Luo Qiao felt a tight discomfort in her heart as she followed step by step into the room, scenes of their time spent together flashing before her eyes, and tears unconsciously began to stream down.
After everyone had calmed down, Luo Qiao learned from others the cause and sequence of events.
It turned out to be the handiwork of Zhong Zhaowei, who came home drunk and started acting crazy; apparently discontented, he took his frustration out on Zou Lina by beating her. Zou Lina, unwilling to stay home and be beaten, ran out.
After the rain stopped, having had their meal, the elder gentlemen of the courtyard were sunbathing in the small square, idly chatting.
When Zou Lina ran out and saw there were many people around, she ran towards them, thinking Zhong Zhaowei would restrain himself in the crowd. However, she didn’t expect him to not only beat and kick her but also to knock over an elderly man in a wheelchair nearby.
Old Master Yuan saw his old friend about to fall from the wheelchair and tried to catch him in his urgency. Due to the abruptness of the event, it was too late by the time everyone reacted.
It was Xiao Zhang, who was beside Master Yuan, that quickly stepped forward to assist, catching the falling wheelchair. But because it had just rained, and the ground was still wet, Master Yuan slipped and fell.
Just as Xiao Zhang righted the wheelchair, he saw his own master fall and turned to pull him up but grabbed at air.
Zhong Zhaowei saw Master Yuan bleeding from his head, got scared, sobered up halfway, realized the situation was bad, and ran off.
No matter how furious they were, it was true that Master Yuan was gone. The whole courtyard became upset with the Zhong Family, especially those from Elder Lu’s home, whose life Master Yuan had saved.
A few days later, everyone dressed in black to bid farewell to Old Master Yuan.
Luo Qiao cried uncontrollably at the funeral; her fondness for the Yuan Family stemmed from Old Master Yuan, and now that the elder had passed away, she knew the affection would fade in her heart.
Not many days after Master Yuan’s funeral, the Zhong Family completely moved out of the courtyard; they no longer had the face to stay.
Originally, Zhong Zhaowei was to be held criminally responsible, but to protect her son, his mother provided a psychiatric assessment that indicated he had a mental disorder. However, for the many years that the community had known Zhong Zhaowei, he had appeared normal to them, and the Zhong Family’s behavior disgusted everyone in the courtyard, so much so that they wrote a joint letter.
Without the Yuan Family needing to speak out, the Lu family, using various means, forced the Zhong Family to back off from the matter. Otherwise, the rest of the Zhong Family would not be let off easily. Zhong Zhaowei’s Big Brother even had a fierce argument with his parents.
He spoke harshly: "If you continue to protect Zhong Zhaowei, I will sever ties with the family."
Soon after, the two married daughters also came back crying, saying that if they continued to protect Zhaowei, they would face divorce.
The Zhong Family’s Second Wife from the far south also called Zhong Zhiqiang, the Big Brother, demanding that they should not let the useless Zhong Zhaowei drag down the entire Zhong Family, adding with regret: "The Elder has passed away; no one is left to protect the descendants of the Zhong Family."
In the end, Zhong Zhaowei paid the price for his actions, sentenced to three years, and Zou Lina was also held liable for corresponding civil responsibilities, compensating the victim’s family.
Because of Master Yuan’s departure, Luo Qiao requested leave to return to the farm to visit Grandma Luo.
Over the years, she had made a few trips back, but due to the distance, she couldn’t visit to pay respects every year. However, every time she went back, she left some money for the factory to help look after Grandma Luo’s gravesite.
Lu Yichen, not feeling at ease, also asked for leave and accompanied her on the trip.
The two decided to drive there, as switching transport several times would be quite inconvenient, and also because Luo Qiao wanted to bring along some things for everyone back at the farm who had been looking after Grandma Luo’s gravesite.
Lu Yichen called his father-in-law and younger auntie to come over to help pick up the kids, thereby creating an opportunity for them as well.
After all, while it isn’t openly discussed, everyone hopes they can reconcile. Seeing that neither of them strongly objected, they might have some mutual intentions. Since the opportunity has been given, it’s up to them to seize it or not.
He had his own motives. Although the younger auntie wasn’t his biological aunt, she had taken care of him and his brother since they were children, and in his heart, he hoped she could find happiness in her later years, having someone to care for her.
The father-in-law is also pitiable. If the two could truly connect, he believed that with their personalities, they would get along very well.
Of course, he had also consulted his wife’s wishes, and she said she would welcome their union.