People-Watching

Amid the solemn funeral music, Xiao Ran slowly opened his eyes.

He quietly stared at the dark, heavy lid of the coffin before him, listening in silence to the commotion outside. His face showed no expression.

"Guests, bow once, bow twice, bow three times."

He could clearly hear the master of ceremonies' solemn announcement, as well as the mournful weeping of the deceased's family.

"Ceremony complete! Family, return the guests' bows."

"Bang, bang..."

Just then, a noise came from above his head. A moment later, one end of the coffin lid was pushed open, and a shiny bald head poked in. In a hushed, urgent voice, the man asked, "Xiao Ran, is there something wrong with the coffin? They're waiting to put someone in it."

Xiao Ran sat up in the coffin, propped up his upper body, and took a notepad from his pocket. He scribbled on it: [Pillow too high and a bit hard. Soundproofing isn't great. It's a little noisy and stuffy.]

After thinking it over, he crossed out the word [stuffy], then tore off the page and handed it to the bald man. "Improve the soundproofing and replace the pillow."

Then he rubbed his neck.

"Is that really necessary?" The bald man took the torn paper with a strange look on his face.

Xiao Ran explained, "I'm going to be lying in there for a long time. An uncomfortable pillow would make it miserable."

The bald man seemed to ponder this. A moment later, as though remembering something, he suddenly asked, "I heard you do part-time work at the funeral home in the city. How's the pay there? I've got a niece who just graduated from college..."

Xiao Ran sighed. "It's only part-time. Most of the time, there's nothing to do. They don't even hire contract workers these days."

"Ah, then forget it. If you ask me, instead of working so hard to keep that funeral supplies store your grandfather left you running, and doing part-time work at a funeral home on top of that, you'd be better off switching to a bubble tea franchise! If you don't have time, my niece could help you run it..." The bald man shook his head regretfully and left, carrying the note Xiao Ran had written and chattering away.

Xiao Ran smiled, stretched, then climbed out of the coffin. He lifted the curtain and went around from the inner room to the front hall of the funeral parlor, where he found a chair off to the side and sat down.

There were quite a few distant relatives and neighbors in the front hall. The aunts and uncles on either side looked unfamiliar, but also somewhat familiar. After all, this was where he'd grown up as a child. When it was time for him to start middle school, his grandfather had taken him to Luoshi to settle down.

He'd come back this time because his cousin had died in an accident, his face disfigured. To give him a dignified send-off, someone had contacted Xiao Ran and asked him to help restore his cousin's remains.

The relatives who'd arrived hadn't recognized him yet. Seeing Xiao Ran bustling around earlier, one of them warmly approached and offered him a cigarette.

"Fourth Uncle, I don't smoke."

Xiao Ran glanced at the middle-aged man offering him the cigarette. Though age had changed the man's appearance considerably, Xiao Ran recognized him at once.

The other man looked confused when Xiao Ran called him Fourth Uncle.

"It's me, Xiao Ran," Xiao Ran reminded him with a grin.

Fourth Uncle repeated Xiao Ran's name to himself a few times. Then his eyes widened, and he stared at Xiao Ran as if he'd seen a ghost. He curled his lip at him and turned to leave, looking as if he wanted to grab the shovel nearby and whack him with it.

When the other relatives heard Xiao Ran had come back to help, their faces immediately filled with detachment. A few children tried to approach him, but their parents hurriedly called them away.

Some of the younger generation didn't know what was going on.

Seeing their elders one by one avoiding Xiao Ran as if he were a plague bearer, they were baffled. They even thought he might be a relative fresh out of prison, so they casually asked about it.

That one question gave the aunts and uncles something to talk about. They gathered around and pointed at Xiao Ran.

"Stay away from him. That kid's been strange ever since he was little."

"He nearly burned down the granary, then said the people inside were cold. The boy was crazy."

"Fourth Old Madam had just been buried that year, and in the middle of the night this brat dug her back up. He took a knife and cut open her stomach, then tried to reach inside and dig around. Luckily, someone passing by saw him and hurried to notify Fourth Uncle. Fourth Uncle nearly went after Sixth Master over it."

"They got what they deserved. Ever since the Old Patriarch's generation, the Sixth Branch has been in the business of dealing with the dead. No wonder the child's parents disappeared without a trace right after he was born."

Before long, the village's most secretive gossip network was quickly spreading all the sordid stories about Xiao Ran's childhood, making sure everyone's younger relatives stayed well away from him.

