Chapter 39 Extra 2: The End…

Chapter 39: Extra 2: The End...

Lu Yingxiao didn't know that Gao Yan and Youhe were preparing a surprise for her. Her mind was consumed by thoughts about the system, trying to figure out who it really was.

Payday arrived. Lu Yingxiao took the day off, caught a taxi, and went to a shop specializing in incense, candles, and joss paper, intending to use her entire salary to buy spirit money. Whether by coincidence or due to some invisible hand manipulating things behind the scenes, the process wasn't smooth. Out of nowhere, her phone suddenly lost signal, making it impossible to pay the vendor.

She went directly to a nearby bank to withdraw cash.

However, that didn't go smoothly either—the ATM was broken.

She went to the counter, but that process wasn't smooth either.

Fortunately, it was a bank after all; machines couldn't be down all day. Lu Yingxiao eventually managed to withdraw the money.

With the cash in hand, she returned to the shop and successfully bought the spirit money.

Previously, Lu Yingxiao had always burned spirit money at her mother's gravesite. In this world, there was no grave for her mother, and she wasn't allowed to burn paper money anywhere in the city. So, she took it to the nearest public cemetery.

The cemetery had designated burning areas.

As she prepared to light it with a lighter, the lighter just stopped working; no matter how she tried, it just wouldn't light.

The cemetery caretaker was a friendly old man. He happened to be patrolling nearby and saw Lu Yingxiao struggling. He fished in his trouser pocket and kindly offered his own lighter.

Lu Yingxiao thanked him and tried to use it.

Unsurprisingly, it still wouldn't light.

The old man was incredulous. He took the lighter back. "I just bought this yesterday, and I lent it to someone for a cigarette earlier. It can't be broken."

He pressed the button hard, and a small blue flame sprang to life.

"See, it works. Try it again."

Lu Yingxiao took it back and tried. No matter how she pressed, it wouldn't ignite in her hand.

The old man's frown deepened with each failure, and his eyes scrutinized her sharply. He found it downright strange. The lighter was fine in his hand, yet refused to work in hers, and she was here to burn paper for the deceased. This could only mean the deceased wasn't accepting her offering.

But why not?

It must be a lack of filial piety!

Lu Yingxiao glanced at him, probably guessing his thoughts. She didn't explain, only asked, "Sir, do you have a daughter?"

The question seemed random, but he answered, "Yes, about your age. But she is very filial to me."

He said the last sentence while looking at her, his meaning clear.

Lu Yingxiao smiled, pretending not to catch his insinuation. "Well, sir, if your daughter gave you two-thirds of her salary every month, while she herself lived frugally, never treating herself to anything nice, focusing solely on work, would you accept that money?"

The old man widened his eyes. "Why would I want so much from my daughter? Young people nowadays have it hard enough. Skimping like that would ruin their health!"

Lu Yingxiao said seriously, "You are a good father who truly thinks for your daughter."

Her mother was the same.

If her mother were alive, she would be just like this old man, refusing the money and instead trying to support her.

This made her even more suspicious the system was likely her mother.

Only a mother would go to such lengths to stop her from spending all her salary on spirit money. Though she didn't know why her mother had become a system, the thought that she was nearby, even unseen and untouchable, filled her heart with joy. Her body felt as if reborn, and her steps became lighter.

She no longer insisted on burning the paper. Leaving the unlit spirit money temporarily with the old man, she took a taxi back to work.

After a busy day, Lu Yingxiao headed home.

Gao Yan didn't go with her, citing a last-minute business trip, and had the driver, Xiao Hu, stay with her.

Lu Yingxiao planned to pick up Gao Youhe from school.

Gao Youhe called, saying the school was organizing an activity and had called a meeting for the class officers. She didn't know when it would end, so she asked Lu Yingxiao to go home first.

Lu Yingxiao didn't think much of it and had the driver return to the villa.

Upon arrival, Butler Zhan hurried over. "Madam, a stray dog got in and dug up three mulberry seedlings in the garden."

Lu Yingxiao felt a pang of anxiety. "Are they damaged?"

Butler Zhan nodded guiltily.

Lu Yingxiao strode towards the garden. "I'll check first. If they can be saved, we'll replant them. If not... Uncle Zhan, quietly go to the flower market and buy more. Also, don't mention this to Youhe." If Youhe knew, she'd be upset.

Butler Zhan agreed.

Lu Yingxiao walked very fast, quickly leaving him behind.

Butler Zhan didn't follow, and Lu Yingxiao didn't notice, focused only on the seedlings she had planted with the Gao siblings.

At the spot, the seedlings were fine.

No soil was trampled.

Lu Yingxiao frowned. She looked up for Butler Zhan, but her gaze caught a newly transplanted pagoda tree nearby. It looked familiar, like the one from the resort.

She walked over, wary and surprised.

Upon closer inspection, it was the same tree.

Back at the resort, she'd noticed a little-finger-thick branch about a meter high. This tree had it too.

Lu Yingxiao instinctively looked for Gao Yan and Youhe.

These two—one on a last-minute trip, the other in a sudden meeting—had clearly fabricated excuses for a surprise.

Sure enough, under her searching gaze, they emerged from behind a row of lush shrubs.

Gao Youhe grinned. "Sister-in-law, do you like this gift?"

Lu Yingxiao looked at Gao Yan gazing at her affectionately, then at Youhe blinking eagerly for an answer. She was stunned, then said with certainty, "I love it!"

