"…The Xiao family's old residence caught fire, and that’s when I realized the master and my adoptive father had deliberately sent me away."
"By the time I reached the Xiao residence, the master and my adoptive father had already escaped, but their clothes were burning."
"I couldn't extinguish the fire on them, so the master, seeing my panic, pulled my adoptive father and rolled on the ground to put out the flames."
"I wanted to take the master and my adoptive father to the hospital, but the master refused, saying it would only prolong their suffering. He said the burns and the smoke inhalation were beyond cure."
"Treatment would only delay the pain, and even if they could be cured, it would mean going to prison, which he didn't want.
"But they couldn't return to the manor, so I had to take the master and my adoptive father to the place where I had been hiding from the Xiao family for two years."
"The master wouldn't let me cut off his clothes or apply medicine, saying he needed to arrange his affairs quickly. My adoptive father also refused any medication."
"Before he died, the master asked me to cremate them and take their ashes back home. The master said he liked Kushan because it was peaceful."
A Guang pleaded, tears streaming down his face, "Wuwu, Team Leader Tian, I want to stay with them, always and forever."
"Without them, there is no me. Without them, I have no courage to live on."
Tian Jing was already weeping uncontrollably. Her grandfather's life had been both beautiful and magnificent.
"Alright! I will find a beautiful and quiet place for Grandpa to rest."
Tian Jing went to the back mountain for several days, and then brought her husband and youngest son to help for a few more days.
Only then did they choose a date to prepare for the burial in the mountains.
It was only then that the villagers learned of Grandpa Xiao's death and spontaneously came to see him off.
They were all Grandpa Xiao's students, here to bid farewell to their teacher. They had all sewn black armbands for themselves.
If Village Chief Li won people over with money and temptation, Grandpa Xiao won them over with virtue.
Despite the villagers' ignorance, barbarism, and stubbornness, under Grandpa Xiao's patient guidance, everyone became rational and their thinking became profound.
They had thought Grandpa Xiao was just returning for a visit, but little did they know that only ashes would be brought back.
The entire village was filled with cries of sorrow and remembrance.
It was in this atmosphere that Zeng Jingchu entered the village with a melon cart.
The car couldn't drive in because the villagers had blocked the courtyard.
Some villagers even told him to leave, saying they weren't selling melons today.
Zeng Jingchu was terrified. Not selling melons was one thing, but why were the villagers crying around the courtyard?
He pushed his way through the crowd and discovered a mourning hall set up at the entrance of the courtyard.
Seeing the portrait, Zeng Jingchu exclaimed, "It's over."
He had already heard the news of Grandpa Xiao's death. He hadn't expected Grandpa Xiao's ashes to be brought back.
He quickly withdrew from the crowd and dialed his cousin's number…
Li Weixin carried a red and a white banner at the front, followed by eight villagers carrying two coffins. Tian Jing and A Guang held basins, ready to smash them.
"Wait."
"Wait."
"CRASH!"
The cry of "Wait" did not stop Tian Jing's determination to smash the basin.
"CRASH!"
A Guang also smashed the basin in his hand.
The pallbearers continued walking westward without stopping.
The crying villagers reached out to block the unwelcome guests.
"Tian Jing!" Xiao Wei shouted from outside the crowd.
"The one who smashes the basin is the heir. What right do you have? What did my father leave you? Hand it over quickly!"
Tian Jing continued walking behind the coffin as if she hadn't heard.
There was no suona, only the involuntary sobs of the villagers.
Grandpa, your eleven years were indeed precious years.
You managed to teach a group of ignorant villagers well, yet your daughter remains obstinate.
At the foot of the back mountain, Zeng Jingrong, along with Li Weihao, Li Weibo, Li Weiyan, and eight team members, hurried down the mountain:
"Tian Jing, let us carry them."
Tian Jing nodded. Having help was certainly the best.
Seeing the eight team members replace the eight villagers carrying the coffins, Li Weixin activated his powers and quickly climbed up the mountain.
