Tokyo Bubble Life

Chapter 1172 1181, Life is a constant farewell

Chapter 1172 1181, Life is about constant farewells~

No one teaches young people how to deal with the afterlife of their loved ones, but they seem to know it when they practice it in middle age.

The reason for this is that we have actually learned it slowly through the previous separations.

When the morning sun shone on the ancestral home in Qingshui, everyone's faces were solemn and sad, because my grandfather finally did not see the sun rise.

The local funeral master who had been contacted came quietly to the house and began to clean and make up the skinny body and dressed the old man in his favorite Wu clothing. Some experienced elders also began to help set up the mourning hall and perform the funeral ceremony.

Nagayama Hayato lived in the Taisho period, when cremation had become popular, so he chose a cremation ceremony. His ashes will eventually be buried in the back mountain of the Nagayama family temple, together with his grandmother, whom he had never met.

It seems that our great-grandfather and great-grandmother, who have hardly ever been heard of, are buried there. Ever since my grandfather's generation bought the land, that place has been the burial place of the Yongshan family.

The white mourning hall was set up, the white curtains fluttered in the wind, the monks began to chant, and my grandfather's coffin was placed in the middle surrounded by flowers.

As long as the person dies of natural causes, the funeral is always very quick.

Naoki Nagayama changed into the black clothes brought by his mother, and together with his cousin Kaede Nagayama, his elder brother Aoki and others, greeted the guests at the door. His uncle Kumahara and his father Ken Nagayama expressed their gratitude in the mourning hall.

"My condolences~"

“Thank you for coming.”

"Please go inside"

"."

Guests who came to pay their respects entered the mourning hall, bowed and greeted the deceased, and expressed their condolences to the family.

The funeral in Neon was much quieter and more solemn, without the traditional wailing. Plus, my grandfather had almost no female relatives, so even my mother, the only remaining female relative, just shed some sentimental tears.

Welcoming guests, bowing, greeting each other. I was so busy that I didn't even have time to spare, and in the blink of an eye, it was already evening.

"After the farewell ceremony tomorrow, our father will be cremated." Uncle Kumahara said to his father, Ken Nagayama, "The two of us will carry the coffin, and Feng and Naoki Aoki will lead the way."

"Hi." Ken Nagayama nodded silently, and listened to his elder brother in everything.

"If we're going to keep vigil tonight," Nagayama Kumahara looked up at the coffin behind him, his eyes twinkling, "let me do it."

"Brother, you haven't had a rest for a day." Yongshan Jian said.

“It’s okay, I can’t sleep.”

Nagayama Kumahara was smoking a cigarette and speaking in a low voice.

"You should close your eyes and rest for a while. You can guard the first half of the night, and I'll guard the second half." Nagayama Ken shook his head. "There will be a farewell ceremony tomorrow, and we'll have to bury the body after cremation. There are still many things to do."

"." Yongshan Xiongyuan didn't say anything and agreed.

On the other side, Naoki Nagayama was discussing the evening meal with the funeral company, which is the so-called banquet.

There are usually two ceremonies. The first day is attended by relatives, friends, close neighbors and people from the funeral company, so the food can be simpler. The second day is the farewell ceremony after the burial, and it is more formal and sumptuous because the people who come are more distant friends and people representing various parties.

Apart from anything else, even if the fifth generation leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi didn't come in person, he would definitely send someone over, as well as friends from other societies that my grandfather and uncle knew;

Besides, both Brother Feng and Naoki Nagayama are well-known people, so some people will come to pay their respects for their sake.

Fortunately, the funeral company provides a one-stop service for preparing the banquet. All you need to do is choose the level and pay the fee. They are not short of money now.

After choosing the table, Naoki Nagayama walked into the room next to the ancestral home and saw the women and children resting.

Maybe it's because she's too young and shy, but Sayuri is crying, and Nagayama Xinhai is holding her to comfort her. Xiahua is much better, looking at her curiously in Mingcai's arms. As for Noko, he follows his big brother in front, because he is the only male of the fourth generation, so he has to save face.

"Akina."

Naoki Nagayama first looked at his wife, and was relieved to see that she was not too tired, and then greeted the others, especially his eldest sister-in-law Xiangjia, whose belly was already showing.

"Let's go eat later and then have a good rest."

"Naoki-san, what about the adhesive tape?" Akina asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Naoki Nagayama shook his head.

