Chapter 96

Xu Qiushi frowned and retorted: "Mom, what are you talking about on New Year's Day?!"

"Birth, aging, sickness and death are all normal. There is nothing that cannot be discussed." Grandma smiled calmly, and...she was open-minded at the end of her life.

Sang Xiaoqing hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to speak: "Grandma, do you want to hug Chunsheng?"

Grandma's eyes lit up, "Is it okay?"

Xu Wen interjected: "What's wrong with hugging your great-grandson?"

Grandma opened her arms.

Sang Xiaoqing wanted to put Chunsheng on his grandmother's lap. Chunsheng looked at his grandmother, burst into tears, and held on to Sang Xiaoqing and refused to let go.

Sang Xiaoqing was a little embarrassed.

Xu Qiushi and Zhu Meizhen's faces immediately turned grim.

It’s not because Chunsheng refused to let his grandma hold him.

It’s because there is a saying in Wei Zhuang Commune that was passed down from unknown time and place.

It is said that babies can purely combine yin and yang. As long as the baby keeps crying at an old person, refuses to look at the old person or let the old person hold him, it means that the old person has too much yin energy.

It means that you won't live long.

Although there is no basis for this, it has always been quite accurate.

The so-called baby crying in front of the elderly means that the baby does not cry at other times, nor is the child being naughty, but suddenly starts crying just because he sees the elderly.

Or many children would cry when they saw the old man.

Often the old man dies within a few days.

Chunsheng has a good personality and rarely cries.

Before grandma was hospitalized, Qiu Mang helped take care of Chunsheng and let Sang Xiaoqing work in the production team to make a living.

Even when he was shy, such as when he first met Xu Wen and she hugged him, Dongsheng never cried.

Grandma knew about this, so she waved her hand and asked Sang Xiaoqing to take the child away. She raised her hand and pointed at the dining table: "It has been many years since we had such a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. Why are you all looking at me? Come and eat!"

Xu Qiushi took a deep breath and ordered, "That's it! Eat! Come on, let's have one! Today is a family reunion, so happy!"

Everyone raised their enamel cups, the men's cups contained wine and the women's cups contained water.

Zhu Meizhen also said: "This year is the most perfect. Just like mother said, four generations living under one roof! Wenwen got married, and Xu Wen also had a son. I hope you will all be better next year! I'll toast to you too."

The family chats with each other, drinking wine or tea.

I don’t know if it’s happiness mixed with sadness, or sadness mixed with happiness, but I always feel that there’s a hint of regret in perfection.

Xu Wen could see that grandma was actually in great pain, but she said nothing and just insisted on accompanying everyone to eat the New Year's Eve dinner and chat with them with a smile on her face.

Whether it is the New Year's Eve dinner or the New Year's Eve dinner, there is a problem in both of them, that is, this meal tends to take a long time.

After finishing the meal, grandma looked visibly tired.

Lu Yuanzheng carried grandma back to the kang and let her rest for a while.

When grandma fell asleep, the smiles on the Xu family members' faces disappeared.

Xu Qiushi lit a cigarette and told Xu Wen: "Go and inform your aunt and uncle. Your grandmother will probably be here tonight..."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood what he meant.

Xu Wen nodded and was about to walk out. Lu Yuanzheng followed him: "I'll go with you."

Xu Qiushi held Lu Yuanzheng back, "Don't go! Come with me to the commune later. Before the commune closes, let's go to the funeral home to rent a mourning tent and some miscellaneous things. I can't get them back by myself."

Otherwise, they will be closed during the Chinese New Year, and it will be even more troublesome to not rent a place.

Lu Yuanzheng nodded in agreement.

Xu Qiushi asked Zhu Meizhen, "Have you prepared everything for Mom's clothes?"

Zhu Meizhen nodded. "The fabric samples that the old lady picked out herself have already been made. She looked at them and was very satisfied."

Xu Qiushi sighed, put out his cigarette, and led Lu Yuanzheng out.

Grandma was not in good spirits at night and did not get up to eat.

The sound of firecrackers never stopped from the beginning of dinner.

As soon as Zhu Meizhen cleared the dishes, she started making bread dumplings.

Xu Wen brought Chunsheng, Lu Yuanzheng brought Xu Qie and Dongsheng, and they set off firecrackers outside the door.

