Chapter 710: You guys have so many demands (Two chapters combined)
The next morning, after breakfast, everyone drove to the back mountain.
Because of the fruit tree planting, the government has helped to level the road behind the mountain, and trucks can pass through. So, they no longer have to worry about carrying firecrackers up the mountain, which they were originally concerned about.
The back mountain wasn't far; after about ten minutes of driving, the car stopped by the roadside halfway up the mountain, guided by Gu Jianguo.
“This used to be wasteland, but now people have cleared it and planted fruit trees. We can just take our things down and walk through the orchard!” Zhang Dandan pointed to the road and said to the group.
Besides the elderly second uncle, Zhang Dandan and Gu Qinghao also came. Of course, Gu Jiancheng and Gu Qingshan also came. Gu Zhi and his mother did not come. Gu Zhi wanted to come, but he was too embarrassed to get in the car, so he did not come.
They didn't bring much; it was mostly firecrackers and offerings like paper money and incense. Gu Qingming originally wanted to prepare some food, such as pork or mutton, but Gu Jianguo stopped him, saying they would offer sacrifices after the grave was properly repaired.
The group walked through the orchard and saw a small mound with some small white sails on it, which the villagers had put there during the Qingming Festival. There were also some incense sticks in front of it.
Zhang Dandan explained, "Our village has this custom: for graves without descendants to worship, we clear away the weeds during the Qingming Festival, put up white banners, and light incense and candles. It's like we're part of the village. These graves don't have plaques or names. Jianguo, do you remember who's who?"
Gu Jianguo was an adult when he left the village, and those memories have not disappeared with age.
He nodded and said with emotion, "I remember them all. This is my father's, this is my mother's, that is my grandfather's, that is my grandmother's, and that one before that is my great-grandfather's. These are all things my father used to tell me. He didn't tell me anything else, so I can't remember them."
After he finished speaking, he walked to his father's grave, placed his hand on the mound of earth, and fell silent.
Upon seeing this, Gu Qingming called to Li Xiang and Gu Qinglang, the couple, to bring out and arrange their belongings.
Gu Yin went to the orchard and broke off some dry branches, while Chu Yan found some withered grass. They took these things to the graves and lit them. The others came one after another with incense and candles, lit them, bowed three times, and then placed them in front of and around the graves.
Then I took out the flowers and other flowers and arranged them properly.
After everything was finished, Gu Jianguo called out to Gu Qingming and Gu Qinglang, "Let the children come over here. I'll introduce them to our ancestors."
Gu Yin and the others obediently went over and stood in line.
Chu Yan then stood next to Gu Yin. Gu Yin asked, "...What are you doing here?"
Chu Yan raised her eyebrows: "I'm a child in this family too."
Seeing his serious expression, Gu Yin chuckled and ignored him.
The old man introduced them one by one: "Ancestors, it's been many years since I've been here. You all know the various reasons for this. Please forgive me, considering how remarkable our descendants are, hahaha. Let me introduce you to them. This is my eldest son, Gu Qingming; this is my eldest daughter-in-law, Li Xiang; this is their eldest son, Gu Shu; this is their youngest daughter, Gu Hua…!" He paused, looking at Chen Jishen next to Gu Hua, and continued, "This is Gu Hua's boyfriend, Chen Jishen. He's also from Huada University. He opened his own studio at such a young age; very impressive!"
Gu Hua: "...When did you arrive?"
Chen Jishen touched his nose sheepishly: "I saw Brother Yan next to God Zhou, so I just did as he said. Anyway, just do it as he's told, and you can't go wrong!"
Gu Hua didn't say anything upon hearing this, but tugged at his sleeve and continued listening to her grandfather.
“My son and daughter-in-law are both very good. They have their own jobs and are filial! Gu Shu isn’t the smartest in our family, but with his sister’s encouragement, he got into Qingdao University. He’s also very good to his younger siblings. He’s a good person. A Hua is studying at Huada University. She’s a well-behaved girl. We don’t have to worry about her. She can handle her own affairs. Sometimes I worry that she might feel neglected, or that she might keep things to herself and go astray. But thankfully, she gets along well with her brothers and sisters. She talks to them about anything, which puts my mind at ease.”
