Chapter 10: The Black Notebook

Chapter 10: The Black Note

On the drive there, the passengers in the car were two distinguished guests;

On the drive back, the passengers in the car were two urns of distinguished guests.

Though the funeral was rather simple, and could even be described as slipshod, the sky showed some grace upon their return from the cremation, letting fall a shower of rain, which served well enough to heighten the atmosphere of farewell for Mr. Jeff and Mr. Moissant from this mortal world.

Karen looked at the ash urns before him; as expected, those urns in the basement could never be used for pickling vegetables!

Freshly cremated ashes were burning hot;

Thus, sometimes to save time, the family would bring an urn from the basement to hold them, and upon returning after the transfer, switch them into a casket bearing the family company’s label;

Jeff's casket needed to pass through the final procedure to be placed in the cemetery of the welfare allocation area, and none of Mr. Moissant's children were willing to take custody of his casket;

A normal cemetery, even if not for a burial, was by no means cheap, so they preferred to spend an extra sum of money to have the Inmeles family smooth things over with connections, allowing their father to "ride the coattails" of a welfare slot.

So,

In essence,

Jeff piggybacked on Mr. Moissant's funeral to lie down for a bit;

And Mr. Moissant,

Would also piggybacked on Jeff's welfare slot;

If nothing went amiss, after the two caskets were delivered together into the welfare cemetery, they would be placed in two adjacent empty niches.

It was quite nice, really,

If they grew lonely,

They could use their own skulls to knock on the "walls" to greet each other.

Karen was still thinking about the cost price of caskets mentioned by Old Darcy, and asked out of curiosity to Uncle Mason, who was driving:

"Uncle, how much profit is there in our family’s coffins?"

"A more ordinary coffin has about double the profit; a custom-made one or one with a special design can yield profits of two to three times;

Some people who were very respectable in life, working in the government, would choose the solemn and restrained;

Those with noble titles and still possessing substantial family fortunes would customize luxury coffins belonging to the nobility according to their family traditions, and have the family crest engraved upon them.

The nouveaux riches are much simpler; they love nothing more than glittering gold and splendor.

By the way, there is a specialized coffin selection catalog at home, containing over two hundred models of coffins. If you are interested, you can flip through it when we get back.

Oh, the marked prices on it are basically five times the procurement cost. When promoting to clients, we give them a 'discount'."

Several times the profit,

Karen calculated in his heart,

That was decent then, not as outrageous as the caskets at the Hughes Crematorium, where they sold something costing less than fifty for a thousand—a twenty-fold profit!

As it happened,

Uncle Mason had also opened the floodgates of conversation, using the previous matter precisely as an example:

"Don't look at our profits as being less outrageous than the caskets at the Hughes Crematorium, but even if they multiply a single casket by that many times, how much money does it actually make?

Our most basic coffin costs ten thousand lubis.

Besides, our client base is different from theirs; with us, those finally sent to be cremated are... well, they are low-quality clients, yet they are their primary client base.

They burn corpses there every day, burning for a month, while we only need to do three normal orders to match their profit.

Of course, someone like Mr. Moissant does not count as a normal client."

"Has Uncle ever thought about expanding the scale?" Karen asked.

Mason shook his head and said, "My investment failed, I used leverage. By the way, do you know what leverage is?"

"I know."

"Good, it is well that you know. In short, I am sorry to inform you, my poor nephew, that your grandfather's money—that is, the part of the inheritance you could inherit in the future—has shrunk a great deal because of this worthless uncle of yours."

Pausing for a moment,

Mason added:

"Don't be angry with Uncle."

According to the tradition of the Kingdom of Rulan, it was generally the eldest son who was responsible for inheriting the family business, while the younger sons went out to make their way in the world.

Thus, from the perspective of custom, Karen, as the eldest grandson of the eldest branch, should be the future master of the funeral parlor, while Mason, at most, would be allotted some money or some dry shares, with no authority over affairs.

