Chapter 28: Professional Team

After Xu Qing left the food stall, he headed straight for the agency.

Previously, he had bought two coffins from Hu Baosong's coffin shop to hold the corpses he had "liberated."

Now that the corpses in the coffins were full, he had to find a way to find a place to dispose of the corpses.

Xu Qing had thought about sending the corpses with no remaining value to the mass grave outside the ward, but finally gave up this plan.

The reason he gave up was because of two things.

First, when he followed Liu Youdao through the woods and graves, he encountered many strange and bizarre things.

Going out to bury corpses, especially to the mass grave, had too high a risk factor.

Second, the defense works in Linhe had begun to take shape recently, and with the increase in refugees, there was no lack of questioning by the garrison soldiers when entering and leaving. If he were discovered carrying so many corpses out, it would definitely be a troublesome matter.

Xu Qing had also thought about burying the corpses in the backyard of the mortuary shop, but that yard was too small and didn't fit his business philosophy of growing bigger and stronger.

After thinking about it, it was better to find another place specifically for handling corpses.

Arriving at the agency, before Xu Qing even entered, he heard Fourth Master Li cursing inside.

"The dog-raising Jinmen Gang, grabbing Old Five's territory is one thing, but they dare to reach their hands to me!"

"Third Brother, don't stop me. Today I must go to the pier and have a life-and-death battle with them!"

In the chilly weather of early spring, Fourth Master Li, wearing a Confucian robe, fanned himself vigorously and angrily lifted the door curtain, but before he could take a step out, Fourth Master curled his legs back in.

Inside, Third Master Huang poured a cup of hot tea and said in a flat tone: "I didn't stop you. If your anger has subsided, come over and have a cup of tea. Look at you, I'm a commoner from a merchant background and I'm not in a hurry, yet you, a scholar with a degree, are the one in a hurry."

Xu Qing was sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, listening to the movement inside from afar, and for a moment it wasn't easy to go in and disturb them.

He beckoned to a familiar agency worker, and the two got together. He asked: "What happened to Fourth Master Li, why is he so angry?"

The worker sighed and shook his head: "This matter is not big, but not small. Just a few days ago, Fourth Master found an old acquaintance in the pile of refugees. That person was once a physician in Xiping Commandery. When Fourth Master was taking the exam in his youth, he caught a sudden illness, and it was that physician who, relying on his superb acupuncture skills, saved Fourth Master from the hands of the King of Hell!"

"Fourth Master had to keep this kindness in his heart. Now seeing his benefactor wandering the streets, Fourth Master couldn't bear it, so he got him an agency card and set up a shop near the pier for him to continue practicing medicine."

"But who would have thought that the people from the Jinmen Gang found out about this from somewhere, so they deliberately found someone who was about to die and let the old gentleman treat him. As a result, before the pulse was even taken, just after a face-to-face meeting, he died in the clinic with a clatter."

"The people from the Jinmen Gang immediately broke in, saying that Fourth Master's benefactor had treated their brother to death and wanted the old gentleman to pay with his life."

While listening to the worker's account, Xu Qing paid attention to the movement on Fourth Master Li's side. Seeing that there was still arguing inside, he temporarily put his thoughts aside and focused on eating the melon in front of him.

"Later, the old gentleman couldn't really be harmed by the people from the Jinmen Gang, right? Aren't they afraid of the government pursuing it?"

The worker bared his teeth and asked back: "The government? Do you think the Jinmen Gang has no one behind them?"

"They came from the Jinmen Prefecture!"

Xu Qing nodded and continued to ask: "What happened to the old gentleman later?"

Hearing this, the worker turned his head and gestured toward the ground in front.

"Look, isn't he lying there? I guess the corpse isn't cold yet. Speaking of which, you came at a good time. Later, Fourth Master might ask you to step out and preside over the funeral and burial..."

Xu Qing followed the worker's gaze and looked at the stretcher placed on the ground in the middle of the hall. It was covered with a white cloth, and one could vaguely see that a person was lying inside.

He never imagined that he would receive work when he came out to handle things!

Over there, Fourth Master Li finally calmed down. Lifting the door curtain and seeing Xu Qing, he was stunned and hurriedly beckoned him to come in.

In the room, premium charcoal was burning on the stove. Fourth Master Li opened his folding fan and kept fanning himself.

We don't know if this is how rich people live their lives.

"Manager Xu, you came just in time. I..." After explaining the funeral arrangements for the old physician in the front hall, Fourth Master Li closed his folding fan and tapped Xu Qing on the shoulder with it.

"This matter is different from your previous corpse selling and collecting. He is my benefactor. You must serve him well and let him go on his way safely and gloriously. Remember that!"

Xu Qing nodded and accepted this matter, then took advantage of Fourth Master Li's free time to mention his own business.

"Fourth Master, besides that shop on Jingxia Street, I don't have a second place to stay in Linhe. I think this isn't a solution, so I came to the agency to find Fourth Master to see if there are any vacant houses..."

