Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 18: Fox Calls

"But I'd better check which family has a funeral first. It would be best if it's someone who died of old age, so that I don't have to worry about the separation and reunion."

If he died of old age, even if he was sad, he wouldn't have too many negative emotions. He Bo, as a secret observer, could also feel more relaxed watching.

……

"Is there a fox barking?"

In a family in Pingyang City, the daughter-in-law of the family suddenly looked up and whispered to her husband.

"Maybe."

Her husband nodded with a sad face, agreed casually, and then looked at his old father lying on the bed helplessly and sadly.

The old man was so thin that his bones were visible, his hair was sparse and dry, and his skin was pale.

Anyone looking at it could tell that this was a dying man.

I don't even know when I will die in this state.

Therefore,
The old man's son brought his wife and was unwilling to rest. He stayed by his father's side late into the night to accompany him on his last journey.

As for the young children, they were not as enduring as the adults and went to bed early.

"Have you prepared the funeral supplies?"

Seeing his old father silent for a long time, the man reached out and touched his father's face, then sniffed his breath and felt it getting weaker and weaker, so he made a low, hoarse sound.

he knows,
That time is coming soon.

Although it is very sad, it does not mean that I am unprepared.

Because his old father did not fall down due to any sudden illness or injury, but after enjoying the service of his children for more than ten years, he died naturally due to physical weakness.

Even when the old man was still conscious, he asked his son to prepare for his funeral early to avoid being in a rush when the time came and making himself uncomfortable when he died.

"It has been prepared for a long time."

"The document written to Tu Bo is right here."

The daughter-in-law took out a wooden board with words written on it from a box in the corner of the room.

Originally, it was difficult for ordinary people to hire someone to write for them.

In Ye County, it was mainly because everyone worshipped the River God, and some people were willing to help for the sake of the gods and ghosts.

In Pingyang,

It was because this family was well-known for being filial in the local area and had been recognized by the officials in the city that they came up with this "Letter to the Local Boss".

The so-called "Tu Bo"
It is one of the ghosts and gods that people in this world believe in regarding the afterlife.

In the Pre-Qin and even Han dynasties, there was no accurate concept of "the underworld" or "the underworld".

Ordinary people just think that
Heaven and man are one.

A noble person is noble even after death.

And the powerful and wise monarchs among mortals will continue to accept and protect their people after their death.

Therefore, during the Shang Dynasty, the ghosts and gods worshipped by the Shang kings were their deceased ancestors.

Therefore, the ghost and god that is popular in this world and dominates the afterlife is the Yellow Emperor who is revered as the "common ancestor"!

Tu Bo was responsible for guiding the ghosts who had left their mortal bodies to meet the messengers of Emperor Huang.

It is necessary to refer to the life experience accumulated while a person is alive, write down the purpose of one's visit, and present necessary offerings to Tubo, so that he will not refuse to lead the way or deliberately lead the wrong way.

However, many ordinary people do not have such conditions, and death is death.

It’s hard enough to live, how can I care about the dead?

However, this filial son not only wanted to be filial to his father when he was alive, but also wanted his father to rest in peace after his death, so he went to ask the officials in the city for help.

He couldn't understand the "Letter to Tu Bo", but as long as he had it, he felt at peace and had someone to rely on after his old father died.

Who knows, when he gets old, he may be able to meet his father in the underworld with the help of the "Letter to the Earth God".

However, for the daughter-in-law, she was more concerned about the fox's howl just now.

The gate of Pingyang City can stop people, but it cannot stop wild beasts that can climb over the walls and dig the ground.

Foxes stealing chickens and rice are common occurrences in cities.

But after competing with humans for so long, the fox became as quiet as the mouse and seldom made a sound.

Even if it wanted to call out, it would squeak like a mouse, just twice and then become quiet.

But the fox's howl just now was a bit like a frightened baby, the sound was sharp and full of fear.

