Er Ya nodded and said, "Then I'll go see Brother Lin Xiao first."

"Go quickly and comfort him. That child won't listen to anyone. He hasn't eaten all day and just kneels there crying. Sigh."

Lin Fugui then told the helpers to each have two steamed buns with meat inside, and that they could just drink some water when they got home. When they heard that it was prepared and delivered by Jiang's mother, everyone praised Jiang's mother for being so capable. They said that it was already good enough that a godparent would come to help, but who knew that she would use her own grain to make food for them.

The freshly steamed buns were so delicious that one bite filled your mouth with oil, and everyone praised them highly, saying that the second son's family had really good cooking skills.

The sounds of them eating attracted Li Cuihua. When she saw that each of them was eating a steamed bun, she couldn't help but complain, "Village chief, you don't even call us when you're eating. I'm starving."

He reached out to grab a steamed bun, but Lin Fugui stopped him: "This was made by Lin Lao Er's wife for everyone. As the hosts, you didn't mention providing food, but what, you're not going to come and eat just because she made it?"

Li Cuihua shamelessly took four large steamed buns. When she reached for more, Lin Fugui handed the basket to someone else, telling them to hurry up and eat if they weren't full, so as not to disappoint the second brother's family's kindness.

Li Cuihua snorted: "Isn't the point of making steamed buns to be eaten? What? Did she say that my husband and I aren't allowed to eat them? How stingy."

Ignoring what Lin Fugui said, she took the steamed bun and swayed back into the house.

Lin Fugui, who was left behind, was so angry that he was blowing his beard and glaring. How could there be such a shameless person?

Er Ya slowly walked into the room where Lin Xiao had lived before. She saw Lin Xiao kneeling there, motionless, as if frozen in time. Grandpa Lin was also lying quietly on the bed.

Her eyes stung, and tears welled up and fell uncontrollably. She silently walked up to Lin Xiao and patted his shoulder without a sound.

Lin Xiao looked up and saw Er Ya. He immediately let his guard down and said in a hoarse voice, "Er Ya, I don't have a grandfather anymore. It's all my fault. I always said that I would earn more money and bring my grandfather back. I always said that. My grandfather must be angry with me."

Er Ya shook her head and said, "No, you've done enough."

"No, I should have noticed. When I saw him yesterday, he was already in poor spirits. He lied to me and said he hadn't slept well. I was in a hurry to go up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs, so I didn't take a good look."

“Brother Lin Xiao, it’s not your fault. Grandpa has just gone to another, better world. There is no illness or pain there. It’s a wonderful world.”

Lin Xiao's eyes were empty: "It's my fault. I knew what kind of people they were, and I still left Grandpa here. Grandpa didn't even get to eat the food I bought for him before he died."

“Brother Lin Xiao, you have to cheer up. Grandpa Lin wouldn’t want to see you so dejected. He wants you to live a happy and joyful life.”

Lin Xiao recalled yesterday, thinking that before dawn, he would climb over the wall to check on his grandfather before Lin Shitou and the others got up.

Ever since Li Cuihua failed to gain anything from his house last time, whenever she sees Lin Xiao visiting Grandpa Lin, she will chase him away with a broom and give Grandpa Lin a good scolding.

After several visits, Lin Xiao dared not go to his grandfather's house anymore, fearing that he would be wronged. It had been a while since he last came.

As soon as he reached the outside of his grandfather's room, he heard a violent cough coming from inside. His heart tightened, and he quickly pushed open the door, rushed to his grandfather's bedside, and gently patted his back to help him catch his breath: "Grandpa, have you been coughing like this all this time? Let's go see a doctor."

Upon hearing Lin Xiao's voice, Grandpa Lin gripped his hand tightly, weakly shook his head, and said:

"Grandpa's old ailment is nothing serious. He just choked on his water earlier. Xiao Xiao, what brings you here today? Don't come here all the time. Don't let your mother see you. I'm an old man, I can take a little grievance. If she sees you here, she'll beat you again."

"Grandpa, it's alright, they're still sleeping. I haven't seen you in a long time, I miss you."

Grandpa Lin said weakly, "Hey, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? You've finished reading, so go now and take care of yourself. Grandpa can't help you with anything else."

Lin Xiao shook his head and said stubbornly, "I'll stay with you a little longer, it's still early."

Grandpa Lin weakly pushed him out: "You should go quickly, otherwise Grandpa will get angry. Don't come here again. I eat and sleep well here, so you don't need to worry about me. Er Ya and her family are good people. You should get closer to them. With them around, I feel at ease."

Seeing that his grandfather insisted on letting him leave, and knowing that he was afraid his stepmother would cause trouble again, he said reluctantly, "Grandpa, I'm leaving now. Wait for me. I'll save up some more money, take you out, and take you to see a doctor."

Grandpa Lin said kindly, "Oh, Grandpa is waiting for you. Go ahead and do your work."

When Lin Xiao reached the door, Grandpa Lin called him back: "Xiao Xiao, make sure you put away the longevity lock that Grandpa gave you last time. You must keep it safe."

"Grandpa, I left it here."

Grandpa Lin waved goodbye, saying, "That's good, go on your way."

After Lin Xiao climbed over the wall and went outside, Grandpa Lin seemed to be unable to hold on any longer. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, fell to the ground, and lost consciousness.

The next day, Li Cuihua remembered that the old man hadn't eaten all day. Cursing, she picked up a plate and pushed open the door, only to see Grandpa Lin lying unconscious on the ground, having stopped breathing sometime earlier.

"Ahhhhhh~".

Looking back now, Lin Xiao realized why his grandfather had told him to get closer to Er Ya's family and take good care of himself. He probably knew his time was coming and was making arrangements for his affairs, but he hadn't realized it in his dullness.

Looking back now, it's too late for regrets. Lin Xiao looked at his grandfather's kind face and recalled how good he had been to him in the past. Tears streamed down his face as he choked out, "Er Ya, it's getting late. You should go back now. I won't see you off. Let me stay here and have some peace and quiet."

Er Ya knew he was upset, so she gave him some space to vent: "Alright then, Brother Lin Xiao, you also need to take care of yourself and eat something. If you get sick, Grandpa Lin won't be happy even after he passes away."

Lin Xiao nodded numbly, then stared intently at Grandpa Lin's face.

Er Ya sighed and walked out of the house. Lin Fugui saw her come out and asked with concern, "Are you still kneeling?"

To be continued!