"You want to rent a house?"

"Not rent, buy."

Hearing this, Fourth Master Li raised his eyebrows and immediately called the manager in charge of land and house sales to ask. After learning that there were still a few houses left unsold or unrented, he asked the manager to accompany him to see them.

How could Xu Qing be so unobservant? He only said that he would properly settle the old gentleman lying in the front hall first, and then talk about business.

Fourth Master Li was moved when he heard this and no longer called him Manager Xu, as that seemed distant.

"Brother Xu, don't say anything else. In the future, Fourth Master will definitely not let you suffer!"

Xu Qing smiled and cupped his hands, not taking it to heart.

After leaving the agency, he began to call people.

Since the client said he wanted to handle the old gentleman's funeral gloriously, he had to use his professional ability and connections in the funeral industry, right?

Arriving at Jingxia Street, Xu Qing first asked Old Man Hu at the street corner to pick a good coffin, and then asked the landlady of the incense and candle shop to call a team from the funeral service house. Whether it was blowing instruments or dressing up as filial sons and grandsons to cry at the funeral, they were all arranged.

The paper horses and wreaths from the paper-craft shop next door, as well as the four-season funeral banners, also had to be arranged according to the routine.

Early the next morning, Xu Qing led a team from the funeral street and came to the door of Fourth Master Li's house with a gloomy atmosphere.

At this time, Fourth Master Li had just woken up and was letting the maid wash his face when he heard someone outside crying as if their own father had died, howling in a heart-rending way.

Immediately after, various instruments and suonas sounded at the door. That dead sound made Fourth Master Li wake up instantly.

"Who? Who is crying at my door early in the morning?"

Pushing the door open, the retainer hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Fourth Master forgot, today is the day of the old gentleman's funeral. You were drunk last night and slept early. Manager Xu didn't want everyone to disturb you, so he arranged for people to set up the mourning hall and kept vigil for the old gentleman for Fourth Master for a night."

"Right now, he is bringing the people from the lever house to offer sacrifices to the coffin and prepare for the funeral."

Fourth Master Li reached out and patted his cheeks. After he completely came to his senses, he hurriedly took off the brocade clothes he had just put on and ordered: "Quick, quick, go find me the mourning clothes!"

At this time, a group of brothers was waiting for him outside the courtyard. If he went out in brocade, how could he dare to say he was loyal and righteous?

When the worker brought the mourning clothes, Fourth Master Li stood behind the door curtain, trying hard to blink his eyes, thinking of all the sad things he could think of in his life, but he couldn't squeeze out a single tear.

Thinking for a while, he had a flash of inspiration, turned around and came to the charcoal brazier placed in the middle of the room, took iron tongs to clip a few pieces of new charcoal, and urged the smoke to rise.

In a short while, his eyes, which were brought close to the charcoal brazier, became red, and tears flowed down like they were free.

Afterward, Fourth Master Li wore mourning clothes and came to the courtyard with teary eyes. Seeing their Fourth Master crying sadly, the brothers also felt sad, and some emotional big men even secretly wiped away tears, saying that their Fourth Master was truly a man of temperament!

Over there, Xu Qing asked the filial sons and grandsons to kowtow, and Fourth Master rushed to the front and began to cry.

He said that his parents died early, and if it weren't for the old gentleman's help, he wouldn't be where he is today.

In terms of reason and emotion, he should be this filial son and grandson to see off the elder who was like a second parent.

Halfway through the sacrifice ceremony, Third Master Huang and Fifth Master Chang from the agency, as well as Second Master Xue, who had long heard his name but never seen his person, also heard the news and rushed over.

Fourth Master lost his father, that was a big deal. As brothers, they couldn't not come.

Xu Qing, who presided over the ritual, didn't expect it to be so lively. In half a day, not only were the people from the agency all there, but even the merchant friends who knew the agency's masters came in large numbers.

There was no way, Third Master Huang had to ask the accountant to set up a stall specifically for collecting funeral gifts.

Fourth Master Li's face was numb from crying, but he still had to hold on.

He asked Xu Qing to handle it grandly, but he didn't say to handle it this grandly!

Now it was good, it was really like he lost his own father.

After the funeral, Fourth Master Li slumped in his chair, looked at Xu Qing, and stopped talking several times.

Finally, he simply waved his hand to let the worker take Xu Qing to the accountant's office to settle the expenses for presiding over the funeral, counting as much as there was, and the red envelopes that should be given couldn't be less.

"Fourth Master is a particular person."

After accepting the silver, Xu Qing chatted with the accountant for a while before returning to Jingxia Street.

Starting from the first coffin shop, he settled the expenses for this trip house by house. By the time he returned to his own shop, the night had swallowed the last bit of light on the horizon.

Closing the shop door and lighting the green lamp, Xu Qing finally had time to count his harvest for the day.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 29 =====