Xiao Ran heard the muttering and felt the eyes on his back, but he didn't care. They only talked about the bad things he'd done. Why didn't they mention the two silver lumps he'd taken out of Fourth Old Madam's stomach?

After all, his grandfather had taken him out of the village when he was little, and he hadn't been back in all these years. His attachment to the place had faded a long time ago.

He'd only come back for his cousin's sake.

His gaze fell on the black-and-white photo on the altar. It showed a middle-aged man with an ordinary face, a warm smile, and a slightly chubby build.

In his memory, this cousin was called Xiao Xingbang. He was more than ten years older than Xiao Ran. He'd dropped out halfway through middle school, then hauled fruit around in a tricycle to sell. Later, he discovered that making hats was profitable, so he started weaving them at home. Gradually, he got people from the village involved, and eventually, with the village's support, he opened a textile factory. He became one of the few wealthy people in the village.

Whenever this cousin saw Xiao Ran back then, he'd smile and slip him some candy. When he heard Xiao Ran's parents had passed away, he even came back from out of town specifically to give him a large sum of money.

Who would have thought that when they met again more than ten years later, they'd be separated by life and death?

At the main seat in the funeral hall stood a young woman with a grief-stricken expression, dressed in white mourning clothes. She held a little girl of about five or six in her arms and stood there dazed. A few stray locks of hair had slipped from beneath her mourning cap and rested against her neck, lending her a touch of disheveled beauty.

His cousin's wife was named Zhang Yu. She was five or six years younger than his cousin. He'd heard that she had also lost her parents when she was young and had no one to rely on when she met his cousin. The two of them had gradually grown close and ended up together.

Zhang Yu's face was so pale it was almost bloodless, and her eyes were swollen and red. She'd clearly cried more times than anyone could count.

Xiao Ran noticed, though, that the uncles nearby maintained mournful expressions on the surface, but kept glancing at Zhang Yu's ample figure. They were clearly a bunch of perverts.

As Xiao Ran was reflecting on this, several respected village elders arrived one after another. First they all bowed to the photograph. Then one of them went over to Zhang Yu, sighed, and offered her some kind words of comfort before asking gently, "Dear, what are you and the child planning to do from now on? If you need help, just let me know."

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle."

Zhang Yu nodded stiffly at the elder's condolences. Her throat was hoarse, and her voice cracked when she spoke.

Xiao Ran was watching while fiddling with his phone when the bald man suddenly sat down beside him and cheerfully offered him a cigarette. "Almost done. They'll put him in the coffin soon, and the funeral procession's set to leave at eight."

Xiao Ran waved him off and took out his phone to check the time. Frowning, he asked, "Have they got all the incense, candles, and joss paper ready? It's so chaotic here. We'd better make sure nothing gets forgotten."

"Hey, they're not worried, so why are you? Look over there. They're still at it!"

The bald man cast a sneaky glance at Zhang Yu, who was gradually being surrounded by relatives, and sneered. "I heard your sister-in-law doesn't have many relatives left..."

As he spoke, he put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it, took a satisfying drag, and blew out a smoke ring. "You know how it is. A widow's always the subject of gossip, especially one without anyone to back her up."

Before he could finish, Zhang Yu suddenly cried out from across the hall, her voice full of emotion. "No! I won't agree!"

The funeral hall, which had been spacious and noisy, fell silent in an instant.

Everyone turned toward the argument.

Zhang Yu's pretty face had gone deathly pale. Her wide, peach-blossom eyes glared angrily at the old man before her.

But Xiao Family's Uncle wasn't offended. He kept his voice even and spoke with earnest concern. "Xingbang left behind this one poor child, and she'll be starting school after the New Year. She can't be left without anyone to look after her. You're a woman. Just focus on taking care of the child at home."

At that moment, a woman who might have been an aunt or an uncle's wife stepped forward and tugged at Zhang Yu's arm, trying to persuade her. "Xiao Yu, the Xiao family has such a big factory. How could we women possibly manage it? Why not let Jiahui help you out? Men are better at this sort of thing..."

"I said I won't agree, and I mean it!"

Anger simmered in Zhang Yu's bloodshot eyes. She struggled to keep her emotions under control. Her voice was hoarse and trembling, but she sounded utterly resolute.

"You child, why are you being so unreasonable? We're doing this for your sake and the child's!"

Xiao Family's Uncle finally frowned. The kindly look on his face faded, and his tone grew stern.

"We watched Jiahui grow up. He's always been known as an honest, decent young man. If he helps you run the factory, you can focus on the child without worry. And if anything comes up at home, big or small, he can help you shoulder the burden. Everyone in the village is doing this for your own good..."

