After Ouyang Meihua and Li Liguo, Li Min and Chen Suozhu all planned to leave Kushan Mountain, Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo stayed to leave together after burning the memorial paper for the seventh day.
The next morning, Mother Zhou blocked the courtyard, crying and begging the Li family to let Zhou Yulin go.
She said that Zhou Yulin was sentenced to five years in prison, that his best years would be spent in jail, and that his life would be ruined.
No one from the Li family paid any attention to her.
Father Zhou rushed over, grabbed his wife, and wanted to leave. Mother Zhou refused to leave, as she wanted to save her grandson.
“Dad, Mom, you’re back? Where is Yulin?”
Xiao Mai ran over from beside the village committee office building, with Zhou Chengbian chasing after her.
Hearing Xiao Mai’s question, the crying Mother Zhou suddenly turned around and glared resentfully at Xiao Mai: “It’s all your fault; if it weren’t for you, how could Yulin have gotten into trouble?”
“Yulin is in trouble?”
Xiao Mai panicked and spun around: “What happened to Yulin? What happened to Yulin? Where is he?”
Zhou Chengbian hugged his flustered wife and looked at his parents: “Can’t you just leave me in peace?”
“Who is to blame for Yulin’s situation, we all know in our hearts; don’t shift the blame.”
“For so many years, I’ve achieved nothing; your pride, where is it?”
After speaking, he coaxed Xiao Mai away: “Xiao Mai, I’ll take you to find Yulin.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Mai obediently agreed in Zhou Chengbian’s arms.
Li Min rushed Mother Zhou away: “A human life is only worth five years, and you’re still not satisfied; what more do you want?”
“You all hurry up and leave, and don’t come to Kushan Mountain village anymore; it will lower your city folks’ class.”
Father Zhou dragged his crying wife away. He truly felt too ashamed to return to Kushan Mountain, but his wife insisted on coming to beg the Li family.
Even if the Li family forgave Yulin, Yulin could not be released; the law is not child’s play.
Yulin himself admitted that he was going to take Li Mu’s life because he believed Li Mu was the matriarch of the Li family and the one who protected Xuanxuan the most among the Li family members…
“Pah!”
Li Min spat towards the backs of Father Zhou and Mother Zhou: “Normally, you act like good people, but in private, you’ve corrupted Yulin and Yu Fei, and then you blame others; truly shameless.”
Father Zhou forcefully held his wife, who wanted to turn back and argue: “You don’t think the Li family are easy to bully, do you?”
“Before, it was to let the in-laws rest in peace; if you go forward now, you’re just offering yourself up to be slapped.”
Mother Zhou was stunned, then left with her husband’s pull.
…
Han Lu Shi applied for housing, and Li Weili arranged company matters and moved into the accommodation area for the specialty team.
Li Wan Zhen transferred the breeding farm to Wang Xiao Dong, the sharp-tongued grandson of the Wang family next door to the old Li family house. This was the same little boy who asked Grandma Tian for fried fish when Tian Jing first arrived in Kushan Mountain. Now he was a father in his forties.
When transferring, Li Wan Zhen also transferred the remaining seeds and reminded him to buy withered plant stalks from the west plantation to use as feed.
After arranging everything, Li Wan Zhen took her two sons and moved into the specialty team’s accommodation area with Li Wei Yan.
Li Wei Bo returned from Bei Province and told his parents that his mother-in-law had breast cancer and had just had surgery.
Tian Jing found it strange: “Didn’t Shen Jianming leave Shen family members some Ginseng Stabilizing Pills?”
Old Master Shen had already handed over the Ginseng Stabilizing Pills to his eldest son to ‘manage.’
Li Wei Bo shook his head: “Ginseng Stabilizing Pills are now hard to come by. If Grandpa was in charge, he could still leave a few pills for each family of the second uncle and eldest aunt.”
“After the eldest uncle took charge, if he wanted to keep some, he would have to consider not only his own children but also the children of the second uncle’s family, as well as the eldest aunt and your parents.”
“It’s not a matter that a few pills can solve when Grandpa was in charge, so he didn’t leave any for any family.”
