After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law finished feeding the chickens and cleaning the house, they worked in the kitchen for half a day before preparing lunch for the whole family. The old couple of the Song family still sat alone in the main room to eat.
"Old lady, how are you? Are you feeling well?" Old man Song asked with concern, but it was impossible for him to help.
Old Mrs. Song came in and sat on the bench, pounding her legs and shaking her head. "No, it's not good. I usually see the second son's wife doing it so easily, but my old body can't take it anymore. My legs are starting to hurt again."
"There's nothing we can do. Song Chengjiu's wife doesn't seem capable of doing anything. We can only wait until granddaughter-in-law gives birth, and then you and the eldest daughter-in-law will teach her well." After saying this, Old Man Song began to eat. There was only a chipped bowl with two steamed buns on the table, and another plate full of boiled vegetables, without a trace of oil.
"I heard from the eldest son's wife that Jiayu and her grandson-in-law came back together!" Old Mrs. Song brought up this matter for some reason. Was it because of her unwillingness or the regret that was hidden in her heart?
In the past, when Song Jiayu came back, the second brother's family would always fill small bowls with meat and vegetables for the meal.
It’s already this time today, so it’s clear that no one will come.
"Oh..." Old Man Song sighed, seeing that they were completely estranged.
Old Mrs. Song felt that she was too old to live like this. She cried and complained, "Why can't my son be filial to me? The second son's family is the same. They quarrel every day over the little things. From the old generation on, everyone lives with the eldest son. Am I wrong to be nice to the eldest son's family?"
"Stop talking. There's no point in talking anymore. Let's eat."
Old Mrs. Song cried while eating. She felt so wronged. When she was young, she was bullied by her mother-in-law. She finally gave birth to two sons and got herself established. Her mother-in-law lived a happy life in her later years. The old man was filial to her every day, and she took care of everything at home and outside without any complaints. Why did she have to do so much work in her later years like she did when she was young?
…
The Song family did not deliver the lunch today to the old house. Instead, Song Beiwang ran all the way to the deaf-mute grandmother's residence at the foot of the mountain. While drinking chicken soup and eating soft chicken, the deaf-mute grandmother gestured to Song Beiwang and asked if Song Jiayu had returned.
After getting the answer, he gestured again and asked Song Beiwang to go home and tell Song Jiayu to come over in the afternoon.
"Grandma, we're here to see you."
Near the small house at the foot of the mountain, Song Jiayu said something and took Jiang Baizhou in.
The deaf-mute grandmother, who was sitting in a rocking chair and looking in the direction of her family, stood up and gestured with her hands, "Why did you bring the things here? I don't need them here, take them back quickly."
Song Jiayu opened the bag with a smile. Inside was not meat or eggs, but large, bright red and plump strawberries. They were a system reward and definitely tasted good.
Song Jiayu had no idea how many delicacies her deaf-mute mother-in-law, who was once the eldest daughter, had eaten.
But she knew that the eldest lady must have never lacked fruit to eat in the past.
I'm sure the deaf-mute mother-in-law won't refuse this.
"Strawberries! The biggest strawberries I've ever eaten are bigger than the ones you brought. They were shipped from abroad and cost two or three silver dollars each."
The deaf-mute grandmother did not refuse the strawberries. She even used her hands to gesture about her past. Later, she took out a pen and paper and began to draw. She drew the streets of her time, ladies in cheongsams sitting in rickshaws, foreigners dressed differently, silver shops, jewelry stores, and big restaurants that were doing a booming business at that time.
The world in the painting was vivid. Song Jiayu asked, "Can I take this home as a treasure?"
The deaf-mute grandmother agreed. She walked into the house slowly, taking small steps. The two people outside were waiting quietly.
After waiting for a long time, the deaf-mute old woman came out again, holding a small wooden box in her old hands. When she opened it, there was a pocket watch inside that was made entirely of gold with carved patterns on the surface and hung on a thin gold necklace.
The pocket watch can be opened, with a photo on one side of the cover and a white dial on the other.
"Mother-in-law, is this you?" Song Jiayu shouted in surprise.
It's no wonder she was surprised. It's just that in that small oval photo, the eldest lady was smiling happily with her head tilted to the side. The person taking the photo caught that moment. That smiling face was about 50% similar to Song Jiayu herself?
They both have dimples, smiling eyes and sweet smiles. If it weren't for the fact that their facial shapes are really different, she would have thought that Comrade Zhao Qiuqin was related to the deaf-mute grandmother.
"Isn't it similar?" The deaf-mute old woman gestured again.
Song Jiayu nodded vigorously.
"I'm giving it to you. Don't refuse me. Just take it with you. It will allow me to see you living a good life from heaven, just like fulfilling my dream back then."
When she was young, the eldest daughter was beautiful and smart. She loved life, liked adventure, and was able to accept new things. She kept her promise to the young man she loved and waited for him to come back. The two of them held the wedding they had agreed on, but unfortunately, everything was no longer possible.
The pocket watch in her hand seemed to have weight and temperature. Song Jiayu held it tightly, made the pose in the photo, and tilted her head to reveal a sweet smile.
"Does it look like it?"
The deaf-mute grandmother just smiled at the mischievous Song Jiayu, her eyes full of nostalgia.
Song Jiayu brought Jiang Baizhou to this small house to play house with the deaf-mute grandmother. She played the former eldest daughter, while Jiang Baizhou played the young man who traveled overseas for his ideal...
Lushan Village at night.
Under the starry night sky, in front of the small house at the foot of the mountain, the deaf-mute old woman looked at the starry sky for a few times, and finally looked in the direction of her family's grave. She walked into the house with a staggering step.
The moment you close your eyes.
It was as if she had returned to the moment when she was a carefree young lady.
The whole family surrounded her.
…
The deaf-mute grandmother passed away.
This was the second day in the village. The village chief went to visit the deaf-mute grandmother early in the morning as usual, and this was what he discovered.
After learning the news, Song Jiayu silently took out the pocket watch her mother-in-law gave her yesterday and opened it. The smile of the eldest lady in the photo inside was still as beautiful as ever.
How come the person is gone?
Tears fell twice on the pocket watch. Song Jiayu reacted and wiped them away quickly. She also wiped her tears and turned to ask Jiang Baizhou: "Do you think that mother-in-law will be watching us from the stars in the sky?"
"Yes." Jiang Baizhou answered firmly.
"Forget it, being a star is so lonely. If there is reincarnation, I hope that grandma can live a prosperous and healthy life in her next life."
"Um."
“…”
In Lushan Village, the whole village was mobilized because of the death of the deaf-mute grandmother. The coffin was prepared long ago, and the mourning hall was set up. The burial place was next to the grave of the deaf-mute grandmother's family.
The older generation has all received kindness from the deaf-mute grandmother's family, and they force the younger generation in the family to come and pay homage and kowtow to them.
In the last few days of February, the older generation of Lushan Village was immersed in the sorrow of loss and nostalgia.
It was March now, and everyone got up early every day to start fighting for food for the new year.
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