Chapter 405 - 137: Beyond the Three Realms and Outside the Five Elements
Chen Yan nodded solemnly, "Mm, I remember!"
"Good." The old man felt relieved, then turned to Chen Yan, "I’ve always had a concern in my heart. I couldn’t ask you before, but now that I’m close to closing my eyes, tell me the truth."
Chen Yan looked at the old man.
"Your grandma... she..."
"Grandpa, my grandma, she didn’t actually die." Chen Yan didn’t want to hide it anymore, seeing that the old man was near the end, he didn’t want to hide anything from him at this moment.
Upon hearing this, the old man’s eyes widened, and slowly, a look of joy appeared in his eyes.
"Good! Good, good, good! Just as I thought, just as I thought!"
The old man patted his thigh and laughed, "I just knew it, with her strange skills, how could she just die like that... Your grandma, she doesn’t seem like an ordinary person."
Saying this, he let out a sigh of relief, "That’s good, that’s good. If your grandma didn’t die, then at least you still have a family member in this world, and I don’t have to worry anymore."
In fact, Chen Yan didn’t reveal that although his grandma wasn’t dead, strictly speaking, she wasn’t in this world either.
But at this moment, let’s not talk about it.
"It’s just a pity that when I go underground, I won’t be able to see her, alas!"
The old man said, took another puff from his cigarette, then stubbed it heavily on the ground, "Let’s go! Go home!"
·
Back at home, the two hadn’t been out long, yet Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao were anxiously waiting in the yard. Only when they saw the two return did they breathe a sigh of relief.
The old man went back into the house and sat down in the main room, looking at his children, "When will they be back?"
Uncle Zhao nodded, "I’ve let them know, my wife and kids are on the way, they’ll be here soon."
The old man looked at Aunt Zhao and found out that Aunt Zhao’s husband had also taken leave and was rushing here with their son.
"Xiaoyan, how much longer will I be clear-headed?"
"A little over an hour." Chen Yan said in a low voice, "But I have one more pill. Taking it will give you another two hours."
The old man shook his head, "Forget it, I won’t need it. I can’t hold on that long. Save that last pill for someone else in the future, don’t waste it."
Suddenly, he clapped his forehead, as if he remembered something, and went into the room to take out a bottle of liquor. It was the Moutai Chen Yan had given him during the New Year, with one bottle left.
The old man directly unscrewed it, took a sniff at the bottle, "Good stuff! Ah, if I had known, I wouldn’t have saved it."
After speaking, he looked at his children, "There’s food in the kitchen, right? Heat up a couple of dishes, I’ll have a drink."
His children seemed to want to say something, but Chen Yan pulled them aside and slowly shook his head.
Soon, a plate of fried peanuts was ready, along with half a cucumber and some leftover stir-fried vegetables from last night.
The old man wasn’t choosy, he drank two glasses of Moutai with the peanuts, and asked his children and Chen Yan to accompany him.
The old man wasn’t greedy, after two glasses, he put down his chopsticks!
"That’s enough! I’m very satisfied."
With a smile on his face, the old man said, "At the end of one’s life, being able to drink, smoke, and sit at the same table with family to eat and talk... such a privilege, I’m content."
He stood up, but his body swayed.
Chen Yan’s heart tightened.
Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao came over to support the old man.
The old man’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit were noticeably declining, and Chen Yan understood... it wasn’t that the Qingming Pill’s effect was insufficient, but... the hour was near!
They helped the old man to the room to lie down, and the old man instructed his children to put on his old military uniform, which had been kept in the chest.
By the time he was dressed, more people had arrived at the house.
Aunt Zhao’s husband and child, and Uncle Zhao’s wife and child, all had arrived.
Next, everyone gathered at the bedside to see the old man, but the old man shook his eyes: "So many people, too chaotic... leave, come in one by one, I’ll explain individually."
The first one the old man called into the room was Aunt Zhao.
The old man was not favoring sons over daughters, but going by age order.
Aunt Zhao was the eldest daughter, the first to go in and receive his last words.
Then Aunt Zhao’s family.
Then Uncle Zhao, Uncle Zhao’s family...
Chen Yan moved a small stool and sat outside the room, sitting under the eaves, looking at the yard.
In the yard, a few chickens were walking back and forth, and the puppy from the New Year had grown a bit, lying in the yard yawning.
Chen Yan felt his thoughts were a bit aimless, suddenly he felt a shadow looming over him.
He raised his head, and saw Lu Sisi standing in front of him.
"You didn’t call me, I was worried about you..." Lu Sisi squatted down, holding Chen Yan’s hand.
"Oh. Sorry... my mind was a bit messy, I forgot." Chen Yan replied awkwardly.
Lu Sisi gently squeezed Chen Yan’s hand.
At this moment, Aunt Zhao came out from the house, her eyes red, and patted Chen Yan, "Xiaoyan, go in for a bit, Dad wants to talk to you."
Chen Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
He hadn’t expected this part.
The old man leaving his instructions to his own family in his final moments was only right.
But himself... no matter how close, he wasn’t family.
However, Chen Yan didn’t hesitate, holding Lu Sisi’s hand, he entered the room.
·
Inside the room, a large and small group were standing by the bedside.
The old man was clearly running out of strength, his face ashen, and upon seeing Chen Yan come in, he only lifted his hand slightly, but his breath seemed even weaker.
When Chen Yan walked to the bedside and sat down, the old man slowly extended his hand and opened it.
In his palm was that Red Center mahjong tile.
"I promised you and promised your grandma, when I die, I’d pass this on to you."
Chen Yan took it, clenching it tightly, though his hand was trembling slightly.
His throat seemed blocked, unable to utter a single word.
"Remember what I said to you, live well." The old man patted Chen Yan’s hand.
Chen Yan nodded firmly.
The old man’s eyes lifted, searching, landing on Lu Sisi.
"My girl... please, take good care of him too, Chen Yan... he’s had a hard life."
Lu Sisi’s eyes were also red, nodding firmly.
Chen Yan didn’t say anything, but tears flowed incessantly.
Suddenly the old man took a deep breath, smiled happily and said, "I’ve had a good life, yes, very good, mm..."
And with that, his breath was gone.
The surrounding cries arose, but it seemed Chen Yan gradually heard nothing.
He just kept clenching the mahjong tile in his hand, holding it tightly.
Very tightly.