Volume 1, Chapter 32: Daily life had been destroyed already
TL: flarewk
"So the entire day you didn't wear it at all, huh!!!"
Swearing onto the Lord of Censorship, I really didn't see it clearly at all!
".........."
What's before my eyes weren't sunset, that dream-like looking scenery, but a white colored ceiling instead.
..........A dream, huh..........
"Tch.........."
My mood's a little displeased.
I who originally didn't had any intentions to get up from my bed at all felt a little irritated today. It's not that I couldn't sleep properly nor was it that I didn't had enough sleep, it's just purely because that I've made a rather annoying dream.
Weng weng.........
My body trembled, and I hastily grabbed my phone, glancing at it.
It's the alarm.
"..........Haaa.........."
My nervously constricted spirit immediately became loosened, and an urge of urinating assaulted. While being relieved, I also felt a little regretful as well...........like real!
What am I regretting about at all!!
Hugely giving off a sigh, I rubbed my cheeks to allow myself turning more energetic; it's been a long time since I had a dream. My spirit had become slightly withered unrecoveringly, but the most important thing was, I actually even dreamt of dat woman...........
I had to say, the impression that she gave onto people was too remarkable and too intense already, which made them completely unable to forget about her.
That's why there would be so many people liking her, I guess..........just like a magnet, attracting everyone in her surroundings.
"Gege..........?"
Xin Ran rubbed her eyes, as she looked at me sleepily, with the collar of her pajamas slid to one side of her shoulders, exposing a huge area of snow-white skin.
"It's nothing, I've only just made a dream, go carry on sleeping."
I laughed while caressing her head, and Xin Ran was like a cat as she comfortably squinted her eyes in response. After laying the blankets properly on Xin Ran, I straightaway took the clothes that I needed to change into and walked out of the room.
Sunday, 5.45 am in the morning. After finishing washing up, I put on my attire neatly and went downstairs. It's a smart black-colored suit without any tie on it at all.
Laomā was already waiting in the living room for me.
"Yoo, Jun Cheng, you've awakened quite early, huh? I was even thinking of waking you up in a moment too."
"Well..........since I've already promised onto helping out during Sunday, I can't oversleep either."
It's precisely because I'm needed to go help out today, which was why I had set an alarm to wake up early in the morning, with only that just now I still thought that it was dat woman's message, resulting in I giving myself a jumpscare earlier.
"Well, let's go then, today will probably be extremely busy~, you must be mentally ready for afterwards."
"Mnn.........."
Replying her a little absentmindedly, I followed Laomā afterwards to today's work location.
Reaching our destination, it gave me a huge jumpscare indeed; the gigantic mortuary hall was actually crowded with people rather badly...........it's truly such an ominous scene.
These people all had their faces crumbled, most of them being the deceased's families, standing vigil an entire night for their loved ones, which caused their mentality to be rather withered.
A blanket of black weighted statuses; realism form of these negative emotions gave my vision ferocious assaults.
I hastily put on the clear lens spectacles that I've bought yesterday, before finally feeling slightly better.
Although Laomā's expression was very relaxed at home, along with her liking to laugh about too, but once she had reached her workplace, it was like as if she had changed to another person, as she carried a face of solemness.
It's really fitting of the title [Death Makeup artist] indeed.
After Laomā bade her hands farewell to me, she paced towards her working area, and I followed Zhang-dàge towards the hall service counter.
Underage children like me originally shouldn't be able to work in the mortuary at all, but because of Laomā's relations, compounded with the fact that this time it's indeed too busy already, hence they allowed me to work here as part time.
I came here occasionally during middle school, and whenever Laomā worked overtime in the makeup hall, I would just explore randomly about the entrance hall. Hence, I was quite acquainted with the mortuary workers as well.
Speaking of which, does this count as underage employment............
When I was helping out last time, I was usually being assigned to be the service personnel, mainly in charge of picking up calls of family members requesting the transportation of corpses, or to reply queries about sending off relatives and friends so on.
But today, it's actually been too busy to the point till they needed me to go help out at the crematorium workshop.
Usually, they wouldn't allow young people to enter here, and basically it were all masters that were forty plus years old, so today would be considered to be an exception already.
Because of how funerals were being finished locally, most of them usually were completed just before noon, hence morning would be the most busiest period of the day.
All the way busying until almost afternoon, we could then finally take a break to rest for a little while afterwards.
I plucked off my spectacles, but was still able to feel a little soreness within my eyes, as the blazing flames inside the furnace were too burning already.
Wu-shifu lit up a cigarette, and sat down a little fatiguedly, throwing away the cigarette butts in his pockets. While working, the cremation shifus would normally smoke, as the smell was really pungent. Sometimes, it would be really discomforting too.
