Chapter 346 - 343: Grandma Li

Chapter 346: Chapter 343: Grandma Li

After a full day of traveling by car, everyone was tired. They all returned to their rooms to rest early after dinner. Zhou Lian leaned into Li Xiu’s embrace and said softly, "Go and invite the monks tomorrow. Have them see which day would be suitable. I’ve asked around, and there are two types of Water and Land Dharma Assemblies—one that lasts for seven days and another for forty-nine days. Forty-nine days probably won’t work. We can’t be away from the Capital City for that long. Let’s do the seven-day one. When it’s Master’s one-hundredth posthumous birthday, we’ll arrange everything and come back to hold a grand Water and Land Dharma Assembly for him!"

"Alright, we’ll do what Bao’er says!" After a moment of thought, Li Xiu asked, "Bao’er, what made you think of taking Grandma to the Capital City?"

"Jin Chen, we both know Grandma is already ninety. In another couple of years, it’ll be even harder to take her traveling. While she’s still healthy and able, we should take her to the Capital City at least once. Let her see our home, our company, Li Bao’s place, and the schools Li Guo and Li Cui attend. I think this is what she’d want more than anything, but she’s just unwilling to be a burden to us," Zhou Lian said quietly.

’In her past life, her dying wish was to see her children healthy and the younger generation all successful. She didn’t live to see them marry and start careers, but she had watched them get into prestigious universities just like their parents. Because of that, Zhou Lian had no regrets, even as she faced death.’

’Now, looking at Grandma Li, Zhou Lian knew that in her previous life, she had passed away right after her one-hundredth birthday. Although that was still ten years from now, she was getting on in years. In another couple of years, they wouldn’t dare take her on a long journey. Letting her see that her grandchildren were all doing well in the Capital City would ensure she had no regrets!’

Sighing, Li Xiu said softly, "Yeah, Grandma has already passed her ninetieth birthday. There are still ten years until then. I know she’s already lived a long life, but when I think about Grandma being gone, there will be no reason for us to come back here!"

"Mm, birth, aging, sickness, and death—no one can do anything about it. Besides, it’s not like Grandma is sick. You know we’re powerless. All we can do now is be good to her while she’s still alive and make sure she has no regrets. As for the rest, let’s just take it one step at a time," Zhou Lian also sighed softly, looking at Li Xiu.

Gently burying his head in Zhou Lian’s shoulder, Li Xiu said in a muffled voice, "I know. It’s just... I get so sad thinking about Grandma passing away. In my last life, I was already in my forties, and when Grandma was on her deathbed, she held my hand and wouldn’t let go. She said she was most worried about me!"

After a pause, Zhou Lian gave a bitter smile and said, "In our last life, we were in such a mess. Grandma doted on you the most, so of course you were the one she was most worried about! To be honest, I was being unreasonable back then, too. When Grandma was nearing the end, she spoke to me alone. She told me to have a good talk with you, saying that even a day as a couple means a hundred days of grace, and that a husband and wife shouldn’t hold grudges overnight. Grandma said that after she was gone, you’d have no one to dote on you, and she asked me not to leave you all alone. I didn’t listen to her back then. I suppose Grandma must have passed away with regrets!"

"I know. Grandma told me. She said you refused to reconcile because I had hurt you too deeply. Grandma said that sincerity can move mountains, and I promised her I’d try. To be honest, I knew even then that you wouldn’t come back. But maybe Grandma’s words gave me a sliver of hope. After my mother passed away, that was the only chance I felt I could grasp. Later on, I understood you would never come back, but at the time, it was the only thing I could do."

"Our daughter and son were very sensible; they didn’t need me to do anything more for them. At that time, aside from working and making money, my only thought was of doing something for you. Even if you never came back, at least I had something to hold on to!"

Feeling a dampness on her shoulder, Zhou Lian stiffened for a moment, then said gently, "Fate plays tricks on people, I suppose. I closed off my heart before I even understood what love was. By the time you understood what love was, you had already lost me. We spent our whole lives going in circles like that. Fortunately, heaven was kind, and we were given this life. Let’s not think about all that anymore. What’s happened has happened, and we can’t change it. Let’s just cherish this life we have now! After all, who knows if we’ll have another one!"

"Mm, we will live this life to the fullest. After all, you’re the one I’ve longed for across two lifetimes!" Li Xiu said, his voice a little hoarse. Whenever his past life was mentioned, his composure would falter.

Gently stroking Li Xiu’s head, Zhou Lian said softly, "We’re both so stubborn. You were at fault in our last life, but so was I. It was just fate playing its games. Let’s live well this time. We’ll let Grandma pass on without any regrets, not like last time when she couldn’t stop worrying about us two troublemakers even on her deathbed."

"Alright. When we take Grandma to the Capital City this time, we’ll go sightseeing with her everywhere. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Yihe Garden, and the red leaves at Xiangshan... Oh wait, you can’t see the red leaves this season!" Li Xiu said, a little frustrated.

Patting him gently, Zhou Lian laughed and said, "You’re so silly. Once Grandma gets to the Capital City, we have to have her stay for at least a year or two. Are you really planning to send her back so soon?"

"But you know Grandma’s temper. Can we really make her stay?" After a moment of thought, Li Xiu asked Zhou Lian uncertainly. ’He knew his own grandmother’s personality all too well. People said he was stubborn, but his grandma was every bit as much!’

Smiling, Zhou Lian said smugly, "It doesn’t matter if we can’t make her stay. Don’t we have those four kids? Those four little rascals are the apple of Grandma’s eye. If Grandma wants to go back, we just plop one of them in front of her and have them cry. Let’s see if Grandma still wants to leave then. With four little rascals taking turns crying, I refuse to believe we can’t keep Grandma in the Capital City for two years!"

Lifting his head to look at Zhou Lian, Li Xiu said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Bao’er, do you really think our precious daughter can even cry on command?"

"Jin Chen, are you silly? I don’t care if Li Xianglin can cry or not. As long as we can make Grandma stay, she can do whatever! That girl, honestly... the older she gets, the less cute she is. She walks around with that little stern face all day. She’s not nearly as cute as she was in our last life. Back then, she was so lively and cheerful!" Zhou Lian said, a little frustrated.

Kissing Zhou Lian’s forehead tenderly, Li Xiu said gently, "Even so, you can’t keep teasing her for no reason. It’s gotten to the point where she comes to me to complain about you almost every day!"

"Jin Chen, don’t you think our daughter is a little silly? Everyone knows you dote on me the most, so what’s the use in complaining to you? If she wants to complain, she should go to my parents, or Teacher Xiao and the Master!" Zhou Lian said, sounding quite pleased with herself.

He gave her a deep look and asked softly, "How do you know our daughter hasn’t gone to complain to your father and mother, and to Teacher Xiao and the Master?"

"Huh? She really went and complained to them? No, that can’t be right. My parents and Teacher Xiao and the Master haven’t said a word to me. With how much they dote on the kids, it’s impossible they wouldn’t have given me a hard time!" Zhou Lian said in surprise. The two kids were the apple of the four elders’ eyes. If a complaint had been filed, how could she have heard nothing? ’Something’s not right!’