Finally, it was decided that the funeral would be held three days later.
Zheng Guoan said the country would make arrangements, after all, the country lost two outstanding researchers this time, and their contributions deserved the highest treatment, so as to reflect the country's attention to them.
That evening, Shen Yulan was cooking in the kitchen, with Tu Xing assisting her.
The two grandparents felt that cooking for their three lovely granddaughters themselves was a thoughtful gesture.
Tu Luoxue and Tu Keke accompanied their younger sister downstairs and saw their grandparents busy in the kitchen.
Tu Luoxue put down her younger sister and went into the kitchen, but was pushed out by Tu Xing.
"It's enough if your grandpa and grandma come; none of you need to come."
Tu Luoxue had no choice but to give up.
Yanluo picked up her little niece and patted her head tenderly.
Tu Yier leaned on Yan Luo's right shoulder, her small face full of fatigue and her eyes red.
Yanluo didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only quietly hold her and sit on the sofa.
Dinner was quickly prepared, a sumptuous meal of four dishes and a soup.
Tu Luoxue and Tu Keke served the family a meal, while Tu Yier was placed in a high chair by Yan Luo.
The little one can't sit in a chair to eat yet.
Shen Yulan placed the prepared food in front of Tu Yier and handed her a small spoon.
"Sweetie, let's eat."
Tu Yier nodded, then picked up her spoon and began to eat silently.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was oppressive.
Tu Keke took a sip of soup and gave her grandparents a thumbs up.
"Grandpa is truly amazing; the soup he makes is so delicious."
Tu Xing chuckled and said, "That's right. Your grandpa was a five-star chef back in the day. If I weren't lazy, would we need to hire someone to cook for us? Grandpa could handle it all by himself."
Shen Yulan looked at her husband with disdain and said, "You're just bragging. All you can do is make soup. Do you know anything else?"
Tu Xing scratched his head awkwardly.
"Honey, why are you undermining me in front of the kids? What if my image as an all-powerful grandfather is shattered?"
"Hurry up and eat. There's so much food to keep you from talking. If you keep nagging, I'll smash your mouth."
This scene amused the silent Tu Yier, who giggled.
The atmosphere improved considerably thanks to the elderly couple's efforts to lighten the mood; at least it wasn't so dull anymore.
After dinner, Yanluo and her eldest niece Tu Luoxue were washing dishes in the kitchen, while Tu Keke took her younger sister to take a bath.
Tu Xing and Shen Yulan were in the living room, discussing various matters related to the funeral.
Shen Yulan's eyes reddened, and she buried her face in her husband's arms, sobbing softly.
The uncle and nephew in the kitchen noticed the commotion outside.
Tu Luoxue also began to shed tears.
Tears slid down her fair cheeks and dripped into the pool, her pitiful appearance tugging at my heartstrings.
Yanluo washed her hands clean and hugged Tu Luoxue from behind. Tu Luoxue could no longer suppress her grief, turned around and hugged Yanluo, crying softly like her grandmother.
Yan Luo gently patted Tu Luoxue's back and said, "It's okay, I'm here for you, it's okay."
But at the same time, his eyes reddened.
At 10 p.m., the children went to bed, and Shen Yulan also went back to her room to take a shower.
Tu Xing and Yan Luo were left alone in the living room.
Yan Luo handed a cigarette to Tu Xing and said, "Uncle, have a smoke."
Tu Xing took the cigarette, and Yan Luo lit it for him before lighting her own.
"Uncle, I need to discuss something with you."
"Xiao Luo, don't be so polite with your uncle, we're all family."
“Then I’ll be frank, I want my three children to come and live with me.”
This idea wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing. Yanluo believed that with his abilities, supporting three girls wouldn't be a problem, and if things went wrong, he could just go back to his old profession.
After speaking, Tu Xing took a deep drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaled, and fell into deep thought.
Tu Xing said in a deep voice, "Xiao Luo, I don't need to say what you mean, your uncle knows."
"But wouldn't it be better for the children to stay here? Wouldn't they receive a better education?"
"Uncle won't beat around the bush with you. We're all family. Do you have enough money for the three children's living expenses and tuition?"
"You're still in school yourself."
Yanluo nodded and said, "Don't worry, I have a job and I've saved up quite a bit over the years. They'll live with me, and I guarantee their quality of life won't be worse than it is now."
Tu Xing and Yan Luo looked at each other, seeing the determination in Yan Luo's eyes.
"Your uncle is fine. He's also familiar with your work. It's the era of young people now, and writing novels can be quite lucrative."
As an online novelist, Yan Luo has accumulated a considerable number of readers over the years and has saved a lot of money through writing novels and other part-time jobs.
“I didn’t have these conditions before; I built them up little by little through hard work and struggle.”
"It depends on your aunt's decision. You know, your aunt has the final say in the family."
"Yes, Uncle."
...
Three days passed quickly, and the day of the funeral arrived in the blink of an eye.
The sky was overcast and oppressive, making it feel suffocating.
Inside the main hall of the Beijing Funeral Home.
Yan Luo held her little niece in her arms, with Tu Luoxue and Tu Keke on either side, and a group of Tu family relatives and friends around them.
Today's ceremony was simple. Tu Xing didn't want to make a big fuss; he simply invited relatives and friends over. Too many people would only cause trouble.
In the center of the auditorium hung a photograph of Tu Yi and his wife, and on the long table below was an urn covered with a red cloth, though the urn was empty.
The monk began the ritual, waving his staff to produce a clear, ringing sound, followed by a powerful and solemn chant that resonated throughout the entire hall.
There are specific rules about where people stand.
Relatives and friends sat on either side of the long table, and behind them were Yan Li and her colleague from the research institute.
Behind his colleague were neatly dressed soldiers, arranged by Zheng Guoan; this was the country's order.
What covers the urn is not just any random red cloth, but the highest honor—the national flag.
The national flag of Longxia Kingdom is based on red and embroidered with a giant golden dragon, which is majestic and powerful, demonstrating the country's strength.
As soon as the monk began chanting, rain began to fall, and a light drizzle enveloped the entire capital city.
After the religious ceremony, the funeral is mostly over, and the next step is burial.
There weren't as many people at the burial; only a few relatives and friends accompanied them.
Beijing Cemetery.
Yanluo carried the urn into the pit. If Tu Yi had other brothers, they should have done it, not Yanluo.
However, he didn't care, after all, they were his sister and brother-in-law.
The funeral was over in one morning.
During this time, Shen Yulan fainted several times from crying, and the three children were not much better off.
So Yanluo took the three children and accompanied Shen Yulan home to rest, leaving the rest to Tu Xing.
...
Until the seventh day after his death, Tu Xing and Shen Yulan stayed at Tu Yi's villa, taking care of his three granddaughters.
During dinner, Yanluo said to Shen Yulan, "Auntie, I want to take care of three children."
But Shen Yulan immediately rejected it.
Shen Yulan put down her chopsticks and said, "No, Xiao Luo, these are the only children your aunt has left."
Shen Yulan's increasingly haggard appearance made her husband feel heartbroken.
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