frightfiction Chapter 1168 Osmanthus Cake with Mom's Flavor
Chapter 1168 Osmanthus Cake with Mom's Flavor
When Mr. Qin arrived, he first called Liu Meilan.
Liu Meilan was taken aback. She had also tried to find her ancestors before, but it had been very difficult.
She didn't harbor any resentment towards anyone. In an era when even life was at risk, simply being alive was a luxury, let alone searching for those who had already passed away.
"Mr. Qin, let me ask my elders first." Liu Meilan didn't agree immediately, after all, her maternal grandparents were still there.
Mr. Qin smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wait for your news. The relevant departments here are taking this very seriously and are willing to do everything they can to cooperate."
Liu Meilan expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you very much."
The other party sent someone to relay the message, and Liu Meilan couldn't refuse. After all, her grandparents wanted to retire here, and as the saying goes, a local official has more power than a distant one; some things couldn't be done impulsively.
After hanging up the phone, Liu Meilan told her family about it after lunch.
Wu Songhua was taken aback. "Can it really still be found?"
Liu Meilan thought for a moment and said, "If we really want to find it, we should be able to, it's just a matter of how much effort and resources it will take."
Wu Songhua lamented, "If only I had found it earlier, I wouldn't have missed out on so much."
Grandpa Xie didn't want his wife to be caught up in self-blame and complaints, so he smiled and said, "We didn't have this kind of technology before! Now DNA technology is used to assist in solving cases, and now it's being used for us to do testing and find our ancestors. It shows our sincerity."
Liu Meilan smiled and said, "Grandma, let's not dwell on the regrets of the past. Let's think more about the future. Do you agree to this? If you do, we'll have someone come to your home to collect your test samples. Then, we'll narrow down the search based on historical records and compare them. Sooner or later, we'll be able to find our ancestors. What you need to consider now is where we should rebury them."
Wu Songhua thought for a moment and then said, "Just find the location, and we can put up a monument there so that it will be convenient for future memorial services. There's no need for a special burial."
"Huh?" Liu Meilan was taken aback. "Why?"
Wu Songhua smiled and explained, "I don't want to cause trouble for the people and waste money, nor do I want the local government to spend too much energy on this. My elder brother, younger sister, and I have been through so much, but in the end we were able to live long lives and reunite. Our descendants are healthy, safe, and successful. This is all thanks to the blessings of our ancestors, which is enough to prove that the place is a blessed land. So let's not disturb our ancestors' rest."
Grandpa Xie smiled and held his wife's hand. "You're right. Green hills everywhere bury loyal bones, why need a horse's hide to wrap the corpse for return? Fallen petals are not heartless things, they turn into spring mud to protect the flowers. In those days, not a single member of the Wu family let down their ancestors or the people. Wherever they are buried, that place is a treasure."
Liu Meilan was deeply moved. In that turbulent era, the three siblings were so lucky to have survived, and each of them had a family and children.
Thinking about it that way, it seems to make a lot of sense.
Liu Meilan thought of her maternal great-uncle and paternal great-aunt who hadn't returned yet. "Grandma, let's wait until they come back so the three of you siblings can discuss this together. As for other matters, we, the younger generation, will communicate with the local authorities. Even if we want to bury them on the spot, we can't make things easy."
Wu Songhua nodded, "That's true. We've been in charge for so many years and have forgotten about our eldest brother and younger sister. Actually, all of this is just a thought. When your grandfather and I are gone, just bury our ashes in that spot. Don't make a big fuss, it's meaningless. While we were alive, your grandfather and I experienced all kinds of joys and sorrows, and we had many good days. We have no regrets."
Because there are no regrets, there is no fear of death.
Liu Meilan could sense her maternal grandparents' condition; they were currently in good health. However, she worried that if one of them passed away, the other wouldn't live much longer on their own.
Liu Meilan told Director Li about her grandparents' idea, and Director Li immediately came to visit with Mr. Qin, bringing testing personnel to collect Wu Songhua's test sample.
Based on her research and by reviewing various materials, Sun Zhenzhen found the person responsible for developing that area of land back then, and then located its approximate location.
There are solitary graves there, and after so many years, they are covered with grass and soil has been eroded. From a distance, they look as if they have been dissolved into this land.
There is no inscription here, truly reflecting the saying, "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes."
They didn't rush into testing; they were still waiting for sample information from the Wu family. If they decided to drop the samples, they would have to find another way.
Qin Zheng, Liu Yiwen, and Xie Qinghe accompanied Wu Zhenhua, Wu Meihua, Professor Wu, Wu Fengdeng, Wu Fengnian, and others as they disembarked from the plane.
Liu Meilan was originally going to pick them up, but her uncles, Xie Da and Xie Er, beat her to it. Uncles are considered the most important, and since they are still alive, the younger generation shouldn't have to fulfill their filial duties for them.
When Xie Dajiu and Xie Erjiu saw Wu Zhenhua and Wu Meihua, they immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times, saying, "Uncle above, Aunt above."
Uncle Xie, wearing his reading glasses, saw his two nephews and quickly got up, leaning on his cane, to help his eldest nephew to his feet. "Qingshan, get up quickly!"
Wu Meihua, supporting her second nephew, her eyes reddened and filled with tears, said, "Big brother, look at the second son, he looks more like you when you were young than Fengdeng and Fengnian!"
Although Uncle Xie is no longer young, he is still a young man in the eyes of the two elders.
Wu Zhenhua looked at his second nephew and seemed to see himself in his prime. "Good, they are all good kids."
Xie Qinghe asked, "Big brother, second brother, is the car ready?"
Uncle Xie nodded. "I'm ready. Come with me."
There are a lot of people at the airport, and they are blocking other people's way.
However, everyone tacitly refrained from urging them, as this was a family reunion, and most Chinese people are inclined to help others achieve their goals.
Once on the bus, it was a very comfortable one.
Uncle Xie was a good talker and had a pleasant conversation with Wu Zhenhua, mostly about things in China. Uncle Xie was not very talkative, but he was very thoughtful. The insulated lunchbox he brought contained osmanthus cakes made by his mother.
"Auntie, my mom said you used to love her osmanthus cake the most. She got up early this morning to make it, and it's still warm. Would you like to try some?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Meihua nodded repeatedly, "I want to eat it, Qinggu, quickly get me a piece."
Uncle Xie took out disposable chopsticks and opened the insulated lunchbox. "Auntie, please have a taste."
Wu Meihua picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, put it in her mouth to taste, and her eyes lit up. "Yes, this is the taste I remember. The osmanthus cake that my older sister makes is the most like the one my mother makes, and it's the most delicious. Big brother, you should try it."
Wu Meihua quickly picked up another one for Wu Zhenhua and brought it to his mouth.
Wu Zhenhua opened his mouth and ate the entire small piece. Tears streamed down his face as he chewed. Even the best chefs abroad couldn't replicate this taste.
It's not that the osmanthus cakes outside aren't as delicious as these, but they don't taste like the ones he longs for, and they're not made by the person he misses.
The old man got so excited just from eating a piece of pastry. He'll probably be even happier and more excited when we get back.