Starting a new chapter in life

The next day, Zhizhi and An'an were invited by He Zhijun to a multi-person video call early in the morning. The two of them were inexplicably connected and saw that their father's big eyes were swollen like walnuts, with only a slit left.

Zhizhi frowned: "Dad, are your eyes allergic or from crying? Why are they so swollen? Is it because Mom's back injury is acting up? I called her yesterday but she didn't answer."

He Zhijun shook his head: "It's not that your mother's back injury is causing problems, it's that... your mother passed away two days ago from the epidemic, and the hospital sent her ashes back to me yesterday." By the end, his voice choked with emotion, and he could no longer shed tears.

Zhizhi looked incredulous: "How could this be? Wasn't Mom in a private room at the hospital? How could she still get infected? Has the hospital explained this clearly?"

“Your mom started coughing when we were video chatting before. Later, everyone noticed that she was moved to a different ward. The doctor said that she had already been diagnosed with an infection at that time, but your mom didn’t tell us. She didn’t get better until after the New Year.” He Zhijun had asked her about it before.

However, the number of infected people is too large, and hospitals are where patients are concentrated. What was once the safest place is now the most dangerous place. But it doesn't make sense to say that it's the hospital's responsibility. She was in a private ward, and the people she had contact with were all fine. It doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it, so we can only let it go like this.

Zhizhi burst into tears. "I was thinking that the drama I was filming might win an award, and I wanted to make my mom happy. But how could it all happen so suddenly?"

He Jin'an was at his mother-in-law's house when he heard the news and was completely stunned. Zhizhi was still able to speak, but he felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't even make a sound. It was Fu Zixu who noticed that he was not in a good state and patted him several times before he came back to his senses.

"Xiao Xu, I don't have a mother anymore." These words not only saddened He Jin'an, but also broke down the defenses of Fu Zixu and He Anzhi.

Seeing that everyone was preoccupied with their grief, He Zhijun, who had already spent the night venting his emotions, interrupted in a deep voice: "Everyone is sad, but no one can get over it right now. Take some time to adjust your mood."

The purpose of my talk to you today is to find out which cemetery has good conditions and scenery, so that we can buy a plot of land after the lockdown is lifted. Chinese people believe in burial for peace, and we can't let your mother become a wandering ghost with nowhere to rest.”

The two children nodded in agreement. He Jin'an, having recovered from her shock, asked, "Shouldn't we tell our relatives and friends about my mother's passing? We should at least send a message."

He Zhijun nodded, "You relatives on our side can come and tell us. I'll call your uncles and aunts from the phone book later. Given the current situation, we're not thinking about holding a funeral. Just let everyone know. We won't do any of those formalities. Your mother's siblings are getting old, and we don't know if they can handle the news."

After hanging up the phone, He Zhijun began to notify everyone one by one. As expected, although they didn't contact each other frequently, his second uncle fainted after hearing the bad news. The whole family was in a panic, and the phone was left hanging unattended.

He Zhijun silently hung up the phone and continued calling his eldest sister's family, his second sister's family, and his third and fourth sisters' families in Haishi. Perhaps women are indeed more resilient in the face of adversity; none of his sisters fainted.

It was understandable that she was sad, and He Zhijun was sad too. He had originally wanted to offer some words of comfort, but in the end, he cried along with his sister. The old man's sobbing actually diluted much of his sister's grief, and he ended up having to comfort her instead.

Anyway, the whole thing was chaotic. By the time the call was finally over, almost the entire day was over. Shen Runze sat on the sofa looking at He Zhijun with some admiration:

"You've been crying almost all day. You didn't eat much breakfast, and you were crying on the phone during lunch. Do you want to eat dinner? If you're planning to cultivate immortality, you should let me know in advance, otherwise I won't prepare any meals for you."

I understand you're sad about losing your sister-in-law, but what's the meaning of not eating? If you could cry a few times and she'd come back after a few days without food, I'd voluntarily stop feeding you. But that's impossible.

The situation is special now. If you really collapse, the children will be in real chaos. Think about it. I'll go cook some porridge. I've been watching you make a fuss all day, and I don't even feel hungry anymore..."

