You Changshui pondered for a moment before saying, “Alright, you go check on him, but don't force him into anything. Let him do as he pleases.”

  Outside the coffin shop, a crowd had gathered.

  You Wuqiang, with a horse-like face, was sitting on a coffin inside the shop, speaking loudly: “Those Japanese bastards were charging at us like crazy! One by one, our men fell. I got so pissed off that I grabbed a machine gun, stood up, and just sprayed bullets at those advancing bastards. I don't even know how many of them I killed, but when I was having the most fun shooting, a shell hit me, and I got knocked out. I didn't expect to crawl out of the pile of dead bodies. When I woke up, I told myself, even if I died in battle against the Japanese, I wouldn't run away like Zhong Qi! That coward, Zhong Qi! Every time the officers mentioned him, I couldn't even hold my head up. After all, we were from the same vilge, both enlisted together, and he used to call me `Bro.′”

  Someone in the crowd said, "Zhong Qi ran back and cimed he was a war hero, even saying you died! Your uncle made him the head of the security team. Is that true?"

  Laughter erupted from the group.

  At that moment, Zhang Shaobing, the owner of the coffin shop, brought a bowl of tea and handed it to You Wuqiang. "Wu Qiang, drink some tea; it's been years since you've had tea from home!"

  You Wuqiang gulped down the tea, pced the bowl on the coffin board, and wiped his mouth. "What a joke! What is Zhong Qi? A hero? He's nothing but a coward! Calling himself a hero of the resistance when he's just a deserter! I've never respected that coward! I was supposed to have died, and he's the one saying that? He ran off before he even saw the battle—how does he know I died?"

  Someone in the crowd remarked, "So you're the real war hero then! You should have been promoted in the ranks as a hero. Why did you come back to Tang Town?"

  You Wuqiang replied, "After fighting the Japanese, I thought everything was peaceful. I didn't expect to end up fighting the communists. I didn't want to fight fellow Chinese, so I ran back here!"

  At that moment, Zhong Qi pushed his way through the crowd and entered the coffin shop. His face was red as he said to You Wuqiang, "Bro, you're back! Why didn't you send word ahead?"

  When You Wuqiang saw Zhong Qi, anger fred inside him. "Who the hell do you think you are, showing up with your pants half undone? Who the hell is your 'bro'? Are you blind? Just seeing you, the damn deserter, makes me furious. Get the hell out of here—far, far away!"

  Usually a boisterous and imposing figure in Tang Town, Zhong Qi now lowered his head in front of You Wuqiang. "Wu Qiang, brother, I swear I didn't mean it. You don't know, I had dysentery so bad I was nearly dead when I got separated from the group!"

  The crowd burst into ughter, and You Wuqiang gave them a satisfying moment of relief. After all, seeing Zhong Qi's true colors, they couldn't help but ugh at his shameful excuse. The crowd around the coffin shop grew rger, more and more people pressing in, filling the normally quiet street with the sound of murmurs and chuckles. This small, remote town, untouched by the horrors of war until now, was suddenly thick with the scent of something far more dangerous: the bitter tang of conflict.

  You Wuqiang leapt up from the coffin, towering over Zhong Qi by a head, his finger pointed viciously at Zhong Qi's nose. His voice was full of venom as he spat out, “Why didn't you die of dysentery on the way? Do you even know how many of our brothers died on the battlefield? You can talk all you want, but you're nothing but a cowardly deserter! How dare you even show your face in front of me? Get the hell out of here! I'd shoot you where you stand if I could! Get lost, get lost now!”

  Zhang Shaobing, the coffin shop owner, was horrified. He rushed forward and pced his body between You Wuqiang and Zhong Qi, trying to de-escate the situation.

  “Wu Qiang, calm down, calm down. The past is the past. There's no need to keep digging it up. We're all from the same vilge; we'll run into each other again eventually. Let's not fight over this; let's just get along.”

  You Wuqiang roared in anger, shaking with fury. “I can never make peace with this coward! He′s my enemy, and he′ll always be my enemy!”

  Zhong Qi, realizing the situation was turning dire, flushed with embarrassment and pushed his way through the crowd, fleeing in a panic.

  A burst of ughter erupted from the crowd, some even spping their knees in amusement.

  Zhang Shaobing, with a serious expression, turned to the onlookers and said, "Alright, everyone, it's time to go. Wu Qiang has had a long journey and needs some rest. Once he's recovered, we'll listen to his stories about fighting the Japanese. Alright, everyone, please disperse!"

  At Zhang Shaobing's words, the crowd began to move away at a leisurely pace.

  Once the crowd had cleared, Zhang Shaobing turned to You Wuqiang and asked, "Wu Qiang, now that you're back, what are your pns?"

  You Wuqiang said, "I'll stay in your coffin shop for now. Since no one sleeps here at night, what else do I have to pn? I'll stay for a while, get used to it, and maybe rent a few acres to farm. If it doesn't work out, I'll leave Tang Town and try my luck elsewhere. There's always nd for a man to make his mark."

  Zhang Shaobing replied, "Living here in the coffin shop won't be a hardship for you, but I think it'd be better if you swallowed your pride and went to see your uncle. He'll probably forget the past and make sure you're well taken care of."

  You Wuqiang gritted his teeth and said, "I'd rather starve than ask that old dog for help. I'm staying in your shop; don't worry about me. After all, I'm someone who crawled out of a pile of dead bodies!"

  Zhang Shaobing was left speechless.

  Across from the coffin shop, in a dim corner, the mangy stray dog whimpered softly.

  Song Ke arrived at the nd temple at the foot of the hill at the east end of the town, staring at the smoke-bckened statues of the Land God and Land Goddess, somewhat lost in thought. The events happening on the streets of the town had nothing to do with him, and he wasn't the type to seek out excitement. The excitement had long left him. He once lived in a very bustling pce, but now he was so far away from that pce. Suddenly, he heard the sound of snoring. His heart skipped a beat. Who would be sleeping in the nd temple during the day? He was puzzled, but the snoring stopped, and a disheveled person stood up from behind the statues of the Land God and Land Goddess.

  Song Ke was startled and said, "San Laizi, what are you doing here sleeping?"

  San Laizi jumped down from the altar and stretched zily, saying, "Where else would you have me sleep? I don't have a home; this pce is my home."

  Song Ke asked, "Do the people in the town allow you to stay here? Aren't you afraid of offending the gods?"

  San Laizi rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, filled with eye crusts, and said, "They don't care about me. I was afraid at first, but after a while, I got used to it. The Land God pities me; he won't bme me."

  Song Ke smiled.

  San Laizi pointed at the old camphor tree outside the nd temple and said, "No one in the town dares to climb this tree; only I do."

  The old camphor tree looked like a weathered elder, shrouded in a mysterious aura. Song Ke asked, "Why?"

  San Laizi grew smug at this point, and a smile appeared on his bitter melon-like face. "They say this old camphor tree is the incarnation of the Land God. Anyone who climbs it will bring disaster upon themselves, so no one dares to offend the tree. Let me tell you something. Do you know how the father of the soldier just back, that bully You Wuqiang, died?"