1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

"Shazhu, are you really not lying to me? I want you to look me in the eye and explain everything to me clearly!" Tingting stared at Shazhu with wide eyes, her face filled with suspicion and disbelief. She couldn't understand how her husband, Jia Dongxu, who had been so energetic and full of vigor when he left home that morning, could suddenly be gone.

Sha Zhu slowly raised his head, meeting Tingting's questioning gaze. The moment their eyes met, he couldn't help but feel a stirring: Though the woman before him was a bit plump, she had a beautiful face, especially her large, watery eyes, as bright and captivating as the twinkling stars in the night sky. His gaze drifted involuntarily down Tingting's face, settling on her towering breasts and slender waist... For a moment, a strange feeling welled up in Sha Zhu's heart.

However, in a split second, Sha Zhu came to his senses, realizing he shouldn't have had such thoughts. He quickly gathered himself, swallowed, and then said to Tingting sincerely, "I absolutely did not lie to you. Every word I said is the absolute truth. Jia Dongxu is indeed terminally ill and his life is hanging by a thread."

Before she could finish her words, a loud boom exploded in Tingting's mind. She felt the world spinning, her vision went black, and she fell backwards as if her soul had been drained away. Fortunately, Sha Zhu was quick-witted and rushed forward, firmly embracing Tingting in his arms.

Lying in Sha Zhu's warm embrace, Tingting was already in tears. She kept muttering, "Dongxu, my Dongxu... You can't just abandon me like this! We still have many days to spend together..." Her sorrowful sobs seemed to penetrate one's heart and lungs, moving everyone to the core.

Then, Tingting struggled to break free from Shazhu's strong embrace and rushed into the house as quickly as a nimble rabbit. She quickly ran to the bed and gently but eagerly picked up the three children who were sleeping soundly in the bed.

"Shazhu, come and help me. Hold one first and then lead the way for me!" Tingting shouted anxiously, with a hint of panic and nervousness in her voice.

Sha Zhu nodded quickly and said, "Okay!" Then he strode to the bed and carefully took the stick from Tingting's hand. The little guy's chubby face was rosy, and at this moment, he was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed and his mouth slightly pouting.

However, when Sha Zhu just held Bang Geng in his arms, the little ancestor suddenly opened his eyes as if frightened by something, opened his throat and started crying loudly. The crying was earth-shaking and deafening, as if it was going to overturn the whole house.

Sha Zhu was so distraught by the sudden crying that a thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. He hurried to the hospital, trying to comfort the struggling Bang Geng in his arms. But no matter how he tried, Bang Geng refused to stop, and continued to cry heartbreakingly.

To make matters worse, the little guy suddenly peed, and a stream of warm liquid instantly soaked Sha Zhu's clothes. Sha Zhu felt wet and sticky, and it was extremely uncomfortable. This made Sha Zhu, who was already upset, even more furious, and he couldn't help but curse.

However, he still had some sense and knew not to lose his temper in front of Tingting. So, while Tingting wasn't paying attention, he lowered his head and roared at Banggeng in a low voice, "You little bastard, if you dare to cry again, I'll make you like your father and castrate you and make you a eunuch!"

Strangely enough, as soon as he uttered these words, Bang Geng, who had just been crying his heart out, miraculously stopped crying. He blinked his big, watery eyes and looked at Sha Zhu in horror, his mouth wide open, but he didn't dare to make a sound.

With that, Sha Zhu ran furiously, carrying the now-quiet Bang Geng, until they soon reached the hospital entrance. Then, from the ward, bursts of miserable cries emanated, the sound like a sharp knife piercing Sha Zhu's heart. He thought to himself, "Oh no!" He knew without hesitation that the situation inside was definitely not good. It was likely that Jia Dongxu was no longer alive...

Tingting bit her lip tightly, trying to control the surging emotions in her heart. She took a deep breath, as if wanting to absorb all the sadness into her stomach and prevent the tears from falling easily.

Finally, she slowly raised her head, her eyes firm yet pleading as she looked at Sha Zhu beside her. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "Sha Zhu...please come in with me."

Sha Zhu nodded without hesitation. His broad shoulders seemed to become Tingting's most solid support at this moment. He walked to the door with steady steps, reached out and gently grasped the door handle, then carefully pushed the door open.

The scene in the room was as miserable as Sha Zhu had expected - Jia Dongxu was lying there quietly, lifeless, having stopped breathing and truly passed away.

Jia Zhang and Yi Zhonghai lay beside Jia Dongxu's body, wailing inconsolably. Jia Zhang wept bitterly, tears streaming down her face, muttering, "Dongxu! How could you just leave us like this? You haven't even seen the children grow up, haven't even had the chance to take care of your mother until her death! How could you be so cruel as to die before your mother..." Her cries echoed throughout the room, moving anyone to tears.

"Dongxu..." Tingting called out in a trembling voice, stumbling and trembling as she slowly walked towards the bed. Each step seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, making the grief and despair almost unbearable for her.

Finally, she reached the bedside. When her eyes fell on the once familiar but now lifeless face, Tingting felt her vision suddenly go dark, her head was hit by a dizziness, and her body shook involuntarily a few times.

However, at this moment, she no longer cared about her own condition. Because what she saw was the man she loved deeply - Jia Dongxu, lying there quietly, without any signs of life.

Instantly, the tears she had been holding back burst out like a flood, streaming down her cheeks. Tingting could no longer contain the heart-wrenching pain in her heart and burst into tears.

While crying, she gently placed the two young children beside her on the hospital bed. Then, she stretched out her hands and tightly grasped Jia Dongxu's shoulders, shaking his body desperately.

"Dongxu, wake up, wake up!" Tingting cried out at the top of her lungs. Her cries echoed throughout the entire ward, breaking people's hearts.

