Chapter 850: Li Xuewu! Don't Go!

"My fate is bitter~"

"Brother Jiecheng is unfilial~"

"Making white-haired parents send off black-haired children~"

"Boohoo~"

Yan Yan Fugui was truly crying; though he wore no mourning clothes, this sorrow was something no black or white mourning attire could ever convey.

Li Li Xuewu, his hand tightly gripped by the old man while listening to him curse Yan Brother Jiecheng, felt nothing but a chill running through his palm.

Of course he could curse Yan Brother Jiecheng; at a time like this, he should curse, for the more he cursed, the more it showed how much he loved and pitied his son.

Li Li Xuewu patted the back of his hand and comforted him, saying, "Restrain your grief and accept the change; think more of those left behind."

Yi Yi Zhonghai emerged from the floral gate, supported Yan Yan Fugui by the arm, and reminded him, "Let Li Xuewu come into the courtyard to sit; what's the point of standing out here?"

Yan Yan Fugui nodded and invited Li Li Xuewu into the courtyard.

By now, quite a few people had already gathered and sat down in the front yard on the Yan family's side.

This was not the same as gathering together to escape the summer heat; now, they had to huddle around a fire for warmth.

The weather at the end of September was already very cold at night; if not for the need to come here, he would never have driven the Willis.

Even so, he had to put on a military greatcoat before driving, otherwise his snot would have frozen solid.

In the center of the courtyard stood a straight stove built of bricks, filled with wood and coal briquettes, now burning fiercely.

Sitting around the fire stove were elderly and young men from the four neighboring households; seeing him enter the yard, both old and young stood up one after another to greet him politely.

Not wishing to overshadow the host, Li Li Xuewu took out cigarettes, politely addressing the elders as "Uncle" and "Grandpa," and distributed them to the senior men.

After everyone lit their cigarettes and heard the First Elder's invitation, they all sat down again.

There were plenty of stools in the courtyard; it was clear the banquet had ended not long ago, with people coming and going throughout the evening.

Tonight, the Yan family was holding a banquet to treat the neighbors and collect condolence money.

Seeing Sha Zhu must have helped out; otherwise, he wouldn't still be wearing an apron at this hour.

Yan Yan Fugui sat next to Li Li Xuewu, wiping snot and tears as he recounted the details of Yan Brother Jiecheng's situation.

This was the normal procedure for the host family to converse with important guests; even if he hadn't spoken, Li Li Xuewu would have had to ask symbolically to show concern and offer condolences.

Several women in the courtyard were keeping the Third Aunt company, sitting in the main hall chatting; when guests arrived, they would bring out a cup of tea as a polite gesture from the host family.

Seeing that it was Li Li Xuewu who had arrived, Qin Qin Huairu voluntarily brought out the tea, using this opportunity to softly speak words of comfort to the Third Master.

Yi Yi Zhonghai saw what she meant and voluntarily helped explain to Yan Yan Fugui: since the young lady was getting married tomorrow, she could not stay here any longer.

Yan Yan Fugui was quite appreciative; the unpleasantness that had occurred between the two families some time ago was something no one would bother holding onto at a time like this.

The fact that Qin Qin Huairu had voluntarily come to help left him with nothing more to say.

At this moment, he thanked Qin Qin Huairu with a tearful voice and allowed the First Elder to see her off.

Although they were in the front and back courtyards, the proper rules still had to be observed.

Everyone sat in the courtyard chatting about idle topics, showing no signs of sorrowful emotion.

Funerals were like this; everyone came to help and keep vigil through the night, not to wail for the family, so where would the sorrow come from?

Besides, Yan Brother Jiecheng had already been cremated; what was there left to be sad about?

The old and young men sitting here talked about boring topics until they were laughing, showing no concern whatsoever for the Yan family's feelings.

Li Li Xuewu had hardly spoken at all, only replying with a sentence or two when someone actively struck up a conversation with him.

After seeing Qin Qin Huairu off, the Third Master turned back and continued nagging him about Yan Brother Jiecheng's affairs.

Li Li Xuewu knew what he was thinking and also knew what his purpose was.

However, bringing this up at such a time was somewhat inappropriate, so he did not pick up on that thread.

After the First Elder returned, Li Li Xuewu took the initiative to ask, "Was it discovered by the joint defense patrol? Did anyone from the station go over to take a look?"

"They did; Director Xing led the team to conduct the investigation."

Yi Yi Zhonghai sat beside him and explained, "At the time, the joint defense patrol was busy trying to save the person and didn't pay attention to those details."

Li Li Xuewu took a drag of his cigarette and nodded, understanding the meaning behind the First Elder's words.

In this era, if a person died, especially in what was clearly an accident, how could anyone expect a detailed investigation?

Especially in the middle of the night, after he had already been drained of blood, who would dare suggest it wasn't an accident?

