Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 195: Azaleas Bloom

Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Azaleas Bloom

Zhao Dezhu finished his phone call and walked in from the balcony.

He thought Zhou Congfang would question him as before about who had called, and he had even prepared a response.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Congfang didn’t ask; she simply said, "Eat up, the food is getting cold."

This made Zhao Dezhu feel somewhat unaccustomed.

Zhao Dezhu quickly let it go and spoke up, "Mom, this time you all come with me to Bin Hai."

"Going back to Bin Hai?" Grandma blinked in surprise, glancing at Zhou Congfang.

Seeing her act as if nothing was the matter, just burying her head in her meal,

She shook her head and said, "Never mind, I won’t go. I’ve lived here all my life; I’m used to it."

"Mom, I was hoping you’d help me take care of Cong Fang," Zhao Dezhu said.

"Well..."

"No need, I’m not going to Bin Hai either. I have a good life here. I’ll stay at home with Mom. I’m not going anywhere," Zhou Congfang lifted her head and said.

"Cong Fang..." Zhao Dezhu opened his mouth, wanting to persuade her to go back with him, but he didn’t know how to say it at that moment.

Zhou Congfang turned her head to him and smiled, "You go back and take care of your things. I’m fine now, don’t worry about me."

Grandma, sitting across from them, looked at her daughter’s smiling face and felt somewhat anxious, for some reason.

So she spoke up, trying to persuade her, "You should go back with Zhao. You don’t need to keep me company."

Zhou Congfang replied, "I understand."

"You should go to Bin Hai, and I also just... Ah..."

She wanted to persuade her further, but didn’t expect Zhou Congfang to agree so easily.

Zhao Ru Jin, sitting aside, felt both happy and worried—happy that his parents could be together again, but worried about what would happen to Auntie Yu Zhenzhen?

Zhao Dezhu seemed to notice his son’s gaze and gave him a reassuring look.

After the meal, Grandma said she would do the dishes and suggested the couple take Zhao Ru Jin out for a stroll.

Grandma always felt something was off with Zhou Congfang, so she hoped Zhao Dezhu could talk to her.

The couple, along with Zhao Ru Jin, walked down the familiar path they used to take.

"The first time I came to your grandparents’ home, it was raining. Your mom waited for me here at the junction with an umbrella. But it rained so heavily that, despite the umbrella, she was drenched and shivering from the cold..."

Zhao Dezhu pointed to the alleyway where he first arrived.

Zhou Congfang, hearing this, didn’t speak, but smiled warmly, looking at him.

Zhao Dezhu reached out his hand, and Zhou Congfang hesitated for a moment before handing hers over.

Zhao Dezhu grabbed her hand, their fingers interlocked, and continued, "I got out of the car, saw her like that, and felt so heartbroken. I said, why didn’t you wait at home, she said she feared I wouldn’t find the way..."

"Eventually, we both ended up soaked like drenched chickens, a son-in-law’s first visit, such an embarrassing scene..." Zhao Dezhu said.

"Later, we put on your grandfather’s pajamas for him, but your grandpa was too thin, and the clothes were as tight as a monkey’s on him..." Zhou Congfang picked up the conversation.

"The crotch even burst open, I was so mortified at that moment, I wished I could vanish into thin air," Zhao Dezhu said.

Zhao Ru Jin imagined the scene and couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Passing the quiet marketplace at midday, the small fans tied with red strings swayed gently, sending away flies with a creaking sound.

"It’s been so many years, nothing has changed here."

Watching the scene in front of him, Zhao Dezhu couldn’t help but be moved.

Zhou Congfang looked at him and revealed a slight smile, looking frail but still emanating a gentle aura.

"Zhao Dezhu..." She suddenly called his name.

"What’s wrong?" Zhao Dezhu looked at her puzzled.

"I’m sorry."

"What?"

Zhao Dezhu was initially startled, then realizing what she meant, quickly said, "You haven’t done anything wrong; you don’t need to apologize."

Zhou Congfang, however, turned her head away, looking at their son who was browsing the stall in front.

She slowly said, "Love is like sand on the beach, the tighter you grasp it, the more it slips through your fingers, whether it’s you or Zhou Zhou..."

"It’s all in the past..."

Zhao Dezhu knew that Zhou Congfang loved him too much.

Love itself is not wrong, they came together because of love, but when love turns into a burden, a desire to control the other person, it suffocates.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Congfang didn’t say anything more.