"Didn't you say you wanted to see our children? I brought them here! Open your eyes and see them. Please wake up soon!" She continued to cry, hoping that her deep affection and pleading could awaken her beloved. However, no matter how hard she tried, Jia Dongxu remained motionless with his eyes tightly closed.

Late at night, the entire city was immersed in silence, with only the faint moonlight shining on the bluestone pavement of the courtyard. Jia Zhang and Yi Zhonghai, with solemn expressions, carried Jia Dongxu's cold body and slowly walked into the courtyard.

By this time, a group of people had gathered in the Jia Zhang family's courtyard, whispering quietly, their faces showing expressions of sadness or surprise. Sha Zhu held the young boy Bang Geng in his arms, yawning and gently patting the child's back to soothe him. His eyes were half-open, clearly extremely sleepy, and all he wanted was to quickly return home and get a good night's sleep.

Yi Zhonghai looked at Jia Zhang, still weeping, and Tingting, weeping silently beside him, and a wave of pity welled up in his heart. He took a deep breath, then straightened himself, walked over to them, and said in a low, gentle voice, "Sister-in-law, this man is dead and cannot be brought back to life. No matter how sad you are, it will be of no use. The most important thing now is to give Dongxu a dignified burial ceremony so he can go with dignity." He sighed softly.

After hearing what Yi Zhonghai said, Jia Zhang raised her tear-stained face, sobbed and nodded, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master. This matter... I really don't know what to do."

Yi Zhonghai quickly waved his hand, indicating that he was welcome. Then, he looked around and began to arrange various matters in an orderly manner. He turned to Liu Haizhong and instructed, "Haizhong, go and order the coffin tomorrow morning. Choose the best wood. Don't treat Dongxu unfairly." Liu Haizhong nodded and replied, "Okay, sir, I will definitely take care of it tomorrow!"

Then, Yi Zhonghai turned his gaze to Sha Zhu and said, "Zhu Zi, I'll leave the purchase of funeral supplies to you. Incense, candles, paper money, white mourning clothes, etc., all of which must be of high quality." Sha Zhu rubbed his eyes, forced himself to answer, "I understand, uncle, don't worry!"

After everything was arranged, Yi Zhonghai nodded with satisfaction. He waved his hand, signaling that everyone could go back to their own business. After everyone expressed their condolences to Jia Zhang, they turned and left the yard, each going home to rest. Only Jia Zhang was left sitting alone in the room, looking at Jia Dongxu's body, tears streaming down her face again.

A night passed quietly, and everything was silent, as if the whole world was immersed in a deep sleep. When the first ray of morning light pierced the sky, casting a golden light, a new day began.

At daybreak, Liu Haizhong led the coffin-carrying team back to the courtyard. He walked ahead with big strides, waving his hands energetically, directing the people behind him who were carrying the heavy coffin.

"Put it here! Be gentle and make sure it is steady. Don't bump into anything and break it!" Liu Haizhong's voice was loud and urgent, fearing that these people would accidentally damage this important coffin.

After arranging the coffin's location, he didn't pause for a moment, turning and dashing towards the Jia family's living room. Upon entering, he saw Jia Zhang and Tingting, already dressed in white mourning clothes, sitting there weeping bitterly. On the table sat a black-and-white portrait of Jia Dongxu, his face looking particularly solemn and desolate.

Jia Zhang and Tingting cried loudly, tears pouring out like a flood, and from time to time they picked up a few pieces of paper money and threw them into the brazier to burn. The flames rose, devouring the thin pieces of paper, and turned into wisps of green smoke that curled up.

At this time, Liu Haizhong walked quickly to Jia Zhangshi, held out his hand and said, "Sister-in-law, I've brought the coffin delivery person here. This coffin cost a total of 20 yuan."

Hearing this, Jia Zhang suddenly raised her head, her face full of astonishment. She frowned tightly and asked in disbelief: "20 yuan? Why is it so expensive?" It was obvious that she was very dissatisfied with the price and thought that the coffin was really too expensive.

Liu Haizhong's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly cried out, "Oh no!" He knew clearly in his heart that Jia Zhang was clearly about to start bargaining. Generally speaking, bargaining for other things is fine, but this is a coffin! Who would bargain for a coffin?

Liu Haizhong lowered his voice and cautiously reminded her, "Sister-in-law, don't underestimate this coffin! It's carefully crafted from top-quality wood. 20 yuan is really not expensive at all!"

Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Jia Zhang's face suddenly changed like the weather in June. She curled her lips, glared, and started yelling, "So what if it's top-quality wood? Even if it's top-quality wood, it shouldn't cost 20 yuan! Humph!"

Then, with her hands on her hips and an air of determination, she continued, "Tell the undertakers I'm only willing to pay 15 dollars. If they don't agree, just take it back exactly where it came from!"

Liu Haizhong stood there, opening his mouth but unable to utter a single word. He had no idea how to deal with this difficult situation.

He had originally thought of trying to persuade Jia Zhang to stop being so stubborn. However, when his eyes met Jia Zhang's face, which was full of determination and would not give up until she achieved her goal, the fire of persuasion that had just ignited in his heart was instantly extinguished without a trace.

Helpless, Liu Haizhong turned and headed for the door. As soon as he stepped out, he took a deep breath and, steeling himself, said to the coffin bearers, "Everyone, I'm truly sorry. Our boss feels that 20 yuan for this coffin is still too expensive, so... could you please offer a lower price? I'll negotiate with everyone on our behalf. The most we can offer is 15 yuan!" After saying this, Liu Haizhong's heart was in turmoil. After all, this price was significantly different from what they had previously discussed, and he was genuinely worried that this would cause dissatisfaction and rejection.