The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 608 - 598: The Stepmother Who Refused to Be a Stepping Stone 86 (December Monthly Ticket Bonus)

Wang Baozhu was terrified.

She didn’t expect Li Zhifang to be so gravely ill, and even less so to be frozen to death just after staying outside for a while.

After discovering that Li Zhifang had stopped breathing, she was genuinely scared.

She feared that the Li brothers would come and take her life.

She didn’t even take care of Li Zhifang’s body, just ran straight home, grabbed the money saved up and fled.

If she didn’t run then, she truly would have no life left.

Later, it was the manager of the market who saw a body outside and hurriedly reported it to the police. After checking Li Zhifang’s identity, the police called Li Zhipeng, who then learned that Li Zhifang had passed away.

Li Zhipeng rushed to the City, claimed Li Zhifang’s body from the morgue, hurriedly found a vehicle to transport the body home, and called his family members.

Not long after, Li Zhiyuan and Li Zhiping also arrived, and coincidentally Xiao Yuan was nearby and came to help too.

They quickly arranged a hearse, and since the weather was cold, there was no need for an ice coffin and they directly loaded Li Zhifang’s body onto the vehicle.

Meanwhile, when Li Zhipeng went to Li Zhifang’s house, he found that Wang Baozhu had already taken the money and run away, which infuriated him greatly.

He called some friends, asking them to keep an eye out for Wang Baozhu, and to notify him immediately if they spotted her.

After Li Zhicheng and Li Zhikang also arrived, the group then sat in the vehicle to transport Li Zhifang’s body back to the village.

Li Zhifang died in the city, but since Li family’s roots were in Li Jiazhuang, they adhered to the tradition of ’fallen leaves return to the roots’, and his funeral couldn’t be conducted in the city. The body had to be transported to the village and buried in the Li family ancestral cemetery.

Li Zhifang died before noon, making it a long three-day death. In the afternoon, his body was transported back, and both Zhang Fengfeng and Li Baolai returned to the village as well.

When Li Zhifang first moved to the city, he had sold his house in the village, so now there was nowhere to hold his funeral.

Eventually, Zhang Fengfeng offered her place for keeping the body and to conduct the funeral.

By evening, a white banner was already hung at the entrance of Li Baolai’s home, and the courtyard was also draped in white, the sounds of mourning echoing from afar.

After sending Li Baolai and Zhang Fengfeng back, Anning went to stay at the factory.

She did not wish to witness Li Zhifang’s funeral. After staying at the factory for a while, Anning headed to the county.

The county had developed by now, with decent hotels, and Anning checked into a room to stay.

Right after Anning left, the children all returned.

Li Zhifang’s body was placed in a cold room, and by now it had stiffened, still dressed in the tattered clothes he died in, appearing especially thin with long hair, he looked just like a beggar.

Jingyu and Jing Yan entered the room and immediately knelt down upon seeing him.

Regardless of what they truly felt, he was their biological father, and they had to cry.

The two daughters wept bitterly, causing others who entered to quietly wipe away tears, while some cursed Wang Baozhu behind her back as heartless, worthless, although some secretly said Li Zhifang deserved it.

A few elders close in age to Zhang Fengfeng gathered together and spoke of the time when Zhang Fengfeng almost froze to death in the snow, saying that Li Zhifang’s death was his karma.

Because he was unfilial, almost letting Zhang Fengfeng freeze to death, and now he met his fate, frozen to death in the snowy weather.

Of course, they only said these words privately, not daring to say them in front of the Li family.

Liu Qi, Liu Ming, and Liu Yuzhen also returned.

No matter what the situation is, the deceased should always be respected, and all the necessary formalities must be observed.

The three children bowed to Li Zhifang and then went out to talk with Li Zhiyuan and the others.

As the eldest, Liu Qi told Li Zhiyuan, "Uncle, all of us brothers have come back and will stay at home for the next few days. If there is anything that needs to be done, please don’t hesitate to ask us."

Although they would not keep vigil like filial sons, there were many big and small tasks involved in managing a funeral, and they had to contribute their efforts.

Not to mention that Li Zhifang had supported them for several years, even if it was someone from their village who had passed away, as villagers, it was still necessary to help with the funeral.

Liu Qi spoke openly and sincerely, and Li Zhiyuan felt comforted in his heart, appreciating that these three children had not been raised in vain, as they were all virtuous and principled.

"Alright, uncle won’t be courteous with you all. There are going to be all sorts of tasks like receiving and seeing off guests, and shopping for supplies. Jingyu and the others probably won’t have the mind to manage these, so you all need to take care of these things."

"Okay."

Liu Qi promptly agreed.

Later, Zhang Fengfeng came out and drafted a list with Li Zhiyuan and the others for the funeral arrangements, which required many people’s involvement, necessitating notifications to each household.

Relatives needed to be informed as well, not only informed but also presented with mourning attire; all these were significant tasks.

Liu Qi and Liu Ming took the list and went from house to house inviting people to come help, and gradually, people from the village began to arrive, all of whom needed food, water, and warmth—there were many things to manage.

Li Zhiyuan contacted suppliers of vegetables and meats from the county, listed the needed items, and arranged for the delivery.

Liu Yuzhen took over this task; she had to wait outside for the deliveries, check the quantities, and keep track of the accounts.

Inside the house, experienced elders instructed Li Jingyu and others on how to clean Li Zhifang’s body and change his clothes.

The burial clothes were personally purchased by Li Zhiyuan from the county in the afternoon; they had been bought quite earlier and had not been changed yet, as they were waiting for Li Jingyu and the others to come back to change Li Zhifang.

Li Zhifang had three biological children; now that he was gone, it was the children’s duty to clean his body and change him into the burial clothes to send him off properly.

Li Jingyan held a basin of water, Li Jingyu held several towels, and Li Jinghan went over to clean Li Zhifang’s body and change his burial clothes.

But the burial clothes were really difficult to wear; with the body stiffened by the cold, how could it be dressed?

Li Jinghan was extremely anxious and did not dare to use too much force, for fear of breaking the limbs.

Later, Li Zhiyuan requested help from an elder in the village who frequently assisted with funerals, and finally, they managed to get Li Jinghan to dress Li Zhifang properly.

Once the burial clothes were on, they took down the door panel of the main hall, laid the body on it, covered it with a sheet, and then it was time to mourn—the wails filled the house.

The Li brothers were many and there were truly quite a few children in the house; not only had Li Jingyu and others come back, but children from other families had returned too, and the younger generation all wept in the hall.

Liu Qi, who was outside, felt quite mixed emotions hearing this.

He came over to consult with Liu Ming: "Grandpa and Grandma’s house might not have been inhabited for a long time; it’s extremely cold inside. Jingyu and the others are going to stay here for three days, this can’t continue, what if someone falls ill from the cold?"

"What should we do then?"

Liu Ming asked Liu Qi, "We can’t build a fire; there is still a body inside. If it gets warm, it might not be manageable for three days."

Liu Qi then went to discuss with Li Zhiyuan, "Uncle, perhaps we should rent a refrigerated casket."

At that time, Li Zhiyuan was discussing matters with the steward, but hearing Liu Qi’s suggestion, he gestured with his hand: "Okay, arrange for it yourself, put it on the account, and I will settle it later."

Liu Qi agreed and then found an elementary school classmate to help contact someone to deliver the refrigerated casket.

Liu Ming went to the town to buy several charcoal stoves, got them burning to prevent anyone from getting too cold.