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Gravekeeper
墨書 Inktalez
"Hey, Fei, your grandfather's grave has been dug up, and the coffin is missing."
"What!" I held my phone, a bit stunned.
"You need to hurry back home, quickly!"
With that, my dad hung up.
I put down my 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, Shandong Province, on the 106 website. After a quick tidy-up, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and left the 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’ve known that 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 decent to me at first, but that same year, my mom got pregnant again and gave birth to a chubby baby boy.
Since then, I have felt no parental love; all their attention shifted to my younger brother.
However, I can understand it; after all, I wasn't their biological child.
At that moment, there weren't many people on the train, so I found a window seat, feeling a bit unsettled. To be honest, I wasn't too keen on going 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, earning money as soon as possible.
I refused.
Later, when the admission notice came, my dad secretly burned it.
I didn't compromise. My grades were decent, and I didn't want to spend my life as a laborer, toiling away and eventually having to return to that remote and impoverished Shantai Village.
I went to Donghai University by myself, reapplied for the admission notice, and pleaded with the school leaders to help me secure a student loan. I truly wished never to return to Shantai Village again.
However, this time it was about my grandfather's grave; I had to go back.
"Benefactor!"
A childish voice rang in my ear.
I looked up and saw a young 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 that 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 there, monk! Are you here to ask for alms?"
The monk's expression was serious as he struggled to climb onto his seat properly. He looked at me and said, "Benefactor, I'm not just here for simple alms. I see that your forehead is dark and your complexion has a grayish-red aura. You are bound 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, monk! You're quite something; you can already trick people like this."
The monk reached out and pushed my hand away, saying, "A monk does not speak falsehoods. You should not joke with your life."
I replied, "Alright then, how do I break this?"
The monk looked serious. "Breaking it is simple. You just need... well, I can tell you, but could you... could you buy me three packs of Spicy Strips?"
"What?" I was taken aback for a moment, then laughed helplessly. The request of a con artist was so simple. It was nothing like those scammers from Taiwan; they weren't just committing telecom fraud, they were practically killing people through it. Not only did they swindle families into bankruptcy, but they also made the elderly borrow money! Those bastards.
Just then, a stewardess came by pushing a cart, so I bought five packs of Spicy Strips and handed them to the monk. "Spicy Strips aren't good for you; after eating them, your mind won't grow any sharper."
The monk was delighted and immediately tore open a pack, chewing heartily. "You’re lucky to have met me. On this trip, you are destined for misfortune that cannot be avoided. But it's simple to evade it: just don’t go to the place you intend to visit."
I was even more speechless. "Who taught you these tricks? You might as well be scamming kindergarten kids your age; how did you end up targeting me? Your judgment is lacking."
While stuffing his mouth with Spicy Strips, the monk said seriously, "My Dharma name is Abstaining from Lust. I never speak idly. Seeing that you are in danger of losing your life, I felt pity and decided to tell you. Remember, the truth is bright; revealing it comes with consequences... Oh dear, my stomach... Damn it, revealing too much makes my stomach hurt... Please don’t leave; I need to use the restroom first... Indeed, a master should not meddle in others' affairs..." 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; clearly, 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 slung my bag over my shoulder and got off the train. My home was in Shantai Village, quite far from the station and very remote. First, I needed to take a car to town, then a tricycle taxi to the mountain pass, and finally walk half an hour along a mountain path to reach our village.
As I hurried along the road, it was nearly dark by the time I reached the entrance of the village.
At the village entrance stood the village chief's house, where white cloth hung at the door and mourning banners were posted on either side adorned with wreaths.
I found it a bit strange. How could someone have died at the Village Head's House? There were four people living there, and no elderly ones, so I had no idea who had passed away.
I didn't think much of it and hurried back home.
At home, my mother was changing my little brother's clothes. When she saw me return, she didn't show any joy but called out to me, "Fei, come over and change your clothes. We're going to the Village Head's House for dinner."
"What happened to my grandfather's grave?" I wasn't interested in going for dinner.
My mother dressed my brother in a red jacket and said, "Your grandfather's grave is just like that; it has been dug up a lot. 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 home to tend to my grandfather's grave because after someone dies, the grave becomes their home, and it must be treated with respect. But my mother seemed completely unconcerned.
"Mom, I'm going to the mountain to check on my grandfather," I said as I set down my backpack and prepared to leave.
"What are you going there for?" My father entered through the door, 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 died; she was your classmate, and you need to go mourn her."
"Lian is dead?" I frowned and looked at my father. "Dad, why did you call me back so urgently?"
My father tossed a red jacket at me and said, "Your grandfather's grave was dug up a few days ago. Tomorrow I'll accompany you to the forest to check it out. Today is Lian's funeral; we might as well go to the Village Head's House together to mourn her and have dinner."
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 village custom that unmarried girls must wear red coats when attending funerals.
I had no idea about this custom, but I couldn't argue with my parents. So I put on the bright red jacket and walked with them and my little brother toward the Village Head's House.
The Village Head's House is the only building in Shantai Village, owned by the wealthiest man in the village.
The village head is named Hao Dafu. I heard that he became rich by secretly leasing the forest behind the village to a Wenzhou merchant for furniture production, but I don't know the specifics.
Hao Dafu's daughter is named Lian. She and I were indeed classmates back in junior high. I have a vivid impression of Lian; she was fair-skinned and beautiful, unlike the other children in the village, resembling someone from the city. She was truly rich and beautiful.
I never expected that Lian had died.
I arrived at the Village Head's House.
A chubby man wearing a white hat approached me. He came over enthusiastically and shook my hand. "Ah, Song Fei, it's so great that you could make it back!"
This chubby man is Hao Dafu, our village head.
To be honest, I was quite puzzled. I'm just a young person who hardly spends any time in the village each year, and I'm not familiar with Hao Dafu at all. We only greet each other with "Uncle Hao," nothing more. I never expected him to be so warm towards me.
Hao Dafu led me into the house.
In the center of the room was a black-and-white photo of Lian, her long hair styled in big waves, looking very beautiful.
Since Lian had already been buried, I couldn't see her body, so I cried a few times while looking at her photo.
Hao Dafu guided me to sit at the front row of seats, along with my parents and several others, including his family and some elders from his household. A table full of people gathered there for the banquet.
In our culture, we also hold banquets when someone dies; we call it Tofu Soup. During the meal, there were performers singing in the courtyard. If an eighty-eight-year-old passes away, we refer to it as Joyful Mourning; the performers would even dance in traditional attire, and all the old men in the village would gather around to celebrate.
Lian certainly wasn't Joyful Mourning, so I just sang some sorrowful songs and played a few segments of the Great Compassion Mantra to wrap things up.
I sat at the table while Hao Dafu kept pouring drinks for me, which left me quite puzzled. I refused to drink more, but my parents urged me to have a little more. My tolerance for alcohol was naturally low, and before long, I felt dizzy.
"Fei, Fei!" My dad nudged me.
I struggled to lift my head, my tongue heavy. "Dad, what... is it?"
I could see my dad through a hazy blur.
"Fei, why don't you go take a nap? Your eyes are red."
I nodded; I was indeed drunk and couldn't even walk properly.
My dad supported me, and instead of taking me home, he helped me into the back room of the Village Head's House, where there was a large bed for me to sleep on.
The bed was very comfortable; it must have been new, possibly a Simmons.
I drifted off into a daze.
I don't know how much time passed.
My mouth felt extremely dry. It was as if my throat was on fire. The worst part was that my bladder was full; I needed to pee.
Rubbing my eyes, I 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 clearly a black-and-white photograph, and the person in the photo was Lian, smiling at me.
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