Chapter 101: Impetuous Maternal Love

Chapter 101: Impetuous Maternal Love

In Yangjia Bay, all residents shared the surname Yang, tracing back to the same ancestor. Despite occasional disputes and conflicts, it was undeniable that they were all family, bound by blood.

Yang Haoran's third uncle on his father's side was a brother to his grandfather and ranked third among siblings.

When he noticed that the funeral arrangements seemed to be at his third uncle's house, his first thought was whether something had happened to this third uncle of his, given his age.

In many rural areas, there was a saying that if an elderly person remained bedridden but could hold on until the Chinese New Year, they might still have some time left, but often many couldn't endure that long.

In Yang Haoran's memory, although his third uncle was elderly, he seemed robust, and his parents hadn't mentioned anything about him being bedridden. So why did something suddenly happen?

With these doubts in mind, Yang Haoran quickened his pace. The closer he got to his third uncle's house, the louder the sounds of mourning and chanting for the deceased became, amidst the drumming and gongs.

As he stepped into the courtyard of his third uncle's house, Yang Haoran spotted a coffin placed in the middle.

Indeed, someone had passed away at his third uncle's house, he hadn't guessed wrong about that. But it wasn't his third uncle who had passed, which was his mistake, for there sat his third uncle beside the coffin, wiping tears from his wrinkled face filled with sorrow.

Aside from seeing his third uncle, Yang Haoran also spotted a familiar face, a middle-aged man next to his third uncle, puffing on a cigarette and occasionally consoling him.T/his chapter is updated by nov(ê(l)biin.co/m

Yang Haoran hastened over, and the middle-aged smoker noticed him, nodding in acknowledgment as he spoke, "You're back."

Yang Haoran also nodded in response, saying, "Yes, I'm back."

The middle-aged smoker was Yang Haoran's father, not tall or muscular, with dark skin and a somewhat frail appearance. However, he seemed spirited.

In Yang Haoran's impression, although his father was a serious person, he would usually express his inner joy upon his return. But today was an exception; he wore a troubled expression, puffing away on his cigarette with no hint of a smile.

"Third Uncle!" Yang Haoran redirected his attention from his father to the teary-eyed third uncle beside him, greeting him.

Yang Haoran felt helpless inside, forcing a strained smile on his face, and said, "I dare not lecture you. I just... sigh, forget it, let's not talk about this. Can you tell me what happened? Why did second uncle, who was perfectly fine, suddenly pass away?"

"Sigh, your second uncle went up the mountain to chop firewood this morning. Usually, he'd be back within a couple of hours, but today, not only did he not return on time, he didn't even come back for lunch. When we tried calling him, there was no answer. Eventually, the whole family went out searching in the area where he usually went to chop wood. We found him there, and by the time we found him, he was already dead. I heard his death was quite gruesome, bitten by a poisonous snake."

Yang Haoran furrowed his brows. He sensed a crucial issue from his mother's words.

"A poisonous snake? Mom, it's winter. Snakes should be hibernating, right? How could second uncle have been bitten by a poisonous snake?" Yang Haoran looked puzzled.

Mother Yang poked his head again, annoyed. "You know nothing. Everyone says he was bitten by a snake, so he must have been. I heard there were bite marks on your second uncle's body. If it wasn't a poisonous snake, what else could have killed him with just one bite? Snakes do hibernate, but everything has exceptions, right? What if this poisonous snake had some special abilities? It's not that strange."

Yang Haoran shook his head, not entirely agreeing with his mother's explanation. He felt there was something off about his second uncle's death, but he couldn't grasp the key at the moment.

"Don't overthink it. With Master Zhou here, everything should be fine. Although Master Zhou isn't from our Yangjia Bay, he's respected around here. He'll handle things properly. Your second uncle has passed away, that's a fact. But we, the living, still have our own lives to live. You're not a child anymore. Focus on your own affairs. Getting married and having children are the most important things!"

Yang Haoran had walked this path himself, so he didn't look down upon these masters without real abilities.

Mother Yang mentioned Master Zhou, who had been in this profession for many years. Yang Haoran had known him since he was a child, and even his name was given by Master Zhou's master. However, whether Master Zhou truly had special abilities, Yang Haoran wasn't certain. But one thing was clear: he had been doing this for so many years without incidents and had persisted, indicating he must have his unique strengths.

Seeing Yang Haoran frowning in thought, Mother Yang scolded again, "You rascal, pretending to be deep when marriage is mentioned?"

Yang Haoran snapped out of his reverie with Mother Yang's scolding, smiling wryly. "Mom, you're overthinking."

"Overthinking? Nonsense! You're thirty already. If you don't get married now, you'll never get married. You're the only one left in our family. If you don't get married soon, your father will beat you for being unfilial!"

"But..."

"No buts! Mom has found you a blind date. The girl is good. You'll have to go yourself. Don't ruin it for me! You're thirty already. Do you want your mother to worry about this matter? It's embarrassing. I was supposed to go with you tomorrow to boost your confidence, but with this incident at your third uncle's house, I need to stay and help. You'll have to go alone. If you can't even handle a girl, I'll break your legs when you come back!"