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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 080: Supernatural Growth (Part Six)
Chi Xinrong was indeed referring to Uncle Chi Ruiqiang.
Chi Zhi Ping had passed away, the cause being a sudden release of a large amount of catecholamines from his adrenal glands, which caused his heart rate to spike, blood pressure to rise, and a drastic increase in the oxygen consumption of his heart muscle. The rapid circulation of blood surged like a flood against his heart, leading to the tearing of myocardial fibers and resulting in cardiac bleeding, ultimately causing his heart to stop and leading to death.
The doctors determined that such a situation only occurs when a person is in a state of extreme terror.
Moreover, after obtaining Chi Xinrong's consent, the hospital performed an autopsy on Chi Zhi Ping's abdomen and discovered numerous rose-red blood spots mixed within his heart muscle. This further confirmed that he had died from some sudden fright.
Chi Xinrong shared all this with me, and I understood that she did not see me as an outsider.
Knowing the truth but unable to speak it openly, I quietly observed the deceased's appearance and asked softly, "How did Chi Zhi Ping die? Why does he look like this?"
My response was, "Let's focus on our responsibilities. Unless the family requests it, it's best to Mind Your Own Business." There are times when intervention is necessary based on moral principles, such as in the case of The Woman Who Hanged Herself.
However, the circumstances surrounding Chi Zhi Ping's death were too complex. He died from some unknown fright, and even Chi Xinrong was unaware. Since she did not request an investigation, there was no need for me to delve deeper; discovering more might not yield good results.
Chi Zhi Ping's death was indeed sudden. When I received Chi Xinrong's call, I couldn't believe that Chi Zhi Ping was truly dead. After we saw him at the cemetery, he had been hospitalized without returning home, fluctuating between better and worse until his death.
His passing might bring good fortune to Chi Xinrong. At the funeral held at the mortuary, I saw her Uncle Chi Ruiqiang.
Ghost Month was approaching; Chi Zhi Ping had died at an inopportune time. We could only conduct a series of symbolic beauty rituals at the mortuary—mourning and farewell ceremonies before the body was prepared for burial—before finally sealing the coffin and proceeding to the cremation site.
The various rituals were overseen by the funeral director appointed by the mortuary. For now, I stood aside, acting as a friend to Chi Xinrong to express my condolences for Chi Zhi Ping.
I would take care of everything once this part was completed and we headed to the cemetery for burial.
A young man stood beside Chi Ruiqiang.
I heard that Chi Xinrong is the daughter of Chi Ruiqiang, and Chiang is his son.
I stood close to Chi Xinrong, and it seemed that Chi Ruiqiang's purpose for coming here was to express something to this only niece of his. He kept glancing at me and then at her. I returned his gaze openly, without any hint of hesitation, but he avoided my eyes and spoke softly to Chiang beside him.
We couldn't hear what they were saying, but I was taken aback by Chiang's appearance. Not only did his Yintang appear dark and blue, but his eyebrows were also too low, which according to my grandfather's facial analysis notes indicated a person with a gloomy and extreme personality, prone to taking drastic actions and facing many hardships in life, making it difficult for them to achieve great success.
As I observed Chiang, Chi Xinrong noticed and quietly asked, "Does he have any problems?"
"Your father went to jail for money; what good could come from that?"
"My uncle is being very generous today, inviting me to move into his house, and Aunt Er is hoping I will go."
"Are you going?" In fact, it would be quite good for Chi Xinrong to go; at least her life would change, no longer being the poor girl running around looking for work.
"Do you think it's better if I go or if I don't?"
Chi Xinrong unreservedly handed the decision over to me. What was she implying? I stopped looking at Chiang and instead focused on the moving corpse cart. I whispered softly, "Goodbye; this is the last few moments your father has left in this world."
Chi Xinrong bit her lip, her eyes reddening as she swallowed her tears. I knew she was suffering deeply inside; it was just that this kind of pain couldn't be shared with outsiders. I felt sympathy for her but couldn't help her, only offering silent comfort through my gaze.
Chi Xinrong avoided my eyes as she signed on the thin paper handed to her by the crematorium staff. Looking at the body slowly being pushed into the furnace, she finally couldn't hold back any longer and cried out in anguish, "Dad... Daddy..."
I was right beside Chi Xinrong; seeing her like this compelled me to reach out and support her.
Today, I wore an outfit that had been carefully prepared: a gray checkered summer shirt paired with deep brown tailored trousers. The whole look made me appear particularly spirited. Coupled with my good looks, many people genuinely thought I was Chi Xinrong's boyfriend.
Yet Chi Ruiqiang kept casting scrutinizing glances in my direction.
The body needed to wait for a while before cremation, so I supported Chi Xinrong as we headed to the lounge. Chi Ruiqiang and his son followed us in, while the others went to the open square to look at the fish in the pond and admire the flowers.
"Hello, I'm Rongrong's uncle. Who are you?"
"Hello, Uncle. I'm a friend of Chi Xinrong," I replied, looking directly at Chi Ruiqiang without considering Chi Xinrong's expression.
"Oh, just a friend, or more than that?" Chi Ruiqiang seemed quite interested and pressed on with his questions.
"What’s it to you?" I noticed that Chi Xinrong was particularly concerned about this question. After her uncle asked it, she looked at me seriously, her gaze filled with warmth and softness.
I smiled and shrugged. "Sorry, we're just friends." As soon as I said this, Chi Xinrong released my hand. Chi Ruiqiang paused for a moment, then nodded without asking further questions and sat down on a nearby stool.
Chiang shot a meaningful glance at Chi Xinrong and smirked. "Sister, I have a buddy who's very wealthy. Want to go after him?"
Chi Xinrong snapped back sharply, "Shut up." Then she turned to me and said, "The air here is bad; I'm going outside. You can come or not." Without waiting for a response, she walked out on her own.
Seeing this, Chiang chuckled and followed her out.
I was about to get up when Chi Ruiqiang gave a wry smile. "That girl has her grandfather's temperament."
"Is her grandfather still around?"
"Yes, but he's in Kunming for the summer."
Rich people really have it good; they can even escape the heat like emperors. I cursed inwardly but said out loud, "That's great."
Even though I had made myself clear, Chi Ruiqiang seemed undeterred and continued to ask, "Where does your brother work? What does he do?"
"I'm the Mortician, specializing in serving the dead." As soon as these words were spoken, Chi Ruiqiang's expression changed drastically. He immediately stood up and walked towards the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang that reverberated through the room.
I cursed, "Pah! So what if you're rich? I'm not here to cater to your whims or take your nonsense. What goes around comes around; playing with fire and getting burned isn't fun at all."
Just as Chi Ruiqiang left, Chi Xinrong walked in.
Following her were two elderly people, both over seventy. She introduced them to me, saying, "These are my grandparents from the countryside." This elderly couple had adopted Chi Zhi Ping, and his passing was also a sorrowful event for them.
Hearing that Chi Xinrong's grandparents had no children and treated Chi Zhi Ping as their own flesh and blood made me think about how ungrateful he was. Growing up, he ran off and ended up like this; he wouldn't have a good end.
I respectfully addressed the elderly couple along with Chi Xinrong, saying, "Grandpa, Grandma." They might have misunderstood my intent, as they smiled at me warmly and nodded repeatedly.
After seeing the elderly couple off, Chi Xinrong took out a card and said to me, "Brother Qi, I want to give this money to them."
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