Holy Bone

Chapter 689 The first business order is not a living person
The next day.

morning.

Standing under the eaves of the coffin shop, Jin An stretched out his palm to test whether the rain had stopped. Seeing that the rain had stopped, he put the cart rope around the goat's neck and prepared to deliver the goods to the door according to the appointment last night.

The cart was covered with a gray cloth.

It was the coffin that the old lady asked him to order last night.

It's also suffering for a silly sheep. A good sheep has been treated as a cattle envoy since following Jin'an, and has completely lost the dignity of being a sheep.

After all, I have only heard of ox carts, horse carts, donkey carts, and mule carts. Have you ever seen anyone use a sheep cart?

There were only Jin An and the goat at the door of the coffin shop. The strange thing was that the old Taoist priest was not there. Jin An waited for a while at the door of the coffin shop, but he couldn’t wait for the old Taoist priest to come back, so he closed the shop door and went to deliver the goods first, so as not to miss the delivery door time.

The time agreed between Jinan and the buyer was to deliver it before noon.

Being late was never his style.

Just as one person and one sheep walked out of the street where the coffin shop is located, a Taoist figure outside Yongle Square ran towards him all the way. Passers-by avoided and looked curiously at the Taoist priest who ran so eagerly early in the morning. Jin An took a closer look and was amused. It was the old Taoist who finally came back.

Hold your hands in front of your chest, holding several packs of steamed buns and fried dough sticks wrapped in lotus leaves, and two bamboo sticks, one long and one short, are tied behind your back.

The long bamboo sticks are about three or four feet long.

The short bamboo sticks are about the waist height of a child.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!"

The old Taoist was panting and yelling while running, and as soon as he ran close to Jin'an, he stuffed all the steaming breakfast in his arms into Jin'an's arms.

This is typical of treating Jin An as someone with a thick skin who is not afraid of being scalded by boiling water.

Jin An: "..."

"Little brother, you haven't eaten breakfast yet. The old man has already bought us breakfast. By the way, we spent a total of [-] Wen on the buns and fried dough sticks. Little brother, can this money be reimbursed from the profits made by the store? You also know the old man I can't hide money." The old Taoist said cheekily.

Jin An: "..."

One old and one young went on the road while eating. Jin An asked the old Taoist priest where he had been just now. The old Taoist hurriedly finished the buns and deep-fried dough sticks in his hands, wiped the oily hands on the lotus leaves, and then untied the bamboo sticks on his back: "Didn't the benefactor last night say that he wanted to order a dog-beating stick for the owner of the coffin? Old Daoist, I went to the Earth Temple outside the city early in the morning and asked the disciples of the beggar gang who spent the night there to exchange a few buns for the dog-beating sticks in their hands." Great."

Once the old Taoist opened his mouth, he couldn't stop, and the more he talked, the more excited he said: "Little brother, don't underestimate this dog-beating stick. I asked the old Taoist specifically that this dog-beating stick has killed people who chased and bitten people." A mad dog is a dog-fighting stick that has seen dog blood."

The dog-beating stick has seen dog blood, and dog meat naturally entered the five internal organs temples of those beggar gang disciples.

The old Taoist held the dog-beating stick and looked at Jin'an pitifully: "Little brother, can the dog-beating stick be reimbursed from the profit of the shop, right? You don't have to give it to the old Taoist for running errands, hard work, etc. You can exchange buns for dog-beating The stick also cost eight cents."

Jin An didn't know whether to laugh or cry, okay, it's all recorded in the store's account books, and it's all reimbursed to you, old man.

This is called a brother who settles accounts clearly. The old Taoist has seen people with sophistication, sophistication and coldness, which are far beyond human imagination. Everything he does is based on seeing through human nature. The year of getting along has taught Jin'an a lot Be tactful when you should be tactful, shrewd when you should be shrewd, and be clear when you should be clear.

By smoothing the relationship between people, you can see through human nature. This is the reason why the old Taoist priests can still live in one piece until now.

Then Jin An continued to laugh and cry: "Old Daoist, you forgot what kind of shop we are opening. We are a coffin shop and also carry blessings and ghosts. In fact, I have already asked a paper maker to make two sticks for me. , it’s placed in the coffin on the cart.”

There is an account book in the coffin shop, which records the purchase channel and purchase price. Jin'an received the order last night, and this morning he asked a paper maker to tie him two dog-beating sticks.

The old Taoist slapped his forehead, embarrassingly saying that he was busy and confused.

Jin An said with a smile: "It's okay, the dog-beating stick that has seen dog blood is more spiritual. After all, this is also the first business for our coffin shop. It must be perfect and make it a good luck."

