In the hospital ward, Mr. Lin had shut himself in for three days, and no one knew what he was thinking. After regaining his spirits, the next morning he gave a series of orders to the service soldier by his side.
—— Apply to change rooms... handle the funeral arrangents for the old lady as soon as possible... quickly return to your posts...
In the solemn and dignified funeral parlor reception room, Lin Aiguo listened to the service soldier’s ssage in silence for a while before saying to his busy wife, "I’ll head to the hospital for a bit."
Chen Jingru nodded and glanced at their son, who hadn’t slept all night, "You should take your second brother with you, and bring Xiao Hui along too."
Lin Aiguo understood his wife’s concern. She was afraid of being misunderstood again, that the old man would slip money to them in private. She also wanted their son to get so fresh air and rest.
"Okay, you should rest for a bit. Leave so small matters to our little sister, don’t tire yourself out."
Chen Jingru nodded, watching as he waved to Lin Aidang, and sat aside, silently calculating the expenses of the past few days. All costs had co out of their pocket, and she wasn’t sure how to account for it all.
The old man had washed his hands of it, and the others pretended to be ignorant, leaving her feeling helpless. If not for respecting the deceased, given her mother-in-law’s attitude towards her, she really felt like shutting herself in like her father-in-law.
Lin Dinghui heard his father’s words, nodded at him, and swiftly walked over to his mother’s side, "Mom, you should rest for a bit, there’s a lot to do tomorrow."
"Alright, when you see your grandfather, try not to talk too much."
Lin Dinghui nodded slightly, following behind Lin Aiguo as they walked out. At the entrance, they saw his aunt, Lin Liyin, rushing over to stop them.
"Big Brother, I’m coming with you."
Lin Aiguo didn’t mind. As long as she didn’t mind squeezing in, a few people could fit in one car. Whether they would see the old man or not, no one was certain.
Lin Liyin got in the car, glanced at the eldest with a stern face, and explained, "Big Brother, I’ll see Dad and co back to help right away. I’ve already told Sister-in-law."
Lin Aiguo nodded casually.
"Uncle, my mom’s here too, so there’s no problem with the two of them managing here."
Lin Aiguo glanced at his big nephew, looked out the window, and didn’t respond. He wished Jiang Jiangyu would stay away from him; that fool would be better off accompanying the old lady on her journey.
Beside him, Lin Dinghui heard this and lowered his head with a mocking smile. Truly clueless!
Silently, the group arrived at the general hospital. This ti, Mr. Lin did not refuse them entry and greeted them from his hospital bed.
Seeing Mr. Lin with his hair completely white and a weary face, Lin Aiguo and his siblings’ eyes grew red as they gathered before him, unable to speak through their choking sobs.
Mr. Lin glared at them, "I’m not dead yet, why the long faces? What do you want to say? Didn’t I tell you to handle the arrangents quickly? Why the hurry to co over?"
Lin Aidang and Lin Liyin looked at their eldest brother, unsure of any urgent reason besides visiting the old man.
Lin Aiguo sighed, pulled up a chair, and sat down, speaking slowly, "I spent two hundred yuan on a plot in Western Suburb of Beijing. Do you want to check the place?"
Mr. Lin closed his eyes and waved his hand, "No need, I’ll go over on the day of the ceremony. Make it nice, your mom likes it pretty. I’ll give you the money later."
Lin Aiguo didn’t refuse. The expenses from the past few days made his heart ache. He nodded and continued, "The bureau has publicly announced our younger sister’s background. Did you know about this?"
Mr. Lin opened his eyes, took a look at him, and nodded, signaling for the others to sit down as well. He had so instructions for them.
Once everyone was seated, the old man continued, "Regardless of whose child Shanshan is, she’s my eldest daughter! Not even the emperor can change that.
