“In the past, we didn’t take this road to visit the graves. Now that the road has been newly built, it’s much closer.”
Yang Yufen started pulling weeds. She hadn't been back for several years, and there were traces of worship, but the weeds were still growing wildly.
Several hills are connected together, with words engraved on the red bricks.
Qin Nian didn't say anything, but helped out from the side.
"That year, there was a heavy snowfall. Xianjun was only a little over a year old. My father, who was also Xianjun's maternal grandfather, was a heavy drinker. He and my older brother drank too much and didn't notice that the snow outside was too heavy. The whole family slept soundly that night, and the roof beams collapsed under the weight of the snow. That year, many households in the surrounding villages experienced the same thing. It was just fate."
After the grass was mostly cleared, Yang Yufen lit incense and candles and reminisced with Qin Nian about the past.
Decades have passed, and Yang Yufen has long since let go of the past. She's not sad anymore; it's a natural disaster, and who can withstand it?
"Alright, let's go. We still need to go to Xianjun's father's grave. We'll go back to the village after we've been there."
"Mom, there's no need to rush so much, don't tire yourself out."
Shen Xianjun spoke.
"The sooner we finish, the better. The kids are waiting at home."
Yang Yufen waved her hand.
Qin Nian stepped forward to help Yang Yufen.
"Mom can walk, don't worry."
Yang Yufen patted Qin Nian's hand.
It wasn't far to drive from the commune to the brigade. The car had been going for ten minutes when Shen Xianjun knew where he was without Yang Yufen having to call him to stop.
Silently clearing away the weeds, they still lit incense and candles.
“Xianjun’s father, Xianjun has brought his wife to see you. Niannian is a good daughter-in-law. She gave birth to twin grandsons for your Shen family. The elder one is named Shen Liwu, and the younger one is named Liwen. They are both good children. Just keep them healthy and safe in the afterlife.”
After watching the incense and candles burn out, Shen Xianjun was certain that it wouldn't cause a fire before the family left.
"We'll rest in the village tonight and head back first thing tomorrow morning."
Yang Yufen only spoke after they got back into the car.
"Won't Mom stay a few more days?"
Qin Nian was puzzled.
“What do we need to stay in? Our house was flooded. Although the village helped us repair it, it's still inconvenient for people to stay here. We'll just stay here for one night. Once we've come back and seen it, I'll be satisfied.”
I called the brigade leader in advance and stayed at his house.
"Mom, won't this make you too tired?"
Qin Nian couldn't help but worry.
"I'm not tired, I'm resting in the car too."
Go back early so as not to delay your daughter-in-law's work. Along the way, Yang Yufen noticed that no matter how difficult the road was or how bumpy the car was, Qin Nian never stopped writing. Even when it was dark at night and there was little light, Yang Yufen didn't miss the sound of the pen tip scratching on the paper.
Wow! A toy car!
A chorus of exclamations erupted from the children, and the adults, hearing the car's sound, all turned to look.
"Yu Fen?"
Someone saw Yang Yufen and recognized her.
"Hey, it's me."
Yang Yufen responded with a smile, then took Qin Nian's hand and walked over.
"This is my third aunt, and this is Niannian, the current wife of a soldier."
"Hello, Third Aunt."
"Zhenjun, why didn't you bring the child back?"
"The child is still young and has to go to school. His maternal grandmother is helping to take care of him. They are also busy with work. They had to take leave specifically to come back, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get together. His third aunt is still so healthy. Have you eaten yet?"
Yang Yufen introduced Qin Nian to a group of people, and everyone was very kind and friendly to Qin Nian, seeing that she was always with Yang Yufen.
Shen Xianjun's car was surrounded by a group of children, so he couldn't get away at all.
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