The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 527 The Funeral I Desired

The planned tea party went completely astray due to Luo Jun's funeral planning.

Everyone showed great interest in Luo Jun's funeral planning. For spirits who failed their tribulation, death was nothing unusual; who hadn't died after failing their tribulation? They'd either died many times before or were about to die. But planning a funeral was truly unprecedented.

In Chen Huihong's words, back then, they didn't have the conditions for undergoing tribulation. If they died, they died. If they remembered, they would go back and inquire about where they were buried in their previous life. If they didn't remember or had forgotten, they just let it go.

Of all these spirits, only Qu Jing visited his own grave—and Qu Jing went there on a mission.

At that time, Luo Jun had just announced his impending death and needed a tombstone made. Qu Jing and Chen Huihong were responsible for running errands for Luo Jun and making the tombstone. Chen Huihong liked to be a hands-off manager, so she found an excuse to dump the task on her dear younger brother Chen Yingjun and then ignored it. Qu Jing, on the other hand, was diligent and conscientious, but unfortunately, she had no experience in this area.

Qu Jing was forced into a corner, so she went to her grave in her previous life, carefully studied her tombstone and its design, and even offered a bouquet of flowers to her grave, setting an example for Luo Jun.

Of course, in the end, Luo Jun didn't like the design of Qu Jing's tombstone and ultimately chose a foreign manufacturer to make it. But it wasn't without its gains. After visiting her own grave, Qu Jing deeply understood why Luo Jun was so concerned about her funeral. She took great care of Luo Jun's funeral, contacting and selecting funeral homes and planners first, and then Chen Huihong made the final selection.

In Qu Jing's words, only when people sweep their own graves can they realize how important funerals and the subsequent management and maintenance of cemeteries are.

Although these tombstones look almost identical, with no discernible difference in style, the inscriptions on them are of little concern to passersby, who would even bother to examine them closely. The maintenance of such cemeteries—whether they are properly cleaned, whether there are signs of wear and tear, whether fresh fruits and vegetables are regularly provided, whether anyone regularly sweeps the graves, whether there are bouquets in front of the graves, the style of the bouquets' wrapping, and the color, variety, and number of flowers inside—these are all trivial details that theoretically no one would pay attention to, nor are they considered important.

But the person involved will care.

I really care about it; I'll think about it carefully, look at it closely, and observe it meticulously.

When Qu Jing visited her own grave for the first time, she found that her favorite snacks from her previous life were placed in front of her grave. The tombstone was clean and well-maintained despite decades of weathering. A peach tree that she loved most was planted in front of the grave, and after more than thirty years, the peach tree had grown lush and verdant.

At that moment, Qu Jing felt a deep empathy for Luo Jun.

She deeply felt that the funeral was a major event in the life of a spirit, and the subsequent maintenance of the cemetery was of paramount importance, so it was essential to carefully select the site to avoid any regrets.

Therefore, Qu Jing was the most dedicated in preparing for Luo Jun's funeral during this period. Originally, Chen Huihong didn't care much about this matter, but Qu Jing's dedication inspired Chen Huihong, which led to Chen Huihong coming to Luo Jun's house this afternoon to show Luo Jun the funeral planning video.

How did Qin Huai find out about these things?

These were the words Qu Jing heard from Luo Jun when she arrived at his house after get off work.

Qin Huai's original plan for today's tea party was for him and Zhao Cheng'an to arrive at Luo Jun's house early to make some snacks, and then reheat the food Zhang Shumei had prepared once everyone arrived, so they could eat and chat together. Qin Huai would then recount in detail what he had seen in An Youyou's memory that morning, and everyone would discuss and analyze it in depth, aiming to finish the tea party before 8 o'clock and go home, thus concluding a successful tea party.

This was the original plan.

Often, plans don't keep up with changes.

However, things have changed quite a bit today.

No one cared about An Youyou's memories, not even Qin Huai. Qin Huai talked casually, and everyone listened casually. No snacks were made, the food was just heated up, and hardly anyone sat down to eat.

Even Gong Liang, who was having dinner with his wife and children outside, rushed back as soon as he heard that the tea party was discussing such an interesting topic, afraid of missing it.

Everyone was sitting around the coffee table with their bowls in hand, pointing, commenting, analyzing, and discussing Luo Jun's funeral planning video. Zhao Cheng'an was the most active in the discussion, while Shi Dadan was the only one sitting at the table eating seriously.

In Shi Dadan's words, the funeral planning was indeed very appealing, and he wanted to end his last life with a unique funeral, but his wife would definitely disagree.

Kang is still very family-oriented.

Shi Dadan felt that since it was destined that he could not hold a grand funeral, he should not care too much about it, so as not to feel sad when he saw that everyone else had a wonderful funeral and he was the only one who did not feel sad. Eating properly was the most important thing.

Gong Liang shared the same concerns as Shi Dadan, and he rushed back at 7 a.m. Although a spectacular funeral was impossible, Gong Liang was more inclined to join in the fun than Shi Dadan. Over the years, he had traveled all over the country and seen many strange and outrageous things, including attending numerous funerals. He had seen all kinds of funerals.

During the discussion, Gong Liang offered many constructive suggestions, from the venue setup to the wake activities, whether there should be song and dance performances, and if so, what the main performances should be. He also suggested asking the funeral home to set up a stage for the opera troupe, and if the funeral home could not set up a stage, whether the location of the funeral should be changed.

Should we hold a funeral like the kind often seen on TV, like the third version of a documentary, or rent a venue in a nearby village for a lively traditional Chinese funeral? Should we arrange for a full lineup of performers, including suona horns, drums, a theatrical troupe, a symphony orchestra, Errenzhuan (a type of folk opera), skits, stand-up comedy, and serious singing, or should we be selective?

As the discussion progressed, Qin Huai felt that everyone was talking about Luo Jun's party, not Luo Jun's funeral.

It sounds cheerful and festive.

People no longer care what kind of funeral Luo Jun wanted; they're all talking about what kind of funeral they want. It's as if Luo Jun's funeral is a preview of everyone else's funerals. Luo Jun died first to set an example, to show everyone how a funeral should be, so that everyone can have a firsthand experience before planning their own funerals.

Qin Huai didn't know if others had this idea, but Zhao Cheng'an certainly did.

In this matter, Luo Jun showed unprecedented tolerance.

In the past, if Luo Jun were surrounded by so many people, chattering away and refusing to listen to each other, creating a headache, he would have already lost his temper and started yelling. But today, Luo Jun listened patiently to everyone's remarks and remained calm.

Luo Jun waited until everyone had finished speaking before giving his final summary.

"Therefore, Qu Jing prefers a simple and traditional funeral. The style should be simple and clean, with white as the main color. Not too many people need to attend the funeral; just relatives and friends are enough. The funeral can be simple, but the refreshments must be plentiful, with tea, snacks, and staple food provided 24 hours a day. It would be best to have at least eight mahjong tables so that everyone can play mahjong while keeping vigil."

Qu Jing nodded somewhat shyly: "The dean likes to play mahjong."

Luo Jun scoffed, "You still expect Dean Qu to attend your funeral? Do you want her to live to 120, or do you want us to die one after the other, with me dying first and then you dying?"

After mocking Qu Jing, Luo Jun turned to Zhao Cheng'an: "You want your funeral to include acrobatic performances, circus acts, stand-up comedy, crosstalk, opera, Errenzhuan (a type of folk opera), sketches, storytelling, rock bands, ring toss games, claw machines, and you also want a display screen showing the Shanghai Composite Index next to your tombstone, and you want to make a will stipulating that your stocks and funds cannot be sold, and that you have to wait until they break even after you die."

"Are you mayflies just as mentally ill as Chen Huihong?"

Why don't you ask your favorite celebrity to hold a concert at your funeral?

Zhao Cheng'an exclaimed in surprise, "Is that alright?"

Luo Jun rolled his eyes, indicating that he wouldn't bother arguing with an idiot.

Luo Jun glanced at Chen Huihong again: "You like funerals that don't cost you money. As long as your brother pays for it, you'll like it no matter what. Chen Huihong, you might as well be stingy to death."

"So what?" Chen Huihong said defiantly, "All my money is for Huihui. Even if I die, I can't squander it. I've already told my brother that he'll be in charge of my funeral. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll definitely outlive me."

Everyone:...

Luo Jun rolled his eyes again, ignoring Chen Huihong, and continued, "Chen Gong, you prefer a more business-like funeral, preferably something relaxed, so it's easier to conduct business and help your boss Han sign a couple of deals at the funeral. Are you out of your mind?"

Chen Gong chuckled, "It's a fitting end. What if I suddenly die someday?" Qin Huai: ...

Assistant Chen, the hellish joke you told is a bit too hellish.

Gong Liang and Shi Dadan didn't say what kind of funeral they wanted. In their words, their funerals should be basic and conventional. Luo Jun didn't criticize them because he couldn't find a reason to do so.

Seeing that Luo Jun had cursed everyone but hadn't said what kind of funeral he wanted, Qin Huai couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Luo, which style do you prefer?"

Are there any promotional videos that you are particularly satisfied with?

Luo Jun pointed out many things he didn't like and flaws in each of the production plans, but he didn't say what kind of films he liked.

"I don't know." Luo Jun calmly retorted, "I don't know what kind of funeral I like. I haven't died many times like them. This is my first time dying."

The first incarnation of the spirit was tough.

"Let's go to the site and see if the funeral planner Chen Huihong contacted can come up with a plan that satisfies me. Chen Huihong, have you sent him a WeChat message? When can we go to the site?"

Chen Huihong took out her phone and glanced at it, then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, Xiao Zhou already replied to my WeChat message and even called me twice on WeChat. We were chatting so enthusiastically that I didn't hear it!"

"Let me see……"

"We can see the site as early as 2 pm tomorrow. How about we go to the funeral home tomorrow afternoon? Jingjing, can you take the day off tomorrow?" Chen Huihong turned into a woman of action.

Qu Jing hesitated for a moment, but for Luo Jun's funeral, she said earnestly, "I will try my best to ask for leave from the hospital and attend tomorrow."

"Then the others..."

Chen Gong, Shi Dadan, and Gong Liang all said they had no problem and that they just had time.

"Zhao Cheng'an and I will go too," Qin Huai said, taking out his phone to send a message to Huang Xi, asking her to post an announcement in advance.

Qin Huai's status at the Yunzhong Cafeteria has now risen so high that if he doesn't come to work, the cafeteria has to issue a notice in advance to inform the diners.

Huang Xi replied to the message immediately, saying that she would edit the announcement right away.

Chen Huihong happily nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll send a message to Xiao Zhou and tell him that eight of us will be going to check out the venue tomorrow."

Xiao Zhou replied instantly, asking Chen Huihong if she needed someone to pick her up. The funeral home was in the suburbs, far from Yunzhong Community, a journey of nearly two hours.

Chen Huihong said no need, their group of 8 people could just drive there in two cars, and Luo Jun's CR-V and her Maybach were both in the underground garage and could be used at any time.

The tea party will end at 12 noon tomorrow in the basement.

Everyone goes back to their homes.

As usual, Chen Huihong packed two bags of fruit before leaving, and also carried a durian. Seeing that Luo Jun's family had a lot of fruit, she warmly invited Qu Jing to stay and pick out fruit with her, and told Qu Jing to take some to the welfare home when she had time.

For a moment, Luo Jun's loud "Chen Huihong, are you sick?" echoed once again in Luo Jun's home.

Chen Gong, Shi Dadan, and Gong Liang went straight downstairs and easily returned home.

Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an left together.

As soon as they entered the elevator, Zhao Cheng'an asked impatiently, "Qin Huai, what kind of funeral do you want? You haven't said what kind you want today?"

Qin Huai: ?
Brother, I'm only in my early twenties, with a long life ahead of me. I'm about to inherit a large fortune, and my future is bright. There's no need to start thinking about my funeral so early.

"I don't know," Qin Huai said casually.

Zhao Cheng'an was still in high spirits. Judging from his posture, he hadn't had enough of the conversation at Luo Jun's house. Even with Qin Huai's cold reply, he still wanted to chat for a bit more: "It's so good to know everyone. If I hadn't been with you all, I would never have imagined that a funeral could be planned in advance."

"Qin Huai, are you really not interested in planning your own funeral? Don't you think it's more important than planning a wedding?"

Qin Huai: ...?
"I don't think so." Qin Huai looked at Zhao Cheng'an very seriously. "Although I only dated for two years when I was in college, and I've been single for the past few years and don't know where my future wife is, I think planning a wedding is definitely more important than planning a funeral."

"That's what normal people think."

"No, that's not right, everyone thinks that way!"

As the elevator doors opened, Zhao Cheng'an stepped out before Qin Huai and said in a knowing tone, "That's because you lack experience. If you ask me, a funeral is definitely more important than a wedding..."

"You've been married?" Qin Huai interrupted Zhao Cheng'an.

Zhao Cheng'an: ...

"……No."

"Don't say things like that, you're a single dog who's never been married in eight lifetimes. Get married first."

“Look at Gong Liang and Shi Dadan, they already have two children. Especially Gong Liang, I heard his son is getting married in the next couple of years.”

Zhao Cheng'an: ...

Zhao Cheng'an muttered bitterly, "You don't understand. I'll go back and talk to Xia Murui. He'll definitely understand me."

Qin Huai offered a friendly reminder: "Don't chat too late. You don't want Zhang Guanghang to find out you flew all the way from Beiping and beat you up because you talked about funeral planning with Xia Murui until 2 a.m. tonight, do you?"

“He also started cooking from a young age, he’s a master chef specializing in hot dishes, he’s good at flipping woks, and he’s just as strong as you. Plus, he’s ten centimeters taller than you, you definitely can’t beat him.”

Zhao Cheng'an: ...

Zhao Cheng'an gritted his teeth: "Qin Huai, your insults are really awful now!"

(End of this chapter)