615. Night Watch
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Great-Grandmother’s house was nestled behind Uncle’s row of bungalows, a decent-sized two-story yard with over ten rooms! Most of them were rented out to folks from out of town, leaving only the core room for Great-Grandmother’s bedroom.
Great-Grandmother’s departure was a real plot twist.
Mom was still planning on having a cozy dinner before heading back for a visit, but at four in the afternoon, she got the shocking news.
Relatives linked to Great-Grandmother started to gather, including some distant cousins whom Lin Nan couldn’t even name. Faces were mixed with surprise and sadness, with people scattered around the yard either standing or sitting in melancholy confusion.
By around seven in the evening, Lin Nan joined Grandpa at the gathering.
Grandpa had knocked back a fair bit to drink, yet he strode in like a boss. The moment he arrived, the confused relatives suddenly had someone to rally around, and they turned to him like a flock of lost sheep.
“Lin Nan, you take your mom over to Uncle’s for dinner.”
“Okay.” Lin Nan looked around and finally spotted Mom and Chen Yao in a corner.
A few uncles, cousin Wu Jiaming, and some familiar faces had also shown up. The only absentee was the little uncle, probably stuck in traffic trying to get the day off from work.
“Mom, Grandpa says we should go eat.”
Mom seemed like she had been living with Great-Grandmother since forever. Unlike Lin Nan, her eyes were red, as if she had just finished a sob-fest.
She nodded and headed toward Uncle’s house first.
Lin Nan quickly followed, shooting a questioning glance at Chen Yao.
What’s the deal?
Chen Yao, likely the only outsider here since he wasn’t even married to Lin Nan yet, still seemed to fit in comfortably enough since Grandpa and Mom had already accepted him.
He leaned in and whispered, “Your mom’s feeling pretty rough right now. Best to let her have some quiet time.”
“What about the class teacher?”
“He headed home ages ago. Half an hour after he left, this whole thing went down.”
Oh, right?
If the class teacher had stayed, he might’ve been able to dish out some comfort to Mom, but now, it was just the two younglings, Lin Nan and Chen Yao, completely clueless on how to console anyone.
Lin Nan trailed behind Mom into Uncle’s place, where Uncle had already whipped up a simple meal for the relatives paying their respects.
Think fish balls and meat dumplings—fast food for mourning.
Mom sat down without a word and seemed lost in thought while eating.
Chen Yao and Lin Nan settled together, stealing glances at each other every now and then.
Why did it feel like ever since summer break, nothing but misfortune had come their way?
Lin Nan was starting to wonder if she was running out of luck.
The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow, making Lin Nan uncomfortable. She shifted closer to Chen Yao. Random relatives popped in to pay their respects while snacking on the fish balls.
Aunt, who lived nearby, also made an appearance.
Though Aunt had been frosty towards Lin Nan since she transitioned, she was still Mom’s big sister and immediately jumped into action to comfort Mom.
Some relatives arrived with kids, and their laughter helped lighten the gloomy vibe a tad.
After a hasty dinner, everyone moved back to Great-Grandmother’s small yard.
Lin Nan grabbed two stools, plopped down with Chen Yao in a corner, and watched as Grandpa produced a few monks from who-knows-where to set up a mourning altar and light eternal lamps.
Meanwhile, Grandpa’s contemporaries finally lost it a bit, letting out low sobs, while Grandpa kept it together, running the show with calm authority.
Even the most oblivious kids knew to maintain a respectful silence.
Lin Nan wasn’t brave enough to chat anymore; she zipped her lips and fiddled with her phone, watching the bustling crowd nearby.
Great-Grandmother’s room had already been cleared out, replaced by a casket, and Lin Nan didn’t even know if Great-Grandmother was in there or if she had already been whisked away to the funeral home.
The dim lights, somber atmosphere, and muffled cries were stifling.
Lin Nan had never been part of this kind of scene before; the oppressive mood was almost suffocating.
As time ticked on, the night deepened into pitch darkness. Tiny bugs buzzed above people’s heads, and the candlelight danced in the night breeze. Some monks—who might have been the real deal or just pretenders—began chanting scriptures in a jumble of words that drifted into Lin Nan’s ears, oddly comforting in the grimness.
Chen Yao leaned in to ask, “We need to stay up all night, how about you snooze on my shoulder for a bit?”
“I napped enough this afternoon.” Lin Nan shook her head.
Even though she was running low on energy, she felt she could tough it out tonight after her long afternoon rest.
“Maybe you should head back and get some sleep instead?” Lin Nan frowned at Chen Yao’s dark circles.
This guy always looked like he was run over by a truck, with eyes like raccoon—definitely not ideal for a night like this, and he wasn’t even related to any of this.
But Chen Yao shook his head firmly. “If I head back now, what will your Grandpa and Mom think of me?”
He wanted to win over Lin Nan’s family, feeling like he was part of the gang already.
While he couldn’t just call Lin Nan’s parents “Mom and Dad” like it was nothing, he definitely felt the kinship deep down.
With an arm around Lin Nan’s waist, Chen Yao yawned and lethargically scrolled through his phone, reading a novel.
Without that distraction, he’d probably lose his mind tonight.
As the night wore on, more relatives trickled into the small yard. A few parents cradled their sleeping kids, leaving only about ten people ready for the night watch.
Cousin Wu Jiaming snagged a stool next to Lin Nan, resting his leg and asking, “You up for the internet cafe tomorrow?”
“Aren’t you going to catch up on sleep?” Lin Nan shot a sideways glance at her cousin.
To be honest, she couldn’t tell if her cousin was just going through some life experiences or growing up, but their once-close relationship felt like it was drifting apart.
During the New Year, their mutual little cousin played peacemaker, making things easier, but now that she was absent, Lin Nan found herself at a loss for conversation.
Wu Jiaming sighed after eyeing Chen Yao across the way. “I saw her yesterday, and she seemed fine.”
He was calm as a cucumber, yet like Grandpa, his tranquility carried a hint of sadness.
For the younger generation, losing Great-Grandmother barely registered, given the age gap and how seldom they had seen her. It was nothing like the older generation, who shared everyday life with her.
But then it hit Lin Nan—if Great-Grandmother was gone, who would be next?
She glanced at Grandpa standing stoically outside the mourning hall.
Even though Grandpa looked robust, he was really getting on in years, a real senior citizen in his seventies.
The somber vibe in the yard weighed Lin Nan down further.
