The funeral seemed to be at a standstill and the whole matter was at a stalemate.
At least as far as Qin Yuhuan and Ziyi are concerned, there is a stalemate. Qin Yuhuan's attitude is firm, and Qin Changlei's attitude seems to be firm as well.
Everyone became inattentive, but Ziyi could keenly sense that they had softened their attitude towards Qin Yuhuan a little, unlike at the beginning when Qin Changlei treated Qin Yuhuan as an enemy.
No one talked about business anymore. Everyone started peeling peanuts and eating melon seeds. Qin Yuhuan saw that things were not going any further, so he took Ziyi out for a walk to relax.
The old house was only a five-minute walk from Qin Changlei's home. Qin Yuhuan pointed at the house that was so dilapidated that it looked like it would collapse at any moment. "This is my home. My mother passed away here. Her photo is still inside."
"So I dreamed of building this house. My mother was a good person, and I didn't want her to live in a dilapidated house after she died."
The house was unattended and was covered with weeds half a person's height. The two people could only look at the house from a distance through the weeds.
"My dad asked me for money, saying he wanted to build a house. You have no idea how much I wanted to do it. I thought, 'Great, Mom will finally live in a new house.'" Qin Yuhuan smiled bitterly, "But I didn't expect he was lying to me."
"They're truly a couple. Three years ago, my mom had an accident, and I nearly collapsed. I was rummaging through my savings books in our garbage-like home when I came across the insurance policies she'd bought for my brother. My heart and my love for her gradually grew colder. And now my dad's doing the same. It's like they're out to antagonize me, making it impossible for me to fully grieve."
Try your best to be sad. Maybe the emotion is just temporary and it will be fine after you vent it out.
But...
Qin Yuhuan's parents were like a complex of contradictions. They didn't let her cry enough, nor did she get angry enough. It was always half and half.
"Then let's build the house." Ziyi said, "Don't worry about the money."
Qin Yuhuan shook her head. "Ziyi, you don't understand. My father is gone, and my household registration has been moved out. Now only my brother's household registration is still here, but... Qin Yushu is missing. Do you know the concept of missing?"
Ziyi's heart skipped a beat, and when her eyes met Qin Yuhuan's, Qin Yuhuan smiled miserably, "I don't know whether he's dead or alive. In Changping, many people are scammed and sent to northern Myanmar every year."
"From the beginning, I told my dad to collect Qin Yusu's ID card and not let him leave Changping. He's not very smart. He was cheated when he went to work in the state capital before and owed a lot of debts. I knew he would never come back if he left, but my dad didn't listen to me."
"At first, I still heard from Qin Yushu. I asked him, and he told me he'd found a job in the city with room and board, a monthly salary of 6,000 yuan, five days on, two days off, and he'd go home to see his father on weekends. I asked him to give me the contact information of the factory director or supervisor, or even the name of the factory, but he never replied again. He would only accept red envelopes from me and my dad, but later he stopped accepting even that."
Qin Yuhuan was enveloped by a feeling of fatigue. She was really exhausted, not only physically but also mentally.
"Ziyi, do you know the salary level in Changping? Most people only make one or two thousand, or six thousand..." Qin Yuhuan chuckled. "It's not that I look down on him, but he can't even screw a screw. How can he get a salary of six thousand yuan if he joins the factory?"
"The most tiring thing about this family is that whether it's my mom, Qin Yusu, or my dad, I seem to have a premonition of their endings. I try my best to bring them back, but in reality, no matter how hard I try, I can't save anyone."
"Qin Yusu is in this situation now. If he wants to build a house, I can only insist that he is out working. This house..." Qin Yuhuan sighed, "Just consider it built for him. We are siblings. If he comes back safely, at least he will have a place to live. If he..."
Even if the house is built, the village will have to take it back. But the same thing applies: if Qin Yusu doesn't come back, her parents' photos will have to live in it. The last thing Qin Yuhuan can do for her parents is to build the house so that they can live better after their death.
"I want to ask something," Ziyi said, noticing that Qin Yuhuan's mood seemed to be gradually stabilizing, returning to his previous slow and gentle demeanor. Then she brought up something that had been puzzling her from the beginning, "Is burial popular here?"
“Yes, most people here are buried.”
Qin Yuhuan pointed to a mountain in the distance. "My mother is on that mountain. It's ironic, but when she died, I wanted to cremate her, but my relatives disagreed, saying cremation was unfilial. Now I want to bury my father, but they insist on cremation. My uncle didn't want a big ceremony at first, probably because he was afraid I wouldn't have the money, and he didn't want to pay. I told you, people here are more clear about the financial divisions. Of course, when my family was in Licheng and didn't return to Changping, my uncle was in charge of the mountain and land under my father's name. He also collected the rent and other things, and he took advantage of them over the years."
"I'm satisfied with relatives like these. At least they're not like my mother's family, who only care about money. They'll even lend a hand when I'm in trouble."
Qin Yuhuan's requirements were not high in any aspect. She did not desire rich parents. She only hoped that her parents were an ordinary and normal couple, even if they did not have much income. In fact, even this was a luxury for her.
At dinner time, many people came from the village. Ziyi and Qin Yuhuan had a separate table to eat at, and there were several men sitting opposite them who were said to be Qin Yuhuan's relatives.
All the dishes on the table were packed in disposable lunch boxes, such as blood duck, steamed pork with rice flour, etc., which were all authentic Changping dishes.
At the next table, Qin Changlei was entertaining a dozen guests. Ziyi listened attentively. What he said was that Xiao Qin's family was poor, and he hoped that they could show some appreciation for the red envelopes they received on the day they went up the mountain. The others were also easy to talk to.
In three years, my mother passed away, and my father also passed away. Everyone had some sympathy for them. In the end, they decided that each person only wanted six dollars. It was unlucky to go up the mountain, and the red envelope must be accepted to ward off bad luck.
During the meal, several of Qin Yuhuan's nieces came over to pick up vegetables. Qin Yuhuan pretended to invite them to eat together, but they just smiled and shook their heads, and then said nothing.
Ziyi didn't think much about it, just thought that the little girl was shy and embarrassed.
It was not until after the meal that Qin Yuhuan whispered to her, "Didn't you notice? Women are not allowed to sit at the table during parties. Only children, who are too young, can come over to pick up the food. My aunt and the others leave a portion for themselves to eat in the kitchen."
"What about us?" Ziyi really didn't expect that this would be the reason.
"I can sit at the table because Qin Yushu is not here. I am the only one left at home. Today's gathering is about my family's affairs. You can sit at the table because you are a guest."
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