I’m sure you know about barbers, but this one I’m going to tell you about is a little bit different.

There was even a documentary about him.

2005, July the 4th. A small alley next to the drum tower in Beijing.

Jingui rides his bike to go cut his old customer Mr. Mi’s hair, as he would do every half a month or so. Jingui is an old man, his age catching up to him. He can no longer run the streets and alleys of Beijing as he used to decades ago.

Different from barbers today, Jingui goes to his customers instead of them going to him. For most of his customers now are men of his age, and much like him many have their age hindering them.

After a while Jingui knocked on Mi’s door, a leather suitcase in his hand.

No response came.

Jingui’s heart skipped a beat, dangerous for a man his age. It had not been long since he last talked to Mi, the two old men talked about what would happen after their death. “When I die, I’ll sure has hell make sure everyone knows about it, and throw me a proper big funeral!” Mi laughed.

The door wasn't locked, Jingui stepped in.

A stench filled his nostrils, one that he’s familiar with: Rot, the smell of human flesh rotting.

Jingui glanced at the bed. His old friend lies on there dead, his body already rotting under the sun.

There wasn't as much panic as one would think, at a man his age it was just a matter of time.

Everything was still the same in his room, however the owner is long gone to a better place.

Jingui stepped outside to call the police, when they came they saw Jingui sitting on the stone slabs next to the door, lighting one cigarette after another.

His doctor would have been livid.

The police tidied up the body and carried it away to be examined by forensics, and put in a morgue to be preserved. Jingui watched them, smoking one cigarette after another, but didn't say a thing.

No one knows what he was thinking.

He witnessed so many of these, he has almost come accustomed to it.

Every week he has old customers leave and never come back, he sends them off, always.

When they pass away their hair are always ruffled and untidy. Jingui wants to give them one last haircut to send them off.

He thought about it, but never did give one.

That custom faded away a long time ago.

The young generation have their own thoughts, Jingui thought. Smoking one cigarette after another.

To Jingui, life and death are things that hold heavy values.

When he got on his bike to leave, Mi’s black cat that had been around for seemingly ages lept on the backseat of his bike.

He turned around awkwardly, and lifted the cat back onto the ground. Almost instantly the cat jumped back on.

Jingui sighed, and gave up fighting the cat. He rode back down the alley with Mi’s black cat in the back seat. She is one of the only things his old friend left with him, except for memories.

Jingui lives in a small and quiet alley at the root of the walls of the forbidden city. He lives alone in a small room, now with a black cat to accompany him.

There is not a soul in that alley who doesn't know about Jingui. Ask anyone and all you will get are smiles of approval.

Anyone who knows his past will all say in unison that he was a man of stature back in the day.

Jingui used to have a “trade”, as people say.

In the 40s, Jingui owned the first chain of barber shops and parlors in the whole of China. He has seen the brawls of warlords in his parlors, familiar with the political movements in Beijing, cut the hair of genral Ma[1], genral Fu[2]. Shaved for Mr. Shang[3], Mr. Cheng[4].

Jingui doesn't like mentioning the past.

It doesn't matter that he cut the hair of people who are on history books.

He never mentions these people.

Every day before bed, Jingui goes to the old clock on his dining table to set it back five minutes. This clock always goes exactly five minutes faster than it should.

It has always been that way for almost 30 years, it was a gift from Mr. Mi.

The second day, Jingui took the clock to a clockwork shop to repair. The clerk took it apart, looked carefully then gingerly put it back together

“This clock is way too old, they don't even make replacement part for it anymore.”

“You want to look at some new ones we have in stock?”

Jingui shook his head, then set off back home with the clock in his arms.

At home, Jingui stared at the calendar filled with names, thinking of something.

“Today’s master Jing’s haircutting day.” He came into realization shortly.

Putting down the calendar, Jingui got on his bicycle and again rode down the small alleys of Beijing.

Despite his age of 90, Jingui is still a very capable man. Although his age has been catching up with him recently.

Everyday, Jingui goes to one of his old customers to give a haircut. His schedule is always full.

It has been that way for 30 years.

Arriving at his destination, Jingui got off his bike and picked up the leather suitcase in the backseat.

Jingui stepped into the door, a chubby old man sat on a rocking chair under the big tree in the center of the courtyard.

The old man in the chair turned his head around to see who came. He erupted into a huge smile at the sight of Jingui, a little bit of drool slipping out at the corner of his mouth.

The old man tried to stand up, but Jingui smiled and motioned for him to sit down.

An old lady came out of the door, she also gave Jingui a big smile.

