In the end, it was Mei Langchi who noticed something and asked Mr. Mei if he wanted to go to the old house. Seeing him nod, he further inquired if there was anything at the old house, and he nodded again.
After asking for a long time about many places, Mr. Mei kept shaking his head, eventually leaving the whole family exhausted. Xie Lingzhi sighed and said, "Weâve talked about every place in the house, even under the cupboard and beneath the bricks in the yard. Whatâs left? After we moved out of the old house, apart from a few potted plants being left behind, nothing inside was touched. Where else could anything be hidden?"
Just as Xie Lingzhi finished speaking, Mr. Mei began to get agitated.
The family felt there was a clue in Xie Lingzhiâs words and recalled what she said â it was the few potted plants.
As soon as they mentioned the plants to Mr. Mei, he immediately nodded. Now it was all clear; Mr. Mei was thinking about his plants.
However, Mei Langchi, always suspicious, asked if there was something inside the pots, and Mr. Mei nodded again.
This shocked everyone in the room, except for Liang Qian and Mei Lang Jun.
"What... what could possibly be in them? At first, Liang Qian asked if we wanted them, and I said no, so she took them away. Sister-in-law, are those plants still around?"
"Theyâve been gone for a long time. At first, Xiao Wan said she wanted to use a few to decorate her little garden, so she asked our mom, who said we donât need them, and she moved a few pots. Later, Junzi called saying he liked them, and Han Yi moved them over. I saw these things taking up space at home and being unsightly. Since he wasnât home much, I decided to sell them."
"What? Sold them? Where did they go? Are Xiao Wanâs pots still there?" Mei Shuqing was anxious; originally Han Yike had moved quite a few to them.
"They are all gone. She initially wanted to add some scenery to her small garden. After she left, no one took care of them, and some almost died. Eventually, she called me to help her throw them away." Who wouldnât know how to lie? Over the years, Liang Qian had worked in a restaurant and met all kinds of people. Now, even when lying, she doesnât bat an eyelash.
"Thrown away?"
With that said, Mr. Mei gasped and collapsed; attempts to resuscitate him failed.
No one expected Mr. Mei had hidden things in inconspicuous plant pots. Liang Qian pretended to be regretful, although it was an act, the truth was that without Han Yi and their information, they wouldnât have known anything was inside.
Old Mrs. Mei regretted letting them move the plants once she found out. She was also angry at Mr. Mei for hiding it; living together for a lifetime, she realized she didnât know he had hidden so much.
She had no memory of how he brought each item home. He hid things all his life, and in the end, nothing remained. It was his own fault.
Due to this, the family held a significant grudge against Mr. Mei. People in the family hid things so thoroughly; was he trying to take them to his grave?
He hid them for a lifetime, and in the end, someone else profits from a stroke of luck.
Mei Shuping suggested Liang Qian try to remember who she sold them to, to see if they could retrieve them.
Of course, Liang Qian wasnât going to let them find out. When she sold them, she sold them in a bulk to a stranger from out of town. Years have passed, scattered across the country, how could they find them now?
Now, the only choice is to admit defeat; this wealth wasnât meant for them.
The Mei Family each kept sighing.
When Han Yi and Lin Wan arrived, the atmosphere at home was extremely somber. Lin Wan knew about it because Liang Qian had talked to her during her break.
However, they arrived the night before the burial, and the following day was busy with the burial, so they didnât ask much. They didnât even cry.
Lin Wan thought Mr. Meiâs death would bring Chen Haichang back, but it didnât. He was in the Capital City but didnât come, choosing instead to sleep at his place.
Both the father-in-law and his godfather tried to call him, and his response was, "For a father like him, I wonât kneel. You handle your business. Iâm just glad heâs dead, why would I go cry for him? Besides, if I went, he probably wouldnât care about me anyway, so why bother going?"
The Mei Family couldnât do anything about him; even if he came, he might not be sincere. If heâs not coming, then so be it. Over those few days, Chen Haichang didnât visit once.
They also didnât want to come, but unlike Chen Haichang, they couldnât be that carefree.
After the funeral, they needed to stay for three more days. Lin Wan originally wanted to take the children to live in their courtyard, but since it was just three days and cooking and cleaning would be a hassle, their godmother asked them to stay at her place.
Tao Jia was considered a daughter-in-law of the Mei Family, attending the funeral of Mr. Mei. However, the Tao Family said that since there hadnât been a wedding, she couldnât directly live with the Mei Family, so Mei Lang Jun and Tao Jia each stayed separately at their own homes.
Typically, if thereâs an elderâs passing, one shouldnât marry within three years and should observe mourning, but thatâs outdated. Nonetheless, both families decided, despite the elders just passing, not to hold a wedding shortly after. They planned to postpone their childrenâs marriage for a year.
In Z City, they applied for housing, as they were essentially already a married couple.
This arrangement greatly satisfied Mei Lang Jun.
The family stayed at their godmotherâs place, and with two kids around, laughter diluted the sorrow. Especially Dingding, who happily ran around the compound, making a bunch of friends in no time.
Mei Shuping enjoyed rare leisure for three days now, with his grandkids over, especially Dingding, whom he held all day long. Old Mrs. Mei also adored the two children, but she couldnât speak for too long. Seeing Old Mrs. Mei like this, her health wasnât great.