CHAPTER 302: CHAPTER 272: A SLAP DELIVERED TO BEIJING THROUGH A CELL PHONE (PART 1)

After third grandpa was sent to the nursing home, he visited a few times, but each time was turned away.

Su Jianhui was very wary of Uncle Chenggong, deeply afraid that Uncle Chenggong would whisper something into third grandpa’s ear.

From Su Family Village to the nursing home in the city, a trip would take at least three hours, and visiting once would take up a whole day.

But Uncle Chenggong still often went to visit the elderly. The caregiver, following Su Jianhui’s instructions, wouldn’t let others into the room to visit, so Uncle Chenggong figured out the time when the elderly would take a walk in the garden after meals.

But that time was often after six o’clock, and every time Uncle Chenggong saw third grandpa, he couldn’t say more than two sentences before he had to leave. By the time he returned to Su Family Village, it was already midnight.

Su’s father thought his big brother was working too hard, so every two weeks he bought a box of milk, some elderly nutritional supplements, and seasonal fruits, and delivered them to the nursing home.

Although he didn’t see third grandpa, he instructed the caregiver repeatedly to make sure the elderly ate the nutritional supplements.

But despite this, due to time and space constraints, it was impossible to care for the elderly as diligently as they would at home.

The news of third grandpa’s death came into the house, and at that moment, Uncle Chenggong cried like rain, lamenting that even if he had to fight to the death with Su Jianhui, he should have kept third grandpa, instead of sending him to some broken nursing home...

He was full of regret and couldn’t sleep all night.

"So now third grandpa is at... Jianhui uncle’s place?"

"The body is now in Su Family Village, the funeral is tomorrow. Your aunt said the house is small, it’s not suitable to set up a mourning hall, better to do it in the countryside."

"Why is it unsuitable now? When they took third grandpa they said the house was quite big!"

Su Xiaomeng was indignant.

Su’s mother stood up, took away the bowl in front of Xiao Meng, "Okay, Su Jianhui’s family has been like this from the beginning, it’s late now, hurry up and wash up, sleep early, tomorrow you have to go to the countryside early."

Su Xiaomeng nodded, glanced at Su Chengji, reached out to wrap her arms around Su Chengji’s arm, leaning on him, "Dad, believe me, when you and mom are old, I will never send you to a nursing home even if I die!"

Su Chengji took a long breath and then looked towards Su’s mother, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, "Anyway, as long as I can be with my wife, the nursing home won’t matter."

Su Xiaomeng scratched her head, looked at Su’s father, then at Su’s mother, wanting to say that in the future, one of them will inevitably leave the world first, if mom leaves first, then dad—

"If I go first it’s fine, but if your mom goes first, I tell you, don’t stop me, I’ll have to go with your mom."

Su Chengji suddenly said, as if he had heard Su Xiaomeng’s thoughts.

He spoke lightly, as if it were a matter of course.

But Xiao Meng listened, and her heart was immensely stirred.

Su Chengji yawned, Su Xiaomeng stood up, patted dad’s back, "I won’t stop you then."

"Hey! You’re a little girl who doesn’t play by the rules, aren’t you supposed to stop your dad a little?"

"Aren’t you the one who told me not to stop?"

"I told you not to stop, so you really didn’t? Now that you’re married, you don’t love me as much as before..."

Saying this, Su Chengji became emotional.

Su Xiaomeng held her forehead, what’s going on, feels like dad is really quite fragile now...

"Stop what?"

Su’s mother came out of the kitchen, heard her husband wailing, and casually asked.

"I told Meng Meng, if you die first in the future, I’ll go with you, told her not to stop me, and she really—ayyo!"

Before Su Chengji could finish, Su’s mother immediately knocked her husband’s head, "What’s wrong with your brain! Talking nonsense!"

Su’s father was silenced by Su’s mother’s reprimand.

Xiao Meng snickered as she went upstairs, entered the bedroom, and lay on the bed after washing up without packing her luggage.

She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts were complicated.

Sometimes she felt this world was unbelievably beautiful, where people care for each other, trust, and support one another.

But sometimes she felt the world was unbearably dark; friendship, family, love, all as thin as cicada wings, so easily crushed into powder, blown away by the wind, becoming nothing.

The ceiling seemed to reflect third grandpa’s dark face, with wrinkled skin, smiling broadly, his eye sockets very deep, several wrinkles at the corners of his eyes lifting with his smile.

"Xiao Meng Meng is here, come to third grandpa’s house, third grandpa will give you something delicious, come quickly..."

"Ah! Third grandpa, I want some candy, the kind that’s a little sour and a little sweet!"

"Okay, okay, hey, slow down! Don’t fall!"

"Third grandpa, hug..."

That night, Meng Meng slept deeply, her dreams full of the elder who didn’t spend much time with her but was kind and gentle.

With rough hands, he would rub against her face, which was a bit prickly.

Wearing old cloth clothes, sometimes just returned from the fields, covered in dirt, and would specially bathe and change clothes to hug them...

The furniture in the room was old, but there was a box in the cabinet always filled with snacks...

