National Tide 1980

Chapter 1096 Lifelong Regret

Ning Weimin learned of Chang Yuling's death near noon on September 17, just one day before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

That morning, in order to welcome Qingzi's arrival, Ning Weimin drove to the Temple of Heaven Park.

I happily went to the greenhouse and found the person in charge of the flowers and trees group.

Describe what kind of flower basket he needs to put in the hotel room tomorrow and what kind of bouquet he needs for pick-up at the airport.

Not only had this matter been properly arranged, he turned around and went to Tan Gong Restaurant, where he personally carefully selected a table of wine and food, all of which were of He Qingzi's taste.

Then he went to the office and said hello to Zhang Shihui in advance, asking him to drive himself to the table he had reserved at six o'clock tomorrow afternoon, along with twenty of the largest and fattest Shengfang crabs, and deliver them to No. 2 Shan'er Hutong. Go to the hospital.

I heard that Ning Weimin was going to entertain his fiancée at home tomorrow, so he had to decide on a lifelong event.

Zhang Shihui, who originally had some grudge against him for rudely instructing her, suddenly stopped complaining.

A 180-degree change in attitude is called a scorching heat.

Not only did this kid agree without any hesitation, but he was also full of energy and his eyes were filled with curious little question marks.

The spirit of gossip was fully ignited, and he kept asking about whose girl Ning Weimin fell in love with, and complained that Ning Weimin had been keeping the news from him, which was not interesting.

As a result, the two of them were talking, laughing and playing around like two big children.

Just when Ning Weimin promised Zhang Shihui that he would be able to open his eyes after meeting tomorrow and whet this boy's appetite to the highest level.

The office phone rang suddenly.

The caller was Director Niu from Donghuashi Street. He told Zhang Shihui in a straight voice on the phone that Chang Yuling, the last successor of Putao Chang, died last night.

Maybe he didn't expect Ning Weimin to be here at all, so Director Niu still felt a little embarrassed.

He claimed that he first called Pierre Cardon Company, but after searching all over, he couldn't find Ning Weimin, so he called here.

He also politely asked Zhang Shihui to tell Ning Weimin if he wanted to see him.

But he didn't expect that the person he hadn't found happened to be here.

So Ning Weimin quickly took the phone from Zhang Shihui and asked Director Niu personally for details.

However, Director Niu was relieved and surprised when he heard Ning Weimin's voice, but he didn't know exactly what was going on.

The information he had was all conveyed to him by the police station.

Qingqing This morning, the neighbors of the Chang family saw that there was no movement in Chang Yuling's house. They felt something was wrong and reported it to the police station in Duan Ershang.

Then the police who came to check found the person dead.

Director Niu has not been to Chang's house yet. He has only heard that the police station has contacted Chang Yuling's relatives.

Director Niu also told Ning Weimin that he might not have time to take care of Chang Yuling's death until the afternoon.

But Ning Weimin told Ning Weimin not to worry, saying that the street factories are no longer what they used to be, and they will receive all the benefits they deserve, and they will not be much worse than state-owned units.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Shihui also urged Ning Weimin to calm down and go about his own business.

He said that with Director Niu from the street watching over the Chang family, nothing would go wrong.

If Ning Weimin still feels guilty, then he can come forward to visit the Chang family on behalf of Ning Weimin and send some funeral expenses or something.

It should be said that both Director Niu and Zhang Shihui have good intentions.

They were thinking about Ning Weimin. They knew that he had many things to do, and they believed that it was normal for people to be born, old, sick, and died. Everyone had that one day.

And Chang Yuling is not a person who is more important than Mount Tai. He is just an old technician who makes ingredients. He will leave as soon as he leaves.

You still have to rely on relatives to arrange funeral arrangements.

As for them being outsiders, they have no obligation and cannot interfere too much.

It is affectionate and righteous to be able to contribute a little money and show concern.

However, Ning Weimin's feelings and reactions were not what they expected.

To be honest, although they were not related, Ning Weimin knew very well that Chang Yuling had entrusted the most precious thing in her life to him, and her trust and expectation in him even exceeded that of her own relatives.

So this news was like a bolt from the blue to Ning Weimin, and it was very difficult to accept it all of a sudden.

After putting down the phone, he was completely confused and still couldn't believe it.

He only remembered that when he came back in the first half of the year, he invited these old technicians to have a dinner together at Tan Gong Restaurant.

At that time, I saw that Chang Yuling was still in good spirits. Logically speaking, the old lady was not sick or suffering from any disaster, so she should be fine if she lived to her eighties or nineties. How could she say that she would be gone if she didn't?

So his mind was buzzing with images of Chang Yuling's voice and smile during his lifetime, and he basically didn't hear what Zhang Shihui said to him.

After sitting there for a while, he no longer had the mind to think about anything else. He just wanted to go to Chang Yuling's house to see what was going on.

He didn't know how he got out of the house, how he got in the car, how he said goodbye to Zhang Shihui, or whether he said he was going to Chang's house.

Anyway, my mind is very confused and I feel a little dizzy.

Ten minutes later, when he clearly realized that the environment had changed, he had already driven to Donghuashi Street and arrived at the courtyard where Chang Yuling lived before his death.

Finally, I saw the wooden courtyard door that was almost broken by the wind and rain. It was crooked and told all the vicissitudes of life to everyone who came.

Ning Weimin remembered that the last time he came to visit was during the Spring Festival to give Chang Yuling some local specialties from Japan. He never expected that this time he would be in such a situation.

