Corpse Recovery Diver

Tan Wenbin came over: "This is the first time I've seen a funeral like this."

Lin Shuyou: "Mr. Li said the family was wiped out."

Tan Wenbin: "Alas, it's a pity about those two children."

Lin Shuyou: "Yes."

They were used to seeing life and death, and what really moved them was the smile of the children in the photo frames.

The photos were probably developed from pictures of the two children when they were alive.

This family moved here from another place generations ago. They didn't have any relatives here, and with the whole family gone, there was no one to take charge of the funeral, so the village took the lead in organizing it.

Some officials came over at noon, along with reporters, so the spirit hall was simply arranged, not suitable for superstitious activities.

But villagers had a simple need for spiritual comfort.

This family died tragically, unsettling the villagers, and they needed a grand ceremony and ritual to ease their minds.

Therefore, the money for this occasion was contributed by the village, which is, to some extent, a form of crowdfunding among the villagers.

"Despite the rain, let's get started!"

Li Sanjiang hurriedly shouted and then changed into a Taoist costume, holding a Peach Wood Sword, and dashed out.

He began performing the ritual in the rain.

Tan Wenbin and others quickly helped set up the offering table and fire pits.

Lin Shuyou found a corner and changed into the official's clothing. With a flick of his face, the talisman appeared, and he came out holding a trident, joining Mr. Li on the rain-drenched yard... to catch "ghosts."

Xiong Shan blew the suona, Tan Wenbin hit the gong, and Uncle Qin beat the drum.

Soon, villagers heard the commotion and came to watch.

Unlike previous bustling performances where villagers crowded together to watch the funeral team, this time only a few villagers approached to watch, scattered about, while most stood outside under umbrellas.

These days, villagers would intentionally avoid walking in front of this family's house.

No matter how old Li Sanjiang was, his costume became heavy and drenched in the rain, and in the downpour, many stunts were unsuitable, so he could only move around and wave.

After a while, Li Sanjiang started to catch his breath.

Lin Shuyou: "Mr. Li, take a break, I'll handle this!"

Li Sanjiang: "Okay."

Lin Shuyou stepped up and began circling Li Sanjiang.

When Li Sanjiang raised his sword, Lin Shuyou did a series of backflips;

When Li Sanjiang swung his sword, Lin Shuyou did continuous side flips.

In short, Mr. Li only needed to stand there and make a few gestures, relying on Lin Shuyou's movement technique to ensure the villagers, especially the village secretary and mayor, didn't feel they were slacking off.

Because Lin Shuyou performed so well, his skills and elegance gradually attracted the villagers who were initially standing outside to come closer.

Each time Lin Shuyou finished a movement performance, the villagers below would applaud and cheer.

Seeing this, Li Sanjiang felt a bit concerned and quickly called out:

"You Hou, rest, rest, no need to exhaust yourself."

"Mr. Li, I'm not tired, really not tired."

Li Sanjiang: "The rain has stopped; it's time to burn paper! You Hou, hurry down to get some water and take a break."

Lin Shuyou: "Hehe."

The paper offerings were brought out, and they began burning them.

Todays offerings came in many forms, including a large paper building.

Having been drenched by the rain earlier, although it could be ignited, it burned slower than usual.

Li Sanjiang used the Peach Wood Sword to draw open the main gate of the paper building's ground floor, allowing more air for better burning. Then, he performed a gesture towards the photo frames in the hall and said:

"Come in quickly, ascend to bliss, rest in peace soon!"

...

"Please enter, please enter."

Below Wangjiang Building, a fair-skinned middle-aged man held a fan and made a gesture of invitation.

Liu Yumei held an oiled-paper umbrella and walked to the foot of the building.

The middle-aged man bent down, trying to glimpse the person under the umbrella.

The oiled-paper umbrella lifted a few inches, revealing Liu Yumei's face.

The man's body trembled slightly, quickly saying:

"Madam, please come in."

Liu Yumei continued inside, only closing the umbrella when she was inside the building.

This Wangjiang Building looked large from the outside, but inside, it was only two floors.

After Liu Yumei came in, everyone sitting on the second floor stood up.

One elder in landlord's clothes, rubbing a jade ring on his fingers, laughed heartily and said:

"I just felt it was stuffy here, but fortunately the rain from my sister's place cooled it down, much more refreshing now."

A noblewoman nearby, who appeared to be about the same age as Liu Yumei, closed her eyes, took a breath, and said with a smile:

"This rain has a taste of Jiangnan's mist and rain. It seems that Sister Liu isn't staying in the ancestral home but is living in seclusion in Jiangnan."

Liu Yumei climbed the stairs, speaking as she ascended: "There aren't many people at home. Living in the old house feels even more lonely, so where I live doesn't matter."

Another elder with a stern face, leaning on a bamboo stick, replied:

"The ancestral home still needs to be lived in. Families like ours have too many things placed by our ancestors. If it's left uninhabited for too long, trouble easily arises."

Liu Yumei: "I think a bit of trouble is fine too, so everyone can have a lively time."

She reached the second floor.

On the second floor, there was a round table, surrounded by people.

The elders who had spoken with Liu Yumei before were all qualified to sit.

Those who looked less old or were of a younger generation voluntarily saluted Liu Yumei.

Liu Yumei nodded to each of them.

The noblewoman swept her hand around the table and said: "Before Sister Liu came, I was lamenting that the table had a few new faces, and if we didn't observe the etiquette, we might not recognize whose family they belonged to if met in Jianghu."