Chapter 27 Clear out inventory

"I'm sure you've got a hundred and one good excuses, Val," said the Sheriff angrily, "but I'm going to tell you that this peddling of yours must end--immediately. If you don't, the town Half the people on it will die." He took a newspaper from his pocket, spread it out, and growled, "Must have heard of it? Look at this 'clear out stock, once in a lifetime'! I never heard such a nasty thing." "Everybody advertises," Val insisted, "everyone in town sells out like that, so why should I be different?" "Because you're an undertaker," growled the sheriff, "a Funeral undertakers are not allowed to clear their inventory!"

"I don't see why it shouldn't," Val said unhappily.He is a tall man with black hair and bushy eyebrows. Whenever he says something, he is always slow and careful, "I have to auction off these coffins. I want new goods in my shop. Not only coffins, gift books, ashes All the cans and so on must be cleared. Ade, you have to look at those cans, only one hundred and fifty yuan each, including tax, I can choose the most beautiful one for you--" "Don't talk too far!" German police Chang wiped his face with a handkerchief, "Things are not as simple as you imagined, if you can't do it, you can't do it!"

Val looked at his friend suspiciously, and said, "Okay, Ade, tell me! This doesn't seem to be a matter of one person and his business, unless you have changed a person in the past five years." Five years ago De decided to get married and end his comfortable life as a bachelor.Val tried to warn him, but the result was ineffective. From the moment Ade and Miss Ba from Shanding Village entered the church to say their vows, he fell into misfortune. Banida is a woman with a strong heart. She keeps the house spotless, controls Ade's words, deeds and contacts, and drives away all his old friends, including Val.

It was a painful time.After Val and Ade became adults, every Thursday night, they would play a game of chess with a glass of beer in one hand and a pipe in the other.He didn't feel it before, and it wasn't until the time passed that he realized the meaning of friendship. Oh, initially he'd argue with Banida about it, he wanted to tell her that she couldn't choose his friends, and he was going to play chess with Val anyway. But Banida was a smart woman, and she started spreading rumors about Val in the town, saying horrible things, that Val cut corners, and so on. The sheriff's wife's words were powerful in the town, so Ader finally gave up playing chess so as not to see Val's business ruined.

Ade hasn't been in this room for five years.It was a cozy old study, a typical man's room.The chess table was still placed by the fire, and for a moment Sheriff De didn't know what he was going to do, and he looked at the table gloomily. "I don't play chess very often," Val told him, "Occasionally Bike comes to play, and I'm always afraid that he will cheat, so I can't concentrate on playing chess." He looked at the sheriff, his eyes twinkling, "I Say, can you wait to do this? Let's sit down and have a beer and maybe play a game of chess."

The sheriff shook his head, "Val, your auction of the coffin has increased the death rate in our town last week, don't say you didn't notice it." Val rubbed his chin, lost in thought. "Well, that's true. I've been busy since I posted the ad last Monday, but there's nothing wrong with it. It's the luck of those people to meet me at a big auction and clear out the inventory." "I hope you don't say that again!" A Bei was a little upset, "Don't you think it's too coincidental? Has everyone died since last week?" Val looked at him in confusion, "Ad, what are you doing? What's the meaning?"

"I have reason to believe that none of the people lying in the coffin that you gave me at half price did not die a natural death, I bet, almost none." Val chewed this sentence very hard, knocked off the shredded tobacco in the pipe, fell into the meditation. "Did you tell me that those people were murdered?" "I was about to tell you so! Ade was furious." If you don't stop the big auction, the death will not stop! " "But most of them died accidentally," Val said earnestly: "Hashari fell on her back porch and broke her neck; Wes, eh, everybody knows if he doesn't stop using canned fire, He's going to be in trouble sooner or later, and as for Damen—" "They're all a coincidence!" For those who are dying, their relatives want them to end their lives earlier so as to save part of the funeral expenses."

"Oh, that's possible," Val said, "but I still don't see why I should stop the auction." "Take Hashali's death as an example," Sergeant Ade said patiently. "Everyone knows that she left 20,000 yuan to her nephew Jack." Val said with a smile, "Good guy, isn't he just coming back?" Is it a holiday?" "That's not it!" Ade was yelling, "I just came back and pushed her to get her 20,000 yuan. Now, Naves..." The phone rang, and Val went to answer it. "Yes," he said, "well, that's a surprise, isn't it? What a pity, yes, yes, I'll come."

When Val hung up, the two men stared at each other. "Another one?" Ed asked. Val nodded, "Lucy died and fell into the pond next to the mill." The sheriff shook his head and said, "Val, that's enough. Everyone in this town hates Lucy. She spreads rumors and hurts everyone..." The phone rang again.Val went to answer the phone. "Ad, it's your wife," he said, solemnly, "she wants to talk to you, and she sounds very angry." Ade thought: This woman probably has a radar installed on her body.He didn't tell her he was coming here today.Now, only ten minutes after he came, she called to ask him to go home.

Her voice pierced across the room, as if her words were addressed to Val, whom she knew Val would hear. The two men stood close together.Ad held the receiver away from his ear, and every time she stopped talking, he said, "Yes, honey. Yes, honey." When the sheriff hung up, he stood there, staring blankly at his old friend. Val looked happy, and he said slowly: "Ad, you know, there is nothing wrong with postponing the auction for another day, maybe it will help." Everyone in the town said Mrs. Arder's funeral was the most ostentatious, and nothing was reduced, and with the auction period, many extras were added.Banida died of brake failure.

After this auction, Val didn't have much business, and things went back to the old way.In fact, he and Sheriff Ade also discussed to come and play chess every Monday and Thursday.Now, the "inventory" is truly "cleared".