nucmednet Chapter 1080 Tomb
Chapter 1080 Tomb
In the cemetery, a cold wind swept through the trees, carrying a somewhat eerie feel as it passed over the tombstones.
An Ran's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Seeing this, Teng Zijing took off his trench coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Looking at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law crying, his eyes showed sympathy, but also a hint of estrangement.
"Old man, you were proud all your life, but you ended up dying in a car accident, and you didn't even bother to say goodbye to me in your last moments."
The old woman grew increasingly weak as she spoke, eventually collapsing to the ground, no longer caring about her appearance, tears streaming down her face.
"You promised to provide me with a life of luxury, but now... now I have nowhere to go home."
Without loved ones, one is like a drifting catkin, wandering the world, without a fixed abode…
"My son, my poor old man, why didn't you take me with you?" She beat her chest and stamped her feet, her cries particularly piercing in the silent cemetery.
An Ran grew increasingly irritated as she listened, and suddenly shouted, "Enough! What are you yelling at an empty tomb for?"
Jian Xinyi and the old lady immediately stopped crying. The old lady looked exhausted and haggard.
Her tear-streaked face was full of doubt: "You brat, what did you just say?"
Teng Zijing shielded An Ran behind him and said in a deep voice, "Xiao Ran didn't say anything. Please accept our condolences. The deceased is gone, and the living must go on. Take good care of yourselves."
"You brat!" the old woman suddenly raised her voice, pointing at him and scolding.
"I, this old woman, am not happy that An Tai has fallen into your hands! That's the foundation that my husband built up with his life's blood and sweat!"
You used your cunning and power to seize the Lou family's assets; I curse you to be childless and die a horrible death!
"You're the one who'll be childless and have no descendants!" An Ran couldn't help but lunge forward to retort, but Teng Zijing blocked her way;
An Ran sneered, "Now that you've fallen so low, don't you know how to be polite to Xiao Chi?"
Your words are hurtful; do you have no sense of public morality? You heard me right, there's nothing here, just a cenotaph.
"The story about my brother and grandfather dying in a car accident while negotiating in T City is all a lie my parents told you!"
She took a deep breath, her voice tinged with coldness: "That father and son stole someone else's sales."
While en route to Berlin, a car was forced to stop across a bridge, causing it to plunge into the sea. The search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful.
The fact that he was only pronounced dead at the very end shows that justice prevails and retribution is swift and certain.
The old woman was struck dumb; her eyes widened as if burning with scarlet flames.
She stammered out two words, "What?" before collapsing backward, unable to catch her breath.
"Mom! Wake up! Mom, don't scare me!" Jian Xinyi cried hysterically as she held her unconscious mother-in-law.
Seeing the urgency of the situation, Teng Zijing quickly stepped forward and squatted down: "Quick, lay him flat."
Jian Xinyi hurriedly did as she was told, gently laying the old lady flat on the ground. She wiped away her tears, her whole body trembling with nervousness.
Right now, besides her son Xiao Chi, her mother-in-law is the only person she can rely on while she's abroad!
Jian Xinyi was sold to a remote mountain village by human traffickers to be their wife, and as a result, she suffered endless hardships growing up.
She followed her husband, who was seven years younger than her, into the city, only to be abducted again by human traffickers and sold to a club to work as a prostitute.
After meeting Lou Xiaotian, she escaped her misery and married into the Lou family, finally finding happiness after hardship. She had long forgotten her parents from her original family after many twists and turns!
Teng Zijing reached out and pinched her philtrum, then pressed on her chest. After several repetitions, the old lady finally exhaled and slowly woke up.
She opened her eyes and, without saying a word, slapped Teng Zijing across the face.
"Are you even human?" An Ran rushed forward and pulled Teng Zijing to his feet, angrily rebuking him, "People were kind enough to save you, and you repay kindness with enmity!"
The old woman was barely breathing, her voice weak yet defiant: "Who needs your help..."
"If I die here today, it will be the end of it all, and I won't have to suffer your scorn and humiliation anymore..."
"What are you talking about? It's as if we have all this free time in the world." An Ran's tone was laced with suppressed anger.
"If you hadn't suddenly returned to China, none of this trouble would have happened. Originally, when Zijing and I were acquiring a subsidiary in Europe..."
We were planning to open your account as soon as possible, it was only a few days away, and you, instead, couldn't wait to fly back to confront us.
She took a deep breath, slowed her speech, but her tone was undeniably serious:
"I think you've been living comfortably for too long. Once you get there..."
It's time for Xiao Chi to learn to shoulder some responsibility. You all understand the principle of not living off your savings, right?
After An Ran finished speaking, she took Teng Zijing's hand and walked towards the entrance of the cemetery.
Jian Xinyi supported her mother-in-law, who was slumped on the ground. She was at a loss and could only watch their backs as their eyes reddened.
After leaving the cemetery, Teng Zijing opened the passenger door, and An Ran, looking exhausted, got in.
He went around to the driver's seat, got in, and took a box of chocolates from the glove compartment.
He opened the package and handed it to her, saying, "Don't be upset. Have a piece of chocolate, and all your worries will be insignificant."
