Chapter 1070: Take Care of Yourselves

On the first day of setting up the funeral hall, all official departments related to the Ye Family sent their condolences immediately, and the next day, relatives and friends who heard the news began arriving from out of town.

Xu Changshan arrived in the Capital City at the Ye Family’s home on the morning of the second day, accompanied by his two daughters. Ye Changyuan is Xu Chunliang’s godfather, so in terms of etiquette, all Xu Family children should come.

What surprised Xu Chunliang was that his mother, Feng Mingjun, also came. Originally, Xu Chunliang wanted to notify his elusive father, Xu Jiaxuan, through her to see if he could take the time to come, but unexpectedly, his mother came in person.

Xu Chunliang had just taken his grandfather to meet Elder Ye, and when he came out, he saw his mother, Feng Mingjun, talking with Ye Changquan. From their demeanor, it seemed they knew each other from before.

Xu Chunliang recalled that his mother mentioned she used to work at the United Nations; now Ye Changquan was engaged in foreign affairs, mainly responsible for Neon business, so it was not surprising that their work paths crossed and they knew each other.

Xu Chunliang walked over, and Ye Changquan waved at him, saying, “Chunliang, let me introduce you.”

Feng Mingjun’s lips curled into a slight smile, and Ye Changquan said, “This is my brother’s godson, Xu Chunliang, and this lady…”

Before he could finish, a surprised voice said, “Mingjun, when did you come back?”

The speaker was Lin Sijin, and Feng Mingjun quickly went up to her, grasping Lin Sijin’s hands. The always strong Lin Sijin unexpectedly shed tears in front of Feng Mingjun.

Xu Chunliang was a bit dumbfounded; he knew his mom wasn’t an ordinary person, but he didn’t expect that she had already integrated into this circle, knowing people like Lin Sijin and Ye Changquan, and their relationships seemed quite good.

Feng Mingjun gently comforted her.

Xu Chunliang said to Ye Changquan, “She is…”

Ye Changquan said, “Through your godmother, you should call her Aunt.”

“What?” Xu Chunliang’s head buzzed; could Feng Mingjun and Lin Sijin be sisters? Wouldn’t that make him and Ye Qingya closely related? Surely it wouldn’t be that awkward?

Xu Chunliang quickly thought of their different surnames. By this time, Lin Sijin was already waving at him.

Xu Chunliang was now in a state of chaos, praying that the heavens wouldn’t play such a big joke on him.

When he approached Lin Sijin, she grabbed his arm and pulled him over, saying to Feng Mingjun, “Mingjun, this is the godson I mentioned to you, Xu Chunliang.”

Feng Mingjun gazed at Xu Chunliang with a bright smile, while Xu Chunliang had a face full of despair. His mother must have known about this relationship long ago, but she deliberately didn’t say anything. He had to admit, she was quite cunning.

Lin Sijin said to Xu Chunliang, “This is my sister, you should call her Aunt. Come on, say hello.”

Xu Chunliang’s despair turned into hopelessness; he now just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Feng Mingjun said, “Sis, don’t force him; just let him call her whatever he feels comfortable with.”

Xu Chunliang asked, “Are you sisters?”

Lin Sijin said, “Closer than sisters. You, child, why aren’t you saying hello?”

Seeing her son’s expression, Feng Mingjun chuckled inwardly and didn’t want him to continue feeling awkward. She softly said, “I was adopted by the Lin Family since I was young, so although there is no blood relation, the bond is just like that of biological sisters.”

Xu Chunliang pondered for a moment; indeed, the two did have similar temperaments and personalities.

Lin Sijin thought to herself, what’s going on today? Normally her godson was so clever, but today he couldn’t even say hello, and she urged, “Quickly call her Aunt.”

Xu Chunliang looked at Feng Mingjun and said, “Mom!”

Lin Sijin thought he had lost his mind and scolded, “Why are you calling the wrong person? She’s your Aunt.”

Xu Chunliang called her mom again.

Only then did Lin Sijin sense that something was wrong, and upon seeing Feng Mingjun’s satisfied expression and her response, “Yes!”

It was Lin Sijin’s turn to be bewildered: “You two…you two…”

Feng Mingjun linked arms with her and said, “Sis, this is a long story; I’ll explain it to you slowly.”

Lin Sijin pointed at Xu Chunliang’s nose: “You little rascal, you hid this from me so cruelly.”

Xu Chunliang looked innocent; he truly didn’t know. As for who was to blame, it should be his mother, Feng Mingjun, who had known all along but deliberately didn’t reveal it.

Even though Ye Qingya was Lin Sijin’s daughter, she wasn’t familiar with Feng Mingjun, mainly because Feng Mingjun had left the Lin Family when she was young to explore the outside world, and at that time, Lin Sijin and Ye Changyuan hadn’t married yet.

After learning about this relationship, Ye Qingya felt a little closer to Xu Chunliang.

In the afternoon, Elder Qiao, accompanied by Qiao Rulong, came to the Ye Family.

Xu Chunliang hadn’t seen Elder Qiao for a while and could clearly sense that Elder Qiao didn’t look as robust as before. After paying respects to Ye Changyuan, Elder Qiao comforted Ye Changquan, Lin Sijin, and Ye Qingya one by one, and finally stood by Xu Chunliang, holding his hand and sighed, “Xiaoxu, I heard about the situation in Juzhou. You’ve worked hard.”

Xu Chunliang said, “It was my duty.”

Elder Qiao let go of Xu Chunliang’s hand: “Visit our home when you have time.”

Ye Changquan accompanied Elder Qiao to leave the funeral hall, and Elder Qiao asked, “How has your father been these past two days?”

