Lying on the bed, Liu Yifeng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with the horrific image of Liu Qingyun's death.
Although his death was not directly his fault, it was indirectly related.
If he hadn't been seen picking wild mushrooms, none of this would have happened.
Now, he felt pity for Liu Qingyun's parents, who were mourning their son. Liu Yifeng truly feared that the elderly couple would not be able to withstand such a blow and would pass away soon after burying their son.
The next morning, Liu Yifeng went to Liu Qingyun's home. His body was laid out in a refrigerated coffin at the entrance, and the mournful sound of suona filled the air.
Many villagers came to offer their condolences. Normally, since Liu Qingyun was unmarried, such a grand funeral was not necessary.
However, Liu Qiushun had only this one son and wanted to give him a dignified burial.
The neighbors in the village, seeing the couple's plight, also came to offer gifts.
The amounts were not large, but they represented the villagers' well wishes, ensuring the elderly couple would not be left without funds after the funeral.
Liu Yifeng paid his respects and then offered a gift of five thousand and one yuan, as it was customary to give odd numbers for funerals.
Just as he was about to approach the grieving parents to offer comfort, Liu Qiushun grabbed Liu Yifeng's clothes, his eyes red with anger, and shouted, "It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, my son wouldn't have died like this! You pay me with your son's life!"
"Uncle, please calm down. I know you're heartbroken over Qingyun's death, but this really isn't my fault. My father and I both advised him against it, and you also told him not to go to the mountain, but he didn't listen!" Liu Yifeng did not forcefully break free from Liu Qiushun's grip.
He knew Liu Qiushun was overwhelmed by grief and needed to vent.
"Why isn't it my fault? If he hadn't seen you pick so many wild mushrooms, would he have gone up the mountain in the first place? This whole thing was started by you!" Liu Qiushun said, and then prepared to attack Liu Yifeng.
But Liu Chunsheng, who had rushed over, intervened, "Qiushun, you're an old man. Why are you still so unreasonable?
It was our choice where my son went; we had no right to interfere.
You also had a responsibility to keep him in check when you were with me, but you failed, and now you're blaming my son. How can you do this?"
"But if your son hadn't bragged about the wild mushrooms he picked, would my son have been tempted to go to those deep mountains?
Even if your son isn't directly responsible, he is indirectly the killer who caused my son's death! You executioners, give me back my son's life!" Liu Qiushun sobbed and collapsed to the ground, utterly dejected.
"Everyone feels for your son's loss, but if you insist on believing my son is responsible for your son's death, you can report it to the police. Let them handle it. I trust that the police are fair and just and will clear my son's name." Liu Chunsheng had followed his son, worried when he saw Liu Yifeng heading towards Liu Qingyun's house early in the morning.
He arrived just in time to see his son being treated as a murderer by Liu Qiushun.
Fortunately, he arrived when he did, or his son would have taken a slap for nothing.
The other villagers also felt that Liu Yifeng should not be blamed. After all, before Liu Qingyun went up the mountain, Liu Yifeng had repeatedly warned them about wolves. Liu Qingyun himself had not believed it and had risked his life for money.
In contrast, Liu Yifeng, knowing they were going up the mountain and the potential danger, had still gone up without hesitation to rescue them.
Otherwise, Liu Qingyun would likely have been reduced to mere bones.
In reality, Liu Qiushun also knew that Liu Yifeng was not to blame, but he simply could not accept the sudden loss of his son.
His wife had already fainted three times and was still bedridden.
He was just trying to hold on and manage his son's funeral, or he too would likely be bedridden.
"You can go now. I don't want to see you again. Don't come to my house anymore!" he said weakly.
Liu Yifeng did not want to provoke Liu Qiushun further at this critical juncture, so he left with his father.
On the way, Liu Yifeng's mood was still heavy, "Dad, do you think I was really wrong?
If I hadn't gone up the mountain to pick wild mushrooms, and hadn't met Liu Qingyun and the others on the way back, would this whole thing really not have happened?"
"Yifeng, why do you think that? People can choke even while drinking water!
Their legs are their own; they can go wherever they want.
Besides, they are all grown up, not children. We advised them, we warned them, but they wouldn't listen, thinking we were trying to trick them.
