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墨書 Inktalez
"Hey, Fei, your grandfather's grave has been dug up, and the coffin is missing."
"What!" I held my phone, momentarily stunned.
"You need to hurry back home, quickly!"
With that, my dad hung up.
I put down the phone, feeling dazed. My grandfather was just an ordinary old farmer; who would be bored enough to dig up his grave? Were they just looking for trouble?
But from the tone of my dad's voice, it seemed urgent.
I didn't have time to think much. I grabbed my phone and booked the earliest train ticket to Tengyuan County in Shandong Province on a travel website. After quickly packing a bag, I left my dormitory.
My name is Song Fei, and I'm a sophomore at Jiangsu Donghai University.
I am actually an orphan, raised by my grandfather. I had known this for a long time.
In this world, the only person who ever cared for me with all his heart was my grandfather. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was ten. My adoptive father and mother were quite good to me at first, but that year, after my grandfather died, my mother became pregnant again and gave birth to a chubby baby boy.
Since then, I have felt no parental love; they poured all their affection into my younger brother.
However, I could understand; after all, I wasn't their biological child.
The train wasn't crowded at this time, so I found a window seat and felt a bit unsettled. To be honest, I wasn't eager to go home mainly because I felt distant from my parents. After the college entrance examination, my dad wanted me to start working. In his eyes, I should be like the other kids in the village—working early to earn money.
I refused.
Later, the college admission notice arrived, but my father secretly burned it.
I refused to compromise. My academic performance was decent, and I had no intention of spending my life as a laborer, toiling away only to return to that remote and impoverished Shantai Village in my old age.
I went to Donghai University myself and requested a replacement admission notice. I pleaded with the school leaders to help me secure a student loan. I truly wanted never to return to Shantai Village again.
However, regarding my grandfather's grave, I had to go back.
"Benefactor!"
A childish voice rang in my ears.
I looked up and saw a monk, around eight or nine years old, sitting across from me. He wore a gray robe and had a large string of prayer beads around his neck, which hung down to his knees.
The monk looked quite adorable, with nine incense burns on his head that made him seem amusing.
I said, "Hey, monk, are you here to beg for alms?"
The monk's expression was serious as he struggled to sit properly. He looked at me and said, "Benefactor, I'm not just here for simple alms. I see that your brow is dark and your complexion has a grayish-red aura. You are destined for bloodshed on this journey; your life is in danger."
I was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. I reached out and touched the monk's bald head, saying, "Wow, you're quite impressive; you can already deceive people like this."
The monk pushed my hand away and said, "Monks do not speak falsehoods. Benefactor, you must not joke with your life."
I replied, "Alright then, how can I resolve this?"
The monk responded earnestly, "Resolving it is simple; you just need... well, I can tell you, but benefactor, could you possibly buy me three packs of Spicy Strips?"
"What?" I was stunned for a moment before laughing helplessly. The request of this little con artist was so simple. It was nothing like those scammers from Taiwan; they were not just telecommunications fraudsters but rather telecommunications murderers. They didn't just ruin families; they also made the elderly borrow money! Those bastards.
Just then, the attendant pushed a cart over, and I bought five packs of Spicy Strips, handing them to the monk. I said, "Spicy Strips aren't exactly good for you; if you eat them, your head won't grow."
The monk was delighted and immediately tore open a pack, chewing enthusiastically. He said, "Benefactor, you're lucky to have met me. On this trip, you are facing a calamity that cannot be avoided. But it's simple to evade it: just don't go to the place you're headed."
I was even more speechless. "Who taught you these tricks? You might fool your kindergarten friends, but how did you end up targeting me? Your eyesight is lacking."
As he stuffed more Spicy Strips into his mouth, he said seriously, "Benefactor, my monk name is Abstaining from Lust. I never speak idly. I see that you are in danger of losing your life, and out of pity, I tell you this. . —know that the way is clear; leaking information will bring punishment... Oh no, my stomach... Damn it, leaking information makes my stomach hurt... Benefactor, don't go! I need to use the restroom first... Indeed, a master shouldn't meddle too much..." The monk mumbled as he rushed toward the restroom. The large prayer beads swung back and forth, nearly tripping him several times.
I sat there laughing; it was obvious he had eaten too many Spicy Strips and had an upset stomach. Even con artists have become so amusing these days.
At that moment, the train arrived at Tengyuan County station.
I shouldered my bag and got off the train. My home is in Shantai Village, quite far from the train station. The key point is that it's very remote; I first need to take a car to the town, then a tricycle taxi to the mountain pass, and finally walk half an hour along the mountain path to reach our village.
I hurried along the road and arrived at the village entrance just as it was getting dark.
At the entrance stood the village head's house, with white cloth hanging at the door and mourning banners posted on either side, surrounded by flower wreaths.
I found it strange—had someone from the Village Head's House died? There were four people in total; no elderly folks lived there, so I had no idea who had passed away.
