Chapter 331: Epilogue Complete

a huge sigh of relief. Unlike the stares she received along the way, there was no attention here, making her feel slightly more at ease."There are books there, go take a look. I'm going to a meeting....My name is Shen Lu, doesn't it sound like "Shenlu", which means "divine deer"

The name was given to me by my grandfather. Based on my childhood experiences with him, I don't think he was a good man.

Leave aside everything else, just say my name. His own name is quite nice, but he had to give mine such an odd one.

But every time I protested strongly, my grandfather would always say, "Blame your dad for not being a girl, or else this name wouldn't be on you."

That's such a terrible name, and it was chosen by his own grandfather! Yet, he ends up blaming my father for it.

Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to introduce myself.

My grandfather, Shen Xiujin.

It is said that he was particularly charming when he was young.

My grandmother, Jian Tong.

Sometimes I wonder how these two people, who seem completely incompatible at first glance, ended up together.

My grandfather and grandmother divorced before my father was born.

After the divorce, my grandfather did not remarry, and my grandmother did not remarry.

It should have been a parting of ways, each going their separate paths. However, the grandfather was shamelessly clinging to the grandmother all the time.

As far back as I can remember, my grandfather has been fawning over my grandmother.

My grandfather said that your granddad never bowed his head to anyone in his life. He was incredibly tough, and everyone was afraid of him.

But to me, it just seems like Master Yu's words aren't trustworthy.

If my grandfather was really that powerful, why would he become as obedient as a golden retriever just from one glare from my grandmother

Besides, have you ever met a man who's so awesome and has cooking skills comparable to a five-star chef

Since I was little, my grandfather's cooking has always been the best in the family, even better than the hotel chef we hired.

Grandfather went for a walk with the dog in the morning and when he came back, he had a bunch of ingredients in his hands.

When grandfather was busy in the kitchen all morning, by the time grandmother got up, there would always be a table full of steaming hot dishes waiting for them. They might not be lavish, but they were very warm and comforting.

My grandmother never got her hands wet with housework. Even when she watered the plants in our garden, she only did it occasionally. My grandfather said that was perfectly fine.

I secretly asked my grandfather, you cook every day, three meals a day, and go to work. Even with regular work and statutory holidays, you never miss a day. Don't you get tired

Grandfather looked at his grandmother, who was in the garden enjoying afternoon tea that she had made herself. He smiled like a fool and said,

"As long as your grandmother is happy, I'm happy. I'll spoil her rotten, make her so content that she looks down on all other men. That way, your grandmother will have no time to even think about leaving me for the rest of her life."

Besides that, there are some other minor things.

I only know that my grandfather doted on my grandmother, and the word "crazy" can be used to describe it.

I always feel that my grandmother is too sentimental. Such a good grandfather, but she doesn't remarry. When I told my grandfather this, he never blushed at me. That time, he slapped my butt hard. Grandfather said, Little brat, if you ever think about your grandmother like this again, I'll kill you.

Your grandmother is the best grandmother in the world.

Remember to be filial to your grandmother from now on.

If you disrespect me, it's fine. But if you disrespect your grandmother, I'll cook you a dish of hairy chestnut pork.

I felt very wronged at that time. I was clearly speaking up for my grandfather.

Later, I came to know about the past between my grandfather and grandmother.

One night, late in the evening, I was hungry and got out of bed to find something to eat. As I passed my grandmother’s room, I saw that the door was slightly ajar. Out of curiosity, I peeked inside, and what I saw nearly gave me a fright.

He held his grandmother’s foot in his hands, resting it on his chest.

At that time, I was already finding it unbelievable. I ran into my dad's bedroom and blurted out, "Grandpa, is he a pervert I saw him holding Grandma's feet. Does Grandpa have a foot fetish"

"Your grandfather was warming your grandmother's feet. Your grandmother wasn't well and always had cold hands and feet. Your grandfather felt sorry for her. Just pretend you didn't see it, and don't tell your grandfather about this."

"Why"

"Because your grandfather will make you write large characters as punishment."

"Dad, how did you know this so well"

"This is a sad story. Now, fawn, your mother and I have important business to attend to."

My grandfather never remarried, and my grandmother never remarried either. In my childhood memories, that's all I knew - this pair of grandparents who weren't husband and wife going about their daily lives.

My grandmother was a taciturn woman, but whenever she spoke, no one in the family dared to contradict her.

It wasn't because of fear of the grandmother, but rather because the grandfather favored her, which was common knowledge in the family.

Children don't usually have a strong sense of time. But the day my grandmother passed away, I felt it deeply.

When I was eight years old, that year, my grandmother passed away.

It was a day in early spring. As usual, grandmother sat under the big tree in the garden, eating afternoon tea made by her late husband. Grandmother had always loved that rocking chair most; it was placed under the big tree. When she got tired, she would lie down for a little nap.

The grandfather would go and make a thin blanket for his grandmother, calculating the time to wake her up.

But that day, grandfather was never able to wake grandmother again.

The grandmother, rocked gently in her rocking chair by the breeze, peacefully passed away amidst the reviving greenery.

Her grandmother didn't suffer from any sudden illness. She peacefully passed away on that spring afternoon.

Left grandpa.

I will never forget, my once strong grandfather, with tears in his old eyes, sobbing and crying. He knelt for a long time beside my grandmother's rocking chair. I will never forget my grandfather's hands, no longer young, tightly grasping my grandmother's hand which was gradually cooling and stiffening. At that moment, my grandfather cried like a child.