Furthermore, there were no surveillance cameras in this era; at night, every household kept its doors and windows shut tight in the freezing cold—who would go out onto the main road to act as an eyewitness!

If the preliminary investigation ruled it an accident, then it was an accident; if anyone said otherwise, let them go find the evidence themselves.

"Did anyone from the factory trade union come?"

"They did."

Yi Yi Zhonghai explained further, "Comrade Liu from the union came; after consulting your Third Master's opinion and following the family's wishes, they provided some funeral expenses and will not be involving themselves further."

"Mm, that's good; it saves trouble."

Li Li Xuewu nodded, exhaled a puff of smoke, and asked again, "Is the departure tomorrow morning?"

"Mm, we've already notified the public cemetery in advance."

Yi Yi Zhonghai's voice also sounded somewhat weary; he had returned from work and then continued helping out.

Last night, Yan Yan Fugui was not at home, so he had been directing the young men to set up the mourning shed, arranging for the Yan family to wail and burn paper money, and preparing for the funeral, without a moment's rest.

Tonight, the Yan family held the banquet, and he had acted as the master of ceremonies; now that the neighbors had just left, he finally had a moment to sit down.

"You've worked hard."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and praised him, then reminded him, "Take care of your health; you need to rest early today. Let the young men handle the vigil."

While speaking, he gestured toward the inverted sitting rooms, saying, "If you need anything, just order them to do it."

"Alright, if there's anything, everyone will help maintain things."

Yi Yi Zhonghai sighed and said, "None of us are outsiders; we're all in the same courtyard, so everyone lends a hand."

He also knew Li Li Xuewu was busy with work; the fact that he could spare time to come over at this hour was a tremendous honor.

Moreover, during yesterday's rescue of Ge Ge Shuqin, he had rendered great help; without Li Li Xuewu's phone call, how on earth could Yan Brother Jiecheng have managed to requisition blood from the factory hospital?

This was why, upon hearing Sha Zhu's reminder, Yan Yan Fugui had voluntarily gone out to welcome Li Li Xuewu.

This favor he absolutely had to remember.

In front of Yan Yan Fugui, Yi Yi Zhonghai recounted for Li Li Xuewu who had extended a hand and offered help in this matter.

Hearing him speak thus, the men sitting in the courtyard fell silent, listening intently to his account.

First was Shen Shen Guodong, who, upon hearing Third Auntie shout, had voluntarily driven Ge Ge Shuqin to the hospital.

Next were Liu Liu Guangtian from the rear courtyard and several lads from the row of rooms facing the street, who had voluntarily helped carry Yan Brother Jiecheng back.

Liu Liu Guangtian had run errands for the cremation procedures, handling the personnel formalities and the trade union formalities.

Others had helped erect the mourning shed and tidy up the grounds.

In the afternoon, men from the neighboring households had helped with the encoffining and accompanied the body to cremation.

Tonight, they had again assisted with the crematorium arrangements and the concluding rites; everyone had endured no small hardship.

Yan Yan Fugui sat aside listening, knowing that Eldest Uncle was presenting him with a ledger—an account of human favors.

After finishing with Yan Brother Jiecheng, he turned to speak of Ge Ge Shuqin.

Yi Yi Zhonghai gestured toward the side room where the lights were extinguished, saying, "Since the funeral procession departs tomorrow morning, it was Shen Guodong who fetched them; my lord and the child are both in there now."

Li Li Xuewu glanced over there with slight surprise; she had just been saved from massive hemorrhaging, yet they dared bring her back already?

Seeing the look in Li Li Xuewu's eyes, Yi Yi Zhonghai shook his head slightly, signaling him not to ask.

"Your mother contributed fifteen eggs, Qin Huairu contributed fifteen eggs, and your Eldest Auntie contributed fifteen eggs; with this, the provisions for promoting milk production are complete."

Yi Yi Zhonghai continued, "Zhu brought the malted milk powder, and your Second Uncle's family provided the infant formula; none of it came easily, as everyone exerted their utmost effort."

"Yes, yes."

Yan Yan Fugui sighed and said gratefully, "I know, I know."

"It is just as Li Xuewu said: think more of the surviving spouse."

Yi Yi Zhonghai patted the back of Yan Yan Fugui's hand and comforted him, "Take good care of that mother and child; that will allow Brother Jiecheng to depart in peace."

"Yes."

Yan Yan Fugui nodded in agreement, sitting there with his spine completely collapsed.

He had been stingy all his life, making few friends and having even fewer relatives.

Having lived in this courtyard for so many years, he had only barely maintained relations with his neighbors.

No wonder only those two brothers were keeping vigil outside the main gate; no one else was seen offering help.

Li Li Xuewu sat only for a while; seeing lights on in his own home and knowing his mother and eldest sister-in-law were sitting inside, they were likely waiting for him.

After hearing Eldest Uncle finish speaking, he voluntarily stood up and asked about the gift ledger.

