Chapter 1541
Farewell
"Godfather, I have fifteen days left to live."
After Shi Tou finished speaking, Yang Jun froze on the spot, staring blankly at him.
To be honest, Yang Jun felt very saddened to hear this. Although Shi Tou was just his godson, they had developed an unbreakable bond over the years. In addition, there was another major reason: Shi Tou was the only person in the world who had a spiritual connection with him. They were from another parallel world, sharing a common language, cognition, and lifestyle. They were the only ones who belonged to the same kind of people.
The impending departure of Shi Tou dealt a heavy blow to Yang Jun. Once Shi Tou left this world, there would be no one left to walk with him, and the road ahead would inevitably be lonely.
"Hey!"
Yang Jun let out a long sigh.
He didn't know what to say, so he could only sit there silently.
After a long pause, Yang Jun finally spoke: "You came here today just to say goodbye?"
He knew that his words were meaningless. What else could Shi Tou be saying if not saying goodbye? It couldn't be just a casual visit, could it? If it were him, he would definitely spend the little time he had left with his family.
"Yes……"
Stone spoke haltingly, pausing slightly before continuing, "Besides saying goodbye, I also wanted to ask Godfather if there's anything I can do..."
Upon hearing this, Yang Jun looked at him in shock.
"What...what can I do?"
"If you were sick or something, I could help you, but... but you're a transmigrator. The system tells you when to die, and that's not something I can control."
Upon hearing this, Shi Tou gave a wry smile.
"Look at me, I'm grasping at straws in my desperation. Yes... how can my godfather control matters like the system?"
"It's my fault, don't blame me."
He was able to come into this world entirely because of the system, and now he is leaving because of the system. To him, the system is like the King of Hell; when the King of Hell decides when you die, you die, and no one can control that.
Although Yang Jun was also a transmigrator, he was still a mortal and powerless to change matters of life and death.
"Stone, just let me know if there's anything else you need me to do, and your godfather will take care of it for you." Yang Jun patted him on the shoulder.
"I……"
Stone hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"I have nothing else to do. If there is anything, please ask my godfather to take care of my family. I would be extremely grateful."
Stone also has his own family in this world. His wife gave birth to three children, all of whom are now married and have their own children. If you count carefully, Stone has a family of dozens of people in this world, which is quite an achievement. Currently, his children are either in politics or business, and each of them is a leader in their respective fields. He has nothing to worry about regarding his children.
Even if he hadn't said it, Yang Jun would have helped him take care of his family. However, he was too attached to his family, so he solemnly entrusted this matter to Yang Jun.
"These are things I should do as your godfather, needless to say." Yang Jun paused slightly before continuing, "Is there anything else I can do?"
"That's all." Stone shook his head and smiled.
His family was the only proof that he had ever been in this world, so he cherished them all the more.
"Godfather, I'm entrusting everything to you."
After saying that, Shi Tou stood up and bowed to Yang Jun.
Yang Jun sat there calmly and accepted the bow without any hesitation, just so that Shi Tou could leave with peace of mind.
"Hey."
After Shi Tou straightened up, Yang Jun also stood up. Looking at the person who was about to leave, his heart was filled with unease.
"Spend more time with your family while you still have some time."
"Understood, Godfather."
Stone's smile was somewhat stiff; it was clear he was forcing a smile, and deep down he was also very attached to this world.
“I’ll say goodbye to my relatives and friends these next few days, and then I’ll spend the rest of my time with my family. I won’t be coming to say goodbye to my godparents then.”
"You don't need to come over again."
Hearing this, Yang Jun's eyes reddened, and he choked up, saying, "Shitou, you know, you're the only person in this world I can talk to, and only in front of you can I not keep any secrets and say whatever I want, but..."
"Now that you're gone, I'm all alone. Do you know how your godfather feels?"
“Godfather, I understand.” Stone smiled and said, “I’m just like you, I have secrets in my heart, and only in front of you can I not hide them.”
"I wonder if I'll ever return to my original world after leaving. I want to go back to my original world and see if my parents are doing well."
The thought that forty or fifty years have passed and his parents in that world are probably gone makes him feel sad.
“I will definitely go back. When I get back, I will find that it was all a dream. When I wake up, my parents will still be alive and well. I will definitely go back.” Yang Jun patted his shoulder heavily.
"I hope this is just a dream," Stone said with a wry smile.
As he said this, he secretly pinched himself and could clearly feel the pain. He knew this was not a dream, but a real time travel. However, he still held onto a sliver of hope, just as Yang Jun had said, that this was just a dream, and that when he woke up, everything would continue and his parents would still be alive and well. That was the most ideal existence.
Yang Jun pinched himself secretly and felt the pain in his body, realizing that this was not a dream.
Today it's a stone that's leaving, maybe tomorrow it will be me. I hope the system will give me a heads-up when I leave this world, allowing me time to say goodbye to this world and my loved ones. But... after two rounds of tribulations, he's become younger and stronger, showing no sign of leaving. If nothing unexpected happens, he might live on forever.
Death is not scary; what's scary is not being able to die. Immortality like his is the real curse. Watching loved ones and friends leave one by one, familiar people and things leaving one by one, leaving only oneself to live alone in this world—that's the hardest thing to endure.