"Phew..........Xiao' An, you're tired already, right. Just go ahead and rest for a short while then. It's all thanks that you're able to come help out today, if not these old bones of mine will probably be shattered already."
"It's nothing really, then I'll go look for my mom and see how's she doing."
"Mm, go ahead."
A few other cremation shifus were also all expressionless, their eyes contained a few degrees of somberness as well, since their jobs made them unable to smile out at all.
Speaking of which, I'm also expressionless, not easily smiling too.
Looks like I'm quite suitable for this kind job also...........
I moved my aching wrists about, and left the crematorium workshop.
By the way, I couldn't see any statuses at all from those dead bodies..........was it because corpses weren't considered to be humans anymore?
I've only just walked outside when I saw a familiar figure gazing towards the public cemetery right behind the mortuary.
".........."
What's that person doing...........although I really wanted to ignore her, but I had a nagging feeling that if I was to do that, I'll probably be in deep trouble later. And so, I shouted out loudly towards her.
"Oi!"
She didn't answer even after I called her, was it because she didn't hear it? Or was it...........
I pondered again, and shouted towards her once more, but this time I yelled out her name.
"Lian Bing!"
As expected, this time she then turned around, smiling as she walked towards my side to greet me.
"Ara~ Isn't this my dear boyfriend? What a coincidence, hum?"
"Coincidence your head..........you really wouldn't just leave me alone, huh."
No wonder when we baded farewell yesterday, she used a 'See you tomorrow' these sort of farewell words. So she had already planned to come visit me again today?
When I saw Ji Lian Bing, I got reminded again of the date yesterday, as well as that scene when we lastly bade each other farewell, which made my expression turn strange a little.
"Today's Cheng Jun is really handsome~ wearing a decent suit, heeh?"
"Haaa........."
This decent suit worn today was considered to be wrongly attired, as previously I only came here for service-related jobs. Who knew that I would actually need to do crematorium-related work as well, which resulted in this entire smart black suit being very unmatched, and quite a couple of smells got stuck onto it.
"Enough playing around, Lian Bing. Hurry up and go back, this place isn't for you."
"You're so aloof, even though I rarely came over, to especially just see you.........."
"We've only just seen each other yesterday, right?"
"Huhuhuhu~ Shouldn't couples be sticking around together everyday?"
"That's only those stupid-couples, I don't want to be an idiot at all."
I wrinkled my nose, wanting to find some sort of an excuse to chase her away, when a voice suddenly called out for me from afar.
"Jun Cheng?"
"I'm here."
Laomā walked over, and used a newly curious gaze to stare at me and Ji Lian Bing with an inconceivable expression.
"Err..........she is..........."
"Ai ya, this really is...........I was thinking about which family's honest lad would have made such a beautiful girl to be so appreciative of him...........so that lucky person is actually our house's foolish brat, huh?"
Hah? Laomā was acquainted with Ji Lian Bing already?
"Heh? Laomā, you know her?"
I unthinkingly asked out.
"Ahhh, when I saw her alone looking around in the hall service counter earlier, I then proceeded forward to ask her. She said that she's looking for her boyfriend..........I didn't realize that the person whom she's looking for to be actually you."
"Ahhh........."
In the end, this person was really here just to see me~? I'm 80 percent sure it's because that Xue Li-xiaojie had tracked down onto my movements.
"So this jiejie was Jun Cheng's mother-dàren, huh? You're working here as well? I'll reintroduce myself once more, my name's Ji Lian Bing, I'm Jun Cheng's girlfriend."
Ji Lian Bing changed away her poisonous tongued mode when she was around with me, and displayed out a most heartwarming smiling face ever, using a sweet voice to converse with Laomā.
"Mm, my name's An Yue, Jun Cheng's mother, and also the embalmer in here."
"Embalmer.........."
(TL: quick definition → people who preserves corpses from decomposition)
Ji Lian Bing became stunned for a moment.
"Mother-dàren!"
Afterwhich she suddenly grabbed Laomā's both hands agitatedly, as she unveiled out an expression of reverence.
"Heeeeehhh?"
Laomā was also slightly at a loss onto what to do next, her eyebrows were even bent, as she looked at me with an expression of her wits end.
What happened to this person already? Suddenly using that sort of brightly glowing eyes to look at Laomā. With that sort of respectful gaze, it's exactly as if that a fan had just met her always-longed-for celebrity.
"Your job is simply too great already! I've always been wishing to have such a mother like you!"
Ahh, I got it.