Actually, he and his grandfather had only known each other for a few years and had not met many times, so naturally he would not feel such deep and unforgettable pain. It was probably similar to the passing of a close elder, which was sad but not painful.

Naoki Nagayama took Xiao Xiahua in his arms, patted her gently, and took Akina for a walk in the ancestral home.

"We will probably stay here for two more days. Akina can stay behind with Kokami-chan and sister-in-law Xiangjia for the farewell ceremony tomorrow and not attend."

Naoki Nagayama reminded that Nagayama Xinhai had just given birth to a child, Sayuri was too young, and his sister-in-law Xiangjia was pregnant, so it was not appropriate for them to attend the funeral.

Judging from her age, Xiao Xiahua can participate or not, but there may be Yakuza members coming tomorrow, and stars like Mingcai are not suitable to be photographed interacting with them.

"Hmm~"

Akina nodded, of course she would listen to her husband on these matters.

The next day was still a sunny day.

From the morning, the monks of the ancestral temple began to perform rituals. The abbot of the temple put on robes and chanted scriptures and prayed in front of the coffin. As time passed, more and more people began to come to the ancestral home.

As the news gradually spread, more and more people from Qingshui City came to pay their respects. The younger brothers of the Yongshan Group even came in groups. Their black suits dyed the entire ancestral house with a solemn black.

The gathering of gangsters quickly attracted the police to maintain order near the old house. There were also media reporters filming from the outside. However, in this atmosphere, as long as they stayed outside, the people of the Nagayama family had no intention of expelling them.

Shimizu City Councilman Yusuke Shimizu also came to pay his respects. In this age where gangs are rampant, there is no councilman who does not know the leader of a community group in his constituency, otherwise he would definitely not have any votes.

As for the mayor and the police chief, due to their official positions, they would not attend the funeral of a gangster even if they knew him.

"Please grief"

After Shimizu Yusuke bowed, he said to Nagayama Kumahara who was standing beside him,

"He is gone, and he must want his family to continue to live a good life."

"Yes, thank you, Councillor Shimizu!"

Nagayama Kumahara nodded solemnly, thanking him for coming, and after a few polite words,

"Please stay for a quick meal."

"Okay." Shimizu Yusuke nodded, "Kumahara-san, please go and receive the other guests."

"excuse me"

After paying his respects to the deceased, Shimizu Yusuke began to talk to people in the circle of guests.

For ordinary people, funeral ceremonies are occasions to express mourning, but the funerals of celebrities are actually also a social occasion.

The biggest yakuza boss in Shimizu City has passed away. The most important thing for him, a Shimizu city councilor, is to find a yakuza representative who can replace Nagayama Hayato and establish a good relationship with him.

Originally, this candidate must have been Nagayama Kumahara, but now the Nagayama Group has been disbanded and scattered into various large and small clubs, and Nagayama Kumahara has no intention of continuing to maintain yakuza relations. Instead, he has a tendency to transform into a legitimate enterprise, so he can only look for another one.

"Mr. Feng."

Shimizu Yusuke came to Nagayama Kaede and Naoki Nagayama who were welcoming guests.

"And Naoki-kun."

"Member of the Shimizu City Council!" Nagayama Feng had met this councillor several times before. He introduced him to Nagayama Naoki, "Naoki, this is the councillor of Shimizu City!"

"Nice to meet you." X2

After Naoki Naoyama and Yusuke Shimizu greeted each other, Yusuke Shimizu said:

"I've heard of Naoki-kun for a long time, but it's a pity that I only met him at a place like this."

"I don't come back often," Naoki Nagayama said, "I'm usually in Tokyo."

"Ah, Tokyo, Tokyo is a great place. If I were to choose, I would definitely want to settle down in Tokyo."

Shimizu Yusuke sighed and said that in Neon, a congressman's family like his was considered a local tyrant in Shimizu City. As long as they stayed in the Shimizu area, they would definitely inherit the position of congressman. However, if they left Shimizu, they would become rootless duckweed.

Therefore, as long as he wanted to maintain his social class, there was no way he could leave Qingshui.

"Shimizu City is actually quite good. It is backed by Mount Fuji and has a harbor," Naoki Nagayama said politely.

"Haha~" Shimizu Yusuke didn't comment, but asked with anticipation, "Naoki-kun, do you have any idea of ​​filming a movie in Shimizu? If possible, we can shoot more in Shimizu, which can also be regarded as promoting our hometown!"

