Three Women in the Cage

After a while, the whole wooden house was hung with white cloth, and the sky outside had become dark. Only outside the Yang family's yard, circles of dim yellow lights were pulled up, making the inside and outside of the house as bright as day!

A coffin supported by four wooden stools was placed in the center of the main room, with a layer of white cloth draped over the coffin. Surrounding it were musicians who were tidying up their instruments and mumbling something to themselves!

A few tables and chairs had been set up outside the courtyard at some point, and the guests sitting around the tables were staring at the coffin in the middle of the hall and the funeral attendants playing musical instruments in a depressing atmosphere!

From time to time, there were a few mournful cries coming from the bedroom. They knew that it was the family members inside who had not yet recovered from their grief!

Those who knew him couldn't help but sigh, this young man is gone in his prime, having just had a son not long ago, and now they are separated! How unpredictable things are!

Everyone lamented their family's experience and thought about the group of orphans and widows, sighing and shaking their heads.

This night is destined to be sleepless. No one can fall asleep peacefully. Everyone keeps their eyes wide open, waiting for the dawn!

The night at this time always seemed so long and so far away, as if a century had passed. Tian Yun and Yang's parents cried for an unknown amount of time, until they could no longer shed a single tear, and then they happily discovered that it was already dawn outside!

Except for Tian Yun and Yang's parents, everyone else was busy outside. Soon, more and more people came to visit. Some of the visitors who had good relations with the emperor sincerely presented a bouquet of wreaths and expressed their deep condolences to the coffin in the main hall!

Before we knew it, the courtyard gate outside was filled with clusters of colorful wreaths. With the help of the neighbors on both sides, dozens of tables were quickly set up inside the gate, and some kitchen helpers were preparing food for the reception.

Everything was going on in an unorderly manner, but Tian Yun felt like she had something stuck in her throat when she saw it, because she knew that everything was getting further and further away from her!

Looking at the guests coming and going outside, she knew that as the host, she could no longer hide inside and had to go out to entertain the guests!

After taking a few deep breaths and calming down, he walked out and started to take care of the funeral!

Yang's parents really didn't have the energy to go out, so they could only stay in the house and continue to grieve. Several children also stayed with Yang's parents. After crying their eyes out, they seemed to have no energy to go out and join in the fun. They didn't know what else to do outside, so they just stayed inside to relieve their emotions!

There was a constant noise outside, some sad, some desolate, anyway, the noise was constant!

After dinner, Yang's parents and several children were called out to perform the final rituals.

When they went out, a group of people had gathered outside the main hall. Yang's parents were helped to sit aside, and several children were called over. They were surrounded by people and made to wear white mourning cloth. Even the half-year-old Sanmao was put in mourning cloth. Huanhuan and Yaya were also called to kneel in front of the coffin.

As soon as they knelt down, they began to sob. The person in charge on the side chattered a lot of funeral words, and then made a gesture to the suona player next to him. Instantly, the suona player started to sob. It is said that among all kinds of musical instruments, suona is the king. Maybe this is the reason!

All you could hear was a sharp and mournful wail, which pierced through the darkness, penetrated through the noisy clamor, and echoed mournfully through the eaves. In an instant, the whole house was filled with wailing, making the world quiet. Only the wailing sound could be heard!

Immediately afterwards, other gongs, drums and bronze gongs also started beating, mixed with the sound of suona, playing the death song of life, full of a mournful and sad atmosphere!

Then I heard the shouts of "kneel" and "cry". The children who were crying and sobbing heard the sadness of the musical instruments and couldn't control their shrill cries. The whole room was filled with sadness and resentful cries, echoing through the sky!

Sitting nearby, Yang's parents, their eyes already dry from crying, could no longer bear this atmosphere and burst into tears again! They sobbed, covering their eyes and sobbing loudly!

In the wailing atmosphere, Tian Yun couldn't help but step forward and collapsed on the ground, crying and complaining, "You damn ghost, why did you leave? I didn't allow you to leave like this, get up, wuwuwu."

Seeing Tian Yun throwing a tantrum, Yang Ming and Yang Yu hurried forward, choking with sobs as they helped her up and sat her on a chair nearby, saying, "Don't be like this, sister-in-law. Please accept my condolences!"

Although they are also sad, things have come to this point and they have no choice but to let the process go on!

Although the onlookers were moved, they could only shake their heads. There was nothing they could do. It was not possible for a few words of comfort to soothe the person involved!

So, everyone just watched from a distance, and no one came forward to comfort them!

The ceremony was still proceeding in an orderly manner, the mournful sounds of the musical instruments were still ringing, the night fell dark again, and everyone stayed awake all night long, surrounded by the sad wailing sounds, and endured it in a listless and decadent state until dawn!

The sky gradually brightened, but the crying sounds of musical instruments had been heard all night long. Then, with the last shout, the instruments stopped, the crying stopped, and everything seemed to be quiet, as quiet as death!

Suddenly someone shouted, "It's raining, it's raining." Everyone heard the sound and ran to the door in a daze, only to find that it was originally a gray sky and it had started to drizzle without them knowing when.

The drizzle was like the heavens weeping for today's funeral, feeling reluctant and sad. Then a gentle breeze passed by, heading straight for the coffin in the main hall, blowing up the white cloth on the coffin. It blew up and down, like reluctance and nostalgia!

Today, the coffin containing his body will be carried up the mountain along with his last breath. This will be his last time here. From now on, his soul will return to his hometown and will have no connection with this family anymore.

He was placed coldly on a desolate mountain, so close yet so far away, buried alone deep underground. From now on, he could no longer hear or smell anything in this family!

Suddenly, another urgent cry came, "Hurry, help take down the wreaths outside, they are all wet!"

Following the shouts, a group of people hurried into action, ran out, and helped move the wreaths, placing them neatly in a place where they would not be exposed to the rain!

After everything was settled, it was time for the funeral. People who came to carry the coffin came one after another in the rain. Everyone was wet and hurried to the coffin!

In order not to delay the funeral procession, the coffin was lifted hastily, and the musicians in the front started playing the suona first. After the suona sounded mournfully, the flute and gong players also started playing. After all the sounds were heard, the children in mourning at the back began to sob again. With a shout of "Get up", the team moved, and the coffin bearers at the end followed the team forward and slowly moved their steps!

Just like that, a group of people braved the misty drizzle and, accompanied by mournful music, walked steadily towards the mountain road! !