To put it bluntly, they brought it upon themselves. It's just that Chenguang and Gangzi were unlucky and got caught up in it," Liu Chunsheng said, with some regret.
Liu Yifeng sighed, "Sigh, I hope Chenguang and Yadong can be rescued at the hospital!"
"We can only leave that to fate. I heard they are still in the ICU. Whether they can pull through depends on their luck."
If they had been taken to the hospital immediately after being bitten, the chances of survival might have been greater.
But it took nearly an hour to carry them down from the mountain after they were bitten before they reached the hospital. They had lost nearly three thousand cc of blood, which was close to the limit.
Even if they were saved, both would be permanently disabled and would likely have difficulty finding a wife in the future.
"Dad, could you send some money to their families later? It's the least we can do. I hope they can overcome this. After all, life is more important than anything else."
This incident made Liu Yifeng truly understand how fragile life is.
People who were alive and well yesterday were either dead or injured the next day. Life is truly unpredictable!
Liu Chunsheng had the same thought, "The villagers are all donating money. There's still a long way to go to cover their medical expenses. How much do you think is appropriate to give?"
Liu Yifeng thought for a moment and said, "Five thousand each!"
He had just given five thousand and one as a condolence gift, so Chenguang and the others should be treated the same; everyone was equal.
"Five thousand is quite generous. The other villagers are donating a hundred here, a hundred there, or even tens. Of course, no matter the amount, it's a gesture of their well wishes," Liu Chunsheng said.
Liu Yifeng nodded, "Then I'll trouble you to handle this, Dad. I need to take Tongtong to Mr. Zhao's place later. Since the wild mushrooms have been picked, they won't be fresh if I don't deliver them soon."
"Alright, you go ahead. Be careful on the road!"
Back home, Liu Yifeng quickly made himself some breakfast. After eating, he drove Tongtong to the city.
Su Wanru had guided him once before, so he remembered the way and didn't need to trouble her again.
The car was filled not only with the wild mushrooms he had picked but also with various vegetables he had grown, and two large watermelons.
The trunk was packed full. Liu Yifeng knew that with Mr. Zhao's experience and achievements, any expensive delicacies he might be given would only be seen as mere sustenance.
Nothing could compare to simple farm-fresh vegetables, which were true delicacies.
Moreover, he was confident that once Mr. Zhao tasted the vegetables he grew, he would love them. If Mr. Zhao liked them, he could continue to send them regularly, considering it as tuition fees.
After driving for about fifty minutes, Liu Yifeng parked the car in front of Mr. Zhao's house and rang the doorbell.
The door was opened by the same housekeeper as last time. The housekeeper remembered Liu Yifeng, but she hadn't been informed by Mr. Zhao that Mr. Liu would be visiting, so she dared not invite him in without permission.
She politely inquired, "Hello, Mr. Liu. Is there something you need?"
"Hello, I'm here to visit Mr. Zhao with my son, and I've also brought his favorite wild mushrooms," Liu Yifeng replied with a smile.
"All right, please wait here for a moment. I'll inform the elderly gentleman," the housekeeper said. She closed the iron gate and walked towards the villa hall.
"Elder, Mr. Liu, who came to buy wild mushrooms last time, has arrived with his son and says he brought your favorite wild mushrooms," the housekeeper said to the person watering flowers in the backyard.
Zhao Dewang's hand, holding the watering can, froze. He immediately turned around and asked excitedly, "Are they in the living room?"
The housekeeper lowered her head, "Since there was no appointment, I asked them to wait outside!"
"Then why are you standing there? Hurry up and invite them in! You can water the flowers after you've made some tea!" With that, Zhao Dewang placed the watering can on the stone table.
Watering flowers was usually his hobby, but meeting guests was far more important now!
Although his daughter had told him that Liu Yifeng would bring his son to visit, he hadn't expected them to arrive so soon. He was eager to meet the little boy.
This child had the potential to become his final disciple.
After waiting outside for a while, Liu Yifeng was invited in by the housekeeper. However, he didn't rush in immediately. Instead, he parked the van right by the entrance. The watermelons were too heavy to carry far.
Initially, the housekeeper thought Liu Yifeng had only brought wild mushrooms. She was astonished when she saw watermelons as large as buckets, weighing at least fifty to sixty pounds. "This… is this a watermelon?"