Unlike the mourning at the Zhang family, the Qi family was full of joy, and laughter could be heard from inside the house even from outside the courtyard walls.
Qi Taiguo stopped outside the house. Cheng Su saw him when she ca out and said, "Back so soon?" Seeing he didn’t enter, she asked, "What are you doing standing at the door, co in!"
Qi Taiguo said, "Go to the kitchen and get so straw."
Cheng Su was puzzled, wondering what he was up to, but went to the kitchen and grabbed a small handful of straw.
Qi Taiguo took it, placed it at the doorstep, pulled out a lighter, and lit it. Once the straw was burning well, he stepped over the fire as he went in.
Cheng Su was stunned, wondering what this was all about.
Mother Qi ca out from the main room and happened to see this scene, and asked, "What happened? Stepping over a fire, did soone pass away?"
Cheng Su was taken aback.
Qi Taiguo saw Cheng Su’s stunned expression, realizing she was ’an outsider’ who might not understand, so he quietly explained, "When coming back from a house where soone died, you must step over fire to ward off the bad luck, especially with children in our house." He then asked, "Where is big sister? Has she left? Sothing happened at the Zhang family!"
"She hasn’t left yet, said she would leave after eating." Cheng Su was alard by this and grabbed his arm, asking, "What happened? Could it be that child... passed on?"
"I’ll tell you inside!" Qi Taiguo shook his head.
Indeed, big sister hadn’t left yet, so Qi Taiguo found an excuse to send Xiao Yun and Xiao Bao away before he spoke of the Zhang family’s tragedy.
"What?!"
"Oh my God!"
Everyone was shocked, wondering what on earth had happened.
They resented the Zhang family for lacking integrity, but never wished them dead, never wanted them to face such cruel fate. Yet now, hearing about the viciousness of that woman from the Zhang family made their skin crawl.
Qi Fenglian’s body weakened, nearly falling to the ground, and Chu Changxing quickly supported her.
"I’m okay, just anxious." Qi Fenglian held onto her husband’s arm tightly.
Father Qi asked, "Did both of them really die?"
Qi Taiguo nodded, saying, "They died."
Father Qi sighed, "Misfortune in the family, Old Zhang’s family, truly wicked!"
Having been close relatives, hearing such a tragedy, how could they not be shocked and heartbroken?
Cheng Su thought of the scene, gagging a few tis, never expecting Lai Jinlan would beco so deranged in her cruelty.
"No wonder you burned straw upon returning..." Mother Qi murmured.
Such a death counts as untily, most unjust, so Qi Taiguo wanted to ward off any bad luck. He himself, as a soldier, wasn’t afraid, but there were children at ho.
Cheng Su asked, "What about the sick child in their family?"
Qi Taiguo shook his head and said, "I don’t know." He then told Qi Fenglian, "Zhang family’s two elders have died. Speaking of which, they’re the true grandparents of Xiao Yun and Xiao Bao. Not sure if anyone will call us when it cos ti to hold the funeral. I gave Zhang Jisheng so money as a gesture, so if he asks..."
"If he asks, we must go to see them off, to avoid having the children bear a reputation of being unfilial." Father Qi said.
Qi Fenglian looked at Chu Changxing.
Chu Changxing said, "That’s right. After all, they’re their real grandparents. Go this one ti, then there’s no need to go in the future."
Qi Fenglian pressed her lips, "Alright, if they ask us to go, we will. If not, then let’s pretend not to know."
She bowed her head, feeling a bit sour in her nose, never imagining such a thing would happen to the Zhang family. Was this fate or Heaven’s punishnt?
Mother Qi’s heart felt heavy; she went inside to light incense and murmured Buddhist prayers.
For a mont, no one spoke in the main room, and the silence was terrifying. Cheng Su instinctively tightened her grip on Qi Taiguo’s hand.
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