If I don’t set off the firecrackers today, I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to set off the firecrackers I bought during the New Year.

Xu Wen and Sang Xiaoqing both helped Zhu Meizhen.

Sang Xiaoqing asked in confusion: "Mom, don't you usually start making dumplings around midnight? Why is it so early this year?"

"I want your grandma to have some dumplings for the New Year."

Sang Xiaoqing stopped talking.

In Wei Zhuang Commune, age is not counted by birthday, but by New Year's Day.

If you eat dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year, you will grow one year older. This is the so-called virtual age.

This means that as long as grandma survives past 11 o'clock at night, her tombstone will say she is 74 years old.

The three of them made the dumplings quickly. As soon as they were done, the eldest aunt, the second uncle, and the younger uncle all arrived.

Zhu Meizhen took the wrapped dumplings outside.

It's cold outside, which is like a natural refrigerator.

You can freeze dumplings quickly.

It was almost ten o'clock before grandma woke up.

After waking up, I felt better than in the morning.

She waved her hand and asked her aunt and first aunt to help her sit up.

"You're all here!"

The eldest aunt and the second aunt began to wipe their eyes.

Both the first uncle and the second uncle called her mother.

"You all are gathered here. I can't breathe. Go out and come in one by one."

Everyone knew that this was grandma's arrangement for her funeral, so they all obediently left the inner room.

Starting from the eldest aunt, they went in one by one.

Xu Qiushi was standing behind his uncle and spoke to him the longest.

Finally, it was Xu Wen and Xu Wen.

"Wenwen." Grandma took Xu Wen's hand and said, "You have never been a worry to others since you were a child. But, you have never been a worry to others. A girl should not be so stubborn.

Whether it's your family or Xiao Zheng, they are all your dearest ones. Tell them when you are tired or upset. Don't keep everything in your heart and bear it yourself.

Especially men, you have to be able to speak softly, to make life more enjoyable."

Xu Wen answered yes repeatedly and handed the water to grandma's mouth.

Grandma drank two sips and panted for a while, "You kid..."

She shook her head and chuckled, "It's really not like our Xu family."

Xu Wen's heart skipped a beat and he looked at his grandmother.

Although grandma's eyes were clearly very cloudy, Xu Wen felt that her eyes could see through people's hearts.

After all this conversation, it was almost eleven o'clock.

Grandma asked Zhu Meizhen to take out her burial clothes, "Wash them and let me put them on now! I want to see them."

Zhu Meizhen said with red eyes: "Then I'll go boil some water."

You must purify yourself before putting on your shou fu clothes.

By the time grandma put on her shroud, it was already eleven o'clock.

The sound of firecrackers outside the window means the end of one year and the beginning of a new year.

Sang Xiaoqing brought the mirror she used at her wedding to show her grandmother.

The overall style of the longevity clothes is like a Tang suit, the color is bright red with gold thread patterns, which is very festive.

Xu Wen took out some cosmetics and helped his grandmother put on makeup.

Sang Xiaoqing helped grandma to style her hair.

After looking in the mirror, grandma smiled with satisfaction, "I can finally go meet your grandpa. I don't know if he has grown older there, otherwise I will be older than him! I think he won't mind a pretty girl like me."

When she said this, grandma was already very weak, and the energy she had just had seemed to suddenly disappear.

Xu Wen felt a little sour in his nose.

Everyone gathered around the kang, and there were faint sobbing sounds.

Zhu Meizhen brought the plate of dumplings over and said, "Mom, the dumplings are not hot anymore. They are stuffed with cabbage and pork. Would you like to try them?"

Grandma was actually a little dazed, but she still agreed after hearing this. She forced her eyes open, took one with shaking hands, took a bite, swallowed it with difficulty, and said with a smile: "I have finally passed the age of seventy-three. Don't cry! I have no regrets. I have a great-grandson, I am not going to die of hunger, my children are all around me, I am at ease! Don't cry!"

After saying this, the dumpling in his hand fell to the ground and he closed his eyes.

"mother!"

"grandmother!"

The Xu family members cried out heartbreakingly.

After the brief panic, the family sat in the main room to discuss grandma's funeral arrangements.

