Chapter 16 [16] I have a good life alone, but you don’t...
Death is the greatest thing.
Tang Aiguo was lying on the ground, crying sadly, as if he couldn't remember anything.
Zhang Lancao didn't care about the quarrel with Tang Aiguo and pushed the stunned Tang An. "Xiao An, go quickly and inform your second and third uncles to come over quickly."
Tang An: "Alas!"
Tang Yuanyuan had no choice but to ask for leave for this shift, but she didn't have to go to class for a few days anyway, so she could ask Zhou Wei to tell her, and she should be able to catch up.
Besides, there were things like clothes, coffins, and everlasting lanterns for the funeral, and a tent had to be set up at the gate of the yard, so Zhang Lancao ran to find these people.
Uncle Tang was surprised and asked Tang An, "Dad is fine, isn't he? Why did it happen so suddenly?"
Tang An wiped away tears and unguardedly told the whole story: "My sister and dad had a fight, and they even resorted to using a carrying pole. My grandfather tried to stop them, probably out of anger."
Uncle Tang stamped his feet in pain: "Why are you making noise again!"
"Ah, your sister is so sharp and sharp, and you are the same. Why didn't you stop him? Your grandfather is so old and so sick."
Tang An: "I wanted to stop it, but no one listened to me."
What can he do?
He's just a boy.
Second Uncle Tang: "I'll go right away. Go call your Third Uncle."
After Tang An left, Uncle Tang told Aunt Tang to wait until the body was ready before taking the child there and returning after bowing.
Her wife is timid and the children are still in school, so it would be better not to scare them.
Over there, Tang Aiguo was crying his heart out, and he didn't care about anything else. So many funeral arrangements had been prepared that the neighbors and relatives who came to the yard to watch the last journey had no room to intervene.
The men who are close to the host family have to keep watch together at night, so the host family has to prepare these things. Zhang Lancao never stops working and prepares a big pot of food.
After Tang Yuanyuan finished her work outside, she came into the kitchen to help. After everyone finished their meal, she collected the dishes and came in to wash them.
After it was done, he quickly wiped the room and went to bed.
The men who were keeping vigil outside were playing mahjong together. Tang Yuanyuan was lying alone in bed, feeling a little scared. Zhang Lancao pushed the door open and came in. "Mom will sleep with you today."
Tang Yuanyuan didn't mind the heat and snuggled into her mother's arms.
When she couldn't go to school, Tang Yuanyuan hated Tang Youshan very much, thinking that it was his fault that she couldn't go to school. When she saw her mother working all day long, either cooking or boiling medicine and massaging, Tang Yuanyuan even cursed and hoped that Tang Youshan would die soon.
Now that he was really dead, she felt a little sad again.
As for what this sad emotion was, she couldn't tell.
Maybe it's sadness, maybe it's self-blame, maybe it's fear, or maybe all of the above.
"Mom, I'm not a good granddaughter. I used to think my grandfather would die sooner. He must think I'm an ungrateful person. Will he want to take me away?"
"Don't talk nonsense," Zhang Lancao felt her daughter trembling and hugged her tightly. "You are a good child. Grandpa won't blame you. It's Mom's incompetence. It has nothing to do with you."
"Your grandfather will be reborn and live in a good family. He is going to live a good life."
Tang Yuanyuan: "Really?"
"If people can have an afterlife, it would be a relief for Grandpa."
Zhang Lancao: "Of course, everyone has an afterlife."
Tang Yuanyuan: "Mom, if you had a next life, what would you most want to do?"
Zhang Lancao fanned her with a palm-leaf fan: "You are mother's next life."
"You go study and become a cultured person. This is what your mother wants you to be."
Tang Yuanyuan: "I think this shouldn't be the case. You should have your own life."
"Think about it carefully."
Zhang Lancao thought about it for a long time, and perhaps because she had dreamed of that kind of life, the corners of her lips curled up.