Mom and Dad stood at a distance, but didn't step into the little garden. At the time, I didn't understand. Didn't Mom and Dad feel hurt

Later I learned that my parents were giving their own parents a last bit of private space.

The funeral for Grandma was not grand, but people of influence and standing from all over S city came.

The funeral for grandmother was arranged entirely by grandfather.

After his grandmother passed away, grandfather's health inexplicably began to deteriorate.

Though the cause couldn't be found, my body had become much weaker.

My dad said your grandfather had a heart condition.

What is a heart disease

I don't dare to ask.

Every year after his grandmother's passing, grandfather would hold her photograph carefully and gaze at it as if she were still alive.

Grandfather occasionally speaks to Grandmother's photo as if she were there.

Another year spring has arrived, and all things are reviving.

My grandfather pulled me along and said, "Like this."

"What's it like"

"Like your grandmother."

"Grandfather, don't be sad." This year, I am fourteen years old, and I know more. From what others have said, I've heard more stories about the relationship between Grandfather and Grandmother.

It's unbelievable. When I first heard the stories from my grandparents, I was angry. Angry at my grandfather for not knowing people well, for not discerning good from bad. I thought he was too self-righteous, jumping to conclusions and hurting my grandmother without fully understanding the situation.

When I heard about it later, I thought how lacking in spirit my grandmother was. If I were her, I wouldn't even want to see my grandfather again.

I was moved by their story.

I blame my grandmother for lacking personality.

Later, my grandmother told me that your grandmother made concessions, allowing that tangled and complicated love story to unfold.

Your grandfather also learned to cherish, not like many men in this world who, once they got something, stopped cherishing it.

Your grandfather's attitude towards your grandmother was like a wife-loving demon had possessed him.

When I heard the end of their story, my anger and blame subsided. I no longer held it against my grandfather for not seeing through my true intentions, nor did I fault my grandmother for her wavering stance.

As my grandmother, Su Meng, once said, the two of them finally found happiness in their relationship because one person learned to compromise and let go of their stubbornness.

I can't help but wonder, if they were to keep going like this, with my grandmother refusing to budge, wouldn't their lives turn into two tragedies

"Grandfather, I've heard your love story with Grandmother. It didn't start very happily,"

Grandpa smiled and patted my head: "Thank you to your grandmother for her concession, which made my love possible. Your grandmother didn't want to marry me again, I know why. She still thinks that little secret of hers is unknown to me."

"What little secret"

I asked curiously, but my grandfather just smiled without answering.

"By the way, Grandpa, why do you love Grandma so much But I've never heard you say sweet words to her all my life."

One time, Grandma complained to me, Su Meng Grandma, and Vivian Grandma, saying that you do everything for her but refuse to say the three words "I love you." Grandpa, why won't you say it to Grandma

"Grandma really wanted to hear it, you know."

Grandfather laughed, his voice creaking with age yet filled with delight, like a mischievous child: “I know, I know, she wants to hear it.”

"Why don't you just say it then"

However, the grandfather's smile vanished. He grew serious and resolute:

She wanted to hear those three words so badly, of course I couldn't tell her.

Otherwise, if she listens too much, listens enough, she won't want to listen next life. What if she doesn't come find me

I remain silent, and she continues to dwell on it. In the next life, ah, your grandmother, she will still be mine.”

Saying that, Grandfather grinned mischievously.

My grandfather seemed a little tired. He took a snack from the stone table and gave it to me with a weary wave of his hand. "Here you go, dear child," he said.

I loved the snacks my grandfather made the most. I happily took the snacks and ran with joy at the time.

That afternoon, I went to my grandfather with an English textbook, asking him to read Shakespeare in his authentic British accent. My grandfather's deep voice, when reading English, was particularly pleasing to the ear.

"Grandpa, read me Shakespeare," I said, nudging my grandfather who was dozing in his lounge chair. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't wake him up.

My grandfather passed away, on the same spring afternoon, under the large tree in the garden, on the same reclining chair where my grandmother had died. Just like my grandmother that year, he left peacefully in his sleep.

In his grandfather's hand, a pocket watch was clutched tightly. Inside the watch, there was a photograph of his grandmother. In the photo, she smiled gently. On the reclining chair, his grandfather's aged lips curled into a faint smile.

The sky was a brilliant blue, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves as my grandfather passed away.

I know that my grandfather is gone, and I don't feel a shred of regret. He followed his beloved grandmother, the most precious person in his life, to the afterlife.

In this lifetime, the grandfather never married, and the grandmother remained unmarried. No one mentioned what happened in the past, yet they lived out a second half of life that others envied.

"Grandfather, did you go to look for Grandmother"

I couldn't hear my grandfather's answer, but I knew that the thing he had taken most seriously and been most devoted to in his life was spoiling his grandmother.

Finally, in my grandfather's belongings, I saw the last note he left behind —

Shen Xiuqin loves Jian Tong, through countless lifetimes.

"My dear wife, I'm here to find you."

I was a little stunned. My grandfather didn't say the word "miss" once from beginning to end, but in just a few words, he revealed his deep longing.

"Grandfather, please don't mistreat Grandmother in your next life." She looked up, and a handsome face was framed in the opening, holding a blanket in his hands as he came back inside.Upon entering the bedroom once more, he silently tossed the blanket he was holding...