The rain was still falling outside, most likely ending tomorrow.
The team members no longer wanted to live a laid-back life under the eaves and got up to sort supplies from the storage area.
However, they were not on night duty today, and Father Lin wanted them to rest well first.
Carrying the last reclining chair back into the room, Lin Shouyi listened to the sound of rain hitting the bamboo leaves outside, thinking how fortunate it was that he had dried and stored the newly harvested rice this year.
But all the elders in the family were gone, and there was no one to praise him for being clever. He rubbed his face, shaking off those past memories. They still had to live, and occasional sadness and remembrance were enough.
Unexpectedly, as he entered the room, he met Lin Yuan coming out. "Why are you out if you're not resting?"
Although he had heard that Lin Yuan and his group had only taken 4 days to travel from the city to here, the events they had experienced during these four days were definitely more than what others experienced in four years, and they often couldn't even sleep soundly.
Especially Lin Yuan, he always downplayed the bad things and only briefly mentioned them.
It was only after asking Jiang Ziqi and the others that Lin Shouyi learned that Lin Yuan had almost died on the road.
So why would he be out and about when he was so exhausted, physically and mentally? Even the strongest body wasn't made of iron.
"I want to go see where Grandpa and Grandma are buried." This C-type mutated virus didn't discriminate. His grandparents had also not been spared. He had learned this the first time he called Lin Shouyi after the apocalypse.
Lin Shouyi looked at him for a moment, patted his shoulder, and said, "Wait a moment, wait for your mother, and the three of us will go see the elders together."
Soon, Wang Yixin came out from the kitchen. The bowls and chopsticks for so many people and two large pots required some washing.
Fortunately, these team members were representatives of the "clean plate" campaign and ate cleanly, so washing them wasn't too difficult.
"What are you two standing at the door for? Where are you planning to go wild again?"
"Our son wants to see where the old folks are buried, and he's waiting for you now."
Wang Yixin was also stunned when she heard this. She nodded, "I'll put back the apron later and call your uncle and niece too."
"Oh, right, bring Meng Yue along too. Let her see the old couple, it'll be like meeting them," Lin Shouyi added.
"Wait, I'll go tell Wu Tian." Lin Yuan followed his mother.
The team members had brought the lights from the main house over to this area, which would make sorting supplies more convenient.
Seeing Lin Yuan enter, they just greeted him and continued sorting.
"Meng Yue, come with me for a moment, I'll take you somewhere." Lin Yuan grabbed Wu Tian's hand and went out the door.
"Sister Qin Xia, thank you for your hard work and for recording it," Gu Bone said before leaving.
"Don't worry, Captain, we've noted it all down clearly."
Outside, Wu Tian asked, "Where are we going so late?"
It was already nine o'clock, and the broadcast had finished.
"My grandparents, they passed away when the apocalypse came. Mom said she's taking me to see them now."
Hearing this, Wu Tian understood. This meant Lin Yuan's parents had accepted her.
With some joy, she quickly nodded, "Okay, should I change my clothes?"
"No need, in this special situation, I think they will understand."
In China, ancestor worship is a solemn ritual. No matter how arrogant people are normally, they must be quiet and respectful during ancestral ceremonies. If someone were caught misbehaving, they would face severe punishment.
Therefore, Wu Tian felt pleasantly surprised. Lin Yuan's parents had only known her for half a day, and they had already accepted her. How could she not be happy?
They returned to the stone dam, where Lin Shouyi and Wang Yixin were already waiting. Lin Shouyi was holding a thermos and a small bag, and Lin Yuan didn't know what was inside. Lin Yuan guessed it was incense and paper money.
Standing beside them was Lin Yuan's uncle and his granddaughter, Xue Qing'er. She had returned a while ago, and it was only now that Lin Yuan was looking at his niece seriously.
He hadn't seen her since she went to college.
Four years had passed in a blink of an eye, and Lin Qing'er had transformed from a little girl into a young lady.
With short hair that brushed her ears, not tied in a half-wolf tail like Wu Tian, her face was rosy and very cute.
Perhaps embarrassed by Lin Yuan's gaze, Xue Qing'er hid behind Lin Yuan's uncle, Lin Qingshan.
She only showed half of her head and looked at Lin Yuan. "Uncle, why are you looking at me?"
Lin Yuan then realized he was being impolite and quickly retracted his gaze, covering up by saying, "It's just that I haven't seen you in so long, and today was so busy. Now I finally have time to see how much you've changed over the years. You've grown even cuter now, haha."
Lin Yuan's praise made her even more shy, and she hid behind Lin Yuan's uncle, not daring to come out for a long time.
When they chatted again, she was no longer so shy. After Lin Yuan promised to play with her cats when he returned, their relationship was completely cemented.
As expected, Peppa and her cat companions were the treasure keys to getting along well with girls.
The group left their living area and headed towards the bamboo forest behind Lin Yuan's original home.
"By the way, Dad, where are you, Mom, and Uncle sleeping tonight?" With so many people suddenly present, there wasn't enough room.
"You guys sleep at your Uncle Yongzhi's place. We'll go back to our room. After resting tomorrow, we'll prepare to move," Lin Shouyi replied.
"Move? Where to?" Wang Yixin and Lin Qingshan didn't know about this.
Lin Shouyi explained, and they finally understood. Lin Qingshan recalled the terrain of the abandoned mountain village.
"This place is quite good. It's on a mountain, and there's a stream flowing down from above. Also, I remember there are many ponds on that mountain, and the scenery is beautiful. It's a pity it wasn't developed into a tourist area. Only we old folks would occasionally go there to fish."
Lin Qingshan's words were very true. China was vast and rich, with many spiritual mountains and beautiful scenery, many of which were still unknown.
"Then let's decide on this for now. Let's go pay our respects first."
"Watch your step."
The distance wasn't far, it was in the bamboo forest behind Lin Yuan's house. They arrived in just a few minutes.
Standing before a grave, Lin Yuan saw that the tombstone was made of wood panels under the flashlight's beam.
Beside him, Lin Shouyi had already set up an incense table under his wife's flashlight. He took out a paper-rolled incense and placed it aside.
Then he took out some Longjing tea from before the Qingming festival and Tianshan Snow Needle that Lin Yuan had brought back and put them into two small cups.
He poured hot water from the thermos, brewing two cups of hot tea.
He solemnly lit the incense he had made. It smelled fragrant, and Lin Yuan smelled it, realizing it was likely the scent of pine resin collected from the mountains.
He first handed it to his elder brother, Lin Qingshan. Lin Qingshan bowed three times, then passed it to Lin Shouyi. It was passed down like this, and finally handed to Lin Qing'er.
After Lin Qing'er finished bowing, Lin Shouyi inserted the almost burned-out incense into the soil.
He raised the tea water on the incense table together with Lin Qingshan.
"Dad, Mom, you loved drinking tea the most. This is good tea brought back by your grandson, and he's also brought back a daughter-in-law. She's very beautiful and saved Lin Yuan's life. It's his own blessing that he could bring her to see you. If you agree, let the bamboo forest make a sound."
As a result, a gust of clear wind blew, and the bamboo forest rustled.
Everyone present laughed.
The two elders were both 99 years old, and a joyous funeral had no reason to be blamed by their descendants.
The tea water in the cups was poured onto the soil.
"Farewell, elders!"
Thus, the past returned to dust, and the earth to earth.