"I don't blame you, Uncle."

In the memory of the previous "Karen," there had always been a good impression of this uncle.

Through the contacts of this past half-month or so, Karen had also discovered that although Mason "loved to slack off," "had a smooth tongue," and was greedy for money, possessing quite a few flaws, these flaws were actually common to ordinary people;

But most importantly, Mason's attitude toward life, family, and money was very proper.

The one who most desired to make money and make a comeback was actually him; having once worked in financial investment in a big city, he could now only drive a hearse to pick up and drop off guests, which was clearly impossible to accept with relish.

And when Karen asked whether to put that nearly twenty thousand lubis of "consultation fee" into the public account, he had chosen to refuse without the slightest hesitation, from which it could also be seen that he was not the kind of person who would take money from his nephew's hands.

Those employed in the family and eligible for dividend treatment were just him, Aunt, plus Grandfather and Aunt Winnie; if this twenty thousand lubis were turned over to the public, he and Aunt could take away half of it next month.

After all, earning this money had actually incurred no operational cost... if Karen hadn't given Old Darcy one thousand lubis, the cost expended was nothing more than that bit of saliva.

"By the way, Karen, next time, the next time there is business, you step forward and try to communicate with the client. We will see the results then. If the results are good, you will be able to join the company as a family member and enjoy dividends."

"All right, Uncle."

To work for Inmeles,

No,

To work for Diss,

Is my honor.

"In addition, regarding the expansion you just mentioned, I feel there is no need to expand right now, because even if we could get a loan from the bank, there is no way we could compete in scale with those chains.

So my feeling is that we have to improve our service quality, and at the same time look for new points of profit growth, just like you."

"Actually, couldn't Grandfather undertake this work?" Karen asked.

Grandfather was a priest.

Mason said dismissively, "Ha, who would ever tell the truth to God?"

At this moment,

There was a puddle ahead, the wheel sank a bit, and a rather large jolt occurred.

The car was fine, but the two ash urns collided with each other, making a "bang" sound, though fortunately they were not damaged.

Mason cast a glance back,

And said:

"When I die in the future, I don't plan to have a funeral at all. Never mind a coffin, I don't even want Mina and Rent to prepare an ash urn for me."

"Huh? You're quite open-minded about this, aren't you, Uncle?"

"Some things, when you've seen enough of them, just don't seem like that big of a deal anymore. When I grow old, as long as Mina and Lunt show me a bit of filial piety, once I close my eyes for the last time, they could even pack my ashes into a black plastic bag used for buying fish at the market, and I wouldn't have a single complaint."

"Then how should the ashes be arranged?" Karen asked.

"That's easy to arrange. Find a slightly larger flowerpot, put me inside, add some soil, and plant whatever you like on top. It can be placed in the flower garden.

When you are at home, you can give me a little water, and when you aren't, I happens to be able to help watch the house for you."

At this moment,

Ron, who had fallen asleep again in a huddled position on the way back, was just jolted awake by the bumpiness. Hearing this conversation, he said with some curiosity:

"Mr. Mason, Master Karen, are you talking about such a heavy topic?"

"What about you, Ron? What do you plan to do for your future funeral?"

Mason gripped the steering wheel with one hand and took out a lighter with the other to light his cigarette, asking casually.

"Hehe, I must plan it so that I spend the very last Lubi on me before I die."

"What about your family?" Karen asked.

"Tomorrow after work, I'm going to ask out that nursing home caregiver. If she doesn't end up with me, I probably won't have a family in the future, let alone children."

"Then what about your funeral arrangements?"

"Arrangements?" Ron patted his stomach. "Arrangements are simple. I heard that Luojia Medical College accepts body donations from society, and they even respectfully call the donated bodies... what kind of teacher?"

Karen said: "Silent mentors."

