Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 2

For others, death is the end. But for Zhang Shu, death feels like another beginning.

As he dies, his soul becomes light and slowly drifts out of his body, rising into the air.

He watches as people cheerfully prepare his funeral. The treatment he never receives in life is now being granted to him after death—what an irony.

He has lived for over sixty years, yet not a single person sincerely mourns him.

When the woman first sees him die, she is momentarily shocked. But she quickly regains her composure, wipes the blood off his head, and pretends that he has died from a leg injury.

Then, she takes the women of the household to the eldest son’s home, making a scene and claiming that their family’s dog has killed his father. The eldest son’s wife ends up paying a hefty sum, and only then does the woman return home, satisfied.

In his once-deserted courtyard, people suddenly gather—some cracking melon seeds and chatting, others listening to gossip. His son, whom he has raised for so many years, stands among them, smiling and greeting the villagers.

It is such a lively scene. If only he weren’t witnessing it as a wandering soul.

He lingers in the courtyard for days, yet not a single person sheds a tear—not even for show. The villagers, accustomed to such things, don’t reprimand his family for their unfilial behavior.

To them, Zhang Shu is probably a worthless man—someone who always avoids conflict, never daring to argue with others, a spineless pushover, one of the most contemptible weaklings in the village. No one respects him in life, so naturally, no one finds fault with his family now.

He can’t bear to watch anymore. He struggles, trying to leave, but his soul is bound by invisible chains, keeping him trapped within the courtyard.

Fear grips Zhang Shu. He has used up all his courage in that one fatal collision. Now, he doesn’t know what to do.

If he has to stay here and watch his so-called family live happily without him, he might as well die again!

Anger surges within him. Why haven’t the Black and White Impermanence come to take him away? Is it because he has been an honest man all his life, doomed to be bullied even in death?

(Translator’s Notes: Black and White Impermanence (黑白无常) are two ghostly deities in Chinese mythology and folk religion, often seen in Taoist and Buddhist traditions. They serve as underworld officials responsible for escorting souls of the dead to the afterlife. )

Desperate, he squeezes toward the courtyard gate, but he can’t pass through—not even a strand of his hair. People come and go, passing right through him.

His clumsy attempts amuse a two-year-old child, who laughs and keeps staring at him.

Zhang Shu’s heart softens. His own grandchildren have never been close to him. It is rare for a child to look at him with such joy.

Just as he thinks of approaching, the child’s mother comes over. “Dabao, what are you laughing at?”

The child tries to point him out, but Zhang Shu has already floated back into the shabby hut. The child’s finger follows his retreating figure, finally stopping at the bright red coffin placed in front of the hut.

“Uncle!” The child’s clear voice rings out, full of innocent excitement.

The mother freezes. No one is standing by the coffin, yet the child claims to see an uncle! Panicked, she scoops up her son and flees the courtyard.

Word spreads quickly. People say that children have the clearest eyes and can see things hidden from others. If something can appear even in broad daylight, it must be powerful!

This time, people curse Zhang Shu even more. Useless in life, useless in death—he can’t even guard his own coffin and has let some wandering ghost take his place!

Zhang Shu doesn’t understand why he has returned to his twenties after death. But along with his youthful appearance, his mind also feels younger—not as lifeless and beaten down as it has been in his sixties.

For the first time in a long while, he feels happy—amused even—at the villagers’ fear. In life, even the children had called him a blockhead, a fool. Now that he is dead, they are all terrified of him.

Might as well scare them all away, then! Since there isn’t a single person in this courtyard he can call family, why should he spend the rest of his afterlife floating around them?

But aside from the children, no one else can see him. He tries tripping and pushing people, but his hands only pass through them.

Doubt creeps in. Is he really this useless? Even as a ghost, he can’t harm anyone?

Dejected, Zhang Shu slumps in a corner, lost in thought.

That night, even more offerings are placed before his coffin. A man dressed like a Taoist priest swings a stick wrapped in tattered white cloth, chanting under his breath. His eyes flash as he suddenly shouts, “Begone!”

With that, his energy seems completely drained. He slumps forward, exhausted. “The vile spirit has accepted the offerings and been exorcised! You can rest easy now.”

Wu Liniang hurriedly hands over a bag of money, thanking him profusely.

When she first hears that Wang Er’s son has seen a ghost, she thinks it might be the old man coming back for revenge. But it turns out to be someone else entirely!

She finds it hilarious. Even if that useless old man has returned, she wouldn’t be afraid!

Finally, the day of the funeral arrives. Zhang Shu has hoped for some peace, but the moment the coffin is lifted, he feels himself being pulled along with it.

So, he is still bound to his body? Can he return to it?

The thought crosses his mind, but he hesitates.

Compared to that broken body with its shattered legs, he’d rather be captured by Lord Wuchang and reincarnate freely.

(Translator’s Notes: Lord Wuchang represents the fleeting nature of human existence, emphasizing the Buddhist and Taoist idea that everything in life is temporary. In Chinese folk religion, Lord Wuchang often manifests as two separate figures, the Black Impermanence (黑无常) and White Impermanence (白无常), who serve as underworld messengers.)