"It would be great to have a noodle shop. It would allow you and Xiao An to go to school, so you don't have to worry about money anymore."
"Just focus on studying in school. You don't have to think about making money or ride your bike to sell goods. Mom will buy you Warrior shoes and a small-step skirt, and you and Xiao An will have popsicles to eat every day."
This is still the life of myself and Tang An.
Tang Yuanyuan: "Can't you think about your own things?"
"Look at Aunt Wang Xia next door. She has permed hair and wears leather shoes. She's so beautiful."
"Mom, I think your facial features are prettier than Aunt Wang Xia's, but you never dress up."
Zhang Lancao blushed at the compliment: "Mom is already old, why would she dress up?"
"As long as you and Xiao An are doing well, Mom will be satisfied."
Tang Yuanyuan didn't want her mother to revolve around Tang An all her life.
"Mom, I had a dream a few days ago. I dreamed that my brother had grown up and got married. He was living a good life, but he was not good to you. He was close to Dad."
"He thinks we are unfilial and blames Dad for spending all the family money on Grandpa's medical treatment. He thinks we are selfish."
Tang Yuanyuan was surprised to hear this in her dream because she was still a child.
When the conflict occurred, I didn't take Tang An's words to heart.
Zhang Lancao laughed: "Silly child, how can you take dreams seriously?"
Tang Yuanyuan: "But, that dream was very real, just like it was real. Besides, my brother has always been close to Dad, so he definitely stands on Dad's side in his heart."
Women are more accustomed to self-reflection. They always feel that they have not done well enough, and feel guilty if they do even a little less. Zhang Lancao touched her daughter's head and sighed:
"It's all Mom's fault for being incompetent. If I were like your Second Aunt, like your Aunt Wang, who could read and had a decent job, I would be able to manage the family's finances. You wouldn't have to drop out of school and could study hard like your brother."
"Or she could have set up a stall earlier instead of just sweeping the streets. It's because Mom is too stupid and not capable enough."
"It's Mom who is shorter than your Dad."
Tang Yuanyuan: "That's not the case."
"Mom, you can't read, but Dad can. Xiao An will go to college in the future."
"You can see it clearly, but the fundamental reason is that the family is poor, but they don't understand it."
"You understand them, but they don't understand us."
"I think my brother is a bit like my uncle. What if he treats you badly in the future? No, if you have money, spend it on yourself."
Zhang Lancao smiled and said, "You are all my children. I don't ask for anything in return. As long as you live your own lives well, Mom will be happy."
Tang Yuanyuan: "Mom, that's not the case."
“Why don’t you ask for anything in return?”
"You can ask for something in return."
"I hope you have a good life too. I am happy when I have a good life and you don't have a good life."
Zhang Lancao waved the palm-leaf fan with her arms, seemingly never getting tired: "Okay, Mom will have a good life too."
"We all have good days."
The mother and daughter didn't exchange a few words in private. They were both tired and fell asleep quickly.
Waking up early in the morning, Tang Yuanyuan had to do the same repetitive tasks as buying groceries, cooking, and washing dishes. She felt it was more tiring than working in a textile factory.
When it was time to set the table, Tang Dabao and his mother from the third house, and Tang Hu and Tang Yong, brother and sister from the second house, all came here to sit down and eat.
Tang Yuanyuan felt a pang in her heart. During the more than one year that Tang Youshan had been ill, the second and third wives had not even been at home, but now they came to eat without missing a meal.
So she said, "Second Aunt, Third Aunt, my mom is so tired from cooking for so many people that she can't even straighten her back. Can you two cook dinner? We can't just do it all."
Second Aunt Wu Hong said: "Yuanyuan, I only know how to teach, not cook. In our family, your second uncle cooks."
My second uncle has to keep vigil at night and talk to mourners during the day, so he definitely won't come to cook.
Tang Yuanyuan said: "If you can't cook, you can wash the dishes. My mother is exhausted from cooking for so many people."
