Chapter 10: The Master of Extra Fees

"I suppose we must seek the opinion of Uncle Dazhuang's daughter on this," my father said.

"Let's get in touch with her. I can't shake the feeling that this matter is somehow connected to Miaodi Village."

I closed the white cloth and bowed to Uncle Wangcai. It felt inherently improper to disturb those who had passed away. Jiang Yuanshan went outside to make a phone call, though the outcome remained uncertain. Among the crowd, many began arranging vehicles or preparing to join the journey back.

"Uncle Zhenggui."

I stepped forward to greet a middle-aged man. He was one of those who had entered the ancient tomb alongside Uncle Dazhuang years ago. I examined his features for a moment; his complexion was ruddy, showing no signs of calamity or affliction. His health seemed normal.

"Yuanshan’s boy, right? I heard you got into university. That’s excellent!" Jiang Zhenggui nodded at me.

Although Miaodi Village had produced some wealthy individuals and many had settled elsewhere, rural education remained relatively backward, making the achievement of a university student quite rare.

"Uncle Zhenggui, I need to tell you something serious. If you feel unwell or notice anything unusual about your body over the next two days, please let me know immediately." I lowered my voice and whispered this warning into his ear.

"Hey, you kid, I just finished praising you, why would you say something like that..." Halfway through his sentence, Uncle Zhenggui’s voice cut off abruptly. He seemed to recall something and shivered. "Could it be caused by that incident?"

"I cannot rule out the possibility, though I haven't found a definite link between the two yet," I nodded.

In an instant, Uncle Zhenggui turned pale. This was no laughing matter; two lives had already been lost.

"Yuanshan’s son, don't mention this to anyone else for now," Jiang Zhenggui said, pulling his phone from his pocket as if to contact someone.

Just then, my father finished his conversation and walked over to me. "It’s settled. Qingya has no objections; she’s asking when we plan to depart."

Neither of the next two days was considered auspicious, but in an emergency, one must be pragmatic; we could not intentionally delay for the sake of a so-called lucky day. I suspected that the longer we waited, the greater the potential for unforeseen complications.

"Let's leave at ten tonight," I said. "There will be fewer people on the streets at that hour."

After hearing my instructions, Jiang Yuanshan began to make preparations. Unbeknownst to me, I had become the backbone of the group, perhaps because my grandfather had once been a wandering Taoist, leading them to believe I possessed some understanding of these matters.

***

Time slipped by until around ten in the evening. A truck carried two coffins, escorted by three or four cars traveling in front and behind. Just as I was about to board my father's car, Uncle Zhenggui tugged on my sleeve. "Xiaochen, come and ride in my car."

Before I could answer, he leaned in and whispered, "I’ve invited a Taoist master. If he asks anything, please help me answer him."

So that was his game. I said nothing; fear of death is human nature. With Uncle Dazhuang and Uncle Wangcai both dead, it was understandable that Uncle Zhenggui would hire a Taoist to ensure his own safety.

His car was an SUV worth about two hundred thousand, with a fairly spacious back seat. Sitting there was a man in his fifties or sixties with thinning hair. He wore a tattered Taoist robe, and to my eyes, he looked nothing like an expert.

"Master Zhang, this is a young junior of mine. His grandfather was also a Taoist. If any questions arise, you two can discuss them. Please, let's ensure nothing goes wrong," Uncle Zhenggui said from the driver's seat, introducing me to the man in the back.

"What is the meaning of this?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Master Zhang in the back seat looked displeased. He revealed a set of yellow teeth and sprayed spittle as he spoke. "If you didn't trust me, why did you invite me? To bring along a peer? This is an insult to my character!"

Master Zhang sounded indignant, as if he were ready to walk away right then and there. Yet, I watched for a long time, and the "master" remained in the car, full of indignation but showing no intention of leaving.

"Master Zhang, I didn't mean it that way. Please don't be angry with me. How about I pay you more? Two thousand extra!" Uncle Zhenggui quickly pleaded.

"Hmph, let this be the last time!" Master Zhang calmed down slightly.

Good grief, so he hadn't left because the price wasn't high enough? Was this Master Zhang’s full name "Master Zhang-Add-Money"?

"Alright then, let's set off immediately to reach Miaodi Village as soon as possible."

The lead car started, Uncle Zhenggui stepped on the gas, and the entire convoy slowly pulled out of the ancient city. Because we were carrying two coffins, we kept our speed low, prioritizing stability above all. After exiting the ring highway, we turned onto the provincial road.

The ancient city was about a two-hour drive from my hometown—not far, but certainly not close. It was past ten at night, and there was little traffic on the provincial road.

***

Along the way, we were occasionally passed by large trucks roaring by. I had intended to chat with Master Zhang, but as soon as he got into the car, he closed his eyes and assumed an air of cold, haughty expertise. It wasn't until we were nearly at Miaodi Village that I realized he had simply fallen asleep.

It was nearly one in the morning when we arrived at Miaodi Village. Most of the villagers were fast asleep as we pulled into Uncle Wangcai’s courtyard to unload the two coffins.

Master Zhang climbed out of the car, looking leisurely as he began barking orders for everyone to do this and that. There was no helping it; age commands respect in the Taoist profession. Regardless of skill, in terms of years alone, "Master Add-Money" had already beaten me several times over.

"The coffins cannot touch the ground. Find some long benches and prop them up," Master Zhang commanded.

Almost every household in Miaodi Village had these long benches, designed to seat two or three people.

"I have some at home, I'll go get them right now," a villager replied, rushing off.

Master Zhang stood in the middle of the crowd, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "This work is too exhausting; you'll have to pay more!"

"Of course, of course. As long as this matter is completely resolved, I’ll add another two thousand," Uncle Zhenggui promised.

Before long, four long benches were carried over. The coffins were placed in the yard, and Master Zhang lit a candle on top of each. "Don't let the wind blow out these candles. Also..."

Master Zhang paused for a moment, and everyone’s hearts tightened.

"Kill a chicken for me and make some chicken soup. I'm exhausted and need to regain my strength," he continued.

So that was it. Everyone had been worried for nothing. Many families in the countryside raised chickens, so this was a simple task. Liu Qingya had initially wanted to pay for it, but the villagers stopped her; a chicken didn't cost much, and as neighbors, they were happy to provide it.

Someone immediately went home to slaughter a chicken, boil water, and pluck the feathers to prepare a meal for Master Zhang. Most of the others went home to rest; two consecutive nights of staying up had taken a heavy toll on everyone.