"Right, right, right, Master Karen still knows the most, hehe. Before I die, I'll sign an agreement to donate myself and go be a silent mentor."

Mason flicked his cigarette ash and smiled: "I couldn't tell, Ron. Your image instantly grew grander in my eyes."

"Well, that..." Ron scratched his head. "I wasn't good at studying since I was a child. I really couldn't absorb the knowledge in books, so I dropped out early to find work. But I know that those who can get into Luojia Medical College are all top students.

I just think that in the future, if a stupid, poor student like me lies there, and that group of excellent students with great grades stands beside me, bowing together and calling me teacher, how pleasing and enjoyable a thing that would be."

"Hahaha." Mason laughed out loud.

Karen couldn't help but smile too, but still spoke up to remind him: "Then, Ron, you'll have to lose weight."

"Lose weight?" Ron was somewhat surprised. "Does being a silent mentor require a good figure?"

"Not really, but do you know? After your belly is cut open, your fat will pile up there in heaps. Then those students will probably endure their nausea, cutting and turning over your fat, while cursing you in low voices:

Oh, goodness, why is my silent mentor a fat dead guy!"

Ron suddenly straightened his back and said: "Is it that terrifying!"

Immediately after,

Ron fell into deep contemplation regarding his own funeral arrangements.

Mason, on the other hand, asked with some curiosity: "Karen, how did you know about this?"

"Aunt Mary told me. You know, sometimes Aunt handles corpses that died in very miserable ways, so at the dinner table she sometimes can't help but start cursing."

Mason nodded in deep agreement and said: "Yes, her temper is getting worse and worse."

Right after that,

Mason sighed,

flicked his cigarette ash once more,

and said:

"It's all my fault."

...

By the time they returned home, it was already nine o'clock in the evening. After placing the urn in the basement, today's work was considered complete.

Dinner consisted of late-night leftovers: mashed potatoes, smoked bacon, and a vegetable salad.

Karen washed his hands and came over. Seeing this dinner, to be honest, he was slightly disappointed. Especially since he had gone out today and returned late, being much hungrier than usual, he looked forward to a delicious and abundant dinner.

But...

Next time, it's better to cook it himself.

"Dear, I opened a can of herring for you."

Hearing "can of herring," Uncle Mason immediately opened his arms, revealed a smile, and kissed Aunt Mary several times right in front of Karen:

"This is truly a happy dinner. I love it, and I love you who prepared it for me, dear."

The day before yesterday, Uncle Mason had sat in the car and told Aunt Mary that her handmade pies were one of the only two delicacies he loved;

As for the other delicacy meant for the toilet, it referred to the "can of herring."

Karen blinked. He suddenly had an ominous premonition.

"Pop!"

There was gas inside the can, and when it opened, it made a muffled sound from within.

Immediately after,

A foul stench of rotting meat spread directly in the air.

Karen's stomach spasmed instantly, rising up to his throat, but fortunately, he forced it down.

In the presence of this smell, stinky tofu was simply a fragrant little darling with its own air freshener!

Uncle Mason forked a piece, put it into his mouth, and revealed an enjoying expression while chewing.

Then,

Without even asking Karen,

He directly forked a piece and placed it on the mashed potatoes in front of Karen:

"Eat up, Karen. In this house, you and I have always been the most loyal fans of canned herring, no, the believers!"

Karen held his breath and looked at Mason. Mason forked another piece and shouted:

"Come, down our faith!"

After speaking,

He put it into his mouth once again, chewing with great enjoyment.

Karen showed a look of embarrassment,

But,

Who told the previous "Karen" to actually like this kind of food.

In addition,

For the Karen who liked eating stinky tofu in his past life, he vaguely guessed in his heart that this thing should be just like stinky tofu—smells foul, but tastes delicious?

Mustering his courage,

Karen forked it up,

He placed it into his mouth.

In that split second,

Whoa—

Karen’s eyes widened instantly,

Before he could even swallow, he grabbed a napkin and spat it all out, then immediately rose from the table and rushed to the bathroom to throw up.

