The next morning, the heavy snow stopped, and the entire Wangcheng County was covered in a blanket of white.

Unable to ride a bicycle, the postman carried a military-green backpack and delivered mail door-to-door, trudging through the thick snow. In front of a small courtyard, he shouted over the wall, "Ji Yousheng, Ji Yousheng, a letter, your letter! Is anyone home?"

"Hey, I'm here!" Ji Yousheng hurriedly ran out of the yard and asked, "Where did you send it from?"

"See for yourself," the postman said.

"Okay, thank you, thank you." Ji Yousheng took the letter, smiled and thanked the postman, then took the letter into the yard.

"Dad, who sent the letter?" Ji Ningzhi asked as she came over.

"I don't know either," Ji Yousheng said.

"Let's open it and take a look," Liang Wenhua said eagerly.

Ji Yousheng opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers, with a few falling to the ground.

"What is this?" Liang Wenhua asked.

Ji Ningzhi picked it up, unfolded it, and said, "The property deed...and the bankbook. There's over ten thousand yuan in this bankbook in Dad's name, a lot."

"More than ten thousand yuan?!" Liang Wenhua was stunned.

“There is also more than two thousand yuan in the savings account in my name,” Ji Ningzhi said.

Liang Wenhua was overjoyed: "How come there's so much money all of a sudden? Who gave it to me? Where did it come from?"

Ji Yousheng hurriedly unfolded the letter and stared intently at it as he read. As he read, his expression changed, and a chill ran through him.

Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi looked at Ji Yousheng and, noticing his unusual expression, asked, "What's wrong? Who sent it?"

After reading the letter, Ji Yousheng immediately leaned backward uncontrollably, as if he couldn't withstand the blow.

"Yousheng!"

"dad!"

Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi quickly helped Ji Yousheng up. Ji Ningzhi hurriedly asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Ji Yousheng turned to Ji Ningzhi in a daze: "Quick, quick, let's go find your brother, something's happened to him!"

Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi were instantly startled.

Ji Yousheng didn't have time to say anything more. He hurriedly ran out of the yard and headed towards Fengqing Transportation. The letter and envelope fell to the ground.

“Yousheng!” Liang Wenhua called out.

"Mom, it's a letter from my brother." Ji Ningzhi picked up the letter from the ground. The letter contained very little information. Ji Ningzhi read it to Liang Wenhua: "Dad, Mom, Ningzhi:"

I'm sorry, I'm leaving. I should have left two years ago.

Please forgive me, forgive my filial impiety in this life, forgive my cowardice, forgive my selfishness. In my past life, I accompanied you for a lifetime. In this life, I want to follow my heart.

Dad, I'm sorry.

Mom, I'm sorry.

Ningzhi, I'm sorry.

I cannot live without a heart in this lifetime.

Yanjun, pen.

After hearing this, Liang Wenhua was stunned and asked, "What does that mean? Ningzhi, what does your brother mean?"

Ji Ningzhi guessed the outcome, and tears streamed down her face. More than half a year! More than half a year! Wen Qing has been dead for more than half a year! Her brother was still the same as before: making money, coming home, silent, occasionally smiling—his life rhythm was exactly the same as when Wen Qing was alive. She thought her brother had slowly let go, had returned to his original social circle. She never imagined her brother would love Wen Qing so deeply, to the point that without her, his world had no meaning. To love her so much that even without her, he wanted to follow her in death.

"Ning Zhi! Say something!" Liang Wenhua shouted.

Ji Ningzhi burst into tears: "I don't know, I don't know."

"Impossible, impossible! Your brother must be working at Fengqing. I'm going to find him, I'm going to find him and ask him what he means!" Liang Wenhua staggered as he followed Ji Yousheng toward Fengqing Transportation Company.

Ji Ningzhi ran after him, crying.

"Yanjun, Yanjun!" Liang Wenhua shouted as soon as he arrived at Fengqing Transportation Company.

Gangzi greeted them with a smile: "Auntie, Uncle, what brings you here? Well, Yanjun went to a neighboring city to deliver goods yesterday and only returned this afternoon, so he's not at the company right now."

Ji Yousheng, Liang Wenhua, and Ji Ningzhi were taken aback.