Not thinking too much about it, I rushed back home.
Inside my house, my mother was changing my younger brother's clothes. When she saw me return, she didn't show any joy but called out to me, "Fei, come here and change your clothes; we're going to the Village Head's House for dinner."
"What happened to my grandfather's grave?" I didn't want to go eat.
My mother dressed my brother in a red jacket and replied, "Your grandfather's grave is like that; it was dug up—quite a lot of it has been excavated. The soil is all dried out, and the coffin is gone. Here, put on this outfit."
Seeing my mother's attitude made me a bit angry. I rushed back because I wanted to take care of my grandfather's grave; after all, once someone has passed away, their grave becomes their home—it must not be treated carelessly. But judging by my mother's demeanor, she seemed completely unconcerned.
"Mom, I'm going to the Mountain to see my grandfather." I set my backpack down and was about to leave.
"What are you doing?" My dad came in from the doorway, placing a basket on the ground. He said to me, "It's getting dark. Where do you think you're going? Change your clothes and come eat with us. Lian has passed away; she was your classmate, and you need to go pay your respects."
"Lian is dead?" I frowned and looked at my dad. "Dad, why did you call me back so urgently?"
My dad tossed me a red jacket. "Your grandfather's grave was vandalized a few days ago. Tomorrow, I'll accompany you to the woods to see it. Today is Lian's funeral, so we should go to the Village Head's House to mourn and eat together."
I stared at the red jacket in my hands, utterly speechless. "Dad, are you out of your mind? We're going to pay our respects; why do I have to wear a Red Coat?!"
My parents were very insistent; it was the custom in our Village that unmarried girls must wear a Red Coat when attending funerals.
I was surprised I didn't know this custom, but I couldn't argue with my parents. I put on the bright red jacket and walked with them and my younger brother toward the Village Head's House.
The Village Head's House belonged to the wealthiest family in Shantai Village; it was the only building in the village.
The village head was named Hao Dafu. I heard he became rich by secretly leasing the forest behind the village to Wenzhou merchants for furniture production, but I didn't know the details.
Hao Dafu's daughter was named Lian, and she was indeed my classmate from Junior High. I had a vivid impression of her; she was fair-skinned and beautiful, unlike other children in the village—she looked like someone from the city. She could be described as Rich and Beautiful.
I never expected that Lian had died.
When I arrived at the Village Head's House, a chubby man wearing a white hat approached me. He ran over and shook my hand. "Ah, Song Fei! It's so good that you could make it back."
This chubby man was Hao Dafu, our village head.
To be honest, I found it quite puzzling. I'm just a young person who hardly spends any time in the village each year; I'm not familiar with Hao Dafu at all. We only greet each other with "Uncle Hao" when we meet. I never expected him to be so warm towards me.
Hao Dafu pulled me into the house.
In the center of the room was a black-and-white photo of Lian, her hair styled in big waves, looking very beautiful.
By the time of the white mourning, Lian had already been buried, so I couldn't see her body. I cried a few times while looking at her photo.
Hao Dafu led me to sit in the front row, along with my parents and several others, including Hao Dafu's family and elders from his household. A whole table of people was gathered there for the feast.
In our culture, we also hold a banquet when someone dies, called Tofu Soup. During the meal, performers from a theater troupe sang in the courtyard. If it were an elderly person passing away at eighty-eight years old, we would call it Joyful Mourning, and the performers would even dance in elaborate costumes, causing all the old men in the village to gather and celebrate.
Lian's passing was certainly not Joyful Mourning, so they sang some sorrowful songs and played a few segments of the Great Compassion Mantra to conclude the ceremony.
I sat at the edge of the table while Hao Dafu kept pouring me drinks, which puzzled me. I didn't want to drink anymore, but my parents encouraged me to have a bit more. My tolerance for alcohol was naturally low, and soon I felt dizzy.
"Fei, Fei!" my dad nudged me.
I struggled to lift my head, my tongue heavy. "Dad, what... is it?"
Everything around me seemed hazy.
"Fei, why don't you go take a nap? Your eyes are red," my dad suggested.
I nodded; I was indeed drunk and could hardly walk on my own.
My dad supported me but didn’t take me home; instead, he helped me into a large bed in the Village Head's House where I could sleep.
The bed was very comfortable, probably new and a memory foam mattress.
I drifted off into a hazy sleep.
I don't know when it happened.
My mouth felt extremely dry, and my throat seemed like it was on fire. The key issue was that my bladder was full, and I really needed to pee.
I rubbed my eyes and got up.
The room was very dark.
I fumbled around for a moment and suddenly pressed against something cold, like a picture frame.
"Who put this picture frame on my bed?" I muttered as I picked it up to take a look.
Inside the frame was a black-and-white photograph, and the person in the photo was Lian, smiling at me.
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