But maybe she was overthinking it.
Someone in the family is dying.
Even if you are prepared, you can't help but think about it when the time comes.

Just as the chaos in my heart had settled, another burst of fox screams came from my ears.

It still sounded like he was frightened, and then there was a whimper as if someone was strangling his throat.

When the daughter-in-law heard this, she felt numb inside.

……

Not far away, He Bo was touching an innocent ball of fur passing by, thinking that he and this fox really had a connection.

I saw it once before, and again this time, both times near this family's house. Maybe it was greedy for the tribute prepared by the family?
This family was also carefully selected by He Bo, and they met the observation conditions -

A peaceful death, a harmonious family,
From the conversations with the neighbors, we can also know that the son is a filial son, and the old man is kind and has no resentment about his own decline.

Therefore,

The coffin and posthumous offerings have also been prepared in the past two days.

This fox was most likely lured here by the washed bacon hanging on the window.

I heard that the son of this family is quite heroic and often goes to the mountains to catch prey, so it's no wonder that he can produce bacon.

The fox lay on the ground whimpering, with its ears folded against its head in anxiety.

It couldn't see He Bo, but it could obviously sense that there was something around it, and that it could easily kill it.

originally,

The fox should have run away earlier. After all, it is the instinct of living things to seek benefits and avoid harm.

But it's really greedy.
Especially the bacon is spread with some precious salt!

It directly hooked the fox's soul away!
The fox didn't want to run away because of its desire for food.

So it could only lie there, waiting for that existence to leave on its own.

A cool breeze blew on the fox's back fur, and the fox shuddered all over and made another "嘤" sound.

After touching its back, He Bo wanted to touch its tail.

As a result, the fox tucked its tail under its belly nervously and clamped its hind legs tightly together, like a virgin on guard against a lecher.

"It's a pity that I can't do this enlightenment, otherwise it would be nice to enjoy the blessing of King Zhou!"

It’s a pity for He Bo.

But is this fox a female?
He Bo went around behind the fox and squatted down, trying to peek into the creature's privacy.

To his disappointment again, he discovered that the fox had hidden itself very well, with its lower body rolled into a round ball.

"Okay, I'm not a pervert!"

He Bo gave up the idea of "picking up the fox for compulsory inspection".

He shrugged, stood up and walked to the door of the house.

inside,
He could sense that there was a breath gradually fading away.

The fox was still lying there, not daring to move.

He Bo relied on the fact that he was a ball of air to pass through the wall.

Inside the house,

The old man opened his eyes.

He suddenly had some color and some strength.

He said to his son, his voice was not loud and his words were slow but very clear, "Go and call Heiwa and the others over."

The son uttered a "wu" and covered his face with his hands, then turned to go to another room and brought his two children.

The two children rubbed their eyes, sleepiness still evident on their faces.

The old man added, "Open the window and let some light in. I want to see you again!"

So the daughter-in-law sadly pulled up the bamboo mat curtains, allowing the moonlight to come in, adding a lot of brightness.

The son lit a few torches and placed them on the wall to use as lamps.

"all good."

“Everything is good!”

The old man asked his son to help him stand up, and looked at his children and grandchildren one by one with his cloudy eyes.

He put his shriveled hand on his son's with difficulty and asked him, "Did you get hurt while hunting recently?"

"No." The son lowered his head and cried.

So the old man asked his wife again, "Did you get hurt while weaving and picking wild vegetables?"

"No." The daughter-in-law also covered her face and began to cry.

The old man said to his grandson, "It would be great if Heiwa could eat meat once a month in the future."

The grandson scratched his hair and swallowed.

He also wants to be able to eat meat like this!

But what kind of family can eat meat once a month?
The old man then said to his granddaughter, "Sang, just find a good man in the future."

"I will, I will……"

The daughter-in-law hugged her daughter and nodded to the old man, choking up, "The children will be fine."

The old man nodded.

Then, he looked towards where He Bo was.

(End of this chapter)