klisemfg Chapter 1079 Elegy
Chapter 1079 Elegy
Led by two prison guards, Lou Fangyun arrived at the visitor window. When she saw her mother, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes, which was then replaced by deep doubt.
She sat down on the stool opposite the window, picked up the phone, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Mom, sister-in-law, why did you come back to China?"
The old woman grabbed the microphone, tears welling up instantly as she looked at her daughter, whom she hadn't seen in so long.
Time seemed to have taken away her pride, leaving her face haggard, her cheeks sunken, and her collarbones clearly visible. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, revealing her utter despair.
The old woman's voice trembled uncontrollably: "My daughter, you've suffered so much inside..."
"Mom, don't say anything more, we were all wrong." Lou Fangyun's eyes also reddened.
“I was deceived by An Jinsong’s fake face back then, which ruined my life’s happiness and also destroyed my father’s life’s work and foundation.”
"I'm sorry, Xiaoyun, I was blind. If I hadn't been so flattered by An Jinsong's aunt, I wouldn't have advised you to let him marry into our family."
The old lady wiped away her tears and choked out, "I came back this time because I really couldn't make ends meet over there, and the account I used for transferring money was frozen."
I only found out you were in trouble when I got back... Now the Antai Group has fallen into that brat's hands..."
She paused, her tone full of helplessness, "Yesterday I swallowed my pride and went to the Teng family's door, begging them to let me in to see you."
That girl is utterly heartless, her words cold and cruel. She came today too, right at the door, but she absolutely refused to come in to see you.
"Never mind, Mom." Lou Fangyun gave a bitter smile. "Over the years, my daughter and I have never gotten along. We always bicker whenever we meet. We're used to it!"
Besides, I've never been a good mother, so it's normal for Anran to have resentment and not want to see me.
She would have something brought in every time it was visiting day; I know she cared about me.
She paused, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes, "I just don't know... if An Tai falls from power, will the Teng family break off the engagement because of what we've done?"
"No, no," the old lady quickly waved her hand. "They just had a big wedding banquet the day before yesterday."
"That kid Teng Zijing seems unreliable, but he's actually quite decisive when it comes to getting things done, and he's very attentive to that girl."
Lou Fangyun tightened her grip on the microphone, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief, or perhaps she was hiding a deeper sense of melancholy.
Sunlight streamed through the iron bars of the window, casting dappled shadows on her face, adding an indescribable bitterness to her haggard appearance.
"Xiaoyun, where are your brother's and father's graves? We'd like to visit them."
The old woman's voice choked with sobs, and before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face again.
“We’re worried about Xiao Chi being alone abroad… We have nowhere to go in China either. We settled down… but now it belongs to someone else.”
Lou Fangyun had thought a lot during the past six months inside, and her face showed a hint of relief:
"My brother and father are buried in Kunlin Cemetery. In my opinion, Teng Zijing isn't the kind of person who would abandon his family."
You two should discipline Xiao Chi properly from now on, so that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law will have someone to rely on. If all else fails, sister-in-law is still young; she should find a good family to marry into again.
"Xiaoyun, what are you saying!" Jian Xinyi quickly shook her head, "Xiao Chi will not allow me to do this."
Teng Zijing gave me five million. When I go back there this time, I'll find a job, and I definitely won't let Mom suffer.
Lou Fangyun's eyes warmed, and she said softly, "Thank you, sister-in-law. With your kindness, I can rest assured about Mom's situation. I'll definitely repay you double when I get out of here."
Jian Xinyi's eyes reddened, and she turned her face away to wipe her tears. The old lady looked at Lou Fangyun, opened her mouth, but a thousand words stuck in her throat, and in the end, they only turned into a long sigh.
Three faces, each lost in their own thoughts, were reflected in the glass of the meeting window. Ten minutes passed in silence and sobs. When the iron gate slammed shut again...
Lou Fangyun stood up, bowed deeply to them, and turned to follow the prison guard into that gray depths.
The prison gates slammed shut again. Teng Zijing and An Ran, sitting in the car, both turned their gazes toward the gate.
One by one, family members emerged, their faces showing varying degrees of expectation as they went in, but most of them wore an unyielding weariness as they left.
That hope seemed to hang at an unreachable end, seemingly luminous yet too blurry to grasp.
An Ran's maternal grandmother and Jian Xinyi were the last to leave the gate. The old lady, who had previously carried a somewhat haughty air,
At this moment, it was as if time had suddenly drained away ten years of her energy and spirit; her steps were extremely unsteady, and even Jian Xinyi struggled to support her.
Teng Zijing got out of the car and strode over to the old lady, reaching out to help her, but she stubbornly shook him off.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was terribly hoarse. “Could you please take us to Kunlin Cemetery, Master Jing?”
Teng Zijing didn't insist any further, nodded gently, turned around and opened the back door. Jian Xinyi helped the old lady into the car, and then got in herself.
Teng Zijing walked back to the driver's seat, started the engine, and the car slowly drove away from the women's prison.
The old woman gazed out the window until the cold, imposing door completely disappeared from sight, then silently leaned back in her chair.
He deflated like a punctured air sac, his breathing becoming heavy and lifeless.
For a moment, no one spoke in the carriage; only the steady sound of the engine running could be heard.
An Ran turned her head to look at the shadows of the trees flashing past the window, her fingers unconsciously tapping her knee. Teng Zijing glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror.
In the end, he said nothing, but simply gripped the steering wheel firmly and drove towards Kunlin Cemetery.
The car stopped in front of Tangtang Flower Shop, and Teng Zijing got out and walked straight into the shop.
