Chapter 1145

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

The next day, Wang Erhai and Zhang Yueran accompanied Wang Xiaohua together to handle Li Jianjia's funeral arrangements.

Wang Xiaohua hired an encoffiner to come over and apply makeup for Li Jianjia.

Her head had been smashed flat, but the encoffiner's skill was superb; after applying makeup, she was actually restored to seventy or eighty percent.

Li Jianjia looked just as if she were asleep, lying there quietly.

Wang Xiaohua looked at her, and couldn't help but feel grief welling up from within.

A perfectly fine person, just like that, was going to bid farewell forever.

After obtaining the death certificate at the hospital, they then sent Li Jianjia to the crematorium.

After submitting the death certificate, they queued for a while, and then it was Li Jianjia's turn for cremation.

Wang Xiaohua stood outside the cremation chamber, separated by a layer of glass, staring blankly as Li Jianjia's body was sent into the cremation furnace.

Everything returns to dust, earth to earth; after many years, who would still remember that such a near-perfect girl had once come into this world?

After the cremation, bringing the ashes back to County Central Garden, the time was already past three in the afternoon.

Wang Xiaohua told Wang Erhai and Zhang Yueran to go back; he wanted to be alone quietly for a bit.

Wang Erhai feared Wang Xiaohua might do something stupid, and was unwilling to leave.

Wang Xiaohua then said:

"Second Brother, rest assured, I won't seek death. Jianjia actually always hoped I would live better. I just simply want to be alone and quiet for a while."

Zhang Yueran tugged on Wang Erhai:

"Erhai, let's go, give some time for your Third Brother to process it himself."

Then she also said to Wang Xiaohua:

"Come to my place for dinner tonight. When I've finished cooking dinner, I'll have Erhai come pick you up. How about that?"

"Okay, okay, thank you, Second Sister-in-law."

Wang Erhai was still a bit worried, but was pulled away by Zhang Yueran.

Just as they stepped out the door, Wang Erhai became a bit displeased:

"Why are you pulling me? I'm really afraid my Third Brother will jump off a building like Li Jianjia. Don't forget, Li Jianjia jumped precisely when my Third Brother went out to see you off!"

Zhang Yueran, however, said:

"Your Third Brother isn't Li Jianjia. He's not as fragile as Li Jianjia. Give him some space. Trust me, I won't misjudge this."

Seeing Zhang Yueran speak so firmly, Wang Erhai didn't say anything more.

The two left together, and on the way stopped by the supermarket to buy some dishes. Tonight Wang Erhai would personally cook a meal for his Third Brother.

After Wang Erhai and Zhang Yueran left, Wang Xiaohua sat in the living room sofa.

The tea table in front of the sofa had gone from one urn to two urns.

The air was quiet to the point of being somewhat suffocating.

Wang Xiaohua quietly looked at the urns, feeling even his breathing hurt a little.

However, he didn't completely fall into grief, unable to extricate himself.

He stood up and started cleaning the room.

Because no one had lived in this house for too long, a thick layer of dust had settled on the floor. Today was the first day Li Jianjia moved back in here; the hygiene had to be cleaned up properly.

Wang Xiaohua busied himself.

Wiping windows, wiping tables and chairs, wiping cabinets, sweeping the floor, tidying the messy clothes inside the bedroom.

After the entire room was cleaned spotless, Wang Xiaohua finally let out a breath of relief.

"Jianjia, from now on you and your dad will live here. I'll come back to visit you regularly."

Wang Xiaohua placed Li Jianjia's urn in the side bedroom she used to live in, and placed Li Zhongxian's urn in the master bedroom.

He offered incense before the portraits of the deceased for both of them, then left.

Wang Xiaohua knew he had to move forward.

Carrying Jianjia's dying wish, to live well in this world.

If he followed in Jianjia's footsteps and sought death, wouldn't Jianjia's death have become meaningless?

Jianjia always hoped he would become better. Even at the moment of death, that wish never changed. He must make Jianjia's wish come true, become stronger and more outstanding, and then tell everyone in this world that there once was a girl he deeply loved...

When night fell, Wang Xiaohua rode a three-wheeler by himself to Wang Erhai and Zhang Yueran's residence; he didn't trouble Wang Erhai to come pick him up.

"Knock knock knock!"

While Wang Erhai was stir-frying dishes, a knock on the door came from the entrance.

"Coming, just a moment!"

Zhang Yueran hurriedly put down the string beans she was snapping, and walked quickly to open the door.

"Xiaohua, how come you came by yourself? Didn't I say to have Erhai come get you?"

Zhang Yueran opened the door, saw it was Wang Xiaohua, and couldn't help but be surprised.

"No need to trouble Second Brother to make a trip. Me coming myself is fine."

Zhang Yueran smiled and said:

"Seeing you this strong, I'm relieved then."

Wang Xiaohua asked at this moment:

"Dinner isn't ready yet, right? Do you need me to help out as a kitchen hand?"

Zhang Yueran said:

"Then come over and help snap the green beans. Your second brother is making braised fish!"

"Sure, sure."

Wang Xiaohua walked into the kitchen. Wang Erhai turned back, saw him come over, and hurriedly said:

"You go wait outside. No need for you to come into the kitchen!"

Zhang Yueran, however, said:

"Why be so stand-offish? Xiao Hua isn't some customer. He's our own family. I'm having him help me snap green beans together! You do your cooking, don't burn it!"

Wang Xiaohua then said:

"Second Brother, sitting outside is pretty boring too. Coming to help out as a kitchen hand is fine."

Wang Erhai sighed:

"Alright, alright. Then you help out with it."

While snapping green beans, Wang Xiaohua said:

"Second Brother, I plan to take a flight back to Beijing tonight. After we finish eating, can you send me to Baiyun Airport?"

"In such a rush to leave?" Wang Erhai was somewhat surprised.

Zhang Yueran, however, knew that Wang Xiaohua didn't want to linger too long in this place of sadness. Otherwise, once he fell in, it would be hard to walk out of the sorrow. He went back to the University side; with things to keep him busy, he might gradually forget the sadness.

So Zhang Yueran said:

"Xiao Hua wants to go back and handle academic matters. Leaving early is normal too. You just send him off later!"

Wang Erhai sighed again:

"Alright. I was thinking we'd go visit Big Brother together later. Since you're in such a rush to go back, forget it. We'll talk next time there's an opportunity."

Wang Xiaohua then said:

"Second Brother, regarding Dad's side, you and Big Brother will have to put in more effort. There's not much I can help with."

Wang Erhai then said:

"Rest assured. You don't need to worry about this. We'll handle it well!"

Wang Erhai finished the braised fish, then took the green beans to blanch. After blanching, he stir-fried them together with pork belly, making a dish of dry-fried green beans with pork belly.

Besides the braised fish and dry-fried green beans with pork belly, he also made a chicken braised with mushrooms that Wang Xiaohua used to love eating, and additionally made a lotus root spare rib soup.

Three dishes and one soup. Three people eating. The quantity was already enough.

The three finished eating. Zhang Yueran cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks. Wang Erhai sent Wang Xiaohua to the airport.

Past nine PM, Wang Xiaohua had already arrived at the airport.

He had bought the plane ticket in advance on his mobile phone.

It was a 10:30 PM departure flight.

Waited a while in the departure lounge, and it was boarding time.

Once he boarded the plane, the plane took off, pierced the night sky, and flew into high altitude.

Through the plane's window, through the cloud layer, he looked down upon the pitch-black earth below dotted with specks of light.

Everything was so unreal.

It made him feel as if it were a dream.

Perhaps life itself is just one big dream.