Tongyuan Gate was the only city gate of Chongqing that led to the land. Standing at the gate, one could see rows upon rows of steep hills outside, dotted with countless tombs, some standing, others fallen. The common people called this place Qixinggang.
Oh, right. Not far from Tongyuan Gate and Qixinggang was a very famous internet-famous spot, Hongyadong.
In the late 1920s, the newly appointed mayor of Chongqing formulated an urban expansion plan. The newly demarcated city area included the Yuzhong Peninsula, the area around the Jialing River estuary, and a small section along the Yangtze River on the south bank.
With the unveiling of the new plan, Chongqing began a large-scale expansion. The new mayor made a bold decision: to relocate the graves outside Tongyuan Gate, blast open the city gate, and expand the city westward.
Relocating graves was no small matter; it was equivalent to digging up ancestral graves. This immediately caused widespread dissatisfaction. After the new mayor dealt sternly with a few troublemakers, a vigorous grave relocation campaign finally kicked off.
This project took a full six and a half years, during which over 430,000 graves of all sizes were moved.
And the story we're about to tell begins with the grave relocation...
...
It was August 1928, and the grave relocation had been underway for half a month.
Qixinggang was bustling at this time. Some were paying respects, others were holding relocation ceremonies. Everywhere, one could see people carrying coffins, scattering paper money, beating gongs and drums, and wailing.
However, a large crowd had also gathered in front of the burial mound. These were people obstructing the relocation, old and young, men and women, all shouting and cursing.
A middle-aged man was loudly proclaiming, "Spirits of our ancestors, do not be disturbed! Otherwise, misfortune will befall your descendants! The phantom fires appearing frequently in the city are a warning from our ancestors." Some passersby seemed persuaded, while others scoffed.
Lü Qingqing hid in the shadows, quietly observing the middle-aged man's performance.
As everyone knows, Chongqing is a mountain city, with houses built on the mountainside, hence it is divided into the upper and lower city. The lower city is entirely composed of stilted buildings, packed closely together, one leaning on another.
Therefore, Chongqing's greatest fear is fire. If a fire broke out at the foot of the mountain, the entire area above would be in peril.
But for some unknown reason, fires had been breaking out in the city frequently this summer.
Calling it "fire" was a bit of a stretch, because these fires didn't destroy houses or harm people. They were just palm-sized flames that suddenly appeared. If they didn't touch flammable material, they were harmless, but if they landed on dry grass or other combustibles, they would ignite.
Thus, everyone called these fires "ghost fires," and gradually, the saying "Qixinggang is haunted" spread throughout the city.
The rumors of hauntings directly affected the government's grave relocation plan. These people gathered here were all there to prevent the relocation, claiming it was disrespectful to their ancestors.
Lü Qingqing had investigated and found that the ringleader was named Tang Kai. She presumed he was the one spreading the rumors.
But why would he spread these rumors?
It was known that the new mayor had invested heavily in the relocation. He had even issued a decree: for graves with descendants, a subsidy would be provided if they were moved by their families. Unclaimed graves would be handled by the government, with no consequences for the public. Qixinggang itself was a mass burial ground, and for centuries, it had been the resting place of the poor.
Money makes the world go 'round.
Everyone was busy collecting money and relocating graves, yet this peculiar individual stood out. No one would believe he had no ulterior motives.
Could it be that he thought the subsidy was not enough?
Lü Qingqing, 25 years old, had been transferred to the Tongyuanmen sub-station of the Chongqing Municipal Police Department a week prior due to her numerous meritorious deeds and rapid case-solving abilities.
Major cases were not yet assigned to her, so small cases like investigating rumors fell into her lap.
"Miss, the steamed bun is too dry, have some water," said a man surnamed Li, whom everyone called Shopkeeper Li. He ran a coffin shop nearby.
This period of grave relocation was a prime time for him to make a fortune, as many coffins had been buried for so long that they had decayed.
