Ye Chenming sat in the driver's seat, started the engine, drove around the parking lot a few times, and drove the car to a blind spot. Yan Xiaonan got out of the car, waved her hand, and Grandma Yan and the others appeared beside the car.
Yan Xiaonan helped Grandma Yan into the car, and Cuihua quickly followed. The three children sat in the back on their own. Yan Xiaoqiang thought to himself, "Well, I'll just sit next to my son-in-law."
The car drove towards Mushroom Village. Grandma Yan looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar road and felt excited. Finally, she could go home.
Under Ma Mingchun's loudspeaker, the villagers of Mushroom Village all knew that the old lady of the Yan family was coming back, and many villagers looked at Bei Nan and the others with hostility.
In their minds, demolishing the old house and building this dilapidated one, and then sending the old lady back, was extremely unfilial.
When they saw the car coming from outside the village, their eyes lit up. They recognized the logo on the car; it was a Mercedes.
If the old lady could come back in a Mercedes, then she must not be in such bad shape. It seems that the youngest daughter of the Yan family is very filial.
The car drove directly to the entrance of the ancestral hall. Yan Xiaonan helped Grandma Yan out of the car and reminded her that her uncle and the others were going to set off firecrackers, so she covered her ears for her.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, one cannon after another shot into the sky, the explosions deafening, and the smoke mixed with the falling rain seemed to transport people to a fairyland.
Grandma Yan called to Yan Daqiang and Yan Xiaoqiang, instructing them to carry the ancestral tablets into the ancestral hall and place them properly. She then bowed and kowtowed all the way through the hall.
Yan Xiaonan understood that this was Grandma Yan, as the daughter-in-law, performing a grand ceremony for the ancestors. Not only Grandma Yan was doing this, but her mother and aunt were also doing it. The mountain god's energy surged onto the three of them without restraint.
Hua Meili quickly knelt down as well. As the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Yan family, she was bound to take the lead in kneeling. Sure enough, a series of granddaughters-in-law knelt down and followed Grandma Yan's example, bowing and kowtowing three times and kowtowing nine times.
The villagers looked at the scene and sighed. They had spent all their money building houses, but they hadn't thought of building an ancestral hall for their ancestors. Seeing how many younger members the Yan family had, their ancestors must have been overjoyed.
Grandma Yan and the other two felt a warmth spread through their bodies and hearts. Nan Nan of the Yan family was always so well-behaved and would always be their precious treasure.
The ancestral hall was brightly lit, the light dispelling the gloom of the rainy season. The radiators raised the temperature of the entire hall, and the large candles and sandalwood incense on the altar were also working hard to emit light and heat.
Finally kneeling in the ancestral hall, Grandma Yan raised her head, looked at the ancestral tablets with names written on them, and smiled broadly. Yan Shi had not let down the Yan family; she had lived up to the expectations of the Yan family's ancestors.
They pulled Yan Xiaonan over again. Just as Yan Xiaonan was about to kneel down, Grandma Yan stopped her. Grandma Yan stood up herself, pointed at Yan Xiaonan, and said, "Yan Xiaonan, my granddaughter, she is the true hero of the Yan family."
Watching the rising smoke, Yan Xiaonan suddenly felt that the heavy burden on her shoulders could be lifted. From birth until now, she seemed to have never relaxed for a single day and was already somewhat overloaded.
After the worship ceremony, Ye Chenming took Grandma Yan to the old house. When Grandma Yan saw the somewhat dilapidated gate of her house, she was stunned and puzzled. Didn't the children renovate the old house when they built the ancestral hall?
Pushing open the door, Grandma Yan finally stepped into the home she had longed for for many years. A familiar feeling washed over her. The pigsty seemed to be a little dilapidated again, but the chicken coop was still okay. She would ask Cuihua to catch a few chicks to raise after the rain stopped.
The woodshed hasn't changed much, but there doesn't seem to be much firewood left. I'll have Southeast take my younger brother to collect some later. Hmm, this is Zhongnan. It doesn't look like him. Zhongnan has a tuft of white hair on his head.
Pushing open the door to the main room, a warm feeling enveloped Grandma Yan. Although it was Qingming Festival, the temperature was still a bit low: "Cuihua, is there any cured meat in the kitchen? We'll make some cured meat and also cook an egg custard for Nannan."
Cuihua answered crisply and called out to Xuemei, who also happily answered. Xuemei accompanied Cuihua to the kitchen to make stir-fried cured pork with snow peas and steam an egg custard. Grandma Yan sat down at the kang table with satisfaction. Mmm, it was warm and cozy; the kang was heated.
There was a tobacco pipe stick next to her. Grandma Yan touched it, then glanced at Yan Xiaonan, her eyes filled with confusion. Didn't Nannan forbid her from smoking? Why did she forget to put the tobacco pipe stick away?
Southeast picked up the pipe and placed it in the old lady's hand: "Grandma, if you like it, take a puff. Nan Nan will definitely agree."
Grandma Yan picked up her pipe with a delighted expression, lit the tobacco, and it seemed to taste the same as before, yet it didn't taste the same as before. She hadn't smoked in a long time and had forgotten what tobacco tasted like. Oh well, she decided not to smoke anymore.
"Grandma, are you tired? If you are, go back to your room and get some sleep." Bei Nan came over and asked with a smile.
Bei Nan's words reminded Grandma Yan that she had gotten up too early today and was indeed a little sleepy. Yan Daqiang quickly helped Grandma Yan up and took her to her room.
The kang (heated brick bed) was still the same kang, looking old and worn. Even the quilt was patched. Grandma Yan touched the quilt, feeling its softness, and couldn't help but shed tears. The children had put so much effort into it. Weren't they tired of making it look old? They were so foolish.
However, I almost got fooled. The scene was just too realistic. I turned around and asked Yan Daqiang, "How much did it cost to renovate the house?"
Yan Daqiang smiled. His mother had finally seen through him. She was indeed a wise old lady: "Mother, money is not a problem. Your satisfaction is my greatest wish, no, it is the greatest wish of all the descendants of the Yan family."
Grandma Yan glanced at the dowry chest carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, sighed inwardly, and felt a pang of sadness, as if seeing the object brought back memories of her loved ones.
Early the next morning, Grandma Yan sent Daqiang and the others back home. She told them to go do what they were supposed to do and not to stay here and sponge off their parents. She said all her money had been spent on the ancestral hall and she didn't have money to support them.
Yan Daqiang and the others felt warm inside. It was clearly the old lady who didn't want to interfere with their work and studies, but she deliberately said that they were sponging off their parents. How could there be such a wise and kind old lady in the world?
In the end, Cuihua, Yan Xiaoqiang, Yan Xiaonan, and Beinan stayed. Xuemei thought about it and also stayed. Fubao had grown up and could help her a lot.
Yan Xiaonan looked at the sky outside. Hmm, the rain has stopped. There must be fresh wild vegetables in the mountains. Let's take Grandma to dig for wild vegetables.
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