The old Taoist stretched out his thumb and praised Jin An: "Sure enough, you are indeed a little brother. The two of us thought of getting together again. Since we have to do it, we must do our best, and we can't live a lifetime in a daze."

……

……

The address for their door-to-door deliveries is not in Yonglefang, but in a few neighboring fangshi, a family surnamed Tian.

When I arrived at the location with the coffin, I found that the house of this family was built of blue bricks, with a tiled roof and a large yard. It seemed that the family was well-off.

The family is having a funeral today.

There were white silk and white lanterns hung on the door and the wall. Some people in linen clothes came in and out, and there were a few mournful sounds from the yard.

"Two priests, what's the matter?" A few people dressed in sackcloth standing at the gate of the courtyard watched the cart suddenly stop at the gate, blocking the way in and out of the courtyard, and walked over.

These people should be relatives of the deceased and came to help.

Seeing that the two were wearing Taoist robes, their manner of speaking was quite polite.

Jin'an: "We come from the Taoist Temple of the Five Viscera. Someone ordered two coffins, one big and one small, for us to send here last night. Is this Tian Mangui's house?"

"This is indeed Tian Mangui's house, and Tian Mangui is my uncle, but we have already ordered the coffin from another coffin shop. I haven't heard my father and some uncles mention that the coffin was ordered from a Taoist temple." As a strong young man, he and several of his peers around him looked at Jin An and the old Taoist suspiciously, as if wondering if they were liars.

"Two priests, wait, I'll go in and find someone to ask..."

Although the young man who spoke had some doubts about the identities of Jin An and the old Taoist priest, he didn't dare to neglect the Taoist priest, and turned around and walked into the yard to find someone to confirm.

Jin An nodded: "Okay, I'm sorry."

Not long after the young man walked into the courtyard, several middle-aged men shouted loudly from the mourning hall in the courtyard: "Nonsense!"

"How could it be possible to find a Taoist temple to fix the coffin!"

"I've never heard of the Five Viscera Taoist Temple!"

As soon as the words were finished, I saw a group of people coming out of Hulala, including middle-aged men and old men and women. The facial features of these people are somewhat similar, and they should be relatives of the same family.

"I'm Tian Mangui. The two priests are looking for me? We haven't found a Taoist temple to fix the coffin. Did the two priests find the wrong person? Is there anyone with the same name and surname as me in Jiangzhou Prefecture?" A strong man.

Jin An didn't say anything. At this time, it's time for an old Taoist priest to deal with people, because only an old Taoist priest who is older and once serious, is more suitable for this kind of scene, and it is easier to gain people's trust. Said: "This benefactor, who is Zhang Ai'e to you?"

Tian Mangui frowned: "It's my mother."

The old Taoist nodded: "That's right. Last night, Lingci personally came to us to order the coffins. He ordered two coffins, one big and one small, and asked us to deliver them today."

"If Tian Mangui has the same name, it's impossible for Ling Ci to have the same name, right? And the delivery address is written here, and we have written evidence to prove it."

Unexpectedly, as soon as the old Taoist's words came out, Tian Mangui and his relatives all changed their expressions, and collectively exclaimed: "This is absolutely impossible!"

"Where are you wild Taoist priests from? You lied to us. We have been born in Jiangzhou Prefecture for several generations, and we have never heard of the Taoist Temple of the Five Viscera!"

"If you are still entangled, and you buy and sell coffins by force and don't leave, we will immediately report to the police and arrest you and leave!"

Everyone scolded Jin An and the others for being liars, everyone looked angry, and they all regarded Jin An and the old Taoist priest as fake Taoist priests who bought and sold by force.

Even Tian Mangui suppressed his anger and said in a cold voice: "These few days are the first seven days of my mother and youngest son. I don't want to disturb the rest of my mother and youngest son by arguing with others. Please leave!"

It turned out that the person lying in the mourning hall was Zhang Aie, the old woman who came to the coffin shop to fix the red coffin last night!Order a red coffin for yourself, and have it delivered to your door today!

To normal people, this matter is indeed absurd, because it is too unimaginable. It is not only absurd but also frightening for a person to order a coffin for himself after death. No wonder these family members cannot accept it. This is blaspheming the deceased.

However, Jin An and the old Taoist didn't think it was absurd. Jin An turned his head and looked at the mourning hall in the yard. There were two bed boards made of long wooden benches in the mourning hall, and two corpses, one large and one small, were lying on the bed boards. , was covered with a white cloth at this time.

Joss candles were lit in front of the bed.

Paper money and yellow paper were burning in the copper basin.

And there are two mourning portraits hanging on the wall, one of which is the old woman from last night. The old woman is amiable and has a motherly smile.

The old Taoist also noticed the portrait on the mourning hall, he frowned, and quickly cleared up the matter: "Benefactor Tian, ​​can I ask you something, what color coffin did you order for Ling Ci?"

