I Became an Embalmer in the Tang Dynasty

A young gentleman moved into Yongning Ward. His surname was Cui. He was slender as a bamboo stalk, his eyes reflecting the stars, and his fingertips smooth as jade. He had the looks of a Pan An... and yet he took that kind of work!

How scandalous! The neighbors couldn't stand for it. One after another, they came over, sincerely hoping to persuade the young gentleman to change careers or move away. But before they could even enter, the things in his courtyard scared them off. What on earth was going on? Playing with human bones in broad daylight! And he had a knife! Yet he smiled warmly and politely invited them in for tea... Tea? Who would drink that, a cup of beheading tea? Surely not!

There was nothing for it but to hope the Ghostly Menace, who lived in the same ward and was famous across all 108 wards, would step in. His surname was Wu, and he was the thirteenth son. He was the unmentionable head of Chang'an's secret guard, cruel, ill-tempered, and a killer who never blinked. If something displeased him, he could make a person change jobs, move away, or even get out of Chang'an. Ah, he went in! He entered the courtyard! He hadn't come out after half an hour! An hour now?

The Ghostly Menace came out, but he hadn't driven the man away? Not only did he leave him be, but he started coming home more and more often. Whenever he returned, he would visit Gentleman Cui, staying longer and later each time. Eventually, he stopped going home altogether and made Gentleman Cui's house his own.

The neighbors were heartbroken. But after much reflection, they gradually realized that Gentleman Cui was actually quite a good fellow. He could help the authorities examine corpses and solve cases, and his looks were a pleasure to behold. His supposedly ill-omened presence even kept troublemakers away. There were no thieves in the ward at night, and the children could play freely during the day without anyone fearing they might go missing...

What was wrong with preparing the dead for burial? Who could go through life without ever having to arrange a funeral? If their own time came, they would gladly entrust their final affairs to Gentleman Cui, so they could say goodbye to their loved ones and to this world with dignity, cleanliness, peace, and grace.

After they had known each other for a long time, Wu Shisanlang heard Gentleman Cui say something like, "Go ahead and die first. I'll prepare your body for burial," more than once.

At first, he thought it was an insult. Gentleman Cui had a way with words, making even curses and death wishes sound so unusual.

Later, he felt there were stories hidden in Gentleman Cui's eyes, stories he could not speak of, must not speak of, had nowhere to tell. Though he worked with the dead and had seen life and death countless times, even that could not ease the immense sorrow he carried. Wu Shisanlang wanted to know what he had been through.

Later still, he came to believe those words were the most sincere and passionate confession in the world.

Message: Learning how to say goodbye is a necessary lesson in life.