Yi Yi Zhonghai gestured toward the main hall and led Li Li Xuewu inside to make the entry.

The one collecting and recording the gifts was Second Uncle, who had been sitting there all along; a few people had come tonight to register their gifts, but not many.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu enter the room, he voluntarily stood up to greet him.

Although Li Li Xuewu was merely a young man from the courtyard, he was now a senior cadre at the factory, so he certainly dared not show any negligence.

Li Li Xuewu, for his part, did not stand on excessive ceremony with him; there were too many women in this room, making it noisy and unsettling.

First, he counted out fifty cents and placed it on the table as a funeral contribution.

In the old traditions of Beijing, it looks better to give generous gifts for joyful occasions, while modest gifts are more appropriate for funerals.

For joyful events, Li Li Xuewu always gave one yuan; for funerals, fifty cents.

This was not because he was spendthrift, nor because he had money and was showing off.

Rather, his current status demanded it; since Yan Brother Jiecheng was both a factory employee and a neighbor in the courtyard, as the Deputy Party Secretary, he had to contribute just a little more than others to maintain proper appearance.

Of course, while this approach applied to other households, calculations differed when visiting relatives; one could not judge solely by official rank in those cases.

After Second Uncle recorded his name in the gift ledger, Li Li Xuewu counted out another fifty cents and placed it on the table.

This portion was on behalf of his father, Li Shun; since the household had divided, the gift ledger entries had to be separate.

With his father not at home, his mother certainly could not come to record the gift; such matters must be handled by the men of the family.

Households without men were treated separately, yet that truly did not look good; even the Jia family in the middle courtyard had sent Banggeng to make the entry.

Why record fifty cents for Li Shun as well?

And not the twenty cents given by other neighbors?

Furthermore, why was the entry for his father, Li Shun, written after his own?

Because if his father Li Shun's name were written first, the amount would have to be twenty cents, following the general trend of the neighbors.

But due to his own status, his entry had to be fifty cents; thus, recording his father first would overshadow the elder with the junior's larger gift, which would look bad and invite ridicule.

Since both father and son were giving fifty cents, if Li Shun were written first, it would still overshadow those preceding entries, making them look bad as well.

Therefore, by writing his own name first and then his father Li Shun's, this obvious reversal of order would remind the bereaved family and the neighbors inspecting the ledger that the Li family had fulfilled all proper etiquette, preserving face on all four sides.

Understanding worldly affairs is true learning; mastering human relations is the finest composition.

The Chinese people value propriety, especially in such trivial matters, where one's style of conduct and quality of etiquette are most clearly revealed.

You might say spending an extra thirty cents serves him right; who told him to act more impressive than his own father?

If this situation concerned anyone else, they would be eager to contribute an extra share; who does not wish for their son to surpass himself!

After recording the entry for his father Li Shun, there was no need to write entries for his eldest brother or Xiao Xiao Laosan.

This was because his eldest brother was the son responsible for supporting their parents in old age, belonging to the same household unit as their father.

Xiao Xiao Laosan was still attending school and unmarried, so he did not count as a separated household; furthermore, the Li family had never processed any formal division of the household for Li Xucai.

Therefore, Li Li Xuewu recorded entries only for himself and his father.

After watching the Second Elder finish writing, Li Li Xuewu offered a few comforting words to the Third Old Lady, who was waiting nearby and bowing, then followed the First Elder out the door.

Normally, at this time, Yan Brother Jiecheng's son should have been the one to return the courtesy.

Unfortunately, his child was only one day old and could not perform such a duty.

Therefore, only his parents could perform the rites on his behalf.

Of course, Li Li Xuewu could not allow the other party to perform this bow; after all, he had to call her Third Old Lady, meaning they were not of the same generation.

Coming out from the main hall, he exchanged a few more words with several men and the Third Elder before heading home.

Liu Yin had long been waiting for him at the outer room's doorway; seeing her son enter, she first brushed him down with the broom head from the kang, only then allowing him into the inner room.

Only Sister-in-law Zhao Zhao Yafang was in the room; seeing Li Li Xuewu enter, she proactively asked, "Why did it take so long to talk?"

They had been sitting inside the room, and through the window, the view across the way was perfectly clear.

"The Third Elder called me over to nag about these few matters, and then the First Elder spoke a bit as well."

Li Li Xuewu sat on a stool by the edge of the kang, looked at his mother, and asked, "You weren't frightened last night, were you?"

"Frightened of what? I knew something was up when Ge Ge Shuqin was making such a fuss; the people in the courtyard came back and caused another commotion, and by the time things settled down, do you know what time it was?"

Liu Yin explained, "Your sister-in-law and I couldn't sleep, so we were lying on the kang talking, when we heard someone knocking on the outer door."

"The joint defense team called the First Elder, and there was another uproar; at that moment, I knew the eldest son across the way had gotten into trouble."