When relocating graves, new coffins would be needed, wouldn't they?
Looking at his smiling face.
As Lü Qingqing was about to thank him, the commotion on the mountain suddenly intensified. Someone was loudly calling out, "Shopkeeper Li!"
Well, business was here.
Shopkeeper Li darted towards the mountain, forgetting to hand Lü Qingqing the water he had offered.
Grave relocation and coffin replacement, in simple terms, meant re-interring the remains in a new coffin. The old coffin would then be handled by specialized craftsmen.
One option was to move the old coffin to the new grave, a practice known as "preserving the old to remember the past." Another was to cast the old coffin into a great river, symbolizing the deceased traveling a thousand miles while their descendants enjoyed good fortune. Of course, there was also the method of burying the old coffin in a pit, signifying that the deceased could rest in peace in a new home, with the same familiar scent.
However, regardless of the method, some money had to be spent on rituals.
Hiring Taoist priests was too expensive, so some coffin shop owners took it upon themselves to offer this service. "Buy a coffin from me, and I'll perform the rituals for free."
Shopkeeper Li began burning paper money and performed a solemn prayer. He then addressed the family of the deceased, explaining that it was not due to their filial impiety or disrespect for the remains, but due to certain reasons, and he asked the ancestors for forgiveness. He then invited the ancestors to move to a new home and bless their descendants. Finally, he planted three incense sticks, sprinkled some rice, and muttered incantations.
The ritual was simple, as it was a matter of urgency, prioritizing efficiency over formality. A complete grave relocation process would not only be costly but also time-consuming.
Once the ritual was over, Shopkeeper Li prepared to open the coffin and move the remains. Lü Qingqing watched for a while, found it uninteresting, and turned to leave.
As soon as she turned, she heard a rustling sound behind her. Lü Qingqing's expression darkened; it seemed Shopkeeper Li had gotten into trouble.
Indeed, Shopkeeper Li lost his footing and stumbled, falling directly onto the skeletal remains. When he got up, the skeleton had been shattered.
Shopkeeper Li was slightly taken aback but quickly regained his composure, repeatedly apologizing to the family. "Oh, I'm so sorry. You see, I wasn't steady on my feet." Shopkeeper Li bowed repeatedly. "Don't worry, I have urns here. If the scattered bones are placed in an urn, the ancestors will not blame us."
The shop assistant of Shopkeeper Li immediately ran down the mountain to fetch a white porcelain urn, about 30 centimeters in size.
Lü Qingqing's face fell. This Shopkeeper Li was not acting honorably.
You see, poor families were buried in thin coffins, so thin that they were just a few planks nailed together. A thin coffin would cost about one silver dollar, while this kind of white porcelain urn would cost at least two silver dollars.
As expected, the person whose grave was being relocated had a very unpleasant expression.
Lü Qingqing even suspected that Shopkeeper Li had done it on purpose, deliberately scattering the bones so that the family would have to buy the white porcelain urn.
"Heh heh, since it was Shopkeeper Li who damaged the deceased's remains, surely the cost of the porcelain urn shouldn't be borne by the family?" Lü Qingqing stepped forward directly. She couldn't stand to see anyone profiting unscrupulously.
Shopkeeper Li was startled, his face turning red.
Lü Qingqing looked at him and continued, "Shopkeeper Li, you must be more steady when doing business in the future. Don't end up losing money on an urn instead of profiting from the coffin."
Without evidence, it was difficult to directly accuse him of deliberately scattering the bones, but a verbal warning was certainly in order.
"Miss!" The owner of the grave was a middle-aged man. Judging by his appearance, he was a simple and honest person.
Lü Qingqing gave him a reassuring look, as if to say, "Don't worry, I'm here today, and no one will cheat you."
But who would have thought that the owner of the grave would bow deeply to Shopkeeper Li? "Shopkeeper Li, how can we possibly accept this urn? Your help to us has already been immense."
What was going on?
Was this person foolish enough to actually buy the urn?