coobybook Chapter 461 1 Life is in vain
Chapter 461 1 Life is in vain
Inside the funeral home, the atmosphere was heavy and depressing, yet busy. People were constantly moving around in different areas, busy with their work in an orderly manner.
At the entrance, several people were working together to place a heavy solid wooden table steadily in place. The tabletop was wiped spotlessly clean. This would be an important place to place offerings.
Not far away, another group of people were concentrating on decorating the mourning hall. They skillfully spread the white and black interwoven cloth slowly along the four walls of the mourning hall. Every fold was carefully arranged in an effort to create a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
On both sides of the mourning hall, people have brought wreaths one after another. These wreaths are of different shapes, with white and yellow as the main colors. The white chrysanthemum symbolizes sadness and purity;
The yellow chrysanthemums represent remembrance and respect, and they are paired with the dark green pine and cypress branches to add a touch of sadness.
The wreaths were neatly placed on both sides of the mourning hall, forming a special "queue", as if quietly waiting for the farewell ceremony to begin.
At this moment, a loud and energetic voice broke the silence: "Boss, the white chrysanthemums have been delivered. Where should I put them?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in simple work clothes with a bright smile on his face.
That smile seemed a little out of place in this depressing environment, but it also made people feel a different kind of vitality, as if he had endless energy and was very energetic.
A middle-aged man with a square figure, thick shoulders and a thick waist turned around when he heard the voice. He was the owner of the funeral home, Mr. Chai, and he replied:
"The flowers have arrived! Come, come, come and put them next to the mourning hall so that relatives and friends can take them when they come to pay their respects."
"Okay!" The young man responded crisply and walked quickly towards the designated location.
At the same time, Cui Jiani drove a Volkswagen sedan slowly into the parking space in front of the funeral home.
Inside the car, Mu Xiaoji had a solemn expression on his face, frowning, and said softly, "I don't know, has the detention center approved it?"
Cui Jiani unbuckled her seat belt and responded, "The mother and son have already met, there's no reason why he shouldn't even kowtow to an old man!"
Mu Xiaoji shook his head slightly and asked in confusion, "What preparations are needed for a funeral?
Last time, Little Monster took care of Teacher Gu's funeral, and now it's my turn, I'm completely in the dark."
Cui Jiani shook her head helplessly and consoled him, "Get off! The funeral home knows everything. Give more money and they will provide everything you need."
Mu Xiaoji sighed, opened the car door, got out, and followed Cui Jiani straight into the funeral home.
As soon as he entered, he saw a group of people busy working in an orderly manner. Boss Chai was sharp-eyed and saw Mu Xiaoji and Cui Jiani coming in at a glance.
He hurried over with a smile on his face and said enthusiastically, "Boss Mu, Dean Cui, are you here to inspect our work in person?"
Mu Xiaoji's expression remained solemn as he asked, "How are the preparations going? What should the elderly wear and cover themselves with? Have you prepared everything that is necessary?"
Boss Chai quickly apologized with a smile, "Don't worry, Boss Mu, I have prepared everything you asked me to do!"
Cui Jiani said coldly, "Boss Chai, this is not the first time we have worked together, don't try to be clever.
"Teacher Gu Xuewen, I was looking for you for this job, and I gave you a lot of benefits at that time! Don't be so heartless!"
Boss Chai smiled innocently and explained, "How could I dare to forget that! Mr. Jiang is very generous and lavish. He is the first person I have met since the opening of my funeral home." As he spoke, he did not forget to give him a thumbs up and praise him.
Mu Xiaoji followed Cui Jiani into the mourning hall and carefully walked around. In the center of the mourning hall, an enlarged portrait of the old man was hung high, and the surrounding area was carefully decorated with black gauze.
On the altar, various offerings were placed according to traditional customs. In the front was a plate of plump apples, symbolizing peace;
Next to it are a few bunches of golden bananas, symbolizing good luck and fortune; there is also a plate of traditional Chinese pastries, each piece of which is exquisitely made.
In the center of the altar, a bowl of steaming rice has a pair of chopsticks stuck straight in it. This is the "Daotou Fan", a way of respect and farewell to the deceased.
Boss Chai followed closely behind him, smiling and asking, "Boss Mu, are you satisfied? If you have any other requests, please let me know."
Mu Xiaoji said seriously: "After you are ready, come to Renxin Hospital to pick up the old man! Help him wash up and tidy up his appearance."
Boss Chai said sensibly, “I know this. According to custom, we need to cleanse the elderly, wipe their bodies with a clean towel, from head to toe, leaving no part untouched, so that the elderly can pass away cleanly.
In addition, the hair must be combed and the body must be dressed in shrouds. The shrouds must be traditional in style, usually in odd numbers, three, five or seven pieces, and each piece must be worn neatly without wrinkles.
Mu Xiaoji urged: "Seven pieces! Let the old man have enough food and clothing in his next life, and never worry about food and clothing."
Boss Chai nodded quickly and said, "Okay, Mr. Mu, even if you don't tell me, I will do it. This is an indispensable matter."
Mu Xiaoji nodded, looked at Cui Jiani and said, "Then let's go!"
Cui Jiani smiled faintly and said, "Okay." After that, she made a gesture of invitation. Mu Xiaoji walked towards the door of the funeral home first, and Cui Jiani followed slowly behind.