Shen Runze went to the kitchen muttering to himself. He Zhijun sealed the trash bag in the wastebasket, placed it by the door, and then put another trash bag over it.

"We've run out of tissues, we need to buy some more," He Zhijun said, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows.

Shen Runze made him a cup of honey water: "Drink more water to soothe your throat. You've said too much all at once. You've gone through half a box of tissues in just two days. Tell me, why do you have so many tears?"

"If your eyes weren't red, I would have really thought you hadn't cried," He Zhijun bluntly exposed without holding back.

“It’s better than those walnut eyes of yours.” Shen Runze retorted. “If you want to cry again, just use toilet paper. There should be enough toilet paper at home for you. You can’t go out to buy more now. Let’s eat something later, and I’ll go downstairs with you for a walk in the neighborhood. Even if we’re under lockdown, we still need to move around.”

Two old men strolling hand in hand in the neighborhood—it was quite a strange sight, especially since one of them had eyes so swollen they were barely open; no matter how upright his posture, it couldn't hide the pitiful state he looked from the front.

Neighbors passing by would occasionally glance at them, but would quickly leave. Everyone was wearing masks, and strangers really couldn't tell who was who, so He Zhijun wasn't afraid of losing face at all.

And so, life seemed to continue as normal, but only in the quiet of the night did He Zhijun bear the loneliness alone. The lockdown lasted intermittently for half a year, starting with regional lockdowns, then becoming community lockdowns, and finally, after three waves of infections, the country completely lifted the lockdown.

People have resumed their normal lives and work. Of course, the infected people are almost everywhere in the country, but after several rounds of transmission, the fatality rate of the epidemic has decreased by 70% to 80%.

After the lockdown was lifted, He Zhijun called Zhizhi and An'an back, and together with Shen Runze, the four of them began to select cemeteries in Beijing. After several days of searching, they finally chose Songheyuan Cemetery.

It's very quiet, not too far from the city center, and most importantly, the feng shui is good. They also have double burial plots, which perfectly meet He Zhijun's needs in every way.

The only downside is that burial plots can be bought, but only for a 20-year term. He Zhijun wasn't very satisfied: "What's the difference between this and renting? When my children's generation is gone, who will think of renewing the lease for us? Are we supposed to pay five times the money to renew for a hundred years?"

The person in charge of the cemetery is also helpless. The land is valuable, and even if the client is willing to pay for a hundred-year usage right, he doesn't dare to accept it. He won't live to see that time. What if there are new plans in the future? That would be another lawsuit.

He Jin'an noticed the person in charge's dilemma and offered a solution: "The main reason my mother was buried here was to be close to us. How about we bury her back in the ancestral cemetery in Yangzhou? That's our family's private property, all burial mounds. It won't be dug up. It'll also keep my great-grandmother and grandmother company."

He Zhijun shook his head: "I'll stay here and watch over you. Your mother will be buried here, so I can come and talk to her anytime. If she's buried back in Yangzhou, even if I go back to my own home, it'll be too far. Let's settle her here for now."

"Find a better feng shui plot for a single person. After I'm gone, just bury me and your mother together in the ancestral graveyard. Rent it for twenty years first. I don't even know if I'll live that long, but as long as I'm alive, your mother's family line will never end."

He Jin'an solemnly invited his company's designated feng shui master. In previous years, he had consulted the master for auspicious times for starting construction, opening machines, and the company's feng shui. Everything had gone smoothly for them over the years.

Although the government doesn't promote these things, and they're considered feudal superstition, Chinese people still have many taboos in their bones and hold the idea that it's better to believe in something than not. This industry is doing quite well, it's just that it can't be brought into the open.

The burial site was chosen, and the auspicious date for the burial was also set. The whole family started getting busy. Although the ceremonies are now simplified, there is still a lot to do. He Ci'en also wrote a eulogy at home during the martial law period.

After He Zhijun confirmed the burial date, He Ci'en made a point of clearing her schedule, taking leave from the research institute, and rushed to Beijing with her wife and children. Her third sister also flew over with her two sons.

Although no one from his hometown came, it was because He Zhijun didn't want to go through all that trouble. He only gave a rough timeframe and declined any requests to come, since this place was only temporary and the graves would be moved in the future, so there was no need to bring everyone over.

