914 Idle Chats About Longevity (1/2)
”This lake can allow the dead to rest in peace? Hey, it can't be that you guys have buried all the dead in this lake, right?” Lu Xiufeng asked.
”It is true,” Miao Qingfeng said after a moment of silence, but the smile on his face was gone. Instead, a serious expression replaced the smile.
”I remember seeing quite a few tombs on the mountain,” Yang Guanfeng said as he pointed to the peak of the mountain on the opposite side. He had seen it the last time when he had gone up his time, as well as this time. Miao Qingfeng had also said that it was the place to bury the dead from the village.
”Well, it depends on the wishes of the deceased and the person's identity.”
”It depends on the deceased's identity? How does that work?”
”Most of the women are buried in the lake, and most of the men are in the mountains,” Miao Qingfeng replied.
”What kind of burial?”
”We make a bamboo raft, let the dead lie on it, and let it float quietly on the surface of the lake.”
”After that, don't you care about it anymore?”
”No.”
”Well, not to say something disrespectful about the dead, but did their bodies all end up in the stomachs of the fishes in the end?” Lu Xiufeng asked.
After he had asked that, the corners of Yang Guanfeng's mouth twitched a little.
”You really do say all sorts of things!”
”Ha-ha, there's nothing wrong with that understanding,” Miao Qingfeng said. ”This method is just like that in Tibet. Do they not hold celestial burials as well? Those bodies are left for the eagles to be taken care of too, isn't that the case? Besides, this custom has been abolished unless someone asks for it. Otherwise, we just bury all of them.”
”Is that so?”
”Yes.”
”Oh, who was the last person to be buried in the lake, and when was it?”
”If I remember correctly, it was an old man from the stockade about four months ago,” Miao Qingfeng replied.
”Well, alright, thank you,” Lu Xiufeng said.
”No problem.”
Bloop… Bloop… Bloop… Bloop… The fishing bobber moved a little.
”The fish is hooked!” Lu Xiufeng happily shouted. With a lift of his fishing pole, he brought up a fish that was more than a foot long. Under the sunlight, its scales were glistening.
”Well, not bad, not bad,” he said with a smile.
”Oh, what was the age of the old man when he died?”
”102.”
”Wow, he lived to a ripe old age!” Lu Xiufeng exclaimed. ”Are there many such old people in your stockade?”
”There are,” Miao Qingfeng said. ”Our village has a good environment and a slow pace of life. Basically, every family knows some medical skills and pays attention to taking care of their health. Therefore, many people live a long life. Although we have not taken any statistics, I think the average life expectancy of people in our village is estimated to be more than 90 years old. That old man was actually not considered as living to a ripe old age at all.”
”Goddamn. How are you guys so awesome? Is there any unique secret to it? Ah, could it be that you have that kind of immortal medicinal herbs, such as Millennium ginseng and the Ganoderma lucidum, in the deep mountains and forests?”
Miao Qingfeng was stunned after hearing his question.
”Ah, I think that you have seen too many and movies and read to many fantasy books, Captain Lu. How could there be such a thing?”
”There isn't?”
”I don't know if there are any of those things in other places, but we don't have any in our stockade,” Miao Qingfeng said. ”Polygonum multiflorum, a 100-year-old ginseng, is considered a rare and miraculous medicinal herb, let alone a 1,000-year-old ginseng. They can be defined as the treasures of heaven and Earth.”
”Ah, are there any elixir pills or something of that sort in this place that can prolong one's life after eating and allows one to be immune to all kinds of diseases?”
”A magical pill? Ha-ha!” Miao Qingfeng heartily laughed.
”How could there possibly be such a thing? If there was, I'd be the first to find a way to get it.”
”Gee, to be honest, I'm under a lot of pressure at work,” Lu Xiufeng said. ”I think my health is getting worse. I think I can forget about living to 100 years old. I would be lucky if I could even live to 80 years old.”
”Captain Lu, from your facial features, I can see you will be a long-lived man,” Miao Qingfeng said.
”Is that so? Do you know how to read a person's life from their features?”
”I have a little understanding. I studied it myself.”
”Take a look at him.” Lu Xiufeng pointed to Yang Guanfeng.
”Captain Yang is also a long-lived man,” Miao Qingfeng said with a smile.
Yang Guanfeng just smiled. He did not take it seriously.
”Oh, another fish has bitten the bait.” As soon as Lu Xiufeng raised his fishing rod, he got another big fish.
”Hey, what a lucky day!”