"No, Yanjun came back yesterday after get off work." Just then, Accountant Sister Cheng came to work and said, "He said he drives fast, so he went yesterday morning and came back yesterday afternoon. I was going to introduce him to someone yesterday, but he said he already has a girlfriend, and he's always had one. Wasn't he resting at home?" Sister Cheng looked at the group of people.

Upon hearing this, Gangzi immediately looked up at the car in the yard. Sure enough, the car that Ji Yanjun had driven yesterday morning was already in the yard, which meant that Ji Yanjun had indeed returned last night!

Sister Cheng then asked, "What happened? Did someone look for him? He said he's not coming to work today." Sister Cheng was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

Gangzi's expression changed. He suddenly remembered what Ji Yanjun had said calmly a couple of days ago: "It's snowing, and Qingqing is most afraid of the cold." He also remembered Ji Yanjun telling him to help Wen Liang and Wen Peng in the future. Now, thinking back on what Ji Yanjun said yesterday, it was actually quite meaningful... Gangzi felt a chill in his heart and suddenly turned to look at Ji Yousheng.

Ji Yousheng immediately understood.

"Get in the car!" Gangzi suddenly said.

Ji Yousheng was the first to react and got into Feng Qing's car, followed by Liang Wenhua and Ji Ningzhi.

Sister Cheng watched in astonishment as the car sped out of the company compound.

"What's wrong? Isn't Ji Yanjun sleeping at home?" Sister Cheng muttered as she entered the office.

The road was covered in thick snow, making driving extremely dangerous. Fortunately, there was no one on the dirt road, and fields lined both sides. Gangzi was anxious and drove incredibly fast, shouting in his mind, "Yanjun, don't let anything happen, please don't let anything happen! It's just a woman! Damn it, it's just a woman! Don't you have any backbone? Don't you have any backbone! When she was doing well, why didn't you cherish her more? Damn it!"

Gangzi drove his car as fast as he could fly.

Ji Yousheng, Liang Wenhua, and Ji Ningzhi in the car seemed to realize something, their faces turning deathly pale, and Liang Wenhua's hands began to tremble.

"Ningzhi, Ningzhi," Liang Wenhua called out.

Ji Ningzhi started crying again, holding Liang Wenhua's hand: "Mom, Mom."

"Your brother, your brother..." Liang Wenhua's voice trembled. She was terrified. She was so afraid that something would happen to her only son.

Ji Ningzhi couldn't say a word.

Ji Yousheng and Gangzi both had tense expressions and were on edge, hoping for a turn of events and that things weren't as bad as they thought.

With a "whoosh," the car came to a stop, skidding for four or five meters. Gangzi suddenly pushed open the car door, shouting, "Yanjun, Yanjun!" He ran wildly to Wen Qing's tomb in the mass grave, tripped and fell halfway, got up and continued running, but stopped as soon as he arrived.

"Yanjun, Yanjun!"

"Yanjun!"

"elder brother!"

Ji Yousheng, Liang Wenhua, and Ji Ningzhi ran over and stopped at the same time, looking at Wen Qing's tombstone.

Wen Qing's tombstone was covered with a thick layer of white snow, completely obscuring any other color. Beside the tombstone seemed to be a tall snowman—yes, a snowman.

snowman,

snowman……

"Yanjun..." Gangzi called out softly, unable to believe it.

"Brother." Ji Ningzhi could barely hear her own voice.

Liang Wenhua was completely speechless.

"Yanjun, Yanjun!" Ji Yousheng was the first to rush over, digging through the snow with his bare hands, shouting, "Yanjun! Yanjun!"

Ji Yanjun's words kept repeating in my mind:

"Dad, I decided then and there that I would never marry anyone but this girl in my life."

"Once Wen Qing is married, has children, and is doing well, I'll start thinking about myself."

“My life was given to me by Uncle Wen Qing… Now, even if I die for Wen Qing, I’ve gained two years of lifespan, let alone being a bachelor for life.”

"I like Wenqing."

"Dad, I really like Wen Qing."

"..."

Ji Yousheng, who always seemed kind, was now like a madman, desperately digging through the snow. When he and Gangzi had cleared away a thick layer of snow, Liang Wenhua let out a shrill cry: "Yanjun!" This shrill cry broke the silence of Shuiwan Village.

