Chapter 150 Great Joy, Great Sorrow
Pei Yue was frightened by Zhu Yuanou's reaction and hurriedly supported him. At the same time, Zhu Hongming, who heard the noise, also rushed out from the door.
"Dad, Dad, are you okay?" Zhu Hongming asked nervously.
Zhu Yuanou looked up at the sky with his eyes wide open, and it took him a long time to exhale from his throat. Pei Yue smoothed his chest with her hand, and then his breathing calmed down.
Zhu Yuanou was already old, and the news that Zhu Lan had won the top spot in the imperial examination was such a huge shock to him that he almost fainted.
Just when everyone breathed a sigh of relief, another tall horse rushed over, and the festive sound spread throughout the streets.
"The sixth place in this year's provincial examination is Zhu Qingyan from Zhaoping County, Jiangzhou!"
Before the first person who delivered the good news left, the second person delivered the good news to Zhu Yuanou.
Even the neighbors who came to watch couldn't believe it.
In the same provincial examination, the Zhu family had two successful candidates!
And he is one of the top scorers in the Jieyuan and the Bangyuan!
If it weren't for the arrival of Wenquxing, how could I have such an honor! ?
Even the villagers themselves felt proud. Some had already gone back to their houses to hug their children, wanting to share in this blessing.
Old man Zhu held a piece of good news in one hand, his lips moved, and his old eyes suddenly burst into the spirit of a twenty-year-old young man!
However, this spirit was fleeting and soon dimmed like a candle blown out by the wind.
Zhu Yuanou opened his mouth slightly and leaned his body backwards, and screams of fear broke out from the crowd around him.
When Pei Yue, after she calmed down from the panic, reached out to feel his breath, she could no longer sense any life in him.
…
As soon as Zhu Lan returned home, he heard the news of Mr. Zhu's death and was shocked.
She ran into the inner courtyard and found Mr. Zhu's body lying in the yard. Only then did she realize that he could not bear the great news that both she and Zhu Qingyan had passed the imperial examinations, and his violent emotional fluctuations led to his sudden death.
Zhu Hongming was lying beside Old Man Zhu and crying. Du Lanfang was pretending to wipe away tears, while Pei Yue was standing aside with red eyes.
Although she didn't have much affection for her late husband Zhu Hongsheng, she had lived with Zhu Yuanou, an elder, for many years and had some kinship with him. Now that the old man had passed away, she naturally felt sad.
Zhu Lan had never expected that the day he graduated from high school would become a time of great sorrow for the Zhu family, and he felt mixed emotions.
This grandfather spent his entire life trying to pass the imperial examination, even to the point of being somewhat inhumane.
If he had not traveled through time and space and occupied this body, according to the original script, Zhu Lan would have been just a stupid girl. Seeing that she had no hope of passing the imperial examination, Zhu Yuanou became increasingly distant from her, and hastily married Zhu Lan off to another county when Pei Yue returned home to visit her relatives.
Although the original owner was somewhat stupid, she was very filial. She was afraid that Pei Yue would worry, so she kept it a secret that she was beaten by her husband. When Pei Yue learned the truth, it was too late. The original owner was accidentally beaten to death by her husband after drinking. Pei Yue vomited blood on the spot when she heard the news and became seriously ill.
Zhu Lan could never fully connect the love and favor she had received in the Zhu family over the years with the word "family affection". Zhu Yuanou treated her well only because Zhu Lan, with a changed heart, seemed to be able to fulfill his long-cherished wish.
Zhu Lan has not forgotten what happened to the original owner. It is impossible for her to have no grudges against her, and it is also impossible for her to love this grandfather wholeheartedly as she loves her mother Pei Yue.
But no matter what the reason was, it was a fact that Zhu Yuanou had treated her well since she traveled through time.
Never mind, the dead are the greatest.
Zhu Lan sighed, walked to the body of Mr. Zhu, and kowtowed several times respectfully.
"Rest in peace, Grandfather."
This bow can be regarded as repaying the affection between grandparents and grandchildren in this life.
…
On the day of the great wedding at the Zhu family, news of a great funeral spread throughout Jiangzhou city in the blink of an eye. Even the street vendors were lamenting the cruel play of fate.
County Magistrate Ji Tian originally wanted to invite Zhu Lan to a dinner, but since such a thing happened to the Zhu family, it was naturally inappropriate to hold a banquet. So Ji Tian led a group of gentry to personally pay their respects, and also said that all the expenses for arranging the funeral for Mr. Zhu would be reimbursed by the county government, which was considered a great honor for the old man after his death.
In the mourning hall, Zhu Hongming was seeing off guests who came and went to pay their respects. Pei Yue, Du Lanfang, Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan were all wearing mourning clothes and kneeling in the hall.
According to regulations, Zhu Hongsheng died early, and after Zhu Yuanou passed away, Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan had to mourn for their father for three years. During the mourning period, they were not allowed to participate in entertainment activities or the imperial examinations.
Zhu Lan calculated in his mind that he would not be able to take part in the imperial examination next year, and could only wait for another round and take part in the imperial examination four years later.
But it’s better this way, she has more time to prepare.
…
Zhu's funeral hall.
Zhu Yuanou's coffin had been put into the coffin, and the mourning hall was set up in a side hall. After burning the last papers, two younger generations, Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan, kept vigil on the first night.
The three incense sticks on the altar in the mourning hall are emitting wisps of smoke. These three incense sticks are for respecting the heaven, the earth, and the deceased. When the incense is about to burn out, the person keeping vigil must promptly light up another one, suggesting that the incense continues and that yin and yang are communicating.
There is also an eternal lamp on the altar. Once the eternal lamp is lit, it must remain lit from morning to night and can only be extinguished after the deceased is buried.
At midnight, everyone else had passed away, and only Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan were left kneeling in the mourning hall.
There wasn't much to talk about between the two of them, each of them was thinking about their own things.
Zhu Qingyan was feeling a little drowsy. Suddenly, a gust of night wind blew, and the door of the mourning hall creaked, which frightened Zhu Qingyan.
She looked around again and saw that the mourning hall was decorated with white silk everywhere, the candlelight was dim and flickering, and with the cold night wind blowing in, everything seemed to suddenly become gloomy.
Zhu Qingyan's heartbeat quickened a little. She didn't dare to look up at the coffin. She quietly moved a few inches towards the direction where Zhu Lan was kneeling. She took a peek and saw that Zhu Lan had no change in expression, as if he was not in a mourning hall but in a study.
Isn't she afraid of ghosts? Zhu Qingyan muttered to himself.
The eternal lamp was shaken violently by the wind. Zhu Lan rubbed his sore knees and stood up to add more lamp oil.
Zhu Qingyan couldn't stand the silence anymore and took the initiative to speak:
"Hey... I lost the provincial examination this time. But don't be too happy too soon. We'll compete again in the spring examination four years later."
However, Zhu Lan did not respond.
Zhu Qingyan had no choice but to continue talking about something else. "By the way, Zhu Chao is usually very lively, why didn't I see him today?"
Zhu Lan refilled the lamp oil and turned around to see Zhu Qingyan's pale face. He knew that she was scared so he made small talk.
"I heard that he was sent back to his mother's family." Zhu Lan answered nonchalantly.
She didn't say anything else after she finished speaking, so Zhu Qingyan had to forcefully continue the topic, "Where is Mrs. Du's hometown?"
"Long'an County, I think."
As Zhu Lan was speaking, he suddenly remembered that Duan Wenqing's hometown was also in Long'an.
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