"Let me tell you, my heart was pounding thump-thump, and I didn't sleep a wink for half the night."

Liu Yin pressed her lips together and waved her hand, saying, "When the First Elder called people to set up the mourning shed and clean up outside, I couldn't sleep at all."

"When I came out, my grandmother even instructed me to remind you two to sleep in the back room, so you wouldn't get frightened."

Li Li Xuewu tugged at the overcoat on his body and said, "There will be people in the courtyard all night tonight; no one will sleep peacefully, so it's better to go to the back."

"Yes, we thought of that."

Liu Yin nodded and said, "Ji Yuxiu suggested sleeping in the East Courtyard, but since it's just across the big courtyard wall from the outside, it's too noisy and unsettling, so everyone went to the rear courtyard instead."

"The two of them have already gone to the rear courtyard first; I was just waiting for you, and your sister-in-law said she would keep me company."

"What are you waiting for me for? My father has finished writing the ledger; surely he won't forget, will he?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "If you're tired, hurry up and go to sleep; tomorrow morning, things over at Qin Qin Jingru's place will be lively, so you still won't get good rest."

Liu Yin was truly exhausted; she nodded and asked, "Are you going to stay up a while longer? Remember not to go straight home!"

"I know, don't worry."

Li Li Xuewu stood up and said, "I'm going to make a round at the regiment headquarters now."

"Go on, you child!"

What Liu Yin meant was to follow old customs: during funeral events there is much commotion, and since the family has both a pregnant woman and small children, one should not return directly to one's own home but go elsewhere for a while.

Li Li Xuewu, however, understood his mother's meaning but took it to an unconventional extreme.

Didn't you say there were dirty things following me? I'll take them to the Third Regiment's headquarters for a spin and reduce them to ashes and smoke!

Li Li Xuewu feared the mother and daughter-in-law might be afraid, so he waited in the room, intending to escort them to the rear courtyard.

Liu Yin helped Zhao Zhao Yafang get off the kang, muttering softly, "It's sinful; she just gave birth, suffered massive hemorrhaging, and now has to endure this turmoil while still in confinement."

"Stop saying these things; it makes one feel uneasy just hearing them."

Zhao Zhao Yafang waved her hand, stopping her mother-in-law from continuing; looking at Li Li Xuewu gazing over, she frowned and explained, "It was the Third Old Lady who despised Ge Ge Shuqin for giving birth to a girl and was clamoring to take the baby back and send it to Yan Brother Jiecheng."

"That family is involved in that kind of matter?!"

Liu Yin discontentedly pursed her lips and said, "It's utterly rotten; just wait and see if retribution comes or not."

Both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were quite indignant; clearly, this was not the first time they had discussed this with Li Li Xuewu.

Li Li Xuewu merely furrowed his brows; this was not his own family's affair, so he could not interfere.

After his mother and sister-in-law finished tidying up, he escorted the two of them to the rear courtyard.

After making a round in the rear courtyard, he walked back out, greeted the Third Elder and First Elder at the gate, and then exited through the floral-pendant gate.

Perhaps because they were tired from helping, the boys did not read today; the lights in the east room were dark, and they had gone to sleep early.

Li Li Xuewu ignored Sha Zhu's greeting, gestured toward the outside, nodded, and walked out.

At the main gate, he took a look at the mourning shed below the spirit screen, paid it no mind, got into the car, and departed.

He had told his mother he was going to make a round at the regiment headquarters, but he didn't bother with that; he simply did not believe any unclean thing would dare follow him.

If he truly believed in such things, he shouldn't have gone catching crickets in the graveyard back then; if such creatures really existed, the ones behind him by now would be enough to form two companies.

Whatever damn ghosts and monsters, in the face of absolute courage and strength, they are all a joke.

But in the face of the cold wind, Li Li Xuewu himself was the joke...

Fearless of this and that, by the time he arrived home, he was frozen stiff.

On the first day of October, before the sun had risen, Li Li Xuewu had already quietly gotten up.

Gu Ning shifted slightly, looked at Li Li Xuewu in the darkness, blinked her eyes, and reminded him, "Wear more clothes."

"Did I wake you?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, pointed to the clothes prepared the night before, and said, "I'll go outside to dress; you continue sleeping."

Having said this, he gathered a pile of clothes from the bed stool and walked out of the room.

As the months progressed, Gu Ning had become increasingly sleepy, especially since she no longer had to work, now even taking an extra nap at noon.

Li Li Xuewu turned on the study light, glanced at the time on the wall, and saw it was just past five o'clock.

After tidying up for a while and then spending twenty-plus minutes rushing to the Sihe Academy, the timing would be just right.

He was quite obedient, first putting on a pair of long johns, tucking the trouser legs into his thick socks.

Over the long johns, he put on a pair of woolen pants, and over the woolen pants, he layered a pair of loose trousers.