Naoki Nagayama's home is in a small coastal town, located at the junction of Shimoshimizu City and Fujieda City in Shizuoka. It is a small county town directly under the jurisdiction of the government, and it does not even have a city government. It can only be called the Shimokawa area.

However, the filming of "Midnight Diner" by my elder brother Nagayama Aoki attracted many tourists to the harbor there, making the small town of Shimokawa a well-known tourist attraction in Shizuoka, which made Shimizu Yusuke very envious.

If it were under his rule, this would be called political achievement!

"There's a chance~" Naoki Nagayama could only respond perfunctorily.

"Mmmmm~"

Shimizu Yusuke naturally didn't expect to get any benefits from the meeting, he just mentioned it casually.

Anyway, the Nagayama family has its roots here, and there will definitely be opportunities for contact in the future. As a councilor who has been entrenched in Qingshui for a long time, he has enough patience.

While everyone was chatting, the highlight of the farewell ceremony finally arrived. Several convoys drove slowly towards the ancestral home from not far away.

When they arrived at the gate of the ancestral home, the cars stopped and a row of men in black suits came out first, and then two middle-aged men got out of the middle car. They were the acting leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Kazuo Nakanishi, and the strong candidate for the fifth-generation leader, Yoshinori Watanabe.

Also coming was the widow of the third generation leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Fumiko Okada.

Currently, the Yamaguchi-gumi is arguing over who will succeed the fifth generation. Everyone, including the acting leader Kazuo Nakanishi, wants to become the official fifth generation, but no one can overpower other powerful leaders. It is also possible that those leaders do not want to be managed by a new leader, and deliberately tacitly maintain the status quo.

Nagayama Hayato was an old member of the Yamaguchi-gumi and even a founding member. His funeral was also an occasion for the ambitious man to demonstrate his power and fame.

"Please accept my condolences"

"Thank you very much. All the seniors came to see my father off for the last time."

"Team leader Nagayama Hayato is a senior of the Yamaguchi-gumi and a role model for us Yakuza. He has an obligation to do so," said acting team leader Kazuo Nakanishi politely. "I hope you, Mr. Kumahara, won't be sad for too long."

"Thank you."

After a few polite greetings:

"Please stay for a quick meal."

"No, no. We just came to see Hayato-senpai."

"Thank you very much..."

"."

Since the Yamaguchi-gumi people arrived, large and small social groups such as the Inagawa-kai, Suwa Ichi, Sumiyoshi Renhekai, Asahiryu-kai, and Matsuura-gumi have come in person or sent people to pay their respects.

The black suits were so crowded that the spacious ancestral home couldn't even accommodate them, so the roads outside had to be blocked.

It is estimated that there are more than a thousand Jidao people who came to the ancestral home to pay their respects today.

The local police quickly sent additional police forces, not to disperse the crowd, but to close the road in front of the ancestral home, and sent traffic police to guide other vehicles on the road to maintain basic order.

They even communicated with the elders in the Yongshan group and sent some local familiar people to help with the communication, hoping that no accidents would occur at the funeral.

The police also did not dare to clash with the large number of community members gathered at a time like this. If bloodshed occurred, to be honest, the lives lost would be in vain!

As the eldest son who knew most of the people from the Yakuza, Nagayama Kumahara took the lead in expressing his gratitude, and kept his second brother Nagayama Ken, and his grandchildren Nagayama Kaede, Aoki, Naoki, Tsuruko and others out of the sight of these society bosses.

He no longer wants the next generation to have any further contact with the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Yakuza.

In addition to the visitors from these yakuza societies, upstream and downstream companies in the local entertainment industry also sent people to express their condolences, because Yongshan Feng's KTV has revitalized the entertainment industry in the small city, including vegetable and fruit vendors, liquor merchants, record stores, people from amusement parks, and so on.

In the afternoon, Shuichi Idou came specially from Tokyo.

After entering the mourning hall and bowing, he also came over and chatted with Naoki Nagayama

"Xiuyi-san, why are you here too?!"

Naoki Nagayama was a little surprised.

"This is Naoki-san's grandfather! I'm here on behalf of the tree friends," Idou Shuichi explained, "and I also lived in the ancestral house for a while before, and was taken care of by Team Leader Nagayama."

