You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Chapter 134 My Second Uncle is Dead!
The Hui people's konie tie is also called "niansuo'er" or "koermaili".

Especially on the 40th or 100th day after the death of a deceased person, or on the anniversary of their death each year, every household will slaughter animals and make traditional Hui delicacies such as fried dough twists and fried dough sticks.

These two traditional Hui delicacies are actually considered a kind of offering. After the festival, these things are usually distributed.

Relatives and friends are invited to participate in "Ermaili", which is also commonly referred to as "eating Youxiang".

Upon hearing that he was going to Yang Shuai's house to "eat fried dough sticks," Gu Jinghui rushed over from Helan Mountain overnight. He chuckled and said, "I've eaten fried dough sticks a few times at the homes of my colleagues in the Criminal Investigation Department before I died, but those were for their deceased elders, or for grand Hui festivals like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha."

"This is the first time I've ever eaten my friend's fried dough sticks... You know what, it feels quite unique."

Yang Shuai angrily retorted, "You're already dead, what's the point of eating fried dough sticks?"

Gu Jinghui: "So what if he dies? Just send him to Helan Mountain and offer him to me, then I can eat him."

At this point, Gu Jinghui changed the subject again and sighed, "Time flies... If I remember correctly, Yang Shuai died on June 1st, right? In the blink of an eye, he's almost 'forty'?"

Chen Yang interjected, "You're almost 27, it's normal for Lao Yang to be over 40... By the way, how are you going to celebrate your 27?"

Different ethnic groups have different customs.

Gu Jinghui said, "Just make me some paper houses and paper horses when the time comes... Old Yang, call your dad and ask what time the memorial service is tomorrow."

“You Hui people give out money during festivals, so we’ll go and give some too.”

Yang Shuai hasn't dared to contact his family during this time.

The main reason is that humans and ghosts are different, and the living and the dead are separated; he was afraid of frightening his parents.

But after Chen Yang's advice, Yang Shuai finally saw things clearly... He immediately took out his phone, only to find that he didn't remember his father's phone number, and he had never added him on WeChat.

"How about we contact Mr. Zhou?"

Chen Yang found Zhou Qiang's phone number: "Isn't Mr. Zhou's uncle from the same village as Yang Shuai? Let him ask him."

Yang Shuai dialed Zhou Qiang's number on his own phone and said, "Hello, Mr. Zhou... It's me, Yang Shuai!"

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Qiang was getting a foot massage at a club.

He was accompanied by a person in charge from the client's side.

Upon hearing that it was Yang Shuai, Zhou Qiang shuddered and almost threw his phone away, splashing foot bath water all over the masseuse's face.

"Boss... thank you, boss!"

Before the technician could even complain, Zhou Qiang pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet and slammed it on the table. He gestured for the technician to get lost, then composed himself and chuckled, "Old Yang, what brings you to call me so late?"

Zhou Qiang was well aware of Yang Shuai's situation.

He knew that Yang Shuai was now working for Chen Yang... but he didn't know that Yang Shuai had become a ghost messenger.

After all, he was talking to a "hanging ghost," so Zhou Qiang was still a little uneasy.

Yang Shuai: "It's like this, Lao Zhou... I've been dead for 40 days, haven't I? According to our Hui customs, the 40th day after someone dies is a day to celebrate 'Ermali,' but after I died I changed my phone and didn't leave my dad's contact information..."

After some explanation, Zhou Qiang finally understood.

"You mean... you want my uncle to go to your house and ask what time your family celebrates 'Ermali' tomorrow?"

"Okay, I'll call my uncle right away."

"No need to thank me... We're classmates, it's just a phone call."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Qiang contacted his uncle, who lived in Tufeng Village, Yuzhen Town, and got the exact time in just over twenty minutes.

He called Yang Shuai back.

"um, yes."

"Tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock... Me? I'm free tomorrow... So you're coming to your house for some fried dough sticks, right?"

"OK, no problem!"

