Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Birth, Old Age, Sickness and Death

This New Year's Eve was just like every other, a quiet winter night.

At midnight, Huo Xing placed the sleeping Xuetuan in Miao Ying's arms, put on his clothes and went to set off firecrackers. Soon the whole village was filled with the sound of firecrackers.

Xuetuan was frightened by the sound of firecrackers. Miao Ying held him in his arms and covered his ears. Only after the sound of firecrackers passed did Xuetuan continue to sleep peacefully.

Miao Ying had just put down the snowball when Huo Xing returned to the room, feeling cold. Fortunately, after the sound of firecrackers, everything around him became quiet again.

Huo Xing took off his clothes, hugged Miao Ying and turned off the lights, and New Year's Eve passed like this.

The next morning, the weather was very good. Li Hongying thought that Miao Ying had stayed at home for a long time and had not gone out for exercise much, so she said that they had brought Xuetuan with them and asked him and Huo Xing to go out for a walk to relax.

"So you won't go to worship the Buddha this year?" Miao Ying asked. Li Hongying had gone to worship the Buddha on New Year's Day in recent years.

"I'm not going this year," Li Hongying said. "It's also good to take Xuetuan with you and stay home with your grandmother. The Bodhisattva won't blame you."

Miao Ying thought that since this was the case, he might as well not let Li Hongying down and go out for a walk with Huo Xing. After having a child, they had not gone out together alone for a long time.

He looked at his grandmother again, and she smiled and waved at them: "Go play."

In fact, they had no interest in playing. Their mother had no time to worship the Buddha, so the two of them went by themselves. They fulfilled their vows to the God of Wealth, worshipped Guanyin, prayed for the health of their elders, and worshipped Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth, again, hoping that Lingzhi and his child would be successful.

I also bought a lot of snacks on the way home. Actually, I was not very happy when I went out to play. I was always worried about home, so I might as well go home and stay home.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly on the first day of the new year.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Miao Ying was going back to her parents' home, and this time she brought Xuetuan with her. Li Hongying dressed Xuetuan up like a lucky doll, with him wearing a bright red coat and a tiger-head hat on his head. The red color made Xuetuan look even whiter. Miao Ying lowered her head and kissed him several times.

When they arrived at Miaojia Village, Miao Dahai had been waiting at the village entrance since early morning. He saw their ox cart from afar and went to meet them. After seeing Xuetuan, he ignored Miao Ying and walked very fast holding Xuetuan.

Several charcoal braziers were burned in Miao Dong's room at home, and Xuetuan and Pangpang were allowed to play in the house. Miao Ying and Zheng Caier looked after the two children. Pangpang was over one year old and could say a few simple words. He liked Xuetuan very much and pushed all his toys to Xuetuan.

Xuetuan has a good temper. He didn't cry when Pangpang kissed him on the face. He just looked at his father with watery eyes.

Zheng Caier went over to wipe Xuetuan's face clean: "Pangpang likes Xuetuan."

"Xue Tuan'er is very popular. Everyone in the village likes him." Miao Ying said, watching the two children play again. He looked at Zheng Cai'er and said, "Sister-in-law, is business going well?"

Zheng Caier nodded: "I'll just rest for the next two days, and from the fifth day onwards, there will be banquets almost every day, all booked."

Miao Ying nodded. No wonder there were so many things piled up in the woodshed at home.

She has changed a lot this year. She used to be gentle, but now she is much more capable.

"That's great. Let's get busy preparing for the New Year." Miao Ying picked up the toys that the two children had thrown on the ground.

Zheng Caier looked at him: "Xiaoying, honestly, I am very grateful to you."

Before getting married, Zheng Caier's life seemed to be very hard. Later, she was brave for once and used some tricks to marry into the Miao family. Unexpectedly, it brought such a big change to her life.

In the past, she thought that women and boys could only do things in the inner house, such as embroidering handkerchiefs and cooking. But now, she knows that they can also make money. It is no exaggeration to say that she earns more than her father-in-law who is a butcher.

Although it is a bit embarrassing to say it, many people in the village are now proud to be able to book a table with Madam Zheng, and all of this is because of the encouragement given to her by Miao Ying.

Miao Ying laughed: "Yeah, what are we worse than men?"

They talked for a while, and then Zheng Caier went to help with cooking. She had some ideas recently and wanted to make something delicious for Miao Ying.

After dinner, Miao Ying and the others were about to leave. Liu Qiong felt a little regretful that they didn't stay longer, as they usually had to stay overnight.

Miao Ying looked at her and said softly, "Grandma hasn't been well lately. I'm afraid something might happen. Mother and the two children are left at home scratching their heads."

Liu Qiong nodded and said, "Your grandmother is sixty-seven this year, which is already a very old age. If anything really happens, you can ask someone to run errands and tell us, and we will come to help."

Miao Ying nodded, and the snowball in his hand scratched Liu Qiong's hair again. Liu Qiong squeezed his hand and gave him a purse: "This is the New Year's money given by grandma."

Miao Ying did not refuse and thanked his mother. Finally, before leaving, Zheng Caier also gave Xuetuan some New Year's money. Miao Dong sent them to the village entrance and patted Huo Xing on the shoulder.

When they returned to her mother's home, Fu Lingyou also brought back a lot of things. After having a simple meal at home, he hurried back home.

They happened to meet at the entrance of the village, said hello, asked about Lingzhi's situation, and then both went home.