Gao Youhe was happier. "I knew you'd like it! I went with Brother to the resort and bought this pagoda tree from that old lady."

Lu Yingxiao asked, "The tree doesn't have to be cut down. The old lady must be very happy?"

Gao Youhe nodded emphatically. "She was overjoyed, repeatedly asking if we really wanted it."

Lu Yingxiao could imagine her happiness. She felt the same.

Stroking the sturdy trunk, feeling the rough bark against her palm, truly feeling the tree was now theirs, Lu Yingxiao blinked her slightly stinging eyes. Turning her back to them, she asked softly, "Her family wanted it cut down mainly because they thought it unlucky. You... aren't worried about the bad luck?"

Gao Youhe said dismissively, "What's the big deal? The old lady's family is superstitious, but we aren't."

Lu Yingxiao didn't say a word.

As if he knew Lu Yingxiao was waiting for his response, he walked over and stood next to her.

Without even looking at her, he also reached out to touch the locust tree's trunk, speaking to Lu Yingxiao in a conversational tone, "Youhe told me you really like locust flower porridge. She said no other food comes close to its taste. Since you like it so much, it's probably not just the flavor of the porridge you love, but the locust flowers themselves, or perhaps the story behind this locust tree."

"That story must be a beautiful memory."

"We're just bringing your memory home. How could we possibly find it unlucky or be superstitious about it?"

Lu Yingxiao's eyes welled up.

A single, crystal tear rolled down her cheek.

Her voice choked with emotion, she said, "Thank you."

Taking a deep breath, as if a river blocked by stones had suddenly cleared, Lu Yingxiao was suddenly eager to share. With a smile, she told Gao Yan and his sister about the beautiful memories this locust tree had once held for her. "When I was little, my family was poor. Thanks to the locust flowers from this tree, my mother and I didn't starve."

Last time, when the old lady gave her the locust flowers, Lu Yingxiao hadn't used them.

This time, she cheerfully asked Gao Yan and his sister, "Should I make locust flower porridge for dinner tonight? Would you like some?"

Gao Youhe exclaimed, "Yes!"

Gao Yan also said, "How do you make locust flower porridge? I'll lend a hand."

The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked back to the villa.

For dinner, besides the locust flower porridge, there were also golden-brown, mouth-watering locust flower pancakes.

Gao Youhe ate with gusto.

She discussed with Lu Yingxiao, "Sister-in-law, when is locust flower season? When they bloom next year, I want to pick every last one. We can eat locust flower porridge and pancakes every day."

Lu Yingxiao replied, "Every year in April and May."

Gao Youhe pouted, "That's forever away. If they bloomed in winter, we could pick them right now."

Lu Yingxiao gave Gao Youhe's head a comforting pat.

She hadn't thought about it before, but now that Gao Youhe mentioned it, she also felt the locust flowers bloomed a bit late.

If they bloomed in this current season, they could pick the flowers together right now, make porridge and pancakes together, and then enjoy the food they made with their own hands.

Gao Yan chimed in from the side, "Good things are worth waiting for."

Lu Yingxiao chewed on these words, then nodded in agreement. "You're right. Good things are worth waiting for. And this kind of hopeful anticipation, while it makes you anxious, brings an uplifting happiness to both heart and mind." It had been a long time since she felt this kind of all-around, uplifting joy. The last time she was this happy was in her childhood when her mother took her away from home, and they lived together, just the two of them.

At that moment, the system's familiar, cold, mechanical voice, absent for so long, suddenly echoed in her mind.

"Task completed. Distributing retirement funds: 99,687,252 yuan."

"Mom—" Lu Yingxiao whispered softly.

The system did not respond, just like when she first arrived in this world, realized she had been deceived, and repeatedly called out to the system, but it remained silent.

Back then, she was furious and frustrated.

Now, she was filled only with the joy and excitement of being reunited with family. "Mom, I will live well, happily every day."

And at this moment, she finally understood. The task the system gave her was never about being some wicked sister-in-law. It was hoping she would stop her busy money-making pace, take a good look at this world, truly experience life, and live happily.

The system still didn't speak, as if the earlier mechanical voice was just her imagination. But Lu Yingxiao knew her mother was right there by her side.

Adjusting her emotions, Lu Yingxiao suggested to Gao Yan and his sister, "To ensure we can taste the most delicious locust flowers next year, let's go fertilize the locust tree in the garden now."

Gao Yan glanced at the window in surprise.

Who would choose to fertilize plants in the middle of the night?

However, it was rare for Lu Yingxiao to be in such high spirits. Gao Yan didn't want to dampen the mood and agreed without hesitation, "Alright, let's go fertilize the locust tree together."

Gao Youhe was also very enthusiastic, pulling Lu Yingxiao outside.

Winter nights were quite cold, and windy.

Lu Yingxiao unceremoniously had Gao Yan walk in front of her and Gao Youhe, letting him block the wind for them.

Gao Youhe even praised Gao Yan, "Brother, your height isn't for nothing. You can shade us from the sun in summer and block the wind for us in winter. It's so practical."

Gao Yan matched his pace to the steps of the two behind him, walking steadily forward. "As long as you find it useful."

The three of them laughed and chatted, walking farther and farther away.

The wind was strong, but each of their hearts was warm.

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Author's Note: Throwing confetti! The story is complete. Happy New Year to all my dear readers!