Ji Lian Bing had necrophilia, while Laomā was a person who did make up on corpses. Doing make up on corpses = make corpses even more beautiful..........hence in Ji Lian Bing's eyes, the importance of a job like an embalmer would be easily imaginable.
"Ai ya? I already had two cute daughters..........but, if you really wanted to be my daughter, you could always marry into our family~?"
"Huhuhuhu, it's already been a confirmed thing between me and Jun Cheng."
"Ai ya~ is that so?"
"Yes, I've been entirely seen by Jun Cheng from outside till within already~ Shyyy.........."
Shy your head!!
"Looks like my house's son would have to properly bear the responsibility then."
Oh shit! Laomā's very interested in this person!!
What joke was this! Ji Lian Bing marrying me?! Ahhh?! Haaaa?!
I'm afraid that a historic moment of husband-murdering suspense drama would be playing out on the day of my wedding ceremony instead!
"Oi, wait..........!"
"May I ask if Jun Cheng still needs to work for much longer~?"
"Ah, the afternoon's work will be much more relaxed, even if he doesn't come to help, we're also able to handle it. Well then, I won't disturb those interactions between you youngsters already, Jun Cheng, just properly accompany Lian Bing."
"But Wu-shifu there............"
"Rest assured~, leave it to me onto telling him, so don't worry about it too much, Jun Cheng. Well, I'll give you today's reward first, just use these money to bring Lian Bing out to play~."
The money that were being handed over to me were quite a huge sum, but I completely didn't feel the least bit delighted at all.
Laomāāā!!!!
What you're doing right now was to sabotage-kill your son!!
Letting me stay alone with that unlucky star Ji Lian Bing, wasn't that a complete death wish!
Plus, today's also the 3rd day of our bet, who knows that she may even directly just kill me off!!
And by that time, your beloved son would have probably already turned into one of the members in those group of corpses then!
I timidly followed behind Ji Lian Bing's back, not realizing that she would actually ask out a request onto exploring around the cemetery.
"Cheng Jun, this place...........it's not bad, huh."
"Yiii..........only you yourself would think of that way."
(TL: Yii = scared sfx)
"Huhuhu~ perhaps it really might be like that too."
She actually laughed!
That smile gave me shivers throughout my entire body!
It seemed unreal, akin to those devilish seductions from the abyss pits of hell, which could make anyone abnormally nervous.
A frightening guess suddenly appeared within my thoughts and was unable to be diminished away afterwards...........
These people, it can't be that they were being killed off by her, right?
Yeah, Ji Lian Bing's a corpse lover homicidal maniac, so in order to satisfy her lust, it's very plausible that she would have created a huge amount of corpses!
The recent sudden upstart of funerals, most of them were victims of murder crime scenes, that fact coupled along with the smile of hers...........
The more I've thought about it, the more I felt that it's possible, because Ji Lian Bing's a homicidal maniac.
I arduously opened my mouth and asked.
"These people...........are they killed by you?"
"...........So that's what you're really thinking? Cheng Jun."
She was still smiling.
Smiling until it made me rather heartwrenched.
"Is it or is it not exactly!"
"So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"
Damn it!
I gritted my teeth and approached towards Ji Lian Bing, wanting to press onto her shoulders.
Just at this moment, an abnormality suddenly occurred!
Numerous pitch-black statuses suddenly appeared in my vision, which covered up the ground entirely!
My heart and eyelids were jumping about wildly, cold sweat profusely dripped out from my forehead, as my back felt chilled, it's the highest peak of danger that I've ever sensed yet!
Run! Immediately run away from this place! If not, you'll die!
You'll really die!
And I saw those statuses which were closely plastered onto the ground slowly rise...........what appeared were these ominous titles.
[Deceased dead]
[███]
A hand then stretched out from within the gravestone.
With the start of that motion, the daily life that I was once familiar with had been completely shattered.
-ch 32 end-
(3397 words to tl)
TL: This chapter also highlights a major "Zombie" word definition difference btwn the classmate and this cemetery version.
Classmate: 丧尸 (Living Dead) = A person that became a zombie while he was being alive. I renamed it to "living dead".
Cemetery corpses: 僵尸 (Deceased Dead) = A body that became a zombie after dying.
Both still falls under the same general category - Zombies. Please keep that in mind.
But there's a whole list of differences between the two being entailed out below if you want to know more.
Footnotes:
the Lord of Censorship = The original slang in CN was "River-crab Aunty", but I translated it's meaning over.
Censorship (和谐 hé xié) in CN had almost the same homophone with river-crabs (河蟹 hé xiè), and as the crack down on content in china made CN Tieba forums (country's most famous forum) think up of alternate way to express stuff, the river-crab pun was thus born as a result.