From the third to the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, the family gathered together. The weather was sunny during those days, and their favorite thing was to bask in the sun in the yard. Miao Ying paid special attention to his grandmother's condition, but she was still the same as before, sitting on a recliner, wearing warm clothes, and smiling when she saw snowballs.

Miao Ying didn't feel very relieved, but he still smiled when his grandmother looked at him.

"Xiaolin, don't worry so much." Grandma touched Xiaolin's head as she sat next to her. "Look at your brothers. They won't let you suffer any injustice."

Xiaolin peeled a chestnut for her and placed it in her palm: "Grandma, eat this."

Grandma smiled and pinched the chestnuts.

She looked at Huo Xing again: "Ah Xing, you should help Xiao Ying share more of the burden and be nicer to him."

Huo Xing also nodded: "I know."

She called out to Miao Ying again, and Miao Ying came closer to her and listened to her: "Xiao Ying, don't work too hard. You're busy all day long."

Miao Ying rubbed her palm: "I'm not busy, I'm happy."

"And Xiaobao, you should take the exam with a normal attitude and don't get stuck on it." After all, Huo Xiaobao was raised by her, and she was most worried about him at this moment.

Huo Xiaobao nodded, still somewhat confused. "I know, Grandma. I will study hard and strive to bring honor to our family."

Grandma smiled and stroked his hair: "Be good."

After saying that, she looked at the sky again: "And Lingzhi, he's also a good kid, it would be better if he didn't think so much."

Finally, the grandmother looked at Li Hongying, called her over, and took her hand: "Hongying, you have worked so hard all this time."

Li Hongying wiped away her tears: "What are you talking about?"

That night, no one in the family slept well. Even Xuetuan, who usually slept well, was a little restless. Huo Xing simply picked him up and let him sleep in his arms.

Miao Ying also sat up and lit the oil lamp. He frowned tightly and looked at Huo Xing. He thought of how Carpenter Yao had done the same when he left, and had talked a lot to them.

Huo Xing held Xuetuan in one hand and put his arm around Miao Ying's shoulder with the other. Miao Ying leaned on his shoulder, feeling a little at a loss.

Miao Ying's heart sank until he heard the movement in the next room. He looked at Huo Xing, who turned and left the room, following Li Hongying into their room.

On the bed, the grandmother lay peacefully, as if she was asleep. Li Hongying wiped her tears, not knowing what to do for a moment, and looked at Huo Xing at a loss.

Huo Xing hugged Li Hongying gently: "Mom."

Li Hongying married into the Huo family when she was in her teens. She and her grandmother were no longer just mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but more like mother and daughter. As the saying goes, when parents are alive, life still has a place to go. When parents are gone, this life only has a way back.

In the past, as long as her grandmother was around, she felt that she had a backbone, but now, the elder who always stood behind her was gone.

Huo Xing patted her back gently: "Mom, you should change grandma's clothes. I'll go wake them up."

Li Hongying cried until she was out of breath, but finally she wiped her tears, went to the closet to find the clothes they had prepared long ago, and gently lifted the quilt off her grandmother.

As Huo Xing walked to the door, Miao Ying had already changed his clothes. His eyes were red. "You go call Xiaobao, and I'll call Xiaolin."

Xiaolin was now sleeping in Lingzhi's room. Miao Ying pushed open the door, sat beside the bed, and called him softly, "Xiaolin."

Xiao Lin opened his eyes drowsily and saw Miao Ying sitting beside the bed with red eyes. He immediately woke up and sat up: "Brother."

"Change your clothes and go say goodbye to grandma." Miao Ying took out his clothes. "Don't cry."

After all, Xiaolin was only eleven years old and couldn't hide anything. The front of the clothes he had just put on was already wet.

The same thing happened to Huo Xiaobao. When the two children saw each other, they hugged each other and burst into tears. In the room, Li Hongying had already changed clothes for her grandmother. After they all entered the room, Li Hongying knelt down first, and then they all knelt in front of their grandmother's bed and kowtowed three times.

After that, the crying in the house never stopped, especially from the two little ones. Huo Xiaobao had been taken care of by their grandmother for the past two years, and Xiaolin, when his grandfather had just passed away, it was their grandmother who held him to sleep every night. Now their grandmother was gone too.

Miao Ying was also sad. He didn't cry out loud like a child. He just hugged Xiaolin, and his tears kept falling on Xiaolin's hair.

They knelt for quite a while before Li Hongying finally cheered up. Their grandmother's funeral still needed to be taken care of, and they couldn't just cry here all the time.

The coffin was actually prepared early in the morning, but because they were afraid that Xiaolin might be sensitive, they were not made in the tool room, but placed in the Lingzhi Yard, and could be brought over at dawn.

They have a lot of things to do. They have to tear off the red paper pasted during the New Year, decorate the mourning hall, announce the death, find waiters, and prepare the banquet. They have no time to rest.

Miao Ying didn't quite understand what the customs were at that time, but with red eyes, he tore off the red "Fu" characters that they had previously pasted with the paste prepared by his grandmother.

Li Hongying also choked up and gave instructions. If an elder died at night, a string of firecrackers should be set off at Yinshi, which is four o'clock in the morning, and then every household should be visited in the morning to announce the death.

Today is the ninth day of the first lunar month, and the time with the strongest New Year atmosphere has passed.