Sister-in-law?
This was Old Tang’s sister-in-law?
Liu Fen’s face grew hot.
Of course, it wasn’t from embarrassment, but anger!
Wasn’t she the one who had called them back for the funeral? Now when Tang was offering incense, she had knocked it from his hands – so why summon them back at all?
This was deliberate humiliation.
Liu Fen’s face flushed with anger. They’d driven for over two hours just to face this humiliation – what gave her the right?
“Sister-in-law of Tang Hong En, correct? If you think I’m inferior to Hong En’s previous wife, why don’t you call her back for the funeral instead? I’ll take my leave!”
Before departing home, Tang Hong En had just asked to maintain basic courtesy.
Liu Fen wasn’t typically quick-tempered. Even receiving a cold reception at Tang Hong En’s hometown today wouldn’t matter – these were ‘relatives’ she’d never met before, and she’d feel uncomfortable if they were overly warm toward her.
But Sister-in-law Tang wasn’t just targeting her; she’d knocked the incense from Tang Hong En’s hands.
Such behavior was unacceptable to Liu Fen.
Tang Hong En had felt oppressed since returning to this place and naturally grew angry when his incense was knocked away.
But seeing Sister Fen angrier than himself, his oppression largely dissipated.
Sister Fen always thought him weak and in need of protection, perhaps because when they first met, his stomach illness required care, leaving a deep impression… Tang Hong En enjoyed being cared for like this.
“If I can’t offer incense, so be it. Coming back was enough. If my wife isn’t welcome here, I won’t stay either.”
Tang Hong En took Liu Fen’s hand, ready to leave.
Liu Fen’s ears reddened, this time from embarrassment rather than anger.
Earlier when she’d said she’d leave, she knew in her heart that if she left, Old Tang would follow.
But Tang Hong En’s unhesitating decision to follow her still made her happy.
Having him hold her hand in front of all these unfamiliar “hometown folks” was rather embarrassing.
After just these few exchanges, Tang Hong En was preparing to leave. Sister-in-law Tang’s face darkened, but pride prevented her from saying anything conciliatory. She’d reached out to Tang Hong En not just for the funeral…
At this moment, the other mourning Tang family members stood up, all trying to persuade them to stay.
“Uncle, Father has passed away, and Mother is deeply affected, making her confused. Uncle, you haven’t been back for over ten years, no matter how serious the issue—”
The speaker was in his thirties, with reddened eyes.
These words were more reasonable. Liu Fen thought about how Tang Hong En’s elder brother had just died, and it seemed pointless to quarrel with a woman who’d lost her husband. The anger in her heart gradually subsided. If Sister-in-law Tang lacked social graces, weren’t there other relatives present?
Tang Hong En didn’t immediately agree to stay, instead looking to Liu Fen.
The others weren’t blind to this – they could see how much Tang Hong En valued his new wife.
Tang Hong En’s nephews and nieces cheerfully called her “Aunt Fen,” which extinguished Liu Fen’s last trace of anger.
Sister-in-law Tang’s expression remained unpleasant. She wanted to say something harsh but was forcibly pulled inside by others.
Young Master Tang personally lit new incense and handed it to his uncle.
Tang Hong En looked at the dark coffin in the main hall and finally offered the incense.
Death extinguishes all, like a blown-out lamp – he’d complete this ceremony.
Liu Fen said nothing and offered incense too. The Tang family members gathered around, all chatting with her.
They seemed somewhat afraid of Tang Hong En and could only try to please Liu Fen.
They invited Tang Hong En and Liu Fen to stay, but Tang Hong En declined.
“When is the burial?”
“Uncle, in three days…”
“Then I’ll return in three days. Let’s go, Sister Fen.”
The Tang family members reluctantly saw them to the door, obviously wanting them to stay.
The Tang family lived a modest life in the countryside. But Tang Hong En had been disconnected from home for over ten years, and as he rose in position, the Tang family hadn’t benefited from his resources at all – though he occasionally sent money home, it wasn’t much.
Finally, using the funeral as a reason, Tang Hong En returned home, and the Tang family naturally wanted to repair their relationship with him.
When Tang Hong En wanted to leave, everyone wanted to keep him. Today had started badly – if the incense hadn’t been knocked away, everything would have proceeded naturally.
At least Tang Hong En said he’d return in three days.
On the way back, Liu Fen felt puzzled but didn’t know how to ask.
They’d spent five or six hours traveling back and forth just to offer incense.
After showering and lying in bed that night, naturally, neither had any thoughts of intimacy. Tang Hong En voluntarily explained to Liu Fen:
“I promised I wouldn’t make you socialize with relatives, yet I broke that promise, ah!”
Under the covers, Liu Fen moved closer to Tang Hong En, “Is it related to your brother’s passing? Birth, aging, sickness, and death – these things can’t be helped.”
“Aren’t you curious about why I lost contact with my hometown?”
“I am curious, but if you want to tell me, you surely will. If you don’t want to talk about it, forcing you would only make you uncomfortable…”
Tang Hong En held Liu Fen’s hand under the covers.
He didn’t want to trouble Sister Fen with these matters; he believed that after marrying him, she should live a comfortable life.
But now that these issues had come knocking, not explaining would leave Sister Fen at a disadvantage, which wasn’t good.
“In my family, we were three siblings. I had a sister who got lost in the city with my elder brother and sister-in-law when she was young. My family searched for a long time but found no trace. My mother couldn’t bear this blow and passed away early, as did my father. I hadn’t started working then, and for several years, my elder brother and sister-in-law raised me. That’s why I still sent money home even though we hadn’t been in contact for over ten years.”
Of course, “raising” merely meant providing food.
Whether in the countryside or city, living with an elder brother and sister-in-law was common. If parents died early, without the elder siblings’ support, how would the younger children survive?
But these details needn’t be shared with Sister Fen – Tang Hong En knew his wife would worry about him.
So Tang Hong En skipped this part and went straight to explaining why he’d lost contact with his hometown:
“Later, after finishing school and starting work, I was fortunate to be valued by Elder Song, serving as his secretary for several years. For someone of my background, marrying Ji Ya was possible only because Elder Song made the introduction. I was too young then and didn’t consider that a stable marriage requires compatible values between two people. You probably know about my divorce from Ji Ya – these two events are connected. Ji Ya proposed divorce not just because of our incompatible personalities after marriage, but also because I was sent to manual labor then, and the Ji family feared being implicated… This was normal, and I never blamed the Ji family. My stance was firm, and when the Ji family couldn’t persuade me, they chose to withdraw. It was just a difference in viewpoints.”
Just like how he and Ji Ya had incompatible values.
His former father-in-law also believed in keeping clear of trouble, unwilling to get involved in such matters, only wanting the whole family to pass through the Cultural Revolution peacefully.
Tang Hong En didn’t think this was wrong.
But what if close family members made the same choice as the Ji family, or even worse?
Tang Hong En pressed his lips together.
Liu Fen sensed his low spirits and squeezed his hand:
“Hong En, did your family members, they…”
[Note: All names follow the [Surname] + [Given name] format, with appropriate titles and relationship terms maintained throughout. Cultural elements and historical context have been preserved while ensuring clarity for English readers.]