It's quite nice to have Professor Zhu's class at eight in the morning.
The sunny morning, paired with Professor Zhu's warm and steady voice, is truly a perfect match.
However, so things often happen unexpectedly.
When the bell rang, the students in the classroom didn't see Professor Zhu; he always arrived early, smiling as he watched the students co into the classroom.
A new teacher entered and called a few class leaders from the large class, saying a few words to them.
Afterward, the class leaders announced to their classmates that today's political education class was canceled, and everyone could return to their dormitories or find other empty classrooms to wait out the third and fourth periods.
Although Li Zhiyuan was sitting in the last row in the corner, he had good hearing and heard the teacher's words to the class leaders: Soone from Professor Zhu's family had passed away.
Even if he had only t her once and was ntally prepared, the sudden departure of a person made Li Zhiyuan lower his eyes slightly; in his dormitory, there was still the set of hardcover books Grandma Zhu had given him.
Li Zhiyuan slung his backpack over his shoulder and went to the opposite teaching building, arriving at a classroom.
The teacher who was in class looked at the youth and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Actually, the youth should have been in this classroom for class too.
Tan Wenbin was sleeping soundly, but fortunately, Lin Shuyou was attentively attending class. Seeing Brother Xiao Yuan arrive, he imdiately pushed Brother Bin awake.
"Hmm?"
Tan Wenbin raised his head groggily, and upon seeing Li Zhiyuan, he swiftly stood up and asked the teacher for leave: "Teacher, there's a rehearsal for the student union activity, so I'll go first."
The teacher frowned slightly but said nothing.
Lin Shuyou shrank his head and quickly followed Brother Bin.
Li Zhiyuan led Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou to the family building outside the school, where Professor Zhu sat alone on a sofa in the living room, head down.
"Professor Zhu, my condolences."
Professor Zhu lifted his head, looked at Li Zhiyuan, squeezed out a smile, and then turned his gaze to the closed bedroom door: "She kept ntioning you a few days ago, repeatedly looking at the drawing you made."
Grandma Zhu was a woman full of artistic charm, her lifeti with Professor Zhu had steeped her in this, so she genuinely loved Li Zhiyuan, a talented young genius.
Previously, when Professor Zhu invited Li Zhiyuan to his ho, he ntioned his wife was afflicted with a strange illness. Indeed, it was a strange illness, as her end was near, there was no specific ailnt found and no cure, only watching helplessly as her condition worsened day by day.
"Professor Zhu, how are the funeral arrangents?"
"I've inford the school, they will send people to help ."
Tan Wenbin understood the purpose of Brother Xiao Yuan bringing him here, and offered: "Professor Zhu, let us help you with the arrangents, my family has been doing this for three generations."
"There's no need, the school will..."
Tan Wenbin: "We are also from the school."
Professor Zhu paused for a mont, then nodded: "Well then, thank you."
As he spoke, Professor Zhu stood up and bowed to Tan Wenbin.
Tan Wenbin received the salute. Previously, his claim of his family working in this field for generations was surely an exaggeration, but he had attended plenty of white events with Li Sanjiang and understood the procedures thoroughly.
"Professor Zhu, are you planning to rent a mourning hall at the funeral parlor or hold it in the community?"
"Let's hold it in the community, all the flowers outside were planted by her, she would probably want to say goodbye here with everyone, just... it's best to keep it quiet and not disturb the neighbors."
"Don't worry, I understand."
Tan Wenbin began managing the arrangents one by one, and later, when the school's helpers arrived, they beca his assistants.
Under his managent, the entire funeral proceeded smoothly, allowing Professor Zhu to quietly accompany his wife during her last journey beside the rented crystal coffin amidst his profound loss.
For the relatives of the deceased, this could be considered a significant comfort.
The elderly couple's colleagues and students ca in large numbers to pay their respects.
Lin Shuyou was assigned by Tan Wenbin to write the gift list. According to Professor Zhu, regardless of whether they were colleagues or students, the gifts would be returned after the funeral.
There was no way to accept offerings from the students, and even if there were mutual exchanges amongst colleagues in the past, at his age, it's unlikely there would be opportunities to return them, so it was better not to accept them.
Initially, Li Zhiyuan would have been most suited for this task, but he had previously written couplets for Liu Jinxia, making him ill-suited for handling this specifically, for fear of introducing uncertainties to the funeral.
Thus, Li Zhiyuan was responsible for sitting beside Professor Zhu, listening to him frequently recounting their stories as a couple.
During this, Li Zhiyuan heard that Grandma Zhu's hotown was Zhangjiajie, but in her hotown, there were no relatives left long ago.
This seed to be a coincidence, yet it carried a sense of deliberation.
Li Zhiyuan did not respond, continuing to quietly listen.
By nightfall, Run Sheng and Yin ng, who had just been discharged from the hospital, arrived. Run Sheng was still wrapped in many bandages but managed to help with so tasks.
Without a banquet, everyone just ate casually in the evening. Professor Zhu was relatively calm and ate a little along with everyone.
That night, everyone accompanied Professor Zhu in keeping vigil over the spirit.
Initially, Tan Wenbin said he and Ah You could stay, but Li Zhiyuan did not return to his dormitory and chose to remain there.
On the following morning, Grandma Zhu was taken by the crematorium car for cremation and then buried in a nearby cetery.
In the afternoon, Professor Zhu returned holding a black and white portrait of his late wife, which he placed on the pre-arranged altar.
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