Reincarnated as a Poor Little Green Tea, Am I Destined to Be Bullied? - Volume 1 Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Memorial Service

***

Don’t worry about how she understands it, at least this way, Lin Yueye’s goal has been achieved, hasn’t it?

— She wants to avoid being taken to an enclosed, private space by Xia Mujin as much as possible.

This is based on experience, experience from the last time in the rental apartment, when she almost got beaten up!

In such a small place, you can’t even run away if you want to, but if it’s in a slightly more spacious place, it’s different. If something happens, you can really run.

Ahem, Lin Yueye came here wanting to understand her better, wanting to make friends is not wrong, but the main premise of everything is to protect one’s own safety first. If safety is gone, everything else is just empty talk. Even teachers from elementary school taught you, safety first.

Besides…

Talking about “meeting the parents,” I don’t know how you understand it.

But for me.

Perhaps, this really is going home to “meet the parents.”

……………………………….

Behind the main building of the Xia family mansion, there is a hall.

According to Xia Mujin, usually when the Xia family has important events, such as birthday parties, seasonal celebrations, entertaining guests, or holding major business meetings, they are all held here.

This place is used often, but using it for a funeral is a first.

The hall is designed with a spacious area on the first floor that can accommodate hundreds of people. Today, the invited guests are guided by the Xia family’s maids to climb the stairs around the hall, arriving at the upper levels of the hall, overlooking the situation in the main hall on the first floor through transparent glass in front of platforms at different levels.

They are not allowed to stand on the first floor to mourn for the deceased eldest son of the Xia family.

After all, the dead young master is quietly lying in a semi-transparent crystal coffin on the first floor. Naturally, the Xia family doesn’t allow outsiders to approach closely, except for family members.

Originally, Xia Mujin said she wanted to take Lin Yueye directly to the first floor, but Lin Yueye insisted on having her accompany her to the second floor to overlook first.

In the coffin, you can vaguely see the peaceful lying young man. He is covered with a clean white cloth, his hand, long since bloodless, is not covered by the white cloth, lying flat, holding a white flower. You can see the neat and tidy cuffs, presumably the young man has been changed into an expensive new suit, something he never got to enjoy in his lifetime of vanity and extravagance.

Lin Yueye looked at all this from afar, feeling suffocated for a moment.

She didn’t dare to get too close.

Why?

Because she was afraid that the tears she was desperately holding back would burst out uncontrollably, damn it!

Xia Mujin looked at Lin Yueye, who was pressing both hands against the platform glass, gathering her thoughts to gaze at the crystal coffin placed in the center.

“Hmm…? Didn’t Yueye say she wanted to go and greet my parents? They’re right there, why not go over?”

“Let’s… let’s not disturb them now, they look very busy… and…” Lin Yueye, with mixed feelings, turned back and gave an indisputable reason, “Also, I’m afraid of corpses, I don’t dare to go over.”

“I see… then don’t force yourself, I’ll arrange for you to meet them later, it might indeed be inconvenient now…?”

It’s certainly not convenient now.

Look at that middle-aged woman sitting in front of the crystal coffin, who bears some resemblance to Xia Mujin in her eyes and brows. Her expression is sad and bewildered, dressed in plain black clothes, occasionally turning back to gently stroke the coffin, sighing deeply with a sorrowful look.

And at a distance from the coffin, that man with an upright posture wearing a crisp suit and a full beard, with a serious expression, shaking hands with every guest coming through the main door, arranging for maids to send them up the stairs, also sighing from time to time. Even while dealing with formalities, it’s hard not to reveal the worry of a father.

This scene made Lin Yueye’s heart ache.

She had imagined many times what it would be like if she also had a family, even if it was a poor one.

Tea, salt, sauce, vinegar, pots, bowls, ladles, basins, quarreling because one day she was too lazy to wash the dishes, or crying in her mother’s arms because of a failed big exam, and increasingly seeking the peace and tranquility of the years.

They would laugh together about how boring the Spring Festival Gala was that year, and count together how mean and unreasonable some relatives were.

She had imagined so many, so many ordinary days.

Even in those ordinary days, apart from her own face and the ticking clock, the faces of family members were never clear.

