Rebirth: 1977

Wu Pingtao took Wu Pingyan's death notice and went to Mr. Wu's small building.

Secretary-General Xiao Baoguo received the news in advance and was already waiting at the gate downstairs.

"Hello, Master Tao! You are finally here. It was Master Wu who ordered me to pick you up."

Xiao Baoguo looked at Wu Pingtao with joy in his eyes, but spoke politely because he was considerate of Mr. Wu's guards who were beside him.

Wu Pingtao nodded slightly: "Hello, Uncle Xiao, thank you, take me upstairs to see grandpa."

Xiao Baoguo extended his hand respectfully: "Master Tao, please."

When they reached the corner of the stairs and saw that no one was paying attention to them, Wu Pingtao asked in a low voice:

"How is my grandfather's health?"

Xiao Baoguo looked around and lowered his voice: "He is just trying to wait out the days. If we tell him about Master Yan's death, I'm afraid it will be hard to say."

Wu Pingtao calculated the time in his mind and decided that instead of waiting to report to Meihua County and then come back to attend the funeral, it would be better to see the old man off before taking office.

He handed Wu Pingyan's death notice to Xiao Baoguo:

"I'll go in and see Grandpa. Find a chance and have someone send this to my dad right away. Say it was sent to you by the SX Provincial Public Security Bureau."

"Yes, I understand."

Xiao Baoguo stuffed the paper into his clothes and accompanied Wu Pingtao to Mr. Wu's room.

The room smelled of disinfectant. Wu Pingtao frowned as he looked at his grandfather, who was leaning against the head of the bed with his eyes closed. His face was lifeless, his eye sockets were sunken, and he looked skin and bones.

Wu Pingtao felt very unhappy.

He learned from Ye Tianshui and his father-in-law that the reason his younger brother did such a stupid thing was because of his grandfather's manipulation.

Seize Xiaoshui's jade mine! Not only rob him of his wealth, but also kill him!

If Grandpa wasn't terminally ill and was still the strong and powerful Grandpa, and Xiaoshui didn't have good means and a good background, this would probably have really happened.

'Robbery', grandpa is really ruthless and good at using tricks!

Even before his death, he was still working hard to make money for the Wu family.

But isn’t his son Xiaojie a descendant of the Wu family?

Why should they sacrifice his little life just for their greed? ! ! !

It’s a pity that Wu Pingyan was a fool, and he met the Ye family father and son who were more resourceful and powerful, and lost his life in vain!

"Grandpa, I'm back to see you."

Wu Pingtao walked closer to the bed and called out softly.

Mr. Wu's hand that was exposed outside the quilt moved slightly, and his eyes slowly opened.

When he saw that it was Wu Pingtao standing in front of the bed and calling him, his cloudy eyes gradually brightened up.

"Xiao Tao? Is it really you? Are you back to see grandpa?"

The tone was intermittent and the voice was hoarse.

Wu Pingtao felt a little choked up and a little bitter. When he was a child, his grandfather always called him like this.

When did he and his grandfather gradually become estranged?

Old Master Wu tried to sit up, but he couldn't do it on his own and was exhausted and out of breath.

Wu Pingtao stepped forward and held his neck and shoulders, "Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll help you."

Xiao Baoguo stepped forward to help, took a soft backrest and placed it on Mr. Wu's back.

Wu Pingtao took it, stuffed it in, and put his grandfather on it to lean against:

"Grandpa, is this more comfortable?"

There was a gurgling sound in Mr. Wu's throat, and Xiao Baoguo quickly handed him a spittoon.

Wu Pingtao took the spittoon and moved closer to his grandfather. Seeing that his grandfather was coughing and having difficulty catching his breath, he felt very sad.

Only when he faced it directly did he understand how difficult it was for his grandfather to hold on day after day.

After spitting out a mouthful of thick phlegm with a streak of blood and a foul odor, Wu Pingtao handed it to Xiao Baoguo:

"Uncle Xiao, please clean it up."

Xiao Baoguo took it silently, left the room silently, turned on the ventilator in the room and closed the door.

Wu Pingtao took a wet towel to wipe his grandfather clean, and then gently patted the old man's chest and back.

Wu Pingtao pulled a stool over and sat in front of the old man, holding his bony hand, and said apologetically:

"Grandpa, I'm sorry, I'm too busy with work and I'm far away, so I can't come back to visit you often."

The subdued Mr. Wu showed a rare kind smile on his face:

"Grandpa doesn't blame you. Grandpa understands that work is important for young people."

Mr. Wu rested for a while, looked at Wu Pingtao's eyes, and asked uncertainly:

"You and Ping Yan, do you keep in touch regularly?"

Wu Pingtao didn't know what the old man meant, so he shook his head honestly:

"We haven't been in touch." He paused and asked, "Grandpa, do you know his current situation?"

Mr. Wu's eyes dimmed a lot, and he shook his head slightly:

"He hasn't come back to see me for a long time, ever since he went to the mountainous area to serve as the deputy county chief.

That heartless guy said he would be back soon, but I almost closed my eyes and didn’t see him come back. "

Wu Pingtao didn't know how his grandfather and Wu Pingyan were connected. Logically speaking, the incident had happened many days ago, so his smart grandfather should know about it, right?

Is there no one over there who informed grandpa?

He listened attentively to the sounds in the outer room and heard the voice of Head Nurse Xi quietly instructing the people below.

What is it talking about? It's unclear.

Shouldn't Xiao Baoguo go find his biological father?

He never thought that his own son had died in a foreign land for so long and turned into ashes, but he still didn't know it.

Wu Pingtao had long since given up hope in him.

He finally saw clearly that the Wu family was just Old Man Wu who was being self-indulgent and was still struggling with his breath.

Others just want to rest on his laurels.

Even among his cousins ​​of the same generation, none of them really made an effort.

Grandpa, how could someone who was once so smart not understand?

"Grandpa, he promised you that he would come back. He may be busy with work recently."

Wu Pingtao was thinking, what would happen if he took out his brother's death notice at this moment?

If he really died because of this, would the Wu family members, who always thought that Grandpa would always be their support, blame him for killing Grandpa?

"Xiao Tao, your brother wasn't as smart as you when he was young. In the future, if grandpa is gone, you must take better care of him.

You are brothers after all, even if your bones are broken, your tendons are still connected, cough cough cough..."

Wu Pingtao picked up a cup of warm water and handed it to the old man:

"Grandpa, drink some water and speak slowly. I'm listening."

He really wanted to hear what his grandfather would say to him?

Will he regret his past sheltering and connivance?

"Xiao Tao, your brother's stay in Meihua County is not a long-term solution. The environment there is too harsh. If there is a chance, help him transfer to the city or the province.

It would be even better if we could return to the capital."

Wu Pingtao felt bitter. Was the environment there hard? It was too hard!

It turns out that grandpa understands it in his heart?

But I went there to work in the countryside for ten years, why did you do nothing about it?

Wu Pingyan went to Meihua County to be the county magistrate and a cadre. How hard could this be for him?

When he first joined the team, he was just a 17-year-old young man who was brought up in the city.

With his frail body, he went to pay public grain with the hunters and farmers in the mountains. He carried 50 kilograms of grain and had to climb over several hills to reach the town.

There were dozens of us when we set out together, but in the end, I was the only one left on the winding mountain road.

He was so limp that he looked like he had been fished out of the water. If another educated youth who had joined the team earlier than him had not come back to pick him up, there is really no telling what the outcome would have been.