13 Mink Street

When it comes to "all beings are equal", the hearse of the Inmeles family can be said to have achieved the ultimate:

Whether it is a living passenger or a dead passenger, riding in this car is suffering.

Ron was used to it a long time ago, with his head on the corner of the carriage, and the eight little birds sitting on his feet;

An obese big man appeared to be in an unsuitable position, but it allowed him to ensure the greatest degree of stability, and even snored to catch up on sleep.

On the other hand, Karen is suffering from sitting. He needs to keep using his hands to support the bottom to maintain his balance. The road in the urban area is fine, but after going out of the urban area to the suburbs, the road conditions have deteriorated a lot and are bumpy. Very much to suffer.

Jeff and Mr. Mosang even hugged each other shamelessly amidst the continuous bumps. This posture is like lovers lying on the bed telling each other their hearts.

Karen, who couldn't stand it anymore, tried to pull the "two people" apart more than once, but the space in the car is so large, the two people who just pulled apart will soon find each other along with the bumps, and then hug each other again.

If there are relatives in the car, this situation is impossible. At least, they only need to withstand limited vibrations in the coffin.

But who told Jeff himself that he was a loner and got on the welfare bill; and Mr. Mosang was not a welfare bill but it was better than a welfare bill.

Karen is not qualified to comment on the "work attitude" of his family. Even if he made lunch today, he is still a "rice bug" in this family.

finally,

With Uncle Mason turning the steering wheel to the left, the hearse drove into a yard that looked like a small factory building, and there was a sign at the door - Hughes Cremation Institute.

"Hey, Ron, wake up!" Uncle Mason yelled as he knocked on the car window.

"Oh, oh, here we are." Ron wiped his saliva and stretched again.

Karen first helped put the stretcher down, and then together with Ron, they moved Jeff and Mr. Mossan down successively. Uncle Mason was responsible for stabilizing the stretcher so that it would not slip.

At this time, a middle-aged woman in gray work clothes came over, holding paper and pen in her hand.

"Hey, what a handsome boy."

The woman stared at Karen first.

"Mrs. Hughes, hello." Ron greeted warmly.

This is what Paul said, Mrs. Hughes who prefers Ron?

However, facing Ron's enthusiasm, Mrs. Hughes just made a sound from the corner of her mouth in response, and turned more attention to Karen.

In fact, Mrs. Hughes looks good. Although she is wearing overalls, she can still see her plump figure. In addition, her skin is fair.

However, when Mrs. Hughes' hand pinched her face, Karen still stretched out her hand unnaturally and took her hand off;

After all, although he could get used to the beauty of this body, he couldn't get used to being molested like a little boy.

However, Mrs. Hughes directly grabbed Karen's hand with her backhand, and swept her fingertips back and forth in Karen's palm, which was extremely provocative.

From her eyes, Karen could read the greed of those middle-aged and elderly men looking at the little girl's figure.

"He's Karen, my brother's son." Uncle Mason handed him a cigarette.

"Oh?" Mrs. Hughes was a little surprised, "Your nephew?"

Mrs. Hughes took the cigarette, asked Mason to light it for herself, and continued: "I haven't seen it before."

"Something happened to a guy's family, and I got hurt again." Uncle Mason explained.

"Injuried?"

"Accidentally fell."

"Whose wife's window sill fell?"

"Don't make such a joke, by the way, aren't you busy today?"

"There is another one in front of it, it is burning, just wait a while."

"Just turn on a furnace?"

"I want to open a few more furnaces, but you have to have so many people send them to me to burn them. Does the hot furnace cost nothing?"

"Okay, okay, let's push the 'guest' in first."

"Okay, I'll go in and make arrangements first, handsome boy, see you later." Mrs. Hughes winked at Karen, turned and walked in first.

Ron pushed Mr. Mowthorne alone, and Mason helped Karen push Jeff's stretcher.

"Mrs. Hughes is a very enthusiastic person." Mason lowered his voice slightly and said to Karen.

"Well, yes." Karen nodded.

"Her husband left early. She is now managing the cremation agency. Although she has never remarried, she has many lovers around her."

"Uncle, don't tell me these things."