In Wei Zhuang Commune, if an old person like my grandmother died on New Year's Day, it would be kept secret on that day.

Just pretend that grandma is still alive and wait until New Year's Day to talk about it.

But the Xu family's place was small, with only two rooms, and there was no room suitable for storing the body.

People and corpses cannot live in the same place, even if Xu Qiushi and Zhu Meizhen are willing. The temperature in the room is too high and it is not suitable for grandma.

The first uncle's family was a little more spacious, so he hesitated and said, "How about sending mom to my place first?"

The eldest aunt snorted, "On New Year's Day, don't fight with your brother and sister-in-law in the street over mother. If you do, mother will really die and you won't be able to close your eyes."

Uncle Yi looked embarrassed.

He married a hot-tempered wife who is unreasonable.

When she was young, Zhu Meizhen couldn't stand it and often fought with her brother's wife.

At the beginning, after the eldest aunt and the second aunt got married, Xu Wen's family and the first uncle's family took turns to raise grandma.

My uncle was adopted by my great-grandfather, so he was not considered my grandmother's son. He only needed to raise my great-grandfather.

This aunt is very calculating. When it comes to supporting my grandmother, she really doesn't skimp on even a penny.

Every time my grandmother stayed at my uncle's house for a month, she would lose weight and look much more haggard.

After growing fatter at Xu Wen's house, the old lady didn't want to leave every time they moved to a new place.

Of course grandma wouldn't complain, but Zhu Meizhen was quick to talk and often complained to her aunt.

The two often fought in the street. Finally, Zhu Meizhen was so angry that she took her grandmother home and never let her go to her uncle's house again.

Aunt Yi is also shameless. She really doesn't care about grandma at all. Except for during the New Year and other festivals, when she would bring some worthless things to visit grandma, it's like she has cut off all contact with her on weekdays.

How can such an aunt let grandma in? !

It's impossible even with toes.

Lu Yuanzheng said, "I don't have any place."

He lives in a courtyard house.

This courtyard house does not belong to the Lu family, but is the place where the Wei family secretly asked their grandfather to leave it for him to live.

Xu Qiushi waved his hand to refuse: "You mean well, but Xiaozheng, you have to follow the rules. Your grandmother has sons, daughters, and grandsons, so she can't move to her granddaughter's house. People will laugh at her. Besides, you and Wenwen just got married not long ago, and it's a new house, so you can't do this."

Xu Wen sighed softly.

Sometimes I just don't understand these pedantic discussions.

It's already so difficult, but you still have to talk about etiquette and rules?

The eldest aunt wiped her eyes and said, "What should I do? I have a place at home, but it's too far away."

Her home is about thirty kilometers away from here.

Xu Qiushi gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go find the captain later and borrow a room from the team for my mother to stay in for the night."

Zhu Meizhen shook her head: "The production team will definitely not let our mother go. Then the only thing left is the cowshed. We can't let our mother live in the cowshed, right?"

Xu Wen said, "Go to the funeral home. They have a morgue."

Uncle Yi exclaimed, "But that costs money. It's quite expensive!"

Xu Wen's voice turned colder, "I'll pay for it."

Lu Yuanzheng held Xu Wen's hand and nodded: "Yes, we will go."

The reason why he agreed with this statement was because the production team sometimes did things in a really feudal way.

Even though women are the ones who head the household on a daily basis, men have the final say when it comes to important matters.

If he doesn't ask, others will either treat it as a question and not ask, or find a reason to refuse, anyway, they won't take it seriously.

Xu Qiushi was still reluctant, not because he felt sorry for the money, "It's New Year's Day, and you want your mother to go to such a faraway place all alone!"

He couldn't bear to do it.

Zhu Meizhen had been married to Xu Qiushi for many years and knew that he was upset. She hesitated for a moment and suggested, "How about we just set up the mourning tent?"

Uncle Yi refused: "That won't work! Our commune has never held funerals on the first day of the Chinese New Year. Besides, it's the Chinese New Year and we can't even get anyone to help. It's even more ridiculous."

Zhu Meizhen also didn't like Uncle Yi and said to him directly: "Then take Mom to your home!"

Uncle Yi stopped talking immediately.

