"Uncle Ma!" Lu Yunzhi knocked on the door and called out loudly to Ma Yong from outside.
The door was pushed open a crack, and Ma Yong peeked out with one eye, asking, "Who...are you looking for?"
Shen Qianqian and Lu Yunzhi saw the eye clearly, but were so frightened that they jumped back.
The white of one eye was bloodshot, and there was a dark circle under it, making the person look extremely haggard and lacking any energy.
“Uncle Ma, it’s me, Lu Yunzhi.” Lu Yunzhi waved the gift box he was carrying at Ma Yong. “I came back from the south to bring you some local specialties.”
Lu Yunzhi had a good relationship with Ma Yong's son, Ma Gang, since childhood, so Ma Yong naturally recognized him as well.
Ma Yong stared at him for a long time before finally connecting the image of Lu Yunzhi in front of him with his own childhood appearance. He opened the door a little wider and said, "Come in."
Lu Yunzhi stepped inside. Shen Qianqian was about to follow him in when Ma Yong suddenly stopped her.
“No.” Ma Yong shook his head. “You can’t go in.”
“Uncle Ma, she is my wife. We came to visit you together.”
Lu Yunzhi tried to explain to Ma Yong, but Ma Yong wouldn't listen at all.
Shi just kept shaking his head, "No, she can't."
Seeing Ma Yong's resolute attitude, Lu Yunzhi and Shen Qianqian had no choice but to give up their idea of going into the Ma family together to investigate. In the end, only Lu Yunzhi went in.
Lu Yunzhi followed Ma Yong into the Ma family's house. As soon as they stepped through the gate, it was sealed shut. He looked around the yard and found it strange that all the plants that used to grow there had been cut down, and the atmosphere in the yard was extremely oppressive.
"Uncle Ma, why did you cut down all these plants?" Lu Yunzhi handed the gift box to Ma Yong and asked tentatively, "I remember you used to love taking care of these flowers and plants."
Ma Yong accepted the gift box. "What's more important than work than flowers and plants? Look at our home now, it's hundreds of times better than before! I finally understand, the only important thing in this world is making money!"
As he spoke these words, his eyes, which had been as still as a pool of water, suddenly surged with a myriad of emotions, and even his voice trembled. All his actions revealed his madness at that moment.
"Uncle Ma, you..." Lu Yunzhi hesitated, feeling as if the person in front of him had been completely transformed. In his memory, Uncle Ma was an honest and kind man. Although his family wasn't wealthy, he would always step forward to help anyone in the village who needed it.
This person, it seems, has become somewhat obsessed with work and making money.
Remembering the purpose of his visit, Lu Yunzhi changed the subject, "Uncle Ma, what about Ma Gang? I haven't seen him in a long time."
“Xiaogang?” Upon hearing his son’s name, a trace of sadness flashed in Ma Yong’s eyes. “Don’t you know about this? He fell from the second floor seven months ago and is no longer here.”
"What?" Lu Yunzhi was shocked; he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I remember Ma Gang just got married a year ago, and they were living a happy life. How could something like this suddenly happen..."
"Ah, life is unpredictable," Ma Yong sighed, gazing at the sky above.
He then pointed to the second floor of the house, "Since you're here, let's visit Xiaogang together."
I think he must be very happy to see you visiting him.
"What!" This was Lu Yunzhi's second shock upon arriving at the Ma family's residence, even more intense than when he first heard of Ma Gang's death. Before he could think further, Ma Yong grabbed his hand and led him upstairs.
Ma Yong pushed open the door to the innermost room on the second floor. An indescribable smell wafted out as the door opened, rushing in through Lu Yunzhi's nose and straight to the top of his head.
Lu Yunzhi gagged several times. "Uncle Ma, what's this taste like?"
Ma Yong did not answer Lu Yunzhi's question, but simply turned to him and said, "Go in and take a look."
After speaking, Ma Yong stepped aside from the doorway, making way for Lu Yunzhi. Lu Yunzhi
As soon as he reached the door and peeked inside, he immediately saw Ma Gang lying on the bed.
Ma Gang lay motionless on the bed with his eyes tightly closed and his face deathly pale. If one did not know the truth, one would really think he was just asleep.
“Xiaogang is my only child. I’m willing to do anything for him.” Tears welled up in Ma Yong’s eyes. He looked at Ma Gang and murmured, “As long as he can wake up, I’m willing to pay any price or bear any sins.”
Two lines of tears streamed down his face. He gestured to Lu Yunzhi, "I'm making an exception for you today, only because you and Xiaogang get along well. I just want you to say hello to him. Now that you've said hello, you can go now."
After saying that, he grabbed Lu Yunzhi's hand and led him downstairs without saying another word, then pulled him straight to the door.
"Uncle Ma, Uncle Ma!" Lu Yunzhi struggled incessantly. He hadn't even gotten the full details yet; how could he leave so easily?
"I have another question for you—how did Ma Gang fall from the second floor?" Lu Yunzhi forcefully shook off Ma Yong's hand. "You just said that since Ma Gang and I are good friends, I'd like to know if it's understandable that my best friend had an accident back then, right?"
Lu Yunzhi tried to appeal to Ma Yong's emotions regarding Ma Gang, and Ma Yong's initially resolute attitude...
Upon hearing the name "Ma Gang" from Lu Yunzhi, Du wavered again.
Finally, she made up her mind and said to Lu Yunzhi in a low voice, "Alright, I'm only telling you this, so you absolutely can't tell anyone else!"
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