After hearing the words of Mei Qing and Wang Shigu, Ba’er Liu’s vacant eyes regained a bit of vitality. He struggled to move his body slightly toward the three of them, but before he could speak, he was overtaken by a series of violent coughs. Mei Qing quickly steadied him, gently patting his back to calm him down.
Still gasping for breath, Ba’er Liu rasped, “Ah… thank you all for coming all this way. I felt unwell yesterday, and in the middle of the night, I suddenly worsened. This time, I’m afraid I won’t make it.”
“What are you talking about, Brother Liu?” Mei Qing replied. “A minor illness like this is nothing serious. We’ll call a doctor to give you some treatment, and you’ll be fine. Please don’t think such dark thoughts.”
Ba’er Liu slowly shook his head, silencing the words of comfort from Wang Shigu and the others. In a hoarse whisper, he continued, “You don’t understand… I know this time I won’t survive. I’ve already lived longer than expected—I have no regrets.”
As he spoke, his voice grew weaker, as if life itself were draining from his body.
“I’ve been fortunate to have your care all these days. Despite my ugly scars, you’ve treated me like a friend. But now, I must ask a favor—I have no family, so I must humbly entrust you gentlemen with my final affairs.” He stared at Mei Qing as he spoke.
Mei Qing nodded quickly. “Rest assured, Brother Liu. Just take care of yourself. If anything is needed, I will do it without hesitation.”
Wang Shigu also said loudly, “Don’t worry, Brother Liu. We’ll handle everything.”
Ba’er Liu weakly nodded, then turned his gaze toward the porcelain on the shelf. His previously lifeless eyes suddenly brightened, and his voice gained a little strength: “These items on the shelf, gentlemen, please forgive my selfishness. They’ve been my lifelong passion. They say a man brings nothing into this world and takes nothing with him when he leaves, but I still can’t bear to part with them. After I die, I beg you to place these few pieces into my coffin. I will be forever grateful.”
The three were taken aback. Mei Qing quickly replied, “Since you have made this request, we will surely honor it. Rest easy, Brother Liu.”
Wang Shigu and Li Mei, however, did not speak immediately. They merely tried to comfort Ba’er Liu, urging him to stay positive and take care of his health.
A faint smile appeared on Ba’er Liu’s disfigured face. Yet, with his face already twisted from burns, the smile looked somewhat terrifying. He continued, “I won’t ask you to do this for nothing. Afterward, please each choose one piece as a keepsake from me. Don’t refuse.”
Before the three could respond, he shakily raised his hand and pointed toward a corner of the room. “One more thing—I beg you, after I’m gone, burn the contents of that box.”
They followed his gaze and noticed a large wooden chest in the far corner. The box was old, its original paint long faded, covered in dust. Due to the dim lighting, none of them had noticed it when they entered.
Mei Qing took Ba’er Liu’s outstretched hand gently and said, “I understand. I’ll burn it myself when the time comes.”
Ba’er Liu nodded, then suddenly gripped Mei Qing’s hand tightly, his voice rasping with urgency, “But whatever you do—do not open that box. Promise me—never, never open it.”
Mei Qing felt as if his hand were clamped in iron. He couldn’t believe the strength in Ba’er Liu’s grip, which hurt his wrist. He quickly reassured him, “Rest easy, Brother Liu. We’ll burn the box as it is—no one will open it.”
Only then did Ba’er Liu relax, slowly releasing his grip. He muttered softly, “Burn it… burn it all… such a big fire…”
With that, he tilted his head slightly and fell silent forever.
Mei Qing gently let go of Ba’er Liu’s wrist and shook his head at the others.
Though they had not been particularly close to Ba’er Liu, they had seen him daily. His sudden death and the loneliness of his passing stirred a deep sadness in their hearts.
Wang Shigu spoke first, “Now that he’s gone, we should find someone to help with his affairs. But where can we find anyone in this rundown place? If only Chi Ge had told us earlier, we could have brought a sedan chair or at least someone to run errands. Should we go back home to get help?”
Li Mei, meanwhile, kept glancing at the porcelain shelf and said, “If we go back, what about these items here? Maybe we should…”
Mei Qing stood up and said, “There must be a local official here. Let’s call him over to help. Even if this place is small, there must be people who can handle such matters. I’ll cover the expenses.”