“My old man has been waiting for you for quite a while now.” She laughed.

“I’ll cut your hair.” Jingui said to the old man.

The old man nodded, and reclined into the chair.

“Only you can make my old man so good tempered.” Said the old lady in the doorway. “You should have seen him throw a tantrum the other day.” She laughed.

Jingui smiled, listening to the old lady talking, he picked up his scissors and started work on the old man.

Among all Jingui’s old pals and customers, master Jing was a special one.

He referred to the others as old Wang, old Li. However, he has always called the old man master Jing.

This year is the sixtieth year since they first met, and sixty years Jingui has called him Master Jing.

At the beginning it was reluctant, then it became jokingly. Now it has become affectionate.

When master Jing first came to Jingui, he was still 20. Jingui was still a vibrant young man around 25.

Jing was in flourishing robes, a small bird cage slinging on one hand, and asked Jingui to cut off the ponytail on the back of his head[5].

Jingui cuts his hair, listening to him having a tantrum.

“The stature of my forefathers are going to be ruined in my hands!” Jing yelled, slamming his fist on the small table where Jingui puts his assortment of tools.

When Jingui carefully finishes, master Jing slams down a bag of coins on the table. Jingui takes a look.

“You really don't need to pay me that much.” Said Jingui.

Master Jing shook his head. “Consider it a gift from master Jing.” He said.

Jingui didn't say anything, but he was rather annoyed by the young man’s complete lack of manners.

About a month and a half later, master Jing came to Jingui to have a haircut again. This time much more withered looking.

When Jingui finished, Jing still payed a handsome amount.

This time Jingui picked out what he charged, and gave the pouch back to Jing.

“I bet going forward there are many places where you need that money.” Jingui patted his shoulder.

Master Jing shook a little bit, but took the pouch and left.

He’s been coming to Jingui’s ever since.

He has become increasingly polite, the nobility in him draining away.

Master Jing likes to talk with Jingui when working on him.

Jing talks about things going on in the palace. Jingui has a faint idea of who he was.

But it doesn't matter anymore since it’s the age of the republic now, and Jingui didn't care enough to ask.

Master Jing is becoming increasingly poor.

He used to come for a haircut every month, now it three. His cloths are now dirty, and his face unshaven.

Master Jing finds some excuses every times he comes to Jingui. “Some other thing came in the way”, or “I went to another barber the other time.”

After a few times, he stopped trying to find excuses.

Jing started to come more often, sometimes with wounds on him.

A man that once used to pay handsomely is slipping dangerously close to poverty.

One time when he came for a haircut, he fumbled around in his pockets for a while, then stood there awkwardly for he cannot find a single coin on him.

Jingui smiled and said: “Its nothing, pay me next time.”

It was half a year later that master Jing came again. This time, his clothes are much more worn out, and didn't say a thing about the palace. Unlike what he usually talks about when Jingui works on him.

Jingui didn't ask, there are plenty of people like this in Beijing after the monarchy fell.

Many people simply can’t accept the fall from nobility to just being ordinary.

After that Jing became one of his old customers.

He still calls him master Jing, but without the reluctance from before.

Jing has a weird temper, he can’t get along with people well.

He always gets into fights with people, but often ends up being brutally beaten, hence the wounds he always has.

But never once in the 70 years he has known Jingui ever got red faced with him.

Now master Jing is very old, he lies on his armchair in the courtyard. He even needs help with going to the bathroom.

Only on the subject of haircutting, there is no negotiation. It has to be Jingui.

Once Jingui was not in town for a long time, Jing’s son found another barber to do the job. However master Jing threw a temper fit, accidentally falling off the chair.

Jingui does the works on him, talking with him the whole time.

“Threw a temper with you daughter the other day? You really are stubborn aren’t you.”

“Go outside and take a walk when you have the time, your legs are going to shrivel if you don't use them.”

Jingui talks, master Jing listens.

He has never had many true friends in his life except for Jingui, that’s why he’s so happy every time Jingui comes.

Although it has only been a month, Jing’s hair and mustache has been growing like an untended lawn.

“If only the lifeforce of these old pals are strong as their mustaches.” Thought Jingui.

Jingui finished and packed up. The old lady walked over and handed him a five dollar bill.

Jingui nodded, and said goodbye to the two. Then got on his bicycle and left.

Jingui has cut the hairs of many people in Beijing.

Some people’s first haircut is from Jingui, and their last as well before they pass.

Every day, Jingui goes to each home according to the names on his calendar. No matter how much the cost of living has gone up, the price has remained the same for 30 years: 5 dollars.

