A Parent's Unfinished Business

A Parent's Unfinished Business My great aunt was gravely ill before she passed. When she died, her eyes were wide open, and her hands were clenched tightly around her infant grandson beside her, refusing to let go. It took considerable effort for everyone to pry her fingers open, one by one. On the day of the funeral, the Taoist priest said the old woman had too much attachment and might not rest in peace. He specially laid a layer of specially made white ash at the bottom of the coffin, calling it a method to 'leave footprints.' If the deceased truly couldn't bear to leave, footprints would appear on the white ash on the seventh day after death. On the night of the seventh day, the whole family kept vigil at the mourning hall. As midnight struck, a strong wind suddenly howled outside, and faint 'clack, clack' sounds of collision came from inside the coffin. Everyone was too scared to move, and they barely managed to endure until dawn. The Taoist priest quickly led the way to open the coffin and investigate. Indeed, on the layer of smooth white ash at the bottom of the coffin, there were footprints everywhere. However... all the footprints led from outside the coffin, stepping into the coffin one by one. Moreover, the size of the footprints was exactly the same as the little grandson's feet. Everyone suddenly turned to look, only to find that the little grandson lying beside them, who had kept vigil with them, had already stopped breathing. White ash was still clinging to the soles of his feet.