The eight team members exchanged glances and, with coordinated movements, carried the coffins to catch up.
Zeng Jingrong quietly wiped a bead of sweat. Fortunately, he had chosen team members with deep internal energy and wood and water elemental affinities.
Tian Jing, holding her husband and A Guang, followed.
Zeng Jingrong pulled his two cousins along.
Ouyang Meihua pulled her husband along.
The Li brothers, with their anxiously stomping sister in tow, followed.
The villagers: "..."
They decided to go back and stop that unfilial daughter, Xiao Wei.
The cemetery was located in a quiet valley.
A stream babbled through the valley, and wildflowers of various colors bloomed on the lush green grasslands.
In the center of the valley, two pits, side-by-side and one meter apart, had already been dug.
Following Tian Jing's instructions, the eight team members placed the coffins, heads facing north, into the respective pits.
The Li brothers picked up shovels from beside the pits and began filling the earth. kanδん
Seeing several shovels nearby, Zeng Jingrong picked one up to fill.
Tian Jing stopped him, saying he had no relation to Grandpa.
Zeng Jingrong knew that Tian Jing was still angry with them.
If it weren't for their appearance, if it weren't for Sun Liyang's appearance, Old Master Xiao would still be Tian Jing's grandfather.
Ouyang Meihua nudged her husband, and Li Liguo took the shovel from Zeng Jingrong's hand.
Li Zhengguo and A Guang also took shovels to fill the earth.
Zeng Jingrong stood beside Tian Jing: "Tian Jing, when Master Xiao was overseas, I brought people to see him. He didn't allow me to help, saying this was a competition between him and his two brothers."
"I have sent the surviving descendants of the Xiao family into custody under various pretenses. The Xiao family is gone."
Tian Jing looked straight ahead: "Good that it's gone! A large family means many troubles, and many unfilial descendants."
Zeng Jingrong agreed but couldn't say it. He changed the subject:
"Tian Jing, would you be my sister? I know you felt injustice for my paternal aunt's husband back then. My paternal aunt's husband truly had it hard."
"With Xiao Wei appearing, Chen Yaoming and others will surely show up. They don't know your identity, but Liu Yuelian does."
"Without a clear identity, my paternal aunt's husband is truly…"
"Alas, speaking of which, our Han family has wronged him greatly. Both my paternal aunts were too selfish. I feel deeply guilty towards him."
Tian Jing still looked ahead. Good people shouldn't be forced into a corner for inexplicable reasons: "Alright."
Zeng Jingrong was stunned: "You? What did you say?"
"I said alright," Tian Jing turned to look at him:
"I agree to take the surname Han. I will call her 'Little Paternal Aunt,' and until she dies, she will only hear the title 'Little Paternal Aunt.'"
Zeng Jingrong was both happy and worried. However, being able to secure Tian Jing for the Han family was already the greatest satisfaction. He couldn't hope for more:
"Good, good. I will take the time to revise the Han family genealogy and have Ranran change her surname to Han as well. Is that alright?"
Tian Jing gave him a sidelong glance: "Human greed knows no bounds."
"Cough, cough." Zeng Jingrong coughed dryly. "The Li family has Hao Hao and Xiao Bo. Isn't it good for Ranran to take over the Han family?"
"Have your own children then!"
Tian Jing threatened him crossly: "If the Han family has no one to inherit the genealogy, I'll burn the genealogy directly, and I'll still be surnamed Tian."
Zeng Jingrong: "…" Was this like a sister urging him to marry?
Zeng Jingliang and Zeng Jingchu, who had heard everything, felt sad for their mother and happy for their father.
However, most of all, they felt sad for themselves. Their good sister had become their cousin.
Zeng Jingrong pulled his two younger cousins aside and warned them: "Tian Tian agreeing to take the surname Han resolves too much awkwardness and trouble."
"You absolutely must corroborate that Tian Tian is my Han family member, my biological sister whom I have been searching for in China for thirty years."
"As early as when I reported Tian Jing's special abilities, this is how I reported it upwards."