Villagers from Shuiwan Village came out of their homes to look towards the mass burial site, and many curious villagers ran over to watch.

"Pengpeng, something happened at your older sister's grave!"

"Sister-in-law Wen, are several people gathered around Wen Qing's grave?"

"Pengpeng, there are so many people at your eldest sister's grave, Pengpeng!"

"..."

Upon hearing the news, Yao Shiling, Wen Liang, and Wen Peng rushed to the mass burial site, and other villagers who had come to watch also gathered around.

Before they even reached the mass grave, everyone was stunned.

Liang Wenhua and Ji Yousheng embraced Ji Yanjun, who was covered in snow, and wept bitterly.

"Yanjun".

"Yanjun..."

"..."

"Mom, is Ji Yanjun dead?" Wen Peng asked blankly.

Yao Shiling didn't know either.

Seeing this, Wen Liang felt deeply guilty. Because of Wen Qing, he disliked Ji Yanjun intensely, even though Ji Yanjun had condescended to work for him and help Fengqing Transportation get on track. He remained cold and indifferent to Ji Yanjun because his second uncle had died for Ji Yanjun, and his sister was also dead. His sister had defied gossip and been with Ji Yanjun, only to be met with harassment and disdain from the Ji family—all of which was Ji Yanjun's fault!

However, Ji Yanjun did not utter a single word in rebuttal to the accusations from the Wen family and Shuiwan Village, and did his best to fulfill his duties to Feng Qing.

Having seen that Fengqing Transportation was operating smoothly, Ji Yanjun had given his sister some instructions, so he went to find her. Wen Liang silently watched ahead.

So, does Ji Yanjun actually love his sister deeply?

So, as Wen Peng said, it's not that Ji Yanjun didn't take the initiative to be nice to his sister, but rather that his sister was too proactive.

Wen Liang's eyes were a little moist.

A scene of mourning filled the mass grave.

Soon, the news of Ji Yanjun's death in front of Wen Qing's grave spread throughout Shuiwan Village, Wangcheng County, and Nanzhou City.

Whenever someone mentions Wen Qing or Ji Yanjun during their leisure time, there are always endless stories to tell.

"Wen Qing and Ji Yanjun are very much in love."

We were often together when we were dating.

"Wen Qing was waiting for Ji Yanjun's car at the four-way intersection."

Wen Qing died of illness.

"Six months later, after Ji Yanjun helped Wen Qing's younger brother manage the transportation company, he also went there."

"They froze to death in the snow."

"They've all turned into snowmen."

"well!"

"well!"

"It's all Ji Yanjun's fault, his mother. At first, she looked down on Wen Qing's family, saying that Wen Qing was from the countryside and was very pretentious. She didn't know that the money in her hands was earned by her son with his life. Later, when Wen Qing became more capable than her son, she still looked down on Wen Qing, saying that Wen Qing was not proper. As a result, when Wen Qing left, her son couldn't bear the blow and left with her."

"Liang Wenhua is clueless whether he's rich or poor; he bullies the weak and fears the strong!"

"..."

The story of Wen Qing and Ji Yanjun can be heard everywhere in the streets and alleys.

Liang Wenhua fell ill because of Ji Yanjun's suicide, and was bedridden for several months.

When he recovered and got out of bed, he was so thin that he looked like a ghost. He sat in the Ji family's courtyard with a blank stare.

This courtyard of the Ji family was the house that Ji Yanjun redeemed for the Ji family before his death. It was a spacious and bright single-story courtyard in front of the grain station. There was a grape trellis in the courtyard, and Liang Wenhua sat under the grape trellis with tears streaming down her face.

"Yanjun," Liang Wenhua called out.

Ji Yousheng said, "You should call Wen Qing. If Wen Qing can't come back, Yan Jun can't come back either."

Liang Wenhua's pale lips trembled, but she ultimately couldn't call out Wen Qing's name.

Ji Yousheng said, "This result is only two years late. If Uncle Wen Qing hadn't saved Yan Jun, Yan Jun would have been dead more than two years ago. Our family has gained more than two years. Yan Jun's life originally belonged to the Wen family."

Liang Wenhua's cloudy tears fell down.

Ji Yousheng sighed and walked towards the main room.

And so, year after year passed.

