Chapter 65

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Protagonist:

Jiang Wenyu

The two slowly skirted the crowd and slipped through the main gate.

The girl's weeping inside was intense, stirring an involuntary ache in the listener's heart.

Following the sound into the inner room, nothing seemed changed, yet a thread of chill could be felt the moment they stepped inside.

Two old people who had long since breathed their last lay side by side on the kang; a white quilt covered their heads at some unknown time, and a simply dressed young girl with a single ponytail knelt on the ground weeping in grief.

……

Neither Jiang Wenyu nor Chen Lan stepped forward to disturb her, until the crying girl sensed something and turned to look at them.

The girl's eyes were red and swollen from crying, her face streaked with tear tracks, tears still flowing unceasingly, her voice trembling as she said, "Brother Jiang... Sister Chen..."

Chen Lan was also moved by the scene; after wiping her eyes she went over and embraced the girl, whose weeping grew even more violent.

Jiang Wenyu stood silently behind the whole time, quietly watching it all, and finally lowered his head and let out a deep sigh.

For the rest of the day, more and more people arrived, and that evening the two elders were carried out.

Acquaintances who knew them followed along, heading straight for the elders' burial ground.

The matter was too sudden, so much so that many could not have foreseen it.

That night back home, both fell silent and heavy-hearted; Chen Lan sighed and said, "After it happened a doctor came to examine them, said Uncle Lin died of a sudden illness, and Aunt Lin... because of excessive grief, in the end she..."

She sighed heavily again and continued, "Lin Xiaomei had bought her ticket the day before yesterday; she couldn't get one for the New Year and could only wait until now to come back and see the two elders, but this morning just as she got home..."

Both fell silent in the end, and even Jiang Nuannuan, who had been very lively lately, became unusually quiet.

Half an hour later Chen Lan tidied up a bit and went to Lin Xiaomei's house; the ones closest to Lin Xiaomei were really just Chen Lan and Jiang Wenyu. In Jiang Wenyu's past memories, Lin Xiaomei was a very simple girl, about the same age as Wu Miaomiao, but without Wu Miaomiao's education — she had barely attended school at all — which was precisely why she chose to go work in a big city.

Years away from home, and when she returned it was a case of things remaining but people gone.

"Dad." Jiang Nuannuan called softly to him.

Jiang Wenyu turned and smiled, "Hmm? What is it."

Jiang Nuannuan stared with wide eyes, her childish expression adorable, and asked, "Dad, do I know that Sister Lin?"

Jiang Wenyu remembered that when Nuannuan was just born Lin Xiaomei had just left Chema City, so there had been a single meeting. He smiled and rubbed the little girl's head, saying softly, "You met her once when you were just born; later I'll have Mom take you to see her."

"Mm!"

After that Chen Lan came back once, took bedding and pillows, and left again; her kind heart would not let her ignore the grieving Lin Xiaomei.

Night,

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faded away in the deep stillness; faint light bloomed on both sides of the horizon, and the next day arrived.

Early in the morning Jiang Wenyu brought Nuannuan to Lin Xiaomei's house; the home still hung white silk ribbons and wreaths according to custom, Chen Lan had just gotten up, and Lin Xiaomei was still fast asleep.

After leaving Nuannuan there, he went to work alone.

The new company's location was a bit farther than the Mall, but cycling there was still quick.

Although it was a whole building, it was actually an old building, only two stories and not particularly large in scale, but there was an attached warehouse next door, and the surroundings were quite spacious.

"You're here!" Li Chen walked out from inside. This guy had no house in Chema City so he simply moved into the shop.

The two looked up together at the sign above their heads; the characters on it were neat and orderly.

"Miaoshou Jiang Electrical Appliance Company"

Those few big characters lifted both their spirits; from today onward their lives would be completely different.

"Open for business!"

Jiang Wenyu's gaze was firm and powerful.

Li Chen hesitated, "This fast? Shouldn't we fix the place up properly first?"

Jiang Wenyu shook his head and said meaningfully, "If we keep waiting, the impact of our promotional remarks will lose its effect; opening immediately to capture customers — these past days we haven't really worked, so I expect quite a few people will come. As for the premises, we can slowly tidy it up."