In the hospital ward, Mr. Lin had shut himself in for three days, and no one knew what he was thinking. After regaining his spirits, the next morning he gave a series of orders to the service soldier by his side.
—— Apply to change rooms... handle the funeral arrangements for the old lady as soon as possible... quickly return to your posts...
In the solemn and dignified funeral parlor reception room, Lin Aiguo listened to the service soldier’s message in silence for a while before saying to his busy wife, "I’ll head to the hospital for a bit."
Chen Jingru nodded and glanced at their son, who hadn’t slept all night, "You should take your second brother with you, and bring Xiao Hui along too."
Lin Aiguo understood his wife’s concern. She was afraid of being misunderstood again, that the old man would slip money to them in private. She also wanted their son to get some fresh air and rest.
"Okay, you should rest for a bit. Leave some small matters to our little sister, don’t tire yourself out."
Chen Jingru nodded, watching as he waved to Lin Aidang, and sat aside, silently calculating the expenses of the past few days. All costs had come out of their pocket, and she wasn’t sure how to account for it all.
The old man had washed his hands of it, and the others pretended to be ignorant, leaving her feeling helpless. If not for respecting the deceased, given her mother-in-law’s attitude towards her, she really felt like shutting herself in like her father-in-law.
Lin Dinghui heard his father’s words, nodded at him, and swiftly walked over to his mother’s side, "Mom, you should rest for a bit, there’s a lot to do tomorrow."
"Alright, when you see your grandfather, try not to talk too much."
Lin Dinghui nodded slightly, following behind Lin Aiguo as they walked out. At the entrance, they saw his aunt, Lin Liyin, rushing over to stop them.
"Big Brother, I’m coming with you."
Lin Aiguo didn’t mind. As long as she didn’t mind squeezing in, a few people could fit in one car. Whether they would see the old man or not, no one was certain.
Lin Liyin got in the car, glanced at the eldest with a stern face, and explained, "Big Brother, I’ll see Dad and come back to help right away. I’ve already told Sister-in-law."
Lin Aiguo nodded casually.
"Uncle, my mom’s here too, so there’s no problem with the two of them managing here."
Lin Aiguo glanced at his big nephew, looked out the window, and didn’t respond. He wished Jiang Jiangyu would stay away from him; that fool would be better off accompanying the old lady on her journey.
Beside him, Lin Dinghui heard this and lowered his head with a mocking smile. Truly clueless!
Silently, the group arrived at the general hospital. This time, Mr. Lin did not refuse them entry and greeted them from his hospital bed.
Seeing Mr. Lin with his hair completely white and a weary face, Lin Aiguo and his siblings’ eyes grew red as they gathered before him, unable to speak through their choking sobs.
Mr. Lin glared at them, "I’m not dead yet, why the long faces? What do you want to say? Didn’t I tell you to handle the arrangements quickly? Why the hurry to come over?"
Lin Aidang and Lin Liyin looked at their eldest brother, unsure of any urgent reason besides visiting the old man.
Lin Aiguo sighed, pulled up a chair, and sat down, speaking slowly, "I spent two hundred yuan on a plot in Western Suburb of Beijing. Do you want to check the place?"
Mr. Lin closed his eyes and waved his hand, "No need, I’ll go over on the day of the ceremony. Make it nice, your mom likes it pretty. I’ll give you the money later."
Lin Dinghui looked at the old man in surprise; he hadn’t expected to hear such words. His mother’s years of effort had finally been acknowledged by the old man.
Mr. Lin turned his head to gaze out the window, speaking in a low tone, "I used to blame your father for making decisions on his own, couldn’t sleep all night over it, but when I thought about it, I realized I had wronged your father. If I hadn’t arranged for Xiao Lin’s relocation, your father wouldn’t have been implicated. I’ve been really muddle-headed."
Lin Dinghui hurriedly advised, "Grandpa, don’t think that way. My dad is better off away than here in Beijing. I didn’t dare tell you, but I had to beg him for a long time before he agreed. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
Mr. Lin’s eyes flashed sharply, turning to him quickly, about to speak but, seeing the others’ expressions from the corner of his eye, he paused. After a moment, he said, "There’s nothing to blame. This is fine. Don’t contact your sister anymore."
Lin Dinghui scrutinized his expression and nodded.
Mr. Lin took a savings deposit from the bedside drawer and handed it to Lin Aiguo, "Here’s two thousand yuan. I intended to save it all and give it back to Shanshan, but now, use it for your mom’s funeral arrangements."
Lin Aiguo shook his head, "No need, I still have some savings."
Mr. Lin insisted on putting it into his eldest son’s hand, sighing, "Take it. These years your mom’s supplements have probably depleted your funds."
Lin Aiguo gripped the deposit tightly, thought about it, and didn’t refuse. He didn’t have much money left, and still needed to buy his son a courtyard house. He didn’t ask where the money came from, likely Mr. Lin had exchanged quite a bit of money privately already.
"Since the burial plot is ready, hold the ceremony tomorrow. Your mom’s exit wasn’t respectable, don’t make a big fuss, handle it simply, and get back to your duties."
Lin Aiguo and his brother exchanged a glance, nodding knowingly at the old man. They had discussed privately that apart from close relatives and friends, probably not many would attend the memorial, so it was better to let the old lady rest in peace early.

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