Zhu Meizhen spat, "It's okay for a grown man to be so cowardly all the time! He didn't even dare to take his own mother home after she died, but now he's so tough with us. Is that not enough? Do you have the final say?"

This is not okay and that is not okay.

So many people in the room couldn't come up with a solution that everyone was satisfied with after discussing for a long time.

After a while, Xu Wen spoke up, "Stop arguing. I have a plan. Mom and Dad will go to stay with my brother and sister-in-law for the night. Turn off the stove in this room, so don't light a fire. Put some ice cubes under grandma's body with a plastic sheet and let her stay there for the day. Don't open the door to the inner room if anyone comes tomorrow."

"That's a good idea," Zhu Meizhen agreed. "Let's ask someone smart."

Xu Qiushi had no objection. This way, grandma could still celebrate the New Year at home without bothering others.

Xu Wen and Sang Xiaoqing had no objection either. Although the kang in their house was not very big, they still couldn't sleep well all night.

No one else had any opinion.

Some people were busy making a big ice bed for grandma, covering it with plastic sheets to prevent the ice from melting and leaking.

The rest of the people carried chisels and large hammers to the river to break the ice.

It was around two o'clock before I finally settled my grandma down.

Xu Qiushi asked everyone to leave and come back tomorrow night.

She also sent Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng back, "You can't stay at your mother's house on New Year's Day!"

According to the custom of Wei Zhuang Commune, girls are not allowed to visit on the first day of the new year.

It doesn't matter if they live in the same village. Once a girl gets married, no one can go to her parents' home on the first day of the New Year.

Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng had no choice but to go home.

Dongsheng had already fallen asleep. Xu Wen wrapped Dongsheng tightly and held him on the back seat of the bicycle.

Lu Yuanzheng put his coat on Xu Wen before riding his bike back and asking her, "Dongsheng is so heavy, can you still carry him?"

"It's OK to hold him for a while, but I really may not be able to hold him for too long." Xu Wen sighed, "Time flies! Tomorrow, no, today Dongsheng will be six years old."

In fact, Dongsheng just celebrated his fifth birthday a few days ago, and he feels a little weak at this age.

"Yes." Lu Yuanzheng nodded, "This is the first year I spend with you. From now on, I will try to be with you every year."

Xu Wen thought of his grandmother, and his nose felt a little sour again. He called him, "The journey is long."

"exist."

"I want to discuss something with you."

"Well, you say."

"When we get old, you must not die after me."

Lu Yuanzheng hummed subconsciously, then reacted and said, "What?"

"I said, you have to die after me."

"What nonsense are you talking about on New Year's Day!" Lu Yuanzheng knew that his grandmother's death had a great impact on Xu Wen, but it shouldn't be this big of a blow, right?

Xu Wen had died once, so he couldn’t say that he didn’t feel any pain or itching, but he also lost consciousness and opened his eyes again while he was still young. However, his grandmother lived the life of an ordinary person.

"I'm serious." Xu Wen emphasized, "Anyway, you have to promise me that you can't die before me."

"Why?"

"As long as we are alive, we are companions no matter how old we are. Otherwise, people say 'husband and wife should be companions in old age'!

Before... in my last life, there was an old couple in the residential complex where I rented a house. They were very old, and the old man even wore diapers and might have Alzheimer's disease.

Oh, a diaper that doesn’t get wet is a diaper that doesn’t leak urine.

I often see grandmas holding grandpas with one hand and carrying urine and urine with the other hand to take out the garbage. At that time, I felt envious and felt that this was what true love looked like.

But now, in addition to envy, I feel a new layer of understanding.

As long as both of us are alive, we will not be a burden to our children. We don’t have to rely on them to support us, nor do we have to worry about their feelings.

But no matter who of us leaves, the remaining one will definitely have to live with our children.

It is said that there will be no filial son by the bedside of a patient for a long time. Even the most filial son will show his displeasure from time to time after serving the patient for a long time.

What's more, the lives of the two generations are so different, and their living habits are different, so quarrels will occur. Of course, whoever lives under someone else's wing will lose.

It is even more troublesome if you have more children. You have to take turns raising them, and you have to move to another place before they get used to living there.

After you understand your daughter-in-law's personality, you have to look at your son-in-law's expression.

So I don’t want to live with my children, I don’t want to die alone, I want to die in your arms.”