Fan Sizhu arrived quickly, looked at the scene in the room and remained silent for a while, then found his three older brothers to discuss the funeral arrangements.
Zhang Chunhua, fearing he would be taken advantage of, squeezed in. He heard Sizhu say that the plan to cook tofu was rejected, as was the plan to prepare a coffin with some wood. Even the funeral clothes were rejected, all for the same reason: no money.
Sizhu remained silent and looked at his three older brothers.
The three of them had been silent at first, but after being stared at for a while, they realized that they couldn't get away with being vague. Dazhu spoke up: "I've been married to Chunhua for several years, but she hasn't gotten pregnant. We have to save money to pay for her medical treatment and medicine, don't we?"
As the eldest grandson of the Fan family, he naturally has to carry on the Fan family line!
Erzhu said nonchalantly, "I have no house, no money, and I'm crammed into a dilapidated house with my elder brother and the others. What am I supposed to contribute?"
Sanzhu said coldly, "It's not fair to ask me to pay for the inheritance from my two older brothers! Whoever got the most inheritance should pay!"
They're both in their early twenties and haven't even gotten married yet. Who knows if they'll ever find wives? Why should they be the ones to care for them in their old age? It's unfair.
Sizhu took a deep breath and said with gritted teeth, "I only have three taels of silver left. I'll ask Sister Guifen for a few taels first. I'll pay for the coffin and burial clothes, but the tofu rice is for the villagers who helped and the people who came to pay their respects. My few taels of silver aren't enough, so the four of us brothers will split it equally."
Back then, my second uncle took on all the responsibilities for my grandmother. Although he didn't have my second uncle's abilities, he would still do more to ensure my father could be laid to rest in peace.
Before he could finish speaking, the other four started shouting.
"Why should it be split equally among the four of us? The eldest brother inherited the family fortune, so he should bear all the responsibility. Don't try to be a pushover!"
"Yes, don't drag me into your good deed! I don't have any money to pay!"
"Hey, he's your own father, what's wrong with you contributing a little? You can save some money later, a few taels of silver should be enough. Anyway, it's okay if the tofu rice is a little lacking, the villagers won't mind."
"Sizhu, since you asked Wang Guifen for a loan, why didn't you borrow a few more taels? That would have been enough to give your father a proper burial. I appreciate your kindness, sister-in-law!"
......
Fan Sizhu looked at the four people in surprise, his lips moving but unable to utter a single word.
Upon hearing this, the others nearby widened their eyes in disbelief. Seeing Fan Jin arrive in the courtyard with his children, they quickly stepped forward and whispered a reminder: "Uncle Jin, you and Wanxia should keep this in mind and be careful not to make you pay!"
Fan Jin glanced at the situation inside the room, thanked him, and led Wanxia inside.
Inside the house, the son and daughter-in-law were arguing fiercely over Fan Qian's funeral arrangements.
Wanxia kowtowed before the bed. Suddenly, Sun Jinhua rushed over from the corner and grabbed Wanxia, pleading, "Zhaodi, you're back! Mother is so hungry, so hungry, it's unbearable. Can you take Mother with you and live a good life?"
Wanxia looked quietly at Sun Jinhua, then slowly reached out and gently stroked the arm that was holding her sleeve, and said calmly, "After the flood, we traded Zhaodi for more than a thousand catties of grain. You have a lot of grain, and you eat grain when you are hungry. What about that grain?"
A look of confusion and bewilderment flashed across Sun Jinhua's eyes. She tried hard to recall, but what about the grain? She couldn't remember. She had so much grain!
Wanxia calmly continued to ask, "You're living a good life now, you've eaten your fill, and you still have so much food left. Who are you going to feed it to? How about feeding Zhaodi? Zhaodi is also very hungry. She's seven years old and still doesn't know what it feels like to be full. She wants to eat her fill like her brothers so she won't wake up hungry at night."
Sun Jinhua's eyes were glazed over, drool dripping from her mouth. Hearing this, she suddenly shook her head violently, her eyes fierce: "No way! How can a little girl be full? Drinking more water will make her less hungry..."
Wanxia looked at the madwoman who was clutching her head and muttering incessantly, her expression calm and indifferent. After a long while, she forced a bitter smile, turned around, and walked out of the house.
Some hardships are meant for certain people.
Ultimately, the coffin and burial clothes were prepared by Sizhu, while the tofu rice was prepared by Fan Dazhu and Sizhu together.
Fan Qian's funeral was handled quickly and simply, passing by in a hurry without causing any ripples. After the funeral, Fan Sizhu returned to his house to live his life, while Fan Jin continued to prepare for the imperial examination.
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