Tian Mangui saw that the two fake Taoist priests in front of him were still entangled, and wanted to continue to be a liar. He had just experienced the loss of his mother and son in middle age, and he was already in a bad mood, so his face turned livid with anger, and he said with a bad attitude: "What's the matter? It's easy to ask, you guys came to my house to cheat, didn't you inquire about the situation of my family, even the mother's name, how could you not know how the mother and the youngest son died!"

After you finish speaking, you will chase people away.

But the old Taoist was unmoved, and asked again with a very serious expression on his face: "Benefactor Tian, ​​you haven't answered us yet, what color coffin did you order for Ling Ci?"

At this time, Jin An took the initiative to protect the old Taoist priest.

Seeing that the old Taoist priest refused to leave, Tian Mangui said impatiently, "He died from being bitten by a mad dog. The owner of the coffin shop said that he could only bury him in a black coffin."

Hearing this, the old Taoist turned around and lifted the cloth strip on the cart, revealing a bright red coffin: "When the benefactor Zhang came to us last night, he specified that he wanted a red coffin, saying that the red coffin was a happy funeral. Bring good luck, the couple will continue to live in harmony, and don't quarrel every day."

"And she also specifically told us to prepare a dog-beating stick for her to go on the road, saying that there are many wild dogs outside the city, and she is afraid of wild dogs."

The old Taoist said as he pushed open the coffin lid, revealing that there was a small coffin inside the big coffin, which was prepared for Tian Mangui's old mother and young son.

He also took out two dog-beating sticks bought this morning from the big coffin to prove that he was not lying.

The Tian family members who were present were all shocked when they heard it, and the old Taoist took out the paper again and handed it to Tian Mangui: "This is the goods that Zhang benefactor ordered from us last night, everything is clearly marked, Tian benefactor can pass For now."

Tian Mangui took the paper and looked at it with a frown.

At this time, Jin An noticed a woman standing beside Tian Mangui, who must be Tian Mangui's wife.

The old Taoist continued to persuade Tian Mangui: "Benefactor Tian, ​​please believe us. We are really not those charlatans, and we are not here to make money. The money for the coffin has already been paid by the benefactor Zhang, and you don't need to pay any more."

"You asked us to send the coffin in. We will leave as soon as we put the coffin down. We are definitely not here to cheat money."

At this time, Jin An suddenly interjected: "Benefactor Zhang not only asked us to order a red coffin, but also ordered a ceremony to save the dead. Benefactor Zhang has already paid for it."

The old Taoist was taken aback, but fortunately he reacted quickly, nodded in agreement and said, "That's right, the money has already been paid, and I won't ask for a copper coin."

To be honest, it would be hard for anyone to accept this incident today, but everyone saw that Jin'an and the old Taoist really didn't look like charlatans who came to cheat money, and the things were said clearly and clearly, and their credibility was greatly increased. They haven't invited Buddhist monks to open the altar to do the ceremony, and they just got everything done today.

Coupled with the fact that the old Taoist priest then relied on the three-inch tongue of the wandering rivers and lakes for many years to explain, the Tian family dubiously asked the young children of the family to carry the coffin into the mourning hall.

"Chen Daochang, did my mother really say to use red coffins for mourning?" Looking at the two red coffins being carried into the mourning hall, Tian Mangui had sentimental eyes.

The old Taoist shook his head slightly, and said solemnly: "It's not that benefactor Zhang wanted to celebrate and mourn, but benefactor Zhang specially ordered the red coffin to be used for the funeral for his son and daughter-in-law. Benefactor Tian, ​​Ling Ci was most worried about you juniors when he was alive. Children and grandchildren have worked hard all their lives, even if they have passed away, what they miss most is still the piece of flesh that fell from their body.”

Tian Mangui's eyes were red, the seven-foot boy wiped his tears in public, and other relatives also had expressions of embarrassment on their faces when they heard the old Taoist's words.

Just when a group of people walked into the yard while talking, Jin An looked around the yard and found a vicious dog tied to the yard. The vicious dog had been beaten to pieces, dripping with blood, and even the broken bones were exposed from the wound He died, dying in a pool of blood.

Jin An: "Is this the vicious dog that bit people to death?"

Tian Mangui gritted his teeth, picked up the dog-beating stick bought by the old Taoist on the spot, and whipped the vicious dog to howl to vent his anger: "That's right, this vicious dog killed my mother and my only son. I wish I could kill it now. My mother and my five-year-old son will take revenge!"

"But it's too cheap to die like this animal. I will skin the animal and bleed it myself on the day of the funeral, and use its blood to pay homage to the spirit of my mother and my only son in heaven!"

(End of this chapter)