Chapter 620: Have a Safe Journey
Lu Jiawei placed Meizi, who was in his arms, onto a low stool, then kissed her little cheek again, examined her carefully, and finally stood up with determination.
"Dad, Mom~"
He glanced at the two elderly people standing nearby.
"Son~" Zhang Guifang cried out mournfully.
Lu Changzhen's lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.
Lu Jiawei suddenly knelt down and bowed his head to them several times.
"What are you doing?" The two hurriedly pulled him up.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry, it's my fault. You gave birth to me, but I haven't let you enjoy a day of happiness..."
Lu Jiawei felt that his past self was quite unworthy.
"You are my son, why say such things?" Zhang Guifang said angrily.
"You're both so old, yet you still have to help me take care of Meizi, I really am… really…" Lu Jiawei choked up and couldn't continue.
As he cried, Meizi, sitting on the low stool, pouted and started to cry too.
Lu Changzhen, who was always taciturn, suddenly reached out and embraced Lu Jiawei, giving him a big hug.
"Don't worry, everything at home is on me, your mom and I will take good care of Meizi, we won't let her suffer any wrongs."
"Thank you." Lu Jiawei hugged Lu Changzhen tightly.
Lu Changzhen clumsily wiped his tears away with his hand.
His hand was very rough, yet warm, as if it stirred Lu Changzhen's distant memories.
Back when he was very young and felt wronged, Lu Changzhen always liked to cover his face with an exaggeratedly large palm, wiping it like washing a face.
So since childhood, Lu Changzhen always seemed like a giant in his heart.
But somehow, the giant's hand wasn't as big as imagined, nor as strong and powerful...
"Everything will get better..." Lu Changzhen whispered.
Lu Jiawei didn't know if things would get better, but he understood it was just his father's simplest way of comfort.
Just like his mother often said, "There's no hurdle in this world that one can't overcome."
But he died, and everything vanished like smoke.
Lu Jiawei embraced his mother Zhang Guifang once more.
By this time, Zhang Guifang was already sobbing uncontrollably, muttering "my son, my son..."
"Mom, did you remember everything I told you?" Lu Jiawei whispered in Zhang Guifang's ear.
That day, he spent not just playing with his daughter, but also explaining many things to his parents.
"I remember, don't worry, I won't forget." Zhang Guifang sobbed.
"Mom, thank you."
"It wasn't hard, it's all worth it, all worth it..."
Lu Jiawei released his mother, and, looking down, he saw Meizi with tears all over her face, reaching out her arms, pleading for her daddy to hold her once more.
Hurriedly bending down, Lu Jiawei gave her a big hug.
Then he picked her up and handed her to Lu Changzhen beside him.
Lu Changzhen reached out to take her, but his hands trembled badly.
Because he knew, his son was really leaving.
Lu Jiawei's gaze swept over the three of them and then formed a sorrowful smile.
"Dad, Mom, Meizi..."
"Jiawei, son, daddy..."
The parents and daughter immediately responded to him.
"Goodbye."
Lu Jiawei raised his hand and waved to the three with a smile.
Zhang Changzhan and Zhang Guifang did not move, but Meizi, held in Zhang Changzhan's arms, instinctively raised her little hand and waved.
"Goodbye."
With her voice, Lu Jiawei turned into a wisp of blue smoke in front of them and disappeared.
"Daddy, wah~"
Meizi burst out crying, struggling hard to get out of grandpa's arms.
Lu Changzhen quickly put her down, and she immediately ran to where Lu Jiawei had just stood, turning in circles, looking around.
"Daddy... where are you, come out, boo-hoo..."
A gentle breeze swirled around her, lifting her bangs, brushing past, as if a large hand was gently caressing her cheek.
Meizi seemed to sense something, lifting her head to look at the sky.
"Daddy~"
...
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Compared to Meizi, Xiao Xiao seemed less sad, at least Xiao Xiao did not cry loudly.
"Granny, will you come back to see me?"
Xiao Xiao tightly held onto Granny's bony hand.
Granny Cui shook her head, gently patting Xiao Xiao's head with her other hand.
"Granny has to go where she should go, from now on it will be just you, Xiao Xiao, you have to take care of yourself."
"No, I still have Grandpa."
"That's right, you still have Grandpa, it's my old mind going fuzzy." Granny Cui chuckled.
"Granny, I will listen to Grandpa, study hard, and in the future... let Grandpa live a happy life." Xiao Xiao said earnestly.
"Our Xiao Xiao is ambitious, Granny believes in you."
At that moment, Granny Cui looked over at Grandpa Li.
Grandpa Li also showed little sadness, his expression very calm, appearing extremely indifferent.
But Granny Cui didn't mind, she just asked, "Did you remember everything I instructed you?"
"I remembered it all, don't worry unnecessarily." Grandpa Li replied.
Hearing this, Granny Cui fell silent.
"That's not what I meant..."
Grandpa Li also realized he said something wrong, after living together for many years, they were accustomed to speaking like this, unable to change it momentarily.
"It's alright, I know you well, but after this, I can no longer worry about anything." Granny Cui showed an aged smile.
"Sigh~"
Grandpa Li let out a long sigh.
"Feng Ying, you've followed me your whole life, only to suffer, in the next life, don't meet someone like me again, I hope you can... you can meet a good family and live a good life..."
Hearing this, Granny Cui only smiled, not responding to Grandpa Li's words.
Lowering her head, she said to Xiao Xiao, "Granny is leaving now, Xiao Xiao must not cry."
"I won't cry." Xiao Xiao said, yet instinctively wiped away a tear.
"Goodbye." Granny Cui gently touched Xiao Xiao's small face, then turned into a wisp of blue smoke before her eyes and vanished.
"Boo-hoo... Granny..."
Xiao Xiao reached out to grab, but caught nothing. She tried to hold back from crying aloud, but ultimately couldn't, and started to sob softly.
"Feng Ying~"
At this moment, Grandpa Li suddenly shouted loudly, echoing in the yard, reaching far away.
Xiao Xiao was startled and forgot to cry, looking at Grandpa with wide eyes, surprised.
But after that shout, Grandpa Li seemed like a deflated balloon.
In an incredibly gentle voice, he said, "Safe travels."
A Yin Wind swirled around his body, as if making a final farewell to him.
Then it enveloped Xiao Xiao nearby, giving her a final embrace.
It then continued swirling in the courtyard, appearing extremely reluctant, but finally rose into the sky, soared into the night, into the starlit sky...
Xiao Xiao looked up at the sky, filled with twinkling starlight.
Tomorrow will be another fine day.
No wind.