Gu Hua's nose tingled with emotion. She had never felt neglected. Her brother, as the eldest, bore many responsibilities, yet the family showed him no favoritism. A-Yin was smart and capable; all the changes in the family were inseparable from her. She was the busiest, most exhausted, and least free person in the family. Compared to her, she was much more relaxed and carefree. Not to mention the other family members, even she herself treated A-Yin the best. A-Le was still young; he used to be carefree, but now Grandma Wang and Grandpa Zhou had dragged him away to be their heir, sending him abroad to study at a young age—a very tiring job for him. So, in this family, she was the most relaxed, carefree, and fortunate. Even so, Grandpa still worried about whether she would be wronged! How could she be wronged? Her brother would visit her at school from time to time, A-Yin would call her whenever she had free time, and A-Yin even helped her find a boyfriend, worrying about her being scammed. A-Le never forgot her during video calls. Being constantly remembered like this, how could she be wronged? She was incredibly happy!
Seeing that her eyes were red, Chen Jishen reached out and silently took Gu Hua's hand, his silence speaking volumes!
"This is my second son, Gu Qinglang. His situation is a bit special. He was kidnapped by bad guys and abandoned in the snow. My wife and I found him and brought him home. He grew up safely, got married, and had children. His parents were also found and are here today. I won't introduce them to you now; he can introduce them to you later! This is my second daughter-in-law, Li Mengxin. They are both very filial. I'm lucky; my family is harmonious. Whether we're poor or rich, there's never been any conflict in the family. I owe it all to my two daughters-in-law. This is my second son's eldest daughter, Gu Yin. She's amazing! She's studying at Qingdao University and will be a doctoral student this year! Impressive, right? There are others, but I won't go into details. You probably already know them underground, right? Hahaha!"
Gu Yin blinked shyly. Was it really okay for Grandpa to praise her like that?
Gu Jiancheng and Gu Qingshan, who were listening nearby, went from being envious and jealous at the beginning, to wishing they could take her place, and then they were completely stunned and numb by Gu Yin's situation!
Gu Qinghao's eyes were practically sparkling as he looked at Gu Yin! He'd thought she'd just graduated high school like him! Turns out she'd already earned a PhD! Good heavens, he was actually seeing a legendary genius in person! She actually existed! He'd always thought these kinds of people only existed in novels! It was so amazing!
Zhang Dandan was equally shocked. At this moment, she wished she could grab Li Mengxin and Li Xiang and ask them how they raised their child so well!
After laughing, the old man pulled Chu Yan aside and continued, "This is Ayin's boyfriend, an exceptionally outstanding young man! He graduated from Foshan University, which is quite prestigious, and is currently pursuing a master's degree—impressive, right? He even owns his own company. He's truly exceptional. Even when he's incredibly busy, he still comes to visit us. He brings Ayin meals every day, three meals a day without fail—even his own grandson wouldn't be this devoted! He's so reliable! This youngest is the second son's youngest son, Gu Le. He's currently studying abroad and has already started managing a company. Don't let his young age fool you; his future is limitless! Oh, right, I almost forgot, the second son's family also has a godson in the military, who is exceptionally outstanding! May our ancestors bless him from below, ensuring his safe return from every mission, and also helping him win back his granddaughter-in-law as soon as possible! He's a bit lacking in that aspect!"
Gu Yin and the others couldn't help but laugh when they heard this: "If I had known, I would have recorded it and played it for Brother Lan!"
Gu Le patted his pocket and took out a voice recorder: "I recorded it!" Having a voice recorder in his pocket was a habit he had developed in his previous life.
Chu Yan patted him on the shoulder: "Remember to send it to him when we get back."
"There's another very important person I've saved for last. I'm sure some of you have met her. She's our village's Gu Mingfang, now renamed Li Mingfang. She's my wife, and we've been together for decades. Through thick and thin, in poverty and hardship, she's never uttered a word of complaint or dissatisfaction. She's the biggest contributor to our family's harmony and prosperity! I won't say much more, lest you all find me long-winded. I'll just say one last thing: I'll have your graves renovated and burn extra money for you. May you live well in the afterlife. And while you're at it, please help me build some good relationships. I hope that in my next life, and the one after that, I can be with Comrade Li Mingfang! Ancestors, please remember this! Mom and Dad, please keep it in your hearts!"
Li Mingfang blushed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! The ancestors are busy, they don't have time to care about you! Alright, hurry up and pour the wine, the incense is already half-burnt!"
Everyone started pouring drinks again.
