Zhou Xueli never imagined that when the two brothers met again, it would be under such circumstances. No matter how much he hated Zhou Xuennian, they were still blood brothers, born of the same mother. No matter how he cursed him in his heart, he never thought Zhou Xuennian would end up like this - dying in a foreign land.

"It’s definitely your family, right?" The mortuary guardian, dressed in dull gray, bumped his arm and handed over a red clay box, saying, "Make your mark here, and then take him away."

Zhou Xueli withdrew his gaze from Zhou Xuennian’s already stiff and pale face, mechanically raised his hand to press his fingerprint, and said, "Please, elder brother, help me find a decent coffin."

He took out a piece of silver from his pocket and handed it over, and the man accepted it and walked out.

Looking again at Zhou Xuennian’s corpse, tears welled up in Zhou Xueli’s eyes. He exclaimed, "Is this the prosperous life you wanted? This is what you got, leaving clean and dying clean, but leaving our mother to me alone! Zhou Xuennian, you’re a coward, a bastard, you’re unfilial, scum."

He burst into tears, crying aloud, and knelt down, pounding intermittently on Zhou Xuennian’s already rigid body, cursing, "Bastard, get up and argue back with me, you scoundrel, boo hoo."

Outside the mortuary, two government officers leaned against the column with their swords in hand, listening to the crying inside. They exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"Offending Ma Datou, what good can come?"

"Exactly."

After a while, Zhou Xueli staggered out, handing each of them a piece of silver, asking, "My dear officers, is there truly no news of my nephew?"

After taking the silver, they said, "Zhou Dajun has been dispatched to mining labor. It’s heard he escaped on the way, and currently, no one has found him. Whether he’s dead or alive, who knows?"

Zhou Xueli’s tears welled up again: "And my elder brother..."

The two felt a bit uneasy, replying, "Your brother brought this upon himself. Why provoke a ruthless killer?"

Zhou Xueli felt a sinking feeling in his heart, knowing there was certainly something going on. The news he had gathered was that both father and son were imprisoned for murder. Shortly after, Zhou Dajun was dispatched away, and Zhou Xuennian was killed by a fellow inmate in the cell over a minor argument.

Why was he intentionally placed with a murderer? This must have been arranged by that Ma Datou, who didn’t want Zhou Xuennian to live.

But what evidence did he have to prove malicious intent? The common people don’t fight the authorities, the poor don’t fight the rich, not to mention Zhou Xuennian himself had committed numerous dirty deeds in secret.

Thinking like this, Zhou Xueli fell silent, looking towards the mortuary, wiping tears from the corner of his eyes, feeling a pang of bitterness.

Going back like this, with an elderly woman burying her son, how could their mother bear it at her age?

The mortuary guardian returned with a thin wooden coffin and shroud, helping Zhou Xueli prepare Zhou Xuennian’s body for burial in the coffin.

Zhou Xueli also asked him to find two people to lift the coffin onto a cart, covered it with a white cloth, lit the soul-summoning incense at the head of the coffin, and escorted it back to Wozi Village.

After two or three days, Zhou Xueli returned with a white banner and a coffin, shocking the entire Wozi Village as everyone rushed forward. Upon learning it was Zhou Xuennian inside, they were stunned.

Wasn’t it said that Zhou Xuennian had gone to be an official? How did he end up dying outside, and his younger brother brought him back home? What about his wife and son?

Old Lady Zhou was supported to stand at the door, and seeing Zhou Xueli escorting the coffin forward, her legs trembled, her lips quivered a few times, and she let out a piercing scream of "Ah!" before fainting completely.