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墨書 Inktalez
An Shaomin was helping at Liu Xiuzhen's house, which was an unremarkable and unworthy mention. Since she had specifically returned to attend Liu Dezhou's funeral, and her mother, Bai Cuifen, was also there to help, it was only natural for her to join in.
Everyone in the village knew about Liu Dezhou and Qing Shusheng's kindness towards their family. Bai Cuifen and Qing Shusheng were innocent in their relationship, and everyone was aware of it. Moreover, time had passed; both of them were getting old, and no one would bring up old stories or reminisce about the past, especially when it was a matter that everyone understood to be unfounded.
However, someone was paying close attention to An Shaomin. Not just watching, but almost following her every move with their gaze.
That person was Xiang Yuanqiu.
She knew that Liu Jiawei had once wronged An Shaomin, and today she unexpectedly saw both Liu Jiawei and An Shaomin together. To her surprise, Liu Jiawei looked incredibly handsome, while An Shaomin held her own with a curvaceous figure and a modest yet stylish outfit. Her skin was as smooth as cream, and her smile was as warm as spring; she was a beautiful girl who embodied both rural simplicity and urban sophistication without a hint of rusticity.
Xiang Yuanqiu's eyes flitted between An Shaomin and Liu Jiawei, and suddenly she felt a surge of jealousy.
Throughout the entire process, however, An Shaomin and Liu Jiawei did not exchange a single word. In particular, An Shaomin hardly paid any attention to Liu Jiawei, which made Xiang Yuanqiu feel somewhat pleased.
While working with Qinglan, she suddenly heard Qinglan ask An Shaomin, "Does Jian Ming know you're back?"
Jian Ming? Xiang Yuanqiu's heart skipped a beat. She already knew that Jian Ming liked An Shaomin. The last time she visited Qinglan's house and later accompanied them to the station to see Qinglan off, she had met Jian Ming and knew about their relationship. However, she thought it was just a youthful infatuation—a fleeting passion that Jian Ming impulsively felt. Such love could not withstand the test of time.
One was a talented young man from a prestigious university born in the city; the other was a rural girl who had never attended college and had suffered greatly. Even if she possessed beauty that could rival the moon or flowers, what kind of love could endure gossip and the harsh realities of life? What could withstand societal prejudice?
Thus, Xiang Yuanqiu believed they had long since parted ways or that their relationship wouldn't last.
So upon hearing Jian Ming's name, she immediately perked up her ears to listen intently to the conversation between Qinglan and An Shaomin.
"Yes, he knows. I called him before coming back," An Shaomin said.
"Will he take the time to meet you this time?" Qinglan asked.
An Shaomin smiled mysteriously, glanced around, and whispered in Qinglan's ear: "He'll be back on Grandfather's funeral day."
"Really?" Qinglan was so happy that she almost jumped up.
An Shaomin smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course. He is working and attending classes now, so he can't come back early. He can only take leave on the day of the Funeral."
The seemingly simple conversation between Qinglan and An Shaomin had an extremely complex reaction in Xiang Yuanqiu's ears.
Outside the courtyard.
After three more days of rituals, a spirit hall was set up in the courtyard, and four Taoist priests appeared, making the gongs and drums sound even louder than on the first day of mourning.
The four priests waved their Taoist brushes or other props while chanting. Their singing was rich and high-pitched, each note melodious and captivating.
The crowd watching was silent, without the comments and whispers that accompanied the mourning. The lyrics were exquisite poetry, and very few understood them, so everyone just listened quietly, not daring to comment.
The ritual had many procedures, but each one was filled with joyful dances and endless blessings sung aloud. The spectators showed little sadness, as if they were simply watching a performance, all craning their necks and bustling about.
After three days of rituals, Qing Shusheng and Liu Xiuzhen were nearly exhausted, while others who helped were also almost worn out. Only Bai Cuifen remained steadfast as if it were her own affair, showing no signs of fatigue and occasionally urging Qing Shusheng and Liu Xiuzhen to take a break.
"Shusheng Brother, you and Sister Xiu Zhen should go wash up and rest. I'll handle the rest," Bai Cuifen said.
"That won't do; you've been working just as hard during the day," Qing Shusheng replied.
"That's different. You both have to worry about so many things while working hard; it's mentally and physically exhausting. I just do some physical work; I'm just tired in my body. A good night's sleep will be enough," Bai Cuifen humbly said.
Eventually, Qing Shusheng and Liu Xiuzhen could not withstand Bai Cuifen's repeated insistence, and they were indeed too tired, so they followed her suggestion to rest first.
As night fell and people dispersed, the daytime clamor and excitement suddenly quieted under the serene moonlight.
The night wind was chilly, and the mountain village lay in slumber.
In the dim light, only Bai Cuifen's solitary figure remained, packing up items in Qing Shusheng's yard.
Two lamps and several flickering candles were lit in front of Liu Dezhou's memorial hall. His second son-in-law, youngest daughter, and youngest son-in-law were keeping vigil there, taking turns with Qing Shusheng and Liu Xiuzhen.
After Bai Cuifen finished packing, it was almost dawn.
Liu Dezhou's youngest daughter, Liu Xiulan, approached Bai Cuifen and said, "Sister Cui Fen, you should go back. It's so late; the rest can wait for my elder sister and second sister to handle when they wake up."
Liu Xiulan was young. Although she wasn't as familiar with Bai Cuifen as Liu Xiuzhen and Qing Shusheng were, she could tell what kind of person Bai Cuifen was just by looking at her. Moreover, being someone who had ventured out into the world, she had seen countless people and had a keen eye for character. Thus, she spoke to Bai Cuifen politely and considerately.
At the same time, she had already brought a cup of hot tea oil soup to Bai Cuifen and said, "Sister Cui Fen, please drink this tea soup to warm yourself up."
After thanking her with a smile, Bai Cuifen took the tea soup from Liu Xiulan's hands and then went home.
The day after the memorial service was the day of the funeral.
Although it was called the day of the funeral, a geomancer had been consulted beforehand and indicated that it would be auspicious to wait until midnight for the spirit to rise, specifically at twelve twelve.
Therefore, compared to the previous days, everyone had a bit more leisure on this day. However, Bai Cuifen still arrived early at Liu Xiuzhen's house.
Liu Xiuzhen and Qing Shusheng had slept through the first half of the night and were keeping vigil until dawn during the second half. When Bai Cuifen arrived, they were still in front of the memorial hall. Bai Cuifen asked Qing Shusheng and Liu Xiuzhen, "What are the arrangements for today?" Qing Shusheng replied, "Everyone in the village has worked hard these past few days; let them rest a bit. But we will still provide lunch and dinner as usual to reward everyone. So we will notify all villagers that these two meals will be served at our house."
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