Ji Yanjun left some money for Ji Yousheng to put in the bank. After experiencing hardship, Ji Yousheng no longer entrusted the money to Liang Wenhua for management, but kept it himself. With his monthly salary, he was not rich, but he was not poor either.

Ji Yanjun also left Ji Ningzhi a considerable dowry, including two thousand yuan in savings, a house in Wangcheng County, and some furniture and facilities.

On the day Ji Ningzhi got married, Gangzi and a group of friends escorted her.

That day, Ji Ningzhi hugged Gangzi and cried especially hard. Her brother, who loved her and doted on her the most in the world, was gone.

Ji Ningzhi got married and enjoyed a few happy years, giving birth to a son and a daughter. Later, due to her personality, she had an unpleasant relationship with her parents-in-law and they often quarreled. Only then did she realize how excessive, unreasonable, and annoying she and Liang Wenhua, who had once been Wen Qing's prospective sister-in-law and mother-in-law, had been. She also realized the pressure and hardship her brother had endured.

However, it was too late for regrets. Because of the children, she almost went to court with her in-laws. In the end, Gangzi stepped in and got her two children back. They were both given the surname Ji. She lived a very frugal life. Fortunately, the children were like their uncles and were very well-behaved and sensible, which made her very happy.

In addition, Zhang Fangfang, whom she could never get over, was doing even worse. Zhang Fangfang got together with Li Chuanli, who became rich overnight after starting a business.

Zhang Fangfang relentlessly pursued Li Chuanli, causing a major rift between the Su and Li families. However, Li Chuanli's "passionate love" for Zhang Fangfang ultimately led to their marriage.

Shortly after their marriage, Li Chuanli's family fell into ruin, and both Li Chuanli and Zhang Fangfang had affairs. Instead of admitting his wrongdoing, Li Chuanli beat Zhang Fangfang mercilessly.

The family was thrown into chaos, ending up in court and divorcing. Zhang Fangfang not only didn't fare well, but also ended up carrying half of Li Chuanli's debts. Her lover, who had an affair with her, avoided her like the plague.

Even Su Hongmei grew to dislike Zhang Fangfang, who often struggled to make ends meet and lived a very miserable life.

In contrast to these restless individuals, Yao Shiling, Wen Liang, and Wen Peng worked diligently and conscientiously in their respective positions, and their lives improved steadily.

Wen Liang inherited Wen Qing's boldness and principles, and with Wen Qing's drawings in hand, he also recruited creative talents. Under Gangzi's coordination, he developed Fengqing Group in all aspects. If Fengqing showed its potential under Wen Qing, then it shone brightly under Wen Liang and became the number one brand of this era.

Wen Peng still loved to play, and he went too far. He started playing table tennis in Nanzhou City, where he was spotted by a famous national-level coach, joined the national team, and even won an Olympic gold medal, becoming world-famous.

Looking at her two sons, who were so outstanding, Yao Shiling thought of Wen Qing again. Wen Qing was so smart and excellent; if there were any other sons, he would be even more outstanding.

Thinking about this, Yao Shiling's eyes reddened again.

"Grandma, Grandma!" A little girl in a pink dress with two pigtails, bright eyes, and chubby cheeks, looked exactly like Wen Qing when she was a child. She was Wen Liang's youngest daughter, nicknamed Ping An, given to her by Yao Shiling, probably because she longed for the word "peace" in her heart.

"Grandma!" Ping An rushed over.

Following behind Ping An were Wen Liang and Wen Liang's wife.

"Mom," the two called out.

After Yao Shiling responded, she picked up Ping An and stared straight at her. Wen Qing looked just like this when she was little, like a porcelain doll. She was always full of energy and seemed to have inexhaustible strength. She was crazy.

But she was so beautiful that Wenqing's second uncle adored her. He took Wenqing out to play every day, and Wenqing was overjoyed. At that time, she had just given birth to Wenliang and was busy in the fields, so she let Wenqing's second uncle take care of her. Therefore, he didn't take care of Wenqing for very long.

Wen Qing passed away at the age of eighteen, leaving an eternal pain in her heart.

"Grandma, do you miss me? I miss you so much," Ping An said with a smile.

"Yes, Grandma misses you so much." Yao Shiling finally smiled.

"I miss Grandma more," Ping An said in her childish voice.

