Chapter 98: The Beauty Passed Away

On a cold night with light snow, Master Ma fell asleep and never woke up.

When Su Qingmei received the news, it was already past noon, and she thought she had heard it wrong. She didn't bring her children with her, and hurried to Yangwei Martial Arts Hall with Su Qingliu.

When she arrived, she saw that the whole yard from the gate to the courtyard was covered with white, and the white in the yard blended with the snow. The breeze blew the white cloth in the yard, as if she was saying a sad farewell.

Su Qingmei's legs were so weak that she almost couldn't stand, and she staggered to the mourning hall with Su Qingliu.

A black lacquered nanmu coffin was placed in the middle of the mourning hall, and three incense sticks were burning in front of the spirit tablet. Master Ma knelt there with a cold and sad face, just burying his head and throwing paper into the brazier. Everything around him seemed to be out of his eyes and heart, and he mechanically repeated the movements in his hands.

Cui Yuying, as a family member, cried and thanked. A disciple handed Su Qing'an and her sister a few incense sticks with red eyes.

Su Qing'an took it blankly, staring at the words "The Spiritual Tablet of My Beloved Wife Ma Shenshi Li Niang" on the spirit tablet, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her voice, smile and words are still fresh in my mind, but she is gone.

Master Ma and his wife are not locals, and they have no relatives. Only some apprentices came with their families to pay their respects.

Cui Yuying took care of all this, and if Master Ma had not been burning paper in the brazier, people would think he was in a trance, and he looked like his soul had been taken away.

When Qingyang was leaving school, Su Qingliu brought a few more children to pay their respects. When the children saw that their master's wife, who loved them all the time, was gone, they all cried like tearful people. Even the little girl Yaya knew that she was gone and would never come back, so she cried and hiccuped.

Old man Xie also brought Xie Qiyou to add incense. Su's father and others and some neighbors around the martial arts hall also came.

Su Qing'an stayed in the martial arts hall, helping the disciples with some small things, and did not leave until sunset.

She tossed and turned at night, and cried every time she thought of Master Ma's wife. Such a gentle and kind woman did not get the love of God, and left Master Ma alone early.

Su Qing'an did not care about the business in the store, and went to Yangwei Martial Arts Hall every day. It was not until the seventh day, the eighth day, when Master Ma led a group of disciples to bury Master Ma's wife in an auspicious place, that Su Qing'an stopped going to Yangwei Martial Arts Hall.

Su Qing'an could not recover for many days afterwards.

The days passed slowly. In February, Lu Bozu was going to Pingchuan County to take the county exam. Wu Shi thought it was unlucky for Su Qing'an to stay in Yangwei Martial Arts Hall, so she did not let Su Qing'an return to the Lu family. Su Qing'an simply lived in the shop.

It was not until Lv Shengcai and his wife took Lv Bozu to Pingchuan County that Su Qing'an got the news, but she didn't take it seriously.

At the end of February, Lv Bozu passed the county exam. Lv Shengcai happily set off a long string of firecrackers at the door of Lv's house, and went to the store with Wu.

The couple's faces were full of joy, and they couldn't suppress it.

Wu told Su Qing'an the news with a proud face, and Su Qing'an congratulated her. Lv Shengcai happily invited Su's father to drink and celebrate together. Su's father agreed with them, congratulated Lv Shengcai, praised Lv Bozu's talent, and said that he was about to change his family.

Lv Shengcai and Wu were very comfortable with the compliments of everyone, and they had already imagined a future life of being respected as old masters and old lords.

Su Qing'an smiled and said a few polite words, and gave ten taels of silver, expressing her support for her younger brother as the eldest brother and sister-in-law, and encouraging him to continue studying. Wu glanced at the ten taels of silver, looking down on them.

But she didn't think it was too little, so she took it. The couple came happily and were coaxed back happily by everyone.