By the table,

Mason, who was sitting, and Mary, who was standing, looked slightly taken aback.

"What's wrong with him?" Aunt Mary asked in confusion.

Uncle Mason guessed, "The car was leaking wind and it was raining on the way back, maybe he caught a bit of a cold?"

"Then I'll go prepare some medicine for him."

...

After vomiting,

Karen panted with a sense of helplessness.

Turning his head, he spotted Purr standing at the bathroom door. The cat was staring at him, and from the curve of its mouth, Karen had a feeling it was laughing at him.

"Are you laughing at me?"

Purr’s expression remained unchanged, its tail giving a wag.

Just then, Aunt Mary’s voice came from outside: "Karen, did you catch a cold? I brought you some medicine."

"Okay, Auntie, I'll come out and take it in a bit."

"Then your midnight snack..."

No,

That damned midnight snack,

Karen was unwilling to return to that dining table ever again, and now he wasn't even willing to return to the second floor!

The entire second floor, at this moment, should be filled with the stench of canned herring.

"Lunt has plenty of snacks over there, I'll just eat a little of those. My stomach isn't feeling well, so I shouldn't eat too much."

"Then... alright, take care of yourself. If you still feel unwell tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the clinic."

"Thanks, Auntie."

Aunt Mary turned and left,

Vaguely,

Karen heard his aunt scolding his cousin Lunt:

"Lunt, so many of your teeth are already ruined, yet you still dare to secretly hide snacks! Since you don't want your teeth anymore, I'm going to tear your mouth apart right now!"

Inside the bathroom, Karen felt a bit sorry for his cousin, his heart filled with guilt toward the little guy, and then he comfortably took a shower.

After his shower, Karen walked back to his bedroom while drying his hair with a towel.

On the bedroom desk sat milk, bread, a water glass, and medicine tablets.

Lunt was sitting on the floor, organizing a box that had originally been kept under the spring bed. Hearing Karen enter the room, he turned his head and looked at Karen with a pitiful, aggrieved expression:

"Brother, Mom confiscated all the candy and chocolate I hid."

There wasn't any resentment on his cousin's face, nor any

Analyzed from a professional perspective regarding children's drawings,

this painting implied that the child who created it suffered from an extreme lack of security within;

black, in truth, is also a protective color.

The pattern of this composition conveyed a feeling much like being a frightened child at dark, wrapping the quilt tightly around oneself while leaving a tiny crack to peek outside or to breathe fresh air.

Of course, the sensation presented by this drawing was far more severe than that.

Karen continued to turn the pages, and for the next several consecutive sheets, they were all similar images, except that the position of the blank circle shifted slightly, sometimes appearing at the bottom, sometimes at the top, or leaning to the left or right.

When another page was turned,

Karen's hand froze right there.

Because in this drawing,

a man and a woman were drawn horizontally; according to the previous style, they should be "Dad" and "Mom."

Drawn horizontally, the meaning presented was that they were lying down.

Because there was one person in the drawing who was drawn vertically, so, he was standing.

In the picture, the "lying" "Dad" and "Mom" had clusters of black things extending from their abdominal areas, and around the two of them, a puddle had been smeared by the black pen.

Karen could not help but swallow hard,

were these wounds... and the fresh blood spilling onto the ground.

And the person who was standing,

was an adult figure who had not appeared before, and in his hand, he held an object.

Karen brought the notebook close to his eyes, scrutinizing that object intently; things drawn by children often could only be understood through intuition and guesswork.

"What he holds in his hand, is it a sword? It's just that this sword is a bit too short, isn't it."

Suddenly,

there flashed in Karen's mind the memory of that day on the way back from the hospital, when he was helping his grandfather clean the charred skin on his arm, and saw the object placed in the black box... that sword hilt!

"Dis!"

"Mm."