School Beauty's Invincible Martial Expert

Mother Xiao gently pushed Xiao Han's hand away before softly comforting him by her side.

Xiao Han's inner world opened up, and his grip gradually loosened.

Mother Xiao sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her son with affectionate eyes. Now, her son had grown up to be a handsome and dashing young man. How she wished she could live forever with him. But just as fledgling birds eventually leave their mother, so must her son. One day, Xiao Han would inevitably marry and have children of his own, and by then, she would become an outsider.

"My son!" Mother Xiao caressed Xiao Han's cheek gently, her loving gaze never fading.

......

Grandma Liu's funeral was set for July 28.

That day was only a few days away from the Ghost Festival, which was said to be an auspicious day, suitable for burials. Thus, the Liu family members chose this date. Once the date was set, the memorial service was arranged to be held at the Cemetery.

Liu Xiaolei paid for a Memorial Hall within the Cemetery, renting the most prestigious Chang'an Hall. It was filled with densely packed wreaths, Grandma Liu's remains were placed in the center, surrounded by a circle of white flowers around the glass coffin.

That day, the majority of Fuxing Community residents came, as Grandma Liu was a respected good Samaritan of Fuxing Community. Furthermore, her advanced age meant that many came to pay their respects, bearing in their hearts respect for an elder.

On that day, a crowd of about two hundred people gathered at the entrance of Chang'an Hall, all dressed in dark clothes, slowly walking towards the hall and forming a queue to enter.

The Liu family members were receiving guests in front of the memorial hall.

Liu Xiaolei cried her heart out; these past few days, she truly suffered, her eyes swollen from weeping.

Xiao Han and his mother were also in the procession of mourners, trailing at the end of the line, walking slowly toward the memorial hall. Despite the summer heat, the strong sun, and the high temperature, nothing could stop the crowd from seeing Grandma Liu off on her last journey.

Xiao Han and his mother entered the Memorial Hall.

"A guest has arrived," announced the mortuary officiant loudly.

Everyone looked up at Xiao Han and his mother.

"Please bow to the guests, one bow..." the officiant's voice was loud.

Xiao Han bowed deeply three times and then offered incense with his mother.

The Liu family members returned the gesture to Xiao Han, bowing in response.

Wearing a mourning dress of coarse hemp and a white headscarf, Liu Xiaolei listened as Xiao Han approached and softly consoled her, "Xiao Lei, don't cry, restrain your grief."

"Xiao Han..." Liu Xiaolei threw herself into Xiao Han's arms, choking up, "My mother...she had such a hard life. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache. Now I finally... finally understand the saying, 'When a child is ready to nurture, the parents are gone.'"

"Yes!" Xiao Han nodded, saying, "At least... you still have your father. He's getting old and suffering from the pain of losing his other half, you shouldn't cry but should offer him comfort instead. 'When a child is ready to nurture, the parents are gone,' you can now devote all your filial piety to your father. Right?"

"Yes!" Liu Xiaolei nodded.

The saying "When a child is ready to nurture, the parents are gone" encapsulates one of life's most painful realities. You may have the ability and the means to honor your parents, but at the zenith of your capability, at your most triumphant moment, your loved ones may depart from this world. That is truly the most tragic affair.

Liu Xiaolei took a deep breath and said, "You're right!"

After that, Liu Xiaolei wiped away her tears and walked slowly towards her father.

Old Liu sat in his chair, wiping away tears; no one seemed to care for his feelings. After people arrived, they bowed three times to the memorial hall, offered incense, and then left. Few stayed behind, leaving Old Liu sobbing.

"Dad!" Liu Xiaolei went over and said, "Mom is gone, and from now on, I will stay with you."

"Silly girl!" Old Liu gently patted Liu Xiaolei's shoulder and said, "It's the thought that counts."

"No, I won't leave again, and I won't be capricious," Liu Xiaolei shook her head, saying, "Even if I get married, I will only marry someone from Linjiang City, I will never leave, because I want to stay with you. I want to honor you."

"Silly girl," Old Liu held Liu Xiaolei tightly, endless tears falling down.

Ultimately, Grandma Liu was cremated and laid to rest in the Cemetery, where the three siblings of the Liu family paid for a burial plot.

The eldest son, Liu Dajun, carried the urn toward the grave as the cemetery workers had already opened the burial site. Once the urn was placed inside, they would immediately seal the grave with cement to prevent any grave robbers from stealing the ashes.

"Wait a minute!" Old Liu abruptly called out at that moment.

"What's wrong?" The procession halted instantly.