Tang Tang, who was deftly arranging the flower branches, looked up and saw him. Her face immediately lit up with a warm smile: "Oh, it's Master Jing! Welcome! What kind of flowers would you like?"
"Give me two bouquets of flowers suitable for offerings." Teng Zijing handed over the choice of flowers to her.
Tang Tang knew what to do and readily replied, "Understood!" She then turned and began selecting flowers from the stand, quickly arranging two simple, elegant bouquets.
The white chrysanthemums and lilies are interspersed with a few pale purple forget-me-nots, creating a look that is both dignified and warm.
"Master Jing, what do you think of these two bouquets? They symbolize remembrance and respect, and are quite suitable for offering sacrifices."
Teng Zijing glanced at it, took out five hundred-yuan bills and handed them to Tang Tang, nodding and saying, "Thank you, these two bunches are fine."
Tang Tang quickly wrapped the bouquet and handed it to him, smiling as she said, "Take care, Mr. Jing."
Teng Zijing returned to the car with the bouquet of flowers. The old lady in the back seat looked at the two simple bouquets of flowers, her eyes flickered, but she didn't say anything, she just gently adjusted her clothes.
The car started again and headed towards Kunlin Cemetery. A faint floral fragrance filled the car, easing the previous somber mood.
Tang Tang stood at the entrance of the flower shop, watching Teng Zijing's luxury car drive away, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
With a creak, the Volkswagen came to a smooth stop at the door. Shen Chang got out of the car, looked at his wife, and asked, "Tang Tang, what are you looking at?"
"Ah Chang, you're back? Master Jing just came into the shop and bought two bouquets of flowers for the memorial service;
"Didn't they just get married? Who are they buying flowers for? Who are they going to worship?" Tang Tang wondered.
"The family is huge, who knows!"
"Hey? Ah Chang, Chenxi told reporters at Master Jing's wedding that she wanted to give Jiang Chengyu a grand wedding. Are you going?"
Shen Chang let out a long sigh and said venomously, "It's an inescapable karmic entanglement, what can I do?"
Xiaorou has let it go. As her uncle, I can't fight city hall!
"He's not a little kid anymore; you can't just scold or beat him and he'll listen!"
“Jiang Chengyu is quite capable too. You remember that kid, right? Jiang Shuo…”
As Shen Chang unloaded the replenished goods from the car, he replied, "Yeah! I know. I've seen him a few times from afar. He's quite clever."
"Xiaorou said that Jiang Chengyu raised that child from birth because of the heart and lung transplant surgery for Chenxi."
That child even injured Ah Jie, and he's only a few years old! Tang Tang's face was filled with shock.
"Alright, that's enough. They're all extraordinary people. We just need to discipline Shen Tian, and that will be fine."
"By the way, speaking of Shen Tian, go pick her up from my mom's house later. She's so young, why is she dating her classmate?!"
That classmate lives in the same neighborhood as my mom; we can't let her get spoiled.
"Okay, I got it. I'll go after I finish moving the goods. Go get the supplements I bought last time I came back."
"Get it for me. I've heard Mom coughing a lot on the phone lately; take it to her to help her recover."
"Okay," Tang Tang replied, wiping her hands as she walked into the flower shop.
Teng Zijing slowly parked the car beside the ornate iron gate, then got out. The cemetery before him was quiet and solemn.
Rows of neat tombstones stand quietly under the shade of trees, like figures craning their necks to look towards their hometown.
He went into the office inside the park, where an old man was sitting and watching a traditional opera TV series.
Seeing someone come in, he quickly stood up: "Young man, is there something you need?"
"Hello sir, I would like to trouble you to check which section the graves of Lou Xiaotian and Lou Zhiting are in," Teng Zijing said politely.
"Okay, just a moment." The old man replied, took out a thick ledger from the drawer, put on his reading glasses, and began to carefully examine it.
After more than ten minutes, he pointed to a line in the ledger and said, "Found it. Go in from the entrance, sixth row, number 68. The father and son are side by side."
"Thank you, sir." Teng Zijing thanked him, turned and left the office. An Ran, holding the bouquet, followed Teng Zijing deeper into the cemetery.
The mother and daughter-in-law in the back row also got out of the car and followed him with light, slow steps.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the tombstone, and the air was filled with the scent of grass and earth.
Teng Zijing, holding An Ran's hand, stopped in front of tombstone number 68 in the sixth row.
With Jian Xinyi's help, the old lady slowly moved closer. As soon as her eyes fell on the black and white portrait on the tombstone, tears welled up uncontrollably.
The smiles in the photos are faint, but time has long since worn away the vibrant figures into cold stone monuments.
She stood there, her lips moving, but no sound came out; only tears rolled down her cheeks.
It's as if it's quietly recounting the loneliness of spending these years alone in an empty house, and the grievances of having no one to turn to—
All the unspoken sorrows hidden deep in their hearts were now silently spilled onto this land with their tears.
Jian Xinyi looked at the portrait beside her; it was her man, her everything.
Now it too has turned to ashes, buried deep underground. Suppressing sobs, she gently raised her hand to embrace her mother-in-law's shoulder, her eyes reddening.
Teng Zijing placed the bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone, the white chrysanthemums and lilies swaying gently in the wind.
An Ran stood to the side, her gaze fixed on the photograph, her fingers gripped tightly by Teng Zijing.
His face was expressionless, but the slightly reddened corners of his eyes held an indescribable complex emotion.
The cemetery was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the leaves, as if it were softly singing a dirge for this belated memorial service.