With so many people watching, it was difficult for Second Aunt Tang to say that she did nothing. Her reputation would be completely ruined. "That's what I was thinking. Helping with the dishes would help my sister-in-law relax a bit."
Tang Yuanyuan said casually, "Okay, washing dishes is easier than cooking, Second Aunt, those pots and pans are yours."
Second Aunt Tang: "..."
There are so many people to feed, and the funeral will last for three days, with two meals a day. She will be exhausted to death.
Third Aunt quickly said, "I can cook, but I don't have the skills of my sister-in-law. I'll help out by picking the vegetables, cutting and washing them. Sister-in-law, do you think this is okay?"
It's extremely hot in this weather, and the temperature near the stove is even higher. In comparison, it is much easier to clean the vegetables.
Tang Yuanyuan immediately spoke before her mother could, "Aunt, these are all home-cooked dishes. They don't require any cooking skills. My mom and I will help you and we can have a meal together as a family."
Anyway, she is not eating alone, and I believe Third Aunt would not feel embarrassed to deliberately mess up the meal, otherwise she would be laughed to death.
Aunt Tang San agreed with a forced smile.
Aunt Tang and I looked at each other, and both of them thought, "What a bastard!"
Zhang Lancao saw her daughter's upturned chin, and the look in her eyes seemed to say, "Mom, I'm so great." She smiled helplessly.
Behind the scenes, he could not help but warn Tang Yuanyuan: "Next time, don't be so direct. You are still a child. Others will say that you are too powerful and difficult to marry."
Tang Yuanyuan: "What's so good about getting married? I don't want to get married at all. I just want to study hard. It would be great if I could become a great scholar. Then others wouldn't dare to bully me."
"Mom, look, who dares to bully Grandma Luo San? I think it's better to be powerful. Reputation is just a nice thing to hear. I want practical benefits."
“I like myself to be awesome.”
Zhang Lancao had never thought about this angle.
If you try to be easy to talk to all your life, there will be no good results in the end.
She is illiterate, so it’s better for her not to teach her daughter.
Tang Yuanyuan poked Zhang Lancao's arm and said, "Mom, I just went to the Ministry of Rites and they've already got over 1,200 yuan. Can we settle our account now?"
Zhang Lancao nodded and said yes.
The family lived frugally throughout the year and paid off nearly a thousand yuan in debt, leaving them with more than two thousand one hundred yuan. After the funeral, there wasn't much left.
Finally, our family can live a normal life again.
Second Aunt Tang had never washed so many bowls in her life. Seeing the bowls piled up like a mountain gave her a headache. She wanted to ask Zhang Lancao for help, but Tang Yuanyuan had already pulled her mother into the house to rest to prevent her from being too kind.
The second and third wives have always watched her mother busying herself with grandfather and don't feel sorry for her.
Aunt Tang rolled up her sleeves and squatted down: "Second sister-in-law, let me help you."
Aunt Tang was moved for a moment: "You are so hello, Third Sister-in-law."
Aunt Tang San: "My eldest sister-in-law has always been timid and submissive. I didn't expect that she would give birth to a daughter who is so capable."
Second Aunt Tang couldn't agree more: "That's right, I can't handle the endless chatter."
Aunt Tang rolled her eyes and said, "By the way, sister-in-law, have you heard what brother said about how the houses here are divided? The factory often can't pay wages now, and the houses will no longer be divided. We only have Dabao in our family, so I don't care. But you have two boys, and Dayong is about to get married. If you have another child, with only two houses, won't you have no place to stay? Yuanyuan is a girl, and she will get married eventually. That house should belong to Dayong."
Aunt Tang's eyes lit up. Now that the old man was gone, the family had to be divided.
If there is no land, the house can always be divided.
"I'll ask later."
Aunt Tang San said, "My husband proposed a division: the house is given to you, and the share money is divided equally between the eldest house and our family."
"It's fair to divide it this way."
Aunt Tang nodded, that's the truth.
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