Your mother treated her poorly before, but she still brought good things whenever she had them. A couple of years ago, when everyone was starving, she gave food stamps when she had them, or brought at to at high-priced stores when she didn’t. Even your own children couldn’t do what she did. She is my own! She’s deeply hurt now, but she will eventually recognize as her father."
Lin Dinghui looked at the old man’s confident expression, feeling both amused and heartbroken.
"... Don’t disturb her for now, let her be. After a year or two, when things settle down, it won’t be too late to make contact. The child is soft-hearted, but was truly hurt by your mother this ti, otherwise, she wouldn’t have sought death...
These past few days, I’ve thought about a lot. It’s good your mom has left; at least it saves you trouble. The feud with the Gu Family puts the Lin Family at a disadvantage, yet she leaves easily..."
After Mr. Lin finished speaking, he looked toward Lin Lao’er, "Don’t think I’m harsh, but your wife is no different from your mom. Discipline her strictly when you get back; she’s a disaster for the family! If I hadn’t considered Victory and his brother, I would have made you divorce her. Don’t bring her when you visit in the future. I don’t want to see her again!"
Lin Aidang opened his mouth, then closed it, nodding reluctantly.
Mr. Lin sighed again at this. His gaze softened considerably when he looked at his eldest grandson, "My poor grandson, stuck with such a troubleso mother. Get things settled here, and then head back. Settle your marriage prospects by the end of the year, so I can see my great-grandson soon."
Lin Dingsheng felt inclined to defend his mother, arguing that no matter how bad she was, everything she did was for him and his brother. Though he disagreed with Mr. Lin, he eventually nodded.
Now Mr. Lin finally turned to face his eldest grandson. Yes, once his wife closed her eyes, he suddenly realized many customs required this eldest grandson. During burial, only the eldest son and grandson were allowed to carry the body into the coffin; during the funeral procession, they had to lead the way. He pitied himself for being an orphan, never realizing the significance of the eldest son and grandson.
"Xiao Hui, be good to your mother from now on..."
Lin Dinghui looked at the old man in surprise; he hadn’t expected to hear such words. His mother’s years of effort had finally been acknowledged by the old man.
Mr. Lin turned his head to gaze out the window, speaking in a low tone, "I used to bla your father for making decisions on his own, couldn’t sleep all night over it, but when I thought about it, I realized I had wronged your father. If I hadn’t arranged for Xiao Lin’s relocation, your father wouldn’t have been implicated. I’ve been really muddle-headed."
Lin Dinghui hurriedly advised, "Grandpa, don’t think that way. My dad is better off away than here in Beijing. I didn’t dare tell you, but I had to beg him for a long ti before he agreed. If you want to bla soone, bla ."
Mr. Lin’s eyes flashed sharply, turning to him quickly, about to speak but, seeing the others’ expressions from the corner of his eye, he paused. After a mont, he said, "There’s nothing to bla. This is fine. Don’t contact your sister anymore."
Lin Dinghui scrutinized his expression and nodded.
Mr. Lin took a savings deposit from the bedside drawer and handed it to Lin Aiguo, "Here’s two thousand yuan. I intended to save it all and give it back to Shanshan, but now, use it for your mom’s funeral arrangents."
Lin Aiguo shook his head, "No need, I still have so savings."
Mr. Lin insisted on putting it into his eldest son’s hand, sighing, "Take it. These years your mom’s supplents have probably depleted your funds."
Lin Aiguo gripped the deposit tightly, thought about it, and didn’t refuse. He didn’t have much money left, and still needed to buy his son a courtyard house. He didn’t ask where the money ca from, likely Mr. Lin had exchanged quite a bit of money privately already.
"Since the burial plot is ready, hold the ceremony tomorrow. Your mom’s exit wasn’t respectable, don’t make a big fuss, handle it simply, and get back to your duties."
Lin Aiguo and his brother exchanged a glance, nodding knowingly at the old man. They had discussed privately that apart from close relatives and friends, probably not many would attend the morial, so it was better to let the old lady rest in peace early.
User Comments
0 comments from readers