The family of three strolled outside for a long time, but because of Zhou Congfang’s lack of stamina, they had to stop and rest frequently.

But no one mentioned the past, like a happy family of three.

And from Zhao Ru Jin, Zhou Congfang learned the reasons behind everything, resolving the doubts in her heart.

However, upon hearing about Zhao Ru Jin’s circumstances, Zhou Congfang’s indifferent reaction made Zhao Dezhu subtly worried.

They roamed outside the entire afternoon, walking a long distance, but didn’t visit many places.

By the time they returned, Grandma had already prepared dinner and was waiting for them.

"Back already." Grandma stood at the door, smiling in welcome.

Seeing the things Zhao Dezhu was carrying, she complained: "Why did you buy more things? We don’t lack anything, such a waste of money."

"I just bought some things, didn’t spend much." Zhao Dezhu replied.

He was also used to the elderly’s complaints; every time he brought things home, there were always a few words said, but there were no ill intentions, just a lifelong habit of saving.

After dinner, Grandma said to Zhao Dezhu, "Tonight, you and Cong Fang share a room. I won’t prepare another one for you."

Zhao Dezhu glanced at Zhou Congfang, hesitated, and said: "No, Mom, please prepare a separate room for me."

"Mom, I want Zhou Zhou to sleep with me tonight." Zhou Congfang said.

"Alright then, you sleep in the small study tonight," Grandma reconsidered, remembering that after all, the two were divorced, and didn’t insist further.

The small study was where Zhou Congfang used to do homework during her school days; later, when it was no longer needed, a bed was placed there, making it a guest room, but it was rarely used, so the study was cluttered with many miscellaneous items.

Everyone cleared it out together quickly, but in the process, they unearthed many of Zhou Congfang’s old school items.

Workbooks, celebrity cards, memorabilia books, graduation photos, and so forth.

Seeing these, Zhou Congfang, who had been feeling down, suddenly cheered up and began telling her son about her past.

Much of it was unknown to Zhao Dezhu, so he too listened with great interest.

It was only when Grandma noticed it was getting late and urged everyone to rest, that they returned to their rooms.

Once in his room, Zhao Dezhu quickly became sleepy; after all, he was over forty, and the day’s travels and emotional tension had left him exhausted, so he soon fell asleep.

But in the other room, Zhou Congfang wasn’t sleeping, instead, she was quietly talking to her son.

"Ghosts don’t need to sleep?"

"It doesn’t matter whether I sleep or not, just go to sleep, Mom. I’ll be right here with you."

Zhao Ru Jin was still in good spirits, he had finally fulfilled his wish to reconcile his parents. Tomorrow, when they return to Bin Hai, everything would be as it was before.

"Hmm, Zhou Zhou, I’m sorry, it was all Mommy’s fault..."

"Mom, don’t say that, I told you, I don’t blame you," Zhao Ru Jin whispered softly.

"Thank you."

"Go to sleep quickly, you’re tired."

"Zhou Zhou, since you’re not sleeping, can you help me check if the rhododendrons have bloomed in Haitang Park? Large swaths of rhododendrons are so beautiful. When your father and I got married, our wedding photos were taken there. If they’ve bloomed, could you pluck a few for me? You can fly, right? It should be quick..." Zhou Congfang murmured with her eyes closed.

"Okay, Mom, leave it to me." Zhao Ru Jin transformed into a Yin Wind, spinning around the room seemingly showing off his power, then flew out of the window.

"Zhou Zhou~"

In the darkness, Zhou Congfang softly called out once, but no one responded. She turned over and sat up from the bed, descended, and walked towards the bathroom.

This silly child, how could Haitang Park have vast patches of rhododendrons, and furthermore, rhododendrons don’t bloom in autumn.

Nowadays, many new homes save space by only having showers, rarely featuring bathtubs.

But like Zhou Congfang’s old house, the bathroom was equipped with a bathtub because back then, bathtubs seemed to be in vogue, so many households installed them.

When it felt bothersome, due to the high floor and old age, problems like difficulty in dismantling kept them intact.

Zhou Congfang lay in the bathtub, the warm water enveloped her body, but she still felt a chilling coldness throughout, without a trace of warmth.

Blood from her wrists dyed the bathtub red, beside her lay a knife, a sharp steel knife.

Its solid handle and the blade back with a hint of pale blue spray, the sharp edge glistened coldly.

It was her father’s proud creation, made from half a saw blade.

It seemed the rhododendrons had bloomed; she saw vast swaths of rhododendrons...

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