"No...no need, Grandma knows her own body, Grandma can't make it this time..."
"Grandma, you can't leave! What will I do if you leave?"
Before Granny Liu could finish speaking, Liu Ziqian, who was standing next to Xu Lai, burst into tears.
Since his parents died in a rainstorm disaster, he has been living with his grandmother.
If his grandmother were to pass away, he would be all alone in the family. Thinking of this, Liu Ziqian couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face.
Although Xu Haiguo was a man, as a father, he couldn't bear to see such a scene.
He quickly walked over to Liu Ziqian and gently patted his shoulder. He wanted to say something to comfort him, but in the end, he didn't know what to say.
"Ziqian, you've grown up now. Don't cry every time something happens in the future..."
When Grandma Liu saw her crying grandson, she struggled to raise her hand and wave to him.
Upon hearing his grandmother's words, Liu Ziqian quickly wiped away the tears on his face, then stepped forward, squatted down beside his grandmother, and reached out to hold her hand, which was so thin it was just bones.
"Grandma, I'm a man, I'll never cry again!" he promised Grandma Liu with a determined look.
Grandma Liu reached out her other hand, patted her grandson's head, and then slowly turned to look at Xu Lai, Xu Haiguo, and Li Qingya.
"It's so hot, I'm really sorry to trouble you all. This old woman has one last favor to ask of you."
When Xu Lai and the others heard what Granny Liu said, they already guessed that what Granny Liu was about to say must be related to her grandson Liu Ziqian.
Sure enough, after resting for a while, Granny Liu took a deep breath and continued to speak to Xu Lai and the others, "After I leave, only Ziqian will be left at home. I'll have to ask you to take him to an orphanage..."
After speaking haltingly, Granny Liu reached into her pocket and pulled out a cloisonné gold bracelet that looked quite old, handing it to Xu Lai.
"You two families can split this bracelet. I don't ask for anything else. Just visit Ziqian at the orphanage whenever you have time. I'll be watching over you from heaven..."
When Granny Liu finally breathed her last, she closed her eyes and immediately stopped breathing.
"Grandma, Grandma..."
Seeing the lifeless Granny Liu, Xu Lai and the others seemed oblivious to the heat, only concerned with calling out to the old woman loudly.
Liu Ziqian, in particular, was shouting so loudly that the veins on his neck were bulging, as if the louder he shouted, the more likely he was to call his deceased grandmother back from the underworld.
After confirming that Granny Liu had passed away, Xu Haiguo silently took out his phone and posted the news of Granny Liu's death in the community group chat.
This is a strict regulation from above. No matter who it is, once someone loses vital signs, the death information must be reported in a timely manner. Otherwise, if the body decomposes and causes adverse consequences, those who knew about the death will be held accountable.
In severe cases, they may be evicted from the community.
Looking at his grandmother who had breathed her last, Liu Ziqian saw that, just as he had promised, she did not shed a single tear.
Xu Lai and the others looked at Liu Ziqian, who was staring blankly at Granny Liu. He seemed to have been abandoned by the world, and they felt very sad and heartbroken.
"Let's tidy up Granny Liu's things so she can leave this world with some dignity!"
Xu Haiguo quickly offered his suggestion.
The administrators in the community group have replied to him, saying that they have notified the funeral team and they will come to "pick up the person" within two hours at the latest.
"Ziqian, shall we give Grandma Liu a proper send-off on her final journey together?"
Xu Lai, Xu Haiguo, Xu Chao, and Li Qingya worked together to lift Granny Liu onto the sofa. Xu Lai then walked up to Liu Ziqian, whose eyes were red and swollen, put her hand on his shoulder, and asked softly.
Ten-year-old Liu Ziqian has experienced the loss of his parents in the torrential rain and flood disasters, and now he has also lost his last remaining relative, his grandmother, in the extreme heat disaster. He is no longer the naive little boy who was before the disasters, who only knew how to eat, drink and play, and whose biggest worry was doing his homework.
To survive in this extreme weather, he has to force himself to grow.
So even though he is heartbroken and in pain right now, he knows he must pull himself together.
"Okay, Sister Xu Lai, I'll help too!"
After saying that, he went to the bathroom, took the towel that his grandmother usually used, and then went to his grandmother's room and found a set of clothes that his grandmother liked the most in the closet.
Xu Haiguo also went to the kitchen, poured out a large basin of stored water, and then carried it to the living room.
When Xu Lai and Li Qingya saw Liu Ziqian come out of the room, they quickly took the things from his hands and together they carefully cleaned up Grandma Liu.
While changing clothes, Xu Haiguo and Xu Chao hid at the door for a while until they were dressed inside before coming in.
In less than an hour, the deceased Granny Liu was cleaned up neatly by the group.
Not only were their clothes, shoes, and socks perfectly fitted, and their hair was combed meticulously, but even their fingernails and toenails were neatly trimmed by Xu Lai and Li Qingya.
Half an hour later, the funeral team arrived carrying a stretcher.
Xu Jiangming, Song Qiu'e, and Grandpa Xiao, who saw the message in the group chat, had already arrived at 1602 to see Grandma Liu off on her final journey.
Everyone helped the staff lift Grandma Liu onto a stretcher, followed them downstairs, and watched as Grandma Liu was taken away by the truck.
"Ziqian, don't be sad. Come back with us for breakfast!"
Seeing that Liu's eyes were red again, and that he was staring at the direction Liu was being taken away, Xu Lai pulled Liu Ziqian's arm and comforted him again.
Xu Ziqian thought for a moment, then shook his head. He looked at Xu Lai and said, "Sister Lai Lai, since the temperature is a little lower than at noon, could you please take me to the orphanage?"
Going to the orphanage was something his grandmother had discussed with him beforehand.
The orphanage is a newly established institution by the government and the military, with the aim of providing a place for underage children who have lost their parents in natural disasters to survive.
There is food and drink here, and the military guarantees the safety of the orphans. Although some of the older children have to do some chores, it is much safer than being alone outside.
In fact, Liu Ziqian also knew that his grandmother had considered entrusting him to the Xu family upstairs before she passed away.
But he could still recall his grandmother's words: "We don't know when this extreme heat disaster will end. If it continues for a year or two, or even three years, or even longer, the Xu family will probably have trouble protecting itself. How can they have the energy to care about others then!"
So in the end, Grandma decided to send him to the orphanage.
Seeing the unwavering determination on Qiannian's face, Xu Lai and the others could only nod in agreement.
The group went upstairs again, and Liu Ziqian went home and packed his personal belongings into a large suitcase.
Xu Lai also brought a duffel bag from home.
When she went downstairs to 1602, she first stuffed the gold bracelet that Granny Liu had given her into Liu Ziqian's hand.
"Here, keep this safe. You can use it in case you encounter any difficulties in the future!"
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