Chapter 57

The wedding ceremony of Zhang Xiaolong and Liu Qian was carried out in a hurry in the central room of the Zhang family's small courtyard.

On the chair in the middle of the central room, Zhang Xiaolong's grandmother was reclining there with a flushed face. Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei were holding her arms on both sides. When Zhang Xiaolong and Liu Qian kowtowed to her, Zhang Xiaolong's grandmother smiled very brightly. However, the blush on her face was fading visibly. When the villagers who specialized in etiquette shouted, "The ceremony is over. The bride and groom enter the bridal chamber." Only then did the blush fade away. Zhang Xiaolong closed her eyes peacefully with a smile on her face.

Guo Sufei and Zhang Cai felt that their hands were heavy. Guo Sufei immediately shouted sadly, "Mother." This was the second time today that she called her mother in the central room, and it was also the last time.

At this time, Liu Qian did not care about the rules. She tore off the red veil and carried her grandmother's body back to the small house with Guo Sufei and Zhang Cai.

In the courtyard, the people in the central room looked at each other. They did not know whether the Zhang family was going to hold a wedding or a funeral today.

Only the acquaintances who knew the situation secretly wiped their tears.

Zhang Xiaolong walked into the small house with the help of Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaohua.

On the bed in the small house, Zhang Xiaolong's grandmother was lying there as if she was sleeping peacefully. Without the interference of the illness and the fear of disturbing her grandson's sleep, she was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. Zhang Xiaohua looked at his grandmother's face that had been engraved in his heart. It seemed that he did not feel sad, but his heart was empty, very empty. His mother's sorrowful cry came into his ears. He himself was very puzzled. He should be very sad, but why was he not?

Was his grandmother really resting?

No, definitely not. Zhang Xiaohua could not feel the life that he could feel a few days ago in his grandmother's body. His grandmother was really gone. She really left him.

Zhang Xiaohua silently looked at her crying mother, father, and brothers. There were no tears in the corners of her eyes, and her eyes weren't even red.

In his grandmother's small house, the mournful cries of the relatives continued for a long time before most of the people in the courtyard dispersed. When Zhang Cai calmed himself down and came out, he looked at the villagers in the courtyard. He could only apologetically cup his hands and ask them to help him put away all the festive items and replace them with the black and white items used for the funeral. When they were done, the wedding procession that had 'escaped for their lives' came back in scattered pieces. When they saw the funeral procession, they thought it was for Zhang Xiaolong and the others. When they heard the explanation, they knew the reason. The musical instruments in the village were used for both festive and funeral processions. When they saw the situation, they sympathized and hurriedly sent people to get the funeral clothes. They changed on the spot, ate some food, drank some water, and immediately played the funeral music.

At this time, the people in the Zhang family also put on mourning clothes. Zhang Xiaolong was seriously injured and could only be bedridden again. It was just that pitiful Liu Qian. She had just married into the family and had to change into mourning clothes. She also had to wash and change her grandmother's clothes. It was really difficult for her.

Zhang Cai looked at his busy daughter-in-law and his heart was full of guilt.

When he was young, his parents died. He did not enjoy the happiness of a family reunion and married into the Guozhuang House. Guo Sufei's parents loved him like a son. After sending off his father-in-law and mother-in-law, he felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. Thinking about the little things that happened in this small courtyard, his tears could not help but fall again. Xiaolong had the good fortune to marry Liu Qian. He hoped that when he left in the future, he would not find trouble for them.

Grandmother's coffin and clothes were prepared early. Not long after, it was ready. Zhang Cai, Zhang Xiaohu, Guo Sufei, and Liu Qian put grandmother's body in the coffin together. They asked people to carry the coffin to the central room. The central room was not big. After the coffin was put in, there was almost no space left.

According to the custom in the countryside, the coffin of the funeral had to be left at home for seven days for the family and relatives to worship. After this time, the lid could be nailed and the coffin could be placed in a place.

Funerals were not as good as happy events. There were many things that the family did not care about. Zhang Cai and Guo Sufei went to the village patriarch and asked people to come and help. The Guozhuang House's family was also old. There were many people who came to help, so the funeral went smoothly.

At night, the noise in the courtyard gradually faded. The swaying light in the central room pulled the shadow of the coffin, which kept swaying in front of Zhang Xiaohua.

Zhang Xiaohua and the rest knelt in the small space beside the coffin. Guo Sufei kept sobbing and seemed to have used up all her strength. Liu Qian also knelt beside Guo Sufei and used her hands to support her, wiping her tears from time to time. Her grandmother treated her extremely well. Although they did not talk much, her grandmother would always reveal a kind smile whenever she saw her, which made her feel endless warmth. Although she was already mentally prepared, it was too unexpected for her grandmother to pass away during her wedding ceremony. Thinking about her short ceremony, Liu Qian did not want to blame this kind and considerate elder. Perhaps this was all fate?

Liu Qian could also see the apology in Zhang Cai's eyes. She deeply felt the warmth of this family. However, this was the beginning of her marriage to the Zhang family. Would the future be a blessing or a curse?

Was this a warning?

In fact, looking at Guo Sufei's sad appearance and thinking about her grandmother, she felt that her life was worth living. She had many grandchildren and a harmonious family. Except for some poverty, everything was perfect. She did not know what she would be like when she was old.