In a blink of an eye, it was the seventh day of the death of Master Ma's wife. Su Qing'an and Su Qingliu took a few children to Yangwei Martial Arts Hall to burn paper for her. Just like before, Cui Yuying said that Master Ma still locked himself in his and Master Ma's bedroom and didn't want to come out to see people.

He didn't even care about the disciples, and only let the eldest disciple lead the younger disciples.

Yangwei Martial Arts Hall looked lifeless.

Before leaving, Su Qing'an thought about it, walked to the door of the room, and whispered: "Master Ma, the dead cannot be resurrected, and the living still have to live their lives. Master's wife would be distressed if she saw you like this. Please take care of yourself."

After speaking, she stood at the door for a while, and got no response. Su Qing'an sighed softly and turned to leave.

A couple who loved each other so much in the past suddenly separated forever. It might not be easy for them to get over it.

After the 77th day, Su Qingmei went back to Yangwei Martial Arts Hall. Until one day at the end of March, Cui Yuying came to the store to find her.

Handed her two boxes.

"This box contains the memories that the young lady left for the children. They are all carefully selected by the young lady."

Su Qingmei looked at the things in the box, a jade rabbit, a jade cicada and two jade toads, which are precious and inconspicuous. They can be used as pendants or in the palm of your hand. It can be seen that she is attentive to the children.

"In this box, there are a few pieces of jewelry that the young lady used in the past. The master said to leave them to you sisters as a memory. If you don't mind, keep them."

Su Qingmei saw that the jewelry looked quite expensive and wanted to refuse, but she accepted it after she said that.

"When the young lady was alive, she often said that she was very happy to meet you. Although we have known each other for a short time, she and you are very compatible. She often said that you never felt annoyed at all when she said such old words. Although you are younger than her, you understand her. It's as if she and you knew each other in your previous life..."

"The young lady has been with the master in Fengting Town for these years. She has no one to talk to and usually does not go out. Only when she met you did she smile again. With you two sisters to talk to her, and several children around her, the young lady was smiling when she fell asleep. Since she met you, she seems to be alive again. The master and I want to thank you."

"Don't say that. The master's wife is both my elder and my sister. I am very happy to know her. She taught me a lot. I like to listen to her talk. Her words are full of stories and life. I benefited a lot..."

Su Qing'an and Cui Yuying sat opposite each other. When talking about the master's wife Ma, both of them burst into tears.

In the evening, when Qingyang came back, Su Qing'an asked him to call Xie Qiyou and divide the gifts that the master's wife Ma gave them.

Several children held their gifts in their palms and cried as they looked at them.

Hand in hand, they turned around and went to Yangwei Martial Arts Hall. But Master Ma did not see them. Cui Yuying received them, said a few words to them, told them to study hard, and to listen to the adults, and then had someone send them back.

At night, Su Qingliu only picked up two pieces of jewelry, and let Su Qing'an keep the rest. The two sisters lay on the bed, crying every time they thought of something.

The days were dull and depressing. Even when the business in the shop was so good that Xu Shaoyan sent someone to send her last year's goods and silver, Su Qing'an could not smile.

Because the date of delivery was approaching, everyone carefully protected her and took over all the things in the shop, so that she would not worry about it.

Su Qing'an was also taken back to Lu's house. The baby should be born in Lu's house. What's the matter with giving birth in the shop? Lu Shengcai would not let such a thing happen.

Su Qing'an obtained Aunt Zhou's consent, pulled her daughter Hongxiu out of the shop, and asked her to take care of her in Lu's house until she was out of confinement.

The store was short of two people, so Aunt Zhou's mother-in-law introduced two skilled women in the town to help, which just filled the gap and allowed Su Qing'an to wait for the birth with peace of mind.

After returning to Lu's house, the due date had passed two days, and the baby had not yet come out, so Su Qing'an was a little anxious.

That day, until Liu Juye came to Lu's house to find her, he brought her bad news.