Plunder-Chapter 299 She’s Gone Mad
However, it had come to this.
Death is irreversible.
The funeral arrangements for Zheng Gang were handled single-handedly by Zhou Jin’an.
He had originally planned to keep Qiao En in the dark about this matter, but ever since Zheng Gang’s death, Auntie Jiang had been plunged into an unprecedented state of collapse.
"You’ve worked hard."
Qiao En gripped Zhou Jin’an’s large hand and spoke in a gentle voice.
His heart ached, and he pulled Qiao En into his embrace.
"These are things I should do. I’m sorry. I’ve been too selfish."
He hadn’t discussed with Qiao En about sending off Zheng Gang.
Zhou Jin’an felt guilty over Zheng Gang’s death.
"I don’t blame you."
Qiao En comforted him.
"What you did was for the good of everyone. My mother will understand."
Zhou Jin’an nodded silently with a heavy voice, "Don’t worry, I will investigate the circumstances thoroughly. If his death was unjust, I will see to it that justice is served."
Zheng Gang’s funeral was arranged for the day after Qiao En was discharged from the hospital.
Everyone was dressed in black, and though Qiao En was frail, she still went holding the baby in her arms.
"This is your granddaughter, her name is Nian’en."
Qiao En, holding the child, spoke to the black-and-white photo fixed on the tombstone.
The child, deep in slumber, suddenly woke up and burst into loud crying.
"Nian’en, it’s Grandpa, don’t cry. We’ve come to see Grandpa together."
Sister Rong was supporting Auntie Jiang, who looked extremely pallid, her eyes already swollen and red.
After twenty-six years, they had met again in Rong City, but the reunion was brief, as they were now divided by life and death. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
Zhou Jin’an stood behind Qiao En, his large hand enveloping her shoulder, worried she might catch a chill even though she was wrapped up tight.
"Let’s go."
The funeral was sparsely attended, with only a few close relatives present.
In these final moments, Auntie Jiang must have had so much to say to Zheng Gang.
Understanding this, Qiao En nodded and followed Zhou Jin’an, carrying the child to a distance.
"Auntie Jiang, stop crying. We can’t bring the dead back to life; you have to try to be at peace with it."
Sister Rong tried to offer some consolation, but Auntie Jiang remained silent.
Without lingering any longer, she got up and left as well.
In the empty, solemn cemetery, only Auntie Jiang remained, staring unblinkingly at the black-and-white photo on the tombstone, her tears falling like rain.
"Gang, wait for me."
As she spoke, a smile formed at the corner of her mouth.
At the entrance of the cemetery.
Qiao En turned to look back in the direction of the tombstone, her eyes full of worry.
Auntie Jiang was not one to show her emotions openly, but the sudden death of Zheng Gang had taken a tremendous toll on her.
As a daughter, she should have offered comfort.
But Qiao En was not articulate by nature; when it came to emotions, she also kept them buried deep inside to process.
"Am I especially incompetent?"
Qiao En looked at Zhou Jin’an, a great sense of defeat hidden in her eyes.
He stepped forward, took the child from Qiao En’s arms, opened the car door, and had Qiao En sit inside to rest.
"How so? You’ve been amazing. What mother needs now is not comfort, but acceptance. Give her some time to gradually come to terms with it."
In dealing with issues, Zhou Jin’an’s rationality often provided Qiao En with much guidance.
"Thank you."
"Thank me for what?" Zhou Jin’an asked with a smile.
"Thank you for being so in tune with me."
Qiao En said sincerely.
Suddenly, Zhou Jin’an’s phone rang.
It was a call from Mrs. Zhou.
Zhou Jin’an glanced at it and involuntarily furrowed his brows slightly.
Mrs. Zhou had returned home, and after nearly a year of being in a coma, her temperament seemed to have become even more stubborn than before.
He chose to ignore it.
However, the phone was insistent, ringing persistently one call after another.
"Why aren’t you answering the phone?"
Qiao En noticed the flashing name on the mobile screen and was curious.
"I don’t want to answer it."
Zhou Jin’an answered with a muffled voice.
During the time Mrs. Zhou was in a coma, he always felt guilty about not providing her with adequate company. But after she woke up, Zhou Jin’an suddenly understood why he needed to keep his distance from her.
Mrs. Zhou’s controlling nature was too strong. Getting any closer to her felt suffocating.
"You should answer it, what if it’s an emergency?"
Qiao En understood Mrs. Zhou’s temperament, but things were different now, their statuses had changed, Mrs. Zhou was now her mother-in-law.
