Chapter 082: Grandfather's Last Wish

A teacher had fallen asleep holding a student’s leg. It looked laughable to outsiders, but Yang Tian saw it differently. Watching Bao Yuehong finally drift into sleep while clutching his leg, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Perhaps she had at last found a small measure of support.

If she hadn’t been so lonely, she surely wouldn’t have accepted him as a brother. Yang Tian gently stroked Bao Yuehong’s silky hair, exhaled deeply, and brewed her a cup of malted milk, placing it beside her bed before quietly slipping away.

Returning to Daliushu Village, Yang Tian received dreadful news: his grandfather, Yang Qingtang, was near death. The message stunned him.

In his memory, Yang Qingtang had died in the spring of 1997—just last year. Yang Tian had braced himself for that sorrow then.

Yet unexpectedly, after arriving at Yang Tian’s home, Yang Qingtang’s spirits had soared, and he had lived an extra year. This brought Yang Tian immense comfort.

But fate is always cruel to life; those destined to leave can never be held back. In the end, Yang Qingtang collapsed.

When Yang Tian entered his home, the house was awash with tears. Yang Bao and his wife clung to Yang Qingtang’s hands at his bedside, weeping bitterly. Yang Xueling stood nearby, choking back sobs.

“Brother’s home!” Yang Xueling whispered when she saw Yang Tian. Yang Bao and his wife hurriedly pulled Yang Tian to Yang Qingtang’s bedside.

“Xiaotian, Grandpa has waited for you to return!” Weathered by years, Yang Qingtang’s face lit up with a hint of excited smile.

“Grandpa, you’ll be fine. You were well this morning—it’s just the cold, you’ve caught a chill. I’ll fetch the doctor right away!” Yang Tian gripped Yang Qingtang’s hand, softly comforting him. He already knew from the neighbors on his way home that the doctor had come and gone; nothing could be done. Yang Qingtang had suffered a stroke.

That morning, Yang Qingtang had wandered alone around Daliushu Village, seeming melancholy. When he reached the old willow tree at the village entrance, he suddenly collapsed, never to rise again.

In Daliushu Village, there’s an old belief that a dying elder can sense their imminent departure from their descendants and the land they’ve lived on for nearly a century. Yang Qingtang’s walks around the village that day must have been his lingering farewell to this cherished soil.

“Child, you don’t need to comfort me. Grandpa is content to have lived this long. Don’t leave my side—Grandpa has things to tell you.” Yang Qingtang, voice trembling, drew Yang Tian closer. “Grandpa can’t bear to leave this land. I once thought your uncle’s house was where I was happiest, so I chose to live there. But unexpectedly, it was here that I found happiness in my final years. These past years, I’ve been truly content!”

“Dad, hurry and notify Uncle’s family!” Yang Tian wiped his tears and turned to call out to Yang Bao. He knew Yang Qingtang must have last words to impart.

“No need. Call them after I’m gone. I don’t want to see him or Su Fang; I don’t know how they changed so much.” Yang Qingtang spoke in anger, then coughed and slowed his speech: “Xiaotian, Grandpa knows you’ll do well. I have three wishes I hope you can fulfill.”

“Grandpa, please tell me.” Yang Tian leaned once more over the bedside, his voice soft. Despite Yang Qingtang’s reluctance, Yang Tian signaled quietly to Yang Bao to notify Yang Ming’s family. After all, they were also Yang Qingtang’s children—what parent wouldn’t want to see their children at life’s end?

Yang Qingtang’s words stemmed from anger, likely still brooding over the greenhouse dispute.

“First, Grandpa wants to stay here forever. I love these mountains and waters. So I hope you’ll bury me here. But I don’t want this place to become skyscrapers and highways in a few years. Xiaotian, do you understand what I mean? Second, your parents are honest folks, used to being bullied; people in nearby villages look down on them. I hope you can bring them honor, so they won’t leave this land quietly like I will. Lastly, I hope your family stays together forever, happily, no matter what life brings. Xiaotian, do you understand?” Yang Qingtang grew agitated, showing how deeply he cared.

“Grandpa, rest assured. Our family will always be together, and I’ll ensure they’re always happy and respected wherever they go. Since you love this place, I’ll make it belong to our Yang family. I’ll have people from all the neighboring villages work for me, and everyone will bow and greet my father with respect!” Tears streamed down Yang Tian’s cheeks as he spoke with unwavering resolve.

Wasn’t this exactly his own wish? To bring joy to his family, to earn respect for his parents, so they’d never be looked down upon again!

The only difference was that Yang Qingtang wanted to preserve Daliushu Village. He loved this land and seemed to have foreseen Binhai City’s urbanization—within years, this would become suburbia; the willow tree would be cut down, the hills leveled, the Bailang River filled in. All things that the elder, rooted in the countryside, never wished to see.

Yang Tian’s heart trembled. Yes, preserving Daliushu Village meant keeping all those wonderful memories alive. But how could he protect this land? Though he hadn’t found a solution yet, he set himself a new goal: to safeguard this place, so Grandpa could rest here peacefully.

“There’s one thing Grandpa wants to remind you: young people must be steady and grounded in life, never reckless, never allow regrets. There’s no medicine for regret in this world. If you miss something, heaven won’t give you a second chance to fix it, understand?” Yang Qingtang spoke with deep insight.

“Yes, Grandpa, I understand. Is there anything else you want to say?” Yang Tian nodded firmly. Given a second chance at life, he knew it was fate. He wouldn’t foolishly wish for another rebirth to perfect his existence.

“No, Grandpa is satisfied. The Yang family has lived in Daliushu Village for over a century, and finally produced you. Now I can face our ancestors with peace.” With these final words, Yang Qingtang’s expression relaxed, a joyful smile settling on his face—a smile that remained to the very end.

Yang Bao and his wife cried even harder, but Yang Tian wiped away his tears, slowly rose, and walked to the doorway, gazing out at Daliushu Village and its surrounding hills and rivers.

Suddenly, he realized how truly beautiful it was, and how it held every fragment of his childhood. Grandpa was right: in a few years, when this becomes the heart of an industrial city, polluted streams and piles of garbage everywhere, he’d never find traces of those happy times again.

He couldn’t let the beauty slip away. He had to protect this place, devise a perfect plan to keep it safe. This was Grandpa’s last wish—and his own truest dream.

ps: The second chapter is finished. Please vote for recommendations!