It is a rural custom that after the death of an elderly person, the family members have to clean the body and change the shroud.
Grandma has no daughters, and the only female relatives among her close relatives are her daughter-in-law Qu Ping and two granddaughters Jiang Suichu and Jiang Mingzhu. Jiang Mingzhu was a little afraid to touch her grandma, so she just stood aside holding her clothes.
Jiang Suichu's face showed no emotion from just now. She methodically helped Qu Ping wash her grandma's body and put on her shroud.
Her movements were very gentle, as if she was afraid of hurting her grandma.
Jiang Zhiguo removed the door panel of the main room, knocked off the iron nails on the door panel, and then used two benches to build a bed. The door panel is covered with the quilt that grandma used to cover her body when she left.
This is an ancestral custom in the village.
After changing into the shroud, Jiang Zhiguo carried grandma to the door panel where the quilt was spread. Jiang Mingjie went to invite the Taoist priest in the village and had to wait for the Taoist priest to come and lay the coffin.
Neighbors who were nearby gathered around the courtyard gate and could not enter the house without a coffin.
Soon, the Taoist priest came with incense, candles and yellow paper.
Mr. Taoist muttered something and walked around grandma three times. Jiang Zhiguo and Qu Ping sobbed softly on the side, and even Jiang Mingzhu and Jiang Mingjie shed tears.
Jiang Suchu just stood there blankly, looking at her grandma's bloodless face quietly.
She was very calm and there was no fluctuation in her heart.
After the Taoist priest finished the ritual, he lit the yellow paper and threw it on the ground, and then poured a glass of white wine on it.
There was a crackle, and the flames jumped up and went out in an instant.
"Come and kowtow to bid farewell to the old man on his last journey."
With red eyes, Jiang Zhiguo walked to the front and knelt down. The Taoist priest gave him a small stack of yellow paper. Jiang Zhiguo took the yellow paper, lit it with the fire on the candle, put it on the ground, and then lit three more sticks of incense.
"Mom!" He cried out sadly, and then kowtowed three times.
Behind them are Qu Ping, Jiang Mingjie and Jiang Mingzhu, with Jiang Suichu standing at the back.
When it was Jiang Suichu's turn, she shuffled over slowly. She was like a soulless puppet, doing whatever the Taoist priest told her to do.
Burn paper, burn incense and kowtow.
Then, she stood up and stood aside, watching her uncle and Mr. Taoist put grandma into the black coffin. As the coffin lid closed, the expression on Jiang Suichu's face finally showed a crack.
She frowned slightly, and a tear fell heavily to the ground.
According to the rules, when an elder in the family dies, the eldest son should put a firecracker on the west side of the house.
The New Year custom in the village is to have a reunion dinner at noon. Before eating the reunion dinner, a firecracker should be placed east of the door.
The meaning is to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.
But this year's firecrackers did not wait until 12 noon. Jiang Zhiguo lit the fuse with red eyes toward the west.
The crackling sound was so loud in the small mountain village that the whole village could almost hear it.
Gradually, people in the village came to express their condolences with a bunch of firecrackers. Jiang Suichu was wearing a white filial piety handkerchief and standing next to her grandmother's coffin with a calm expression.
She watched them with empty eyes, offering incense and kowtow, and then the uncle bowed to express his gratitude.
Jiang Minghao came a little late. He didn't have any firecrackers at home for the New Year. He just bought the firecrackers on the street to express his condolences.
At around nine o'clock, when he heard the sound of firecrackers at home, he knew that Grandma Jiang must have left.
When Jiang Suichu saw Jiang Minghao, he twitched the corners of his mouth bitterly, "Are you here?"
"Well." Jiang Minghao looked at her, "Are you... okay?"
Jiang Suchu was stunned for a moment and murmured: "Well, it's okay."
I'm not too sad, and I don't want to cry.
It should be just... not bad.
Jiang Minghao took three sticks of incense from the desk, lit them, raised his hands between his eyebrows, closed his eyes and bowed deeply three times.
"Uncle, my condolences." Jiang Minghao handed Jiang Xiang to Jiang Zhiguo.
"Yes." Jiang Zhiguo took the incense in his hand and inserted it into the incense burner, then tore off a shorter filial piety handkerchief for Jiang Minghao.
The people in the village have been one family for generations. Although everyone has been on the fifth server now and has no blood relationship, they are still one family after all. Whenever someone comes to express condolences, they will be given a filial piety scarf that is shorter than that of immediate family members.
Jiang Minghao doesn't need to wear it on his head like Jiang Suichu, he only needs to tie it on his arm.
Jiang Suichu saw that he was not easy to deal with, so he stepped forward and took the Xiaopa from his hand, "I'll do it."
Jiang Minghao let go and stretched out his arm for her to tie.
