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墨書 Inktalez
Xiang Yuanqiu looked at Liu Jiawei, but secretly studied him.
Liu Jiawei only glanced up at Xiang Yuanqiu before returning to his work.
"What are you doing at home now, Brother?" Xiang Yuanqiu noticed that Liu Jiawei did not seem like someone who worked on the farm.
"He is studying at a vocational college in Shenzhen," Qinglan replied.
"Studying?" This was unexpected for Xiang Yuanqiu; she had only thought about where he might be working.
"Yes," Qinglan nodded in agreement, saying, "My father passed his skills onto him, and now he is learning painting and sculpting at school."
Xiang Yuanqiu was even more surprised, searching the crowd for Liu Jiawei's figure, suddenly feeling that he was extraordinary.
According to the customs and procedures of the Tujia funeral, there should be a drum band to mourn before the funeral, and friends and family must come to pay their respects and grieve.
At this time, Qing Shusheng's house, yard, and outside were crowded with people mourning and paying their respects.
Since Liu Dezhou died of natural causes at an old age, his funeral was considered a celebration among the Tujia people. Besides those who were grieving, others reminisced about his kindness to various families in the village during his lifetime, showing some sorrowful expressions and shedding a few tears. At other times, everyone acted as if it were a joyous occasion; although there was no laughter, the mood was not overly somber and remained light-hearted.
Especially those who loved to watch the commotion gathered around. Some were beating gongs and drums, playing suonas, and setting off firecrackers, while others sang mourning songs in a melodious manner.
Although the meaning of the mourning songs was generally the same—recalling the deceased's life and virtues along with similar blessings for their afterlife—the lyrics could vary slightly depending on who sang them. The listeners could discern the skill of the performers from their tone, melody, and the content of the songs.
Qing Shusheng's family is considered prominent in the local area, with ancestors who were part of a noble clan. Although Liu Dezhou has only three daughters, he has six siblings, each with several children, and those children have their own offspring. Therefore, the Liu family is still quite prosperous in terms of descendants.
Despite having only three daughters, the eldest daughter, Liu Xiuzhen, married into Qing Shusheng's family, and Qing Shusheng is a strong and capable person. One son-in-law can be equivalent to several sons from other families.
The other two daughters have also married well; one married into a prominent family in the surrounding villages. The youngest daughter worked various jobs in her early years and later started her own business, successfully establishing her career in the city. She is fashionable and independent, marrying without seeking approval from her family and running several chain stores with her husband. The youngest daughter has a strong personality, and her husband obeys her wishes.
During this mourning period, the other two daughters also returned with their husbands and children.
For Liu Dezhou's funeral, Qing Shusheng's family hired the best mourning team in the area. The musical instruments were of high quality, and the performers were skilled in singing and dancing. As a result, many villagers came to watch, including people from nearby villages.
Most notably, Liu Dezhou's passing led to a breakthrough in the relationship between Bai Cuifen and Liu Xiuzhen.
An Shaomin was contacted by Bai Cuifen to return for the funeral. This message was relayed through Qing Shusheng when he called Liu Jiawei. Bai Cuifen has always been grateful to Liu Dezhou's family; An Bingwen lost his father at a young age and regarded Liu Dezhou as a father figure while seeing Qing Shusheng as an older brother.
Moreover, Bai Cuifen's marriage to An Bingwen was largely arranged by Liu Dezhou and Qing Shusheng. They have consistently supported her family both openly and discreetly over the years, allowing her to live a stable life with children.
Therefore, Bai Cuifen insisted that An Shaomin return home just like Qinglan did. When Liu Jiawei informed An Shaomin of Bai Cuifen's wishes, she immediately agreed but did not engage in further conversation with him or arrange to return together; instead, they planned their trips home separately.
Bai Cuifen also personally informed An Shaojie about returning home with Qinglan. He readily agreed during the phone call; however, circumstances changed, and it turned out that Xu Wen returned home with Qinglan instead of An Shaojie.
At Liu Dezhou's funeral, Qinglan brought back someone unexpected, surprising both Bai Cuifen and An Shaomin.
However, for the Qing Shusheng family, this was a very good thing.
If Qinglan no longer liked An Shaojie, that would naturally be even better. It would allow them to avoid a worrying outcome, and they would be more than willing to accept it.
Of course, if the reality was not as they thought—if this matter was merely a coincidence, or an accident, or had some other reason—and if Qinglan still loved An Shaojie, then they would also gladly accept that. Especially for Qing Shusheng, while worries certainly existed, he still preferred not to assume the worst about An Shaojie.
Although Bai Cuifen and An Shaomin were puzzled by An Shaojie's absence from returning home with Qinglan, during the mourning period, the Qing Shusheng household was in disarray. Even though both of them were helping out at Qing Shusheng's home and had many opportunities to meet with Qinglan, it was not appropriate to pull her aside to ask about it at that moment.
In recent days, Bai Cuifen and An Shaomin had been leaving early and returning late, spending most of their time at Qing Shusheng's house assisting Liu Xiuzhen with various matters related to women.
Initially, when Bai Cuifen first came to help, Liu Xiuzhen did not pay her any attention and did not speak to her. However, since it was her father's funeral, she could not refuse Bai Cuifen's help or start an argument with her.
Moreover, with so many people busying about, she indeed needed someone like Bai Cuifen—thoughtful, quick on her feet, and efficient in her work. Most importantly, among all those who came to help Liu Xiuzhen's family, Bai Cuifen was the one who cared the most for them. Liu Xiuzhen never doubted this; even when she disliked Bai Cuifen the most, she believed that in all of Liu Family Village, the one person who could never harm them and who cared for them the most was definitely Bai Cuifen.
Later on, as they often had to work together, even if Liu Xiuzhen intended to avoid pairing up with her, there were many times when it was unavoidable. They had to work together, and during their tasks, there were inevitably moments when they needed to discuss things. Since Bai Cuifen maintained a low profile in front of Liu Xiuzhen, after a brief period of pride on Liu Xiuzhen's part, she eventually spoke to Bai Cuifen. Although it was not as intimate or natural as before, it nonetheless broke the ice.
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