Funeral Arrangements

Zhao Shi ran around crying and laughing wildly, but was eventually dragged back inside and locked up by Su Daqi.

Su Li looked around and noticed that Liu Ru was missing.

"Where's Liu Ru?" Su Li asked.

Old Su didn't even look up. The once formidable patriarch of the old Su family no longer showed his former might. His voice was weak, like a deflated ball, lacking strength: "Liu Ru, that stinking female bastard ran away... took all the valuable things from the house and fled..."

A mocking smile appeared on Su Li's lips. Sure enough, Liu Ru had run off, not only taking the principal money owed for vegetables sold at Su Li's house but also the last valuable belongings of the old Su family.

But since the child used as collateral was no longer there, Su Li had no intention of pursuing Liu Ru for that principal amount.

The old Su family was already at the end of the road, with nothing left—only Old Su, Su Daqi, and a venomous-looking disfigured one-eyed Su Meixiang.

Looking at such a ruined old Su family, Su Li suddenly didn't want to stay any longer.

She turned to leave, and Yuan Jie and the others followed. After stepping out of the courtyard, they saw Su Sanyun, Su Shirong, and Sun Shi rushing over in a panic.

Su Sanyun and his family were dressed in mourning clothes.

Su Li immediately knew that her soft-hearted third uncle, although estranged from the old Su family, had changed into mourning clothes because his biological mother had died.

"A Li, how is the family? Is your grandmother really gone?" Sun Shi could hardly believe that the cruel old woman was gone.

"Yes, she's gone," Su Li nodded.

A sad expression appeared on Su Sanyun's face as he sighed heavily.

Yuan Jie walked over and handed Su Sanyun a silver coin. "Third brother, take this to buy a coffin. I'll provide the money, you provide the effort—after all, you gave birth to me."

Su Sanyun pocketed the silver coin and nodded. "Yes, fourth brother, I will handle the funeral properly."

After saying this, Su Sanyun hurried off with his wife and son toward the old Su family house.

In the end, Old Su and Su Shimao each had a thin coffin, and the infant was given a small coffin personally made by Su Sanyun. The three were buried at the old Su family's ancestral grave at the foot of the mountain.

It was called an ancestral grave simply because the great-grandfather and great-grandmother were buried there.

During the funeral, no villagers came. Not even Yuan Jie or Su Li showed up. Only Old Su, Su Daqi, and Su Meixiang were there, dressed in mourning clothes, their eyes vacant, like walking spirits of death in broad daylight.

The villagers were indifferent to the deaths of three people and the madness of one because the entire village was busy discussing the recent bandit kidnappings.

Tang Shi had disappeared, Zhang Zhuzi reported it to the authorities, and the government sent an officer who said it was the work of bandits. Zhang Zhuzi was told to wait for news and then left.

Since then, there was no news. Except for Su Li's family, no one knew where Tang Shi had gone. Everyone assumed she was kidnapped by bandits, so the villagers were especially vigilant, locking their doors at night.

After the turmoil settled, the village resumed focusing on the school affairs. Su Li's destroyed greenhouse was rebuilt, but unfortunately, it was already early spring, so it was too late to plant off-season winter vegetables.

However, Su Li was not upset. She had people plant ordinary crops like wheat and corn in the fields. Once the grain matured, she planned to sell a small portion and build secret granaries in nearby mountains to store the rest.

Stockpiled grain could be used for emergencies during famines or as military provisions.

Su Li knew that for a great general like Xiao Zetian, supplies were his lifeline. She felt it was safer to keep that lifeline in her own hands rather than entrusting it to the emperor.

Just as everything was returning to normal, a sudden event happened like a bolt from the blue.