The Marquis was heartbroken and at a loss for what to do. He didn't stop her at this moment, so he quickly picked up the chubby girl and got up to walk outside.
"Don't cry, your godfather will take you home."
"Grandma won't let me go back, saying the house is messy."
"Then we'll stay in my godfather's house."
When the head steward heard that his master had returned, he rushed over and quickly ran to prepare the carriage, packing several boxes of various snacks and toys.
Jiayin peeked out, looking a little dejected, but she didn't forget to thank him.
"Thank you, Uncle Butler!"
"Oh, oh, Miss, you flatter this old servant." The head steward bowed and responded, but his face showed less unease.
The Marquis nodded and instructed, "Keep an eye on the manor. Don't overthink it; the old lady of the Li family is very sensible."
The head steward was completely relieved to hear this.
Seeing the carriage drive away, he quickly told the servant to close the gate, and then gave instructions to all the servants in the mansion.
"No one is allowed to mention Granny Wu again. Keep your mouths shut. If anyone makes a mistake, they'll have to take responsibility."
"Don't worry, Steward!" Everyone responded. Originally, Granny Wu didn't have anything to say, but her background in the Li family surprised everyone.
But now that the person is dead, everything is over, and there's no point in saying more.
Leaving aside the Marquis's residence, let's talk about how the Marquis carried Jiayin in a carriage back to Suijintan. On the way, they encountered carriages from the Cui and Liu families. In the Liu family's carriage, besides Liu Zhiheng, there was also Mr. Wen.
Upon seeing the Marquis, Liu Zhiheng and Mr. Wen quickly changed into the Marquis's carriage.
"My lord, have you heard what happened to the Li family? Why are they holding a funeral?"
Seeing the concern and worry in their eyes, the Marquis guessed that they must have misunderstood, so he said, "Don't worry, it's not that Aunt Li is in trouble. It's that Jiaren's birth mother got separated during the relocation of the capital. She has been found now, but she was very ill and has passed away."
Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng both breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Zhiheng knew nothing about the details of Li Lao Er's wife, but Mr. Wen had heard a few things from Jia Ren.
After all, Jiaren will be taking the imperial examinations in the future, and whether or not he is filial to his parents will be the first criterion for evaluating his character.
When Mr. Wen did not see Jiaren's mother at home, he asked if she had passed away.
Jiaren said he was lost, but the Li family was acting strangely, as if no one was in a hurry to look for him.
He had his doubts, but ultimately decided it wasn't appropriate to pry too much into other people's family matters, so he just let it go.
I never wanted to hear news of his death today.
Before long, the carriage entered the village. A tall wooden pole had been erected in front of the Li family's house, with long strings of paper money hanging from it, fluttering in the wind.
Dongmei had just brought out the food when she saw her master return, so she quickly went to greet him.
The Marquis picked up Jiayin and handed her over, saying, "Go back to our courtyard and take good care of Miss."
Dongmei agreed, picked up Jiayin, and left.
A mourning tent has been set up in the Li family's courtyard, and the village elders are sitting outside the gate chatting.
Young people, wearing mourning sashes, went in and out, helping with various matters, both big and small.
Actually, they weren't related to the Li family, so they didn't need to wear mourning clothes. But the entire Suijintan New Village was built by everyone risking their lives together. They weren't family, but they were closer than family.
At this time, tying a mourning sash is also a way to comfort and show closeness to the Li family.
Jiaren, Jiahuan, Jiaan, Jiaxi, and Lige'er knelt in the mourning hall, burning paper money.
Jia Huan, Jia An, and Jia Xi are all fine, after all, their second aunt isn't well-liked, and they weren't particularly close before. Even if they're shedding tears now, it's because they feel sorry for their brother and second uncle.
Li Ge'er had never even seen this second aunt before!
But Jiaren was truly heartbroken. The pain of losing his mother left him somewhat lost. The more he hated his mother before, the more regretful and sad he felt now.
Lord Hou, Mr. Wen, Liu Zhiheng, Madam Cui, and others stepped forward to offer incense, and Jiaren and his brothers kowtowed to express their gratitude.
Mr. Wen squatted down and called out, which brought Jiaren back to his senses and made him realize that his teacher had arrived.
