Chapter 97

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Seeing that Zhu Rou Rong actually argued with his own daughter for her sake, Li Xiulan felt truly sorry in her heart.

"Rong Ge, I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble."

Zhu Rou Rong hurriedly said:

"Why are you saying these things to me? This has nothing to do with you. It's my daughter who is too selfish. Isn't it perfectly normal for neighbors to help each other out?"

Although Zhu Rou Rong acted very magnanimous, Li Xiulan still felt sorry in her heart.

She asked:

"Can you let me go and say a couple of sentences to Xiaoling?"

Zhu Rou Rong hesitated for a moment. He was afraid his daughter would speak without thinking and say something harsh to Li Xiulan.

But in the end he still agreed, because he didn't want Li Xiulan to be left with a knot in her heart over this matter.

Li Xiulan walked into the house and looked at He Xiaoling, who was still angry:

"Xiaoling..."

Just as she greeted He Xiaoling, He Xiaoling gave Li Xiulan a cold sidelong glance:

"What are you doing at my house? Get out!"

Seeing He Xiaoling like this, Li Xiulan not only didn't blame her, but instead felt she was very pitiful.

"Xiaoling, I know the feelings in your heart. These years since your mother passed away, you've definitely suffered a lot of grievances. My mother has passed away now too, I understand that feeling."

Li Xiulan spoke these words from the bottom of her lungs.

He Xiaoling's heart couldn't help but tremble, and she was unable to speak.

Li Xiulan said again:

"You can rest assured. I won't steal your dad away. He will forever be your dad. I have my own family, I have children, and I also still want face, and I also have self-respect. It's impossible for me to do that kind of bottomless thing. Your dad helped me out of kindness. I only have feelings of gratitude toward him. Besides that, there are no other impure thoughts. This time I returned to my maternal home, that was also because I had no choice but to ask him to help look after the children at home. I guarantee this is the last time. In the future, I absolutely won't have any further entanglements with your dad. I will stay far away from your dad. I hope you don't hate your dad. He raised you all by himself, and it wasn't easy..."

He Xiaoling's face was full of impatience:

"Are you done? If you're done, then leave!"

Although her mouth was ice-cold, her heart was already a mix of five flavors.

She knew Li Xiulan was right. Her dad had to get up at four-something every morning to slaughter pigs, and almost all the money he earned was spent on her. She wanted pretty dresses, she wanted beautiful shoes, and her dad would buy them for her without a second word.

Li Xiulan was given an expulsion order by He Xiaoling, so she couldn't stay to say anything more.

She turned around and went out the door, came before Zhu Rou Rong, and advised him again:

"Xiaoling is currently in a rebellious phase. You need to give her more patience. Days will get better in the future."

Zhu Rou Rong sighed:

"It's all my fault for indulging her too much before. I spoiled her rotten!"

Then he said:

"You hurry home. Your three kids at home haven't eaten breakfast yet!"

Li Xiulan nodded:

"Then I'll go back, Rong Ge. Goodbye!"

After Li Xiulan left, Zhu Rou Rong entered the living room and discovered He Xiaoling had already returned to her own room.

He took out a bottle of shaojiu.

Drinking the dull wine by himself.

Looking at the portrait of his deceased wife hanging on the living room wall, his mood was indescribably complex, with sadness, loneliness, desolation...

Li Xiulan returned home and saw Wang Dashan and Wang Erhai were in the firewood room cooking congee.

Wang Xiaohua followed behind the two brothers, helping add firewood to the stove.

Seeing Li Xiulan return, Wang Dashan immediately said with an unhappy face:

"Mom, in the future don't let us go to Zhu Rou Rong's house to eat. His daughter simply didn't treat us three brothers as human beings!"

Li Xiulan knew her three sons had been made things difficult for by He Xiaoling at Zhu Rou Rong's house, and she didn't force the matter:

"Okay, okay. In the future I won't let you go to his house anymore."

Wang Erhai said resentfully at this time:

"You also don't go looking for Zhu Rou Rong anymore. Those uncles and aunts at the village entrance are laughing at us, saying you want to find Zhu Rou Rong to be our stepdad! We don't want him as a stepdad. He smells of pig stink!"

Li Xiulan gave a bitter laugh.

Rumors and gossip are the most heart-killing.

The most important thing is, she still has no way to explain clearly.

