Chapter 137 Qingming Festival
On the eve of Qingming Festival, the weather was slightly dry and the sun was quite strong. After walking along a dirt road, Nan Zhiyi's nose was covered in sweat.
Gu Xiao stopped and gently wiped her face with a handkerchief: "Are you tired?"
"It's alright." Nan Zhiyi shook her head and squeezed his hand tightly. "I can walk this little distance, I'm not that delicate."
Gu Xiao didn't say anything, but slowed down to accommodate her pace.
There weren't many people in the cemetery; the few who were there all carried tightly wrapped items and walked hurriedly, exuding a sense of suppressed caution.
The graves of Nan's parents are located in a corner of the cemetery.
Gu Xiao had previously arranged for someone to clean the grave regularly, so the area around the grave was clean and free of weeds, but the tombstone looked particularly desolate.
As she approached, Nan Zhiyi's breath hitched, and her eyes welled up slightly.
Gu Xiao tightened his grip on her hand and whispered, "Don't move, I'll do it."
He released her, squatted down, untied the package, and took out a few simple offerings prepared inside: pastries, apples, a small bottle of wine, folded yellow paper and ingots, and a bundle of thin incense sticks.
He arranged the snacks and fruits, poured two cups of wine and placed them in front of the monument, lit incense sticks, divided them into three sticks, took two sticks for himself and handed one stick to Nan Zhiyi.
Wisps of smoke rose, blurring the cold inscriptions on the monument.
Gu Xiao held two incense sticks together in front of his chest, bowed three times solemnly to the tombstone, and said in a low and clear voice: "Dad, Mom, Zhiyi and I have come to see you. She is doing well, and the child is doing well too, so please don't worry."
After saying that, he carefully placed the incense sticks in the soil in front of the monument.
Nan Zhiyi took the incense, her fingers trembling slightly, tears silently streaming down her face.
"Dad, Mom, I'm doing well... and I'm pregnant now. You're going to be grandparents. I'll take good care of myself and the baby..."
She bowed deeply three times and placed the incense sticks properly.
Gu Xiao watched silently, offering no advice, only gently wiping away the tear stains on her cheek with his thumb when she straightened up.
Then, he picked up the stack of yellow paper, squatted down, and carefully burned the paper money and ingots one by one.
The orange flames flickered, illuminating his calm and solemn profile.
Standing behind him, Nan Zhiyi looked at the place where her parents rested peacefully, and then at the man who sheltered her from the wind and rain. Her heart ached and burned.
The paper money burned out, and the ashes were scattered by the wind.
Gu Xiao stood up, walked back to Nan Zhiyi's side, put his arm around her shoulder again, and whispered, "Let's go, Mom and Dad know."
Nan Zhiyi took one last look at the tombstone, nodded gently, nestled against him, and slowly left.
The dirt road stretches into the distance, and new green grass sprouts along the roadside.
The next morning, the sky was somewhat overcast.
Gu Yan drove Gu Xiao and Nan Zhiyi to the cemetery located on the other side of Jian'an City.
This cemetery is noticeably quieter and more orderly than the public cemetery where Nan's parents are located, and the management is also stricter, with guards at the entrance.
The car was parked in the designated area.
Gu Xiao protected Nan Zhiyi as they walked in front, while Gu Yan followed behind carrying the wrapped offerings. The three of them arrived silently at Madam Su's grave.
The area in front of the tombstone was cleaned up, with some fresh fruit and a small bunch of elegant white silk flowers placed there. Sake was also poured into a cup, and the ashes of the incense sticks were still fresh.
Gu Xiao glanced at the offerings and said in a low voice, "Dad has been here."
Commander Gu left home yesterday, perhaps to pay respects to his wife before heading to the capital.
Looking at the meticulously maintained tomb and the clearly carefully prepared offerings, Nan Zhiyi sighed inwardly, "Perhaps the Commander has always cherished Madam Su."
Gu Xiao began to arrange the offerings they had brought, his movements respectful.
Gu Yan also restrained his usual carefree attitude and stepped forward to help.
The memorial service was similar to yesterday's, simple and solemn.
After the memorial service, the three returned to the Gu family courtyard around noon.
Aunt Wu was setting the table when she saw them return. She put down her chopsticks and came over to look at Nan Zhiyi. Seeing that she was in good spirits, she said, "You left not long this morning. Comrade Zhang Xiufen and Comrade Wang Juan came by and brought some snacks and fruit."
Gu Yan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Second sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law? What are they doing here?"
The second and fourth brothers of the Gu family do not visit each other frequently, and they only see each other once a few holidays.
Aunt Wu: "They said they came to see the Commander, asked a few questions about his health, and learned that he had gone to Beijing. They also asked how Zhiyi was doing. When they heard that you had gone to sweep the tombs, they had a cup of tea and left. They didn't say anything special."
Gu Xiao remained calm and replied, "Yes, I understand."
Nan Zhiyi, however, had a different thought.
During the Qingming Festival, if these two sisters-in-law truly intended to pay respects to their mother-in-law, Madam Su, they should have waited for their brothers to join them, or made prior arrangements. Perhaps they were just coming to show that they and their husbands hadn't forgotten their stepmother? And, like Gu Xiao and Gu Yan, were remembering her on this day?
Gu Xiao pulled out a chair for Nan Zhiyi and helped her sit down: "Never mind that, let's eat first."
Gu Yan pulled out a chair for himself. "Yes, yes, I'm so hungry."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu hurriedly went into the kitchen and brought the dishes to the table one by one.
Gu Yan picked up his chopsticks: "Aunt Wu, you still love me the most. This braised pork smells so good today! Brother, hurry up and eat. Zhiyi, you need to eat more now."
He finished eating quickly, yawning widely: "Brother, I need to catch up on my sleep. I haven't had a full night's sleep in days."
Gu Xiao nodded.
Gu Yan rubbed his neck and went upstairs to the second floor.
After Nan Zhiyi finished eating, Gu Xiao pulled her back to the bedroom.
"Want to take a nap?"
Nan Zhiyi shook her head, walked to her desk, sat down, and wanted to write a few more lines of the manuscript.
But as the pen tip hovered over the paper, her attention was unconsciously drawn to the man sitting on the sofa by the window.
Gu Xiao leaned back on the sofa, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were dozing.
In the soft afternoon light, he appeared exceptionally serene.
As Nan Zhiyi read, her thoughts of writing vanished into thin air.
She put down her pen, got up, snuggled into his arms, and settled into the most comfortable position.
Gu Xiao opened his eyes, wrapped his arms around her, and smiled, enjoying her sudden clinginess.
He lowered his head and gently brushed his chin against her forehead.
Nan Zhiyi rubbed against his chest and whimpered for a while before finally unable to hold back: "Gu Xiao... when are you leaving this time?"
Gu Xiao sighed softly: "I'm afraid you'll keep thinking about this all the time."
He kissed her forehead, then followed the kisses to her nose and cheeks. "I can't bear to part with you, and I can't bear to part with the child. But this is my job..."
Before he could finish speaking, Nan Zhiyi felt a lump in her throat and buried her face in his chest, not wanting him to see her reddened eyes.
She took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, a smile had spread across her face: "If love between two people is meant to last, why should they be together every day? It's alright, once the baby is born, I can go with the army! We'll be together every day then, so don't find me annoying."
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