Theyâre all grown men now, yet when theyâre heartbroken, they cry like women, snotty and tearful, hardly the handsome and bright young men they usually are.
The funeral rites lasted for three days, and during these three days, the Ruan Familyâs place was bustling with people.
On the fourth day, when Ruan Jiaojiao had to be buried, Shu Jiao refused vehemently, crying so forcefully in front of the coffin that it seemed she would shed tears of blood.
No matter who tried to console her, it was to no avail.
Everyone around was shedding tears, sighing inwardly at the tragedy, thinking of the grief parents feel when sending off their child.
Just as everyone was crying heavily, a master with an ethereal aura suddenly walked in from outside.
He circled the coffin before finally saying, "Her fate is not meant to end, her fate is not meant to end."
What followed was like a theatrical performance; the master proclaimed that Ruan Jiaojiao wasnât dead and even said she would be blessed person in the future, urging the Ruan Family to quickly remove the coffin, insisting it must be burned immediately to avoid bad luck.
Initially, the Ruan Family didnât believe him, but then they saw the master touch Ruan Jiaojiaoâs forehead and neck inside the coffin, after which Shu Jiao jumped up, joyfully hugging Ruan Jiaojiao, calling her dear daughter.
Whether she was truly dead or not, the onlookers didnât know, as it was impossible for anyone to really step forward and verify.
But this wasnât the first time such things had happened; there had been cases where people were already buried but called out from their coffins saying they werenât dead, let alone when she hadnât been buried yet.
Everyone held skeptical views regarding such events, but for the Ruan Family, it was like a glimmer of dawn after a bolt from the blue, bringing them boundless hope.
By the fifth day of Ruan Jiaojiaoâs death, Xiu Xi and Xiaobai hadnât returned yet, and Ruan Jiaojiao had to be placed in an ice coffin. Ruan Hao had already returned to the country and was currently on the train, while Ruan Jie stayed closely by their parentsâ side.
He was also grieving and upset, losing seven or eight pounds in just a few days.
His jaw could practically stab someone now; watching Shu Jiao use ice water to wipe Ruan Jiaojiaoâs body throughout the day as if she were still alive but merely asleep, he felt intense heartache but he didnât want to see Shu Jiao this way and finally couldnât hold back anymore.
As Shu Jiao came out of Ruan Jiaojiaoâs room holding a basin, he suddenly kneeled before her.
"Mom, please let sister go peacefully. Your actions... how can she rest in peace?"
To the unaware Ruan Family, Shu Jiaoâs erratic behavior was undoubted evidence of her devastation, driving her to madness.
Though others dared not intervene, Ruan Jie, as Shu Jiaoâs biological son, couldnât stand by and watch her continue like this.
Ruan Jiaojiao was gone, and they couldnât bear to see Shu Jiao also break down.
With Xiu Xi not yet back and Ruan Jiaojiaoâs body hard to preserve, Shu Jiao was worried sick; seeing her son suddenly kneeling before her, she glanced around at her nephews who regarded her with eyes of pity, as if saying "Poor aunt, she has gone mad."
She realized she could no longer keep it under wraps.
Zhao Li happened to still be downstairs, so she called out to Zhao Li and then pointed at the eight young men saying, "You all, follow me to your grandmotherâs room."
The young men exchanged looks of confusion.
The Ruanlin Family hadnât shown up for several days, and Ruan Jianguo forbid them from visiting. Once, Ruan Chi snuck a glance only to see her holding a blanket, whispering an endearment.
From then on, the eight brothers were convinced that the Ruanlin Family had also gone mad.