Chapter 73 The Passing of Chen Taigong
Back in Xiaoli Village, Chen Fangqiu first took Wu Yuhong's suitcase back to her home before carrying Shen Xuewei's suitcase home.
When Shen Xuewei returned home, she saw the stack of her used textbooks and notebooks, and felt both liberated and happy.
Finally, I'm free from being a primary school student.
The person approaching her was a junior high school student.
Thinking back on the years she endured in elementary school, Shen Xuewei almost burst into tears of joy.
Even during her vacation, Shen Xuewei was busier than when she was at school.
In this household, there's never a moment's rest. They're either weeding in the fields or chopping firewood in the mountains, and they can't forget about the chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle.
I'm so busy all day that I only have time to calm down and come up with plot ideas for my novels at night.
This also meant that her writing efficiency at home was far lower than at school.
She's busy, but Wu Yuhong is even busier.
The two could only find time to talk at noon or in the evening.
That day, while I was weeding in the field, I heard my second maternal grandfather's voice coming from afar.
"Big brother, come home quickly, Dad is dying!"
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Chen staggered, and Shen Xuewei quickly dropped the hoe in her hand and went to support him.
After calming themselves down, the group hurried home.
Grandpa Chen was on his last breath when Grandpa Chen came home. He saw his two sons guarding his bedside and his lips moved slightly.
His voice was weak, and the two of them couldn't hear it clearly, so they quickly leaned closer to listen.
"Why is only Ah Qiu here? Ah Yang... and Ah Dong, when are they coming back...?"
The "A-Dong" mentioned by Grandpa Chen is Chen Fangdong, the only son of Grandpa Chen.
My maternal grandparents also had six children: five daughters and one son.
Most of her daughters didn't even finish elementary school and stayed home to help with farm work; only one of them completed junior high school.
They weren't good to their daughters; once the children grew up, they sent them to the city to work and earn money.
In the first few years, the daughter sent all the money she earned back to the two of them.
It wasn't until the couple arranged for their eldest daughter to marry a disabled old man in the mountains in order to save more money for their youngest son's wedding that their other four daughters were perhaps frightened.
After she went out to work, she met her other half and ran away with him.
Throughout the year, he would occasionally ask someone to bring some money back, but he himself had never returned home in all these years.
Chen Fangdong was three or four years older than Chen Fangqiu, but he was even less mature than Chen Fangqiu.
Chen Fangqiu is still mostly seen, but Chen Fangdong has rarely returned home since graduating from junior high school; it's considered good if he comes back once or twice a year.
Every time he comes back, he asks the two elderly people in his family for money.
Grandpa Chen held his hand and coaxed him gently.
"Dad, I already called them. They'll be back soon. Just wait a little longer and you'll see them."
Having received these words, Old Man Chen held on to his last breath and waited for several hours until Chen Fangyang returned.
Chen Fangyang didn't come back alone; he brought Zhao Fang'er and Zhao Xiannan with him.
When an elderly person in the family passes away, it is only natural for the granddaughter-in-law and great-grandson to come back and see them one last time.
Of Grandpa Chen's daughters, only his eldest daughter, Chen Fangmin, was unable to return in time due to marrying far away. The other two daughters came to bid farewell to their father.
Everyone gathered around Chen Taigong's bedside, weeping and sobbing, their cries sounding exceptionally sad and desolate.
Chu De'an, who came along, had never seen such a scene before.
Not daring to squeeze in and stick close to Chen Fangli, he looked left and right, then quickly ran to Shen Xuewei's side and held Shen Xuewei's hand tightly.
"Sister, I'm scared!"
Recalling the scenes of Chen Taigong urging her to practice calligraphy and study hard over the past few years, Shen Xuewei's eyes welled up with tears.
Just as tears were about to fall, Chu De'an grasped her hand.
She held back her tears.
She glanced down at Chu De'an and comforted him, "Don't be afraid, the person in bed is our great-grandfather. You stay here obediently, I'll stay with you, okay?"
"Okay, I'll listen to my sister."
Grandpa Chen never saw Chen Fangdong return. After waiting for Chen Fangyang, he breathed his last half hour later.
Everyone burst into tears.
My maternal grandparents cried the most, both for their recently deceased father and for their son, whose whereabouts were unknown.
Grandpa Chen and his second grandpa helped him tidy up his appearance, changed him into his burial clothes, and carried him into the coffin for burial.
When Granny Chen was helped over by Shen Xuewei, she was stunned when she saw Grandpa Chen lying in the coffin.
Only then did they learn that Chen Taigong had already died.
Although she and Mr. Chen had been married for many years, their relationship wasn't particularly good.
I didn't cry much, I just sighed.
"I never expected you, old man, to die so quickly. What a short-lived life!"
These words were unpleasant to hear, but among the people gathered around, she was the oldest and of the highest seniority, so no one dared to criticize her.
Upon receiving the news, relatives rushed to help carry the coffin to the previously designated burial site.
Grandpa Chen lived to be over eighty years old, so his death was considered a happy one.
The two families joined together to host a feast and slaughtered the pig that the Chen family had originally planned to save for the New Year.
This year, the Chen family only raised two pigs besides the old sow.
The first one had already been killed when they were helping Granny Chen celebrate her 90th birthday.
More than a month later, the remaining one is also coming to hold the banquet.
In addition, the chickens and ducks raised by both families were also used for the banquet.
Chen Fangyang had a car, and his maternal grandfather arranged for him to go to town to buy cigarettes, alcohol, and beverages.
Zhao Fang'er acted like a good daughter-in-law. Although she wasn't very efficient, she was always busy helping out.
Grandpa Chen and Grandma Xi didn't show it on their faces, but in their hearts they had reluctantly accepted this daughter-in-law.
Ultimately, what's the point of keeping things stuck in the past when the die is cast?
Zhao Fang'er was a perceptive person and naturally noticed the changes in the two elders. Her expression relaxed and she became much more at ease.
She knew there was a significant age gap between her and Chen Fangyang, and she hadn't initially considered actually marrying him.
Since her divorce from her ex-husband, she has raised her child alone and finally built a successful career.
Just when things were looking up, her damned ex-husband somehow found out and started harassing her again, even going so far as to harass their son at school.
He said that since she hadn't dated anyone else after her divorce, and they still had a foundation of their relationship, plus a child together, they might as well remarry and live together again.
Upon hearing his remarks, Zhao Fang'er was so angry she laughed.
That bastard man tricked her into getting a divorce and left her with a mountain of debt.
She finally calmed down, but then she suddenly appeared, wanting to reap the benefits without sowing. Where in the world is there such a good thing?
Chen Fangyang appeared at this time.
He has a good personality and is good-looking. Xian Nan likes him very much and is also interested in her, so she has no reason to refuse.
Moreover, after a man joined the family, her ex-husband came to see her several times, but Chen Fangyang turned him away each time.
Therefore, when Chen Fangyang proposed to get a marriage certificate with her, she put forward two conditions, both of which he agreed to.
She didn't hesitate much before getting a marriage certificate with him.
Regardless of what the future holds, at least for now, her choice seems to be correct.
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