Free Web NovelChapter 710: Chapter 680: Coming in Droves
Pu Jian said, "Do they have the guts of a bear or a leopard? I’d like to see them try!"
Fan Lida said, "Better safe than sorry, it’s always good to be thorough in our considerations."
Clad in mourning clothes, Xu Chunliang approached, introducing Lu Yunqi to Fan Lida and then asked Zhang Haitao to go to the newspaper office to publish the statement severing Elder Zhou’s father-son relationship with his two unfilial sons.
As he was explaining, Xu Changshan came over, asking him to hold off on publishing the statement. After all, they were father and sons for decades, and now that Zhou Renhe is gone, issuing this statement seemed too heartless.
Xu Chunliang understood that his grandfather didn’t want things to escalate, but since Zhou Yiwen and Zhou Yi Wu refused to handle their father’s funeral due to inheritance disputes, their character was evident, and severing ties with such trash was no loss.
Zhou Yiwen and Zhou Yi Wu didn’t sit idly by either; after leaving the hospital, they contacted lawyers to see if they could overturn the old man’s will.
Upon learning that Fang Wenzheng helped draft the will, the lawyer immediately advised the brothers against wishful thinking. Fang Wenzheng had a high level of expertise and was well-respected in Jizhou’s legal circles.
The most crucial issue was that the will was drafted by Zhou Renhe himself while he was alive, so to overturn it, they would have to prove that at the time, Zhou Renhe was either mentally unsound or coerced.
The Zhou brothers had actually researched the relevant legal provisions and believed they could start from there. Although they were willing to pay a hefty sum for the lawsuit, no lawyer in Jizhou was willing to take it on, as anyone with a bit of sense knew the case stood no chance of success.
While they were at their wits’ end, Huang Youlong from Mingde Group extended a helping hand, finding them a top lawyer, Chen Yuan, who rushed to Jizhou from the Capital City that day to assist with the will issues.
On the surface, Zhou Renhe’s will seemed like an internal family matter, but in reality, it impacted Mingde Group’s interests, as they had a deep partnership with Renhe Hall, and any changes in Renhe Hall’s future would certainly be closely related to Mingde Group’s interests.
The night Zhou Renhe passed away, it rained lightly; Xu Chunliang had a brazier lit in the mourning hall for friends who came to help keep warm.
Although Xu Chunliang persuaded his grandfather to rest indoors, Xu Changshan also stayed up all night. That night, he took stock of the items his eldest brother had secretly stashed in the old house over the years, and while flipping through old photo albums, he felt a complex mix of emotions.
The survival of Huichun Hall to this day was mainly due to the sacrifices of his father and the endurance of his elder brother. Without their contributions, Huichun Hall would have probably perished in the seventies. It was laughable to him that he had always considered himself Huichun Hall’s defender.
Xu Jia’an and Xu Jiawen, the two sisters, had rushed to Jizhou last night. The sudden appearance of their uncle left them extremely shocked. In fact, the sisters had no deep impression of this uncle, and what little they knew was about the grievances between Zhou Renhe and Huichun Hall.
Because Xu Changshan didn’t want these grievances to continue, he never told his children the details. For Xu Jia’an and others, the Xu Family and the Zhou Family were supposed to be strangers for life, but they never expected the relationship between the two families to take a 180-degree turn. Zhou Renhe had unexpectedly become their father’s biological older brother, and even the funeral was being organized by the Xu family.
Although both daughters had returned, Xu Changshan still felt they didn’t place enough importance on the matter, especially his eldest daughter, Xu Jia’an. In normal times, it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t come back, but now that her uncle had passed, her husband and children should attend the funeral.
The old man’s displeasure was evident to both daughters. Xu Jiawen, being more considerate, quietly pulled her sister aside, reminding her to inform her family to come to Jizhou on the day of the funeral.
Xu Jia’an felt perplexed and whispered, "We didn’t even know there was such an uncle. Isn’t it enough for us children to be here? The kids are so busy with work and school; do we really need them to come all the way?"
Xu Jiawen said, "Dad rarely asks us to do anything. This time, he takes it so seriously. We mustn’t go against his wishes and let him down. With transportation so convenient now, it will only take the kids two days at most to round trip, and it won’t disrupt much."
Xu Jia’an, feeling helpless, called her husband and children. Her husband, Liang Shude, was agreeable to coming on the day of the funeral, but her son, Liang Linan, and daughter, Liang Lixin, both said they couldn’t find the time. Xu Jia’an conveyed the situation to her father, hoping for some understanding from him.
Unexpectedly, Xu Changshan merely remarked indifferently, "If they won’t come this time, they shouldn’t bother coming when I die."
Only then did Xu Jia’an realize how much her father valued her uncle’s funeral. She quickly called her children again, saying everything she could, finally persuading them to do her this favor.
Early in the morning, Xu Changshan went to the mourning hall to burn paper offerings and incense for his eldest brother. Looking at his brother’s photo, he felt sorrow welling up again. He had lived nearly a lifetime, only to find out at the end that he had a half-brother he had always regarded as an enemy. The thought filled him with guilt.