"Sister-in-law, there are a lot of clients to entertain at the factory. It really wouldn't be convenient for you to handle that in person. Don't worry, leave the factory to me. I promise I'll take good care of everything for you!"

The man who chimed in was nearly thirty. It was only after the bald man introduced him that Xiao Ran learned he was the only son of the Xiao family's Third Branch, Xiao Jiahui. His words sounded polite, but plenty of sharp-eyed people could see the greed and impatience in his gaze.

"Nothing but a mess," the bald man muttered derisively.

Xiao Ran smiled without comment.

The people before them included respected family elders, Zhang Yu's aunts and uncles, and her younger brothers-in-law. It was already pretty outrageous for them to confront her like this in front of everyone, but... Xiao Ran thought they were behaving like real vultures.

The deceased hadn't even been laid to rest, and they were already eyeing the family's assets. Put in her shoes, he'd probably have been even harsher than she was.

As he pondered this, Zhang Yu's resolute voice rang through the funeral hall again. "Thank you all for your concern, but no one else needs to make decisions for our family."

Xiao Family's Uncle's expression darkened further, and he raised his voice. "You don't need anyone's help? What if you run the factory into the ground? Sure, it's your family's factory, but everyone owns a share, don't they?"

"That's right, that's right! We all put money in when you set up the factory!" another woman, some aunt or uncle's wife, chimed in.

Zhang Yu gritted her teeth, worked up. "The village lent us that money. And we paid it all back years ago, with interest!"

Then Zhang Yu looked at the village director, who was hiding behind the crowd. "Director, we've never missed a year of paying the village its share of the profits, have we?"

At that, the village director pursed his lips and muttered, "Well... but the land the factory's on still belongs to the village committee."

"No matter what, the factory is still a village asset! You're an outsider who married into the family. If you remarry someday, what if you take our money and use it to support some other man?"

As the argument intensified, the funeral hall filled with a jumble of noisy criticism.

"You..."

As the crowd worked itself into a frenzy, Zhang Yu grew paler and paler. The little girl in her arms, already crying her eyes out, began to tremble as well.

More and more people pressed forward, and Zhang Yu's face grew paler still.

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering—"Crash!"—made everyone freeze.

They turned around to find Xiao Ran standing innocently before the altar. He pointed at the broken liquor bottle and said, "Don't look at me. The bottle fell on its own. Maybe my brother's angry."

At Xiao Ran's words, everyone's expressions turned awkward.

"Stop trying to spook everyone. I saw you break that bottle," Xiao Jiahui said, unconvinced.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the black-and-white photo on the altar wobbled, then smacked down onto the table with a slap.

This time everyone was stunned. They'd all seen it clearly: Xiao Ran hadn't moved from where he stood.

The air in the funeral hall seemed to freeze, and a strange pressure settled over everyone. The relatives who'd been about to keep pressuring Zhang Yu all stopped in their tracks, staring helplessly at the shards on the floor.

"Did my brother manifest?"

Xiao Ran let out an exaggerated shriek, immediately backed away a few steps, and went to stand beside his cousin's wife.

"Sister-in-law, my brother's manifested! You should hurry and ask if he left a will or had any documents notarized."

Xiao Ran's reminder finally brought Zhang Yu back to her senses. As if she'd just remembered something, she jumped up and rushed into her bedroom. Before long, she came back out with red eyes and slapped a document down on the table.

It was indeed a will. It bore his cousin's signature, as well as the village notary's signature and fingerprint.

The others wanted to crowd around and take a look, but Xiao Ran was quick. He snatched up the will and read it aloud.

The will was simple. His cousin's house went to the village, but the factory belonged to Zhang Yu alone. The savings and car also all belonged to her.

After finishing the will, Xiao Ran glanced sideways at the village director and smiled. "Director, your signature and fingerprint are on this too. You're not going to deny it, are you?"

"What business is that of yours!"

Xiao Family's Uncle glared fiercely at Xiao Ran, but Xiao Ran acted as if he hadn't heard him. He stared straight at the village director and said in a cold voice, "Director, do the right thing. Otherwise, watch out—my brother might come knocking at your door in the middle of the night!"

The village director's mouth twitched at that. "That's superstition. I..." He cut himself off halfway and glanced at the broken liquor bottle beneath the table. He swallowed, then deflated like a punctured balloon. Nodding weakly, he said, "There is a will."

