When Fu Baoer rushed back to Qingshan Village with his family, Chen Zhifang was already breathing his last breath.
At the age of ninety, he was healthy and free from all diseases, but his life span had come to an end.
Fu Manshan held his old brother's hand and shed tears silently.
The room was full of people, all coming to bid farewell to the old secretary who had worked hard all his life.
Qingshan Village has been established for more than 50 years, and Chen Zhifang's busy figure can be seen everywhere, regardless of wind or rain.
"Okay, stop crying," Chen Zhifang held on to his last breath, just wanting to see the Fu family. Now he can finally close his eyes in peace, "Bao'er, come here, grandpa wants to say a few words to you."
Having said everything that needed to be said to the Chen family, Chen Zhifang wanted to thank Baoer one last time.
Fu Baoer shed tears and clenched Chen Zhifang's hand. She was a goddaughter, but she was no different from a married woman. If it weren't for the Chen family's repeated help, their family would not have been able to survive.
"Grandpa, please don't leave. I can't bear to leave you."
Fu Baoer knew that this was a luxury. People have a limited lifespan, and even gods would be powerless to save the situation.
Chen Zhifang looked like he was about to die, but he still forced a smile and said, "Good boy, it's a blessing from heaven that Grandpa has lived this long. As long as a person lives a life without illness or disaster and dies of old age naturally, what's there to be dissatisfied about?"
Chen Zhifang knew that their village had a little lucky star who protected this world with happiness and peace. Otherwise, why were there so many centenarians in the village and few of them suffering from serious illnesses?
He understood that Baoer was the patron saint of Qingshan Village.
"Grandpa, if you leave, our village will be without a backbone. What should we do in the future?" Fu Baoer really couldn't bear to leave Chen Zhifang. From childhood to adulthood, he had been like her real grandfather, loving and caring for her.
"My child, Grandpa is absolutely confident in you," Chen Zhifang said after a long breath. "Before I die, Grandpa just wants to thank you. If it weren't for you, there would be no Qingshan Village today. You are a great hero to all of us!"
Fu Baoer raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of Chen Zhifang's eyes, but her own vision was blurry. "I didn't do anything. You are the pillars of our family, the anchor in our hearts. No one wants to leave you."
Chen Zhifang patted Fu Baoer's hand, but he no longer had the strength to say anything.
"Zhifang, go with peace of mind. It won't be long before your brother follows you. We two brothers can be companions on the road to the underworld, so you won't be lonely." Fu Manshan is already 92 years old, which is a very old age.
Fu Manshan's words made the room even more silent. Many people had gone to the village recently, all of them were elderly people of the same generation.
"What are you talking about, brother? You and my sister-in-law can live for over a hundred years," Chen Zhifang smiled. "By the time you guys come down, I'll have been reincarnated."
Wang Youtian is younger than both Chen Zhifang and Fu Manshan. At 85, he has already retired from his position as village chief. "What's all this arguing about? We're all old buddies, and we've dealt with things before. When we're in the afterlife, we can still play mahjong together! We won't be lonely anymore."
"You guys...ah..." Chen Zhifang looked at the child beside Jiang Fengxia, "Tangtang has grown up so much, she looks so much like Baoer when he was little..."
Fu Tangtang has come back less often in recent years and is not very familiar with the people in Qingshan Village. Upon hearing this, she subconsciously looked at her mother.
"Tangtang, come here," Fu Baoer waved to his daughter, "Call me Great Grandpa."
"Hello, Grandpa Zeng, I'm Tangtang. Please get better soon, okay?" Fu Tangtang thought Chen Zhifang was sick.
Chen Zhifang smiled with relief, "Good boy..."
Looking at Tangtang, who looks very much like Fu Baoer, Chen Zhifang recalled many past events in his mind. That skinny and weak girl who looked like a little mouse, and Baoer who everyone thought would not survive that winter, has become a mother.
And under her leadership, everyone in the village lived a prosperous life.
"Seeing that you are all doing well, I feel relieved..."
Chen Zhifang lay in bed and took a last look at the villagers who had been with him for decades.
He also couldn't bear to leave this world and his loved ones.
But you still have to close your eyes. Chen Zhifang is already content.
"Dad!" Chen Youpeng knelt beside the bed and cried bitterly.
Feng Guiying rushed over. Her heart felt empty after her husband left. "Old man, why didn't you wait for me?"
"grandfather!"
"father!"
"secretary……"
The room was suddenly filled with crying. Chen Zhifang closed his eyes peacefully, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, but he could no longer hear the crying of his relatives.
Fu Baoer quietly retreated to the back.
She had long thought about this day, when she would see off her relatives and elders one after another.
This is what it’s like to be a mortal. You can only accept the joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the departure of old friends.
Looking at Fu Manshan and Jiang Fengxia who were crying non-stop, Fu Baoer didn't dare to think about it anymore. She didn't know when her grandparents would leave...
There were cries of grief inside and outside the house. Chen Zhifang had always been very prestigious in the eyes of the villagers in Qingshan Village. Everyone was reluctant to see him go.
Chen Zhifang's funeral was very grand. In addition to people from the village, many leaders also came.
Fu Baoer didn't have a break for three days and kept helping the Chen family entertain these leaders.
When the funeral was over, the atmosphere in the village was still very depressed.
Wang Youtian, like before, liked to squat in the yard and smoke. When he saw Baoer coming over, he put out his cigarette and said, "Baoer, come here. Grandpa has something to tell you."
Fu Baoer squatted down beside Wang Youtian and said, "Grandpa, go ahead and talk. I'm listening."
"You girl, you guessed it."
Fu Baoer probably knew what Wang Youtian wanted to say, which was nothing more than about the winery.
"We have all retired from the winery now and don't care about anything anymore, but there are always a few people who are unwilling to let go." Wang Youtian sighed.
This is the human heart.
"Grandpa, don't worry. I know what's going on. These problems are inevitable when the business grows."
There were a few people who relied on their seniority and wanted to interfere with management and put people into the factory. Fu Baoer knew that these people would not cause much trouble, so she turned a blind eye.
"Since you have made arrangements, I won't worry about it. I'm an old man and won't live long. I won't worry about it." Wang Youtian stood up. His back was slightly hunched, but still very strong.
Fu Baoer supported him and said helplessly: "Grandpa, what's wrong with you these days? Please stop saying this kind of things. It makes us feel uncomfortable."
"When you get old, it's hard to see your peers pass away. You are still young and can't understand this."
Wang Youtian waved his hand, indicating that Fu Baoer didn't need to be sent off, and left the Chen family's yard.
How could Fu Baoer not understand their thoughts? He was just powerless to do anything about it.
Having lived for ten thousand years, she had no idea how many life and death separations she had faced, and she had long been accustomed to it.
"Mom," Tangtang came over and took Fubaoer's hand, "Why are you crying again?"
"Mom is fine." Fu Baoer wiped away her tears and said, "Let's go home."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
