Seeing Her Off (Thanks, Zhenxiang~Ya, for the Tip!!)

In her hazy consciousness, Tang Ying seemed to hear the children calling for her.

Each cry of "Principal Tang" filled her with an incomparable warmth, and memories of the past surfaced in her mind:

Bai Xiaonian had been a clever child since she was little.

Unfortunately, her parents were not around, and only her grandfather was there to care for her. Once, she caught a terribly bad cold, so Tang Ying carried her to the hospital herself. After Bai Xiaonian was put on an IV drip, Tang Ying still worried about her and stayed by her bedside.

She ended up keeping watch for ten whole hours, and it was already night by the time they returned.

Back then, Xiaonian had lain on her back, wrapping her little arms tightly around Tang Ying's neck as she secretly called her "Mom." It was the first time Tang Ying had ever heard someone call her Mom, and also the first time she had cried during her teaching years in Huayi Town.

Little Huzi was clearly a skinny boy, yet he had been given such a sturdy nickname.

That was when the school had just been built. Tang Ying went to inspect the student dormitories, and when she saw that Little Huzi had nothing but a thin felt blanket over him in the dead of winter, her heart grew unbearably heavy.

With tears in her eyes, she gave Little Huzi the only memento her husband had left behind before his death—a wool coat. She also used what little salary she had to buy winter clothes, bedding, and quilts for the children.

Groups of volunteer teachers came and went. Over the years, countless people had retreated in the face of hardship, but Tang Ying alone remained.

Her achievements and deeds in volunteer education had earned her many opportunities for further study and promotion, but she gave them all up.

She chose to remain here.

No matter how her family, friends, colleagues, or even the students tried to persuade her, she refused to leave.

Because she knew the children could not do without her. And she could no longer do without them, either.

Ever since her husband had succumbed to cancer, she had understood that everyone should cherish every day they were alive.

Seeing the children's smiling faces was what made her happiest.

Sending the children out of the mountains and into a wider world was what made her happiest.

Being able to use education to let impoverished children see hope, and to make poor regions fewer and fewer, was what made her happiest!

There had been many hardships during her years of volunteer teaching, and danger had accompanied her at times as well.

But she had never been afraid, because behind her stood a powerful motherland.

Over the years, the nation's concern and assistance for poor children in the mountains, as well as its strong support for volunteer education, was the deepest love she had ever felt. She loved these children deeply, and she loved her motherland just as deeply.

A long life, when recalled now, felt so brief.

Tang Ying smiled faintly to herself and calmly accepted the wave of exhaustion washing over her.

When one was born, one came crying;

When one died, one should leave smiling!

The alarms on the machines suddenly went off.

Everyone present hurriedly looked toward the hospital bed and found Tang Ying lying there, peaceful and serene.

The doctor strode forward. After carefully examining her, he shook his head gravely.

"The patient is no longer breathing."

Those words were unbearably heavy.

It was as if they had slammed into everyone's heart.

"Auntie!!"

The woman collapsed beside the bed, crying even more fiercely.

The two children still kneeling nearby stared at their mother, not understanding why she was crying beside the bed. What confused them even more was why their mother shed no tears when she cried.

"My condolences."

The doctor seemed to know something of Tang Ying's story and offered his comfort with a grave expression.

Xiao Lin and Xiao Ai were already streaming with tears.

The woman lying beside the bed was Juan'er, and her cries were the loudest of all.

Yet her husband stood beside her without expression. Listening to her wail, he finally could not help stepping forward to ask,

"Did Auntie leave a will?"

Juan'er hurriedly felt around Tang Ying's pockets. Aside from one hundred yuan, there was only a bloodstained handkerchief.

She casually slipped the money into her own pocket. As for the handkerchief, though it had blood on it, it could still be used after washing.

After bowing to Tang Ying's body, the doctor reminded them,

"You should start making funeral arrangements soon."

"Yes, yes, funeral arrangements!"

Juan'er symbolically wiped away her tears, then turned to the two intern doctors.

"Auntie has always been alone here. Now that she's gone, and I'm her only relative, her belongings should naturally be entrusted to me for safekeeping. Please hand over any inheritance to me! I remember my aunt was a principal, right? Can you take me to see her school?"

A moment ago, the woman had been heartbroken with grief. The next, she was lucidly demanding an inheritance.

Xiao Ai gave a cold smile as tears slid down her face. She did not want to say anything.

Just as expected, she had not misjudged her.

Sensing that Xiao Ai was not someone to provoke, the woman smiled at Xiao Lin instead.

"You should be a teacher at my aunt's school, right? Can you take me to sort through Auntie's belongings?"

"Sure."

Xiao Lin nodded in agreement.

After all, they were Principal Tang's only relatives. Letting them pack up her belongings was the most proper arrangement.

Then Juan'er took her husband and followed Xiao Lin out of the hospital.

Xiao Ai remained at the hospital, helping everyone handle matters there.

The funeral arrangements also began in earnest.

Soon,

Juan'er and the others followed Xiao Lin to the school in Huayi Town.

Her gaze swept over the bleak, shabby school, and she frowned.

"This is my aunt's school?"

"Yes. Principal Tang's office is this way."

Xiao Lin led them straight to the office.

After passing through the deserted corridor, they arrived at the office.

Inside stood three plain, worn desks. One belonged to Tang Ying, while the other two belonged to Xiao Lin and Xiao Ai.

Pointing at the desk in the middle, Xiao Lin said,

"That's Principal Tang's desk."

"Alright, I understand. I'll sort through Auntie's belongings. It won't take long!"

Juan'er spoke with a solemn expression, clearly hinting that he should leave.

Once Xiao Lin had left the office, Juan'er's husband brazenly walked over to Tang Ying's desk, pulled open a drawer, and began rummaging through it.

The stack of cash sitting right at the front of the drawer made his eyes light up.

"Holy crap, look! Ten thousand yuan in cash!"

"See what I told you? My aunt was a principal! How could she not have some extra money tucked away? You didn't even want to come, but now you can secretly celebrate!"

Juan'er smiled smugly, not a trace of grief left on her face.

Watching the man count the money over and over, she snatched it from him and said impatiently,

"Enough. Look at how worthless you are. Hurry up and search elsewhere. There might be more places where she hid money!"

Su's Funeral Company

Su Chen, who had long been prepared, received a system notification that Tang Ying, the subject of his second funeral mission, had passed away.

For some reason, his heart grew heavy as well.

He put on a plain, ancient-style men's robe, something like a long traditional gown. Paired with the bearing of a grandmaster of traditional culture, his entire presence became especially calm and refined, every gesture carrying an air of elegance.

His special breathing technique made his breath long and steady.

With the suona in hand, he set off for Huayi Town.

PS:

Thank you, boss Zhenxiang~Ya, for the generous tip!!

Love you! Emmm, I owe you another chapter now. I'll deliver it tomorrow!

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