This was not the end; for his upper body, he wore a shirt under a sweater, and in a moment, he planned to wear that military greatcoat as well.

This is exactly what they mean by "in the second and eighth months, clothing is worn in chaos"!

It'll freeze you to death if you wear too little this morning, and boil you to death if you wear too much by noon!

Li Li Xuewu had experienced many things and knew it was exceptionally cold during a funeral procession, so wearing extra layers was no mistake.

This had nothing to do with whether you were stubborn; even if you had the face of the King of Hell, it would still be cold at this hour of the funeral, before the sun had risen.

Li Li Xuewu had originally intended to find his mittens, but after thinking it over, he decided that wasn't quite right, so he just put on a pair of labor-protection gloves issued by the factory.

But before he had even driven out of the street leading from his home, he already regretted it.

By the time he arrived at the Sihe Academy, his intestines were nearly green with regret.

His entire body was freezing, damn it, except for his hands and face.

With his eyes stuck on his face, he had no choice but to keep watching the road.

He had worn his winter cotton cap backwards, so his forehead and ears weren't cold, and with a cotton mask on, only the area around his eye sockets felt chilly.

But what about his hands!

His hands truly lacked a pair of mittens!

"What's wrong?"

Sha Zhu and a few others were standing at the main gate smoking and chatting idly; seeing Li Li Xuewu park his car and approach with a grimace, their faces were full of amusement.

Li Li Xuewu didn't answer, instead directly sliding his hand down the back of Sha Zhu's neck.

"Hiss~~ Ah! Damn!"

Sha Zhu's shout nearly scared the soul right out of Yan Brother Jiecheng, who was in the shed.

The men surrounding them to watch the fun immediately burst into laughter and teasing.

Those standing at the gate talking at this hour were all in their twenties or thirties.

The older generation, or those of advanced age, were all sitting inside the courtyard.

Over by the spirit shed, valuable paper money was still being burned, but only Yan Yan Jiefang was there watching the candles.

This wasn't really an issue; since only the two brothers could handle matters, they naturally had to take turns.

However, keeping vigil wasn't just for family members; relatives, friends, and even close neighbors were expected to participate.

From last night until now, Li Li Xuewu had only seen these two brothers bustling about, without hearing anyone else say they were coming to keep vigil, proving that Third Master's popularity was truly "good."

Originally, the family had three sons; even though Yan Yan Jiekuang was young, there were still Yan Brother Jiecheng and Yan Yan Jiefang.

If, whenever any neighbor in this area had a funeral, Third Master had just sent one of his two older sons to help keep vigil, things wouldn't have turned out this bad today.

If you claimed the two boys at home were busy, or afraid of such things, you could have just contributed a little more gift money and asked others to help with burning paper or running errands; it wouldn't have ended up like this.

This was called reaping today what you sowed in the past.

Only when something happened could one see whether you had done your part back then.

When Li Li Xuewu came here last night and saw these men acting so carelessly, it was clearly intentional.

They had only stayed because of their regard for their neighbors and seeing how hard First Master had been working back and forth.

Otherwise, once the banquet dispersed, the people would have scattered too.

At a funeral, if truly only the bereaved family remained at night, their faces would look extremely ugly.

Li Li Xuewu didn't know how his own family handled such matters.

But presumably, since his father was a doctor and enthusiastically helped neighbors with any minor illness, people owed him favors.

Furthermore, his eldest brother wouldn't attend such events, and Third Brother was timid, so when Li Li Xuewu was in the army, his father must have gone alone.

Sitting a bit longer at night and contributing a bit more gift money wouldn't make anyone hold a grudge against him.

Among the neighbors in this area, only people owed Li Shun favors; there was truly no one whom Li Shun owed.

Li Li Xuewu looked at the remnants of firecrackers at the gate and knew they had already been set off, meaning everyone in the courtyard who was supposed to be awake should be up by now.

He didn't walk into the courtyard; with all the noise and commotion, going anywhere wasn't appropriate.

"I forgot to ask last night."

Li Li Xuewu looked at Sha Zhu and said, "Has it been decided whether the Qin family's wedding or their funeral goes first?"

"I don't know; First Master and the others probably discussed and decided it."

Sha Zhu scratched his chin and said, "What difference does it make which one goes first?"

He thought for a moment, then looked around at the few others and asked, "Hey, brothers, what time did the Qin family in the middle courtyard say they're picking up the bride?"

"One o'clock."

Wang Wang Laoqi from the courtyard smiled and answered, "Everyone has to leave before the sun comes up."

"But it doesn't matter."

Wang Wang Laoqi shrugged again and said, "Qin Yan Jie came over yesterday to talk to Third Master about this, and First Master also said that according to old customs, the wedding goes first."

Sha Zhu nodded, looked at Li Li Xuewu, and pursed his lips, saying, "I heard quite a bit of arguing about it."

