My College Teacher is My Children's Mom-Chapter 783: Funeral

Third Auntie had a hard life.

She was a straightforward person who spoke without a filter, and she had a tendency to nag. It’s fair to say that Third Uncle didn’t like her much. Her children, Lin Rui and Lin Xiaolan, didn’t pay much attention to her either, and her daughter-in-law and son-in-law liked her even less.

However, her grandsons treated her well. Perhaps that’s the special bond that skips a generation.

Her relationship with Third Uncle had its ups and downs, but in the end, he relented, and the two lived together as partners for life.

Third Auntie had her annoying faults, but she also had her likable qualities. For instance, her integrity and kindness, her willingness to help others, and her genuine love for the children of the Lin Family.

Ever since Third Uncle passed away, Third Auntie had become much quieter, but she was still the same person deep down.

Her sudden passing left Lin Feng feeling uneasy. The atmosphere in the car was exceptionally quiet.

Lin Feng glanced at Zhou Cuilan in the passenger seat, then at Lin Dashan.

Beyond their initial shock and sadness, their expressions were now very calm. Perhaps at their age, they had come to terms with life and death and could accept it peacefully.

He was over fifty himself, and his mindset was completely different from when he was in his thirties or forties. He had the desire to seize the moment but felt his spirit was willing while his flesh was weak. It wasn’t about not having enough money or not being young enough; age itself was the insurmountable hurdle...

Third Auntie was older than Second Auntie and his own parents. After this New Year, she would have turned eighty-three.

Though her death was unexpected, it could be considered a "happy funeral" of sorts, as the process wasn’t painful.

After a two-hour drive, Lin Feng arrived home to find the lights on. Zhang Yuxi hadn’t gone to bed; she was waiting for him.

Zhang Yuxi asked, "Little Bao is still asleep. What’s the plan now?"

Lin Feng glanced at his parents. "Let’s take them to see Third Auntie one last time. As for the funeral arrangements..."

Zhou Cuilan interrupted him. "Let Rui and the others handle it. When a mother passes away, it’s natural for her children to manage these things."

With her instructions clear, Zhang Yuxi said, "Then I’ll wait at home for you all to come back."

Zhou Cuilan forced a smile. "No need. You should rest. You have work tomorrow."

Lin Feng agreed. "Rest up. I’ll take Mom and Dad to the hospital."

The body was at the hospital’s funeral home. Many people had already arrived: Lin Rui and his wife, Lin Xiaolan and her husband, their sons, and some of their sons’ wives were also present. Lin Jiajun and Wang Lu were there too, standing beside a sobbing Second Auntie, who was crying with genuine sorrow.

In their youth, Third Auntie and Second Auntie were constantly at odds, always finding fault with each other. One was thoughtless, speaking without thinking, while the other was sharp and diplomatic. When they were young, they badmouthed each other relentlessly in private. As they reached middle age and their children grew up, they managed to maintain a decent facade for their sake.

However, after their husbands, the Second and Third Uncles, passed away, these two women who had bickered for decades suddenly became the closest of friends who could talk about anything.

Everyone was murmuring about how a perfectly healthy person could be gone just like that, after a simple fall.

She had even sent a message in the group chat in the afternoon to say she was fine, but by evening, she was gone. It was too sudden, too difficult for them to accept.

The most heartbroken among them were the siblings, Lin Xiaolan and Lin Rui. Third Auntie’s death was so abrupt that she had left without a single last word.

Zhou Cuilan said with a quaver in her voice, "Let’s go. Let us see her one last time."

"If anyone is scared, it’s okay not to come. It doesn’t matter."

No one said a word, indicating that they all wanted to go.

In the elevator, she asked the siblings, "Are you planning a burial or a cremation?"

They had already discussed it and decided on a burial. The older generation believed in the idea of fallen leaves returning to their roots. Third Auntie herself had told her children that she wanted to be buried when she passed away.

Zhou Cuilan nodded. "She said the same thing when we were living together."

This was Lin Feng’s first time visiting a funeral home. Previously, when Third Uncle and others had passed, they were kept at home in an ice coffin. According to Lin Xiaolan, she hadn’t given up when she saw that her mother wasn’t breathing. Instead, she called the hospital, clinging to a sliver of hope. When they arrived at the hospital, she was pronounced dead and taken to the funeral home. Lin Xiaolan was completely distraught and had only a brief discussion with her brother, who had rushed over...

It was very cold inside. Lin Feng’s body was different from that of an ordinary person; having undergone Purification and Marrow Cleansing twice, he was resistant to the cold. This was also his first time seeing the inside of a funeral home.

Third Auntie lay with her eyes closed. She didn’t look as terrifying as one might imagine; rather, she seemed as if she were merely asleep.

Lin Xiaolan’s cry of "Mom!" made everyone’s heart heavy, but they all understood. The cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is a normal part of life. Everyone must go through this stage; no one can avoid it. For an eighty-three-year-old woman, it was a good, long life.

There was one benefit to Third Auntie’s carefree nature: she was always in good health, unlike the delicate Second Auntie or Zhou Cuilan, who was constantly troubled by minor ailments.

So, in a way, this was a joyous occasion.

As they stepped out of the hospital, a gust of cold wind blew past, jolting everyone’s spirits.

Lin Dashan looked at Lin Rui. "You’re the older brother and the eldest son. You can handle this, right?"

Lin Rui shook his head, indicating it wasn’t a problem.

Lin Dashan nodded. "Just let us know if you need anything."

They all stood at the hospital entrance for a while before going their separate ways.

In the car, Zhou Cuilan brought something up with her husband and son. Third Auntie didn’t have much of an inheritance—just over one hundred thousand in her bank account and no property. It was up to her son and daughter to decide how to divide the money; outsiders like them wouldn’t get involved.

When they returned home, Zhang Yuxi was still awake.

"Go to sleep," Lin Feng said simply. He was tired after driving for four hours round trip and visiting the hospital.

After he lay down, Zhang Yuxi hugged her husband tightly. The day’s events had frightened her. As the saying goes, you never know if tomorrow or an accident will come first. Having been married to Lin Feng for so many years, she knew she couldn’t live without him.

"Darling, if you die one day, I’ll die with you."

"I’m scared that when my time comes, you won’t be there in the afterlife waiting for me."

"If I go first, you have to live well. I’ll wait for you. I won’t let you be alone down there."

Lin Feng held her, his heart filled with a bittersweet ache. "Where is this coming from? Don’t say such things."

Zhang Yuxi propped her head up and stared at him, her expression incredibly serious.

"Darling, my last words will always be that I love you. You have to take good care of yourself and be happy!

"And to the children, it will always be that I love them. I don’t ask for them to be particularly successful, just that they are safe and sound. I will watch over all of you."

Lin Feng was silent for a moment. "Why are you talking about this?"

Zhang Yuxi’s heart ached. "I’m afraid I’ll suddenly be gone, without any time to say my last words to you."

Lin Feng hugged her. "That won’t happen. Things like that don’t usually happen to us, so don’t worry."

Zhang Yuxi shook her head. "The world is unpredictable. No one can guarantee anything, darling..."

She whined softly, a rare display for her.

Lin Feng understood her fears. Didn’t he feel the same way?