When Shuichi Idou was just filming "Crows Zero", he "interned" with Kaede Nagayama for a period of time in order to experience the atmosphere of yakuza gangsters, and he did have contact with his grandfather.

But saying things like "taking care of you" is just a courtesy.

"Some people in Tokyo also know about this. Otomo-san and Enta-san can't leave, so they can only ask me to bring their condolences."

As he spoke, he put a stack of silk money wrapped in a white envelope into the box for receiving gifts.

"Yeah, that's okay. Thank them for their condolences."

Naoki Nagayama waved his hands and didn't care about it.

"When was the burial?"

"The cremation will be in the evening and the burial will be tomorrow."

Naoki Nagayama said that for ordinary people, the funeral would only take three days, and the funeral for the Japanese emperor would only take nine days. Of course, the funeral ceremony would last for a year.

"Condolences"

"Thank you."

The ancestral home is quite large, and the rooms next to it were originally used for the members of the Yongshan Group to live in. But today, they are all equipped with tables and chairs, and the feast is prepared for the guests.

The people of the Yongshan family entertained the guests and ate a little at the same time.

Guests continued to arrive in an endless stream, but finally stopped in the evening of the second day.

As the sun set, the host who had been chanting sutras all day finally stopped. The monk in charge of the funeral ceremony directed several people in the family to take a last look at the old man's appearance, and then the whole family would send him to the crematorium.

When the coffin was about to be lifted, the uncle, who had not shed tears for three consecutive days and had always maintained a tough image, suddenly burst into tears.

"Father. Woo woo woo."

My uncle Yongshan Xiongyuan covered his face and cried so hard that he was completely unable to stand up and carry the coffin.

Yongshan Jian tried to persuade him for a while but failed. Other relatives and old members of Yongshan Group also failed to persuade him. Nanako, the mother, was even moved to tears again.

In order not to delay the time, Naoki Nagayama had to take over his uncle's position, lifted the coffin and put it on the hearse.

Then follow the hearse to the crematorium~

Naoki Nagayama and others were waiting in the park inside the crematorium.

No outsiders are allowed to enter the crematorium during cremation.

It is said that this is to prevent relatives from smelling the odor, otherwise they may not be able to eat meat for the rest of their lives. Another theory is that they are afraid that the family members will not be able to bear seeing their relatives being burned.

Anyway, for the sake of my relatives, I can only let them wait outside.

So after sending the person in, what finally came out was a small box of ashes, a few pieces of unbroken bones, and a metal ankle joint. My grandfather seemed to have had an operation.

They used a small brush to sweep all the ashes and broken bones into the urn, and then handed the urn to the uncle who had recovered. Naoki Nagayama and his group returned to the ancestral home in the gradually approaching night.

The urn was placed where the coffin had originally been, but this time a large photo of my grandfather was placed in front of it. In the photo, my grandfather looked kind and gentle, as if he was comforting the sad person in front of the coffin.

We still have to keep vigil tonight, but it's not as strict, so the younger generations can take a break.

"Naoki-mulberry"

Mingcai coaxed Xiao Xiahua to sleep, and looked at her husband lying on the bed with a tired face, feeling a little distressed.

"Are you tired today?"

"It's nothing. I'm still young and I can hold on." Naoki Nagayama said, "It's just that when I saw that my grandfather only had an urn left, I felt for the first time how insignificant life is."

Thinking of the popular meme on the Internet in the past, "That little box is your permanent home", he even wanted to laugh, but he couldn't laugh even after trying to smile.

“People are like this.”

Akina didn't know how to comfort him, so she could only hug Naoki Nagayama gently.

When her grandfather passed away, she was very sad at that time, but her heavy workload prevented her from immersing herself in grief.

Thinking about it now, the busyness at that time seemed to just fill the sadness in my heart.

"Stupid tape!" Naoki Nagayama patted Akina, "I'm fine, take a rest first, we'll be buried tomorrow morning."

"Um"

He thought he couldn't fall asleep, but after closing his eyes for a few minutes, his tired body made Naoki Nagayama fall into a deep sleep.

In the dream, pictures kept appearing one after another.

Time and again, I collected the bodies of the deceased, and time and again I felt the sorrow of the death of my loved ones. The last time I collected the bodies was for my own loved ones.

The melodious cello seems to convey sorrow, and the soft piano sounds tell of the sorrow of parting.

Only then did I discover

Life is full of separations. Cherish the people around you.