424 Awakening

Although Xu An was uncultured, he was contented with his life. Now that Cao Xing had been dealt with, his life would be much better in the future.

Even when Xu An’s wife placed the dishes on the table, Chu Yuan was still sitting on the ground.

He had stopped crying.

His face was calm and his eyes were dull.

“Brother Chu, hurry up and eat. The dead cannot be brought back to life, but you must eat if you are hungry. Even if Uncle Chu Jinng was still alive, he would not let you go hungry,” Xu An’s wife said softly after setting up the dishes.

However, her words seemed to have brought back Chu Yuan’s memories. Two more streams of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.

Chu Yuan had never cried in all these years in M City.

But that day, even the most ordinary words of comfort from someone else could make him cry at that moment.

He recalled Chu Jinng’s busy figure, waking early in the morning and going to sleep late at night, in order to get food for the siblings.

Before he left the mountains, Chu Jinng had nagged him to take care of himself, to eat on time, to live a regular life, to be kind to others, and to have a conscience… However, he did not seem to have become such a person.

“Thank you, Brother Xu, Sister.” After a few more minutes, Chu Yuan finally sat up. He wiped the tears on his face and forced a smile as he spoke to the couple in front of him.

“You’re welcome. Hurry up and eat.” Xu An saw that Chu Yuan had finally broken free of his emotions and quickly pulled Chu Yuan to have a seat.

Chu Yuan looked at the sumptuous dishes and white rice on the table before him, and his expression was momentarily complicated.

This simple and frugal couple might not even be able to eat such good food during the new year.

“Brother Xu, do you have any children?” Chu Yuan suddenly asked.

“I have two daughters who are married and not far away. They can come back to see us in an hour or two. They both have children.” Xu An heard Chu Yuan’s words and responded with a smug expression.

“Brother Xu, you’re happier than I am. I envy you, I really do.” Chu Yuan gave Xu An a big thumbs up. He truly meant these words.

Even though he had three daughters, he did not feel happy at all.

Before that day, he had always thought that his unhappiness was only because he did not have a son.

Now, after hearing Xu An’s words, he finally understood that it was all his own fault.

“Eat up; you can talk as you eat. Brother Chu, we’ve never been beyond the mountains. Can you tell us what it’s like beyond the mountains?” Xu An saw that Chu Yuan was finally not so sad, so he quickly changed the topic.

“Outside the mountains? The world beyond the mountains is not very beautiful…” Chu Yuan smiled and shook his head. He ate a mouthful of rice and told the couple what he had seen and heard beyond the mountains.

Mr. And Mrs. Chu didn’t return to the Chu residence until past 10 pm.

They had been discussing the details of the next day’s burial with an elder in Laoshan Village.

They couldn’t count on their siblings, but the couple was determined to complete the burial ceremony without any regrets.

However, when they returned, they were surprised to find Chu Yuan in the central room on the first floor. His back was facing them, and he was kneeling quietly in front of the coffin.

“Big Brother, it’s already so late, why haven’t you rested yet?” Father Chu asked in confusion.

At that moment, Chu Yuan’s wife, Chu Tao, Chu Mei, and Chu Ning had all gone to the second floor to rest, but Chu Yuan was still kneeling there, guarding over the funeral.

“I can’t sleep, and don’t deserve to rest. I wasn’t able to fulfill my filial duties when Father was alive, and I didn’t satisfy him even after he died,” Chu Yuan said softly with his back to the couple.

Chu Ming’s expression changed when he heard Chu Yuan’s words. He hurried to Chu Yuan’s side to confirm that the person was really Chu Yuan.

He couldn’t be blamed for making such a big fuss, because it really didn’t sound like Chu Yuan’s tone.

“Big Brother, Father has passed away. There’s no point in talking about this anymore,” Chu Ming sighed and replied.

“Chu Ming, Sister-in-law, I’ve let you down; I’ve let your whole family down. I didn’t fulfill my responsibility as a big brother. I didn’t take good care of you. I didn’t teach Xiao Tao and Xiao Mei well. I’m responsible for what they’ve become today, but what gives me peace of mind is that you’re so good. You’re so good that I’m ashamed. I apologize to you. I’m sorry!”

Chu Yuan stood up and bowed deeply to Chu Ming.

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