Chapter Twenty-Three: The Collapse is Imminent

I stumbled heavily over a tree root half-buried in the dirt, nearly falling flat on my face.

I looked back at the grave, which had been dug wide open. "Are we good now? If I’d been seriously hurt, you’d be sorry once my mother came looking for you."

After returning to the village, I headed straight for Uncle Lao Bai’s house. He handled funerals, and because of the nature of his work, there was always a bit of superstition surrounding him in the village. His house stood alone on the outskirts, far from any neighbors.

"Uncle Lao Bai, lend me a crowbar. I need to pry open my father's coffin."

Uncle Lao Bai’s ancestors were geomancers, and rumor had it they were once people of great prominence. By his generation, however, he was left only with the business of managing funerals. Sometimes he read fortunes, but he never charged for it; it was just for fun.

His parents had passed away long ago, and his wife had died in childbirth when he was young, leaving nothing behind—a double tragedy. The villagers both respected and pitied him. Despite a life more bitter than coptis root, he smiled at everyone, claiming it was just the fate of his profession—the "three afflictions and five lacks" of being a widower and solitary were no one else’s fault.

Ever since my father learned to play the erhu, he had accompanied Uncle Lao Bai to funerals. My father’s playing was so harrowing that it often made the bereaved children’s cries sound all the more genuine. Now that my father was gone, Uncle Lao Bai remained hale and hearty, taking in young men who were outcasts from their families as apprentices to help him with the funeral rites.

I once teased him, asking why he didn't teach his apprentices his fortune-telling skills. He just smiled and shook his head. "That's all old feudal nonsense. Why learn that? I don't want them to end up like me."

I entered his home; his apprentices were busy packing up. Uncle Lao Bai was sitting on the doorstep, smoking a dry pipe.

"Dabao, you're here. Why are you in such a rush to open the coffin?"

"I have business back at the company; I need to get things finished quickly so I can leave."

Uncle Lao Bai beckoned two sturdy young men to come and give me a hand.

"Sorry to trouble you, Uncle."

"What trouble is there in this? But you should really bring your mother to stay with you this time. She is..."

"What about my mother?"

Uncle Lao Bai paused. "She’s getting on in years, and living all alone—she needs someone to look after her."

"I know, Uncle."

I took the two young men to the mountain behind the village. We quickly pried open the coffin. The sealing and anti-rot measures had been well done; the urn inside looked exactly as it had when it was placed there. Assisted by the two men, I jumped in and brought the urn up.

"Thank you both for your hard work. I have a pack of cigarettes on me, just opened, barely touched. If you don't mind, take them."

"Thanks, brother!"

I carried the urn home. My mother was busy packing things up. Seeing the urn in my arms, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Dabao’s father, I never thought you’d be able to enter our home again."

I placed the urn on the table in the main room and began helping my mother pack. "Mom, just make sure you pull out the important documents so we don't forget them. We can buy new things once I take you to Tianhai in a couple of days."

"Even if I packed everything, your car wouldn't be able to fit it all."

"I know you've made money, you little spendthrift. Don't worry, I know what to keep and what to toss."

As I reached to open a drawer in the cabinet, my mother suddenly stopped me in a panic.

"I’ll handle the cabinets. You go clean up your own room."

"What’s wrong, Mom? Is there something in there I’m not allowed to see? Are you hiding some treasure?"

My mother gently pushed me away and waved her hand. "Go, go, go. If there were any treasure, wouldn't it be left for you anyway? That’s just my personal clothing. Don’t you know that a grown son shouldn’t pry into his mother’s things?"

So that was it. I scratched my head and chuckled. "Alright, you pack it then."

Time slipped away, and I didn't notice when it started raining outside. The courtyard gate was open, and Xiao Zhu walked in.

"Hello, Auntie. I’m here for Brother Jiang."

Xiao Zhu walked over to me and whispered, "Brother Jiang, the road won't be easy in this rain. We need to get going."

"Understood."

"Mom, I’m leaving now. I’ll come back to get you in a couple of days."

"It’s almost dark. Can’t you wait until tomorrow?"

"No, Mom. You should get some rest early."

I drove, with Xiao Zhu riding along, toward the village entrance. Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw my mother standing by the door, watching me leave, her back seemingly hunched as she coughed.

At the village entrance, Xiao Zhu got into the car with Xu Zhixia, and I followed behind them. As we drove down the winding mountain road, the rain began to pour harder, drumming against the windshield.

Using the wipers, I felt a vague sense of panic rising in my chest. I glanced at the mountain slope; rocks were sliding down from time to time, some even hitting the roof of Xu Zhixia’s car. *It’s just wind and rain*, I told myself, trying to stay calm.

As we drove, I heard a dull, rumbling sound from above, growing closer. Having lived on the mountain my whole life, I was all too familiar with that sound.

I instinctively wanted to hit the gas, but the road was narrow, allowing for only one car at a time, and Xu Zhixia’s car was blocking me. Her vehicle was a luxury sedan, and in this slick mountain road, she didn't dare speed up—she was crawling like a turtle.

If I tried to force my way past her, I would likely plunge off the guardrail.

I tapped the horn and flashed my hazard lights to warn Xiao Zhu, but he acted as if he were blind and deaf, refusing to speed up. With no other choice, I called him.

In Xu Zhixia’s car, Xiao Zhu saw my name on the caller ID. "Ms. Xu, it's Brother Jiang. He probably has something urgent. Should I answer?"

"Ignore him. He’s probably just pulling some trick to stay in the village. Let him be anxious."

I waited for a long time, but the call ended on its own. Xiao Zhu wouldn't pick up, and I was as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.

*Damn it, what is wrong with Xiao Zhu? Can’t he feel that something is wrong?!*

I rolled down the window, stuck my head out, and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Drive faster, for God’s sake! A landslide is coming!"

"If you don't step on the gas now, all three of us are going to be buried here!"

Xiao Zhu saw me in the rearview mirror, my face flushed red with exertion. Realizing I must be serious, he glanced at Xu Zhixia and quietly rolled down his window.

"Speed up! A landslide is coming!"

"What the hell?!"

Hearing my words, Xiao Zhu didn't care if it was true or not and slammed on the accelerator.

The sudden burst of speed startled Xu Zhixia. She frowned. "Xiao Zhu, what’s going on? Why are you driving so fast in this rain?"

"Ms. Xu, Brother Jiang said there’s going to be a landslide. He told us to get out of here."

When Xu Zhixia heard it was me, she gave a disdainful snort.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. Does he have clairvoyance or super-hearing? How could he possibly know what's happening on the mountain?"