It's Time to Make an Appearance (Seeking Monthly Votes!)

Three days passed quickly.

Old Nie's funeral proceeded as scheduled at Pingzhuang Public Cemetery in Qingyang County.

The news of his passing was sudden, and many relatives and friends arrived one after another within these three days to pay their respects and attend the funeral.

White wreaths were placed before the tombstone, and white couplets fluttered in the wind.

A faint funeral dirge began to play.

The atmosphere at the entire funeral was solemn and sorrowful.

A group of people stood there, all attending the funeral. They were Old Nie's friends from his life, or distant relatives.

Wearing simple white flowers on their chests, they lined up and walked to the tombstone to pay their respects.

Nie Xing stood to the side with a somber expression, returning the gestures of respect to these people. His eyes were red and swollen, and his entire state was not good.

During these three days, every time he closed his eyes, he saw the scene of his father asking him on his deathbed:

"Why haven't you come to see me in these three years?"

He couldn't answer, nor dare to answer, when his father was about to leave him.

It had always been a hurdle in his heart, making it impossible for him to sleep soundly.

At this moment, Old Wang walked to Old Nie's tombstone with a bottle of wine and sat down.

He poured two glasses of wine, one for himself and one for Old Nie.

"I never expected you to leave so suddenly. In the last six months before you left, you didn't touch a drop of alcohol. You must have been craving it, right?"

"That's true. You loved listening to your son. You were willing to do anything he said!"

"Now that you're buried, he can't control you anymore. Let's have a good drink, my brother!"

Old Wang spoke to himself, looking at the photo on the tombstone.

It was as if the Old Nie of the past was sitting beside him, listening to him speak.

He drank the wine in his hand in one gulp.

The other glass of wine was poured onto the ground before the tomb.

Watching Old Wang sit by the tombstone and talk like that, several elders from the Nie family secretly wiped away tears.

"Dad!"

Young Wang's expression changed slightly, wanting to stop his father.

Who sits by someone's tombstone and drinks?

Just as he was about to step forward to stop him, he was held back by an elder relative from the Nie family:

"Don't go. Let him talk to Old Nie!"

As the words fell, Young Wang was a bit bewildered. Talk?

Talk about what?

Some of the older people nearby explained:

"Children don't understand. In the past, when we buried or paid respects at graves, we would sit by the tombstone and talk like this, offer a pot of wine, and express our grief."

"I remember we used to eat in front of the tombstone back then, as if the deceased hadn't left yet, pouring out our hearts. Sometimes we'd just sit there for the whole morning."

"Yeah, unlike people nowadays who sweep graves without any emotion, just burn some paper, pour some wine, and then leave?"

"Times have changed. Perhaps funerals will be simpler in the future."

"Sigh!"

The words of the surrounding people made the atmosphere at the funeral even more oppressive.

"Old Nie, you must have been hiding something from me! I saw it when you were leaving; those experts who came to consult you had service medals on their shoulders!"

"It's strange, they all say you have good connections and many friends! I really didn't expect you to be able to get in touch with those important figures!?"

"I, Old Wang, really admire you for this, admire you!"

Old Wang sat by the tombstone like that. After a few drinks, his face turned red, and he got drunk.

His words became slurred.

Tears streamed down his face.

He was trying hard to suppress his sobs.

At this moment, he didn't know what he was saying, but he just wanted to say more to Old Nie at his tombstone.

Grief welled up, and through the wine in his mouth, it tasted bitter and sad~

Seeing that he was about to completely lose his composure, Young Wang felt a pang of concern.

He quickly stepped forward to support him, helping him to stand up and move to the side.

"Dad, don't be too sad. Uncle Nie definitely wouldn't want to see you like this!"

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Old Wang couldn't stop his tears from flowing. He stood there, head bowed, weeping softly.

His body trembled slightly.

Old Wang, who always disliked his son comforting him like this, nodded this time. His tears continued to fall uncontrollably.

Seeing Old Wang in this state brought a wave of sorrow to everyone present.

Many people's eyes turned red.

Besides relatives and friends, many neighbors had also come to pay their respects.

In everyone's hearts, Old Nie had always been a kind and warm-hearted good person, always sincere and honest with everyone.

With such a good person gone, everyone felt a sense of grief.

Nie Xing stood before the tombstone, looking at his father's portrait, unable to cry even if he wanted to.

He could only kowtow heavily twice.

Then he remained kneeling, unable to rise.

Seeing this, some friends around them began to whisper and sigh:

"Alas, such a good person, gone just like that!"

"People are so fragile, they can't withstand hardship. Old Nie worked hard his whole life, and suffered until the end."

"Yeah, I heard Old Nie had been sick for over a year. His life was so hard, he had two or three surgeries before he passed!"

"Over a year? No wonder. I felt he was getting weaker and weaker this year! I didn't even notice it back then."

"Even the most devoted child can grow weary of long-term care. Although Nie Xing was adopted, he seems filial now!"

Some neighbors who knew the Nie family's situation couldn't help but chime in, lowering their voices:

"What do you know? Nie Xing only returned three days ago. His dad had been sick for over a year, and he only came back to see him right before he died!"

"What, he only just returned?"

"Yeah, he's been gone for three years!"

"Three years!!? Didn't his dad even come back to visit when he was sick?"

"Sigh, they say he was busy with work. Old Nie called him a lot, and apparently, he couldn't even get through to him later on. Even then, Old Nie kept it from others, trying to protect him!"

"What kind of work keeps someone away from home for three years? Who does he think he is, some company CEO? Does the company not function without him? I didn't expect him to be this kind of person, so disappointing. I thought he was a filial son!"

"Speaking of which, Old Nie was stubborn his whole life, insisting on keeping an adopted son! We tried to advise him so many times, but he wouldn't listen. In the end, wasn't he the one who suffered? However, I heard from people who visited Old Nie in the hospital that Old Nie's status was unusual. The hospital director personally came forward, and over a dozen military region experts jointly consulted on his case!!"

"Is that true? Impossible, Old Nie was just an ordinary worker like us, how could he have access to such important people?"

"You can't be sure, did you not hear what Old Wang said when he was drunk? Those consulting experts had military decorations on their shoulders!"

"He was drunk and talking nonsense, and you actually believe him?"

"Don't think about it. These things spread from one person to ten, then to a hundred. Where's the truth in that?"

Meanwhile, Su Chen stood not far away, observing the entire funeral process for Nie Yugang. He glanced at his watch.

Time's up!

It's time for my appearance.

Thank you to Elder: Limited Edition for the reward and monthly votes!!

Thank you to new leader: Hao for the reward and monthly votes!

Thank you to boss: Brother Gu Yu Nan for the reward and monthly votes!

Thank you to boss: Shen Jin Xi Xi for the reward and monthly votes!

Thank you to boss: Jiu Si for the reward and monthly votes!

Thank you to Elder: Idiot for the reward and monthly votes, and thank you for your understanding and support!

Thank you to all the supportive readers for your monthly votes, rewards, and recommendation tickets!

I hope you can cast more monthly votes!

(I didn't expect someone to say you were my hired trolls, and they insulted us quite harshly. I'm very surprised.)