On the afternoon of May 14, Xu Tongdao received a page from Xu Tonglin, who asked him to return the call.
Xu Tongdao didn't know if something happened at the barbecue restaurant. When he received the page, he quickly found a phone booth and called Xu Tonglin.
As a result, as soon as the phone call came through, Xu Tonglin said: "Xiaodao, Xi Dongyang's grandfather has passed away. You or Brother Gongji should come back! Xi Dongyang has already asked for leave to go home to attend the funeral for his grandfather. If neither you nor Brother Gongji comes back.
, in the next few days, no one will be grilling mutton skewers in the store, Xiaodao, did you hear what I said clearly? "
Xu Tongdao: "..."
After receiving such news suddenly, Tongdao Xu didn't know what to say for a while.
Many thoughts ran through my mind.
For example: How did Grandpa Xi Dongyang leave this time?
For example: When the old man left, did it hurt? Did you feel relieved?
etc.
He has known Xi Dongyang for a long time, and he has also met Xi Dongyang's grandfather. The old man has to go to the hospital almost every month and suffers from various ailments and ailments almost constantly.
It's just a medicine jar.
The old man himself lived in pain, and Xi Dongyang was also overwhelmed. Now that the old man is gone, Comrade Xu didn't know whether he should be happy for Xi Dongyang or not.
I guess Xi Dongyang still felt very sad.
After all, it was Xi Dongyang’s biological grandfather who passed away.
"Oh, I know, I'll be right back!"
…
After finishing the call, Comrade Xu thought for a while and called Zheng Qing and Ge Lianghua. When they called, Comrade Xu briefly talked about Dongyang's trick and handed over five Internet cafes to their supervision.
After that, he drove back to Shazhou County.
He didn't send Gu Lianghua.
Because he felt that not only should he take over Xi Dongyang's job and go to the barbecue restaurant to grill skewers, but Comrade Xu should also attend the funeral of Xi Dongyang's grandfather.
As if it was to win over people's hearts, Comrade Xu should also attend.
When Xu Tongdao returned to Shazhou County, he first went to his barbecue restaurant.
As soon as I entered the house, I heard Xu Tonglin talk about the cause of death of Grandpa Xi Dongyang - a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, and he could not be saved.
When Tongdao Xu returned to the barbecue restaurant, it was already evening.
It was close to the opening hours of the barbecue restaurant, so that night, he was busy until two o'clock in the morning and had no time to go to Xi Dongyang's house.
That night, he returned to his new home over at County No. 1 Middle School.
At dawn, he drove Xu Tonglin to the vegetable market to purchase the ingredients needed for today. After that, he sent Xu Tonglin and the ingredients to the barbecue restaurant, and then he had time to drive to Xi Dongyang's house.
When he arrived, Comrade Xu saw that the mourning hall at Xi Dongyang's home had been prepared. He saw Xi Dongyang and Xi Xiaoqian, whom he had not seen for a long time.
Both brothers and sisters looked very sad.
The difference is that Xi Dongyang's eyes are not red and swollen, but Xi Xiaoqian's eyes are as red and swollen as ripe peaches, probably because she cried too hard.
Comrade Xu took the wreaths he bought on the road from the car and placed them in the mourning hall of Xi Dongyang's family.
He came forward, offered incense to the old man, and bowed.
Xi Dongyang and Xi Xiaoqian, who were wearing linen and mourning, knelt aside numbly. When they saw Comrade Xu coming to offer incense, they did not get up. They just bowed their heads and bowed their heads in obedience to the rules.
The atmosphere in the mourning hall can easily make people feel heavy.
Tongdao Xu felt very heavy at this time, because the scene in the mourning hall reminded him too easily of the mourning hall built after his mother passed away before he was reborn.
Looking at the rankings on the altar table and the old man's photo, Xu Tongdao looked at it silently for a moment, sighed softly, walked up to Xi Dongyang and Xi Xiaoqian, and whispered: "My condolences! Brother Xi, Xiaoqian, is there anything I can do?"
Help?"
Xi Xiaoqian shook her head.
Xi Dongyang raised his eyes to look at Xu Tongdao, shook his head slightly, and said in a low voice: "No, thank you!"
Tongdao Xu nodded silently, walked aside, and handed his gift money to a middle-aged man in charge.
…
Grandpa Xi Dongyang’s funeral took place for three days, and on the third day, the funeral took place.
On the morning of the funeral, Comrade Xu came again, wearing a white mourning cloth on his arm, and followed the funeral procession to take the old man's ashes to a wasteland outside the city for burial.
The day after the funeral, Xi Dongyang returned to work.
But Comrade Xu was not in a hurry to return to the city.
This month, he has no money to continue opening a branch.
Ge Liangcai's sudden withdrawal of shares and the request for money lent to him immediately wiped out all the funds in his hand. If he wanted to open another branch, he had to continue to save money.
No branches will be opened this month. Zheng Qing and Ge Lianghua are keeping an eye on the five Internet cafes in the city. Comrade Xu is relieved that he does not need to go there in person to guard them every day.
In the early morning of the day when Xi Dongyang came back to work, Comrade Xu came to the store, prepared some dishes, and drank with Xi Dongyang to help Xi Dongyang calm down his emotions.
This meal lasted for more than two hours.
When it ended, it was almost three o'clock in the morning.
During this period, Xi Dongyang was very silent, but drank a lot.
After drinking, the tiger head tattoo on his neck emerged clearly.
For more than a week, Comrade Xu did not return to the city.
He seemed to be suddenly free.
I lived in my new home in the county every day, and had breakfast with Xu Tonglin and my younger brother Xu Tonglu every morning. On weekends, I even drove Xu Tonglu back to his hometown.
Along the way, he and his brother Xu Tonglu chatted about some topics.
For example: Xu Tonglu’s studies; For example: Has Xu Tonglu made friends recently; For example: Are you used to eating the food in the school cafeteria?
etc.
Next month, his sister Ge Yuzhu will take the high school entrance examination this year.
Xu Tongdao has always been concerned about this matter. When he returned home this time, he also asked about his sister's studies and looked at her scores in various subjects in this year's midterm exam.
After looking at it for a few times, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Because his sister's academic performance has improved a bit in the past two years, but looking at her recent midterm exam results, Xu Tongdao feels that she has no hope of being admitted to high school on her own.
Fortunately, County No. 1 Middle School and County No. 2 Middle School accept selective students every year.
It doesn't matter if you fail the exam. As long as you pay enough school selection fees as required, anyone can go to those two high schools.
In his previous life, Tongdao Xu definitely didn't have the money to pay the school choice fee for his sister, but in this life, there is no pressure.
…
This May, Comrade Xu spent a lot of time in the county town, and knocked on Wu Yali's window in the early morning.
But, I don’t know what’s going on?
There seems to be a lot going on this month.
In the early morning at the end of May, Comrade Xu knocked on Wu Yali's door again. After a friendly and cordial exchange with her, Wu Yali lay in his arms and told him in a low voice, "My mother asked someone to introduce me to a person. Two days later, she
We are going to have a blind date tomorrow, and if everything goes well, I may get remarried in a while."
Xu Tongdao: "..."
After a moment of silence, Comrade Xu said, "I understand."
She is still young and beautiful. Although she has been divorced once, remarriage is certain.
Xu Tongdao was just surprised that she would remarry so soon.