In the afternoon, Jingui goes to some of his old pals for a game of Mojang.

Some of them are always interested about Jingui’s past.

“I heard Mr. Mei[6] asked you for a haircut once?”

“I gave him one.”

“How about General Ma[7]?”

“Gave him one too.”

“What happened to them afterwards?”

“They all died.”

“The rich, the famous, the powerful, they all died in the end.” Jingui sighed.

Everyday Jingui plays Mojang with his old pals, the subject is different.

“Heard that our block is getting removed? There’s a lot of cash in government subsidiaries.”

“They talk about that every day, hell knows when that's going to happen.”

“Probably after we die.”

Jingui doesn't care, he lived here his entire life, and never thought of leaving.

His old pals and customers are passing on one by one.

Jingui sometimes feel lonely.

He doesn't fear death, he’s just afraid he can’t pass away calmly.

They talked about that when playing.

“If someone has to die, it better be clean.”

“Yeah, just afraid that it won’t be a strain on our sons and daughters.”

“Old Qian didn't pass cleanly, his family is going to have a hard time dealing with the medical bills.”

“If a man has walked the earth cleanly, then he should also pass cleanly.” Jingui gave his thoughts on the matter.

After Jingui went home, he pondered for a while, and decided he is going to shoot a picture for his portrait of the deceased.

In the photo booth, the cameraman cant help but tell him that he has never seen any other old man as magnificent as he looks.

Jingui smiled and shook his head, but didn't say anything.

He framed the picture and put it up on the wall in his home.

It was a black and white picture, although he looks kindly in the picture, it still cant mask the fact that it's a portrait for the deceased.

Jingui liked it, he thinks his grandson won’t be scared of it if one day he sees it.

Time trickled past

Three months later, Jingui walked into the Mojang place again as he always does in the afternoons.

They talked about master Jing.

“That old dog went to see Queen Cixi[8]”

“He passed?”

“emhmm”

“When?”

“A day ago.”

“I need to see him.” Said Jingui.

He rode the bike to master Jing’s. There’s no one here except the old lady and people from the funeral home.

Jing had a bad temper for all his life, and also few relatives.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Jingui asked the old lady.

“He wouldn't let me.”

Jingui went up to the open coffin where his lifelong friend lies.

He took out his toolset, and gave him one last haircut.

Cut his hair, shaved his face, trimmed his nostril hair, the works.

After he finished, Jingui looked at his friend for a long time, then closed the lid of the coffin.

When he got home, Jingui scratched off master Jing’s name from the calendar.

Looking at the names he scratched off, he sighed, and didn't say anything.

A few days later people from the funeral home came, this time with a filming crew, they plan on filming a documentary on Jingui’s life.

Jingui thought for a while, and nodded.

The camera operator asked Jingui to talk about his life for about 10 minutes.

Jingui thought that’s way too much time.

He started:

“My name is Jing Guang Cai (Alias), born in 1913, when I was young I didn't have an interest in either books or the blade, and so I became a barber.”

“I’ve had two wives, they were both great people. I didn't deserve them.”

“I have a son that is nothing like me, I love him nonetheless.”

“When I was young I cut the hair of the general. Out of nervousness I shaved off half his eyebrows. I was terrified, but he laughed and told me not to worry.”

…

Jingui kept talking until the a filming crew member told him he was way over 10 minutes.

“Right, do you have anything else to add?”

Jingui thought, and shook his head.

…

In 2014 Jingui was hospitalized for pneumonia.

On the morning of October the 31st 2014 around 9:20, the legendary barber Jingui passed on because of illness at the age of 101

[1] General Ma Zhanshan, hero of the anti-Japanese war.

[2] General Fu Zuoyi, general of the republic of China

[3] Mr. Shang Xiaoyun, one of the most renowned performing artists in China for the past few decades.

[4] Mr. Cheng Yanqiu, another very influential performing artist.

[5] For context: The time period when both master Jing and Jingui were young was when the Qing dynasty collapsed. Master Jing was an inherited noble. However with the monarchy collapsing and the revolution starting, all nobles were ordered to cut off the ponytails on the back of their heads, which was a symbol of stature in the king’s court before the revolution. The rich people of the capitol liked to have birds for pets, carrying them around wherever they go. Some old people of Beijing still have this habit.

[6] Mei Lan Fang. One of the most renowned performing artists China has seen in the past two centuries.

[7] Ma Zhan Shang. Hero of the anti-Japanese war, general of the Republic of China.

[8] The last Queen regent of China, effectively ruler of the Qing dynasty in the late stages.