NOVEL NEXT Chapter 138: [What Place?]
After the seventh day ceremony for the old village head, the body was sent to the funeral home for cremation, followed by the funeral and burial.
Chen Yan stayed in the village for seven days without leaving for a moment.
During the daytime funeral and the nighttime vigil, the children and grandchildren of the Zhao Family wore mourning hats and sat beside the funeral hall burning paper money, kowtowing, and returning salutes.
Chen Yan wrapped a white cloth around his waist and silently helped with the tasks.
During the funeral banquet, he sat quietly to the side with a bowl of rice, eating in silence.
He didn't shed tears; in fact, Chen Yan didn't fully understand how he felt.
He was certainly sad, but besides the grief over the old man's passing, there was a faint sense of desolation.
The old man was right; he lived a fulfilling life.
Lived freely and transparently.
He had both sons and daughters, a house and fields. With the treasure that shielded him from the fate of the Heavenly Dao, he might have lost some luck but also avoided all illnesses and disasters.
Most people in their old age are quite miserable before they die.
They might endure physical decline and battles with illness, with the process lasting several years.
But the old man avoided all that, remaining healthy, able to eat and sleep well until he suddenly fainted.
Reaching this stage of life, one ought to be content.
The old man lived to be seventy-four and felt quite satisfied himself.
·
During the funeral, Chen Yan followed with the procession up the mountain, while the old man's son walked at the front carrying the urn.
Behind them, people carried white banners, playing music, and set off firecrackers along the way.
Others carried paper-made houses, luxury cars, and bags of paper money...
Chen Yan held nothing and was empty-handed in the procession—there was no need for him to do anything. In the village, the Zhao Family was large, and according to the closeness of their bloodline, many tasks did not require an outsider like him with no blood relation.
When the old man was being buried, Chen Yan stood at the back, shoveling a spadeful of dirt onto the grave, then clapped his hands clean and handed the spade to the next person.
Finally, he burned some paper money, quietly lined up with the procession, and then kowtowed.
The funeral ended just like that.
The subsequent ceremonies like 'second seven' and 'third seven'—these had little to do with Chen Yan, as an outsider, he would not continue to participate.
When he returned to the village from the mountain, Chen Yan saw Lu Sisi standing under a telephone pole at the village entrance.
The girl was holding onto the pole, looking at him with concern. Beside her, a small yellow dog wagged its tail, walking around her feet.
Lu Sisi also stayed in the village with Chen Yan for seven days.
Actually, Chen Yan intended for her to return to Jinling Prefecture.
He brought her back this time just to have the old man see his girlfriend before he passed, fulfilling one of the old man's wishes.
Lu Sisi came, and Chen Yan was very grateful for her actions. He originally planned for her to return the day after the old man passed.
But Lu Sisi wouldn't leave.
She went to the village shop herself to buy some rice, flour, oil, eggs, and such. During the day, Chen Yan helped the Zhao Family with the funeral, while the girl prepared the stove at home, cooked meals, and when Chen Yan returned at night, he had a warm meal to eat.
At night, when Chen Yan lay in bed, Lu Sisi would hold him from behind, gently patting him.
If Chen Yan wanted to talk, she listened quietly.
If Chen Yan didn't want to talk, she just accompanied him quietly.
Today at the funeral, Lu Sisi stood at the village entrance waiting the whole time.
Seeing the funeral procession return, Lu Sisi quickly found Chen Yan in the crowd, then silently and swiftly walked over, gently taking Chen Yan's hand without speaking a word.
"Are you alright?"
At her words, Chen Yan nodded, a small smile appearing on his face as he softly replied, "Mm, I'm fine."
·
At the noon banquet, Chen Yan went with Lu Sisi, and they barely ate, just symbolically sat down, toasted with a glass of wine, exchanged greetings with the younger Zhao Family relatives, and left.
Chen Yan led Lu Sisi away, not fond of the atmosphere at the banquet.
Returning to the old house, Lu Sisi went into the kitchen and cooked a pot of noodles, cracking a few eggs into it.
Chen Yan ate a few bites; the taste was bland, but he found it delicious.
The banquet food was certainly richer, but Chen Yan disliked the atmosphere there, where forced smiles masked deep sadness, and there was also a sense of relief...
Overall, it was quite uncomfortable.
Sitting in the old house, though cold and quiet with only Lu Sisi by his side, even if just a bowl of egg noodles before him.
Chen Yan felt it was warmer here.
After they finished the noodles, Chen Yan took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, stopping Lu Sisi's attempt to help, washed all the dishes himself, and checked the stove, turning off all the fire.
Turning around, Chen Yan looked at his girlfriend with gentle eyes.
"Let's go home."
"Okay," Lu Sisi nodded.
·
They had little luggage to pack, having come in a rush with just a suitcase carrying only a few changes of clothes.
Lu Sisi hadn't brought any clothes along, only after the old man's passing and the next day, when Chen Yan drove Aunt Zhao to the county hospital for the death certificate, had they stopped by a mall in town to buy Lu Sisi two sets of changeable undergarments.
But after seven days, both of them had slightly greasy hair. Although the undergarments had been changed and washed, the outer clothes were already quite dirty.