Speaking, he gestured toward the main gate behind him, saying, "Third Master wanted to paste white couplets on the gate, but Qin Yan Jie wouldn't allow it."

Wang Wang Laoqi leaned in and added, "Third Mistress heard about it and nearly started a fight; it was only because everyone in the courtyard said not to paste them that they dropped the matter."

"Damn! These main gates are only for pasting red couplets for weddings; don't even think about it for anything else."

Sha Zhu pursed his lips and said, "This is a long-established rule; if you paste white ones, how can other families proceed?"

"Sigh~! Don't even mention it!"

Wang Wang Laoqi was just a chatterbox; both he and his wife had mouths rented from someone else, having to talk even while sleeping.

"Yesterday, regarding this funeral and wedding, there was quite a negotiation; First Master persuaded one family then the other, and finally smoothed things over."

"The back courtyard!"

Wang Wang Laoqi jerked his thumb toward the area behind him, pursed his lips, and said, "Qin Qin Huairu's second uncle and second aunt are there; her second uncle hadn't been drinking, but if he had, yesterday would have been even more lively!"

"Aren't you afraid of stirring up trouble?"

Sha Zhu glared at him and said, "Regarding their family's affairs, it's better to say less."

"Yes, yes, yes~"

Wang Wang Laoqi chuckled, teasing Seeing Sha Zhu: "I just remembered your former father-in-law and couldn't help mentioning him."

"Get lost! Scram!"

Hearing this, Seeing Sha Zhu laughed and cursed him back.

Yesterday, Qin Qin Huairu's second uncle held his wedding at home before coming to the city to see his daughter off for her marriage.

When he ran into Seeing Sha Zhu, both felt somewhat awkward.

Back then, Seeing Sha Zhu had nearly become his son-in-law, and he had nearly become Seeing Sha Zhu's father-in-law.

Now that they had met, Qin Qin Huairu introduced them and they exchanged words, effectively turning the page on past matters.

No one knew which bad boy in the courtyard had first coined the term "former father-in-law," but everyone seized the chance to tease Seeing Sha Zhu with it.

Li Li Xuewu watched the spectacle with a smile; with nothing else to do, he was simply killing time.

He hadn't attended the Yan family's banquet yesterday, partly because he looked down on it and partly because it was inconvenient for him.

But today he had to attend the Han family's banquet, as he was Han Han Jiankun's superior and the actual matchmaker between the two.

Of course, being young, he was reluctant to claim that title, so Qin Qin Huairu was designated as the matchmaker instead.

As a relative of Qin Qin Jingru and a colleague of Han Han Jiankun, Qin Qin Huairu held a status neither too high nor too low, making her role both auspicious and presentable.

After cursing Wang Wang Laoqi, Seeing Sha Zhu turned to Li Li Xuewu, grinning: "Let me tell you something interesting; Qin Qin Huairu put a tight spell on her second uncle."

"She said if he dared drink a single drop of wine while seeing the bride off, she would resort to severe measures."

As he spoke, he mimed a slap with his hand, laughing about the time Qin Qin Huairu had struck her second uncle.

Li Li Xuewu had heard this story from Qin Qin Huairu herself; she had truly been furious.

She had finally managed to marry off Qin Qin Jingru, who had nearly become a burden, only for her second uncle to nearly ruin everything through his own actions.

That slap had been delivered right at the Han family's gate, intended for others to witness as well.

Otherwise, why would the Han family have taken her words as absolute truth? This was an act of establishing authority and credibility.

Seeing Qin Qin Huairu so fierce, striking someone with her own hands, the Han family was also startled.

Even if those in-laws were despicable, their offense was merely causing a scene while drunk; yet a real slap left a visible Ba Zhang Yin on the face.

With Qin Qin Huairu intervening to mediate, the Han family found it difficult to say anything further.

After sobering up, her second uncle apologized and expressed deep regret, never mentioning the slap he had received.

He was well aware of his own shameful conduct, yet whenever he drank, he lost all self-control.

This time, he realized he had lost face before his in-laws and had to invite Qin Qin Huairu to take charge.

Especially yesterday, upon arriving and seeing his daughter, he had made Qin Qin Jingru cry bitterly.

It was rare for the courtyard to have families voluntarily providing material for idle chatter, so everyone seized the opportunity to exploit it fully.

Qin Qin Jingru, once the most stylish provider of such material, was now getting married; if people didn't exploit this chance now, there would be no other opportunity.

Li Li Xuewu glanced at Seeing Sha Zhu with a smile, knowing the fellow was feeling unbalanced again.

The girl he had once pursued, who had rejected him, had now found a young driver willing to spend money on her.

As for him, married and expecting a child, he could only stand here indulging in verbal satisfaction; picking at others' affairs probably made him feel a bit better.

Li Li Xuewu didn't criticize him; all men were like this, eating from their own bowl while eyeing someone else's.

