"If she didn’t have to worry about my future or supporting you and Grandma, her burden would already be much lighter," Tan You said softly. "She can still manage to support Dad and Tan Yue."

Tan Deming’s assessment was fair. "Your dad... working away from home is truly hard on him, but he’s also truly lazy and a glutton."

"I wouldn’t call him a glutton, but he’s definitely lazy," Tan You chuckled. "But no matter how lazy he is, doesn’t Mom drag him out to work every single day? Going to construction sites to chip at rebar, going to factories to collect scrap iron—that’s all hard labor, and he still does it, right?"

"So despite all his flaws, he’s also genuinely suffering. I can’t pretend I don’t see that."

Tan Deming said, "At the end of the day, who in our family doesn’t have it hard? The only exception is Tan Yue. She’s still little and won’t remember any of this."

Tan You nodded. "Yes, I’ve noticed there’s a difference between me and Tan Yue. I started forming memories very late. I think I didn’t even start talking until I was four. Didn’t the villagers use to wonder if I was mute?"

"But Tan Yue is different. She started talking very early."

Tan Deming also recalled Tan You’s childhood. "Tell me about it. You were a very late talker, and a late walker too. Tan Ying was walking at eight months, but you weren’t walking until you were almost two."

"You didn’t like to move around much either. Everywhere you went, you had to drag that little toddler stool with you."

Tan You’s face broke into a sudden smile as if she’d thought of something. "I think I get it from you. Don’t you sit in one spot for ages? And Grandpa, you’re not much of a talker either."

"Get outta here! Am I that kind of person? My old man never said I was a late talker," Tan Deming scolded with a laugh, not expecting Tan You to shift the blame to him.

Tan You said, "I don’t remember any of that from back then. I really did start forming memories late. Mom always used to say I was dumb, that I was slow on the uptake."

Tan Deming objected. "How are you dumb? Your grades have always been good. If you hadn’t been reading novels in ninth grade, would you have scored so low on the high school entrance exam?"

"My granddaughter is gifted when it comes to studying."

Tan You laughed. "You’re exaggerating. I’m just average."

’With her past Intelligence Value of 60, she really wasn’t what you’d call gifted. It was probably just that the quality of teaching at the town’s middle school was what it was. All the students with good grades went to the city for school, which was the only reason Tan You stood out.’

Tan Deming was adamant. "I still think you’re gifted. Look at your memory! It’s so good. When your mom used to teach you poems, you’d have them memorized perfectly after just two or three repetitions."

"That’s just a good memory. I get that from Mom," Tan You laughed as well. While she had certainly inherited Tan Lin’s terrible nearsightedness, she had also inherited her mother Cheng Wenhui’s sharp memory. Come to think of it, her life wasn’t a complete disaster after all.

Tan Deming’s thoughts turned to his daughter-in-law. "Honestly, your mom... if she hadn’t met your dad, her life wouldn’t be this hard."

Tan You understood. "I get it. That’s why it’s better to not get married at all than to choose a man with no ambition or ability."

Tan Deming agreed with her. "There’s nothing wrong with not getting married. I couldn’t bear to see you live a life like your mother’s. To be honest, the way she lives is just incredibly hard."

Tan You smiled. "I knew you’d understand me, Grandpa. You’re so open-minded."

"What’s there for me not to understand?" Tan Deming chuckled. "I specialize in handling funeral arrangements. For decades, I’ve arranged nearly a thousand funerals. Birth, aging, sickness, death... that’s just how it is."

"’You can’t take anything with you when you die,’" he said with a little laugh, suddenly taking on the air of a detached sage. "’The year before last, I went to see how much time someone had left... he had several children, and they were all living comfortably.’"

"Then, while I was helping dress him in his burial clothes, I found four thousand yuan tucked into his shoes."

People like Tan Deming, who arranged funerals, were called "funerary masters" in the local dialect. Typically, when an elderly person in a family was on their deathbed, the head of the household would ask a funerary master to come, assess how much time the elder had left, and ensure all preparations for the funeral were made in advance.

The funerary master would help dress the deceased in their burial clothes, instruct the family on notifying relatives and friends, coordinate with the bookkeeper, and handle things like the mourning garments and cloths. All of this was part of the funerary master’s job.

After the person passed away, the funerary master would lead the family to inspect the chosen burial plot, oversee meal offerings and guest receptions, and guide them through the various rituals. Tan You had been following Tan Deming to these events since she was a child; she’d witnessed them more times than she could count.

As Tan You recalled, rural graves were usually just a plot of land chosen from the family’s own fields, so grave mounds were a common sight in the countryside. Perhaps because this was Tan Deming’s line of work, Tan You had never felt much reverence for ghosts or gods.

"’The man was still breathing at the time,’ Tan Deming sighed. ’When I found the four thousand yuan, he grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let me take it out. Honestly, even though this is my profession, I don’t believe in any of that stuff.’"

"’Death is the end of everything. No matter how much money you try to take with you, once you’re in the cremator, all that’s left is ash. Besides, it’s hard enough just to get through this life; how can you possibly count on a next one?’"

"’Four thousand yuan is a lot of money,’ Tan You said with a smile. ’You’ve never told me this story before, Grandpa.’"

Tan Deming replied, "Only his children were there at the time, and they specifically asked me not to say anything. I’m not a gossip. After all, it doesn’t look good to have people talking about how an old man wanted to take his money to the grave." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"’To be honest, I’ve seen this sort of thing many times,’ Tan Deming said with a smile. ’People trying to hide all sorts of things. Hiding cash, hiding bankbooks, hiding gold... you name it.’"

"’It’s enough to have enjoyed those things while you were alive. When it’s your time to go, you might as well leave them to your children and grandchildren. At least you’ll be remembered well for it. Take that four thousand yuan—his kids were pretty angry about it later.’"

"’And the funeral itself was a very half-hearted affair.’"

Tan You glanced at Tan Deming. "So, what’s the point you’re trying to make with this story?"

Tan Deming said, "I’m just telling you that it’s hard enough in this life just to look after yourself, so why should you have to worry about someone else? There’s no rule that says a girl has to get married and have children. I don’t want you to suffer later on."

"’Our family’s situation is already bad enough; it can’t get any worse. If that’s the alternative, I’d rather you stay home your whole life. Besides, your grandma and I will be with you, so won’t you be the one running the household anyway?’"

"’Your dad won’t be able to make decisions for you either.’"

"’I can’t stand the thought of a girl who runs her own house going off to be some little daughter-in-law and taking abuse from her in-laws.’"

Tan You’s mood lifted. "Grandpa, you really get me. Of course I’m not one to take abuse. Or rather, nobody should even think about giving me any grief."

Tan Deming said, "That’s how it should be. It’s better to be tough. If you’re tough, people won’t dare to treat you lightly; they’ll naturally have to be more careful around you. If you act like a pushover, anyone will feel like they can walk all over you."