(1)
When a person is alive, there are endless possibilities.
Yet after they die, only a few simple steps remain.
Laying in repose, the final farewell, cremation—
And then burial.
Eldest Uncle was laid to rest in the new village they had moved to, where there was a new cemetery.
The old graves had already been relocated, and his was the first new grave there.
The rain began to fall again.
A hazy, misty drizzle.
The people who were chatting and laughing last night began to cry, even Yu Minghui’s father wiped his eyes a few times.
But Eldest Uncle’s two sons did not cry, they just stood silently to the side.
The funeral had to end eventually.
What came next was a matter for the living.
—A shared meal, to thank the relatives and friends who came to see him off.
Everyone was still chatting and laughing, the two cousins joined in the lively atmosphere too, as if no one had left this world, as if no one was missing from their side.
In the end, they still had to part. Everyone had their own lives to live, they couldn’t always dwell in memories of the past.
So, after the meal, people left one by one.
The eldest cousin also presented parting gifts to them one by one.
Many of Eldest Uncle’s relatives and friends wouldn’t see each other again for the next ten years, or even for the rest of their lives.
Among them were, of course, those who felt familiar and those who felt unfamiliar.
But regardless, anyone who could come was warmly received by the host family.
An Jing and the others were among the last to leave. The eldest cousin, with a full smile on his face, handed An Jing an exquisite bag. “An Jing, you must study hard.”
An Jing was long accustomed to this kind of topic used specifically when there was nothing else to say.
She nodded somewhat perfunctorily, then heard the lazy question from Yu Mingfei beside her. “Doesn’t feel like much right now, but once everyone’s gone, you’ll start feeling sad, right?”
“Haha… That’s just how it is.”
“You have to get used to it eventually.” The second cousin beside her smiled calmly.
“Yeah, you have to get used to it. Luckily, you’re both already established with families and your own lives.” Yu Minghui’s father nodded gently. “Take good care of your mother from now on.”
“We will.”
“Ninth Uncle, we saved a carton of Liqun for you.” The eldest cousin said, taking a red carton of Liqun cigarettes from the table nearby and stuffing it into Yu Qingyang’s arms.
“Oh! Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” “No need for ceremony, what’s there to be polite about.” The second cousin quickly added.
“An Jing, study hard from now on. If you have time, call your parents more often.” The eldest cousin looked at An Jing again. “Cherish your time.”
“I will.”
The cousins exchanged a few more pleasantries, said some encouraging words like ‘tomorrow will be better’, then turned and left.
Yu Mingfei still had to rush to work, and Yu Qingyang was frantically preparing to start work in his own van—his small factory was a family workshop, and he himself was the core technician. If he wasn’t there, a lot of work couldn’t be done.
These kinds of family workshops try to avoid stopping production as much as possible. He and another highly-paid master worked around the clock in shifts. If they stopped even for a bit, the production schedule would be delayed significantly.
“Dad, rest if you’re tired, so you don’t end up hurting yourself.” Yu Minghui stood by the car and instructed.
“Alright, don’t worry! I’ll arrange some work and then go sleep. Haha, money can never be fully earned, but your life is your own!”
“Mhm, drive slowly.” “Okay.”
—
(2)
An Jing still went to school.
However, by the time she arrived, the first class was already over. Luckily, she had already asked the teacher for leave, so being late for a bit wasn’t a big deal.
Carrying her backpack, she walked quickly through the bustling stairs and corridors, wishing she could teleport straight into the classroom to avoid the gazes of so many people.
After all, arriving at school at this hour was indeed a bit conspicuous.
Zhu Ying wasn’t at her seat, probably in the restroom.
An Jing sat down in her chair by herself and took out the homework she wasn’t sure if she still needed to hand in from her backpack.
“An’an… overslept today?”
“No, went to my eldest uncle’s funeral, it took some time. Didn’t sleep much last night either, at most four hours…” An Jing mumbled, covering her small mouth with the back of her hand as she let out a big yawn. “I’m so sleepy…”
“Hungry?”
“Just ate in the morning, I’m okay.”
“If you’re hungry, you can try this…” Wang Xinru placed a small plastic container in front of An Jing. Inside was something transparent, looking ‘sparkly’ and very elastic, like jelly, but not quite the same.
“What’s this?”
“Made with ice jelly, added mint might be a bit light, not sweet enough.” Wang Xinru tilted her head, a gentle smile on her face. “Let Yingying try it this morning, she said it would be better a bit sweeter.”
“Is that so? Let me try…” An Jing opened the lid without hesitation, took out the metal spoon she usually used for meals from her backpack, scooped a bite and put it in her mouth. “Mmm—so cold.” “Too much mint…”
“Mmm—it’s okay? I don’t think it’s too light, it’s just right, perfect for cutting through greasiness after a meal.”
“Mmm—then next time pair it with some honey. If it’s too light, you can add more yourself.”
“Okay, it would definitely be suitable for summer, but it’s still a bit cold today.” An Jing stretched out with a big yawn, put the lid back on, and stuffed it into her desk drawer.