Just as Liu Qian was thinking about random things, Zhang Xiaohua's mind was also constantly turning.

Zhang Xiaohua knelt in the shadow of the corner, looked at the huge coffin in front of him, and thought, "Is this the final destination of my grandmother's life?"

Ever since everyone had told them about what had happened at home that night, Zhang Xiaohua had been thinking, 'If I knew martial arts, I could have chased away the bandits when they attacked. If my brother and I could have married my sister-in-law safely, my grandmother wouldn't have left so early. She would have happily watched my brother and sister-in-law get married. She might even have been able to hold my brother and sister-in-law's child happily.'

Zhang Xiaohua's thoughts were in a mess. Perhaps, perhaps, he had thought about a lot of things. Many hypotheses only had one fulcrum, and that was that he must know martial arts and have the ability to turn the tide. But, did he have it?

Therefore, Zhang Xiaohua finally made the first decision in his life. He wanted to learn martial arts.

But, how to learn martial arts?

He was still confused, but since he had a target, everything would be easy to handle.

Thinking of learning martial arts, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly thought of "Misty". From Wen Wenhai, Xue Qing, to Lu Yueming, everyone left a deep impression on him. That momentum of controlling everything, that pleasure of punishing evil, could only make Zhang Xiaohua's eyes filled with stars. There was also the power of the Misty School. A sign could make people not dare to act rashly. They could take out a few hundred taels of silver without daring to make a sound. For a child who grew up in a mountain village like Zhang Xiaohua, it was an unimaginable temptation. Perhaps, a real man should live like this, and not shelter under the wings of others when disaster struck, and ask for help from a sign. Moreover, even if the leader of the bandits was eliminated, it was hard to guarantee that the bandits would not come back. What should he do at that time?

Could a sign make people retreat?

Thinking that the lives of his family were tied together by a sign, Zhang Xiaohua's heart was filled with endless emotions. He thought and thought, and his eyes slowly closed along with the swaying of the shadow. He actually fell asleep. The flickering like breathing came to his dreams as promised.

At this time, it was midnight.

After busying himself with the matters outside and sending off the people who helped, Zhang Cai dragged his tired body back to the central room. In the room, his wife's cries were still there, and her voice was already hoarse. He also went to comfort her. The old woman had already left, and the days had to go on.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Zhang Xiaohua curled up in the corner sleeping. His heart could not help but ache. What a good child. He was busy with the old woman's affairs and forgot about him.

Zhang Xiaolong was injured and had already fallen asleep on the kang. His youngest son was also injured. The whip wound on his shoulder made people cry. He had suffered such a serious injury at his age, not much worse than Xiaolong. He just changed his clothes and could not see him, so he forgot about him. Should he blame himself for being careless, or blame himself for having too many things to do today?

Zhang Cai was secretly annoyed. He carefully carried Zhang Xiaohua, wanting to carry him back to the kang. Unfortunately, after trying, he could not carry him. He could not help but smile bitterly in his heart. The child had grown up, and he was also old. He could not be carried when he was young. He called out to Zhang Xiaohu, who was also kneeling in the shadows. The two of them then lifted Zhang Xiaohua up. When they were about to leave the room, Guo Sufei spoke. She wiped her tears and said: "Tonight, let's put Xiaohua in Xiaolong's room. If the child wakes up in the night and thinks of his grandmother, he will be scared."

A mother's love was so attentive. Guo Sufei was mourning her mother's death, but when she saw her son, she could still think of her son. Zhang Xiaohu interrupted: "Mother, Xiaohua is asleep. He won't wake up even if you water him. Don't worry."

Guo Sufei said: "That won't do. He's still young. If he wakes up, he will be scared. It's better to put him in Xiaolong's room. I can watch over him."

Zhang Cai and Zhang Xiaohu then gently put Zhang Xiaohua next to Xiaolong, who was already sleeping soundly. Guo Sufei also washed her face. Holding the oil lamp, she carefully lifted Zhang Xiaohua's clothes. Looking at the whip wound on his shoulder, the scar was like a centipede lying on Xiaohua's body. Then looking at Xiaohua's childish face, Guo Sufei could not help but burst into tears again. This child was so seriously injured that he did not even tell her in detail when he came back. After changing his clothes, he went to watch over his grandmother's coffin. He did not even eat dinner. From the morning until now, he had experienced so many hardships and endured so much pressure. As his mother, she had long forgotten about him. At this moment, if he was not so tired, perhaps he would still be accompanying her in the central room. It was better to let him have a good rest.

Guo Sufei came out from the inner room and let Zhang Xiaohu and Liu Qian go back to rest. She and Zhang Cai came to accompany her grandmother.

Zhang Xiaohu and Liu Qian did not agree at first, but Guo Sufei insisted again and again. Only then did they go back. Zhang Xiaohu naturally slept in the inner room, so that he could take care of his two injured brothers at any time.

Liu Qian, on the other hand, fell asleep as soon as she laid down on the kang bed. Today's encounter was too bizarre.

(Please vote for me!!!

Please accept it. Thank you. In the works related, there is a prose of "Longing". Everyone, please enjoy it.)