The funeral is held at T City.

Zhou Qiao Qiao is not familiar with Jing City.

T city is far away from Jing City. It’s hard to transport corpse between cities. Jing Bo Yuan uses his connection so the next day the administration is done.

Driver Lu drives the white Land Rover. Jing Bo Yuan and Ye Qing Xin are sitting on the backseat.

Ye Qing Xin is still mourning. Her mind is still thinking about it. Her eyes are teary.

Ji Yi and Jing Fen Fen also follow them to help and also represent Jing family.

At first Old Madame Jing wants to ask He Su E to follow. After all, He Su E is Zhou Qiao Qiao’s real relative by marriage. But considering He Su E’s cold att.i.tude, she wouldn’t be able to treat people as polite and skillful as JI Yi.

Ji Yi thinks that in this world there is no certain thing. At first she was handling wedding matters now she is handling the funeral.

Jing Fen Fen is not really happy to help.

“They are not married, she hasn’t became our family. It will be okay if only Da Ge that joins. Why should we come too? What is Nai Nai thinking?”

Ji Yi hears her daughter’s impudent remark, she looks at her and frowns: “Can you stop talking. It’s for the death person.”

Jing Fen Fen pouts and doesn’t say anything else.

They stay at the hotel for night.

Ye Qing Guo seems to understand what is happening, he is so quiet on the way.

Ye Qing Xin looks at the car that brings Zhou Qiao Qiao and her eyes turn red again.

“Let’s go.” Jing Bo Yuan hugs her tightly.

“I want to stay to accompany her.” Ye Qing Xin thinks how can she just leave her mother alone at the parking area. Wouldn’t she be afraid? Wouldn’t she feel lonely and cold?”

“Xin Xin, your body needs to rest.”

Ji Yi and Jing Fen Fen don’t know that Ye Qing Xin is pregnant. It because of Jing Bo Yuan’s intention.

Now the wedding cannot be held. Ye Qing Xin’s pregnancy needs to be announced sooner or later. But he thinks that now is not a good time to announce it.

Ye Qing Xin understands his worries. But she doesn’t want her mother to be alone.

There are two middle-aged uncles that take care of the car. Looking at her, they offer: “If not let us stay here. Mr and Mrs Jing you guys can go back and have a rest. We use to handle this. We are not afraid.”

Ye Qing Xin and Jing Bo Yuan go upstair. Before they enter the room, Ye Qing Xin says: “That two uncles are good.”

Jing Bo Yuan understands her meaning. He opens the door and says: “I’ll not treat them unfairly. Don’t worry.”

Ye Qing Xin starts to calm down when she sleeps inside his warm embrace. She falls asleep.

The next day at five a.m. everyone gets up and has breakfast on the dining hall. Then they gets on the car.

They arrive at T City around five p.m.

Yesterday Jing Bo Yuan called Song family and informed them about Zhou Qiao Qiao’s death. Song family helped them to arrange the funeral hall and also invite the funeral band.

T city’s social custom, if someone from family is died, they should invite a band to make the festival to express the last respect and longing of the death one.

These years Zhou Qiao Qiao doesn’t interact with her relatives or neighbors. There’s a time when someone hears about Zhou Qiao Qiao being helped by the mayor during Ye Qing Guo’s trouble. A lot of them acted friendlier to her and asked her to help, but she refused. That makes them a bit furious at her.

Today with her death, there is noise but no one can come forward to offer their condolences.

Ye Qing Xin gets off the car, Song Jiu comes over and hugs her: “Zhou A Yi’ is well when she went to Jing City, how can she be like this?”

Ye Qing Xin’s tears start to fall down again.

Then an unknown man comes over and greets Jing Bo Yuan: “Chief Jing.”

Jing Bo Yuan nods at him.

Then he starts to get a group of people to take the coffin inside the funeral hall.

Ye Qing Xin watches them. They open the coffin and she looks at Zhou Qiao Qiao. Her eyes are close like she is asleep. It’s just her face is dark blue. It reminds Ye Qing Xin that she is not sleeping.

Ye Qing Xin feels heartache.

The time her mother was alive, she didn’t have any relatives by her side. Now she is dead and no one comes over to accompany her.

She feels so sad. Then suddenly she feels an urge to vomit. She cannot hold it. She runs outside and starts to throw up.

Ji Yi and Song Mu are experienced people. Looking at her, they immediately could guess what happens to her.

“Xin Xin, you are pregnant?” Ji Yi asks considerately.

Ye Qing Xin vomits until she is okay. She doesn’t deny.

Ji Yi suddenly understand why suddenly Jing Bo Yuan wants to plan a wedding.

Sog Mu also thinks of another problem: “You are pregnant, you shouldn’t help Qiao Qiao to wear the shroud. What should we do? Can Xiao Guo Do it?”

T city is a conservative country. Daughter or son should personally help their mother change to the shroud. If not they will be regarded to be unfilial.

Ye Qing Xin says: “I can do it.”

Song Mu disapproves: “How can you do it. It’s not good for your kid.”

This time Song Fu comes out from the funeral hall: “Xin Xin, hurry up come over and help your Mama. It’ll be dark soon. Hurry up.”

