractice. They demanded that the old doctor pay with his life."

As Xu Qing listened to the clerk's account, he kept an eye on the commotion around Fourth Master Li. Seeing that the argument inside was still going on, he temporarily put the matter from his mind and focused on enjoying the gossip before him.

"What happened afterward? The old doctor couldn't really have been killed by the Jinmen Gang, could he? Weren't they afraid the authorities would investigate?"

The clerk bared his teeth and asked in return, "The authorities? Do you really think no one is backing the Jinmen Gang?"

"They came from Jinmen Prefecture City!"

Xu Qing nodded and continued asking, "Then what happened to the old doctor afterward?"

At that, the clerk turned and jerked his chin toward the ground ahead.

"There, can't you see him lying right there? His body probably hasn't even gone cold yet. And speaking of which, you came at just the right time. Fourth Master might ask you to step in later and oversee his Funeral Procession and burial."

Following the clerk's gaze, Xu Qing looked at the stretcher laid on the floor in the middle of the main hall. A white cloth covered it, and he could vaguely make out a person lying beneath.

He never would have imagined that he could land a job while merely coming out to run an errand!

Over there, Fourth Master Li had finally cooled off. He lifted the door curtain, spotted Xu Qing, froze for a moment, then hurriedly beckoned him inside.

A brazier in the room burned fine charcoal. Fourth Master Li unfolded his folding fan and kept fanning himself.

Who knows whether this is just how rich people live.

"Shopkeeper Xu, you came at just the right time. About this matter..." After giving instructions regarding the late old physician's funeral arrangements, Fourth Master Li closed his folding fan and tapped Xu Qing on the shoulder with it.

"This is different from selling and collecting corpses for you before. He was my benefactor. You have to serve him properly and send him off peacefully and gloriously. Remember that!"

Xu Qing nodded and accepted the task. Then, while Fourth Master Li still had time, he took the opportunity to explain his own matter as well.

"Fourth Master, aside from that shop on Jingxia Street, I don't have anywhere else to stay in Linhe. I figured that wouldn't do, so I came to the broker's office to ask you whether there were any vacant residences."

"You want to rent a residence?"

"Not rent. Buy."

Upon hearing this, Fourth Master Li raised his brows. He immediately summoned the manager in charge of buying and selling land and residences and made some inquiries. When he learned that several residences were still available for sale or lease, he had the manager accompany Xu Qing to inspect them.

Xu Qing was not so lacking in tact as to leave just then. He only said that after properly arranging the old doctor lying in the front hall, they could discuss business.

Fourth Master Li was touched by this and stopped calling him Shopkeeper Xu, since that sounded too distant.

"Brother Xu, say no more. I, Fourth Master, definitely won't let you suffer a loss from now on!"

Xu Qing smiled and cupped his hands, but did not take the words to heart.

After leaving the broker's office, he began calling people in.

Since the client had asked for the old doctor's funeral to be conducted with pomp, Xu Qing naturally had to display his professional abilities and connections in the funeral industry, didn't he?

When he reached Jingxia Street, Xu Qing first had Old Master Hu at the head of the street choose a fine coffin. Then he had the proprietress of the Incense and Candle Shop summon a whole crew from the bearer guild. Whether they were musicians playing funeral instruments or people dressed as filial sons and grandsons to wail at the funeral, he had them all arranged.

The Paper Horses and Wreaths, along with the Funeral Banners for all four seasons, from the Paper Craft Shop next door also had to be prepared according to the proper ritual.

Early the next morning, Xu Qing led a whole team from Funeral Street, their presence thick with yin energy, to the entrance of Fourth Master Li's residence.

At that time, Fourth Master Li had only just risen and was having a maid wash his face when he heard someone outside wail as though their own father had died—a single howl so heart-rending it seemed to tear the heart apart.

A moment later, all sorts of horns and suonas began blaring at the entrance. The racket jolted Fourth Master Li wide awake.

"Who is it? Who's wailing at my door this early in the morning?"

When he opened the door, a servant hurried forward and said, "Fourth Master, did you forget? Today is the day the old doctor is to be carried out in a Funeral Procession. You got drunk last night and went to sleep early. Shopkeeper Xu didn't want everyone to disturb you, so he had them set up the Mourning Hall and kept vigil over the old doctor for you all night."

"Now he's brought the bearers from the bearer guild to make the final offerings at the coffin before setting out for the Funeral Procession."

Fourth Master Li raised a hand and patted his cheeks. Once he had fully come to his senses, he hurriedly stripped off the brocade clothes he had just put on and ordered, "Quick! Quick, go find my mourning clothes!"

A group of brothers was waiting outside. If he went out wearing brocade, how could he claim to be a man of deep feeling and loyalty?

When the clerk brought the mourning clothes, Fourth Master Li stood behind the door curtain and tried hard to blink his eyes. He went through every sorrowful thing he could think of in his life, yet he could not squeeze out a single tear.

After pondering for a moment, inspiration struck. He turned and went to the charcoal brazier in the middle of the room, used iron tongs to add several fresh coals, and stirred up the smoke.

Before long, the eyes he had lowered toward the brazier turned red, and tears poured down as if they were free.

Afterward, Fourth Master Li donned sackcloth and hemp, his eyes blurred with tears as he came into the courtyard. Seeing their Fourth Master weeping bitterly, the brothers grew sorrowful as well. Some of the more sentimental men even secretly wiped away tears, thinking that their Fourth Master truly was a man of feeling.

Over there, Xu Qing had the filial sons and grandsons kneel and bow. Fourth Master rushed to the front and began lamenting.

He said that his parents had died when he was young. If the old doctor had not saved him, he would not have had the life he did today.

By emotion and reason alike, he ought to be the filial son and grandson, seeing off this elder who had given him a second life.

Halfway through the farewell ceremony, Third Master Huang, Fifth Master Chang, and Second Master Xue, whose name was often heard but whose face was rarely seen, came over from the broker's office after receiving word.

Old Fourth had lost his father. That was a major event, and as his brothers, they could not stay away.

Xu Qing, who was presiding over the rites, had not expected things to become so lively. In half a day, not only had everyone from the broker's office arrived, but quite a few merchant friends acquainted with the office's several masters had come as well.

There was nothing for it. Third Master Huang had the accounting office set up a stall specifically to collect condolence money for the funeral.

Fourth Master Li's face had gone numb from crying, but he still had to hold out there.

He had told Xu Qing to make the funeral grand, but he had not said to make it this grand!

Now it truly looked as though his own father had died.

After the Funeral Procession was over, Fourth Master Li slumped into a chair and looked up at Xu Qing, opening and closing his mouth several times without speaking.

In the end, he simply waved for a clerk to take Xu Qing to the accounting office to settle the fee for overseeing the funeral. Whatever the amount, they would calculate it properly, and the customary red packet could not be short.

"Fourth Master is a man who knows the proper courtesies."

After accepting the silver, Xu Qing chatted with the accountant for a while before returning to Jingxia Street.

Starting with the first Coffin Shop, he went from door to door settling the fees for everyone who had worked this job. By the time he returned to his own shop, night had swallowed the last sliver of light on the horizon.

After closing the shop door and lighting the Green Lamp, Xu Qing finally had time to count what he had gained that day.