Huang Guosheng

In the evening, Zhou hugged A’shen’s corpse again, in tears. He was surprised to find that she still felt warm. He couldn’t help wondering if she was still sleeping, or if somehow her indomitable vitality still remained in her body. He asked the doctor, who confirmed that A’shen really had passed away, but he admitted that he was puzzled that she was still warm.

He told Zhou that the corpse could not be put into a coffin until it had completely cooled down, otherwise it would be regarded as rebellious and failing in duty to his parents.

Zhou slept by A’shen’s body until late that night. The next day, his extraordinary wish was finally agreed to by his elder brother, his other relatives and the villagers. Zhou was relieved.

Then an express delivery van drove up to Zhou’s ancestral house, and the great glass box was delivered. Everyone worked together to move it into the hall. Zhou had already researched the process of preserving a corpse, and he now set to work. After working for nearly an hour, he was ready to lay A’shen in the glass box.

By A’shen’s left ear he placed a black mobile phone, with a battery that could last for six months. He intended to dial it every morning at 10 o’clock to ask A’shen, “Did you have nice sleep last night? How is your blood pressure? Did you boil and eat some oatmeal?” On the day when the battery finally ran flat, he would hear the recorded message: “The number you have dialed has been switched off, please call again later.” Then he would know that A’shen had not used the phone and must still be asleep.

A’shen slept face upwards in a red shroud in her glass box. Her face was still calm as if she was only in a deep sleep. That evening, a group of Taoists wearing red and green and burning incense and candles conducted a funeral ceremony for A’shen.

That night the bright moon hung above the heavens and the air was clear, as the sounds of a gong and a wooden hammer and of murmuring and singing drifted into the heavens above Chengbian. Zhou’s relatives worshipped all night long with red and swollen eyes.

After the Taoists left, everyone solemnly stood in front of the glass box. Zhou fell on his knees and kowtowed, howling like a monkey, “A’shen!”