A sober Song Fu is a reliable one.

Song Mu says: “Xin Xin is pregnant.”

Song Fu is startled. He hesitates for a while and turns his body to call after Ye Qing Guo.

Even Ye Qing Guo is obedient but after all he is limited. Moreover, Zhou Qiao Qiao has pa.s.sed away for two days two nights. Her body should be stiff. It wouldn’t be easy to wear it on her. Even with the help of Song Fu and several middle-aged men, Ye Qing Guo will still be careless.

Jing City’s funeral tradition is different with T city.

One of middle-aged man says: “Maybe the son-in-law or daughter-in-law can also help. If there’s no, then the closest nephew or niece.”

It means that the closes one will be better.

Jing Bo Yuan comes forward and pulls Ye Qing Guo to the side: “Let me.”

The middle-aged man is surprised: “Chief Jing?”

The dead woman has been pa.s.sed away for two days two night. The body should have a cadaveric ecchymosis. Now it’s summer, even though she is placed inside a cold coffin, but the smell will not be good.

The middle-aged man is Bo Wei’s group S city branch manager. He is the one that helps to arrange everything.

Jing Bo Yuan folds his sleeve and says: “I am her son-in-law.”

The middle-aged man is surprised and looks at the big boss. He suddenly understands why he takes effort to do this.

All along Jing Bo Yuan doesn’t frown. He is calm. Because it’s not easy to change the clothes, he uses a bit energy. He is sweating a lot. The back of his s.h.i.+rt is a bit wet.

Ye Qing Xin watches her. She couldn’t describe her feeling. She feels sad.

When he is done, everyone helps to place Zhou Qiao Qiao into the coffin and burns joss sticks.

Song Mu asks Jing Bo Yuan and others to wash their hands.

Now the sky is dark.

Because it’s not many people, Song Mu just cooks a big pot of noodle. Ji Yi also helps to stir-fry several dishes.

Ye Qing Xin doesn’t have much appet.i.te, but under Jing Bo Yuan’s care, she forces herself to finish half of her bowl. Then she starts to have an urge to vomit again. She runs outside and vomits.

Jing Bo Yuan follows her and pats her back. Ji Yi also comes out with a gla.s.s of water. She pa.s.ses her the gla.s.s when she is done: “Rinse your mouth.”

Ye Qing Xin thanks her and takes it.

When they come inside, one of the member of the funeral band says: “I swear this is the most cold and deserted funeral. No friend or relative come to offer one’s condolences. This person should have poor relations with other people…..”

The one, that sits down in front of him, raises his head and notices Ye Qing Xin. He looks at her face, she seems to hear it.

The one, who was talking, also raises his head. He looks at Ye Qing Xin and Jing Bo Yuan. Both of Jing Bo Yuan’s eyes watch him. He is terrified.

He stands up and starts to s.h.i.+ver. He apologizes: “So, sorry. I’m talking nonsense…..”

Ye Qing Xin doesn’t say anything and just goes directly to the funeral hall.

Jing Bo Yuan calls after them and tells them about several time. Then he goes inside. That woman is staring blankly at the coffin. Her face is full of tear marks.

He comes over and helps her up. He takes a chair and let her sit down. He also sits down beside her. He hugs her and strokes her head.

Ye Qing Xin hugs his waist and starts to cry out.

She is thinking about that person’s words.

“Ten years ago, although my Papa rarely stayed at home, he also didn’t care about me and Xiao Guo. But at least, I had a whole complete family. That time Mama had a great relations.h.i.+p with her relatives and even neighbors. I remembered that time there’s an old lady next to our house. My ma frequently asked me to send food to her. She liked me and she treated me as her granddaughter….”

“Then one day, Papa suddenly wanted to get divorce. He never comes back. My Ma fell sick. Our family wasn’t rich, our money is spent for her disease. You also know about my Di Di’s condition. Relatives started to be estranged.”

“Then I didn’t know how the rumor started that said my Ma had harmed and killed someone. I didn’t know which one of them that started it. Why should they hate my Ma so much? For a rumor, they mistreated our family. Do you know who was the leader? It’s the old lady that my Ma used to send foods.”

Ye Qing Xin buries her face on Jing Bo Yuan’s embrace. Her tears make his grey coat wet.

“One time I went home from school. Several people gathered in front of my house. I broke into the crowd and watched that Shen Shen A Yi (Auntie) that used to be my Ma’s best friend. They dragged my mother by her sleeve. They abused her verbally and spitted on her face. Since that time, My ma never says anything to our neighbors or relatives…..”

Jing Bo Yuan hugs her tightly and listens to her words. He doesn’t say anything.

It’s a silence. Then Ye Qing Xin says again: “Perhaps that person’s words are true. My Ma has poor relations with other people. If not my Pa will not be ruthless and abandoned us, our relatives will not estrange us……”

Ye Qing Xin doesn’t know how and when she fell asleep. The time she wakes up, she already lays down on the bed.

Then suddenly she could hear the noise. A full swing of funeral music, there’s also buzz of people’s talking.

Ye Qing Xin gets up and comes outside. She notices that outside there’s a lot fo people and also a lot of floral wreath. She is startled.