"Hey, I have to remind you, I also came from your age." Mason reached out and knocked on the iron plate of the stretcher, making a "clang" sound, "At this age, the iron plate can also pierce through the stretcher." .”

"..." Karen.

"You're getting old, so find a decent girlfriend in the future." Mason instructed again.

"Okay, Uncle, I see."

Karen knew that Mason didn't mean to speak ill of Mrs. Hughes on purpose, but he didn't want his young nephew to be taken away by Mrs. Hughes.

After walking in, Karen clearly smelled a greasy smell.

It's just greasy...not fragrant or sweet, a bit like a moldy bedroom in the rainy weather.

However, the furnishings inside can be clearly seen to be aging. This should be an old cremation house.

"In the early years, this cremation agency was almost out of business, and was almost about to be acquired by another large cremation agency."

"And then?" Karen asked.

"Then it was discovered that the large crematorium opened the furnace at night in order to save costs, so they all gave the ashes of others the day before yesterday to the family members of the deceased today."

Hearing this, Karen's eyes widened: Is there still such an operation?

"Isn't that..."

"Yeah, sending relatives here to be burned, and then returning with the ashes of strangers, the funniest thing is that they have continued like this for several years."

"That's too miserable."

"After the incident broke out, the owner of the cremation agency was stoned to death by someone at night, and the police failed to find the murderer, because there were too many suspects with motives."

Karen nodded and said, "That's really damn."

Put yourself in your shoes, if you send your relatives here to be cremated in the grief of losing them, and you bring back the ashes of a stranger, even if you have enshrined the altar of ashes for several years, Karen I feel like I have the urge to kill myself.

"After the big cremation company went bankrupt, Mrs. Hughes' cremation company was able to continue to survive and operate, but it is also difficult now. Large-scale chain funeral companies have long appeared in other cities.

They can get through everything from the hospital, to our deceased care agency, to the cremation agency, and the transportation therein.

In Luojia City, they also opened a branch. A while ago, Winnie received a call from them, saying that they wanted to buy our home. "

"Grandpa wouldn't agree," Karen said.

"Of course my father would not agree, and neither would I! Do you know what they did? They transported and managed the remains in a centralized manner, and then concentrated on mourning and cremation or burial.

Like wholesale vegetables in the market.

These capitalists should really be hung up and hung on street lamps!

They only have money in their eyes, and they don't know how to care for the dead at all, and they don't know how to respect the remains! "

hear here,

Karen couldn't help thinking of Jeff and Mr. Mosang, who were bumped in the hearse and almost kissed.

uncle,

How did you have the face to say the word "respect"?

"Our family is fine, although they plan to block our suppliers, but because of your grandfather, our family's business has been going well." Uncle Mason's tone was quite low, "But Mrs. Hughes, it's starting again. It's getting a little harder."

At this time, Ron, who was pushing Mr. Mosang in front, turned his head and shouted:

"Aha, that's why I support the Accord Party, they're the only ones willing to punch those damn capitalists back!"

With that said, Ron waved his fist.

The Accord Party, which Karen saw in the newspaper a few days ago, is a left-wing party that has developed in Luojia City in recent years and has gained momentum.

but,

After hearing the word "Accord Party\

,"Uncle Mason immediately called out:

"Crazy, support those crazy people, they will only make a mess of our current life!"

Ron shrugged, seemed too lazy to argue with the boss, and continued to push the stretcher.

Karen looked at Uncle Mason, whose neck was red with anger, and he understood quite well, because the uncle explained the weakness of the petty bourgeoisie.

This is not sarcasm, it may sound like one, but it comes down to inconsistencies in asses caused by life class.

After walking through a not very long aisle, Karen and others finally pushed the stretcher cart to the "cremation room".

There are three incinerators in the crematorium, but only one is functioning.

Outside the glass window, Karen saw a man with messy hair and beard sitting on the ground.

And at this time,

The incinerator that was in operation also stopped.

A gray-haired but spirited-looking worker opened the door and called out to the man:

"Sir, please come and fetch your wife."

Immediately, the old worker saw Mason, with a smile on his face, he waved his hand and said hello:

"Hi, Mason."

"Old Darcy!"

Uncle Mason stepped forward and offered old Darcy a cigarette.

"What time is it today?" asked old Darcy, lighting his cigarette.