Ye Changquan said, “Going through something like this is undoubtedly upsetting, so he hasn’t been resting well. He got some intermittent sleep last night. Today, Uncle Xu came over to do some acupuncture and massage, and he’s feeling a bit better.”

Elder Qiao was startled upon hearing the term “Uncle Xu,” then quickly realized that the Uncle Xu Changquan mentioned was Xu Changshan, signifying that the relationship between the Xu Family and the Ye Family is indeed quite close.

Elder Qiao said, “Is it convenient for me to visit him?” Although he knew the other party wouldn’t refuse, Elder Qiao still politely asked for permission.

Ye Changquan replied, “Sure, please follow me.” He glanced at Qiao Rulong.

Qiao Rulong understood the hint: “Grandpa, Uncle Ye, I’ll stay outside to help.”

As Elder Qiao entered the small building, Xu Changshan was assisting Elder Ye with acupuncture. Upon seeing Elder Qiao come in, Xu Changshan greeted him, “Elder Qiao is here.”

Elder Qiao smiled and said, “Please continue, I’ll wait on the side.”

Xu Changshan replied, “I just finished.” He removed the silver needles from Elder Ye’s head and carefully stored them away, saying, “You both chat, I’ll go have a cup of tea and take a break.”

Ye Changquan showed Xu Changshan the way.

Elder Ye opened his eyes and looked at Elder Qiao, showing no emotional fluctuation on his face: “You’re here!”

Elder Qiao nodded and said, “I’m here!” He noticed Elder Ye was wearing his military uniform, his graying eyebrows twitched slightly, and he softly said, “I wanted to come yesterday, but the doctor didn’t allow it.”

Elder Ye said, “If your body doesn’t allow it, don’t force yourself. If anything were to happen to you, how would I explain it to your Qiao Family?”

Elder Qiao sighed and said, “In my life, I’d rather push myself than force others.”

Ye Changquan came over to deliver tea, and Elder Qiao accepted it.

Elder Ye said, “Yesterday, when Old Wang came over, he said, the three of us have all faced the same fate. First it was Old Wang, then you, and now it’s my turn.”

Elder Qiao said, “I remember you didn’t believe in fate.”

Elder Ye said, “I didn’t believe before, but now that I’m old, somehow, I’m starting to believe a little.”

Elder Qiao examined Elder Ye and said, “It’s been a long time since you wore that military uniform, hasn’t it?”

Elder Ye nodded, “Green mountains bury loyal bones everywhere; there’s no need to return wrapped in a horse’s hide.”

Elder Qiao was emotionally struck, these were the words he had offered at Wang Zhengyi’s memorial when he sacrificed himself.

Elder Ye said, “Zhengyi was martyred in the Zhe Yin Mountain battle, Changyuan died in the Juzhou earthquake, and Yuanshan’s whereabouts are unknown to this day.”

Elder Qiao fell into silence. His son, Qiao Yuanshan, has vanished without a trace, leaving them unsure if he’s alive or dead. Compared to the other two, Qiao Yuanshan’s situation isn’t as honorable. Elder Ye undoubtedly brought this up intentionally, hinting at something to him.

After a long pause, Elder Qiao finally said, “Old Ye, some of the rumors outside aren’t true. We’ve shared weal and woe as old friends.”

Elder Ye’s gaze didn’t meet Elder Qiao’s, and he softly said, “These past few days, I’ve been unable to sleep, constantly reflecting on the past and reminiscing about when our three families were neighbors. Back then, although we didn’t have today’s status, we were the happiest.”

Elder Qiao said nothing, and Elder Ye gave him a glance, saying, “I should say I was the happiest. I never had aspirations as grand as yours.”

Elder Qiao said, “Old Wang often said you’re the most pragmatic among us.”

Elder Ye shook his head, saying, “My mental faculties aren’t great, so I can only do what I’m capable of.”

Elder Qiao said, “None of us were better than you at leading troops into battle.”

“Just a mere martial man, in times of peace, someone like me has no real purpose. The true pillars of the nation are people like you and Old Wang.”

Elder Qiao lamented, “Getting old.”

Elder Ye said, “Yet at your core, you never admit you’re old.”

For the first time, their gazes met, and Elder Qiao felt an unprecedented coldness from Elder Ye’s eyes, a chill that touched his inner being. He realized that since Xu Changyuan’s death, the relationship between their families could never return to how it once was.

Elder Qiao said, “Even if I don’t admit it, there’s no escaping aging. Just now, I had a chat with Changquan; his work still has quite a bit of room for improvement.”

Elder Ye indifferently replied, “The higher the position, the greater the responsibilities, and the risks are greater too. Aren’t these your usual words?”

Elder Qiao nodded, knowing Elder Ye would refuse, yet he still wanted to show sincerity and convey his stance. Even if Elder Ye no longer considered him a friend, he didn’t wish to become an enemy.

Finally, Elder Qiao uttered the words to prove his innocence, “I did indeed recommend Xie Mingsheng from the National Development and Reform Commission, but that was after Changyuan went to the Disaster Reduction Committee…”

Elder Ye interrupted him, “I’m tired, we’re all old; let’s take care of ourselves from now on.”

When Elder Qiao looked at Elder Ye again, he had already closed his eyes. Elder Qiao pursed his lips tightly, walked out of the small building with a deeply suppressed mood. Elder Ye’s final words signified a complete severance of their ties. Whether they’d wish each other well or draw swords in the future was uncertain.

Qiao Rulong had been waiting outside for his grandfather. Upon seeing his grandfather’s gloomy expression, he knew the meeting hadn’t gone well. Qiao Rulong approached to support his grandfather, finding his hand extremely cold.

Elder Qiao stopped his questions with a stern look and quickly left with his support.