Wen Liang looked at his wife. His wife was initially reluctant to leave Ping An with Yao Shiling, but considering that Wen Liang and Wen Peng, whom Yao Shiling had taught, were both excellent, and that Yao Shiling always smiled whenever she saw Ping An, she nodded to Wen Liang.

Wen Liang put his arm around his wife's shoulder, patted her, and said, "Thank you."

You're too kind.

That day, Yao Shiling took Wen Liang's family to visit Wen Qing.

Next to Wen Qing's grave was another grave, that of Ji Yanjun. After Ji Yanjun passed away, Ji Yousheng came to Yao Shiling to explain Ji Yanjun's wishes, as well as his own, and begged Yao Shiling to agree to bury Ji Yanjun next to Wen Qing. Although it was said to be next to Wen Qing, it was actually quite a distance away. Yao Shiling's words were, "In case Wen Qing is unhappy that your son is so close to here."

But as the seasons changed, the grass grew and withered, and many long-stemmed grasses grew between the two graves, making it impossible to tell which grave the roots were on; they were all tangled together.

“Even in death, he won’t let my daughter go,” Yao Shiling sighed.

Ping An casually tugged at the grass on the grave.

"Ping An, be careful not to prick your hand." Wen Liang's wife hugged Ping An.

Ping An nestled obediently in Wen Liang's wife's arms.

After exchanging a few words, Yao Shiling took Xiao Ping'an to the county town to buy groceries.

"Mom, I'll go buy it," Wen Liang said.

Yao Shiling smiled and said, "You and Ping An's mom are so busy, take a break. Little Ping An has so much energy every day, I'll just take her for a walk. You can come pick us up in an hour or two."

Wen Liang couldn't dissuade her, so he had no choice but to let Yao Shiling have her way.

Yao Shiling took Xiao Ping'an to the county town. The old dirt road had long since been paved with asphalt.

"Grandma, why is my aunt lying in the field? Why doesn't she come home to sleep?" Xiao Ping'an asked.

Yao Shiling laughed: "Because my aunt can't come back to our home."

Why?

"Because Xiao Ping'an's aunt is sick."

"You're sick."

"Um."

Yao Shiling held Xiao Ping'an's chubby little hand, just like she used to hold Wen Qing's little hand, and walked towards the county town. When they arrived at the vegetable market, they bought meat and vegetables. While waiting for Wen Liang on the street, they saw Ji Yousheng pushing a wheelchair with his white hair. Liang Wenhua was sitting in the wheelchair.

Ji Yousheng went up to greet Yao Shiling when he saw her.

"Are you alright?" Ji Yousheng asked. Anyone with eyes could see that Yao Shiling was doing very well; her clothes, complexion, and demeanor were all excellent.

On the contrary, Ji Yousheng and Liang Wenhua are just so-so.

“I’m fine, what’s wrong with her?” Yao Shiling asked Liang Wenhua.

Ji Yousheng smiled and said, "As you get older, you have more health problems." Ji Yousheng did not tell Yao Shiling that Liang Wenhua had been in poor health since Ji Yanjun's death, and was now delirious and often confused. Then Ji Yousheng looked at the little girl next to Yao Shiling, his eyes reddening, and said, "This little girl looks just like Wen Qing."

“Wen Qing is my aunt,” Xiao Ping’an said.

Ji Yousheng laughed: "He's straightforward too."

Yao Shiling smiled, took Xiao Ping'an's hand, and said, "Wen Liang is here, I'll be going now."

"Okay, take care," Ji Yousheng said, then pushed Liang Wenhua forward.

Liang Wenhua is unable to walk due to illness, and his face usually shows little expression.

Ji Yousheng said, "Wenhua, look, Wenliang already has children. If Yanjun were still alive, if Wenqing were still alive, if we weren't so materialistic, if we weren't so obstructive, their children would both be in school by now."

"Yanjun," Liang Wenhua called out.

"Yes, and Wen Qing too. Wen Qing is gone too. You treated her so well, yet she never harmed you."

Liang Wenhua's eyes were red-rimmed, and cloudy tears rolled down her pale face. Her lips trembled as she looked into the distance: "Yanjun, Wen... Wen... Wenqing, come back, come back!"

Yanjun.

Wen Qing...

Wen Qing...