“Zi Yu didn’t dare to tell Mom and Dad, but after returning from Kushan Mountain, Mom and Dad already knew.”
“And Mom and Dad are now hiding it from Grandpa, fearing that Grandpa would get angry at the eldest uncle.”
Tian Jing sighed and shook her head: “Shen Jianming is too profit-driven. I’ll ask the Lan family to leave some for me and tell Zi Yu not to worry.”
“If you can’t handle it, have Si Ji transfer in to study junior high school; your father and I will take care of them.”
Just as the four Si children ran back, Li Si Ji happily nodded upon hearing his grandmother’s words: “Okay, okay, it’s even better here than in Kushan Mountain; I like it.”
Li Wei Bo looked at his eldest son: “This matter needs to be discussed with your grandparents. Do you think anyone can come in here?”
In recent years, the conditions in the accommodation area had become increasingly complete, and not just anyone could enroll in school here.
Li Si Ji was unconvinced: “With my grandma here, I can definitely get in.”
Li Wei Bo pointed at him: “Once you get in, don’t expect to get out easily. Will your grandparents agree?”
Li Si Ji lowered his head.
Tian Jing patted his shoulder: “We’ll talk about it after your father discusses it with your grandparents; you just need to listen to the adults calmly.”
“Okay.”
…
In the end, Li Si Ji did transfer in to study. After Shen Jian Rong’s surgery, she still needed chemotherapy and radiation therapy, so Yu Zi Yu didn’t have time to look after her eldest son.
As for the second son, Li Si Pei, he had already transferred from Kushan Mountain to study in the third grade.
Thus, all four Si children of the Li family were now studying in the school within the specialty team.
Two-year-old Li Si Kun followed his mother, looking for chickens and rabbits. His family clearly had plenty of chickens and rabbits, so why were they gone after moving?
Li Wan Zhen was bothered by her second son’s antics, so she went to ask her younger aunt if she could start a breeding farm; she was also bored.
Tian Jing discussed it with Zeng Jing Rong and allocated a small piece of land for her to start a small-scale breeding farm.
Of course, there would be rent, and the chickens and rabbits raised could only be sold to the canteen or the families of the residents in the accommodation area.
Li Wan Zhen was very satisfied; having something to do made life richer.
…
Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo took care of their grandchildren’s daily lives and took them to and from school, living a peaceful and warm life.
Sometimes, watching the children’s playful antics, Tian Jing couldn’t help but think of her mother-in-law; she was now like her mother-in-law was in her lifetime, focusing all her energy on taking care of her grandchildren.
When she had time, Tian Jing would also visit Xiao Song and Xiao Xiao Hei, who was buried next to Xiao Hei.
When Xiao Xiao Hei passed away, the three brothers of Li Wei Xin were very sad. They understood their mother’s feelings about not wanting to keep Xiao Xiao Hei by her side.
Xiao Song was very happy and proud that Tian Jing had fully recovered:
“Tian Tian, if I hadn’t reminded Ran Ran, that little fellow Ran Ran wouldn’t have known how to treat you; he even troubled me a lot.”
“Thank you, Xiao Song.”
Tian Jing sincerely thanked him: “Without you, I might not have even survived, let alone woken up. Meeting you is my greatest fortune.”
Xiao Song felt a little embarrassed: “Tian Tian, we are friends.”
“Yes!”
Tian Jing smiled and nodded: “We are friends.”
Plants and animals have simple minds; once they recognize a certain human, they will offer loyalty and devotion, unlike humans…
…
Before the Qingming Festival the following year, the Li family returned to Kushan Mountain together to move Li’s father’s grave.
There were many taboos regarding grave relocation. Li Zhengguo inquired from ‘professionals’ and, with his three sons and two nephews, successfully unearthed the grave.
The reburial was also smooth, and the Li family breathed a sigh of relief.
After finishing this matter, the Li family went their separate ways again.
Ouyang Meihua stated that once her grandson Li Si Xuan was old enough for school, she would bring him to the specialty team.
Li Min sadly bid farewell to her elder sister-in-law and younger sister-in-law. She had no direct relatives in the specialty team, so she couldn’t get in.