Mason made a "two" gesture.

"Oh, God have mercy on you." Old Darcy smiled gloatingly.

Of course he knew how much loss cremation meant to the Inmeles family.

In fact, there is no loss of money, but the original burial can make more profits. After this part of the profits that could have been made are lost, they become "losses".

"Sir, please come and fetch your wife." Old Darcy urged again, exhaling a smoke ring.

The man raised his head in a daze, then got up silently, but when he saw the incinerator inside the glass window, he leaned his back against the wall again, as if he was resisting everything in front of him.

yes,

Who can accept that the dear pillow person beside him has turned into a pile of ashes all at once.

Karen heard Uncle Mason whisper to old Darcy, "What's the matter?"

Old Darcy took a drag on his cigarette, shook his head slightly with contempt, and replied in a low voice:

"I don't give tips, and I don't buy the urns in the agency, heh."

If the customer gives a tip, or buys the "surroundings" of our company,

Naturally, you will enjoy some special treatment.

For example, if you are afraid or uncomfortable, the incineration elder Darcy will help you put the ashes into the urn and hand them over to you.

Of course, there are also some people who want to collect the ashes of their loved ones themselves, and old Darcy will help you carefully break the bones for you to fill.

The man didn't know whether he had no money or really didn't understand these things. In his eyes, there was nothing but bewilderment.

Seeing his stupid appearance, old Darcy said with disdain: "He's still a professor of psychology, but he doesn't even understand this."

Um?

This post caught Karen's attention.

Coincidentally, I met a colleague.

Karen took the initiative to step forward, looked at the man, and whispered:

"You should go pick up your wife now."

"I...I..." The man's hands were trembling.

It can be seen that he is doing a fierce psychological struggle.

In fact, if the relationship is good and you live together all the time, after the death of your loved one, you will not feel the horror like watching a ghost movie when you see his body or his ashes, but you will feel... very normal.

But some people have special emotions and psychology. For example, Karen once received a patient in his previous life. He and his wife loved each other very much, but when his wife gave birth, he chose to accompany his wife in the delivery room. ... Since then, he has left a serious psychological shadow, and finally had to choose to divorce his wife, and then it was so serious that he would tremble and fear when he saw women and children.

"Are you afraid, your wife?" urged old Darcy. "Come on, there's a queue."

"I...I'm not..." The man showed struggle and self-blame on his face. Obviously, the old Darcy's words "you are still afraid of your wife" made the husband feel deeply guilty and self-blame.

Mentally, it is actually divided into "physiology" and "psychology". "Psychology" is actually easy to overcome, but "physiology" is really difficult to deal with.

"I'm not... not afraid of her... but... but me..."

Karen sighed.

reach out,

Patted the man on the shoulder.

Fine,

Look at the face of the peers.

Karen turned around and walked up to Mason:

"Uncle, we are still in a hurry to go home, let me collect his ashes for him."

Old Darcy was a little unhappy when he heard this, and said in a neutral tone:

"Your nephew is so kind."

There was no compliment in his tone.

Mason shrugged and said, "Old Darcy, I'm still in a hurry to get home, and Mary will blame me again when I get back late."

"Okay, okay."

Old Darcy gave up,

"Push one of the remains up first, and I'll pick it up."

Ron pushed Mr. Mosang in, Karen hesitated for a while, and helped Ron carry Mr. Mossan to the push platform of the incinerator.

Although Mr. Mosang "appeared" last night,

Expressed his obsession with not wanting to be cremated;

But Karen couldn't help him, even if the last "Karen" left him 6,000 rupees, it would be enough to buy a coffin at the cost price, but what about the cost of the burial cemetery?

The most important thing is... what reason and qualification does he have to ask the family to give an ordinary customer extra treatment?

grandpa is still alive

Even if grandpa is gone, uncle is still there,

It's not his turn to be in charge of this family...well, it's not his turn to lose either.

After finishing these, Karen moved to the side of old Darcy, watching that old Darcy was picking up the ashes with iron hooks.

Old Darcy turned his head and glanced at Karen standing behind him,

asked:

"Is this your first time?"

"Um."

"Never seen it before?"

"No."

"What a young master," teased old Darcy.

This is the first time a man from the Inmeles family sees ashes.

