Chapter 482: Money Can't Be Borrowed

Yes, he is not dead yet.

But ever since the fire, he has felt his body getting worse day by day.

The only reason he forced himself to attend this class reunion was because he wanted to see Si Rong one more time.

No matter what, they once had feelings for each other.

This Ming Zi is truly as annoying as ever; I don't know how Si Rong has managed to stay friends with her for so many years.

He didn't care, "Not dead yet, sorry to disappoint you."

"I am indeed a bit disappointed," Ming Zi said sincerely, "But then again, the old saying that 'a bane lasts a thousand years' still holds some truth."

Shen Lan didn't hear what else she said, his eyes just gazing infatuatedly at Si Rong.

She seemed just as beautiful as before, not having changed a bit over these years.

Just like when he first saw her in the school dance studio, beautiful and ethereal as if not of this world.

But he, however, had already grown old.

Gray hair had sprouted on his head, making him look like he wasn't even from the same generation as her.

Originally, they could have been together.

Back then, he had indeed listened to Li Xuan and wanted to scheme against Si Rong, but he also harbored selfish motives in his heart.

He thought that after marrying Si Rong, he would surely treat her very, very well—so well that even if Si Rong found out he had two children with Li Xuan, she wouldn't be willing to divorce him.

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes.

Perhaps he might have felt regret in his heart before, but now he only found it laughable; how did he ever dare to think that way about a person as god-like as Si Rong?

Just like in the past, Jiang Cheng and Si Rong were still the protagonists of the class reunion.

As far as he knew, quite a few classmates came to this reunion specifically for them.

After all, Jiang Cheng had power and connections.

Si Rong was a director of several companies and held immense influence.

A single word from them could perhaps change the fate of an ordinary person.

Shen Lan saw a gaudily dressed female classmate trying her best to squeeze toward Jiang Cheng; before Si Rong could say anything, Jiang Cheng had already turned cold, and immediately, other classmates mocked that girl.

Seeing that her seduction failed, the female classmate hurried away after a short while.

"Actually, you can't blame Yiyi for being sad," Cui Lili whispered to a few other classmates, "Back in school, before Jiang Cheng and Si Rong were together, this Yiyi chased after Jiang Cheng for four years."

"Four years? That really is quite devoted."

"That's why they say fate is truly marvelous."

Throughout the class reunion, Shen Lan didn't say much; when it ended, he stood alone and forlorn by the roadside, watching Jiang Cheng and Si Rong leave together in a sedan.

Her crimson long dress and Jiang Cheng's evergreen-colored overcoat were intertwined, possessing an indescribable grace and beauty.

This bright moon still rose high into the sky, while a mediocre person like him only had the qualification to gaze from afar.

This was the last time Shen Lan saw Si Rong.

During the Ghost Festival, Shen Lan went to visit Li Xuan's grave.

After Li Xuan died, she was buried in the graveyard of their Shen Family Village; her own family never came to see her once.

Only Shen Yuan had been there, burning some paper money without saying anything.

She was also a pitiful woman.

Shen Lan instructed Shen Chi that after he died, he should be buried with Li Xuan.

Although he didn't know what kind of feelings he and Li Xuan actually had, Shen Lan felt that people must be very lonely after death.

Having someone to keep company would be fine.

Shen Chi was silent, and in the end, he asked him another question, "Do you know that Xiao Nian is getting married tomorrow?"

"I know," Shen Lan patted his shoulder, "Dad knows you are hurting inside; it's all Dad's fault for doing so many wrong things when I was young."

"But now regret is useless; it cannot be changed."

He let out a long sigh, paused, and then added, "A person's life is very long; trust Dad, as long as you go to more places, you will definitely meet the person most suitable for you."

"The Li family's conditions are good; with Xiao Nian's temperament, she won't suffer much after marrying over there."

"Let it go."

Shen Chi didn't believe it; he would only love Xiao Nian in this life.

"Dad, after I die, I don't want to be buried in the dirt; just scatter my ashes into the small river."

"You child! At such a young age, what is this talk of dying?" Shen Lan scolded, taking a bankbook out of his pocket.

"This fire cost some money to compensate the neighbors and the landlord; this is all our family has left."

"Dad isn't worried about Xiao Nian since she's marrying into the Li family; keep this money for your school expenses."

Shen Chi did not reach out to take it.

"Also, if Dad is gone in the future, spend more time with Wang Dani; she still cares for you," Shen Lan hoped his son would still have relatives after he was gone.

"That girl Shen Yuan is also a good one; keep in touch with your sister more often. If anything really happens, she won't ignore you."

Shen Lan rambled on and on, but Shen Chi's thoughts had long since drifted away, his eyes staring blankly into the distance, not knowing what he was thinking about.

Wang Dani found her way to Shen Daniu's house.

She stood at the doorway, feeling a bit embarrassed to go in for a moment.

When they were young, their two families had fought over land division, and she had almost cut off Shen Daniu's little 'bull' with a sickle; it was a standing joke in the village.

To this day, there is still a deep scar on the inner thigh of Shen Daniu.

That was a meritorious scar; if it weren't for it, Shen Daniu might have been missing an important part.

Anyway, ever since then, Shen Daniu's wife, Fenghua, never called Wang Dani 'sister-in-law' again, and she always looked at her with disdain.

"Oh~ look who's here? Coming empty-handed without a sickle?"

Fenghua held a basin in her hands and huffed indignantly.

Back then, this poisonous woman had swung a sickle down; although she hadn't cut off her husband's "thing," after that scare, he was never able to use it again.

That was why she got angry whenever she saw this sister-in-law.

"Fenghua, stop being angry. Everything back then was my fault. Um, is Daniu home? I have something I'd like to discuss with him."

"What is it? You can just tell me; I'm the one who calls the shots in this house." Fenghua understood well that one doesn't visit a temple without a reason, and besides, this brother and sister-in-law had long since moved to Huaiyang, and the two families didn't usually keep in touch; this sudden visit must be for something major.

Could it be that she's here to borrow money?

Fenghua glared, "Let me tell you, anything else is fine, but there's no money to lend!"

Wang Dani said sheepishly, "Dazhuang, Dazhuang is sick."

"Sick?" Fenghua snorted coldly, "What kind of sickness? I knew it, so she only came to the door because she's sick; if there were any good news, she'd never think of us."

When Wang Dani was young, she was never a match for this sister-in-law in a war of words, and now, so many years later, she hadn't improved at all, so she had no choice but to bring out her trump card.