Late at night, all the relatives who came to help left one after another. Mother He was so sad that she fell ill in bed. The little sister He Lianer of the He family stayed with Mother He to take care of her.

In the mourning hall, Father He, who was exhausted mentally and physically, accompanied Xiao An to watch the mourning.

In the dead of night, when all the noise had faded away, He's father stroked the jar of He Qingsong's ashes and asked them in detail what happened on their way to the south to run errands.

Xiao An told He's father in detail, including the fact that He Qingsong suddenly changed his mind on the way back and went to the Camellia oleifera village to buy Camellia oleifera cakes.

Xiao An deliberately concealed the thrilling three days and three nights when he faced off against the wolves. He didn't tell Father He, and he almost couldn't come back.

He only valued the fact, and the fact was that he came back alive, but his good brother was gone forever.

After hearing this, Father He was silent for a long time.

"Xiao An, I know all about your friendship with Qingsong. Qingsong didn't talk much about it when he came back."

Late at night, Father He's voice was hoarse and desolate. Under the dim oil lamp, he seemed to have aged by more than ten years.

"Qingsong told us that on the southern battlefield, you blocked the knife for him several times. Without you, his life would have been lost on the battlefield."

"I don't blame you for what happened this time. If it were you at that time, you would definitely have pushed Qingsong away."

"If you want to blame it, it's because Qing Song was not lucky enough to escape this disaster..."

Xiao An raised his head, tears already streaming down his face.

He suddenly knelt down with a bang: "Uncle He, if you and Auntie don't dislike me, I will be your son from now on, and I will provide for you until you die!"

Father He shed tears and shook his head.

"Xiao An, you are a good boy, and we appreciate your kindness."

Is this...rejection?

Xiao An was stunned.

Father He continued: "Qingsong is gone, and we have no intention of staying here to take care of the shop. Your aunt and I plan to take Qingsong and Lian'er back to our hometown village after the funeral is over, and bury Qingsong there.

"

"I'll go with you!" Xiao An said.

"No need." He's father said.

He raised his head and glanced at the shop where he had lived for a year and a half, and the light in his eyes dimmed little by little.

"This shop is about to expire. We plan to quit. We will pack up our money and go back to our hometown to rest for a while. Although our hometown is not as prosperous as Qing'an County, we still have a small yard and one-third of an acre of land. Plus you

My aunt's health is not suitable for staying here anymore, and she can't stand the judgment of her neighbors."

Xiao An sat slumped on the ground, not knowing what to say with so many words.

He wanted to do something for them, but He's father wouldn't let him do anything. This feeling was very bad!

Father He didn't have the energy to tell Xiao An too much about his future plans.

For a middle-aged man who left his hometown and came to Qing'an County in search of work when he was a teenager. He lost his son, dreams and pursuits in his middle age. Now, returning to his hometown with his wife and daughter is like shrinking into a tortoise.

Shell-like.

Only by retracting into his turtle shell can he lick his wounds.

As for the future, he didn't dare to think about it. It no longer made sense to think about it. His only son was gone...

Because she had made up her mind to go to He's house to burn incense sticks, Yang Ruoqing didn't want to catch Xiao An off guard by suddenly appearing in front of him. After thinking about it, she got up in the middle of the night and quietly went to He's house by the river.

As soon as she walked out of the restaurant, someone followed her, and she knew who it was without looking back.

"I can go alone. You can go back to sleep," she said.

Liu Xueyun's voice was low but firm in the night: "Let's go together."

He family.

Yang Ruoqing and Liu Xueyun looked around. Apart from He's father and mother resting in the room in the backyard, Xiao An in the mourning hall, and a little girl from the He family who was wearing sackcloth and mourning, whose face could not be seen clearly, there were many other people looking around the shop.

Less than anyone else.

"So many relatives came during the day, but they were all gone at night, leaving no one to stay with the He family!"

Liu Xueyun, who had always been taciturn, couldn't help but muttered when he saw this situation.

Yang Ruoqing said: "It would be nice if those so-called relatives and friends can come over and help me during the day."

Because He Qingsong was a young man who died in a foreign country, this was unlucky in the eyes of these people. They would definitely not be willing to stay at night, unless it was the kind of relationship where they were so close that they could not distinguish between each other.

In addition, due to the hustle and bustle during the day, it cannot be ruled out that some people come with the intention of watching the excitement.

In the end, the only ones who were really sad were He Qingsong's own parents and sister.

And, my best brother Xiao An.

"Shall I go in and call Xiao An out?" Liu Xueyun asked for instructions.

Yang Ruoqing shook her head, "Don't worry, let's listen to what they are saying first."

The two of them found a place where they could observe the mourning hall without being easily noticed by Xiao An and lurk.

In the mourning hall, fifteen-year-old He Lian'er knelt in front of the earthen basin and burned paper money for her brother. She sobbed softly, and strings of tears fell into the earthen basin.

Xiao An was sitting on his knees, looking very ugly.

"Uncle He didn't say that when he talked to me earlier, why did he have to go back so soon?"

In the suffocating mourning hall, Xiao An asked He Lian'er very puzzledly.

He Lian'er sniffed and said in a low voice: "The landlord came earlier and talked to dad for a few words. After dad came back, he discussed with mom and planned to go back to his hometown early tomorrow morning."

"After all, this is not our own house. Setting up a mourning hall in someone else's house is inherently unlucky. If we continue to perform rituals, the landlord will definitely not allow it."

Xiao An was annoyed and took out a banknote from his body and stuffed it into He Lian'er's hand.

"Isn't it just a house? Take this banknote to your parents and we will buy this house!"

He Lian'er looked at the amount on the banknote and waved her hands in surprise.

"Brother An, don't do this."

"Take it and give it to your parents!" Xiao An's eyes were blood red as he picked up the banknote and stuffed it into He Lian'er's hand again.

"Brother An..."

"Go quickly!" Xiao An shouted.

He Lian'er had no choice but to get up, carefully hold the banknote and go to the backyard.

In the mourning hall, Xiao An almost collapsed and fell to the ground, looking at the jar of He Qingsong's ashes and laughing at himself: "Good brother, I'm really ashamed. Your brother, I have been used to spending so much money as a businessman for so many years, and I haven't saved much money, okay.

Now, it’s enough to buy this shop.”

"This is the only thing I can do for your family..."

Soon, He Lian'er and Father He came to the mourning hall together.

Xiao An quickly stood up and looked at Father He anxiously and expectantly.

Father He stuffed the banknote back into Xiao An's hand and said to him earnestly: "Xiao An, our family is very grateful that you can bring Qingsong's ashes back."
Chapter completed!