At that time, in the small shop at the entrance of the village, little candies were only one or two cents each, and those puffed snacks were just a few cents a small bag, the village kids would often hold tight to those few coins to buy, eating while playing.

Grandpa Su initially bought just these.

But later, for some reason, Grandpa Su never went to the village’s small store to buy them snacks anymore. He would either ask someone to go out of the village to the town to buy them or dress up neatly himself, tying the money to his waistband, and go to the town supermarket to buy them.

When Xiao Meng was sixteen or seventeen, she accidentally overheard Mom and Dad mentioning this.

Mom said at the time she saw Xiao Meng holding snacks without any trademark or quality inspection and eating them, and she told Xiao Meng, "These snacks are not proper. Your third grandpa likes you, but he doesn’t understand this. When he gives you things, don’t refuse him, but also don’t put them in your mouth."

Unexpectedly, this was overheard by Grandpa Su.

Grandpa Su didn’t get angry. He even privately asked Su’s mother, wanting to know where to buy snacks for children that he could feel assured about. He also apologized to Su’s mother for previously giving Meng Meng bad things.

At the time, Su’s mother felt a pang of guilt.

She didn’t want Grandpa Su to spend much, but Grandpa Su kept asking and said rather pitifully...

Hao Hao only comes back once a year, and even when he comes back, he rarely gets close to this grandpa...

He can only compete with his brother for the grandchildren.

Grandpa Su was teasing with a smile, but it made Su’s mother feel a pang of heartache.

The next day, Xiao Meng woke up early, wearing a black suit she had prepared earlier.

Actually, people in the countryside are not so particular about the attire of funeral attendees. Roughly speaking, as long as you don’t wear something too bright, it’s fine.

But Xiao Meng’s family dressed relatively formally.

Arriving at Su Family Village.

Su Family Village had a relocation plan early in the year, and the families on the west side of the village had already been surveyed, and recently the east side has been surveyed.

The ancestral house of the Su Family is located on the east side.

The funeral hall is set up in the hall of Grandpa Su’s two-story old house.

Xiao Meng hadn’t shed any tears yet, but she was following behind her parents, watching that black and white portrait, with Grandpa Su’s honest smile right before her eyes, her eyes turned red, and she couldn’t hold back her tears when bowing to Grandpa Su.

Su Jianhui, wearing mourning clothes, and Zhou Wenxiu knelt beside, where Zhou Wenxiu was wailing, yet not a single tear came out.

That Su Li Hao acted more like a wooden stump sitting beside, and Su Xiaomeng saw the impatience in his eyes...

Su Li Hao’s pretty girlfriend also came; Xiao Meng had already forgotten her name.

But she saw her sitting aside, head down playing with her phone.

For a moment, Su Xiaomeng really felt it wasn’t worth it for Grandpa Su.

In the afternoon, the sky turned gray, drizzling gentle rain accompanied by funeral music and wailing, sending Grandpa Su onto the car to the crematorium.

Su Xiaomeng didn’t go to the crematorium; she felt she might not be able to handle that scene.

So she stayed and chatted with her grandparents for a while.

Xiao Meng’s grandmother is super cute. Just the last time when she and Yin Shixiu held their wedding in Bali Island, she came back afterward and was particularly proud.

Whenever she met someone, she would say how the scenery on that island was exceptionally beautiful!

She said the wedding was particularly important, saying the granddaughter and grandson-in-law especially took care of the two of them, took them to see the sea, even found someone to serve them from behind, treating them like a queen.

She also talked about people on the island, saying stuff she didn’t understand, no idea what kind of bird language it was, not a single word did they comprehend, but the teeth of people over there were very white.

She said the grandson-in-law even came to their room specially at night to ask if they were comfortable, if the bed board was too soft, if they needed a change...

Also said the granddaughter and grandson-in-law dressed very well! A perfect couple.

Thus, regarding the wedding picture of Xiao Meng and Yin Shixiu, she took it out to show everyone she met.

Actually, Xiao Meng and Yin Shixiu didn’t do anything special for the two old folks. In those days, they were busy being the main focus among the guests, hardly having time.

So taking care of the two old folks, that was left for the steward to handle.

But in the eyes of the grandparents, the granddaughter and grandson-in-law seemed to be the most filial children in the whole world.

Just a few more reminders from Shixiu at night were enough to satisfy the two elders.

Xiao Meng knows that grandparents want very little, compared to the love and care they’ve given her since her birth.

Even a word, a greeting, a concern can make them feel satisfied, feel happy...

But for a third grandpa, a heartfelt concern from his children and grandchildren is so hard.

"By the way, Meng Meng, why didn’t Xiao Yin come?"

Grandmother held Su Xiaomeng’s hand and asked.

Su Xiaomeng quickly explained, "He wanted to come, but I didn’t let him. He’s been busy these days. He said once he’s done with this period, he will definitely come to see you two."

"Oh! You tell Xiao Yin that health is more important than anything, don’t work too hard. This is the countryside; it’s not easy to come here. Having this thought is enough, it’s enough!"

Su Xiaomeng sat on a small stool, leaning against grandmother, "Grandmother must take care of your health. When Shuangshuang and Huanghuang grow a little older, I want to bring them over to recognize great-grandmother and great-grandfather!"