Mu Yan's mother held the memorial tablet of her son and daughter-in-law and burst into tears. The other women also burst into tears. Mu Yin was surrounded in the middle. One moment he was kissed, the next moment he was hugged, and the next moment he was panicked.
Li He wanted to go over to comfort them, but he was pulled to the fireplace house by Yang Gaixin, Mu Yin's grandfather. "Let's eat something and let them be."
He filled Li He's bowl with Baogu wine and clinked it. Before Li He could react, he downed the entire bowl. Then, he wiped away the tears that he couldn't stop.
"Drink it slowly." Li He opened his mouth and gulped down the whole bowl. His throat was burning with pain.
"Sorry, I choked on my throat." Yang Gaixin wiped his tears and continued, "You don't have to be so polite. Just eat and drink."
"Come on, have another bowl." Li He stretched out his bowl and took another bowl of wine.
The fireplace on the ground was burning fiercely. The fireplace was crackling in it. After a while, a puff of smoke came out. Coupled with the smell of bacon hanging above, he couldn't stand it. He got up and opened a window. The cold wind came in and made him feel better. "It's a bit stuffy in the room. Open the window to let some air in."
Mu Lei saw Li He's embarrassment. He got up and opened the door. He said with a smile, "We are used to it. We can warm ourselves with a fire when it's cold. We can also make some bacon. Try it and see how it tastes."
"Thank you. It's good." Li He liked bacon, but he was not in the mood to eat it at the moment.
He ate some wine and a bowl of rice. Then he rested for the night. In his sleep, he could vaguely hear the continuous crying.
Early in the morning, the village was shrouded in mist. It was so quiet. There was a winding mountain road, a simple stone arch bridge, and a house that had gone through the vicissitudes of life. However, Li He did not feel a trace of human presence.
This was a village where the Miao, Tu, Han, and Dong lived together. The Mu family was one of the few Han families here. If Li He had not seen Yang Ling's passport and identity card when he was tidying up her belongings, he would never have thought that the big-eyed Yang Ling was a Tu family girl.
"The young people have all gone out to work in East Guangdong. The rest are the old and the young." Mu Lei appeared behind Li He and explained to him, "However, it's almost the Spring Festival. It'll be a little more lively."
"It's the same everywhere. There aren't many young people." Li He understood this point and asked, "The children won't cause trouble, right?"
He hadn't seen Mu Yin since he woke up this morning.
Mu Lei said, "She's fine. She's probably asleep now. His grandmother used to take care of her for a period of time. Although they haven't seen each other for two years, he still recognizes her. You don't have to worry too much about this."
"How's the old lady? Don't overcook yourself. " When Li He got up in the morning, he found the old lady cooking porridge. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her throat was hoarse, which was very worrying.
"Sigh, she's already cried. I think she's fine." Mu Lei threw a cigarette to Li He and said, "My uncle passed away early, and Auntie brought Ah Yan up single-handedly. Life has been difficult, but there's no one better than Ah Yan within a hundred miles. Auntie has finally made a name for herself. Look, this stilt house is renovated and looks like it's brand new. There's nothing prettier than this. Even our brothers are proud when we go out.
Sigh, I just didn't expect that in just a few years, this kid would take things too hard. You see, he got through all the hardships in the past. Why did he take a detour when life got better? "
"Who would have thought." Li He still couldn't get over it. "Also, Ah Ling, we're right in front of her. It's just a meal. She's so stubborn."
Yang Gaixin put her hands behind her back and bent over with her family. She carried a pile of clothes and firecrackers over. Mu Lei helped to take some. "I'll get a shovel."
He wanted to dig a hole and make a grave.
Yang Gaixin said, "Let's set off some firecrackers after the clothes are burned. They're all gone, so there's no point in doing anything."
Li He followed them up the mountain. Not long after, a long line of people gathered behind them.
They couldn't light a fire in the forest. After a few turns, they finally stopped at a paddy field. Mu Yan and Yang Ling's clothes were all burned. Then, they set off two firecrackers.
After a simple farewell ceremony, Yang Gaixin walked at the back and Li He chatted with him for a while.
Yang Gaixin said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Li He said, "Uncle, don't be too sad. The most important thing right now is to take care of Mu Yin."
"It's this girl's life that's tough. She's never had a good life since she was young. That little bastard went to school, but before he could even enter the family, he had already become someone else's maid. At least he still has a conscience. When he got close to the city, he thought he could live a good life for a few days, but now this happened …" She sobbed again as she spoke, wiping her snot on the frozen grass leaves. She continued, "I should've thought of this a long time ago. Two stubborn donkeys together, how can they have a good life …"
The cold wind blew over. Li He shivered, but he still felt hot all over. He couldn't help but open his collar. He didn't know what to say, so he just listened to Yang Gaixin.
"Now, the child can only rely on his milk. We can only pull him from the side. Da Li can't help." Yang Gaixin stood up and rubbed his hands on his clothes. He took off his hat and scratched his head. "Her two brothers are working outside, leaving three boys and one girl behind. The older one is already in high school, but the younger one can't run around. We have to take care of everything …"
He had his own difficulties.
Li He said, "Uncle, I understand. If you can persuade Auntie, I can take the child away. The living conditions in the city are much better than at home."
"That's impossible. The child is her life now. Can she still live if she takes the child away?" Yang Gaixin waved his hand and said, "You, don't even think about it. Just let it be. In the future, as his uncles, if you have the heart to help him, then it will be worth it for him to remember you for the rest of his life."
Back at the Mu Family, the old lady was sitting by the fire pit with Mu Yin in her arms. Li He handed her a postal passbook.
"Auntie, this is the savings left by the couple. Take it and you can withdraw money at the post office. The password is Mu Yan's birth date."
Although the passbook was in Yang Ling's name, it was an anonymous deposit and withdrawal system. No identification was needed to withdraw money. As long as one had the passbook and knew the password, they could withdraw money.
"How much is this?" The old lady was illiterate. She opened the passbook but didn't know how to read.
Li He said, "This is 1.35 million. I'll ask someone to accompany you to the town later and transfer the money to your name."
According to the old lady's frugal character, the money would never be spent in her lifetime. It would be troublesome if the real-name system was implemented. It was best to transfer the money to the old lady first.
"That's a lot." The old lady wasn't very happy. She was just relieved. With so much money, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to raise her grandson.
"Also, his father left him two houses, one in China and the other abroad. I made the decision on my own. Both houses will be rented out. The rent is estimated to be more than 10,000 a month." Li He thought for a while and said, "At that time, the rent will be transferred to your passbook.
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