Aunty/Uncle/God and whatnot are all extra filler stuff added in.
—————————————
dat = intentional slang to imitate the slang of author's homophone surprise of "that" (那→into→辣)
—————————————
stupid-couples = refers to those couples that were so stupidly in love that they do every single god damn thing together. Derived from ACGN...(anime comic game novels)
—————————————
mother-dàren = it sounded weird asf for me in english, coz I didn't translate the 'mother' to it's chinese equivalent.
Anyway, Lian Bing was very very respectfully referring to Jun Cheng's mom which was why she said it like that.
In fact, her entire conversation with his mom was very very polite, I can't express it into EN well enough (usage of 您).
Note that she's using the word "mother" to call out her bf's mom, what does that mean? -insert lenny face-
—————————————
Embalmer = Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them (in its modern form with chemicals) to forestall decomposition. The intention is to keep them suitable for public display at funerals, for example.
It's no wonder Lian Bing would be so fanatical over MC's mom.
Source = wiki
—————————————
General differences between "Living Dead" and "Deceased dead" =
Zombie itself is a broad term, there's
1) Living dead are alive people having zombification; while Deceased dead itself are "pure-blooded" zombification after death.
2) A living human turning into the Living Dead, there's these possible reasons: Illness, bacteria infection; chemicals being widespread, parasitic insects embedded within; radiation changes and so on, all scientific characteristics.
For a corpse to turn into a Deceased dead, it's all inlaid with magical characteristics instead depending on the plot of the story. (e.g. body being infused with some vengeance or somewhat)
Other definition explained out would have be differed plot-by-plot as laid out by authors, so these 2 are the general ones you would need to know.
(e.g. sunlight weakness, intelligence and so on.)
Source: 知乎
Glossary:
gege = 'elder brother'
Laomā = informal way to address 'mother'
-dàge = a suffix that simply means 'big bro' (implied repectfully of coz)
-shifu = you've probably heard this term before in Kung Fu Panda, it's a suffix that means 'Master'. It is also referred to non-suffix in this chapter as well.
Xiao' = a suffix that is placed in front of a name to indicate closeness to a person.
-xiaojie = a suffix that means 'miss' basically. Used to refer to someone respectfully.
jiejie = 'elder sister'.
Thanks for the chappy
ReplyDeleteDamn.. too late
DeleteOh wait, i'm technically first cuz you don't have a name..
DeleteWhoa.... Things are beginning right now..
ReplyDeleteEnd prologue
ReplyDeleteZombies? Whoa that blew me away.
ReplyDeleteNext is the last chapter. Thank you, he is dead for sure
ReplyDeleteAnd suddenly this novel changed type to Zombie Survivor(LOL).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter.
The start of Highschool of the dead.
ReplyDeleteUh huh...
ReplyDeleteTrying to process the chapter..
Thanks for the chapters!
Just tell her that you will kill yourself in the most body damaging way if she trys to hurt you or anyone you love...she wants to kill you without leaving damage, well tell her you will commit suicide(zeppuku?) And slice open your stomach.In all honesty you could just tell her you will never love her unless she stops being a fucking psycho
ReplyDeleteWell... Considering her personality, i'm afraid it won't work
DeleteWhat will come now? A dumb zombie?
ReplyDeleteSay that to my face, you little bitch!
DeleteSlime emperor does not approve of zombies
Deletenahh what's coming next is a zombie wearing a mahou shoujo clothes while grinning a chainsaw
DeleteThanks for the chapter flarewk! Maybe he's still dreaming.
ReplyDeletefinally some action eh , so the dead were so envious that they climbed out of their graves
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter : )
ReplyDeleteWait... Didn't she already answer his question way back in the school?
ReplyDeleteI mean its still kinda uncertain but the way the head maid said that i was almost certain.
She said that her first kill would be An jun Cheng. In that scene when she strangulated him.
And then after that when he came alive and met with the maid, the maid thanked him that he didn't let her fall into the dark side or whatever it was.
So shouldn't he already know she didn't kill anyone yet?
Well, from what the mc thinks, he thought that there's no hard evidence that lian bing's words are 100% factual, he can only believe her, but belief can only go so far when faced with insurmountable despair......
DeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder when we baded farewell yesterday, she used a 'See you tomorrow' these sort of farewell words. So she had already planned to come visit me again today?
ReplyDelete"bade" is already the past tense of "bid". There's no such thing as "baded".
Hmm... So, now magic corpses is pissed and wants to kill his new girlfriend? Or him? Let's see.
Dam.
ReplyDeleteTime for some Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter!