A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

People from other academies had almost arrived. Sha Yanxiao and Sha Yanyao were both dressed neatly. Sha Yanyao wore a long gown and mourning clothes, while Sha Yanxiao wore a military uniform with a black armband on his arm.

"Guier, come here. Did you sleep well last night? You must be very tired after a whole day of hard work, right?" The fourth concubine asked enthusiastically.

Gui'er smiled faintly as a response. Yesterday, the Fourth Concubine was so obvious in avoiding suspicion, so what was she doing today?

She followed Sha Yanxiao into the house. Madam and Sha Yanyao were discussing funeral arrangements. Steward He, holding a booklet, said to Madam, "Madam, I've compiled this expense list overnight: We've erected a memorial archway in front of the Marshal's residence, decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, with a plaque inscribed with 'Heaven and Earth Mourn Together.' Soldiers will be stationed at the gate, and the stewards will be dressed in white to greet and see off guests. We've also hired 50 paper-making craftsmen to create massive statues of the deity who will lead the way. The main mourning hall will be staffed with musicians, a Western-style band, Taoist disciples performing rituals, and monks chanting sutras for the deceased. Furthermore, there will be tea utensils, food, and other supplies for the guests. All expenses will be at least 100,000 yuan."

After hearing this, the lady frowned and said, "So many?" Then she glanced at Sha Yanxiao.

Sha Yanxiao feigned ignorance and said to his wife, "I've already sent out the obituary today. The Government Affairs Office will announce it. Flags will be flown at half-mast for seven days, entertainment will be suspended for seven days, theaters will be closed for three days, and schools will be closed for one day. When the funeral procession arrives, there will be a military escort and salutes and gunshots will be fired as a sign of respect."

The lady nodded and said with satisfaction, "Very good, but the expenses are too huge. The account is empty now. Where can we find so much money? Yan Xiao, look, you have..."

Sha Yanxiao said calmly, "I know it's not easy for my elder brother and mother to raise funds, but I'm also short on money. I can only give 5000 silver dollars at most. I don't have any more. The army is almost unable to pay its food and wages."

The wife and Sha Yanyao exchanged a glance, and the wife said to Butler He, "Old He, please reduce the cost to 5 yuan."

Butler He was stunned for a moment, and whispered to his wife, "Madam, when Marshal Zhang of Fengcheng died, we spent 3 yuan on the funeral. Now our own Marshal is only spending 5 yuan. Won't it seem a bit shabby?"

The lady said angrily, "What if we don't have money? Are you going to pay for it?"

Steward He quickly lowered his head and said, "I'll go and redraft it right away."

Sha Yanxiao watched Butler He retreat, his tone calm but weighty, "Mother, the current situation is unstable, military spending is tight, and the people are having a hard time. There's no need for an extravagant funeral. Father spent his entire life fighting, and what he valued most was the morale of the troops and the people. If he were to drain our family coffers just to keep up appearances, that wouldn't be what he wanted."

Sha Yanyao echoed, "Second brother is right. I think we should stick to the 5 yuan rule, focusing on the funeral procession and memorial ceremony. This will make it solemn without being overly extravagant."

The lady sighed and finally nodded: "Forget it, I'll do as you say, but we must follow the rules and don't let anyone poke holes in our Marshal's Mansion."

Three days later, the Marshal's funeral officially began. A three-meter-tall white silk memorial archway was erected in front of the Marshal's residence. A plaque with the words "Heaven and Earth Mourn Together" in gold on a black background hung in the center. Eight white banners fluttered in the wind on either side.

Just as Sha Yanxiao had said, there were guards standing guard in front of the door with live ammunition, and the stewards were wearing sackcloth and bowed their heads to greet and see off the guests who came to pay their respects.

The mourning hall was located in the main courtyard. A golden nanmu coffin rested in the center, and before it stood a portrait of the Marshal. The black-and-white photograph depicted him in military uniform, his eyes still sharp. A perpetual lamp burned before the portrait, and on either side, kneeling concubines in mourning, their voices wailing. On one side of the hall, a Western band played mournful music, the mournful thrum of brass instruments muffled and oppressive. On the other, Taoist disciples, clad in cloud-patterned robes, held instruments and chanted. Monks sat in a circle, beating wooden fish and chanting. The mingling of Eastern and Western mourning styles evoked a distinctly Republican era.

A constant stream of guests arrived to pay their respects. Military and political leaders, dressed in dark suits or robes, with white flowers pinned to their chests, bowed three times before the portrait. Business leaders, many bearing generous gifts, were registered by stewards. Ordinary people were kept outside the Marshal's residence, gazing at the white banners from afar. Some murmured about the Marshal's merits and demerits, while others simply came to watch the excitement.

Gui'er had originally thought she was just an adopted daughter, someone with no voice, and that her life wouldn't be too stressful. But according to etiquette, she had to kneel for hours every day and cry bitterly, leaving her exhausted. Sha Yanxiao, feeling sorry for her, had a thick cotton kneeling mat made just for her.

The funeral procession caused a sensation throughout the city. It was several miles long. At the front was a statue of a god made by a paper craftsman, which was more than ten feet tall and had a ferocious face. Behind it followed paper cars, houses, and servants, which were lifelike. It was said that they were all made according to the Marshal's preferences during his lifetime. Next came the team carrying elegiac couplets, most of which were given by colleagues in the military and political circles. Among them, the one "His merits are in his hometown, and his name will be recorded in history" was the most eye-catching. It was said that it was written by the provincial governor himself.

Sha Yanyao, dressed in a linen shirt and a hemp rope tied around his waist, rode on horseback, carrying the memorial tablet in front of the car carrying the coffin. Sha Yanxiao, dressed in a military uniform and a black armband, followed closely behind, his posture as straight as a pine tree. The soldiers escorting the convoy marched in step, their rifles wrapped in black cloth. Every few steps, they fired a mournful salute. The sound of the salutes echoed over the city, shaking the eardrums.

Every so often, there were roadside memorial sheds on both sides of the street, all set up by wealthy individuals, including the Song family. The streets were crowded with onlookers, and police maintained order. Some took off their hats to salute, while others murmured in deep sighs.

Following the Republican era's tradition of blending new and old rituals, the procession first circled the city, allowing residents to bid farewell before proceeding to the ancestral tombs on the outskirts of the city for burial. Along the way, shops lowered their flags and closed, and theaters displayed "No Performances Today" signs. Students stood by the roadside, watching the procession slowly pass by, their faces filled with bewildered solemnity.

Gui'er sat in a small car at the end of the procession, wearing a plain cheongsam and a black armband. Watching the grand yet somewhat absurd funeral procession, she recalled with emotion the Marshal's life: his arbitrary decisions, his suspicions, and his occasional flashes of vulnerability. Now that he had turned to dust, his merits and demerits would ultimately be left to time to judge.

"Guier, I heard that my eldest brother and his wife are making a fuss." Sha Lili, who was in the same car, suddenly said to her.

"What are they making a fuss about again?" Gui'er actually guessed that it must be because of the Seventh Concubine.