Unexpectedly, coming back to reality after the daydream and opening her eyes.

The ordinary is not ordinary, and the poverty is not poverty, but separated by a thin layer of crystal, it’s already a world apart between the living and the dead.

Crystal, not referring to the barrier on top of the coffin.

But the thinner glass that Lin Yueye’s palms are pressing against right now…

“Today is the memorial service, to let the guests know that the Xia family once had a lost child. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the crematorium for cremation and burial. The burial site has already been chosen, in the best location in Qihai City, a very quiet place.”

Xia Mujin’s voice, without any detectable emotion, sounded in Lin Yueye’s ears, as calm as she was that time at school.

“Actually, this ceremony today, according to the original arrangement, wouldn’t have happened. Finding a missing child after so long is not something glorious for the Xia family, it might even become a laughing stock in places we can’t see… Even if it’s not kept secret, they would try to control the number of people informed as much as possible. But mother strongly insisted on holding this memorial service, she didn’t want to conceal anything from the outside world. Seeing her insist like this, father couldn’t say much.”

“I see…”

Whoa, really thank you, mom!

Honestly, if it weren’t for her insistence, if they had chosen to keep it secret, Lin Yueye herself probably wouldn’t have known about her background.

Looking at that coffin from afar, and the mother she had never met sitting in front of the coffin, dejected.

Don’t know where this courage came from, making Lin Yueye slowly turn her head, looking into Xia Mujin’s eyes.

“If it were Classmate Mujin… would you choose to keep it secret, or would you make the same decision as auntie…?”

“Hmm?”

“No… I’m just a bit curious, if Classmate Mujin doesn’t want to answer, it’s okay…”

“I think I would choose to keep it secret.”

“……”

“Whether from the perspective of objective impact, or from my subjective thoughts, I probably wouldn’t be as emotional as mother, but would make the same decision as father initially. By the way, why did Yueye suddenly ask about this?”

“Nothing…”

Lin Yueye’s pupils dimmed a bit.

Even though she was mentally prepared, even though she felt there was no need to have any expectations for Xia Mujin, for this once biological sister, even though what she said wasn’t wrong, for people who have never met, even if they are blood-related, no one needs to demand anything from the other.

But when actually hearing such words, inevitably, there’s still some indescribable loneliness and disappointment.

She has parents, maybe doesn’t lack an elder brother.

But what about the former Ling Qingyue?

After all, that feeling of joy when knowing you have family is one-sided, so it’s quite laughable.

“Classmate Yueye suddenly looks very disappointed…”

“It’s nothing…” Lin Yueye awkwardly turned her head away, dodging Xia Mujin’s gaze that followed, “I… I’m just glad I didn’t really choose to end my life, otherwise the one lying in the coffin not knowing anything… wouldn’t it be me?”

“Mmm, I’m glad too?”

“What…?”

“Sincerely thankful that Yueye is still alive.”

“……”

Thanks, but I don’t think I need your gladness right now.

But…

Xia Mujin’s eyes are now genuinely warm, with chaos and depth coexisting.

This makes Lin Yueye unable to see clearly her thoughts, or even, see this person clearly.

What exactly is her state of mind, and what emotions is she hiding so deeply.

Suddenly.

A voice rang out in Lin Yueye’s mind.

【Wow! Lin Yueye! Look what I’ve found!】

Hmm?

Yuebing ran around the glass corridor and now has returned with a small cupcake she got from somewhere.

There are actually cupcakes at a memorial service…?

This isn’t some celebration banquet, why are they giving out food?

If it’s like this, our family’s arrangements are quite in place, huh?

Lin Yueye doesn’t understand these things.

But when her peripheral vision looked towards Yuebing, she happened to notice a familiar figure walking towards the crystal coffin on the first floor.

She leaned against the glass, squinting to observe and look, gradually confirming that she hadn’t seen wrong.

“Is that… Teacher Luo? What a coincidence… to see her again, hmm? She seems to have changed into a maid outfit again…? Such a beautiful and unique outfit…”

Of course she noticed that figure, and said what came to mind.

But what she didn’t notice was — when she said this, Xia Mujin’s expression turned cold, flashing by in an instant.