Returning to Kushan with Li mother's ashes, the open space outside the courtyard was already prepared.
Li mother died a violent death, and those who die violently cannot enter the ancestral home.
Sister-in-law Niu and Sister Gui Lan, along with a few others, were preparing the banquet.
Villagers came to offer monetary gifts.
Li Zhengguo refused to accept them.
The villagers took back their gifts and quietly helped with the work.
Old village chief Yang leaned on his cane, "Zhengguo, where do you plan to bury your mother?"
Li Zhengguo replied, "A place with good feng shui."
Those who die violently cannot be buried in the ancestral graveyard. The graves in Kushan were mostly in a valley a few miles to the west.
Old village chief Yang explained, "I didn't mean that. There aren't so many strict rules anymore."
"I just thought the plot for your father's grave was a bit small, and it might not be enough for a joint burial."
Li Zhengguo shook his head, "Some people still care about these things. Before the Qingming Festival next year, I will move my father's grave there."
"Sigh!"
Old village chief Yang sighed, "If you need anything, just say the word. Everyone can help."
Li Zhengguo nodded, "I will."
...
The funeral was held the next morning. Villagers voluntarily came to help carry the coffin.
Li Zhengguo refused again, "Hao Hao and the others are at home. Let them carry it."
Li Weihao, Li Weiyan, Li Weibao, and Li Weixin, the four brothers, carried the coffin and walked directly behind the courtyard.
The Hot Spring Valley scenic area was in its peak season. They decided not to go up the mountain from the scenic area, but to bypass the crowds by going through the back of the courtyard.
Han Lu took his wife's arm and followed with their daughter.
Ouyang Meihua pulled her husband, who was carrying the incense and shovel.
Li Min quickly grabbed her sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, I'll go too."
Li Zhengguo looked back and instructed Chen Suozhu, "You stay home and arrange lunch. We don't know when we'll be back."
Chen Suozhu nodded, "Don't worry, little brother."
Tian Jing extended over twenty vines, bringing along Si Ji, Si Si, Yu Ziyu, the Li sisters, Chen An's family of three, Xiao Yu's family of three, Chen Fu and his wife, and her husband and sister-in-law.
Witnessing Tian Jing effortlessly pulling a group of people away, the villagers of Kushan fell silent.
In recent years, except for summer and winter vacations, Tian Jing rarely came back. Now that Li mother was gone, Tian Jing would definitely not be coming back.
The feng shui treasure land Li Zhengguo mentioned was the valley where Grandpa Xiao was buried.
Seeing the third new grave, the Li Weihao brothers realized that A Guang had already passed away.
Li Min surveyed the valley, "It's good for my mother to be buried here, it's just a pity I can't come in myself."
"I'll take you."
Ouyang Meihua patted her sister-in-law's shoulder, "When you miss your mother in the future, we'll come together."
Li Min nodded, "Okay."
Digging the pit and burying the earth were men's work. By tradition, women were not supposed to follow. However, since Li mother was not being buried in the ancestral graveyard, and Li Zhengguo and Li Liguo did not intend to follow the old rules, they allowed the women and children to come in.
Choosing a spot a little distance from Grandpa Xiao, Li Zhengguo and Li Liguo dug the pit themselves.
After the burial, only Ouyang Meihua and Li Liguo went down the mountain. The others decided to stay in the valley for a night and descend the mountain after the first seven-day ritual.
There was still plenty of food in A Guang's cave, enough for them to be self-sufficient.
Li Sixuan knelt before her great-grandmother's grave and burned some paper, "Great-grandmother, I know your worries. I will listen to Grandma."
Ji Xiang was also burning paper for Li mother, "Grandma Li, you always treated me and Ji Qing the same. Don't worry, when I return to the Zeng family, I won't forget Ji Qing, Ji Nian, or Ji Yang."
Si Si also burned paper for her great-grandmother, "Great-grandmother, we will listen to Mom and Dad, don't worry. We will definitely not become unrecognizable for the sake of external things."
Li Wanzhen held her two-year-old second son, Li Sikun, "Sikun, burn paper for your great-grandmother."
Xie Shilei and Sun Baoyun also brought their sons to burn paper.
Li Weili called Chen An and Li Weiyu aside, "I plan to have one of you guard the Kyoto company. I want to focus on my family."
"I'm not completely letting go; I will check in from time to time. Which of you will go to Kyoto?"
Li Weiyu glanced at Chen An, "I'll go. Xiaojie is in Kyoto, and Brother An should avoid suspicion."
Chen An nodded, "You also need to be wary of the Sun family."
The old lady of the Sun family was still alive, but she was more confused. The infighting within the Sun family was intense. Sun Baoyun's father was no longer as submissive as before, and his reliance was precisely on Li Weiyu, his son-in-law.
Li Weiyu nodded. Even in their harmonious family, they could produce a devious descendant like Zhou Yulin. In the Sun family's environment, their descendants would be even more unscrupulous.
Li Weili decided, "After burning the first seven tomorrow, we will go back to Kyoto together for the handover."
With that settled, Li Weili went to ask her parents who they had decided would take over Jingyuan next, so they could start training them early.
"Si Rui."
Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo said in unison.
Excluding Yu Siji, Si Rui was the eldest among the fourth generation of the Li family. Si Rui was as steady as his father and had always been by their side. They had already made this decision.
Li Weili was a little worried, "Mom and Dad, you should still hold a family meeting."
"No need."
Tian Jing shook her head, "Everything my father and I earned, we can decide who takes over."
"When Si Rui takes over, the share distribution will be reallocated."
Li Weili had nothing more to say. Her parents intended to be firm with the fourth generation.
...
The next day, Ouyang Meihua, along with Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu, came up. After burning the first seven, they organized the food and ingredients from the cave and carried them down the mountain together.
Tian Jing, Ouyang Meihua, and Li Min sorted through their mother-in-law's belongings. They took what they liked as mementos, selected some of her favorite clothes to burn, and discarded the rest or packed them in boxes.
"Tiantian."
Ouyang Meihua, while sorting through things, wept, "You're not coming down anymore, are you?"
"No."
Tian Jing shook her head, "I'll still come down to see you all occasionally."
Ouyang Meihua put down the items in her hands, "Tiantian, Yanyan said to have Wanzhen bring Siyu and Sikun inside. He said the conditions inside are getting better and better, almost like a small town. He also asked me and your father to go in. What do you think, should we go?"
"You decide for yourself."
Tian Jing did not offer advice, "The conditions inside are good, but if you go in, you will lose some freedom. You can almost say your life will be confined."
"I have that concern too."
Ouyang Meihua said, "Your elder brother and I are not thinking of running around everywhere, but we can't completely let go of Xiao Yu."
Tian Jing thought for a moment, "Lili plans to make Xiao Yu the deputy manager of Kyoto Jingyuan Company."
"You and your elder brother can go stay with Xiao Yu for a while. When Sixuan gets older, then you can decide."
"Wanzhen and Siyu, Sikun will have our support, don't worry."
Li Min, holding her mother's belongings and weeping, said, "You are all leaving, and I am left behind. I miss Mother, and I can't even go to see her."
Ouyang Meihua scratched her head, "Aren't you going to North Province? Ji Qing is 17, and Ji Nian and Ji Yang are both 14. It's time to hand over to Xiao Fu's side."
"Right!"
Li Min nodded, "I should go help An An. I don't want to stay in Kushan anymore. I'm afraid I'll come back here involuntarily every day."