She lowered her eyes and tied it carefully.
Jiang Minghao looked at her. Her face was calm and numb, and her lips were pale and bloodless.
Jiang Suchu wrapped the Xiaopa around his arm and tied it with a knot, "Okay."
Jiang Minghao glanced at the white cloth on his arm, then looked at her, "Has the funeral date been set?"
She nodded, "Third year of junior high school."
Jiang Minghao looked at her, although she didn't cry and there was no sadness on her face. But her eyes were empty, and her whole person looked like a soulless body.
"Jiang Suichu."
"Huh?" Jiang Suichu looked up at him and said softly, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Minghao moved his lips and said, "Be strong."
Jiang Suchu looked at him without any fluctuation in her eyes. She said dullly, "I'm very strong." She didn't even cry.
She thought she would cry a lot when her grandma passed away.
But the fact is that she can't cry.
Jiang Minghao frowned and looked at her, unable to bear to expose her disguise.
He raised his hand and rubbed her head, his voice a little hoarse, "Come to me if you can't hold on any longer."
Jiang Suchu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she smiled, "Okay."
People in the village kept coming to express their condolences, and Jiang Suichu was always busy. Jiang Minghao didn't stay long, and went back after setting off the firecrackers he brought to express his condolences.
On this day, everyone in the village was having a family reunion dinner, and only their family spent the New Year in the mourning hall.
Beicheng.
Lu Zhinian is still celebrating the New Year at his grandpa's house this year. There are many people in the living room, and everyone is in a festive New Year atmosphere.
Lu Zhinian sat on the sofa, frowning and looking at the phone in his hand. Jiang Sui didn't reply to his message in the morning, and no one answered his phone calls.
For some reason, he felt vaguely uneasy.
It was too noisy in the living room, so he picked up his mobile phone and walked upstairs, dialing Jiang Minghao's number as he walked.
The call was quickly connected. Lu Zhinian did not go around in circles and asked directly: "Jiang Minghao, Jiang Suichu can't get through on the phone. She..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard Jiang Minghao say, "Grandma is gone."
"What?" Lu Zhinian paused in his steps.
Obviously Jiang Suichu was still telling him yesterday that grandma's energy has been much better these days. She is still looking forward to it. When the weather eases after the New Year, grandma will recover.
Why did he suddenly... leave?
Lu Zhinian's throat was a little dry, "Is she... okay?"
"It's not good." Jiang Minghao sighed, "...she didn't cry."
Lu Zhinian's joints turned white while holding the phone. He knew what Jiang Minghao meant.
Jiang Suchu fell into despair.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Zhinian turned around and went downstairs to find Shu Yuan.
Shu Yuan and Shu Yue were drinking tea and chatting when they saw Lu Zhinian's eyes were slightly red. She stood up for a moment, walked to him, and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong?"
Lu Zhinian said with a low voice and red eyes, "Mom, Grandma Jiang is gone."
Shu Yuan was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses, "When did it happen?"
Lu Zhinian: "I left this morning."
Lu Zhinian looked at Shu Yuan with sincere eyes and said, "Mom, I want to go back to Yun City."
He couldn't imagine how helpless Jiang Suichu felt at this moment.
He had to go back and be with her.
Shu Yuan knew what her son was thinking. She nodded, "I'll call your dad and we'll go back together."
At this time, she would not let Jiang Suchu face it alone.
Lu Shenghua was playing chess with someone in the side hall, and Shu Yuan walked over and whispered in his ear. After listening to Shu Yuan's words, Lu Shenghua paused his fingers and stood up immediately.
After Shu Yuan and her family briefly explained what happened, she and Lu Shenghua took Lu Zhinian to catch the fastest flight back to Yun City.
Throughout the whole day, Jiang Suichu stood quietly by the coffin wearing a filial piety handkerchief and received the people who came to express condolences with his uncle. It was not until night when no one came that Jiang Suichu returned to the room dragging his numb and sore legs.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression dull, her eyes not knowing where she was looking.
Occasionally, the uncle and aunt's voices could be heard outside the room. They were discussing the funeral of the third grade of junior high school. Jiang Suchu came back to his senses and his eyes slowly wandered around the room.
Like looking for something.
Finally her eyes stopped at the head of the bed. There is a neatly folded red sweater knitted by her grandma on the pillow.
She reached out and took the sweater over, carefully unfolded it and held it in front of her for comparison.
The length is just right.
She curled her lower lip. Grandma said she looked best in red.
The sweater had been washed by grandma and had a faint scent of soap. Jiang Suchu hugged the sweater and lay down on the bed with his eyes closed.
Jiang Suchu didn't know when she fell asleep. She was woken up by the sound of cars outside.
