He Was Stealing Spirit Money at the Funeral

After seventeen years away from his hometown, Gan Wenchang returned to the village with his younger brother, Gan Wenshuang. They attended an old-fashioned funeral, and at the end of the service, the funeral officiant held up a document resembling an official notice and read it aloud at length: "...The property listed in this ledger belongs to Li Guofu, a resident of Qiong Dingzi Village, Qiong Dingzi Township. It shall travel by carriage without obstruction, straight to the underworld. Wandering ghosts and spirits are forbidden from robbing it along the way. Approved by the Qiong Dingzi Village Committee, Qiong Dingzi Township!" "Pfft..." Seventeen-year-old Gan Wenshuang covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, edged over to his brother, and asked curiously, "What's that?" Gan Wenchang replied expressionlessly, "A decree forbidding wandering ghosts from stealing spirit money." Gan Wenshuang covered his mouth, still snickering. "Does it work?" Gan Wenchang glanced off to one side and said flatly, "No." Flames rose as piles of funeral wreaths, paper figures, spirit money, and paper horses burned fiercely. A man with disheveled hair and tattered clothes reached into the bonfire and pulled out a stack of banknotes from the Bank of Heaven. He shook the stack, then reached in again and pulled out a pair of paper figures with vacant eyes. He patted the figures on the shoulders, reached in once more, and led out a wooden, vacant-looking paper horse. The man, whose face was impossible to make out, seemed delighted. He climbed onto the horse, led the paper figures along, tucked away the spirit money, and gleefully prepared to make a getaway. But suddenly, he whipped around and stared suspiciously at the funeral procession. Why did he feel like someone had been watching him the whole time? Gan Wenchang watched the entire theft by the wandering ghost without expression. He'd told them it wouldn't work. A world-weary seme with yin-yang eyes x an upbeat uke ghost who steals spirit money Theme: Stay true to your convictions and keep light in your heart.