The mortuary in Hangzhou City was rundown and dilapidated.
Nestled deep within a ring of mountains, a long road led to its location.
Only a row of low, flat-roofed buildings stood there—reminiscent of rural construction from the 1940s or 50s.
Later repairs had reinforced and patched them up; mismatched bricks betrayed hasty renovations.
At the entrance of these squat buildings stood a transparent sun shelter. Its structure was crude: just a few metal poles holding up glass panels. It might block rain, but wind slipped through freely.
A taxi stopped here. Autumn Ease and his uncle paid the fare, forgoing umbrellas as they dashed under the shelter. For a moment, they escaped the damp air.
Low houses stretched in a row, their doors piled high with funeral wreaths. Perhaps these souls had lived lonely, impoverished lives—but in death, they finally received a few days of noise.
*Noise*… though the crowd was large, silence reigned. Only the wails of ignorant children running about broke the stillness, alongside the endless echo of funeral music.
Every room played mournful tunes. Every room held a coffin.
Those coffins felt like barriers between worlds.
*Pitter-patter—pitter-patter—* Rain tapped sharply against the glass.
Autumn Ease looked up. Only endless gloom filled the sky.
Rundown as it was, this was still a mortuary.
Even with faint memories of his cousin-uncle, a trace of sorrow stirred in Autumn Ease.
Perhaps only before death could young people like him truly grasp life’s fragility.
Everyone dies.
The thought made him sigh.
“What’s with the sigh, kid?” His uncle chuckled. “You barely knew your cousin-uncle, right?”
“Nothing. Just… death feels closer than I thought.”
“Let’s go. Which room was it?”
“Room 16.”
They walked past the houses, finally finding their destination near the end of the row.
The room was packed.
No one seemed particularly grief-stricken. Life went on as usual—people chatted and laughed about daily matters.
For a moment, Autumn Ease felt he’d entered an ordinary teahouse, not a mortuary.
“Autumn Ease.” His uncle nudged him. “Did you bring the condolence money?”
“Huh? Condolence money?” Autumn Ease scratched his head. “Mom never mentioned it…”
“Seriously? You didn’t pocket it, did you?”
“Come on.” Autumn Ease rolled his eyes and checked WeChat.
Dozens of unread voice messages from yesterday filled his inbox.
A transfer notification stared back: *¥1,000*.
A headache throbbed behind his temples.
He rarely checked WeChat. Even if he accepted the transfer now, cashing out here was impossible—this remote mortuary had no banks nearby.
He’d have to rely on his aunt carrying cash.
As for his uncle? Autumn Ease held no hope. The man’s wallet looked painfully thin.
Inside, his maternal aunt greeted them first.
“Autumn Ease, Haihua—you made it.”
“How are they holding up?” Uncle Haihua lowered his voice, glancing at a group of chatting women. Among them sat his cousin-uncle’s wife and daughter. They seemed calm, conversing like any ordinary day.
“With everyone here, they’re managing,” his aunt sighed. “But once the crowd leaves… that empty house…” She handed them each a cup of tea. “It’s cold outside. Come in and warm up.”
They stepped inside.
Further back, a side room held even more people. They chatted while folding silver paper into coin shapes.
“Haihua’s here!”
Faces turned toward them. Curious eyes landed on Autumn Ease.
“My sister Qing Su’s son,” Uncle Haihua introduced him. “Say hello.”
Though strangers, Autumn Ease bowed politely.
“Uncle, Cousin, Auntie, Great-Uncle…”
After greetings, his aunt whispered: “Did you bring the condolence money?”
“Uh, Auntie… do you have cash? I’ll WeChat-transfer you later.”
“How much?”
“A thousand yuan?”
“You didn’t bring white envelopes?” She frowned. “I might not have that much cash…”
“We didn’t even bring red envelopes,” Autumn Ease admitted. “Is your cash enough?”
“Exactly a thousand.” She pulled ten crisp ¥100 notes from her purse.
“Need a white envelope?”
“Skip it. Just hand over the cash.” She shook her head—she had none either.
“Damn, kid! A thousand?” Uncle Haihua’s eyes widened dramatically. “Shit…”
“How much did *you* give?”
“I’m fucking poor. Five hundred.”
“Uh…” Autumn Ease had no reply.
Truthfully, he thought a thousand was excessive.
But for his mother’s side of the family? Maybe it was normal. He had no clue about these customs.
“Just give it to her,” his aunt urged. “Call her Cousin-Auntie.”
“Cousin-Auntie.” Autumn Ease was certain she was his cousin-uncle’s wife.
*How many “cousin-aunties” do I even have?*
After more introductions, he handed over the money. Names were recorded on a ledger.
“Autumn Ease, hand mine in too.”
“You can’t delegate *this*!”
“Not even this small favor? Ugh. Five hundred looks so… pathetic.”
“Hearts matter more than amounts.”
“Kid, you wouldn’t understand.” Uncle Haihua rolled his eyes and paid himself.
His aunt then led them to a smaller room.
This was where the coffin lay.
Incense burned. Paper offerings turned to ash. They kowtowed.
Though unfamiliar with the deceased, Autumn Ease kept his reverence.
“Haihua, want to see him?”
“Ugh…” Uncle Haihua shuddered but sighed. “Fine. Let’s go in.”
Autumn Ease followed.
This was his first time seeing a corpse up close.
Even through the coffin’s glass lid, a bone-deep chill seized him.
Mournful music echoed in the cramped space.
He dared not look directly—only stealing glances sideways.
The man lay peacefully, as if asleep.
But up close, he looked less like a person and more like a wax figure…
*People die.*
The thought struck Autumn Ease again.
Witnessing death stirred sorrow for his own future—even if just for seconds.
Then—
His body locked in place.
His uncle vanished. The wreaths disappeared. Only the coffin remained before him.
The face inside was no longer his cousin-uncle’s.
It was the girl from his dreams.
The girl he’d *become* in those dreams.
The other *himself* he’d fallen in love with.
In the next second, the face shifted again.
Now it was *his own*.
He watched himself lying in the coffin—a deeply unsettling sight.
He squeezed his eyes shut, shook his head hard, and opened them—
Only to jolt in terror.
*He* was truly inside the coffin now.
He saw the glass lid inches above him. The ceiling tiles.
He tried to scream. No sound came out.
Then—
A blank-faced girl of twelve or thirteen walked toward him from the shadows.
She stared down at him, just as he’d stared at his cousin-uncle.
Her expressionless eyes held a strange power.
Like an ancient well, still and deep.
*Hah!*
Autumn Ease gasped awake, trembling. Cold sweat soaked his shirt.
His uncle stood nearby. He hurried after him, fleeing the room.
Outside, the air felt fresh.
He took a deep breath, slowly calming down.
*What was that?*
A hallucination? But it felt too real.
He’d been fully conscious.
If this happened often… he’d need a psychiatrist.
And that emotionless girl—
Who was she?
Why did she appear?
Why couldn’t he remember her now?
He looked up at the sky. The gloom seemed thicker.
“So,” his aunt asked, “stay awhile or head to the hotel?”
“Uh…” Uncle Haihua hesitated. “Stay a bit longer. What about you, Autumn Ease?”
“Oh… sure.” Autumn Ease forced agreement. He had no intention of re-entering that room.
He’d rather sit outside in the cold wind.
He needed to untangle the mess swirling in his mind.
========
(Scene: The Road to the City’s Edge)