During this period of taking care of grandma, she barely slept a full night's sleep and her head was a little dizzy. She looked out the window in confusion. The car seemed to be parked outside the door.
It's already past ten o'clock in the evening, why would anyone come?
Jiang Zhiguo: "Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu, why are you here?"
Lu Shenghua: "Brother Jiang, my condolences."
Jiang Suchu was stunned for a moment when he heard the conversation outside.
Mr. Lu?
She put the sweater aside and stood up to go out. When her vision went dark, she fell back on the bed.
Vaguely, she heard Lu Zhinian's voice, as if he was asking her.
She closed her eyes and calmed down for a while, and then the darkness in front of her eyes slowly dissipated. She stood up, and within a few steps the door to the room was opened.
The light from outside came in instantly.
Then, she saw Lu Zhinian standing in front of her, facing the light.
She looked up at him, her voice choked, "Lu Zhinian."
Seeing her tired look, Lu Zhinian felt indescribably uncomfortable.
He took a step forward, gently held her in his arms, and placed his palm against her head, "I'm here."
Jiang Suchu hesitated for a long time. It wasn't until I smelled the faint woody fragrance on his body that I suddenly realized that this hug was so real.
She wasn't dreaming.
She slowly raised her hands to grab the fabric at his waist, and pressed her face against his chest, "Why are you here?"
"I'll accompany you on your last journey to grandma." Lu Zhinian bent down and hugged her harder, "Then, I'll take you home."
Jiang Suchu was stunned for a moment, the tip of his nose was slightly sour.
Grandma told her before she died that Aunt Lu Shuyuan promised to take her to live with the Lu family after grandma left.
Shu Yuan finished offering incense to her grandma and was about to come to see Jiang Suichu. When she walked to the door, she saw the two people hugging each other tightly. She paused and subconsciously stepped lightly so as not to disturb the two of them.
Shu Yuan stood at the door and glanced at Jiang Suichu's room.
It is said to be a room, but in fact it is just separated by the corridor under the stairs. The area is less than ten square meters, and there is a small wooden frame bed inside, and the rest of the place is filled with debris. The walls were not painted, they were still gray cement, and there were traces of mold everywhere on the walls.
Shu Yuan only felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. She really couldn't look at it anymore.
Before leaving, she gently closed the door to the room.
She didn't want others to see the two children like this. She could understand the emotions between them, but others might not.
What's more, this is in the countryside, which is conservative.
The door closed and the room became dark again.
Jiang Suichu took a step back, left Lu Zhinian's arms, and asked him, "How did you know?"
Lu Zhinian looked at her and said, "Jiang Minghao told me."
"That's it..." Jiang Suchu nodded slowly, "Is Aunt Lu Shuyuan here too?"
She just seemed to hear the voices of Uncle Lu and Aunt Yuan.
Lu Zhinian nodded, "Yes. They are right outside."
Jiang Suchu pursed his lower lip and said, "Let's go out."
As she said this, she walked around him and walked out. When she passed by, her wrist was suddenly pulled by him.
Jiang Suchu stopped and looked at him doubtfully, "What's wrong?"
Lu Zhinian turned around and looked at her calm and indifferent look, feeling indescribably uncomfortable.
Now she is like a porcelain doll that could break at any time.
"Let me hug you again." He took her hand and put it around his waist, holding her in his arms forcefully.
Jiang Suchu let him hold her and leaned quietly in his arms without saying a word. His faint fragrance diluted the musty smell of the room, which made her feel extremely at ease.
"Jiang Suichu."
His voice was low and deep, and Jiang Suchu could feel the slight vibration in his chest when he called her name.
"...Hmm." Jiang Suchu replied softly, his voice trembling slightly.
Lu Zhinian patted her back gently again and again, as if coaxing a child, and said to her softly: "You can cry while I'm here."
Jiang Suchu was stunned for a moment and swallowed the bitterness in his mouth with difficulty. Tears fell from the ends of her eyes. She bit her lips desperately and pressed her forehead against his hard chest to prevent herself from crying.
Lu Zhinian lowered his eyes and looked at her slightly shaking shoulders, rolling his Adam's apple sorely. He hugged her and leaned down, lowered his head and kissed the top of her soft hair, "Cry."
Just cry.
The moment his words fell, Jiang Suchu couldn't bear it anymore. She tightly grabbed the hem of his clothes, buried her face in his chest and cried loudly.
"Lu Zhinian, I...I don't have a grandma anymore." She cried, choking.
Lu Zhinian hugged her, "You and I, Jiang Suchu."
She couldn't listen and kept shaking her head, her tears and nose smearing all over his clothes.
"No one loves me anymore, Lu Zhinian."
"I will love you forever."
"I'm an orphan now."
"No." Lu Zhinian hugged her tightly, heartbroken, "You are the treasure of our family."
It's my baby.