Wang Shigu replied, “Since we came together, why should Mei Qing bear the cost alone? Helping someone pass on is a good deed. But where can we find the local official?”
After thinking for a moment, Mei Qing walked to the door, opened the curtain, and saw a group of children playing in the dirt nearby, their clothes covered in filth. He didn’t mind. He called them over. After several attempts, the tallest boy hesitantly approached and asked, “Sir, are you calling us?”
Mei Qing gently asked, “Young man, where can we find the local official here? Could you please go fetch him for us?”
The boy stood still for a moment, then turned to a snotty kid beside him and said, “Sanhei, isn’t your father the local official? Is he home?”
Sanhei wiped his nose and mumbled, “Dad’s not home. He went to gamble at Liu Mazi’s house in the southern part of the village early this morning.”
Mei Qing smiled. “Sanhei, would you mind running to get your father? Tell him we need him urgently. Here’s some money for your trouble.” He handed the boy a few coins.
Sanhei shrank back. “No, sir, I can’t take your money. My mother will beat me if she finds out.” Then he added, “I’ll go get him right away. Please wait a moment.”
Watching Sanhei run off, Mei Qing turned back to the remaining boys and asked about Ba’er Liu. But they only repeated that Ba’er Liu wasn’t from around here. He had moved in a few years ago, kept to himself, had no relatives or friends, and the children, like Chi Ge, rarely saw him and were scared of his terrifying appearance.
Not long after, Sanhei returned, his face tear-streaked, followed by a man. The man had a grayish face, a few yellow whiskers, and two bloodshot eyes that seemed barely open. He wore a threadbare straw hat and a greasy dark-blue robe. With a wobbly gait, he approached and called out with a smile, “Is this the gentleman looking for Old Xia? How can I help?”
Seeing the man’s appearance, Mei Qing frowned slightly and said, “Are you the local official here? My name is Mei. I’m a friend of Ba’er Liu. I need your help with some matters.”
Upon hearing that, the official’s eyes widened for a moment, then he began to chatter nervously, “Oh, Master Mei, although the scarred fellow lived in this area, he wasn’t a local. I helped him settle in, and he had all the proper documents. Even this hut—I let him live in it on behalf of the original owner. I even threw a feast to introduce him to the neighbors. I swear on heaven and earth, I never took a penny from him. On the contrary, I spent money and effort for him. So whatever happened, it has nothing to do with me…”
Mei Qing, annoyed by his rambling, coughed and said, “Master Xia, you’re worrying too much. Ba’er Liu passed away just now from illness. Before he died, he entrusted us with his final affairs. Since we’re in your territory, we need your help. Also, we’re not locals, so we’ll need your assistance with the funeral arrangements.”
At the mention of Ba’er Liu’s death, the official blinked his bloodshot eyes in confusion for a while before the meaning sank in. Upon hearing about the funeral, his face darkened. “Master Mei, you don’t know. The scarred fellow left nothing behind. Even if we wanted to find a burial spot, it would be hard—every piece of land here belongs to someone. And my job is already thankless, with no profit and constant losses. You see…”
Mei Qing didn’t waste words. He took out a small silver ingot and handed it to the official. “We won’t ask you to spend your own money. Just help us gather some people and find a burial spot. Please keep it simple and quick.”
Seeing the silver, the official’s face immediately brightened. He grabbed it eagerly, bit into it, and grinned at the tooth marks. “How could I take your money, sir? Well, well, I guess it’s the scarred fellow’s luck to have met a nobleman like you. Please wait a moment, sir. Leave everything to me.”
He turned and kicked Sanhei, saying, “What are you standing around for, you little brat? Run home and tell your brothers to get your uncles. We’ve got big things to do today.”
Sanhei dashed off. The official stayed by Mei Qing’s side, showering him with praise—calling him “a man of righteousness,” “a noble soul,” “a modern-day Guan Yu or Fan Shi.” Mei Qing was both amused and annoyed, and asked the official about Ba’er Liu’s background.
It turned out that Ba’er Liu’s real name was Liu Dalu. According to the official, based on the travel documents, he had come from central Shanxi three years ago, looking for relatives. Perhaps he had come to the wrong place, for no one in the area knew his relatives. With nowhere else to go, the official, out of kindness, had “half-sold, half-given” him a small house. Liu had lived there ever since. But due to his disfigured appearance and reclusive nature, no one ever learned much about him.
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