Chapter 352 - 351: Hard to Accept

Xue Yue came in and glanced at He Lang. When she saw his eyes were closed, she turned and left to pick up the children.

She first went to Ruanruan’s school to excuse her from class, then went to Shiyi’s.

On the way back, Xue Yue told them their grandmother had passed away. Ruanruan and Shiyi both cried.

Xue Yue told them, "Your daddy is having a very hard time. You need to do your best to comfort him."

Ruanruan nodded. "I know."

When the children got back, they went into the room to see He Lang. They found him with his eyes open; he hadn’t been able to sleep at all, though he felt a little dizzy.

"Dad, are you sick?"

The two children leaned over the side of the bed, looking at He Lang.

The corners of He Lang’s mouth twitched. "Yes. Stay a little ways away from me. I don’t want you to catch it."

"You have a fever because you caught a chill. It’s not contagious," Xue Yue told him. "Do you want some water?"

He Lang shook his head.

Because they had to return to their hometown, Xue Yue called both He Ziqing and Little Chen.

The people on the other end of the line could hardly believe the news. This was especially true for He Ziqing; Xue Yue could even hear her dry-heaving. Xue Yue asked, "Ziqing, are you okay?"

After a few seconds, He Ziqing’s choked voice came through the line. "I’m fine. I’m coming over right now."

Xue Yue had wanted to call her older brother, but it was a workday, and both he and her sister-in-law would be at their jobs. Since she didn’t know their work numbers, she called the supermarket to get ahold of Xue Xingjun instead.

"Sis, I was just about to call home. My brother-in-law didn’t tell me anything, and I couldn’t find him all morning. Is he home?"

Xue Yue pressed her lips together. "Yes, Xingjun, something’s happened at home. Your brother-in-law’s mother passed away. We have to make a trip back to our hometown. When you get home tonight, please tell our older brother so he won’t worry about us."

"What?" Xue Xingjun was stunned. "Is my brother-in-law okay?"

"He’s not doing well. We’re leaving this afternoon. Just remember to tell our brother."

"Okay." Xue Xingjun hung up and stared blankly for a moment. Then, he rushed to the first floor and asked around, only to find out that Little Chen had also left in a hurry.

A pang of sadness hit Xue Xingjun. ’He remembered how his brother-in-law’s mother would always insist he stay for dinner whenever she saw him. How could she be gone so suddenly?’

Qi Mingyang and He Ziqing arrived quickly because they drove.

The moment He Ziqing saw Xue Yue, she asked, her eyes welling with tears, "Grandma was perfectly healthy, how could she suddenly be gone? And we just visited at the start of spring. Why did Grandpa and Grandma go back to the village?"

Xue Yue told her, "Xiao Yu was taken away by her mother. Your grandmother wasn’t in good spirits. She said she wanted to go back and see your second uncle, and then... well, nobody expected this."

He Ziqing began to sob. Qi Mingyang held her steady, coaxing, "Don’t get too worked up. Be careful of the baby."

Xue Yue’s gaze fell on He Ziqing’s stomach. "Ziqing, you’re pregnant?"

He Ziqing nodded. "Two months."

’This should have been happy news, but the timing was awful.’

He Lang’s fever had subsided a little, dropping to just over thirty-seven degrees. He insisted on going to the train station. Xue Yue packed a few changes of clothes and the medicine. Once Little Chen arrived, they all prepared to leave for the station.

On the way, they stopped by the school to pick up Daya. As soon as she heard that Mrs. He had passed away, she couldn’t stop crying.

Everyone was in low spirits, but thankfully, He Lang’s fever didn’t return.

「Two days later.」

The train arrived in Black Province. They left the station and took a taxi back to Da Liushu Village. The moment they entered the village, they could feel a heavy, somber atmosphere.

They headed straight for the old family home. When they reached the front gate and saw the white cloth hanging there, the children burst into tears.

He Lang walked straight in. As soon as he entered, he heard the sounds of other people crying.

In a corner of the courtyard, a mourning tent had been erected. Mrs. He had already been placed in her coffin, though it wasn’t yet nailed shut. April in Black Province wasn’t very hot, so there was no odor even after more than two days.

He Lang walked inside and looked at the photograph placed before the mourning tent. It was from Mrs. He’s visit to Beijing City, when He Lang had taken his parents to a scenic area. In the picture, his mother was smiling happily.

He Nan walked over to He Lang. "Do you want to see Mom?"

He Lang nodded.

The two brothers lifted the coffin lid. He Lang saw his mother’s body. She looked as if she were only sleeping, but the muscles in her face were stiff.

He Lang called out softly, "Mom, your son is home."

His voice echoed inside the coffin, but no one answered.

He Lang’s tears dripped onto Mrs. He’s clothes. "Mom, your son is home. Open your eyes and look at me... How could you go back on your word? You promised you’d just come for a visit and then return. Why did you break that promise? It’s all my fault. I never should have let you two come back. I always said I wanted you to live a good life, but you only enjoyed it for a few days. Were you already tired of it?"

He Nan’s eyes were red. He turned his head away, but he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

In her life, Mrs. He had raised four children. She had suffered through years of hunger in her youth. After all the hardship of raising her children until they were grown, with her daughters married off and her sons wed, she then had to endure the sorrow of a parent burying their own child. She had only just begun to enjoy a good life for a few days before she let go and passed away.

Xue Yue led the children into the mourning tent. As she looked at the photograph of Mrs. He, she found herself recalling the first time they had met.

’Back then, Xue Yue had been desperate, asking for a five-hundred-yuan bride price. No one else had dared to agree, but Mrs. He had.’

’Mrs. He had always stood up for her, giving her a mother’s love she hadn’t felt in a long time. But life was unpredictable, and now this wonderful woman was lying in this cold, cold place.’

’The same spot. Last time, it was for He Ze. This time, it was for Mrs. He.’

Mrs. He’s death was so sudden that no one was mentally prepared for it; it was difficult to accept. She was only in her sixties, which wasn’t considered that old, yet she was gone in an instant.

Xue Yue said to the children, "Kowtow to your grandmother."

She had the children kowtow three times to Mrs. He, then took some joss paper to burn.

He Ziqing and Daya were crying their eyes out, especially Daya, who was sobbing so hard she nearly fainted.

From the moment He Yun saw Daya walk in, he had been stunned. He just stared at her, frozen, and even forgot to cry.

Xue Yue said to He Ziqing, "Be mindful of your pregnancy. Don’t grieve too hard. The baby isn’t very stable at two months."

He Ziqing agreed, but she couldn’t stop her tears. Qi Mingyang watched her with a worried expression.

Wang Hui Fang came over to speak with Xue Yue, who told her about He Ziqing’s pregnancy. A flicker of joy crossed Wang Hui Fang’s face, but given the circumstances, it was impossible for her to feel happy.

Gao Cuiyun’s eyes were swollen from crying. Xue Yue noticed a young woman kneeling beside Xiao Yang. ’That must be his wife,’ she thought.

Gao Cuiyun gave Xue Yue a faint, sad smile. Xue Yue nodded in return. It wasn’t the time for pleasantries.

After a while, He Lang and He Nan nailed the coffin lid shut.

The two brothers went inside the house. Mr. He had also fallen ill, and medicine was brewing in the kitchen.

Entering the house, they saw Mr. He lying on the kang. He Lang called out, "Dad."

Mr. He opened his eyes and looked over. "You’re back."

He Lang nodded. "Yes."

"Have you seen your mother?"

"I have."

"Good. Don’t be too heartbroken. Everyone dies eventually. It’s just a matter of time."

He Lang walked over and helped his father sit up.