Considering that Yang Shuai and Chen Yang were close, Zhou Qiang agreed without hesitation.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his business partner, Zhou Qiang got up, paid the bill, called a designated driver, and returned home. He set his alarm for 8 a.m. the next morning, washed up, had breakfast outside, and then headed straight to the funeral home.

"President Zhou is here?"

Yang Shuai stuck out his tongue and warmly welcomed Zhou Qiang into the store.

As soon as I entered, I ran into Gu Jinghui again.

Zhou Qiang was startled and exclaimed, "Gu Jinghui...you...you weren't dead?"

Zhou Qiang attended Gu Jinghui's funeral that day and gave a 2000 yuan gift. It's normal for him to be startled when he sees Gu Jinghui again!
Gu Jinghui: "I am indeed dead, but Mr. Zhou, you don't need to be afraid."

Zhou Qiang shrank back, somewhat regretting coming to the funeral home, and cautiously asked, "So... you're a ghost now?"

Gu Jinghui smiled faintly and said proudly, "I am highly regarded by the Inspector and entrusted with important responsibilities. I am now the Mountain God of Helan Mountain."

Zhou Qiang: "???"

Yang Shuai floated over and said, "Me too. I'm now a ghost messenger in the underworld, responsible for collecting souls and maintaining the order between the yin and yang... Mr. Zhou, if any of your relatives die in the future, just let me know, and I promise to let them pass away peacefully."

Zhou Qiang remained silent.

They looked at Chen Yang with even greater awe!

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gu Jinghui urged, "Old Yang, hurry up and go... When you go back to your clan, you have to visit the graves and you're supposed to invite the deceased home before you start chanting scriptures. You're in Wucheng now, what's the point of chanting!"

Yang Shuai put on his "human skin" and moved the fruit, milk, health products, mutton, and beef that he had bought early in the morning into the trunk of Zhou Qiang's car.

Chen Yang only came out of the funeral home after Yang Shuai finished moving his things.

Pull down the roller shutter door.

Lock the car.

Zhou Qiang, who was standing to the side, had already opened the car door and was bowing and scraping as he said, "Mr. Chen... please!"

Chen Yang got into the car.

Cat Master jumped up as well, followed by Gu Jinghui, while Yang Shuai sat in the passenger seat.

Zhou Qiang gently closed the car door, jogged to the driver's seat, got in, started the engine, and stepped on the gas. The Mercedes-Benz drove out of Yumin Street and headed towards the highway entrance. Soon it was on the highway and headed straight for Yuzhen.

The journey from Wucheng to Yuzhen took more than an hour, so everyone started chatting.

Chen Yang: "Mr. Zhou, how's business lately?"

Zhou Qiang: "I've discussed it with my dad. It's too dangerous to work in civil engineering these days, so we plan to switch careers."

"Oh?"

"What do you plan to do?"

"Let's start an entertainment company, a small-scale one, signing some internet celebrities... Besides, short dramas have been quite popular these past two years, haven't they? Our Xixia has a film and television city and the Shitanjing Industrial Cultural Tourism Film and Television Town, so filming locations are convenient. I want to try making short dramas." Yang Shuai sneered, "You bastard, you're aiming for actresses, aren't you?"

Zhou Qiang did not deny it, but just chuckled.

"Hey Zhou, can you include me in your short drama series?"

Gu Jinghui's eyes lit up at the mention of an actress: "I don't want a salary, I can even write the script myself, it'll be called 'Only Seven Days After My Death, You Say I'm a Mountain God?'"

"I'll lend you my mountain temple to film a TV series. If you hire me, you can save a lot of money on special effects!"

Can you do this?

Yang Shuai said, "I can film that too, and I can write the script... I'll call it 'After Hanging Myself, I Became a Ghost Messenger in the Underworld'."

"........."

Chen Yang, sitting in the back seat, was speechless.

What kind of lousy short drama titles are these?

Is making short dramas really that easy now?

If that's the case, then I could write my own script, titled "A Man in the Mortal World, You Say I've Served in the Underworld for Ten Years," writing my own experiences into a script, and adding scenes of showing off, getting slapped in the face, and getting beaten up. It would definitely be interesting.

of course.

