Chapter 51: You Are the Real Chen Yaozu

After watching the original video, Chen Yaozu fell silent for a long while; as the saying goes, a parent's love for their child means making far-reaching plans for them.

This San Shu, though not a parent, was not much different from one as far as the identity he bore was concerned.

From the tone in his video, it could be seen that he was very proud, even arrogant, of his own honors and meritorious deeds.

Yet this man, so proud and arrogant of his merits and honors, actually did something akin to acting roguishly toward his superiors for the sake of this nephew bearing his identity — using his own dying body with only a few months left to live to take the nephew's crimes upon himself.

At the end of the will, there were no other special requests — just that he truly find someone to marry and carry on the family line; this was simply an ordinary parent's demand of their child.

To tell the truth, even though he had already shaken off the influence of these past months' memories, he still felt a bit stifled.

Even knowing that the person this San Shu held in his heart was not himself, and that he need not feel guilty, he still felt a bit sad.

The main thing was that this San Shu still did not know that this nephew's killing was originally a setup.

The phone rang again; it was Ms. Yuan's number. He picked up his cell phone, thought for a moment, then answered: "Hello, Ms. Yuan, is it about San Shu's funeral arrangements?"

Ms. Yuan's end asked in a very calm tone: "Just now on the domestic internet, a video has gone viral — a Chinese-American young man used a backward lean and body check to knock away someone who ambushed him.

Although the face has been slightly blurred, I can tell it's you.

I don't want to accuse you of anything, but I still want to advise you.

Your San Shu traded his own reputation and honors for your safety, but now that you're in America acting so impulsively, there won't be anyone else to step forward and take the fall for you.

I'm not saying you must endure, that you can only act when endurance is impossible.

Rather, I want to tell you: if you must act, when you stand in a weak position you must deliberate again and again, and strive to keep yourself out of it.

Guaranteeing your own safety is the most important thing.

I know, in this foreign land where racial discrimination is severe, there may be great pressure, and with your personality you're not one who can endure.

But you must ensure you stay alive! And ensure you don't get deported! Do you understand?"

This was a bit earnest and heartfelt; Chen Yaozu fell silent for two seconds, then replied respectfully: "I understand, Third Aunt!"

The moment those two words "Third Aunt" left his mouth, he finally heard stifled, heavy breathing on the other end of the phone; after a good while came Ms. Yuan's slightly tearful voice: "If you encounter danger over there, go find a man named Lin Qinghe; just say you're Tage's nephew. I'll give you his number, write it down……

As long as you haven't done anything that betrays your ancestors, he can guarantee your safety — but unless absolutely necessary, don't go looking for him!

Alright, don't worry about San Shu's funeral arrangements; right now, you being completely out of contact is the best thing!"

He hung up the phone, looked at the slip of paper in his hand with the name and phone number written on it, and put it away.

He didn't know whether the original body's memories were still influencing him, but right now his heart felt very stifled; even though he kept reminding himself that he had merely transmigrated here, merely transmigrated here, and was not San Shu's real nephew.

Yet it was still very hard to bear! He sighed; although he was not the other party's real nephew, he was after all living under the identity of the other party's nephew.

And it was also safety bought with the other party's meritorious deeds and honors, which he valued above his own life; he had to do something, do something as San Shu's nephew.

He glanced at the sky, picked up his car keys, got in the car, and headed straight for Chinatown — who knew if any shops were still open at this hour.

Fortunately, it was a tourist spot after all, and it wasn't too late yet, so his target shop hadn't had time to close.

He actually managed to buy incense, candles, joss paper money, and spirit tablets — yes, even spirit tablets were for sale.

Holding these things, he was just about to leave when the 40-something shop owner called out to him in a thick Minnan dialect: "You're done just like that?"

Chen Yaozu didn't understand; seeing he couldn't comprehend, the owner switched to Mandarin: "I mean, you're done buying just these few things? Looking at what you bought, someone in your family passed away, right?"

Chen Yaozu…… nodded: "Yes, an elder passed away back home; tonight I want to set up a spirit tablet at home and keep vigil, fulfilling my duty as a junior."

"Oh! That makes it simpler!"

The owner indicated he understood, then asked: "Are you alone, or are you married, do you have children?"

