The courtyard: the atmosphere of human life

The year when Mr. Zhong passed away was a critical period for the country's anti-corruption campaign. Originally, funerals in the southern suburbs of Yutian all had the mourning hall set up by the accountant.

However, due to Zhong Yunhong's cadre status, the brothers discussed it and held a simple and low-key funeral ceremony for the old man. After all the procedures were simplified, Zhong's mother was spared too much fatigue.

"Everything is done. Although it's simple, our family is big and we received quite a lot of funeral gifts. There's still some money left. I would leave it to my mother..."

"Master, what you said, forget about the relatives at home, but for the colleagues and friends from outside, who among us will have to go out and return the favor when the time comes?"

Before Zhong Yunxing could finish his words, Wu Meifeng hurriedly interrupted him.

In fact, Zhong Yunxing's original intention was to let Mother Zhong keep the money so that he and his brothers would not have to add to the cost when buying a cemetery in the future.

However, Wu Meifeng only saw the amount of gifts from Zhong Yunhong's colleagues and friends. She thought that leaving this money to Zhong's mother would be taking advantage of their family.

"Then each of our friends will calculate the amount, and we can take the total amount. The gifts from grandma's family will be given to our mother, and the funeral expenses will be shared equally by the three of us brothers."

After Zhong Yunsheng put down the account book in his hand, Ansheng expressed his opinion in a friendly manner, and Zhong Yunxing immediately understood his intention.

Only Wu Meifeng still thought that Zhong Yunsheng was upholding fairness and justice.

Zhong Yunhong looked at Zhong Yunsheng deeply and nodded in agreement with his arrangement.

The three brothers who reached a consensus gathered around a table and circled the names of their colleagues and friends.

Although Zhong Yunhong was a cadre, during that period, all party members and cadres were honest and incorruptible. Many people came to his home to pay their respects, but they were all frequent visitors holding wreaths from the unit.

Wu Meifeng thought that all of Zhong Yunhong's colleagues were there, but she didn't expect that not many of them actually gave gifts.

Instead, it was Zhong Yunsheng's friends and colleagues who ran an accounting firm who gave the most gifts.

After some calculation by Zhong Yunsheng, after deducting the gift money from his grandmother's family and giving it to Zhong's mother, the remaining money, Zhong Yunxing and Zhong Yunhong were going to give him some money instead.

"Second sister-in-law, look at this money, are you transferring it or paying in cash?"

Zhong Yunsheng looked at Wu Meifeng without changing his expression.

Zhong Yunxing probably couldn't bear it any longer, so he got up and went to the bathroom.

Darong sat in the inner room, listening to the noise outside, then came out with her cell phone.

"I'll transfer the money to you, old man."

With Darong's help, Wu Meifeng had no choice but to transfer the money to Zhong Yunsheng with a gloomy face.

In fact, Zhong Yunhong knew from the beginning that Wu Meifeng was going to fall into the trap again, but he did not say anything to dissuade her. He had spent most of his life with Wu Meifeng and was already tired of those meaningless arguments.

He knew that Wu Meifeng was dissatisfied and hostile towards his family, but he could not really give up the family ties between his parents and siblings, so most of the time he was just pretending to be stupid.

After Wu Meifeng and Zhong Yunhong left, Xiaoping, who had been silently accompanying Zhong's mother in the inner room, also came out.

"Third brother, you have to treat her."

Zhong Yunsheng just smiled gently. He always seemed to have an indifferent expression, but he could always solve the problem at the critical moment.

"And my old aunt also spent a lot of money. You are the only aunt in our family. You can calculate how much money you spent and we will give you some compensation."

Wenying, who had been watching the show in silence the whole time, said to Xiaoping.

"Yes, calculate how much money those paper flower arrangements cost." Darong also echoed Wenying.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry about it. We just received our salary." Wenying winked at Darong and pushed her back into the inner room.

After the old man’s funeral, his children were still in grief for a long time.

Because Darong was in deep mourning, she couldn't go to Ruyi's house to take care of her during that time. The mother and daughter could only spend most of their time chatting and communicating on the phone.

"My second aunt is just stupid. When she had a falling out with my aunt that year, my uncle still didn't explain it to her."

After listening to Darong's description of how Wu Meifeng divided the gift money, Ruyi couldn't help but mock her.

"Who said it wasn't true? Sometimes people really shouldn't be calculating about everything. After all, your grandfather is your second uncle's biological father. What does your second uncle think when she makes such a scene? It would be strange if he could help her."

"So, it's my mom who is really smart but appears foolish. She always seems to be at a disadvantage, but she is the banker all the time."

In fact, what Ruyi said is not wrong. When we are young, we all have the arrogant and unruly mind. But if we don’t know how to cultivate and restrain ourselves as we grow up, we will only be a reckless man for the rest of our lives.

"When I was young, I always thought that your grandma's teaching of compromise was restraining and cowardly. Now I understand that she was teaching me how to manage marriage and family. The losses that mom suffered were exchanged for your father's true love."

After Darong finished speaking, she sighed softly.

When she was nearly fifty years old, Darong finally understood her mother's good intentions. Marriage is never a matter between two people, and the meaning of love is not to gain it in a grand manner, but to give steadily and mutually.

As soon as Ruyi hung up the phone, Xiao Huya came home from get off work.

"I won't be teaching the senior class next year. I've already reported this to my superiors. I'll be teaching the new class starting with the freshman class. Otherwise, you'll definitely be too busy since you just had a baby."

During the time that Ruyi was pregnant, Xiao Huya was busy with work and was unable to accompany Ruyi properly. He even only accompanied her to the early prenatal check-up once. Xiao Huya still felt very guilty.

"You don't have to worry about me. After a while, when grandpa's last seven days of mourning are over, it will be time for my mom to retire, and she will be able to come and accompany me."

There is a custom in the southern suburbs that people who are in deep mourning cannot visit other people's homes. Generally, they can only visit after the seventh day after the death. Although Ruyi is Darong's daughter, she has her own family after getting married.

Burning seven days to burial is probably a funeral tradition that does not differ too much between the north and the south. In the southern suburbs, the first seven and last seven days of burning seven are particularly important.

On the seventh day after his death, in addition to his four children, daughter-in-law and son-in-law, his nephew with the same surname will also go to the cemetery together.

After returning from the seventh day of mourning, those who went to the cemetery together would return to Mother Zhong’s house to make dumplings together.

Although the reasons and logic behind the specific customs cannot be explained very clearly, they have been passed down by the older generations and followed by the younger generations.

Therefore, Zhong Yunxing prepared all the memorial items needed early in advance.

Most of Zhong Yunxing's brothers moved to the current community after the relocation of Erdaohezi, so everyone still lives in the same community, and it is relatively convenient to travel back and forth.