An Ran didn't take the chocolate. Instead, she reached out and cupped his cheeks, gently touching the side of his face where he had been hit with her fingertips: "Does it still hurt?"
Teng Zijing smiled and shook his head, taking her hand and pressing it against his face: "You have thick skin, you're not that delicate, it doesn't hurt anymore."
As soon as she finished speaking, the back door was opened, and Jian Xinyi carefully helped the old lady into the car.
He then went around to the other side to get into the car, his voice tinged with unease: "Excuse me, Master Jing..."
Please take us to the airport! We're so sorry to have bothered you these past few days.
The old lady leaned back in her chair, her face still pale, but she didn't speak anymore. She just closed her eyes, as if she had exhausted all her strength.
An Ran glanced in the rearview mirror, then looked away, silently unwrapped the chocolate Teng Zijing handed her, and put it in her mouth.
The sweetness mixed with a hint of bitterness spread across the tip of the tongue, but it didn't completely suppress the inexplicable melancholy in my heart.
Like the taste of chocolate, it's not perfect, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Teng Zijing started the car and drove smoothly away from the cemetery, heading towards the airport.
For a moment, only the soft hum of the engine remained in the carriage; all the constraints of life transformed into unpredictable forms.
The women's prison cell was cramped and quiet. Lou Fangyun huddled in the corner of her bed.
Clutching the cloth bag her mother brought during her prison visit tightly in her arms, her fingertips could feel the outline of the contents within the fabric, but her thoughts drifted back to her distant girlhood.
It happened in a school classroom. As soon as the bell rang, the students crowded towards the class monitor's seat.
"Happy birthday, class monitor!" Someone handed over a postcard filled with birthday wishes.
Someone brought out a handmade ant car, demonstrating its operation before placing it on the table:
"See? With this kind of effort, it can run on its own! How about that? Amazing, right?"
The squad leader smiled and reached out to take it: "Thank you, Li Yaohui, I really like this."
At this moment, a shy girl named Ya Ya stepped forward, blushing, and called out coyly, "Class monitor..."
The onlookers parted to greet the sound, "Happy birthday, this is..."
A red egg lay in her palm, eliciting a collective gasp of surprise as everyone stared wide-eyed and exclaimed in unison, "A red egg?"
Ya Ya explained shyly, "Grandma said that on your birthday you eat a red egg and roll it all over your body."
Reciting "Go away misfortune, go away disaster, calamity go away" will drive away bad luck and illness, and bring peace and health.
After the girl finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter. "Thank you, Ya Ya," the class monitor replied politely.
"Squad leader, let me help you roll it!" Li Yaohui reached out and picked up the egg, smiling as he rubbed it against the squad leader.
"Get out of here, disaster! Get out of here!"
"No, no, it should be 'Roll away disaster, roll away disaster'!" Everyone burst into laughter again, and the classroom was filled with a lively and warm atmosphere.
Lou Fangyun sat to the side watching all this, feeling as if something had stung her heart.
She abruptly stood up and walked over, her voice trembling slightly.
"Today is also my birthday, could you... roll some red eggs for me too?"
Ya Ya blushed and said shyly, "Fang Yun, the red eggs are for the class monitor. You never mentioned that today is also your birthday..."
"That's right, that's right! You're the eldest daughter of the Lou family, what don't you have? You can have your mother cook a whole basketful when you get home!"
The students' chatter was like pebbles, making her cheeks burn.
Looking at those scornful smiles, she turned and rushed out of the classroom, crying all the way home.
She collapsed onto the sofa as soon as she entered, her face covered in tears and snot. Her mother, hearing the noise, rushed over.
With a look of doting concern, he asked, "Xiaoyun, what's wrong? Why are you crying like this? Were you bullied at school?"
"Today is my birthday...and also the class monitor's birthday...everyone gave him a gift."
"But nobody remembers my birthday..." she choked up, unable to finish her sentence.
Her mother smiled and ruffled her hair: "It's just a birthday present! Mom will take you to buy it. Whatever you want today, Mom will buy it for you, okay?"
"I don't want it!" she cried. "I want a red egg! Grandma Ya Ya said that on your birthday you have to roll a red egg all over yourself!"
While rolling, he chanted: "Roll away disaster, roll away calamity. This way, I will be free from disaster and hardship for the rest of my life."
"Oh, I see."
The mother turned around, reached onto the coffee table, and lifted a lid, revealing a box of red eggs neatly arranged inside. "Look what this is," she said.
"Wow, red eggs!" Lou Fangyun's eyelashes were glistening with tears, and her face was filled with uncontrollable surprise.
The mother's lips curled into a smile, a look of satisfied pride on her face: "Mom prepared it for you a long time ago."
Her thoughts drifted away from her memories, and Lou Fangyun looked down at the cloth bag in her arms.
Today, during my visit to her in prison, her mother brought her red eggs again—it turns out her mother always remembered her birthday.
It should be said that all mothers in the world remember their children's birthdays!
She slowly untied the corner of the cloth, revealing six bright red eggs lying inside, as if still warm from her mother's hands.
The dim light in the cell reflected the warm glow of the eggs. She picked one up and gently pressed it against her cheek.
Beneath the cool eggshell, it felt as if a warm current was flowing over, bringing a belated and clumsy warmth.