Even knowing that a technician from Honglang Room 28 they often visited had gone home to get married could send some into a river of sorrow, let alone a former "girlfriend" one had desired but never obtained.

As they stood talking at the gate, Hate Yi Yi Zhonghai emerged, directing the young men to start dismantling the mourning shed.

Since Yan Brother Jiecheng had died a violent death and been soaked in water, plus the current season made preservation difficult, cremation had to be arranged early.

Thus, his funeral procession was somewhat unusual; there was no coffin, only an urn for ashes.

This saved much trouble; once the mourning shed was dismantled, the urn was tied to the back of a bicycle, and they went straight to bury it.

Those escorting the spirit to the City God Temple either dared not play music, feared being reported, or perhaps Third Master Yan was simply reluctant to spend money, as no wind and percussion music was heard.

Before long, Second Master Yan led Yan Yan Jiefang and Yan Yan Jie Di, one holding the spirit tablet and the other carrying the banner, while several other young men quietly followed with incense and candles.

First escort the spirit, then conduct the burial; the soul returns to heaven, the body enters the earth.

Customs and practices might vary by region; what was customary in Dongcheng might differ entirely from Xicheng, making it hard to generalize.

First Master Yan and Second Master Yan presided over these rites, adhering to old traditions they could recall while adapting flexibly to the specific circumstances of the Third Master Yan's family.

The timing was perfect; just before six o'clock, the mourning shed was fully dismantled, and those who had escorted the spirit returned.

Coincidentally, Han Han Jiankun arrived with several comrades and colleagues at that very moment to fetch the bride.

According to their prior agreement—red events first, white events second, yielding to each other step by step to complete matters quickly—Han Han Jiankun should enter first to fetch the bride.

But events piled upon events, and people crowded upon people; as soon as Han Han Jiankun's group stopped their vehicles at the gate and the young men began blowing their suonas, trouble arose.

Han Han Jiankun glanced at the bicycle procession handling the funeral on the other side; it was very crude, consisting of only a few bikes.

The urn still sat on the altar, the incense and candles not yet removed, awaiting their completion of the rites.

Only after Qin Qin Jingru was fetched away would firecrackers be set off and the altar cleared, thus fulfilling the "fate" between the two families.

Han Han Jiankun first greeted Li Li Xuewu, politely offering cigarettes to the several people at the gate.

He did not know what these people did, but since they stood with his superior, offering cigarettes to his leader, he could not neglect them either.

Li Li Xuewu patted his shoulder, signaling him not to be polite and to hurry inside.

Han Han Jiankun led the few suona players into the courtyard, just as the Yan family was helping Ge Ge Shuqin, who wore Bai Xiao and held a child wrapped in Bai Bu, walk out.

Good heavens, the onlookers were stunned.

Han Han Jiankun also froze for a moment; even Li Li Xuewu, standing outside the main gate, heard the suona music falter with a sudden drop in pitch and a pause.

Qin Qin Huairu had been waiting at the second gate; seeing him enter and seeing Third Mistress Yan supporting Ge Ge Shuqin as she came out, her brows furrowed slightly.

Wasn't this creating obstacles? They had agreed yesterday: red events first, white events second; so why bring out Ge Ge Shuqin wearing Bai Xiao at this moment!

Even if Ge Ge Shuqin needed to hold the child and smash the mourning basin, that should have waited until everything here was finished!

Just as she was about to go fetch Han Han Jiankun, the Third Aunt started wailing, her voice nearly drowning out the sound of the suona.

As she wailed for the dead, the child, feeling cold, also began to cry, making the courtyard quite lively.

Qin Qin Huairu was so anxious she was jumping up and down; she quickly waved at Han Han Jiankun, signaling him to enter the middle courtyard.

Han Han Jiankun had also calmed down; leading several of his brothers, he walked inside without even glancing toward the Yan family's side.

He had received news from here last night and knew everything was settled, never expecting things to go awry at this hour in the morning.

Today was his great day of joy; he could not quarrel with anyone, nor could he bring up this matter now; here, he could only listen to his elder sister-in-law, Qin Qin Huairu.

Therefore, even if he felt uncomfortable in his heart, he had to complete the wedding first.

As he entered the courtyard to fetch the bride, someone had already gone to persuade the Third Aunt to endure it and not affect the middle courtyard.

Whether it was due to a poor night's rest, excessive grief, or seeing another family's red affair while hers was a white one, her crying simply would not stop.

Yan Yan Fugui stood aside without speaking; no matter how Yi Yi Zhonghai tried to persuade him, it was useless.

With so many people offering advice, talking all at once, they only seemed to fan the flames.

No one knew what was said, or which words were inappropriate, but it provoked the Third Aunt, who began to act out.

"My son is dead! ~"

"My son is dead!"

"You are all bullying this family of orphans and widows! ~"

Shaking off the few people trying to persuade her, she stood in the large courtyard and began cursing wildly, one moment claiming others were bullying her, the next demanding why her son had to be aggrieved and yield precedence to others.