Karen pointed to a pile of bones on the ground and asked, "Shouldn't it be ashes?"

Karen bit the word "ash" a bit harder.

In his impression, after cremation, the ashes should be white and exist like flour.

But what I saw in front of my eyes was a pile of bone fragments, there were ashes, but the bone fragments accounted for the majority, and they were quite large.

Old Darcy said doubtfully, "That's right."

"Oh, that's how it is."

Karen suddenly realized that the film and television works in her previous life had deceived herself.

At this time, seeing old Darcy throw the unsmoked cigarette butt on the ground, Karen touched his pocket, took out the pack of cigarettes that Paul gave him, pulled out one, and handed it to old Darcy.

Old Darcy took the cigarette,

Looks a lot better,

But still do not forget to remind:

"That's not what good people do."

"Hehe." Karen understood what he meant, so he could only explain, "He came to our school before and gave us an open class, so he can be regarded as my teacher."

Hearing this reason,

Old Darcy smashed the filter,

"That's it."

immediately,

Old Darcy put on a glove in his left hand, picked up a small hammer in his right, and squatted down.

Start banging on these big bones to break them up and make them smaller.

"Will everyone take the ashes away like this?" Karen asked curiously.

Old Darcy let out a "huh" and said, "Most people just take some of them."

"Oh." Karen said again, "That..."

"You didn't see what I was doing, but for your uncle's sake." Old Darcy shook his shoulders and continued to knock on the bone, "For your grandpa's sake too."

Large chunks of bones, broken one by one;

Old Darcy stopped, and pointed to the table in front of him, where there were a row of urns of various styles.

"Bring one here."

"okay."

Karen walked over, glanced at it, and found that the cheapest urn cost 1,000 rupees.

An ordinary worker, half a month's salary.

Of course, what is more expensive is that Karen saw a very delicate and graceful urn priced at 50,000 rupees;

However, a lot of dust has accumulated on it, and it is obviously an old actor.

After all, many people who come to be cremated, apart from their religious beliefs, are because it is cheaper than burial, so this 50,000-rupiah urn is destined to be difficult to circulate.

Karen picked up the 1,000-rupiah urn and brought it in front of old Darcy.

"Well, I will ask my uncle to give you the money."

Old Darcy let out a "huh", waved his hands, and said generously, "No need."

"What an embarrassment, 1000 rupees."

"The cost is 50, and the wholesale price is cheaper."

"..." Karen.

grass,

black,

It's so dark.

Old Darcy asked with some doubts: "Didn't you help the family with things before?"

"I don't."

This part of the memory, the last "Karen" really didn't have it in his mind.

"That's no wonder, your family sells coffins and clothes, which is similar to this."

"Really."

Karen smiled awkwardly.

Oh, it turns out that my house is also so dark.

Old Darcy began to pack the ashes, according to the size and shape of the bones, choose to put the bottom one, put the side ones, and put the middle one...

Well-organized and well-organized;

Makes Karen feel like she's... setting the plate before serving.

at last,

Basically nothing is missing,

Old Darcy put almost all the ashes in the urn;

The skull, which is hard and difficult to be burned, was finally placed in the uppermost position in the middle by old Darcy;

Subsequently,

"Snap" sound,

Old Darcy closed the urn.

"Give it to him."

"Ok, thank you."

"Ah."

Karen bent over,

Pick up the urn.

It's hard to imagine that she might have been a living person not long ago, well, even before she went into the incinerator, she was still a complete person.

Now,

It's in the box in my hand.

Karen came out, and when he walked in front of the man, the man stretched out his hands subconsciously, but flinched a little.

"She...she..."

"I brought your wife out, don't mind, now, I will give you her hand."

hear this,

The man's expression suddenly became much more relaxed.

The tone of the speech also calmed down a little:

"No...you are a gentleman."

He finally reached out, took his wife's urn, and held it in his arms.

"My Linda...is she really gone?"

Karen replied: "Physically speaking, it's gone."

"Then..." The man raised his head, his eyes showed hope.

"But in the spirit world, she is still alive, living in your spirit.

You think, she is there. "

"Yes, yes." The man kept nodding, "As long as I think, she is there, she is still by my side, no, she is even closer to me, my Linda."

