Back To The 80s-Chapter 191: Descend_1

Gu Xiaobei cried herself to sleep, occasionally sobbing. Under the dim light, Lu Zhanguo gazed at Gu Xiaobei’s sleeping face, caressing her cheek gently. The realness of this moment felt so good.

Early next morning, Gu Xiaobei woke up with swollen eyes. Lu Zhanguo had already made breakfast. Chen Gang and Jiujiu looked worried, staring at Gu Xiaobei anxiously.

Gu Xiaobei felt warm inside, guessing that her sobs last night had frightened the children. She forced a smile, which looked even worse than her crying face, and said, "Let’s eat. After breakfast, you two take a break today, and go back to school tomorrow."

Chen Gang nodded, "Yes, I will go check on my mother later."

Jiujiu wanted to go home too, but she was afraid Li Xianglan might hit her. Gu Xiaobei understood her concerns, stroked Jiujiu’s head and said, "I will accompany you to see your mother next Sunday."

Jiujiu finally nodded happily. Lu Zhanguo brought in a basin filled with water for washing face and a cup full of water for brushing teeth, "Wash up inside."

Gu Xiaobei thought about her swollen eyes and decided not to go to the bathroom.

After breakfast, Lu Zhanguo went to the camp to drive the car. Gu Xiaobei decided to wash her hair with warm water from the kettle.

Seeing Gu Xiaobei ran out with wet hair, Lu Zhanguo frowned, rushed upstairs, grabbed a towel, and handed it to Gu Xiaobei once they got on the car, "Wipe it properly, or you’ll catch a cold."

Gu Xiaobei took the towel, "Let’s go, I’ll wipe it on the road."

They didn’t talk during the ride. Gu Xiaobei felt turmoil inside her heart every time she thought about Jin Cheng, such a lively person now gone. Qin Li must be devastated.

Even though Gu Xiaobei had thought much about how grieved Qin Li would be now, she was still frightened when she saw Qin Li at her home.

Qin Li sat on her small wooden bed, clutching a tin can, not crying, not smiling, not moving, staring blankly out the window.

Only three days had passed, but her face was waxen and yellow. The chubby cheeks she used to have also sagged, and her eyes lost their light. There were blisters on her lips.

Gu Xiaobei stood at the door, not daring to utter a sound. She felt as if even her breathing could wake Qin Li up from a dream.

Zhang Yufen was wiping her tears, "In the past two days, she doesn’t eat or sleep. She also doesn’t listen to anyone. If this continues, what should we do?"

Gu Xiaobei walked quietly to Qin Li, squatted down, and touched her arm. She didn’t know what to say. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Qin Li looked down at Gu Xiaobei after sensing her touch. It took her a while to say in a hoarse voice, "Sister Xiaobei, it turns out that I’m not the most unfortunate one. Jin Cheng suffered more than me."

Gu Xiaobei was in pain and cried, "Qin Li, if you’re upset, just cry it out. Do not hold back ..."

Qin Li closed her eyes and after a long pause, she said, "People say that the soul of the dead doesn’t leave until seven days after death. I believe Jin Cheng must be watching me. I can’t cry. I can’t let him leave with worries."

After hearing this, Gu Xiaobei was so heartbroken that she couldn’t even speak. She squatted by the bed and cried silently.

In the living room, Qin Jianghan and Lu Zhanguo sat silently. Qin Jianghan sighed, "The sons of the Jin family, they are all good men. This Jin Cheng, he’s been looked down upon by people this past few years. It’s heartbreaking."

Lu Zhanguo was silent. He sat there soberly. His eyes were bloodshot but he did not say a word. Qin Jianghan wiped his tears and continued, "Jin Cheng’s sudden death and his unmarried status means he can’t be buried in the family grave."

Lu Zhanguo did not understand these country customs, but he knew that Jin Jiadong had been buried in the martyr’s cemetery, while Jin Cheng could not, because he was not even officially enlisted in the border security force. This added to his sadness.

"Father, I want to marry Jin Cheng in the underworld." Qin Li held her tin can, standing at the door with Gu Xiaobei.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How old are you? Do you want to ruin your whole life?" Zhang Yufen cried out in distress when she heard this.

Unmoved, Qin Li said, "Jin Cheng left no descendants. There will be nobody to mourn him at the funeral. If I marry him, I can mourn him."

"No, Lily, your mother knows you’re upset. But if you do this, it will break your parents’ hearts." Zhang Yufen cried, pulling Qin Li’s arm.

Qin Li, expressionless, held her tin can and knelt straight down. She said hoarsely, "Mom, this is my only wish, please."

Unable to stop the tears, Zhang Yufen sobbed. Gu Xiaobei also covered her mouth and began crying.

Wiping his tears, Qin Jianghan waved and said, "Let’s fulfill Lily’s wish. From now on, the Jin family’s elders will be your parents, and you’ll be responsible for taking care of them in their old age."

Qin Li nodded. She did not shed a single tear from beginning to end.

Lu Zhanguo went to look at the Jin’s house across the street. Li Jianxin was there, accompanying Jin Cheng’s parents.

Jin’s father seemed to have aged overnight while Jin’s mother looked extremely haggard. When she saw Lu Zhanguo, she couldn’t help crying, "If I had known Jin Cheng would end up like this, I would rather he was a nobody..."

Jin’s father held Jin’s mother’s hand and sighed, "Our two sons, both are fine men. They never brought dishonor to the Jin family."

Lu Zhanguo felt that any words of consolation were pale and powerless. He quietly sat down and asked Li Jianxin, "Is everything ready for the funeral?"

"Yes, after three days, despite sending many people to search, we couldn’t find the body. We can only make a cenotaph. Now there’s the local custom at the Jin family’s ancestral home, Jin Cheng can’t be buried in the ancestral grave..."

"No need, let’s set Jin Cheng’s grave at Canger Cliff. It doesn’t matter if he can’t be buried in the ancestral grave," Jin’s father interrupted before Li Jianxin could finish.

Gu Xiaobei, who accompanied Qin Li to Jin Cheng’s funeral, watched as Qin Li, who married Jin Cheng after his death, never shed a single tear and kept her fragile back straight. Her heartache coiled up into a ball.

Jin Cheng was buried at Canger Cliff. When Jin Cheng’s belongings were being buried, a beam of golden light rose from the Tuotuo River below the cliff, slowly ascending until it paused in midair. There was suddenly a white circle formed by clouds in the sky. The golden light gradually entered the cloud circle, slowly disappearing.

Qin Li pulled a smile from her blistered lips, and her eyes filled with tears: "I will live well, and you must wait for me in the next life."

Gu Xiaobei was holding Jin’s mother, watching the strange phenomenon. Thinking about her own journey through time, she prayed silently, hoping that Jin Cheng could be reincarnated, no matter where, as long as he was alive.

After the funeral, Qin Li held Gu Xiaobei’s hand and said sadly, "After the seven-day memorial service for Jin Cheng, I will go to the Dazhao Temple." She knew that Jin Cheng left a message for her, asking her to live well, because he was afraid she would commit suicide.

Gu Xiaobei nodded. A change of scenery might be good, and the peaceful atmosphere at the Dazhao Temple might help heal Qin Li’s pain.

On the way back to the army with Lu Zhanguo, Gu Xiaobei remained quiet. She suddenly said to Lu Zhanguo near their home, "In this life, let’s never part, okay? No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will stick together."

Lu Zhanguo reached out and held Gu Xiaobei’s hand, saying emotionally, "Okay."