Zhang Haitao personally arrived at the airport to pick them up.
"Master Zhang, you look healthy," Zhu Yanyi greeted with a smile.
Zhang Haitao smiled back. "This is a good place. The air is fresh. Ordinary people feel better after living here for a long time. So my good complexion is normal." He greeted Zhu Xinfu and the others, then nodded to Yan Aohan. "How is Haifeng doing in the capital?"
"He is doing well," Yan Aohan nodded slightly. "He has been training here for a while. Haifeng is better than ever."
Zhang Haitao hummed. "I don't worry about his career. I just worry that he is so old but still hasn't settled down."
Yan Aohan replied, "Haifeng visited me a few days ago. He mentioned you. He said he doesn't worry about your career either. He just worries that if you don't marry, your family line will end."
Zhang Haitao was speechless. It seemed he worried about his brother, and his brother worried about him too.
Zhu Yanyi laughed from the side. "It’s interesting. You really should find girlfriends. If you don’t hurry, you’ll get old and ugly."
"'Old and ugly' isn't used that way," Huang Meiying laughed.
"It doesn't matter. The meaning is clear," Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly.
The drive from Yong City to Sicheng Town took two hours. Fortunately, there were few cars on the road, so there was no traffic jam.
"I haven't been back for years. Yong City has changed a lot," Zhu Yanyi said, looking out the window with some emotion.
"It changes every day. With the benefits of reform and opening up, and Yong City's unique location, such changes are inevitable," Yan Aohan said, unsurprised by the changes.
Everything changes with time. Society moves forward. No matter what others say, this will never change.
After arriving in Sicheng Town, they did not go directly to Zhu Guifu’s house. They returned to their own homes first to tidy up. Then, Zhu Xinfu and Huang Meiying, accompanied by Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi, went to Zhu Guifu’s house with Zhu Shunyao and his wife.
The mourning hall was set up in Zhu Guifu’s own home. Gan Juhua felt numb. She never expected her husband would die from a car accident while going to the market. She didn't know how to live the rest of her days.
Zhu Jinguai and Zhu Yinguai, along with their families, had also arrived.
However, due to old-fashioned views, even though they had two daughters, they did not believe daughters could inherit everything. They thought daughters belonged to other families. A married daughter is like spilled water.
After presenting the funeral gifts, Zhu Xinfu lit three incense sticks. "Fourth Brother, since you are dead, there is nothing more to say. When you were alive, to be honest, I didn't like you. Although we had the same parents, we became strangers who knew each other well.
You never treated my son well when you were alive. To be honest, that made me angry. But when a person dies, the lamp goes out. Some things, even if I wanted to settle scores with you, I couldn't. Since it is like this, let it be. So you died, and that’s it. If I want to settle scores, I will wait until I die, and we will talk about it in the Underworld."
After Zhu Xinfu finished speaking, he finished burning the incense. Life is unpredictable. Life and death are separated by a thin line. Zhu Xinfu’s words were just a sigh of emotion.
After Zhu Xinfu, Huang Meiying, Zhu Shunyao, Xie Xinlian, Yan Aohan, and Zhu Yanyi lit their incense.
When they finished, Zhu Leiyao, who was helping, came over and invited them to rest in a temporary area set up nearby.
After sitting down, Zhu Xinfu asked Zhu Leiyao, "Did you catch the person who hit him?"
Zhu Leiyao nodded slightly. "He was an outsider delivering goods. He hadn't slept all night and was exhausted. The steering wheel slipped, causing the accident." Zhu Leiyao sighed. "Uncle Guifu died on the spot. There is nothing more to say. Now, we need to deal with compensation."
According to current traffic laws, killing someone only requires paying money. Unlike later times, traffic laws were not very strict. In this era, money was everything.
"What does the driver say about this?" Zhu Xinfu asked.
Zhu Leiyao said, "The driver did not shirk responsibility. He is willing to compensate, but he only offered twenty thousand. You know, although twenty thousand is not a small amount, it is a human life. Our opinion is at least fifty to eighty thousand." Zhu Leiyao was decisive. He was handling most of the matters now. "Currently, we are at a stalemate. But the body cannot remain unburied and uncremated forever. So the matter is stuck here."
Zhu Leiyao looked outside to ensure no one was paying attention, then said, "Jinguai and Yinguai brought their families over. They mostly want to persuade Aunt Juhua to accept twenty thousand. But I cannot make the decision."
Zhu Xinfu thought for a moment. "Ask Gan Juhua to come here later. I want to ask her. I need to know her thoughts."
Zhu Xinfu was a retired cadre and still had some ability. Besides, Zhu Shunyao was the president of the Azure Sovereign Group, so handling this matter was simple.
Ten minutes later, Zhu Jinguai accompanied Gan Juhua over.
"Third Brother," Gan Juhua cried upon seeing Zhu Xinfu. "Third Brother, my husband died unjustly. He was so old, yet died in such a tragic way. He was hit, kicked his legs up, and was gone. He left me, a lonely old woman. How will I live?"
"If crying helps, go outside and cry until you are done, then come back," Zhu Xinfu said, looking at Gan Juhua. He was angry but didn't know how to express it.
Hearing this, Gan Juhua’s crying stopped abruptly. She had planned to cry sadly to continue her plan, but Zhu Xinfu didn't listen to her crying.
Seeing that Gan Juhua stopped crying, Zhu Xinfu said, "Now I only ask about compensation. Do you want more money, or is the driver’s twenty thousand enough? What is your bottom line?"
Gan Juhua said directly, "Human life is priceless. My husband is gone. I have no support. Twenty thousand is not enough. At least two hundred thousand."
"Then go negotiate yourself," Zhu Xinfu sneered. "You are really trying to extort him. The driver is not irresponsible. Two hundred thousand is impossible. Fifty to sixty thousand is possible."
Gan Juhua said, "Third Brother, I will be a lonely old widow. I will live alone. How can I live on fifty or sixty thousand?"