There was a smile on the man's face, not that ferocious smile, but warm, kind, and sunny.

"Linda believes in the Berry religion, and according to the doctrine, her body needs to be cremated; you know, taking her to the cremation house is more like torture to me.

Thank you. After Linda left, all my friends advised me to look away and accept her departure. You were the first person to tell me that she was still there. Thank you, I really appreciate you. "

"You're welcome."

Holding the urn, the man turned and left.

Karen silently leaned against the aisle wall, slowly smoking a cigarette;

At this time, Mason came over and asked angrily:

"When did you learn to smoke and who taught you?"

Karen replied, "Aunt Mary."

Karen wasn't lying. Aunt Mary gave him his first cigarette since he woke up in this world.

"Uh... alright."

Uncle Mason immediately changed his tone and changed the topic:

"Karen, I know you are kind, but you can't help everyone. If you get used to being kind, you will find that there are really too many people in need of help in this world."

"Uncle, I just..." Karen wanted to explain, but he didn't know how to explain the reason for "walking together", so he could only nod and said, "Yes, Uncle, I know I can't help too many people."

"No, it's not that you can't help, it's that you feel pain when you find out that more and more people need your help and you can't help."

Karen froze for a moment, nodded and said, "You are right."

Mason was very satisfied with Karen's attitude. He shrugged and said, "Besides, being a good person often doesn't pay you well."

As soon as the voice fell,

The man who had left with the urn trotted over again. He stood in front of Karen and bowed to Karen again.

This bow caught Karen a little off guard, and instinctively, he also bowed to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I forgot, the money for the urn has not been given yet."

The man took out a worn-out old-fashioned wallet,

Of course, the preceding adjectives are meaningless and pale,

Because the key to describe a wallet is its...thickness.

It's thick, bloated, to be exact!

It's so bloated that it can't even close!

The banknote with a face value of 100 rupees is printed with the head of Emperor Rutland in the history of Ruilan Kingdom.

And at this moment,

Emperor Rutland was so tense that he wanted to be ejected!

It turned out that he didn't have no money for cremation, nor did he have no money for tips, nor did he have no money for an urn, but... he never thought of that life experience of not spending money to get convenience.

"I have already paid for the cremation fee, how much is the urn?" the man asked, "Sorry, I almost forgot before, so I took Linda's hand and left."

"Five... cough... a thousand rupees."

Karen wanted to say 50 cost price.

But he also thought that old Darcy had helped out by taking care of the ashes well, and the thousand rupees should be used to pay for the urn.

He didn't want to rely on this to make a difference in the past.

After all, he had no shortage of small money in his previous life; in this life, he doesn’t have to worry about eating and drinking for the time being. The last “Karen” even saved himself 6,000 rupiah in private money.

"OK."

The man took out all the money in the wallet, put away the empty wallet, and handed a thick wad of money to Karen.

this thickness,

this weight,

Uncle Mason looked straight at the side.

Um,

Karen, who hadn't been moved by the little money before, had his eyes straightened at the moment.

This large wad of money has at least 20,000 rupees, not much more!

Swallowing subconsciously, Karen said, "You gave...too much."

"Not much, this is your psychological consultation fee. The psychological service you gave me is worth the price. No, you returned Linda to me. This little money can't even be used to repay you for your great help to me!

But this time, I only had time to go to the bank to withdraw the cash temporarily, and I knew I should have withdrawn more..."

"No, no, enough, enough." Karen hurriedly comforted him.

"I... I didn't bring a business card. My name is Piaget, Piaget Adams. Where is my business card? Where is my business card... Do you have one? I hope to contact you to discuss it in the future."

"I do not……"

"Yes, yes."

Uncle Mason on the side immediately took out a business card of his own and handed it over, with the words "Inmores Care for the Dead" printed on it.

Holding the business card, Piaget said with a smile: "I will visit you at the address above in the future, thank you again."

talking,

Piaget bowed again to Karen.

Karen, who was holding a large stack of banknotes, immediately returned the gift.

immediately,

Piaget "took" her wife's hand and left again.

Karen counted out a thousand rupees and prepared to give it to old Darcy later.

Karen handed Mason the rest of the money.

Mason just smiled, pushed the money back, and said:

"Keep it to yourself."