So before he entered the courtyard, his heart began to freeze.

Under the sunshine, I felt the regret, desolation, and unbearable panic that ordinary people cannot feel.

There are indeed people from the family in Chang Yuling's house, a man and two women, both wearing black gauze on their arms.

They all looked to be in their forties or fifties, almost half-elderly.

They were surprised to see Ning Weimin in suits and leather shoes. They didn't know who he was. They thought he was looking for someone and had gone to the wrong house.

After Ning Weimin carefully explained his origin and purpose, the two women couldn't help but cover their mouths and cry.

The man lamented and persuaded in a low voice, and then the two women suppressed their grief and went to get tea for Ning Weimin.

The man claimed to be Chang Yuling's nephew and said that Chang Yuling had met Ning Weimin before he was born.

I heard that the business was very big. Not only did they sell all the grapes from the Chang family to foreigners in Beijing, they also helped revitalize the street and expand the street factory.

He also planned a handicraft selection and appreciation conference in the Temple of Heaven, which is held every year, giving the Chang family's grapes a high honor and also giving other craftsmen a chance to shine.

I thought he was a very old boss, but I didn't expect him to be so young.

He never expected that he would be the first foreigner to visit after Chang Yuling passed away.

Sure enough, as Chang Yuling said, he is really a handsome, affectionate and righteous young man.

As members of the family, they thanked my aunt here.

However, Ning Weimin, who had always been very articulate, was speechless for this compliment that contained some emotional content. He felt as flustered and guilty as if he had grown weeds.

In the end, he didn't even utter a basic polite word, and could only smile reluctantly.

Of course he knew it, this was probably the most embarrassing laugh he had ever had, probably uglier than crying.

Fortunately, although they were not familiar with each other, the Chang family members were sincerely grateful and acknowledged Ning Weimin's affection.

They also mistakenly thought that Ning Weimin was in emotional grief and felt sorry for his deceased aunt, but they were even more moved.

Not long after, these men from the Chang family brought Ning Weimin to the bedroom, letting him see with his own eyes the old man Chang Yuling who was sleeping on the bed and had been tidied up by his relatives.

Several years have passed since I first met the old man, and these years have now been shortened to yesterday and today.

The person lying peacefully on the coffin is the old man who pushed the popsicle cart to make a living. He is the one who is grateful to him for the Changjia Grape to reappear in the world.

This old man has been forgotten and ignored by the world, silently swallowing the bitter wine of the world while waiting to be re-recognized by society.

She is like Su Wu shepherding the Chang family's grapes, moving towards infinity step by step.

In that silent body, tolerance contains the greatest persistence and perseverance in the world, just like her hands that have been eroded by paint and changed color.

These hands were frightening, making it difficult for Ning Weimin to bear the resentment that arose from the coffin bed and suddenly pressed upon him. He couldn't help shouting "Master Chang!" Tears welled up in his eyes...

The old man on the bed lay motionless, still looking indifferent.

Chang Yuling's house is very simple. Apart from basic furniture and daily necessities, there is almost nothing else. It is extremely plain.

Such an environment was obviously incongruous with Ning Weimin's high-end attire.

From his own point of view, it was as if Chang Yuling was clearly rejecting the guest, blaming him for having forgotten the friendship between the Chang family and the treasure, and not wanting to see him again.

Suddenly there was an inexplicable sound of biting wind outside, and the sun was suddenly obscured by clouds.

This is clearly the heartfelt complaint of the old man on the bed, which is thrilling.

The sorrow and self-blame that filled his chest could not be contained for a while, and Ning Weimin burst into tears.

In this small bungalow, he could fully feel the grievances of a lonely old man who wasted his life.

The last descendant of Putao Chang left like this, and passed away in such obscurity. How much did Old Putao pay to keep the Chang family?

As the last person to accept a gift from the Chang family, he couldn't let go of his resentment and self-complaints...

The nephew of the Chang family handed over a few pieces of paper, to persuade Ning Weimin to give up, and perhaps also to comfort himself.

He explained on the side that his aunt had suffered too much in her life, but she did not suffer much in death. She did not wake up from her sleep last night and crossed the boundary between life and death in her dream. Not everyone can do this. Blessings gained through cultivation.

Ning Weimin said yes, there are five blessings for people. Except for wealth, the old man has almost all of them.

While saying this, he still couldn't help but feel guilty and self-blame. He knew clearly that the old man had been greatly wronged.

To be fair, so many people in the street factory were actually fed by the Chang family's grapes. The old man should have lived a more prosperous life and received more honor and respect during his lifetime.

Not only should a monument be built for the old man, but at the very least, he should also leave some video and audio materials for future generations to admire.

Even before the old man was alive, it would have been nice for him to come and visit more often.

But as for him, he ignored it. He was always busy with his important matters.

Busy relying on the trust and reliance of the elderly to make money for themselves.

Is he a jerk? seems like it.

Now, there is no chance to make amends.

Yes, audio and video materials! This is not difficult, but it is very easy for him!

How could he be so stupid and forget such an important thing?

Why did I realize what I should do only after losing it?

Looking at the dim and unclear photos beside the old man's bedside.

Listening to the Chang family's nephew recalling every detail of the old man's life, Ning Weimin's self-blame and regret reached its peak, and tears burst out again.

If you are addicted to money, you will regret it too late. If you are blinded by profit, you will regret it for the rest of your life!