"There's... there's something, I have a matter," Old Liu said in a hurry, "I... I want to go back home once more, to get something to place in my spouse's grave."

"I'll come with you!" Liu Dajun quickly offered.

"Let me go instead," Liu Xiaolei spoke up hastily, "Xiao Han, did you drive here?"

"It's open!" Xiao Han nodded eagerly, loosened his mother's hand, and hurried forward.

"Big brother, second brother, Xiao Han and I will take dad home for a bit. You guys wait here for a while!" Liu Xiaolei said.

"Okay!" Both brothers immediately nodded.

Since Xiao Han was driving, they naturally didn't have anything to say. After all, driving was definitely much faster than walking.

So, they decisively waited in place.

Xiao Han immediately drove the car over and then rushed to Fuxing Community with Liu Xiaolei and Old Liu.

Xiao Han had always been puzzled and curiously asked, "Old Liu, what do you need to take from home?"

"One thing!" Old Liu said seriously, "This item is too important for her."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Han nodded and said, "That's true. If it's something very important to Grandma Liu, let's keep it with her always."

Liu Xiaolei had never understood what could be so important at home.

"Dad, what exactly is it?" Liu Xiaolei asked.

"You'll know in a moment," Old Liu said, wiping away tears.

After they arrived at home, the dim house also had a bit of a musty smell.

Indeed, without a woman in the house, Liu Xiaolei not being there, the house fell into disarray. With Old Liu now living alone, the house once again became messy. No one to tidy it up, a man, and an elderly one at that, had even less inclination to clean. Old Liu had to care for Grandma Liu every day; where would he find time to tidy up?

Liu Dajun had already moved out. Liu Xiaolei had contributed money to buy Liu Dajun a house. After Liu Dajun remarried, he rarely came back home, working hard every day to earn money, hoping to pay off the mortgage sooner so that he could relax a little.

Returning home, Old Liu shakily opened a very old chest and turned out everything inside. Finally, he took something from the bottom of the chest, wrapped in a piece of black cloth.

Old Liu trembled as he unwrapped the black cloth and took out a very small set of clothes.

"Dad, what... what is this?" Liu Xiaolei asked in astonishment.

"These are clothes your mother knitted when she was young," Old Liu sighed and said, "These clothes were originally for our first child, but the child fell ill shortly after birth, and after wearing these for a few days, passed away. Later, fearing that these belongings would remind your mother of the child and make her sad, I threw away everything of that child's except for this set of clothes your mother made by hand, having never thrown them out. Now that your mother is gone, I'll place these clothes by her side, to give her some comfort in her heart. Perhaps the child will come to find her."

With that, Liu Xiaolei's tears fell once more.

"Dad..." Liu Xiaolei called out.

Initially, seeing the immense pain her mother bore, did her father feel none? Not only did he have to endure such tremendous pain, but he also had to care for his wife every day and discard all the child's belongings personally. Thinking of this, Liu Xiaolei suddenly felt that her father was an extraordinarily great man.

"Xiao Lei, we should hurry over," Xiao Han said urgently, "Everyone is waiting. It's time to proceed with the burial."

"Mm!" Liu Xiaolei nodded.

Afterward, they rushed to the cemetery.

Upon arrival, Old Liu personally placed the set of children's clothes on top of Grandma Liu's urn. The cemetery staff immediately covered it with a cement slab and then sealed it with cement. To open it, one could only ask for the cemetery staff's assistance. Otherwise, no one could.

Just as the burial took place, the previously clear sky suddenly gathered a white cloud, beneath which the clouds were dark and oppressive. A series of cold winds blew.

"Wow, comfortable!"

"So cool, this weather, it's really great."

Everyone, who had previously been squinting from the glaring sun, suddenly felt a chilly breeze and instantly felt much cooler.

After the final tribute, everyone slowly descended the hill. Old Liu's family still knelt at the gravesite. Old Liu sat beside the gravestone, looking at the portrait above it. He puffed on his smoking pipe, took a deep breath, and said, "My dear, I'll be joining you soon. Wait for me down there."

The gravesite was for both of them, with Old Liu's spot already reserved next to Grandma Liu. It seemed Old Liu could see the place where he would rest after a hundred years. His heart was utterly serene and peaceful.

As everyone left, only Old Liu's family and Xiao Han with his mother remained.

"Old Liu, don't be too sad," Mother Xiao consoled softly, "The children are successful, and your wife's life can be considered perfectly completed."

"Ah..." Old Liu sighed.

"Let's go," Xiao Han said.

The weather was overcast, with cold winds howling, giving the hilltop an oppressive aura of yin qi.

"Let's go!" Liu Dajun spoke up.