In such an environment, Lady Wu Wang’s words indeed provoke contemplation. However, Lady Wu Wang didn’t say it to intentionally scare people.

The weight of the coffin, along with the weight of the corpse, plus those wooden poles and carrying poles, is no easy task even for young strong laborers. Once out of the village entrance, after walking a stretch of the road, the coffin bearers were replaced with a new batch. Because of the coffin’s weight, everyone had to quicken their steps.

There is a folk saying that the coffin becomes heavier and heavier. This saying is partially borne out of truth. It’s not that the coffin’s weight truly increases, but it refers to the subjective feeling of those bearing the coffin.

Another part of this has a deep emotional undertone.

The soul in the coffin is attached to the living world, unwilling to enter the underworld. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Precisely because of this, the coffin bearers must walk faster and faster to promptly settle the departed soul into the earth. Once the coffin is lifted, it must not stop midway, nor can it touch the ground, else it would become a bad omen. From the old residence to the cemetery at Nanshan, there is a section that goes through the official road. Vehicles and pedestrians on the official road, upon seeing the funeral procession, would willingly give way. For blocking the coffin’s path is unfavorable to both oneself and others.

After crossing the official road, it’s onto the winding village path up the mountain. The path is somewhat difficult to traverse. Just as Lady Wu Wang mentioned, towards the end, Lian Manman, supporting Lady Zhang, nearly had to trot to keep up with the procession. It was a struggle even for those with big feet, let alone for the women with bound feet who came to mourn.

Neighbours’ women didn’t participate in the funeral, but the women from close relations had to come. Lady Chiang came; Lian Yaya followed Lady He, and Lian Lanlan brought Yin Suo along too. Lady Chiang, Lian Yaya, Lian Lanlan, and Yin Suo, all with bound feet, panted heavily and fell behind.

Lian Manman had visited the cemetery at Nanshan a few times. Now it was early spring, the mountain was desolate and yellowing, making the whole hill appear even more solemn and bleak. Lian Manman had heard the elders in the village say that in terms of feng shui, Nanshan is an excellent cemetery. Generations of villagers were buried on this mountain. The elders also said that the prosperity of Thirty Mile Camp every year, with little to no disasters, is largely because the ancestors’ graves are well-positioned, benefitting from the good feng shui of the entire mountain.

Lian Manman didn’t understand feng shui techniques, but she felt that there was flowing water passing by the mountain’s base, and although the whole mountain didn’t have spectacular uniqueness or scenery, it was very suited for forest growth. The environment was tranquil and serene, immersing one’s heart in peace.

Such land is naturally a prime location and fits perfectly within the doctrine of the mean.

The funeral procession arrived at the Lian family cemetery and halted before it. Old Master Lian’s grave site had already been dug. Yesterday, Wu Yuchang hired several grave diggers and had Lian Shouren accompany them up the mountain to indicate the location, and thereafter the site was excavated.

The Lian family cemetery only had one large grave, which was the shared resting place of Old Master Lian’s parents. Old Master Lian’s grave site was chosen just below this grave, beneath his parents’ heels. This position was self-chosen by Old Master Lian before his death. This burial method is also the most commonly adopted one by folks, called "embracing burial" according to feng shui.

Embracing a child in the bosom can ensure the tranquility of the family and endless continuity of descendants.

This burial method simultaneously symbolizes deep familial affection, whereby the son, in death, returns to the embrace of his parents, nestled by their knees, family reunification.

The Lian family’s extended members and Lian Manman all knelt before Old Master Lian’s grave. Wu Lang and Xiao Qi took several batches of paper money and first burned them before the grave of Old Master Lian’s parents, then burnt some in all directions. Once the Chinese hour for burial arrived, Old Master Lian’s coffin was slowly placed into the grave site, followed by young helpers beginning to shovel earth to cover the grave.

On the grave site, the cries suddenly resonated in unison.

The grave was soon filled into a mound; various floral wreaths, paper-crafted donkeys, herdboys were placed and ignited before the grave. Lian Shouxin quietly knelt at the grave front, setting batch after batch of paper money aflame.

"Smashing the basin, it’s time to smash the basin," an elder then called.

Smashing the mortuary basin is a significant component of the funeral. The so-called mortuary basin is typically a coarse earthenware basin used continuously for burning paper in front of the coffin. This basin is held by Lian Shouli as he ascends the mountain to smash before Old Master Lian’s grave for the funeral to be counted as complete.