Rebirth: He Decides to Lie Flat
Chapter 146 - 146 143 The Shi Family Members

Chapter 146: Chapter 143 The Shi Family Members Chapter 146: Chapter 143 The Shi Family Members Xie Yanhai and Xie Lin snapped out of their daze, staring blankly at the figure kneeling in front of the coffin, almost crying out in shock simultaneously–

“Jiajia?”

“Sis!”

In the center of the mourning hall was a portrait of Shi Peirong, looking kind and tranquil in the black and white photo, her wise eyes as if seeing through the mortal world, or as though she had finally achieved her wish to reunite with her grandfather.

Song Jiawen wept as she kowtowed three times, then looked up at her grandmother’s portrait; she wanted to commit her to memory, never to forget.

Because she had already forgotten her grandmother and didn’t want to forget her great-grandmother as well.

“Jiajia, come over here.”

Seeing her kneeling motionless on the cold ground, Xie Yanhai hurriedly pulled her onto a cushion nearby.

He then called out to Xie Lin, “Xiaolin, go and pour a cup of hot water for your sister.”

At the same time, he asked, “How did you get back? In the middle of the night…”

Arriving home at four in the morning, what time must she have left?

And was there even public transportation from the city to the town at this hour?

She must have taken a taxi back.

This child, how could she be so careless with her safety?

“Uncle… you should have informed me earlier…”

Then perhaps she would have had the chance to speak with her great-grandmother one last time…

This left Xie Yanhai at a loss for words, as he had only intended to inform her during the winter break, according to his mother’s last wish.

It was half-past five in the morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Xie Jingying, Song Laosan, along with Song Xiwen and Zhou Youming walked in from outside.

In the not-so-spacious mourning tent, they immediately spotted the straight figure kneeling between Xie Yanhai and Xie Lin.

All four of them paused, then Xie Jingying and Song Laosan awkwardly turned their heads away.

This was the first time they had seen Song Jiawen since they learned she had become the provincial top scholar.

Xie Yanhai motioned Zhou Youming over and quietly entrusted him with some tasks.

Today, they were to transport the body to the crematorium in the county town for cremation; according to local customs, those who would attend the funeral the day after tomorrow had to come to pay respects today.

Actually, there weren’t many people, apart from the Shi Peixia’s family from Yunzhou, the rest were colleagues of Xie Yanhai and Li Yun from their school.

Xie Jingying’s in-laws should have also come in significant numbers, but due to the severe conflict she had with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law previously, now that her mother-in-law had learned of Shi Peirong’s death, she had sabotaged the Song Family by covertly reaching out to Song Lao Da and several main family cousins and their spouses, urging them not to come.

An in-law’s death is a major event; Song Laosan couldn’t possibly allow the Song Family to disrespect him in this matter, so he laid down an ultimatum to his brothers and several main family cousins: They could choose not to come, but henceforth there would be no further contact between them, and they needn’t inform him of any affairs in their families!

He might not have a son, but his daughter was a civil servant and his son-in-law was a military officer. Wasn’t this fact alone a greater advantage than those of his brothers who had sons?

After much consideration, weighing pros and cons, Song Lao Da and his brothers along with their wives ultimately came, but out of the several main family cousins who should have come together, only two appeared.

Song Laosan scanned the members of the Song Family, making sure he remembered who came and who did not.

At nine in the morning, two cars arrived from Yunzhou.

Zhou Youming stood watch at the main gate, his eyes sharply glancing at the license plates; he let out a slight sigh of relief only when he saw Shi Peixia being helped out of the car by her daughter-in-law.

Shi Peirong’s sudden departure caught everyone off guard, and when Shi Peixia received the news, she cried all night long.

The cremation was today, and her son, to spare her from excessive grief, originally did not want her to come, but how could that be possible?

Elder Yang led the way with his son and grandson, while the two daughters-in-law supported Shi Peixia as she walked behind them.

Song Jiawen had already donned the mourning attire and was standing outside the mourning hall, keeping vigil alongside Song Xiwen.

Upon seeing her sister’s portrait, Shi Peixia couldn’t help but burst into tears again, and it took some time for Li Yun and the two daughters-in-law to console her.

Coming out of the mourning hall, Shi Peixia finally noticed Song Jiawen. She was about to call her over to say a few words when a commotion suddenly erupted from the direction of the gate.

Shi Peixia frowned and turned to instruct Yang Jue, “Go see what’s happening.”

They were supposed to leave for the crematorium at ten o’clock; how could someone be causing trouble at this time?

Zhou Youming had received orders from Xie Yanhai early in the morning: not a single member of Yunzhou’s Shi Family was to be allowed in.

At this moment, a group of people had arrived outside, claiming to be relatives from the maternal side, demanding to enter and pay their respects. Zhou Youming, along with several young men helping the Xie Family, was blocking the gate.

“What’s the meaning of this? I am Shi Peirong’s own brother. As our sister has passed away, we, her family from her mother’s side, are important guests.”

The elderly leader appeared to be around seventy years old, leaning on a cane, and walked with a tremble.

Zhou Youming was having a tough time holding them back; after all, in such a condition, he did not dare to touch him.

“I’m sorry, but my grandmother explicitly stated before she passed that she had no maternal family and specifically emphasized that no one from the Shi Family should enter. Since you’re her own brother, you surely wouldn’t want her to be disturbed in her departure, right?”

The old man’s face changed drastically upon hearing this, and the faces of the Shi Family members following him also looked displeased.

“Grandpa, if that’s the case, why bother paying our respects? Let’s go, back to…”

“Shut up, this isn’t your place to speak!”

After scolding his grandson, the old man took a deep breath and when he spoke again, his tone was slightly better, “Grandson-in-law, please go and call your uncle out. I would like to have a word with him alone, is that okay?”

They had come to pay their respects, not to create a scene at the funeral.

Zhou Youming sent someone inside to fetch Xie Yanhai, while he himself stood upright at the gate, not moving an inch.

Before long, Xie Yanhai came out. He frowned as he looked at the Shi Family members and said coldly, “My mother said that she doesn’t need the Shi Family to pay their respects. Please leave.”

The old man hurriedly said, “Yanhai, listen to your uncle for a moment…”

“I have no uncle. The moment you and others conspired with outsiders to break my father’s leg, the Xie Family and the Shi Family became irreconcilable!”

Xie Yanhai hadn’t known the truth before; it was only after Shi Peirong beat him with bamboo strips that he found out. His father’s leg wasn’t just broken; his kneecap had been shattered. What kind of cruelty did it take to do that?

So from that point on, he began to hate the Shi Family too.

Now, looking at the two old men, although he wouldn’t do anything, he really loathed them to the core!

“Who do you think you are? Irreconcilable indeed…”

After Xie Yanhai finished speaking, the entire place went silent, but immediately afterward, a voice full of disdain rang out.

It was from a young man standing behind the old man; he was also the one who had first suggested leaving.

Zhou Youming glanced over coldly, about to step forward, but Xie Yanhai stopped him. Xie Yanhai looked at the old man with a sneer and said, “You claim to come to pay respects to my mother, yet you bring such descendants? Shi Zhenduo, whom are you trying to disgust? My mother, being the eldest daughter of the Shi Family, loved her two brothers dearly since she was young, only to raise two ungrateful wretches. Now, on her deathly anniversary, you’ve come to make a scene, ensuring she cannot rest in peace even in death? Shi Zhenduo, are you truly not afraid of retribution? When your time comes, I wonder how you’ll have the face to meet your own mother?”