It was already the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Zhou Shixiong's health hadn't changed at all. Doctor Sun came over to take his pulse, but didn't say a word.
"Alright, I know my physical condition. You all go do what you're supposed to do."
"Sir, why don't you let Zhenye and the others accompany you? Their courses on the mountain are finished. They don't have to go up the mountain."
"I've kept you all waiting."
“Grandfather, how could you delay us? This is how we fulfill our filial duty,” Zhang Zhenye interjected.
Zhang Hongmei handed a glass of water to Zhou Shixiong, saying, "Uncle, my great-grandmother should be arriving around noon."
"Hehe. My older sister is here to see me."
Hongmei, tell them to come directly here.
Zhang Hongmei nodded, "I understand, I'll make the arrangements. I'll go to the kitchen first to check and confirm the menu."
Meanwhile, Liu Changhe and his family, along with Liu Maocai and his family, had already disembarked from the plane.
Chengzi and Lu Jing both came over. Lu Jing escorted Liu Maocai's family home.
"Old Chief, Madam said to go directly to the old leader's house."
The old lady found out last night. She also knew that Zhou Shixiong didn't have much time left, and that it would be good if she could see him; the past was the past.
They went directly to Zhou Shixiong's house, where Liu Jingze helped the old lady.
Hearing the commotion, the people inside came out to greet them.
Five children bypassed the adults and surrounded the old lady.
"Grandpa, you've finally arrived." Liu Qiang had been longing to see the old man for a long time.
Gu Chuanming arrived as well. "Older sister, let's go inside first."
When Zhou Shixiong saw the old lady enter the living room, his eyes were filled with tears.
It took more than ten minutes just to say hello.
Liu Jingze put his arm around Zhang Weiyu's shoulder and sat down next to the old lady.
"Older sister, let's go to the study. I have something to tell you."
Zhang Hongmei helped the old lady, while Li Chang'en pushed Zhou Shixiong.
Only the two of them remained in the study, and those outside had no idea what they were talking about. Everyone waited in the living room.
"Godfather, are you going to work tomorrow?"
"Well, I have to go to work tomorrow. Why don't you guys go to school instead?"
Zhang Weiyu shook his head. "No, we're not going. Doctor Sun said that the old master doesn't have much time left. The four of us want to spend more time with him and see him off no matter what."
Seeing his son's low spirits, Liu Jingze tightened his grip on his arm.
"Wei Yu, no one can escape this."
"Godfather, I know."
The elderly couple, Liu Changhe and his wife, were accompanied by Zhang Ruifeng, who was sitting there.
The two elderly people didn't come out of the study for an hour.
Everyone gathered for a meal. In the afternoon, Liu Changhe and his wife, along with Liu Aimin, went home. A nanny was there to cook, while Hu Aifen stayed behind with the old lady.
Zhou Shixiong was particularly energetic all afternoon.
The old lady patted Zhang Hongmei's hand and said, "That's it, there's no way to get past this."
After dinner, Zhou Shixiong suddenly grabbed Zhang Weiyu's hand. "San'er, the old master can't stay with you anymore. Push me to the bedroom. Hongmei, Shouyi, Chang'en, you all come with me."
The living room was unusually quiet, and everyone was in tears.
Zhang Weiyu, his eyes red, pushed the wheelchair. Zhang Shouyi and his son helped Zhou Shixiong lie down on the bed.
“Chang’en”.
Li Chang'en took a small box from the bedside table and handed it to Zhang Weiyu.
"Third son, these are the last things the old ancestor had, all stored in a foreign bank. I'm giving them all to you. Here are the keys. Take good care of them. The password is the one I told you before. Can you remember it?"
Zhang Weiyu nodded through his tears, "Ancestor, I know."
"Here you go. I'm relieved now. Go and take a look for yourself later."
Li Chang'en then handed another file folder to Zhang Weiyu.
"Third son, remember what your grandfather told you. Go now, I have something to say to your parents."
Zhang Weiyu nodded through tears, then bent down and hugged Zhou Shixiong on the bed.
"Ancestor, don't worry, I will definitely be obedient, I will be fine."
"Alright, go ahead. Don't be too sad, or the Ancestor will be heartbroken."
Zhang Weiyu got up crying, glanced at Zhou Shixiong, and turned to leave.
Zhou Shixiong reached out his hand, and Zhang Hongmei grabbed it.
"Hongmei, I'm leaving now. Take good care of the children. I feel I've failed you."
"Uncle, please don't say anymore, it's all in the past."
He reached out his other hand, and Zhang Shouyi grabbed it.
"Shouyi, you must treat those five women well." He said, putting their hands together and smiling at them.
Zhang Shouyi was also heartbroken, saying, "I would treat those five women better than I would treat myself."
Suddenly, Zhou Shixiong's hand, which was holding theirs, lost all strength and he fell onto the bed. Zhou Shixiong also closed his eyes.
Zhang Hongmei immediately burst into tears, and at that moment, the people outside rushed in.
Cries erupted simultaneously. The children's cries were the most heartbreaking.
Hu Aifen helped the old lady glance at Zhou Shixiong, then quickly took Liu Qiang home with Lu Jing.
"Grandma, don't be sad. Zhou Shixiong left with a smile on his face."
"Yes, it's okay, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me, I've already thought it through."
Lu Jing made arrangements for the old lady at home and specifically asked Bai Xue to stay. Bai Xue's medical skills were the best.
"Old Chief, please rest at home. I'll take you home tomorrow morning. Your wife told me that she's worried you might get too stressed, so you should go home. Jingze can come over."
"Alright, let's leave tomorrow. We don't need him here, and we should send him out tomorrow anyway."
"Don't worry, old commander, everything is arranged. You rest first. I have to go and check on your wife. The leader said she might be pregnant, so I have to stay by her side."
The old lady and Hu Aifen were startled. "Then hurry up and go. Just tell her what I said, tell her not to be sad, it's all in the past."
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Li Chang'en acted swiftly, immediately leading his men to prepare Zhou Shixiong's appearance. A car was also arranged outside, ready to take him to a specially prepared funeral home.
The coffin from outside has also been brought in. The funeral arrangements here will take several more hours; this is necessary, as there will be a ceremony to view the remains.
Radio stations, television stations, and newspapers broadcast the news simultaneously. The Zhou family also arrived, along with a guard company arranged by Zhang Shouyi.
Everything was arranged in an orderly manner. Zhang Hongmei and her four children all changed into mourning clothes and knelt by the bed.
Zhang Shouyi also changed his clothes, but he couldn't wear mourning clothes. Instead, he wore all black clothes with a hundred flowers pinned to his chest, standing beside his wife and son.
The Zhou family members, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt on the other side, all weeping softly.
Around 5 a.m., the makeup was finished, and it was time to put the body into the coffin.
Everyone burst into tears. The most heartbroken were Zhang Hongmei and her four children, especially the four children.
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