“Bring it when we go out to play in the summer?”
“Mmm… but if it’s too hot, wouldn’t it not taste good?”
“Could pack it in a foam box, put some ice inside…”
“Good idea, but then it would be hard to carry, unless you have a motorcycle.” An Jing tapped her temple with her finger, turning to look at Wang Xinru’s small face wearing a faint smile—recently, when she smiled, the corners of her mouth didn’t seem to droop down as much anymore.
A smile without that bitter look was much prettier than before.
Perhaps she was slowly blossoming as she continued to develop.
Isn’t it said that a girl changes eighteen times before she grows up?
And often, those who weren’t good-looking as children can turn into great beauties after they develop.
She suddenly thought, this time for Eldest Uncle’s funeral, many people came, which diluted the sorrow somewhat.
But for Wang Xinru’s time, it was only herself, with no one even to help her.
Just how strong must a heart be, to bury one’s own mother during a festive season when others are reuniting?—She always looks so soft and fragile…
—
(3)
Although it wasn’t raining outside, the sky remained overcast. Looking at it, the sun didn’t seem planning to come out.
An Jing tilted her head and lay back on Zhu Ying’s lap, her legs stretching across the short aisle to rest on Wang Xinru’s chair.
It was her limit to have persevered through the morning classes. If she didn’t replenish her sleep now, she’d probably fall asleep even standing up.
“What an enviable guy.” Fang Qiang clicked his tongue.
“I want to be like that in the future.” Sun Wei muttered.
“You kid, find a girlfriend first before you talk!”
“Hehe…”
“Don’t tell me you’ve gotten involved with Ninth Love recently. If she likes you, I’ll chop off my junk on the spot.” “Damn, just say you want to be a eunuch.” “You kid, you’re not actually thinking about it, are you?”
“Ahem…” Sun Wei scratched his head. “I don’t know how to say it, but she’s been pretty proactive. It’s the first time a girl has been so proactive with me…”
“She’s definitely up to no good.” “Maybe I really do have charm?”
“You have zero charm.”
“Damn… you’re just jealous.”
“Idiot, jealous of what? You’ll definitely have bad luck if you get involved with that kind of woman.” “Maybe she’s turned over a new leaf?”
“…Maybe?”
“It’s possible, after all, they were just youthful mistakes. Now that she’s grown up, it’s different…”
Fang Qiang let out a long sigh. “Forget it, do as you please.”
“It’s fine, get her first and then talk. Even if we break up later, it’s not a loss, at least I’ll have had fun.” “You… aren’t you disgusted?”
“She’s good-looking, what’s there to be disgusted about?” “Just because she’s good-looking, it’s not disgusting?”
“Definitely.”
“You kid are really fucking shallow.”
“Mind your own fucking business, let my little brother have fun first.”
“Fine, then you can dump her later,也算是 avenging Zhou Chao.”
“Damn, that’s not necessary…”
An Jing turned over in the slightly noisy classroom, pressing her face against Zhu Ying’s abdomen. That soft, warm feeling made her instinctively snuggle closer.
Zhu Ying, who was doing homework, looked down at her, gently poked her sticky rice cake-soft cheek, and couldn’t help but reveal a satisfied smile.
“Mmm… An’an…” Wang Xinru, who had just returned from outside the classroom, glanced at her seat, momentarily unsure whether to sit down.
“Xiao Jing, Xiao Jing, pull your legs back, Xiao Ru is back.”
“N-no, it’s fine…” Wang Xinru quickly waved her hands, carefully moved the table a bit closer to An Jing, then lifted her legs, slowly sat down herself, and placed An Jing’s legs back on her own lap.
Perhaps this soft human cushion was exceptionally comfortable, as An Jing, like a little cat, made a ‘purring’ sound in her dream.
“Xiao Ru, should we take Xiao Jing’s shoes off? So you don’t get your clothes dirty.”
“It’s fine… she’ll get cold if we take them off. I’ll just scoot over a bit more.”
“Alright then.” Zhu Ying lowered her head, chuckling softly as she pinched An Jing’s cheek. “What a lucky girl.” “Since An’an is sleepy, let her sleep well for a while, otherwise she definitely won’t last through the afternoon…” “Watching her sleep makes me sleepy too.” Zhu Ying yawned, lying on the desk, using her arm as a pillow for her head. “I’ll sleep for a bit too…”
Wang Xinru smiled faintly, one hand gently stroking An Jing’s calf, the other taking out a copy of My Old Home in the South from the desk drawer. She turned to the page she was reading before and began reading intently, word by word.
“How does An Jing’s leg feel to touch? Is it similar to a girl’s?” Sun Wei came over to chime in.
“You kid, not even sparing your bro.” Fang Qiang pretended to be disdainful. “Just getting familiar with the feel, so I won’t panic when I touch a real girl later.”
“Damn, you really have a way…”
“D-don’t touch randomly… you’ll wake An’an up…”
“You’re the one touching first.”
“I-I’m touching very lightly, it’s different…!”