So, Zhou Jin’an took the call.
"Where are you? Why haven’t you been answering my calls? Zhou Jin’an, do you still consider me your mother?"
Mrs. Zhou’s stern voice came through from the other end of the line.
Zhou Jin’an instinctively moved the phone slightly away from his ear.
"What is it?"
Not until Mrs. Zhou’s scolding voice stopped did Zhou Jin’an coldly utter a sentence.
"I’ve come to see my granddaughter, where is she? Where have you all gone?"
Hearing this, Zhou Jin’an’s frown deepened even more.
"Out. How about another day?"
"Come back at once, I want to see her today."
Mrs. Zhou was stubborn.
The rage in Zhou Jin’an’s chest surged up fiercely, and he was in no mood to continue speaking with Mrs. Zhou. With a "snap," he hung up the phone.
"Don’t be angry with mom, she just woke up. Let’s go back now."
Qiao En said.
At this moment, Auntie Jiang had already started walking down the steps, Zhou Jin’an’s gaze deepened.
"I’ll go back first to send her away; you leave with mom later."
Zhou Jin’an made arrangements.
"Don’t be like that, she’s still your mother after all, and, she came today just to see Nian’en."
Qiao En tried to persuade him once more.
But Zhou Jin’an’s expression remained dark and unchanging.
Soon, Auntie Jiang approached.
Zhou Jin’an gave Sister Rong a look, and said, "Mom, I have an urgent matter, I need to leave first. Can you and the others go home later?"
Sister Rong immediately understood and quickly spoke up for Zhou Jin’an, "Auntie Jiang, let’s go to the market together later. Didn’t you tell me last time that the Young Madam needs rice wine for her postpartum care? Could you help me pick some out?"
Auntie Jiang simply nodded her head blankly.
Zhou Jin’an drove away first; Qiao En did not stop him.
She understood Zhou Jin’an’s good intentions.
Chu Garden.
When Zhou Jin’an arrived, Mrs. Zhou and Aunt Liu were standing at the courtyard entrance, with Mrs. Zhou sporting a black face, quite furious.
"Am I, as your mother, now not qualified to enter your home?"
Zhou Jin’an’s face was also unpleasant, "I’ve already told you, she’s not at home."
"Aunt Liu, please help Mrs. Zhou back."
Zhou Jin’an issued an eviction order.
"Madam, let’s go back first, we can come back another day to see the child."
Aunt Liu tried to lead Mrs. Zhou away by supporting her arm.
But her clouded eyes were fixed straight on Zhou Jin’an.
Suddenly, she grew angry, "Why won’t you let me see the child? Are you afraid I’ll dirty her? I’m not dirty; it’s those people who deliberately slandered me. I’ve been pure and clean all my life, and you all bully me."
Like a child, tears kept streaming out of her eyes; she bit her lips tightly, trying hard to contain the overwhelming emotions.
"I didn’t mean that."
Zhou Jin’an’s voice softened slightly.
"That is what you mean!" Mrs. Zhou pointed at Zhou Jin’an’s nose and scolded, "You ungrateful thing, I brought you into this world through hardship and sacrifice. I am your birth mother; it’s the Zhou family who’s brainwashed you; now you even reject your own mother."
"Madam, the young master didn’t mean that, he was saying..."
Aunt Liu felt sorry for Zhou Jin’an and boldly tried to speak up for him, but before she could finish, Mrs. Zhou raised her hand and slapped Aunt Liu’s face.
"Slap!"
The clear sound was deafening.
Aunt Liu was stunned, her hand covering her face as her eyelid quickly drooped.
"If you don’t speak, do people take you for a mute?"
Mrs. Zhou shouted harshly again.
Aunt Liu was aggrieved, but she never talked back the entire time.
"Please go back, I have other matters, and I’m heading to the company now."
Zhou Jin’an’s face had turned utterly dark as he turned and walked towards his vehicle.
As the car door closed, Mrs. Zhou shook her finger at the car and cursed, "Don’t look down on me, your mother. I became like this today, all because of you!"
The PUA from a relative was the most damaging. The veins on Zhou Jin’an’s forehead jumped wildly; he had wanted to vent all the emotions hidden in his heart.
But when he looked at Mrs. Zhou, what he saw was a pitiful, aged woman.
At that moment, he chose to forgive.
"Aunt Liu, thank you for your hard work."
Zhou Jin’an spoke to Aunt Liu and then the car roared away from Chu Garden.
