Village Life in China: A Study in SociologySmith, Arthur H.
General
Village Life in China: A Study in Sociology
Smith, Arthur H.
China -- Social life and customs; Villages
About the time of the Magistrate's decision, a woman's body appeared
abreast of the ferry and was identified as that of the missing woman from
the Li Family Tower. The official held an inquest, in which all parties
made diligent search for wounds, but none being found the Magistrate
compelled the family of the woman to affix their thumb marks to a paper
recognizing this fact. He ordered the Lord-of-bitterness to buy a good
coffin, clothes, and prepare other appointments for a showy funeral,
including chanting by Buddhist priests, and to have the body taken to his
house. He also instructed the constable once more to secure peace-talkers,
to arrange the details and to hold the funeral.
But the Little Campers proved to be the most obstinate of mortals, and
would not only listen to no reason, but drove the peace-talkers from their
village with reviling language, never so exasperating to a Chinese as when
employed against those who are sacrificing their interests for those of
the public. At this juncture the husband of the drowned woman returned
from the watermelon market, went himself to the home of his late wife, and
expostulated with her family and also urged peace through still other
third parties. But the Little Campers insisted upon funeral paraphernalia
which would have cost 10,000 strings of cash.
One more effort at compromise was made, by the visit of an uncle of the
teacher who was guarding the house of the Lord-of-bitterness, to the
Little Campers. The latter now altered their demands to a payment of 800
strings of cash, which by much chaffering was eventually reduced to 400.
The Lord-of-bitterness offered 250 strings, but this was rejected with
disdain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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