Chapter 1264: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 1264: Zhong Hongtao Discovers Clues

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Xiaohua drove into town, parked the car at the street entrance, and then went to find an incense and candle shop, buying some incense, firecrackers, incense candles, yellow paper, and the like.

After buying everything, he put it in the trunk, then drove home.

But by coincidence, while he and the shop owner were moving things into the trunk, Deputy Town Mayor Zhong Hongtao happened to pass by and saw the situation from afar.

"What's going on? Didn't the Wang family just hold a funeral not long ago? Why are they buying these things again now?"

Zhong Hongtao muttered to himself.

A colleague cadre beside him said:

"Could it be that Wang Zhanggen died?"

Zhong Hongtao glared at him:

"That's inauspicious of you to say; the man was perfectly fine just a few days ago!"

The cadre beside him chuckled:

"I was just guessing randomly, Town Mayor Zhong, don't take it to heart."

Zhong Hongtao frowned at this:

"I'm just afraid they'll go for earth burial or something. Sigh, the rural earth burial issue really gives people a headache. If we don't manage it, higher-ups will hold us accountable and we'll have no explanation; if we do manage it, it's thankless work and offends people. Besides, even if we manage it, we can't manage it too late. If delayed by ten or eight days, and then they have to dig it up, that stench could make a person vomit for three days and three nights!"

The cadre beside him chuckled and said:

"That's also a helpless matter. Who let us be township cadres? If we were city cadres, we wouldn't have this rotten trouble."

Zhong Hongtao muttered to himself:

"This kind of thing still has to be prevented before it happens..."

Speaking to this point, he suddenly said to the cadre beside him:

"Come on, let's go take a look at the Wang family in Shanggou Village!"

The cadre beside him was stunned:

"If they're really holding a ceremony, wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to show up uninvited?"

Zhong Hongtao said:

"What's inappropriate about it? For celebrations you don't come uninvited; for funerals you come uninvited."

"That's the rule for their fellow villagers."

"Wang Erhai and I are considered fairly familiar; showing up uninvited is fine too... Are you going or not? If not, I'll go by myself!"

"Going, going, going, let's go together!"

"Then let's go buy a few red envelope bags first, just in case!"

So the two went to a nearby convenience store and bought a stack of red envelope bags.

Then they went back to the town government side, got in the car, and headed for Shanggou Village.

Wang Xiaohua finished buying things and returned to Shanggou Village.

Then he had Wang Dashan inventory the items.

Wang Dashan looked them over and nodded in satisfaction.

He really did buy them, same as last time, not a single item missing.

Wang Xiaohua said:

"I also bought a few extra strings of red firecrackers, and three bags of incense. The boss said one bag lasts a day."

A look of relief appeared on Wang Dashan's weary face:

"Looks like you're not such a bookworm after all?"

Wang Xiaohua gave a dry chuckle.

He really couldn't understand why, in Wang Zhanggen and Wang Dashan's eyes, he had become a bookworm.

You have to know, before this, many major family matters were all thought up and resolved by him, Wang Xiaohua.

He did so many things, yet still couldn't change their fixed impression?

But he didn't want to pursue this minor detail; Big Brother can call him whatever he likes.

He only asked:

"Big Brother, are we really doing earth burial? Why don't we do cremation instead? We living people can't be tormented by the dead. If earth burial, what about bone collection later? Or are we not collecting bones at all?"

Wang Dashan frowned; Old Zan that master had also raised this issue.

But he actually hadn't thought that far ahead at all.

He said:

"Bone collection will definitely be done; this side's customs cannot be broken. But that's still far off; we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, talk about it in a few years."

"No, we must have long-term planning, we can't just improvise as we go..." Wang Xiaohua was truly at a loss for words toward this big brother.

But because he was the big brother, he couldn't say anything too harsh.

Otherwise, with their father's bones not yet cold, the brothers would be utterly incompatible, quarreling fiercely — that would definitely be even worse.

So now Wang Xiaohua kept restraining himself, trying his best to avoid quarreling with Wang Dashan.

Even knowing his big brother's decision was however absurd, he could only speak gently and politely, reasoning with him and appealing to his emotions.

Wang Dashan, however, said:

"Isn't the matter at hand more important? Let's handle the present matter properly first, then talk!"

Wang Xiaohua still wanted to speak up and persuade them.

But right at this moment!

The dog in the courtyard started barking.

The two brothers looked up and saw Zhong Hongtao and a strange man walk in.

"Town Mayor Zhong, what brings you here?"

Seeing Zhong Hongtao, Wang Xiaohua's heart immediately skipped a beat, and he hurried over to welcome him.

Zhong Hongtao wore an approachable smile on his face:

"Top Scorer, you haven't gone to school yet? Where's your dad? I need to talk to him about something."

Zhong Hongtao glanced at the funeral items Wang Xiaohua had just bought back, lying on the ground nearby.

Through that one look of his, Wang Xiaohua knew his purpose for coming.

For a moment he didn't know what to say.

Because Wang Xiaohua knew this matter absolutely could not be kept hidden.

Wang Dashan came over at this time and said, trying to cover it up but only making it more obvious:

"My dad went traveling outside, what do you want him for?"

Zhong Hongtao said:

"Last time that incident happened on the mountain, I felt very ashamed in my heart, so I've come again to apologize... By the way, what are you buying these things for?"

Zhong Hongtao looked at the funeral supplies on the ground.

Wang Dashan simply couldn't explain; his mind was originally rather straightforward, and asking him to improvise a lie on the spot was simply too much for him.

Unable to fabricate a lie to deceive them, he resorted to a very simple and crude move: he immediately issued an expulsion order:

"You all leave, hurry up and leave, my family doesn't welcome you!"

Zhong Hongtao and the accompanying cadre were forcibly pushed out by Wang Dashan.

The two walked out to the outside of the Wang family compound, and that cadre said:

"There's a problem, absolutely a problem! I even smell a scent!"

Zhong Hongtao's expression was heavy:

"I also feel there's a problem! Go ask the other villagers! If the Wang family really intends to hold a funeral, they would definitely notify the other villagers!"

Zhong Hongtao immediately went to ask other households.

This inquiry actually uncovered the truth.

Sure enough, Wang Zhanggen had passed away!

Wang Erhai had only come to notify them a few hours ago!

Saying the funeral procession would depart tomorrow morning at nine o'clock!

"The Wang family wouldn't be planning an earth burial, would they? Otherwise why would they be so secretive?" the accompanying cadre said.

Zhong Hongtao also felt this possibility was very likely.

Given Wang Zhanggen's stubborn old-fashioned personality, he probably told his three sons before he died that he wanted an earth burial.

"Why not go back and check the situation?" the accompanying cadre asked.

But Zhong Hongtao said:

"Don't! Didn't you see they don't welcome us? Their funeral procession is at nine, so we'll come back tomorrow morning at eight with people to see Wang Zhanggen off! At that time, we'll see whether they want earth burial or cremation. If it's cremation, we'll lend a hand to help. If it's earth burial, it won't be too late to stop them then."

The accompanying cadre worried:

"Won't that cause conflict?"

But Zhong Hongtao said:

"Being a township cadre, you can't be afraid of conflict; if you're afraid of conflict, you can't do the work of a township cadre."

Zhong Hongtao's words weren't false.

In these poor mountains and bad waters, many people you simply can't reason with.

When it's time to be firm, you must be firm.

If you're afraid of offending people, you fundamentally can't carry out your work.

……