Five years passed, and Xu Jianguo and Wang Rong passed away one after the other. Xu Chen presided over both funerals. Although they were not his biological parents, decades of affection had already turned Xu Chen and Wang Rong into true family. The deaths of Xu Jianguo and Wang Rong made Xu Chen fully realize the terrifying power of time. At the funeral, Xu Nan cried her heart out and left the funeral home supported by her two young grandchildren. Xu Ming, who was on duty outside, was devastated upon hearing the news. Without hesitation, he quickly asked for leave from his superiors and returned to Beijing. After returning to Beijing, he did not go to see his parents first, but went straight to the silly woman who had waited for him for decades. He wanted to marry her and fulfill his parents' last wish. Even if he did not have much affection for her, he would do his best to treat her well and make himself fall in love with her.
"Brother, why do you think Mom and Dad passed away so early?"
"Probably because there's nothing for them to worry about regarding the three of us siblings, so..."
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! I really deserve to die! If I had listened to my parents and you, brother, and gotten married earlier, if I hadn't angered them, if I had given them a grandson earlier so they could have something to do." Xu Ming was in tears, smoking one cigarette after another, but he still couldn't shake off the guilt and regret in his heart.
Xu Chen remained silent, patted Xu Ming on the shoulder, and prepared to leave for a walk. This is how the older generation in China is. They would rather be busy than no longer be needed. Seeing their children living well, many elderly people no longer have any worries in their hearts. Not being needed also makes them feel depressed, which will naturally have a great impact on their physical recovery.
Seeing that Xu Ming hadn't followed, Xu Chen turned to look at him. More than thirty years had passed. Xu Ming, who had grown from a little kid into an outstanding soldier, knelt for the first and last time. He knelt in the rain, knelt on his own heart, and knelt in the past thirty years.
The girl who had waited for Xu Ming for over twenty years was taken to the funeral home by Xu Chen's men. Yun Mengwan felt a pang of pain in her heart as she looked at the grieving Xu Ming in the rain. She wanted to open her umbrella and go to him to shield him from the wind and rain, but Xu Ming grabbed her and hugged her tightly. The girl threw away the umbrella, and the two embraced tightly. Xu Chen's subordinates tried to go over and hold an umbrella for the young master, but he stopped them.
Hearing the man's painful wails, Yun Mengwan only said one sentence.
"You have an older brother, an older sister, and you... and me."
"Wanwan, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm a bastard, I'm a useless bastard!"
...
In the years that followed, Xu Chen put aside all his affairs to focus on teaching his daughter, Xu Mengmeng, how to cultivate. Wang Li, on the other hand, shone brightly at her workplace. Every year during the college entrance examination season was her busiest time. School leaders were worried about Wang Li's health, as she was working too hard, but Wang Li always just smiled and let it go. As she approached retirement age, the question of why Teacher Wang Li was so dedicated and responsible, so hardworking and relentless, became a topic of much speculation among her colleagues and students.
Time is cruel. Since his parents' passing, Xu Chen seems to be a frequent visitor to funerals. When Li Wei died in the line of duty, his family invited Xu Chen to officiate at the funeral. When Zhao Weimin breathed his last at home, the younger generation of the Zhao family promptly notified Xu Chen, their beloved uncle, to come and see his father one last time. In this endless cycle, Xu Chen felt the fragility of life.
"Uncle Xu, please take care of yourself." A younger member of the Zhao family helped Xu Chen into the mourning hall. He bowed three times to Zhao Weimin. Seeing a photo of Zhao Weimin in his youth, Xu Chen's thoughts drifted back to his time at Peking University decades ago. He quietly looked at the photo, then took out a bottle of wine and two bowls, filling them for Zhao Weimin and himself. Seeing Xu Chen's insistence, Zhao Weimin's son wiped away his tears, stood up, and prepared to snatch the wine at any moment. Perhaps influenced by Xu Chen, the younger members of the family also began to weep again.
Just as he was about to finish the bowl in one gulp, Zhao's son snatched the bowl and drank the wine in his place.
"Uncle, you're getting old, let me drink this wine for you!"
Xu Chen glanced at Zhao Weimin's descendants with relief, stood up, and walked out of the mourning hall. Outside the mourning hall, he saw Zhao Weimin's appearance when he was young. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was just a spirit, with a ghost messenger standing next to it.
"Brother Chen, thank you."
"We're brothers, no need for thanks. Let's find a place to chat."
Zhao Weimin glanced at the ghost messenger behind him. The ghost messenger looked up at the sky, trying to fool him, but he couldn't withstand Xu Chen's pressure. He took out the underworld's communication device and reported to the regional supervisor, explaining that he had encountered a powerful cultivator during the soul-collecting process. He also told the supervisor about Xu Chen's request. The supervisor thought for a while and gave the ghost messenger a reply.
"You must come back before the seventh day after your death, or you'll be fired and thrown into hell."
The ghost messenger was terrified and hurriedly agreed. He then told Xu Chen his request, and Xu Chen nodded. The two brothers found a quiet, deserted place, where Xu Chen bought a few packs of cigarettes and a bottle of wine. Under Zhao Weimin's envious gaze, he lit a cigarette.
"Weimin, I haven't cared enough for you all these years, I'm sorry." Xu Chen apologized to Zhao Weimin with tears in his eyes. Zhao Weimin smiled, wanting to pat Xu Chen's bottom like he used to when they were young, but when his hand passed through Xu Chen's body, Zhao Weimin fell silent.
"No, it's alright, Brother Chen. I know you're no ordinary person. I've deliberately avoided bothering you all these years. I don't blame you. I'm satisfied that we brothers can have this reunion in the end."
"What is your wish? I will definitely fulfill it."
Zhao Weimin really wanted to say it, after all, Xu Chen seemed to have superpowers, able to see him in his ghostly state and even scare away the ghost messengers from the underworld. However, after thinking for a long time, he sighed and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
