The old man was startled. He turned around and saw that it was his unreliable nephew. He glared at Ning Qiang and gestured for him to push the wheelchair.
Ning Qiang looked towards the inner room door and said in a low voice:
"What did you hear?"
The old man looked at him calmly, his gaze not stern, but Ning Qiang still felt the pressure increase.
He muttered, "I won't ask anymore, I won't ask anymore, okay?"
The old man closed his eyes wearily to rest. For 37 years, he had gone from hope to despair, his energy and spirit gradually depleted. He no longer hoped to see Xiaoqian wake up before he closed his eyes. Amidst great sorrow and joy, his end was drawing near, and a sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously.
Fortunately, the next generation of the Ning family are all capable of standing on their own, so he can rest assured and relinquish his heavy responsibilities.
The door opened, and Zuo Ling pushed the woman out of the inner room. The old man immediately perked up.
The people in the banquet hall were anxiously waiting, but they didn't show it on their faces.
Soft music played, and two wheelchairs appeared one after the other at the entrance of the banquet hall.
Everyone stood up, and a unified round of applause erupted.
The old man and middle-aged man who had previously reprimanded Zuo Ling looked as if they had seen a ghost. What exactly is her relationship with Elder Ning?
Then, Ning Qiang pushed the groom and Zuo Ling pushed the bride as they slowly approached.
The waterfall, nestled in Xiao Hao's arms, excitedly tried to jump towards Zuo Ling, but Xiao Hao held it down.
Gouzi took two steps toward Zuo Ling, turned to look at the two brothers, and seeing that they didn't react, he wisely retreated.
The little wolf looked confused. What was the woman doing? Why wasn't she with us?
The wedding ceremony was quite simple. Ning Qiang and Zuo Ling, one representing the groom and the other the bride, exchanged marriage certificates according to ancient customs.
Zuo Ling noticed that the emcee did not mention her mother's name in his congratulatory speech, but only said that it was Ning Lao's wedding and that we should all congratulate the newlyweds.
Such a crucial step could not have been forgotten by the elderly man. There must be a reason why someone who has been in a coma for 37 years would not even mention his name.
Zuo Ling was startled to realize that she had forgotten to ask her mother's full name.
Not only she noticed, but many guests also noticed and tried to see through the veil to see what the person behind it looked like and which family they came from.
The old man and Ning Qiang were completely unaware.
The groom put the wedding ring on the bride's finger, but the bride didn't even have the strength to put the wedding ring on the groom's finger. In the end, Zuo Ling held her mother's hand and put the ring on the old woman's finger.
A simple ceremony left the woman slightly out of breath.
After the main ceremony, the elderly man felt relaxed, took the microphone, and spoke with a smile:
"Thank you all for attending our wedding. The drinks are simple, please excuse us. My husband and I are not feeling well, so we will not keep you company any longer. Please enjoy yourselves."
Not only were the drinks simple, but the ceremony was also quite basic, lasting only about 10 minutes in total.
A wedding banquet venue that was painstakingly prepared was ruined by a mere ten minutes?
Ha, that's the Ning family for you, daring to disregard costs.
Some people complained about it privately, but no one dared to show it; they had to smile and say it.
"Your health is the most important thing. Please take good care of yourself."
"It is our honor to be able to attend your wedding. Your health is the most important thing. Please do as you please."
"..."
As they left, the elderly and middle-aged people who had clashed with Zuo Ling squeezed in to say a few words of blessing to the old woman, which earned Zuo Ling a smile in return.
The old man never glanced at Pei Nansheng's table, as if they didn't exist.
Zuo Ling found it funny; the old woman hated her scumbag father, and by extension, she hated the entire Ding family.
After the wedding banquet, Zuo Ling had no reason to stay and was thinking of leaving first thing tomorrow morning.
In the early hours of the morning, there was a series of urgent knocks on the door.
Zuo Ling was preoccupied and couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning. Just as she closed her eyes, she was startled awake by a knock on the door, her heart pounding.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
In the bright red bridal chamber, the woman, still in her bridal gown, lay peacefully on the bed, as if asleep.
The old man held the woman's hand, his gaze tender and affectionate.
Hearing footsteps, he looked at Zuo Ling and said in a hoarse voice, "Xiao Qian is gone. The one she couldn't let go of the most was you. You haven't called her 'Mom' yet, have you?"
Zuo Ling thought she wouldn't cry, but when the moment actually came, tears welled up in her eyes, and she lowered her eyelids, forcing them back.
"Forget it, she didn't force you, why should I play the bad guy?"
The old man quickly gave in, struggling to find a comfortable position on the back of the chair, catching his breath, and said:
"I have no children. Could you please give us a ride? I'm sorry to trouble you."
Zuo Ling's mind was in turmoil; she heard the old man's words, but it was as if she hadn't heard them at all.
He stared at the woman like a lost soul, unable to think of anything at all.
The mother and daughter met again after 37 years. She could not feel the affection of mother and daughter towards the woman, but she was a piece of flesh from the woman's body. The woman's departure was like a kite that had broken its string and could never be found again.
He opened his mouth, but the word "Mom" felt like a thousand pounds, and he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
After a long while, a noise came from outside the door. Regaining her senses, Zuo Ling noticed that the old man's head was tilted to one side and he hadn't moved for a long time.
She wanted to walk over, but her body felt like it was filled with lead, and she couldn't move her legs.
Ning Qiang pushed the door open and entered. He immediately noticed something was wrong with the old man and called out, "Uncle."
They checked the old man's breath; there was no warmth at all.
My uncle... is gone.
Ning Qiang was sad for a moment, but quickly calmed down.
He said to Zuo Ling, "We need to keep the news of the two elders' passing under wraps for a few days. I hope you can understand."
Zuo Ling naturally understood; large families all have some private matters that they cannot share with outsiders.
Three days later, on a remote island.
The bodies of the old man and the woman were burned to ashes in the raging fire, and their ashes were placed in an urn and sunk into the sea.
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