He instinctively hugged his teacher and burst into tears, "Teacher, sob, my mother... she's dead, just like that!"
Mr. Wen gently patted his shoulder, "Cry if you want to, but after you're done crying, life goes on. You still have your father, brother, grandmother, uncles, aunts, and other relatives—a whole family you can rely on."
Jiaren nodded, choking back tears, "I know, teacher, but..."
Mr. Wen sighed, “Once you’re done with these busy days, come with me to the city for a few days. The academy won’t start classes until after the Lantern Festival, so don’t worry about it delaying your studies.”
"Okay." Jiaren agreed, kowtowed again, and thanked the teacher for his comfort.
Madam Cui turned and went into the main room. The old lady was leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed), her face also looking somewhat ashen.
As soon as she saw Madam Cui enter, she tried to sit up, but Madam Cui stopped her.
"Auntie, please rest and don't get up. We're family, no need for formalities."
Old Mrs. Li sighed, took Mrs. Cui's hand, and seemed to want to say something, but it all seemed to be stuck in her heart, a thousand thoughts she couldn't get out.
Madam Cui poured her some warm tea and whispered words of encouragement.
"Auntie, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. We still have to look forward."
"I know, that's why I'm feeling uneasy." The old lady had just finished replying when the Marquis, Mr. Wen, and Liu Zhiheng entered.
The old lady gestured for the three to sit down, and the Marquis said, "Auntie, this was my oversight; I didn't take good care of things..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" The old lady glared, but regained some of her spirits and scolded, "You're out killing barbarians all day long and haven't been back to the Marquis's mansion much. How would you know that the crazy old woman in the mansion is the second son's wife? And when you go back and see the head steward, be sure to thank him for our family."
“He was terrified, but there was no need for that. Our family is only grateful to him and will not hold a grudge. Back then, in such a chaotic time of war, there weren’t many people who would take on trouble and save lives. The fact that my second son’s wife lived two more years, was able to see my second son and Jiaren before she died, and was even able to come home for the funeral, is already thanks to him.”
The Marquis nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Aunt, I will tell her."
Mr. Wen, Liu Zhiheng, and the others were completely bewildered, not understanding how the second son's wife, whose body was being laid in state, had become involved with the Marquis's mansion again.
They were close to the Li family, and the old lady had a lot to say, so she told them everything from beginning to end.
After hearing this, everyone couldn't help but sigh.
Some mistakes in this world can be corrected, but some mistakes leave no room for regret.
Mr. Wen recalled what had just happened and became even more determined to take his disciple out for a walk to clear his mind.
He said, “Auntie, after the funeral, I will take Jiaren to the city for a few days, hold a memorial service for the seventh day after his death, and then send him back.”
"Alright, alright, this child is very sensitive, I'm afraid he's having a hard time. Jiayi isn't home, and we don't know how to comfort him, so we'll have to trouble you."
The old lady readily agreed. At that moment, Li Lao Er returned from outside with the feng shui master. The Marquis, Liu Zhiheng, and Mr. Wen went out, leaving Madam Cui to accompany the old lady.
Li Lao Er had just finalized the location of the burial plot, and his face was pale with exhaustion.
Suijintan is not only home to the Li family and villagers, but also to many other visitors who come and go from the valley on weekdays.
Wu Cuihua's grave couldn't be buried on the mountain, since nobody wants to be taking a bath and then look up to see a grave.
Finally, they found a patch of wasteland of more than three acres between Suijintan and Dahuaishu Village. It was sunny, with a small river flowing in the distance and views of the mountains and forests. It was a good place.
Li Laosi has already taken the village chief to the government office to report and buy this land, which will then be used as the burial ground for the Li family and other families in the village.
If the northern lands are ever recovered, the elderly in each family who wish to be buried in their hometowns can have their graves moved.
But if the northern lands cannot be recovered in time, this will be the place where the elders will settle down in the future, and they can watch over the Broken Gold Beach day and night to bless the younger generation with a peaceful and prosperous life.
The Marquis occasionally glanced back and saw Cat Boy perched behind the window of the west room. He guessed that the house was in a flurry of activity and the family couldn't take care of the child, so he carried him back to his own courtyard to keep Jiayin company.
The snacks and trinkets brought by the head housekeeper came in handy and quickly cheered up Cat.
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