Her later words grew increasingly unpleasant, until no one in the courtyard could bear to listen anymore.

Seeing her acting out, those who had been persuading her stopped approaching, each one moving farther away.

Even those who had come to help at her house stood aside, afraid of getting entangled in trouble.

Yi Yi Zhonghai watched Yan Yan Fugui squat on the ground, holding his head in silence, and did not know what to do.

He dared not drag the Third Aunt away, nor could he immediately find any woman in the courtyard to drag or persuade her.

Especially with Ge Ge Shuqin kneeling there, the child in her arms still crying, this scene left him feeling both heartbroken and helpless.

What had he been bustling about for, only for it all to be undone by the Third Aunt's antics?

The people in the courtyard also realized she was feigning madness to vent her anger; she was fuming over her son's death, knowing deep down it was their own fault, and knowing that the courtyard folks whispered about and mocked her family behind their backs.

At this moment, she was deliberately looking for trouble, seeking a punching bag.

Was Qin Qin Huairu someone to be bullied?

Was she a soft persimmon to be used as a punching bag?

Today was her younger sister's wedding, held in her own home; encountering a funeral was already aggravating enough, and now hearing the Third Aunt make such a scene, her own temper flared up.

"Say that again!"

No one knew when Qin Qin Huairu had arrived at the Third Gate; now standing on its steps, she pointed at the Third Aunt and began to curse.

"How did I negotiate with your family last night? I exhausted all polite words, sending eggs and offering thanks for favors!"

"What do you want to do!"

Qin Qin Huairu showed not a shred of good humor; she would not indulge her temper but confronted her directly with everything.

"If you want to pick a fight, come at me! After I send my sister off first, I will settle accounts with you properly!"

After cursing the Third Aunt, she pointed at the Third Uncle and cursed again: "Don't be a damn coward; if others won't speak of what's wrong in your own home, aren't you ashamed yourselves!"

"What do I have to be ashamed of!"

"What do I have to be ashamed of!"

The Third Aunt could not outtalk Qin Qin Huairu; she lacked her volume, her quick wit, and her sharp tongue.

At this moment, jumping up and down, she pointed at Qin Qin Huairu and cursed, "Make yourself clear, or I'll tear your mouth apart!"

"If I really say it out loud, I'd feel ashamed myself."

"Pah!"

Qin Qin Huairu actually spat a mouthful of saliva, pointing at the Yan family and cursing, "I don't care why Yan Brother Jiecheng died, but just wait for him to come demand money from you and take your lives!"

"Then look at this orphan and widow; do you still have the face to speak!"

Pointing at Ge Ge Shuqin and the child, she said, "She suffered massive hemorrhage right after giving birth, yet you brought her back to send off that dead ghost; are you trying to make her accompany him in death or what!"

At this moment, Ge Ge Shuqin's face was not only snow-white, but she was trembling even as she held the child.

She heard every word of Qin Qin Huairu's scolding; at this moment, she did not retort with a single word but instead turned and kowtowed once to Qin Qin Huairu.

With just that one kowtow, just as the Third Aunt was about to counterattack, Qin Qin Huairu found she could say nothing more.

Whatever the Third Aunt said would be treated like farting; with Ge Ge Shuqin kowtowing like this, any grievance had to be swallowed.

At this moment, the face of the Yan family's widow carried the most weight and was the last one anyone could dare bully.

Qin Qin Huairu could curse the two elders of the Yan family, but she could not say a single word against Ge Ge Shuqin.

Therefore, she now felt stifled and uncomfortable.

Behind her, Han Han Jiankun was about to lead Qin Qin Jingru away, but with the Third Aunt blocking the doorway, how could they leave!

Yi Yi Zhonghai saw that things were going badly; seeing the Third Aunt fall silent upon encountering Qin Qin Huairu, she had started cursing again, thinking she had won.

"Where is Li Xuewu? Has he arrived?"

Yi Yi Zhonghai turned around and saw Seeing Sha Zhu standing beside him, smiling cheerfully and watching the spectacle with rapt attention, so he quickly asked this question.

He had just heard Li Li Xuewu and the others laughing and talking at the gate; now that matters had escalated, he needed to find Li Li Xuewu to resolve the situation.

"He's here, he's here; he's outside smoking."

Seeing Sha Zhu waved his hand with an expression that said, "You go quickly, don't delay my watching the fun."

Yi Yi Zhonghai had originally intended to have him go fetch Li Li Xuewu, but at this moment, he could only go himself.

He ran outside, only to see Li Li Xuewu slipping quietly toward the car, and immediately shouted loudly, "Li Xuewu! Don't leave!"

Hearing movement behind him, Li Li Xuewu hurried toward the car and said without turning his head, "First Uncle, I suddenly remembered there's an urgent matter at home; I'm heading back first!"