Ch. 137 - Secret Exposed

Translator's note: Putting beads in the mouths of the dead is part of traditional Chinese burial ceremonies. This tradition has been around in China for thousands of years but is less common today. The beads are usually made of jade, and sometimes they are shaped like cicadas, which might symbolize the dead waiting underground to be reborn, like cicadas. In ordinary families, a copper coin might be placed in the deceased's mouth instead.

There are several reasons for this practice: 1. Jade is cool to the touch, and ancient people hoped it would slow down the decay of the body (Chinese emperors and nobles even filled their veins with mercury to prevent rotting). 2. Chinese people believe that after death, one goes to the underworld, which has a bureaucratic system like the human world. So, jade or copper coins could be used to bribe underworld officials. This bribe could make it easier for the soul to be reborn into the next life.