Xu Chunliang came to his grandfather’s side and advised, "Grandfather, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Although my granduncle was able to reunite with you before he passed, he has fulfilled his heart’s desire. He spent his life protecting Huichun Hall, establishing Renhe Hall, and now has entrusted me with Huichun Hall’s legacy. I believe he has no regrets."
Xu Changshan nodded and said, "That’s precisely why I feel so bad for him. He endured so much disgrace and burden throughout his life, bearing so many accusations. Compared to him, I haven’t done anything for Huichun Hall."
"Please don’t think that way. In front of me, granduncle praised you endlessly, saying that you have a righteous character and do everything openly and uprightly."
Xu Changshan pursed his lips, held Xu Chunliang’s hand, and said, "Chunliang, I haven’t been able to do anything for my elder brother in this life. I just wish to send him off grandly, you understand?"
Xu Chunliang nodded repeatedly. In fact, he was doing just that: "Grandpa, don’t worry, leave everything to me. You just need to take care of yourself. I have so many friends, if I don’t understand something, I can consult with my two aunts."
Xu Changshan sighed. He had two daughters, the younger one was still fine, but the elder one was not reliable. Thankfully, he had a sensible and treasured grandson. He thought of his son, Xu Jiaxuan: "Can your dad make it back?"
Xu Chunliang replied, "I reached out to him. He said he would overcome all obstacles to make it back."
Xu Changshan nodded. He didn’t have high hopes for his son Xu Jiaxuan anyway, as long as his grandson was here to oversee things.
At that moment, someone delivered a wreath. A large group of people dressed in black, from various ethnic backgrounds, under Ji Jiajia’s lead, came to pay their respects. Xu Chunliang glanced at Pu Jian, who hastily shook his head, indicating it had nothing to do with him; he didn’t have much contact with Ji Jiajia either.
Xu Chunliang couldn’t understand how Ji Jiajia found out. A master wouldn’t expect a bow from his apprentice. Upon seeing Xu Chunliang, Ji Jiajia quickly bowed, "Master, my condolences."
Xu Chunliang said, "What are you doing adding to the mess?" He highly suspected Hua Zhuyue told Ji Jiajia, but it turned out Ji Jiajia got the news from Fu Xuedong. Fu Xuedong, Fu Guomin’s son, had gone with his mother to Dongzhou to visit his father these past few days and learned about the funeral in Xu Chunliang’s family. Fu Xuedong and his senior sister Ji Jiajia were in contact, so he informed her.
Ji Jiajia liked excitement and, upon hearing of the funeral in her master’s family, brought along a group of international friends to support the occasion. Since she was funding it, the group accompanied her.
Xu Chunliang was concerned about when she would leave. Ji Jiajia said she must attend the funeral before she leaves, and there was no need for her master’s arrangements. She self-funded the entire process, directly presenting a ten-thousand-dollar gift at the registration desk. Fan Lidada had never seen such a large gesture—ten thousand dollars! It wasn’t a small amount, and given that Xu Chunliang was now considered a state official, accepting it might pose future problems.
He quickly called Xu Chunliang over to get his opinion. Xu Chunliang had anticipated this from the start and decided not to accept gifts over five hundred. He pulled Ji Jiajia aside: "Jiajia, please don’t cause more trouble for me. As a person in the system, I can’t accept such large gifts, and I’m not short of money."
Ji Jiajia laughed, "Such a big mouth, do you have more money than me?"
Xu Chunliang responded, "Don’t compare me, a diligent public servant, with someone like you who gains wealth without effort from their parents."
"Who are you looking down on? Fine, if you won’t accept it, I won’t force it. If I can’t support with money, I’ll provide my presence."
Xu Chunliang asked Pu Jian to arrange for these people. Pu Jian was equally mischievous, giving each a mourning cap and taking special care of Ji Jiajia, providing her with full mourning attire, reasoning that since Xu Chunliang was her master, like her father, if her master mourned, so should his apprentice.
When Ji Jiajia’s own father’s death was announced, she didn’t don mourning attire, but she joined in here. She realized not every event suits her participation, but she didn’t object to Pu Jian’s arrangement, treating it as an experience, making the international friends who accompanied her put on mourning caps.
A group of people of various skin colors all wore mourning caps on their heads. Ding Si couldn’t help but sneak a laugh crouching at the alley’s entrance, while Zhang Haitao also held back laughter. The two lamented at Pu Jian’s audacity. However, on another note, Xu Chunliang’s network was truly commendable—Ji Jiajia brought almost a mini United Nations, echoing a world in mourning.
Another wreath was delivered, this time from Equatorial Capital. Luan Yuchuan, the president of Equatorial Capital, personally came, along with Mo Han and Bai Mushan.
Xu Chunliang went to greet them, but Luan Yuchuan stopped him before he knelt, "Mr. Xu, my condolences!"
Ding Si and Zhang Haitao felt the occasion was growing increasingly grand, with even the head of Equatorial Capital attending. They speculated that it might be due to Mo Han’s involvement, as the relationship between Mo Han and Xu Chunliang was somewhat ambiguous.
The first update is posted!
