Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 369 A Woman

Chapter 369: Chapter 369 A Woman

The woman on the riverbank has a large face, a flat nose, and a corpulent figure—this is the very common image of a rural woman. Although one cannot find any trace of beauty in her appearance, one still involuntarily feels a sense of kinship upon seeing her.

Her hair is peppered with grey, yet her face is full, without many wrinkles, indicating she isn’t really that old.

She parked her electric scooter and walked down from the river embankment.

Looking at the three trees in front of her, her expression is complex.

On the long, sloping riverbank, there are random weeds and wildflowers. The sudden appearance of these three trees is quite jarring and attention-grabbing, but that’s not the main reason they caught the woman’s attention.

"Who are you guys? Why would you plant trees here?"

The woman asked, though her gaze remained fixed on the three trees, her face showing extreme complexity.

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"Daddy, are you a tortoise? You need to be faster."

The little girl looked back and urged.

The toddler, at the age of two or three, was chubby, with two little ponytails, round and lively eyes, wearing a pink bib. Her walk was still unsteady, and when she ran, she looked like a little penguin, melting hearts with her smile.

"Here I come, here I come..."

The tall, thin man behind her hurriedly stamped his feet, acting as if he was in a great rush, which frightened the little girl into running away.

"Ah, you can’t catch me, I’m a little bunny..."

"Run slower, don’t fall into the river."

A short, plump woman shouted a reminder from behind.

"Mommy, help me hold Daddy back, don’t let him catch me."

The little girl shouted loudly, her voice carrying far and wide across the open riverbank...

The toddler swung her little legs so fast they were a blur, but in the end, her daddy caught her.

Then he lifted her onto his shoulders, letting her ride on his neck.

The toddler hugged her daddy’s head, kicking her little legs, and said happily, "Now I’m the tallest person, I’ve become an adult."

"Nannan, now that you’ve become an adult, what do you want to do?" the woman walked up from behind and asked with a smile.

"I want to be a teacher like Daddy and then punish the naughty kids," the toddler said, clenching her little fists.

"Ha ha, your daddy doesn’t hit anyone."

"Hmph, liar, Daddy spanked my bum just yesterday."

"Well, you tore up his lesson preparation notes; if he doesn’t spank you, who should he spank? You should be spanked for being naughty."

"When I grow up, I want to spank naughty children too."

"Then you better grow up quickly."

"Okay!" The toddler wiggled her bottom happily.

"Be careful." The woman reached out her hand to steady her.

"Mommy, when you grow up, what do you want to do?" the little girl asked.

"Ha?" The woman laughed.

Then she looked towards the long embankment and said with a smile, "When I grow up, I hope to become a tree."

The man beside her looked at her with surprise, as if he didn’t understand why she would think such a thing.

The woman explained with a smile, "Because that way, I can always look after you."

"Then I will also become a tree, to always be with you," the little girl said happily.

The woman looked at the man beside her with hope.

At this moment, however, the man became silent and said nothing.

Seeing this, the woman was somewhat disappointed, but she pursed her lips in a smile without saying a word.

But then, the little girl asked, "Daddy, what about you? Will you turn into a tree with us?"

Upon hearing this, the man laughed, "Of course, I will also turn into a tree, to watch over you."

"Ha ha, then we’ll have two trees," the little girl said happily, extending her short little finger.

"It’s not two trees, it’s three trees, you, me, and daddy," the woman said with a smile.

"Three trees?"

"It’s three trees," the man corrected.

And then turned his gaze to the woman beside him.

The woman’s plump face sported a simple, naive smile.

At this moment, she felt a happiness she had never experienced before, even more so than on her wedding day.

But sadly, happiness proved fleeting, so brief that she barely savored it.

Her daughter drowned in the river.

Her husband hanged himself inside the house.

Her mother-in-law went mad and disappeared.

The once lively home was left with only her.

Only her, guarding the old house.

She had no one to wait for anymore; she simply lived on, reminiscing about the past...

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The woman ran her hand over the trunks of three trees, then asked again, "Why plant three trees here?"

Her gaze swept over the few people present, but when it rested on Dou Dou and Duoduo, it immediately softened.

Huang Yuntao looked towards Shen Siyuan, also curious about the question.

"On behalf of a friend," Shen Siyuan said.

In that instant, the previously lifeless spark in the woman’s eyes seemed to glimmer.

She asked excitedly, "Is it Cui Junhui?"

Shen Siyuan smiled and nodded, then said, "You must be Sister-in-law Zhang Juxiang, right?"

"Yes, that’s me. I... I..."

Zhang Juxiang’s voice choked up, and she could hardly speak.

"He... He still mentioned me. I am in his heart..."

She muttered softly before somewhat embarrassedly saying, "Sorry for the scene I’m making."

"No problem."

"Where do you all come from?" Zhang Juxiang asked curiously.

"From Bin Hai," Shen Siyuan replied.

"That far, huh? I really appreciate it," Zhang Juxiang said with a hint of guilt.

"No problem, entrusted by someone, it’s only right to be devoted," Shen Siyuan said.

"You must have been very close to my husband," Zhang Juxiang said with a smile.

"He’s been gone for so long, yet you still remember his request, traveling all this distance. You must be close. Come, have dinner at my house..." Zhang Juxiang said as she reached out to pull Shen Siyuan’s hand.

Huang Yuntao, unfamiliar with the situation, naturally didn’t interrupt, though he doubted that Shen Siyuan would go to the woman’s house for dinner.

After spending a few days together, he already had a certain understanding of Shen Siyuan.

To Huang Yuntao’s surprise, Shen Siyuan nodded with a smile and said, "Okay."

The woman smiled upon hearing this, visibly overjoyed.

Thus, the group got back onshore, following the woman toward a nearby village.

The woman rode her electric scooter slowly, even placing Dou Dou and Duoduo behind her on the scooter.

"When my daughter was alive, she loved sitting behind me on the bike. I’d take her to the fields, to the market..." the woman said cheerfully.

"You two are so adorable. My daughter was adorable just like you two," the woman said.

Shen Siyuan watched her chat with Duoduo and Dou Dou, noting her fondness for children.

She once had her own children, but not anymore.

"How did you get to know my husband?" Zhang Juxiang was curious.

"I met him in Bin Hai, and we got to know each other," Shen Siyuan replied.

Upon hearing that, Zhang Juxiang easily accepted it, happily saying, "So he’s been to Bin Hai. I never knew that."

At this moment, Huang Yuntao was beginning to understand; the woman had not only lost her husband but also her child. He couldn’t help feeling a touch of pity.

Yet, despite the woman’s cheerful conversation devoid of sadness, he couldn’t shake off a sense of desolation within him.

He also harbored doubts about Shen Siyuan’s claim of meeting her husband in Bin Hai.

But the woman believed it readily, as if everything made perfect sense.

Hard to say whether she was naive or just simple.

Or perhaps neither; it’s just that because she loved her husband, she believed everything about him.

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