Boss Chai followed them closely with an expression of welcoming and seeing off guests: "Goodbye, both of you." He watched the two figures gradually disappear outside the door of the funeral home.
Cui Jiani drove the car steadily into the parking space of Renxin Hospital. With a slight "creak", the car stopped steadily. She and Mu Xiaoji unbuckled their seat belts at the same time, opened the door and got out.
The two of them walked hurriedly with serious expressions as they strode towards the entrance of the hospital lobby.
Just as they stepped into the hall, the funeral home's car slowly stopped at the main entrance of the hospital.
The car door opened, and two young men in their thirties got out of the car. They were wearing the same dark work clothes and walked towards Mu Xiaoji in an orderly manner with polite and humble smiles on their faces.
He said respectfully, "Boss Mu, Dean Cui, Boss Chai asked us to come and pick up the old man's body!"
Cui Jiani glanced at Mu Xiaoji, who looked exhausted, with a trace of concern in her eyes, and said softly, "Xiaoji, you have been running around these days, and you look really haggard.
The morgue is full of negative energy, I'll take care of it, you go to the office and have a good rest, I'll come find you when I'm done."
Mu Xiaoji's face was exhausted, his eyes slightly red, he just nodded slightly, and said in a slightly hoarse voice: "Okay."
After saying that, he dragged his slightly heavy steps into the hall and walked towards the elevator, his back revealing deep fatigue and sadness.
Cui Jiani finally calmed down, looked at the two young men from the funeral home, and said in a crisp tone: "Drive, follow me!"
After saying that, she took the lead and walked straight down the stairs, heading towards the back of the hospital.
The two young men hurriedly trotted back to the car, started the engine, and slowly followed Cui Jiani.
Cui Jiani was seen walking with an upright posture and steady, powerful steps, leading the two of them through the corridors between the buildings of the hospital.
Along the way, medical staff occasionally hurried past and cast curious glances: "Hello, Director, what are you busy with?"
Cui Jiani nodded with a smile, and soon they came to a relatively hidden path.
At the end of the path, an iron gate was half-open, and on the wall next to it hung an inconspicuous sign that read "Mortuary Special Passage."
Cui Jiani stretched out her hand and gently pushed open the iron gate. She turned back and motioned for the two to follow her. She then took the lead and stepped into this taboo passage, walking towards the morgue.
The two of them hurriedly parked the car on the side of the road and quickly got out to chase after Cui Jiani.
Walking through the door and going down, the basement was dimly lit and the air was filled with a damp and cold smell.
As soon as I turned the corner, I saw a white-haired old man who was bending over and carefully cleaning the corridor downstairs with a broom.
He was also responsible for supervising the lock of the morgue door. When he heard footsteps, he looked up and saw Cui Jiani coming over.
He hurriedly stopped what he was doing and said with a bit of respect on his face: "President Cui, why are you here?"
Cui Jiani looked solemn and responded in a low voice: "Master Lu, please open the door. The old lady from yesterday was sent to the funeral home for burial today!"
As Master Lu slowly took out the jingling bunch of keys from his pocket, he said with emotion: "Life is a journey that must be taken sooner or later. Once you go, your life is over!"
After hearing this, the two people at the funeral home looked at each other, a trace of doubt flashed in their eyes, and they scratched their heads.
They seemed to understand Master Lu's words that were full of life philosophy, but in this gloomy atmosphere, they felt an inexplicable chill in their hearts.
Cui Jiani looked at Master Lu and instructed seriously: "Master Lu, take them in to pick up the people! Look carefully, don't make any mistakes!"
Master Lu responded in his old and slightly hoarse voice: "Okay, Dean Cui, you two come in!" After that, the three of them walked into the morgue together.
As soon as I stepped in, a strong chill hit me in the face. The room was so cold that it seemed as if even the air could freeze into ice.
There were several morgue beds neatly arranged, covered with white sheets, and one could vaguely see the figures of people lying underneath.
The two young men couldn't help but shiver and shrank unconsciously.
Master Lu walked straight to one of the morgue beds, stretched out his hand and slowly lifted the white bed sheet, revealing the peaceful but slightly pale face of Jiang Hao's mother, and then shouted: "You two, over here, carry it away!"
The two of them crossed their arms and kept stroking their arms, trying to dispel the chill that penetrated deep into their bones. Then they quickly walked up to the medical bed where the old man was lying, lifted it up carefully, and walked quickly towards the door.
Arriving at the door, Cui Jiani walked forward, gently lifted the white bed sheet, and carefully looked at the old man's face for a moment. After confirming that everything was correct, she said, "You guys go!"
After that, the three of them quickly walked out of the basement and came to the back door. Cui Jiani helped open the iron door, and the two of them carried the old man and walked straight towards the funeral home's car.
Master Lu approached the carriage, opened the door skillfully, stepped aside, and helped the young man to steadily carry the old man's body into the carriage.
After the two put it down, they jumped out of the car lightly and then closed the door skillfully. They said to Cui Jiani, "President Cui, let's go now."
Cui Jiani nodded solemnly and watched the two of them quietly as they quickly got into the car.
With the roar of the engine, the car drove out of the hospital like an arrow, leaving behind a light cloud of smoke and dust.
Cui Jiani and Master Lu stood there for a long time, looking in the direction the car was leaving, their eyes full of complicated emotions.