On the day of the funeral, the temperature was nice and the sun was shining. He Ci'en, dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses, read aloud the eulogy he had written. As he read, he couldn't help but cry. Seeing this, Rong Qiang stepped forward, took the eulogy from him, and continued reading.

Throughout He Ci'en's eulogy, memories of life took up a large portion. In his heart, Jing Yan was no less than a mother. When he needed maternal love the most, it was Jing Yan who gently cared for him and supported his hobbies, which led to his achievements today.

Rongqiang hadn't been with Jingyan for long, but he remembered that during the most difficult time at home, when he was under the most pressure, it was his aunt who lent a helping hand to him and his mother. Even if it was just out of sisterly affection, it truly changed their lives.

Even he, who had always been good at controlling his emotions, started to choke up in the second half. His third sister, Jingxian, was sobbing that she couldn't speak. After so much time had passed, she thought her grief had faded, but seeing the photo on the tombstone today, she couldn't hold back anymore.

After the simple funeral, flowers and fruits were arranged, paper money was burned, and everyone packed up their belongings before helping each other down the steps and out of the cemetery. He Jin'an drove the RV all the way, and no one spoke in the vehicle; it was so quiet it was almost oppressive.

Jingxian spoke first: "An'an, why don't you take us to the airport first? We're going back to Haishi. Don't worry about your house, I'll take good care of it. If you miss home during your vacation, just come back."

He Jin'an looked at Jing Xian in the rearview mirror: "Third Aunt, why don't you stay in Beijing for a while? If it's inconvenient for Dad, you can stay at my house. We're staying at my mother-in-law's house and haven't moved back yet. The house is still empty."

Jingxian shook his head: "No, I don't like it here. Let's go back."

He Ci'en chimed in, "Auntie's funeral is over, and we need to get back as soon as possible. We have a lot of work to do at the hospital, so it's good to go with Third Aunt."

He Jin'an nodded, turned the steering wheel, and drove the car towards the airport. Fu Zixu also took out his phone: "I'll book your tickets. Third Aunt, please give me your ID numbers."

Rong Qiang said, "Sister-in-law, no need. I've already booked the tickets. I still have mileage to redeem for plane tickets, so it's more cost-effective for me."

He Ci'en also spoke up: "I've also booked our tickets. They're for 7:30 PM. We should be on the same flight, right?"

Rong Qiang checked the information with him and nodded: "That's right, we're in the same class."

He Zhijun said, "Ci'en, then take care of your third aunt on the way. Remember to call us when you get home to let us know you're safe. I won't keep you any longer. I really haven't had much energy lately."

Seeing his listless appearance, Jingxian sighed, "Take care of yourself. Look at you, you haven't shaved. If Jingyan sees you, she'll be disgusted with you. She hates men with beards, especially unkempt ones like yours."

He Zhijun subconsciously reached out and touched it, muttering, "I remember I just shaved yesterday."

Shen Runze retorted, "Your memory is from three days ago."

He Zhijun...

Jingxian shook his head and looked at Shen Runze: "I'll have to trouble you to take care of him during this time. They have a good relationship and have been married since childhood, so it will be hard for them for a while. Those who leave early leave decisively, and it is the living who suffer the most. They will get better after this period. Life still goes on."

Shen Runze nodded in agreement: "Third sister, don't worry, I will take care of him. Now it's good that the two of us brothers depend on each other. At least we won't be too lonely."

After seeing off Jingxian and He Ci'en's families, and then taking Zhizhi home, everyone realized that Zhizhi hadn't said a word since the funeral. He Zhijun finally snapped out of his daze: "Zhizhi, are you alright? Why are you so quiet today?"

"Dad, I'm fine, but I feel a bit empty inside. How about I go with you around to relax? We can go abroad to relax too. I'll go wherever you want to go. I don't have much to do right now."

He Zhijun shook his head: "You don't need to worry about me. I don't want to go out. If I have to go out in the future, your Uncle Shen will accompany me. I don't need you to accompany me."

He Jin'an also looked over in the rearview mirror: "Zhizhi, if you want to be busy, I can arrange some work for you. We bought a few notebooks before the pandemic, and I think they're all pretty good. You can choose one. If you want to take a break, that's fine too. It's up to you."