"Don't you have to hand over?" Karen asked.

It is true that there is a lot of money, but compared with life, life is definitely more important.

If this income is handed over to the public:

Hey,

diss,

Did you see it?

Not only can I cook, but I can also make money!

So please don't kill me!

"He said it all, what kind of fee is it for you... Oh, the consulting fee, it's yours, you just put it away, remember to put it away, or I will take you to the bank tomorrow to open an account for you and deposit it in."

"Thank you uncle."

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Mason stretched out his hand, drooping Karen's shoulders, and asked, "You just told that... that Piaget, right? I heard everything you said to him. Although I listened a little I don't understand, but I can feel that you explained him very well.

Why didn't I know you could talk to people? "

The previous "Karen" was an autistic patient, how could he talk to people?

"I saw it in the book, and learned something."

"Oh, that's it. After I go back, I will discuss it with your aunt, and then our family can develop another project, just like this time, psychological counseling or psychotherapy.

You know, those family members who have lost their loved ones are very sad and need someone to relieve them. "

oh,

Karen understood what Mason meant;

In fact, in his previous life, in his world, high-end funeral parlors would have psychological counselors to interpret relatives of the deceased and provide psychological counseling.

"Can you do this?" Mason continued to ask, "I mean, you don't have to force it."

"sure, no problem."

Karen answered very simply, out of her professional self-confidence.

"That's great, you know, every time I see those grieving family members, my heart hurts..." Mason clutched his chest.

"Uncle is so kind..."

"Because I know that people will be irrational in that mood, and they will be more willing to spend money than usual, but I don't have enough names to earn their money. When I think of this, I feel distressed."

"..." Karen.

"Do you really want to give old Darcy a thousand rupees?" Mason asked.

"Yeah." Karen nodded.

"Okay, I'll give it to him." Mason took a thousand rupees and went inside to find old Darcy.

inside the glass wall,

Old Darcy used an iron hook to cut a hole in Mr. Moissan's belly,

Then push it into the incinerator.

When Karen saw Mason approaching Old Darcy, Old Darcy was a little surprised at first, then laughed, and turned around deliberately, taking off his hat and bowing to Karen who was outside the glass wall.

At this time,

Ron also wandered out, lighting a cigarette and relaxing.

"Ron."

"Well, what's the matter, Master Karen?"

Karen took out 500 rupees and handed it to Ron.

"This money..." Ron was a little confused.

"The gentleman gave it just now, and those who see it will have a share."

"Really, thank you, master, thank you, master."

Ron was very happy to put the money in his pocket. He has no wife and is a moonlight family. Even after his salary is paid every month, he has to pay for the famine he brought down last month. The extra five hundred rupiah is enough for him to live on Two nights in the bistro were dashing.

Karen asked:

"By the way, Ron, did the government call you to collect Jeff's body?"

Ron was completely unprepared, and replied directly:

"No, that morning we were going to Huashuiwan Nursing Home to pick up Mr. Mosang, but we passed Minke Street... No. 125 or No. 130. Anyway, we found him frozen to death next to the trash can on the street in front of him. Jeff.

We can only send Jeff back first and then pick up Mr. Mosang. The welfare slip was also applied by Mr. Mason afterwards. "

really!

Karen's mind immediately recalled what Uncle Mason said when he drove past the townhouse, in front of No. 128:

"However, her family encountered a problem the day before yesterday. She asked me for help, and I helped to deal with it...She and her husband are looking for a new house and are about to move..."

so,

Uncle is helping his first love home,

A dead body was disposed of!

Wait a moment,

Karen suddenly realized a problem,

That is, he had "saw" some pictures on the bodies of Mr. Mosang and Jeff respectively;

Mr. Mosang's obsession with not wanting to be cremated was proved to be true by Aunt Mary. Because of his religious beliefs, Mr. Mosang was very resistant to cremation.

And if what I saw in Mr. Mosang is true,

Then the woman I saw at Jeff's place, with only one pair of legs and one face, isn't it also...Really?

The scene on the second floor, those legs and the red high-heeled shoes that he saw when he passed by that house immediately appeared in Karen's mind!

so,

Uncle's first love home,

Right now there is a... monster!

————

PS: This chapter is really well written and deserves a reward.