Chapter 254
Lin Han and Nan Sheng arrived home the night before Grandpa Nan's burial. Lin Han had called ahead to ask a comrade-in-arms to arrange a car, driving them all the way from the county town.
Even though it was already midnight, there were quite a few people at the Nan family home. They were all fellow villagers and relatives. This was a rural custom; whenever a family had a funeral, people would come over to help and show their support.
Hearing the sound of a car, Ming Li and the others who were kneeling guessed that Nan Sheng had returned. Before they could go out to welcome them, Lin Han and Nan Sheng entered the courtyard. The comrade who drove them even came in to salute before leaving.
After kowtowing three times to her grandfather, Nan Sheng went inside to see her parents. They had stayed up for several days and looked extremely haggard. If Ming Li hadn't insisted, they would still be keeping watch outside.
Zhong Yanyan held her daughter's hand and asked, "You and my son-in-law both took leave to come back. Will the children be okay? I told you not to come back, but you just wouldn't listen!"
Nan Sheng held her mother's hand in one hand and her father's in the other, saying, "Lin Han and I are also members of the Nan family. How could we not come back when something happened at home? If I didn't see Grandpa Nan off on his final journey, it would be a knot in my heart forever."
After chatting with her parents for a while, Nan Sheng told them to get some sleep. They had to get up early tomorrow for the burial, and she didn't want them to ruin their health.
Outside, Lin Han also persuaded Ming Li to go inside. He and his wife had good energy and would keep watch outside. Besides, Zhong's younger brothers and Nan Jingdang were also there, so there were plenty of people.
After keeping watch for over four hours, Father Nan, Mother Nan, and Ming Li got up. Having slept a bit, they had recovered some energy. Today was the burial, and there were many things to arrange.
Around five in the morning, Ming Li set off a firecracker. This was a reminder for the neighbors to come over and help. Within ten minutes, men, women, old, and young arrived one after another.
Once everyone was present and the time arrived, Grandpa Nan was carried in turns by the group to the ancestral graves for burial. Lin Han followed along. As a granddaughter, Nan Sheng had to avoid the actual burial site and could only escort the procession halfway.
As soon as they left, the Nan family set off firecrackers. One person carried them from inside the house out to the main gate, which symbolized driving away bad luck. Then, everyone got to work—some cleaned the rooms, while others cooked.
By the time the funeral procession returned, they would be able to eat a hot meal.
Nan Sheng and Lin Han had taken a week off. Lin Guozheng and his two sons came early in the morning for the funeral and only then found out Lin Han had returned. Knowing he had taken a week off, they didn't say much.
A son-in-law is half a son; this was what Lin Han ought to do.
Grandpa Nan's passing was quite a blow to Nan Jingyu and his wife. It felt as if they had aged overnight. With the old man around, they were still a son and a daughter-in-law.
Now it was different. They no longer had anyone above them to honor and serve. They were left with nothing but their identities as parents. This kind of pain was perhaps something only those who had experienced it could understand.
Fortunately, Luo Tong was due to give birth in just over a month. Once they had a grandson, Father and Mother Nan would slowly be able to recover.
Nan Sheng asked, "How is Luo Tong? She's in her third trimester now, so you must keep a close eye on her health at all times."
Ming Li smiled bitterly. "She's been crying ever since she got the news, and she made a fuss about coming back to fulfill her filial duties. With her heavily pregnant belly, how could I agree? My mother-in-law is taking care of her at home. My father-in-law and I came back together."
Yu Feng had also taken two days off to come help, and only returned to the county town yesterday afternoon.
"You should go back tomorrow too. I'll stay at home with our parents for the next couple of days. You can come back when you have time off."
Ming Li agreed to his sister's arrangement; he really couldn't hold out much longer either.
That night, Nan Sheng and Zhong Yanyan slept in the east room, while Nan Jingyu took his son and son-in-law to sleep in the west room. He didn't close his eyes for half the night, always feeling as if Grandpa Nan was still sleeping in the room, and that if he called out, the old man would get up with a chuckle and ask, "Is it time to eat? How did I fall asleep again?"
Ming Li and Lin Han were also keeping a constant watch on Father Nan's emotional state. When they woke up in the morning, only Lin Han looked somewhat decent; the other two had eyes full of red, bloodshot veins.
Nan Sheng glanced at Lin Han, and Lin Han slowly shook his head, thinking to himself: how could one move on so easily?
After eating, Ming Li returned to the county town. Nan Jingyu also urged Nan Sheng and her husband to go home. "There's nothing much left to do here. Go stay at your own home for a day and then head back to Rong City. Don't delay your work."
Nan Sheng said she would let Lin Han go home to see his parents and come back in the evening. She had been back during the New Year, so she wouldn't go this time.
Zhong Yanyan scolded her for lacking manners, saying it was improper not to visit her parents-in-law when she was back, but Nan Sheng just pretended not to hear.
After staying another night at her maiden home, Nan Sheng and her husband were truly leaving this time. Lin Han had gone to town yesterday and bought a lot of things. Half he took back for his parents, and half he brought to his parents-in-law to nourish their bodies.
As soon as the couple stepped out the door, Nan Jingyu and Zhong Yanyan's eyes turned red. Now it was just the two of them left at home. But their children were successful; could they really tie them to their sides for a lifetime?
They would just have to get used to it...
Upon returning to Rong City, the two children were exceptionally well-behaved when they saw their parents. Si Zhe even asked if his maternal grandparents were in good health and if they were very sad.
As for Si Qi, she kept squeezing between her parents, wishing they could stay by her side forever.
The investment rate in compound fertilizers this year was quite high, showing the government's level of trust in it. It did not disappoint, delivering a highly satisfactory result.
When harvest season arrived, any land that had used the compound fertilizer yielded an impressive crop. The common folk bent their backs in exhaustion, but their eyes never stopped smiling.
Nan Sheng had previously brought up the idea of breeding superior seed varieties. Half a year later, the government finally took action. Through some maneuvering, she managed to include a certain future big shot, who was currently teaching, onto the roster.
With this big shot involved, the common folk would be able to eat white rice at every meal in the future!
In the spring, Luo Tong gave birth to a plump, six-pound son. He was named Nan Feng. This was the name Ming Li chose for his son, saying he hoped the boy's life would be as free and unconstrained as the wind.
Nan Sheng laughed uncontrollably upon receiving the letter, wondering if Ming Li had gotten beaten up for this. Playing mahjong in the future was going to be quite interesting.
The two children were extremely interested in this little brother. During summer vacation, they took the train home by themselves. Of course, Lin Han had spoken with the railway police and attendants in advance to keep an eye on them.
They stayed at the Yu family home for a week, went to their maternal grandmother's house for a week, and then returned to their paternal grandmother's house for a week. They balanced the scales perfectly.
This trip also gave them a taste of the fun. From then on, whenever there was a holiday, they had to go back to their hometown for a joyride.
After Ming Li's child was born, Luo Tong had no breast milk. No matter how much pork trotter soup or fish soup Madam Yu made for her, it was no use. Even taking medicine didn't help.
Under immense pressure, Luo Tong would secretly hide under her blanket and cry when she was alone...