Siheyuan: Rebirth of a comfortable life starts with Shazhu

The old lady must have been waiting for Lao Li all along. Hearing Lao Li's call, the frail old lady forced herself to open her eyes and wake up.

She tried to sit up, but it was clear she didn't have the strength.

So she could only use her old, dim eyes to scan the doorway as much as possible, trying to catch a glimpse of her son.

"Mother, Mother..." Li Huaide called out without stopping. He sat down on the edge of the old lady's bed and looked at his mother, who was exhausted and had no energy left. Tears streamed down his face.

At this point, he no longer cared about his wife behind him, nor about You Fengxia.

Love between a man and a woman is insignificant in front of a mother.

At least for now.

Human mental strength is what creates miracles.

Some people wait for someone for decades, even if she is eighty or ninety years old, they will still wait foolishly.

Every day I go to the village entrance, to the ferry crossing, to the place where that person said goodbye back then, and wait there.

The leaves turn green and then yellow, the grass grows in successive generations, and the years change, but the past remains unchanged.

That person could be her lover, or it could be her child.

Ultimately, if you have a strong conviction in your heart, you'll have the courage to live.

You can say it's worth it, or it's not.

Basically, people like this don't usually think about this question.

Their longing is their whole world.

If their longing ends, their lives will also end.

Old Li's mother should be lucky; she finally got to experience her own world.

Seeing that Old Li had also settled down, started a family, and had a son, the old lady was no longer able to speak, but her eyes were full of joy.

At that moment, she didn't think that having a grandson would allow her to face Li Huaide's father after she went down to the underworld.

She never imagined that Li's grandson would perform ancestral rites for her on time and during festivals.

She was overjoyed; seeing that child was like seeing Li Huaide, whom she had held in her arms all those years ago.

That is a continuation of life.

It is also a kind of ending to what one desires in life.

For her, life should have been fulfilling.

The two words the old woman uttered took all her strength.

She didn't call out to Li Huaide, nor did she call out to her grandson.

She called out 'Fengxia', indistinctly but quite clearly.

When You Fengxia knelt before her, silently sobbing, she gestured with her eyes for her son to take You Fengxia's hand.

Only after Li Huaide did she close her eyes and take a deep breath.

Comrade Lao Li stayed quietly at his home for three days.

In the middle of it, people from Xiao Song's workplace came over and helped him with some preparations.

This included asking the old lady where she wanted to be buried after she passed away.

Arrangements can be made at Wan'an Cemetery, and if you wish to return to your hometown, that can also be arranged.

In this regard, Lao Li didn't stand on ceremony with the trading company and chose to arrange for his mother to live in his small mountain village in Yanjiao.

His father and grandfather are buried over there.

He also came from that mountain village when he was young.

Back then, his still robust mother would carry a bundle of dry food and see him off at the village entrance.

Then I leaned against the big locust tree at the entrance of the village and watched him walk further and further away.

"...Could you please, leaders, allocate me a small plot of land for that big locust tree?"

I want to bury some of my mother's clothes there.

If possible, I hope my mother can be buried in the ground.

She's timid and afraid of fire... Old Li has also looked much more haggard these past two days, with bloodshot eyes.

The clerk was having a bit of a headache.

What Lao Li said was a bit against the rules.

After the clerk left, he got into the passenger seat of the car and told the person behind him about Old Li's request.

He Yuzhu, who was sitting in the back, was silent for a moment, but then said in a deep voice: "Let's do as Comrade Li Huaide said!"
He is now a Hong Kong resident, while the old lady has a rural household registration, so it doesn't count as violating any rules.

At least with this arrangement, Comrade Li Huaide's roots are still on our side. ..."

The clerk nodded in agreement.

He Yuzhu glanced in the direction of the gate, but didn't intend to go in and meet his old friend.

He waved to the driver in front, the car started, and slowly drove away.

As a consultant for the trading company, he is qualified to handle these matters.

This was the last thing he could do for his old friend.

Everyone dies eventually.

During the two days that the old lady of the Li family endured, she witnessed many things.

Li Huaide and You Fengxia knelt before her and held a belated wedding ceremony.

As for Old Li's young wife, although she had some complaints, she did not express any opinion on the matter.

This kind of thing is common in Hong Kong Island.

Although polygamy has been abolished there, in reality, such cases are not uncommon.

Moreover, she was young and beautiful, and had a son; her position in the Li family was as secure as a mountain.

This woman, who once had a past with Li Huaide, is now somewhat past her prime.

Although she was hostile, it wasn't deep.

Of course, more importantly, everything she has was given to her by Li Huaide.

If we really offend Li Huaide, we'll cut off her household expenses.

Then her life will be reduced to its original state.

Being a modern woman is not something anyone can do.

As for You Fengxia at this time, she was also quite bewildered.

Her inherent pride made her unwilling to accept this outcome.

Even when the old lady was dying, she thought countless times about waiting until she sent the old lady to her death.

She left this place, chose a place where no one knew her, and lived out the rest of her life quietly.

But when the time came, she hesitated, not daring to abandon the home the old lady had arranged for her.

At least she could believe that Li Huaide wouldn't harm her.

Even without romantic love, she and Li Huaide could still get along like family.

The old lady heard her eldest grandson's first cry and his first hearty laugh after he was happy.

On the third night, she passed away as if relieved.

With her children and grandchildren seeing her off, and with Li Huaide's promise to take her back to her ancestral graves, she probably wasn't too lonely.

After Li Huaide contacted the trading company, he quietly arranged his mother's funeral.

Returning to Beijing, he felt he had nothing left to miss.

The family sat quietly together. Li Huaide glanced at the room where his mother used to live and then went over the things he needed to tell her again.

It's nothing more than this house going to belong to my cousin and her husband.

They were given some money to start a small business.

They were also instructed to seek He Yuzhu's help again if they encountered any trouble in the future.

Although he did not meet with He Yuzhu when he returned this time.

He does know a lot of things, and his old friend must have helped him.

Otherwise, his mother's funeral wouldn't have been so dignified.

"...Fengxia, come back to Hong Kong Island with me. You can treat me as your husband or not, it doesn't matter. We're family after all."

"I will never let you down again..." Old Li said solemnly to You Fengxia.

"Knock...knock knock..." A knocking sound rang out on the door. (End of this chapter)