Chapter 905

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Three days later, Zhang Zhongtian was carried out for burial.

Zhang Zhongtian's funeral was very simple.

No ritual master was invited, no band was invited, not even people to prepare the flowing water banquet for the white affair were invited.

Compared to Li Xiaohe's funeral before, it was worlds apart.

This wasn't because Yao Aina was frugal, nor was it because Zhang Zhongtian left a will to simplify everything.

It was purely because the Zhang family really had no money left.

In the days to come, there was still a disabled son to take care of, and a grandson who hadn't even started primary school yet to raise; the money needed for all this was still a lot.

So Yao Aina could only swallow her pride and make the funeral simpler.

Fortunately, Shanggou Village was a warm little village.

Almost everyone living in the village came over to help.

The villagers did not refuse to help just because the Zhang family had fallen on hard times.

Upon learning Yao Aina hadn't hired people to prepare the white affair banquet, Wang Erhai even took the initiative to help.

Early in the morning he drove to the town to buy food ingredients.

After the ingredients were bought back, he found a few elderly women in the village to help cook dishes together.

Li Xiulan also came over to help.

She was in charge of washing vegetables, and worked very diligently.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the funeral procession was to set off.

But the people responsible for carrying the coffin hadn't been selected yet.

Wang Erhai then took the initiative to propose that he could carry the coffin.

With Wang Erhai saying this, Liang Xinghua also stepped forward voluntarily.

Another two old bachelors were found, reluctantly making up four people; they offered incense, set off firecrackers, and hurriedly carried the coffin onto the funeral car.

As for the send-off ceremony, because no ritual master was invited to preside, it was omitted.

Even the person to hold the black-and-white portrait along the way was omitted; originally it should have been Zhang Zhiqiang, Zhang Zhongtian's only son, to hold the portrait, but because Zhang Zhiqiang was now disabled — not only had he lost a leg, but one hand was also crippled — he couldn't walk and couldn't hold up the photo, so having him hold the portrait was clearly unrealistic.

As for Zhang Zhongtian's grandson Zhang Jiajun, he was still so very small, and also couldn't hold the portrait.

Yao Aina said she would hold the portrait, but some elders in the village said this didn't comply with the rules; as long as there were other men in the family, a woman couldn't hold the portrait — a woman holding the portrait meant the male line had died out, which was inauspicious.

So in the end, they simply didn't have anyone hold the portrait.

The portrait was hung on the front of the coffin, and they sent him off just like that.

Wang Erhai followed along to the crematorium.

Helping Yao Aina run back and forth.

Cremation required handling procedures, and these procedures were all handled by Wang Erhai.

By a little past two in the afternoon, Zhang Zhongtian had been placed into the golden urn.

Back in Shanggou Village, inside the Zhang Family Villa, it was lively and bustling; because no white cloth or white silk was hung, passersby who didn't know the truth would probably think a happy event was being held.

Zhang Zhongtian's passing stirred up a wave of discussion in Shanggou Village.

But this was like a gust of wind — it came fast, and went fast too.

No one would remain immersed in Zhang Zhongtian's passing forever, including his wife, his son, his grandson.

So this matter passed quickly.

Shanggou Village returned to its former calm.

Wang Erhai continued doing his Village Cadre work, and continued developing his farm.

This day Wang Erhai had just arrived at the Village Cadre office when Yao Aina came looking for him.

Not seeing her for a few days, Yao Aina had aged a lot.

Ever since Zhang Zhongtian passed away, half her spirit had been drained away.

"Erhai, I've come to discuss something with you..."

Facing Wang Erhai, Yao Aina was polite and courteous.

"Auntie Aina, whatever it is, just say it!"

Wang Erhai hurriedly poured a cup of tea water and brought it over, not putting on any Village Cadre airs at all.

"No need, no need, I'll leave after I finish speaking."

Yao Aina hurriedly declined the tea water, but Wang Erhai still handed the teacup to her.

"No need to be polite, whoever comes I'll pour tea for!"

Yao Aina carefully took a small sip of tea water, then said:

"Erhai, I heard that next year's poor household applications are about to start; you tell me, can our family apply for poor household status?"

Wang Erhai was stunned, looking at the old woman before him, and couldn't help feeling a pang of sighing emotion.

You have to know, when Zhang Zhongtian was still alive, the Zhang family was so glorious — a grand villa, a BMW car, a restaurant in town, a building in the county town.

Who would have thought the family would fall into decline so swiftly.

Zhang Zhongtian has only been gone a short while, and Yao Aina is already thickening her face to come apply for poor household status.

This isn't Yao Aina being greedy for that little bit of cheap advantage.

Rather, this family of hers truly had no way out.

Right now, Zhang Zhiqiang's monthly rehabilitation fees still required quite a lot.

The family's money had long since been used up.

She, Yao Aina, an old woman, couldn't earn much money either.

Forget three thousand a month; even if it were five hundred a month, asking her to earn it, she would find it very hard to earn.

"Auntie Aina, this... puts me in a bit of a difficult spot..."

Wang Erhai's brows furrowed slightly.

It wasn't that he didn't want to give the Zhang family a poor household quota, but the Zhang family's conditions truly did not qualify.

Yao Aina hurriedly asked:

"Erhai, what's so difficult about this? My family's current situation, you know clearly."

Wang Erhai then explained patiently:

"Your family's situation, I know, it's very difficult, but the Town leaders issued a document stipulating that poor households cannot own self-built buildings with a total area exceeding one hundred square meters. Auntie Aina, your family's big villa..."

Speaking up to here, Wang Erhai gave a bitter laugh:

"If people who don't know the truth saw this, a poor household living in the village's best big villa, what would they think?"

Yao Aina's face immediately fell with disappointment.

Then she was at a loss, bewildered:

"Then what can be done? I can't earn money, my son can't work, my grandson has to start primary school tomorrow, Erhai, tell me what should I do..."

Yao Aina lifted her head, her face full of wrinkles, a pitiful pleading look in her eyes, looking at Wang Erhai, seeking help from Wang Erhai.

"Auntie Aina, don't panic first, there will always be a way."

Wang Erhai couldn't bear it in his heart, so he said:

"How about this, I'll report your family's situation to the Town leaders, see if they can give your family special approval."

Yao Aina was immediately filled with gratitude:

"Then thank you, Erhai, you must make them give me special approval, this is very important to me, to my family!"

A poor household only gets several hundred yuan in subsidies each month, not much, but to Yao Aina, it truly was very important, even relating to whether they could survive.

Wang Erhai didn't dare slack off on this matter either.

So that very evening he went to verify the Zhang family's household financial situation, and then the next morning, he specially made a trip to the Town.

Arriving at the Town Government, he found Deputy Town Mayor Zhong Hongtao, and explained the situation of Zhang Zhongtian's family.

Zhong Hongtao listened, but frowned, somewhat disbelieving:

"No matter how declined the Zhang family is, they shouldn't be unable to even afford food, right? You have to know, when Zhang Zhongtian was still alive, he made quite a lot of money. It's only been how long since he passed away, and the family situation has become this bad?"

Zhong Hongtao maintaining a suspicious attitude was also very normal.

After all, an ordinary family couldn't possibly decline this fast.

There should at least be a process.

Yet the Zhang Zhongtian family was like a meteorite falling.

With a "Boom", they dropped straight from the sky to the ground.