Once they heard the village director admit it, the relatives who'd been baring their teeth and claws fell silent. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the will or because they were afraid of the cousin who'd apparently manifested nearby.

Xiao Family's Uncle, though, wasn't satisfied when he saw everyone fall silent. He stepped forward and tried to snatch the will. "I don't believe it. Let me see."

Xiao Ran dodged his hand, smiled, and leaned close to Xiao Family's Uncle's ear to whisper a few words.

Xiao Family's Uncle's face turned pale, then red. He stared at Xiao Ran for a long while, but said nothing in the end.

"Uncle... he..."

The most incensed of them all was naturally Xiao Jiahui. He stepped forward, pointing at Xiao Ran, ready to say something, but Xiao Family's Uncle turned around and kicked him hard. "Shut up."

With the atmosphere in the funeral hall finally cooling down,

the village director cleared his throat and broke the silence. "In that case, let's take care of the funeral first. We can discuss the other matters another time."

The others weren't happy, but no one wanted to stir up trouble again. They all stopped getting involved.

"Time to leave the village! The chief mourner, carry the banner! Everyone else, stand aside!"

At eight, the bald man stood at the entrance to the funeral hall and shouted. Four pallbearers carried the coffin out of the inner room, and the procession set off toward the ancestral graves in the hills behind the village.

Xiao Ran quietly followed at the back of the procession. The rest of the funeral had little to do with him; he could leave it all to the bald man.

The bald man specialized in officiating funerals in the surrounding villages and towns. His family had been in the business for three generations.

Xiao Ran had only been asked to come back because his cousin had been in a car accident, and the family worried the funeral home staff might not be skilled enough. Someone had remembered he could help repair the body and restore the face.

He'd agreed to come back because his cousin had treated his family well when he was a child. So he wasn't afraid of offending the relatives in the village.

After the coffin was buried and everyone had paid their respects at the grave, they got up to leave. Before long, only the grieving mother and daughter remained before the vast grave, wiping down the tombstone and tidying up the ground around it.

"Come on. Time to eat."

The bald man went over to Xiao Ran with a sly grin. "What did you say to your uncle just now? His expression was priceless. He looked like he had a huge duck egg stuck in his mouth, and his tongue was all twisted up."

"Knowing won't do you any good..."

Xiao Ran smiled mysteriously. "I'll skip the banquet. It's still early, so I'll stop by the old house, then head back."

"Fine. I was hoping to have a few drinks with you, but we'll do it next time."

The bald man couldn't persuade him, so he gossiped a bit more, saying things like, "My niece is pretty cute. If you're interested, I can set you two up on a date." Then he went to the grave, bowed, and left.

Xiao Ran followed the bald man to pay his respects and lay down flowers, too.

"Xiao Ran, thank you so much for today. Xiao Xiao, come and thank your uncle too!"

Zhang Yu bowed to Xiao Ran with red eyes. The little girl bowed along with her, saying, "Thank you, Uncle."

Zhang Yu knew that if Xiao Ran hadn't stepped in just now, she might have buckled under the pressure and given up control of the factory. Once she gave in, they would only demand more, until there was nothing left for her and her daughter.

Xiao Ran smiled and shook his head. "You don't need to thank me. My cousin was a good man. He looked after me a lot when we were young. We even talked on the phone before the accident. He mentioned you then and said you were a devoted wife, but that running the factory wasn't really suited to you. If anything happened to him, he said you should sell the factory for a large sum and raise the child somewhere else."

After saying that, he crouched down until he was eye level with the child and smiled gently. "Little beauty, your dad wanted you to pick some wild chrysanthemums every year and put them by his tombstone so he could enjoy them."

"Really? I'll go pick some right now!"

The little girl nodded seriously, then looked around for flowers.

After the girl had gone some distance away, Xiao Ran continued, "My cousin also said that Xiao Jiahui was actually born from an affair between Xiao Family's Uncle and Second Aunt. He isn't my Second Uncle's son. If he ever gives you trouble, tell everyone. They can work out when Xiao Jiahui was born, and the village's old women will figure out what happened. Then that whole family will have their hands full..."

"Sister-in-law, I'm going now. Take care of yourself."

With that, Xiao Ran stood up and said goodbye to his sister-in-law.

As he reached the exit of the cemetery, a strange feeling suddenly rose in Xiao Ran's heart. He turned around and saw his cousin's wife holding the child's hand beside the tombstone, still waving goodbye to him from a distance.

Beside them, a middle-aged man with an ordinary face, a warm smile, and a slightly chubby build was waving to him too...