Chen Yaozu thought for a moment; Audrey was his fake-marriage wife, but that still counted as a wife, so he said: "I have a wife, no children!"

The clerk brought him a roll of hemp gauze and a hemp robe: "Since you're keeping vigil, it must be for a relative you respect or an elder.

Since you're seeing them off on their final journey, the rites must be fulfilled.

Wearing hemp and mourning clothes is the proper rite a true junior owes an elder.

Women wear the hemp robe; men just wrap a circle of hemp gauze around their heads."

"Next, you go buy a slab of pork belly, buy a chicken; boil these two things in plain water, arrange a plate and offer it before the spirit. Offer tea, wine, incense, and candles, and you'll have fulfilled your duty.

Also, my condolences!"

The clerk packed everything for him and told him the shop wasn't preparing to close recently, and that there was a supermarket with fresh meat and chicken.

He drove to the supermarket, bought a bottle of wine, bought a piece of pork; unfortunately there was no live chicken, so he could only buy a frozen one, then carried a pile of things home.

Just as he returned home and parked the car, he saw Audrey, who had already finished school, waiting at the door: "Zu, Mom made a big dinner, told me to come call you!"

These past few days, because Chen Yaozu and Olivia had both moved into the houses allocated by the school, and the school took good care of them due to their relationship, the two houses were neighbors.

So occasionally when Olivia made something delicious, she would call Chen Yaozu over to eat together.

So the two families' relationship had grown much closer, no longer just a simple cooperative transaction.

Now, she was calling him over to eat again.

"Very sorry, tell Olivia I'm very busy tonight, probably won't have time to come over and eat; you guys eat!"

Chen Yaozu opened the door, got out of the car, opened the trunk and started carrying things out — just the incense and joss paper was a huge bag, and there were other things too! Audrey was sharp-eyed and hurried over to help him carry: "What's this? Are these props for your witchcraft?"

Ever since hearing this news, Chen Yaozu, who had been feeling an inexplicable stifling in his heart, fell silent for a moment before saying: "No, a close relative back in my homeland has passed away; I need to follow Eastern customs to keep vigil for him and send his soul into reincarnation."

"Ah!"

Audrey was stunned by his answer, standing frozen in shock; by the time she reacted, Chen Yaozu had already carried all the things inside.

She suddenly didn't know what to do, didn't know what kind of reaction she should have, and could only carry the joss paper and incense still in her hands and run home in a panic: "Mom……"

Olivia quickly brought the children and Audrey over: "Very sorry, Zu, I only just found out about this.

Now, in the legal sense, we are a family.

So since you're mourning a close relative, we should come over too."

"Thanks!"

Chen Yaozu had already simply set up the spirit tablet, and very quickly boiled the chicken and pork in water and arranged them on plates.

The incense and candles were already lit and stuck in place.

"Then... Audrey, you put this mourning garment on over your clothes, and come kowtow to the spirit tablet with me."

Audrey took the strange garment, obediently put it on, and then glanced at her mother.

Seeing there wasn't one for her, Olivia took the initiative to ask: "Yaozu, what about mine?"

Chen Yaozu shook his head: "You don't need to!"

After Audrey had put on the mourning garment, she stood obediently beside Chen Yaozu, following him to kowtow to the spirit tablet.

【The Four Virtues of the Go To Gate, Filial Piety comes first.

You have always believed you merely usurped the original Chen Yaozu's identity, but you are actually wrong!

You are a replacement, not a usurpation.

That is to say, from the moment you agreed, you became the Chen Yaozu of this world.

And the original body, after giving you his destiny, gave you his everything as well.

Besides Karma, there are also Blood Relations and Kinship Relations.

All of this was originally illusory and not real, but from the moment you successfully Integrated your Life-Bound Item into this world a year ago, it has already turned from illusion into reality.

That Is To Say, all your relationships in this world have already become true.

You are the Chen Yaozu of this world, merely carrying the Memories of another world.

Without the Talisman's supervision, you followed your heart to worship your deceased kin, not losing filial righteousness.

Meeting the true Master Recognition condition of this Talisman, are you willing to let this Talisman recognize you as master?】

(Chapter End)