Chen Yang only muttered a few complaints in his heart. With his current status, how could he possibly lower himself to film a short drama?

We didn't arrive at Yang Shuai's house until 10:20 a.m.

There were many cars parked in front of his house.

Before Chen Yang even got out of the car, he heard the sound of an "imam" chanting scriptures in the courtyard.

...............

In the courtyard.

In the kitchen, Yang Shuai's mother, aunts, and other female relatives were busy at work.

According to custom, after the imam finishes chanting the sutras and distributing the "money offerings," the oil-fried dough and rice noodle soup dishes will be served. Therefore, the cooking of the dishes will begin during the chanting process.

A whole pot of rice noodle soup with vegetables—even a Hui woman without some skill couldn't make it.

Yang Shuai's mother looked at the pot of food and suddenly her eyes reddened.

Her younger sister, who was Yang Shuai's aunt, knew what her sister was thinking and comforted her, "Sister... are you thinking of buying wood again?"

"Muhammai" is Yang Shuai's Hui Muslim name. It is actually a transliteration, pronounced "Muhammad" in Arabic. A large number of Hui men have this name, just like the number of Hui women who have the name "Fatumai".

Upon hearing this, Yang Shuai's mother burst into tears.

She quickly wiped away her tears, turned her head and said, "Did you put salt in the stew? Don't add too much salt."

A woman slapped Yang Shuai's aunt, signaling her to stop talking nonsense.

Just then, a child ran into the yard, shouting, "Grandma, Grandma... my uncle is back!"

He is Yang Shuai's son, and he is not even 4 years old this year.

Yang Shuai's older sister was also helping in the kitchen. Upon hearing this, she immediately picked up her son and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about... Did you play in the dirt again? How come your clothes are so dirty after you just changed them?"

The child said earnestly, "Mom, my uncle is back, and he's riding in a big Mercedes!"

Yang Shuai's mother's eyes were already blurred with tears.

She looked up, not wanting her tears to fall into the pot, but when she did, she froze!

pat!

The spatula fell to the ground. Looking at the familiar voice at the courtyard gate, she exclaimed, "Muhemai?"

"mom!"

Afraid that his tongue would stick out if he spoke, Yang Shuai covered his mouth and said, "Mom, I'm back!"

He came back once before, which really scared his relatives.

At the time, Yang Shuai told his family that he was dead and about to leave this world... Now that he has returned, his family and relatives do not feel so scared!

Yang Shuai's mother was the first to rush out, followed by other relatives.

Yang Shuai choked up and said, "Mom, you didn't even tell me when you came home to have some fried dough sticks!"

"You kid!"

Yang Shuai's mother punched her son lightly, wiping away her tears, and said, "Your father went to your grave, didn't you know?"

At this time.

An elderly man with a cane walked out of the small Western-style building next door.

The old man, who looked to be in his seventies or eighties with a white beard and wearing a white hat, called out loudly, "What's going on? Who's here?"

"Second uncle!"

Yang Shuai hurriedly went to greet him: "Second Uncle, you're all better now? I heard you were hospitalized when I got married last time... When were you discharged?"

The old man, whose eyesight was failing, didn't recognize who had come.

As Yang Shuai leaned forward, he saw the man's face clearly and was startled, dropping his cane in surprise.

He pointed at Yang Shuai with one finger, stammering, "Wood...wood...wood together?"

Yang Shuai smiled and said, "Second Uncle, it's me."

As he spoke, he forgot to cover his mouth, and his tongue, which was over a foot long, stuck out with a "snap".

Uncle Er's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.

Yang Shuai was startled and quickly called out, "Second Uncle... Second Uncle, what's wrong?"

"Second Uncle...Second Uncle, don't scare me!"

"oops!"

"Mom, Auntie, quick, quick, call someone... My second uncle has died!"

...............

P.S.: I only had time to check the backend today. My updates have been terrible lately, but thank you all for your votes and donations. There will be another update tonight!

(End of this chapter)