She could only sigh, then reply:

"Okay, okay. In the future Mommy will never go looking for him again."

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

The day of Li Xiulan's mother's burial arrived.

Today happened to be the neighboring town's market day. Li Xiulan had Wang Dashan and Wang Erhai take a day off, brought all three children along, and went together to see her mother off for the funeral and burial.

After all, she was their maternal grandmother. Letting them all go send their maternal grandmother off on her final journey was still very necessary.

Arriving at her maternal home, her two elder brothers had already arranged some matters.

The coffin was ready, the funeral band was hired, and the chefs for the flowing water banquet were also hired.

The elders responsible for carrying the coffin and setting off firecrackers to lead the way had also already been arranged.

As a married-out daughter, Li Xiulan only needed to attend the funeral like a passerby.

Before the funeral procession, Li Xiulan brought the three children to their grandmother's coffin, offered incense, and made a final farewell.

"Mother, I've brought all three children. Look, they're all doing very well. You can go in peace, don't worry about me..."

Li Xiulan spoke with tear-filled eyes as she looked at the lacquered red coffin.

After the three children knelt and offered incense to their grandmother, they went outside to play.

They were carefree and unconcerned.

Seeing tasty food on the table, they went to take some and eat.

Seeing fun things in the house, they took them to play with.

For them, their grandmother's funeral and Niu Chunsheng's wedding weren't much different.

Both were just eating banquet seats.

But this was good too; at least it wouldn't plant seeds of sorrow in their young hearts.

Suddenly firecracker sounds rang out from outside, followed immediately by the funeral band's music.

The time for the funeral procession and burial had arrived.

Li Yaozu came over to have Li Xiulan put on mourning clothes, wear a filial piety hat, and tie a hemp rope around her waist, then they went together to see the coffin off.

Li Yaozu, the eldest son of the family, walked at the front; he held the portrait, his face weathered.

Ahead of them was an old man responsible for setting off firecrackers to lead the way.

Li Xiulan and Li Jiahao followed behind Li Yaozu.

And behind them was their mother's coffin.

The mother's coffin was carried by four people.

Behind the coffin were other relatives and villagers, as well as the funeral band.

The whole group walked in a grand procession toward the outside of the village.

The suona's sound was melodious and mournful; firecrackers went off from time to time, wisps of white smoke drifting into the sky.

The entire funeral procession walked for about half an hour before finally arriving at the pre-dug grave pit.

After the "master" performed a round of rites, the coffin was lowered, the children covered it with earth, mounded the grave, offered incense, and knelt in worship.

Finally they circled the entire grave mound and set off another big round of firecrackers.

With that, the burial ceremony was complete.

This was the first burial; according to local custom, after three years the bones must be exhumed, a feng shui treasure land chosen, and a second burial conducted.

After the funeral ended, everyone returned to the village to start the banquet.

The chefs for the flowing water banquet had long since set up tables and chairs; seeing everyone return, they immediately began serving dishes.

While everyone ate the banquet, they didn't appear particularly sorrowful; it was lively and bustling, some even eating quite happily.

Li Yaozu took out the cigarettes he'd bought in advance and was handing them out to the men at each table.

Everyone took the cigarettes and told Li Yaozu to accept condolences; Li Yaozu verbally thanked everyone for their help.

The countryside is like this: weddings and funerals are all handled by villagers helping each other together — this is rural human relations; today you help me, tomorrow I'll help you; birth, aging, sickness, death — no one can avoid them, everyone has times when they need help.

However, just as everyone was eating the banquet in a lively clamor!

A group of uninvited guests arrived!

They were unmistakably a group of people wearing police uniforms!

They were the Funeral Enforcement Team!

"Heard someone's doing earth burial here — is that the case?"

The lead enforcement personnel asked expressionlessly.

The atmosphere at the scene changed at once.

All sound came to an abrupt halt, falling quiet.

Everyone looked stunned at the enforcement personnel, faces full of fear, unable to speak; no one answered the enforcement personnel's question.

Seeing this flowing water banquet, the enforcement personnel immediately knew what was going on.

He said angrily:

"The government has clearly stipulated: earth burial is strictly prohibited! Earth burial causes pollution; cremation must be carried out according to law, otherwise there will be severe punishment! You obstinate people, how can you know the law and still break it!"