Chapter 790

In Zhenxing Village, Niu Hongjuan arrived on her motorcycle. Seeing her, the courtyard, which had been noisy, suddenly fell silent.

Niu Hongjuan instantly became the focus, but she ignored the gazes directed at her and walked into the room.

Coming before Su Yuling's body, she knelt on the ground with a thud. The old branch secretary hurriedly grabbed her arm.

"Except for immediate family, women cannot kneel and kowtow. Just bowing is enough, especially since you are an elder."

"I am apologizing on behalf of my nephew, and besides, the deceased is the most important."

Niu Hongjuan didn't get up and kowtowed three times.

"Yuling, it's all my fault for not teaching that beast Shulin well, letting him do something that angers both heaven and man. I've already found Old Master Zhu to make you a heavy machine gun, and I'll burn it for you tomorrow. When that beast Meng Shulin goes down, you use the machine gun to blast him and take your revenge."

Damn it, everyone inside and outside the room who heard this widened their eyes. This woman was truly ruthless; this was making sure her nephew would have his soul scattered even after going down. However, that beast Meng Shulin really deserved to never be reincarnated.

Niu Hongjuan stood up, lit three sticks of incense, and then turned to leave, seeing Zhou Andong walking over.

"Aunt-in-law!" Yuan Hai and Yuan Tao called out.

Niu Hongjuan nodded and looked Zhou Andong up and down: "Truly a talent!"

Zhou Andong said: "It's alright, at least I'm not ugly, and I don't scare people when I go out at night."

Niu Hongjuan laughed, then her expression became serious. She leaned forward slightly and whispered into Zhou Andong's ear.

"Yuan Hongbiao is looking for you to invest; don't agree. His mines have big problems."

After finishing, Niu Hongjuan patted Zhou Andong on the shoulder, "When you have time, come over to the house to sit; Aunt-in-law will cook wild game for you."

"Alright!" Zhou Andong agreed.

Niu Hongjuan came and went quickly, riding her motorcycle, disappearing in a burst of sputtering sounds.

After five o'clock in the evening, Yuan Hongjun came to call Zhou Andong and the others back for dinner.

When they arrived home, there were six tables set up in the courtyard. Wu Chao and the others were sitting at three tables, which made Zhou Andong shake his head.

This wouldn't do. Although there were many people cooking, making so much for every meal was exhausting.

"Dongzi!" Uncle Yuan Hongdang shouted, shaking the half-bottle of Yugong left over from last night, "Come over, let's have a drink."

"Coming!" Zhou Andong walked over, and Yuan Hai and the others followed and sat down.

Zhou Andong tilted his head and looked at the old man sitting beside him: "Grandpa, want a drink?"

The old man said: "Have a drink!"

"Uncle, give me the wine, I'll pour it." Xiaobei took the bottle, first poured for Grandpa, then for the uncles and aunt-in-law, and finally for Zhou Andong and the older brothers.

On the table, boiled corn and edamame were piled in large basins, steaming hot.

Zhou Andong picked up a corn cob and gnawed on it, "Delicious!"

Uncle Yuan Hongdang said with a smile: "If it's delicious, eat more. We have plenty of this stuff. If you didn't get enough today, I'll go to the fields and snap some more tomorrow."

Zhou Andong nodded: "As long as you're willing, we have so many people."

Yuan Hongdang said unhappily: "In the countryside, we have nothing else, but plenty of corn. We have over two acres of land; it's enough."

Zhou Andong grinned: "Where can we buy wreaths and paper crafts around here?"

Yuan Hongdang looked at the little girl in Jian Qiu's arms, who was eating sponge cake with her little mouth while staring at the stewed meat on the table without blinking, as if she knew it tasted better than the sponge cake.

"You have to go to the county. Old Zhu's family in town makes paper crafts; the craftsmanship is good and cheap, but you have to order in advance. If you go now, it's definitely too late."

Zhou Andong threw the corn cob on the table, grabbed a handful of edamame, and asked in surprise: "Can this stuff be ordered in advance?"

Yuan Hongdang said with a smile: "As long as it's not an accidental death, it can definitely be predicted a few days in advance."

Yuan Hongjun said: "Old Master Zhu has good craftsmanship. In the past, when someone in the family passed away, they would order it when they were gasping their last breath. The old master would take his son and daughter, work through the night to finish the job, and it would be ready for pickup the next day.

Now that he's old, his son and daughter are married, so he doesn't take urgent jobs, and he doesn't rely on this craft to make a living anymore. So if you want to find Old Master Zhu to make paper crafts, you can only do it a day or two in advance."

Zhou Andong nodded and shouted: "Wu Chao!"

"Boss!" Wu Chao swallowed what was in his mouth and walked over.

Zhou Andong said: "In a while, take some people to the county to buy a wreath, and some paper crafts, like a treasure basin, a money tree, etc. Buy whatever you can."

After finishing, he looked at the old man: "Grandpa, are there any customs regarding this?"

The old man took a sip of wine: "There's nothing special, just that on the road to the Yellow Springs, women ride cows and men ride donkeys. You have to pay attention to that."

"Understood!" Zhou Andong looked at Wu Chao, "Did you remember? Buy a cow too."

"Remembered!" Wu Chao agreed.

"Also!" Zhou Andong grabbed another handful of edamame, "We don't need so much security here. You, Wang Wentian, Zhao Hong, and He Ze stay behind; the others go to the county and find a hotel to stay in.

Leave the RV for me, leave one small car, and let them drive the other cars away. Also, those two vans, drive them to the county to load the wreaths."

"Alright!" Wu Chao went back to continue eating.

Yuan Hongbiao looked at the little girl in Jian Qiu's arms and pondered for a moment: "Second Brother, Third Brother, now that the child is part of our family and her mother is gone, we should also buy a wreath."

Hearing this, the old man nodded and said: "That should be done!"

Zhou Andong did a count. Four uncles—although the youngest uncle hadn't arrived yet, he counted him too. Plus the aunt, Yuan Hai, Yuan Tao, Yuan Ying, Liu Hao, Old Zhou, and Zhou Andong himself, that made eleven wreaths.

Yuan Hongjun said: "Get one for Yuan Mei."

"Then that's twelve." Zhou Andong gestured to Wu Chao.

Xiaobei hesitated: "Brother, should I buy one?"

Xiao Qin held the little girl who had eaten her fill: "As her aunt, I should buy one too."

"Buy it!" Zhou Xiaoxin spoke up, "Add two more."

Zhou Andong shouted to Wu Chao again: "Have them write the elegiac couplets and names directly."

After finishing the meal, Wu Chao and the others drove off, and Zhou Andong and Yuan Hai and the others went over.

Because the child wouldn't cry for anyone else, Jian Qiu went along too, as did Yuan Ying and Xiao Qin.

Since they had adopted Zhou Le, Zhou Andong had to do his best for Su Yuling's funeral.

When the child grows up and learns about her background, he would have a clear conscience and be able to face the child.

There were many more people at night than during the day; the courtyard was a bit crowded, and the alley was full of people too.

Seeing Zhou Andong and the Yuan family members coming, they made way.