Gu Qinglang stood next to Zhou Wansheng and Wang Yanzhi and together they toasted the ancestors. As he poured the wine, he introduced them, saying, "Ancestors, these are my biological parents. They are businessmen, Confucian businessmen. They are very kind and reasonable. They love their country and do charity work. They are quite old. I will burn more money for them in the future to bless them with good health and a long life."
Wang Yanzhi and Zhou Wansheng watched Gu Qinglang muttering to himself with smiles in their eyes.
After Gu Qinglang finished speaking, Zhou Wansheng stepped forward, poured a glass of wine, and said with a smile, "Ancestors of the Gu family, I am Zhou Wansheng, a businessman. This is my wife. I don't have much to say. As for things on the ground, you don't need to worry. My wife and I are here. As for you down there, my family has been businessmen for generations, and the head of the family is always from my lineage. My wife's family used to be officials, and later they became landlords. Anyway, they are wealthy. If you have any problems down there that you can't solve, just ask our two families' ancestors for help! They are all shrewd and must be doing quite well! We are all family, so don't worry. Just mention my name! If my name doesn't work, mention Ayin's name, and it will definitely work!"
Wang Yanzhi: "..."
Gu Qinglang: "..."
Gu Yin: "...Grandpa, that's a bit unfair of you. How can you make the ancestors do all that work? Besides, the ancestors don't even know me!"
Zhou Wansheng chuckled: "Our ancestors were all cunning old foxes, they must have done quite well, so don't worry! As for your reputation, if you really had those kinds of things, then everyone in heaven and earth would know who you are. Look at how much you've contributed! In ancient times, you would have been honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple after you passed away! Our family all like smart children, and you're definitely the most popular one, so your reputation is definitely more effective than mine!"
The Gu family elders: "..." Thank you! You're such a good person!
The Zhou and Wang family patriarchs: "...Little brat, aren't you asking for too much?"
After the worship ceremony, everyone descended the mountain.
The family had prepared a meal, arranged by the bodyguard captain.
After Gu Yin finished eating, she and Chu Yan went back to pack their luggage.
When the two arrived in the living room with their luggage, they saw Gu Qingshan standing there apologizing to Zhang Shi and Gu Zhizheng.
Ever since hearing those words on the mountain, Gu Qingshan had been clinging to Gu Qingming the whole way down, asking him all sorts of questions, flattering Gu Qinglang, and saying all sorts of nice things. Gu Jiancheng was the same, constantly reminiscing about his childhood with Gu Jianguo.
Gu Yin was too lazy to watch the three of them put on an act, and said goodbye to her family: "Ayan and I are leaving first. Ayan's company can't be left without people, and I'm in a hurry here too. Are there any other people coming with us?"
Gu Hua looked at Chen Jishen: "Do you want to leave early? Aren't you busy with things at the studio?"
Chen Jishen shook his head: "I can handle small matters here, and my mother is here for big matters. She will leave after I go back, and I don't have anything important on my hands right now, so don't worry."
"You guys go back first. We'll head back after we've finished setting up the ancestral hall and the cemetery! Be careful on the road! Remember to call us when you get there, or text us if it's inconvenient, especially Ayin, understand?" Gu Jianguo knew Gu Yin was going to Dabai Mountain and was a little worried, but all he could do was give her careful instructions; there was nothing else he could do.
Gu Yin nodded: "Grandpa, I know. The captain and the others are going with me, so you don't need to worry!" The bodyguard captain is already one of their own over there, so it's more convenient for Gu Yin to take them there. People in the shadows can't get in, as Lan Yan had told her before.
“We’ll go with you. I’ll go with you. Your grandmother and Ah Le have to go back to Hong Kong. There’s an acquisition case there that they need to handle. Their luggage is all packed.” Zhou Wansheng stood up and said goodbye to the others.
They left a few bodyguards behind, and Gu Yin and her group drove away in three cars.
It was already afternoon when we got back to the city.
“You can take the private jet back. This thing can’t fly over to Dabai Mountain. We’ll take a plane directly to the city there later, and then a private jet will pick us up.” Zhou Wansheng had been back and forth many times, so he knew the procedures well.
Chu Yan nodded upon hearing this: "Okay, then Grandpa Ayin, please send us a message when you get there."
After hugging each other, the group parted ways at the airport.
Three hours later, Gu Yin and the others landed safely in Baishi.
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