Now that Stone is about to leave, the world will become even more lonely, and he doesn't know how he will face this cold world in the future.
After seeing Shi Tou off, Yang Jun was unable to calm down for a long time. He lay there silently for a long time, smoking one cigarette after another, but even so, he could not relieve the unease in his heart.
After an unknown amount of time, it gradually got dark.
At this moment, Meng Wenya came over to call him for dinner.
"Old Yang, Cheng Dong is back. You can talk to him later."
"Ah."
Yang Jun responded and went to the restaurant with a livid face.
There are fewer and fewer people eating at home now. The children have all grown up and have their own families. They don't usually come here to eat, only during holidays and major family festivals. Now it's just Yang Jun, a few women, and a few young children eating here.
Fewer people were eating, so the number of tables was reduced from three to one, with more than a dozen people crammed into one table to eat.
"Eat up," Yang Jun instructed, and only then did everyone pick up their chopsticks.
After shoveling a few mouthfuls of rice, Yang Jun said without looking up, "I do not agree to this marriage. Let's call it quits."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in confusion. Only Yi Qiushui, Meng Wenya, and Yang Chengdong knew what was going on.
Meng Wenya and Yi Qiushui turned to look at Yang Chengdong.
Yang Chengdong stood there, his mouth wide open, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but dared not, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Clearly, he still hoped his father would agree to his marriage with Xiaowei, but he dared not speak up because of his father's authority.
"I won't beat around the bush with you, I'll get straight to the point."
Seeing that his son remained silent, Yang Jun continued, "Our Yang family is not the kind of old-fashioned, feudal family, nor do we necessarily have to be well-matched in social status. I can accept the mediocrity of the woman's family, even if her parents are farmers or shovelers, it doesn't matter. But I absolutely cannot accept the woman having any blemishes on her character."
Yang Jun didn't give his son a chance to explain, directly extinguishing all his hopes.
"dad!"
Yang Chengdong called out, intending to explain a few words for Xiao Wei, but when he saw Yang Jun's murderous gaze, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.
To be honest, he really liked Xiao Wei, the kind of liking that came from the bottom of his heart. Xiao Wei was good in every way, except... she was a bit fickle, to put it bluntly, she was a materialistic woman with a strong desire for power. She would be with whoever was stronger. If it weren't for Yang Chengdong's family background, how could she, with her stunning beauty, possibly be interested in the plain-looking Yang Chengdong?
Yang Chengdong understood that Xiaowei was attracted to his family background, not him as a person, but he couldn't help but be attracted to Xiaowei's stunning beauty, so he was willing to accept the stain on her character.
"Got it, Dad."
Yang Chengdong hesitated for a moment, but finally seemed to have made up his mind.
"I'll cut ties with her immediately and never have anything to do with her again."
Upon hearing this, Yi Qiushui and Meng Wenya breathed a sigh of relief. Meng Wenya, in particular, felt much more at ease when she heard that her son had taken the initiative to break off his relationship with that woman. As a mother, who wouldn't want their son to marry a wife with outstanding character and appearance?
“Cheng Dong, your dad wouldn’t hurt you. He has the best eye for people. If your dad says that girl isn’t good, then she isn’t good. Anyway, your dad wouldn’t hurt you.” Meng Wenya said.
"I understand, Mom. I'll break off all ties with him right away," said Yang Chengdong.
"I hope you will keep your word."
Yang Jun interrupted him, saying, "An honest man doesn't do things in secret. To completely dispel your illusions about her, I'll have her transferred to a very far place tomorrow. If you dare to contact her privately..."
At this point, Yang Jun put down his chopsticks, stared intently at Yang Chengdong, and said, "I will make her disappear from this world forever."
Upon hearing this, Yang Chengdong trembled involuntarily. He knew his father's character and methods very well. He was the kind of person who meant what he said and was ruthless. If he dared to contact Xiaowei again, his father would really make her disappear.
“Cheng Dong, listen to your father. For your own sake and for Xiao Wei’s sake, stop contacting her. Otherwise, you will be the one who kills her with your own hands,” Yi Qiushui said earnestly.
Yang Chengdong's body trembled slightly again, and he involuntarily replied, "I understand, Auntie."
He knew in his heart that Yi Qiushui was right. If he dared to contact Xiao Wei again, he would probably be the one who killed her.
Seeing that her son promised to stop seeing that woman, Meng Wenya, as his biological mother, breathed a sigh of relief, and the weight on her chest was finally lifted.
“Cheng Dong, there are plenty of good women in this world. There’s no need to hang yourself on one tree. Your aunt and I will find you a few daughters from prestigious families, and you can choose whichever you like.” Meng Wenya said.
"Okay, Mom."
Yang Chengdong disliked this kind of blind date arrangement, but he had no choice but to agree at this point.
"Alright, it's rare for the whole family to get together for a meal, let's stop talking about this and focus on our food," Yi Qiushui quickly said, trying to smooth things over.
"Yes, yes, let's eat. The braised sea cucumber with scallions is really good today. Eat more."
Afterwards, everyone seemed to have forgotten what had just happened and started chatting about everyday things.
"By the way, Lao Yang, Chengzhi is about to give birth. As her father, you should take some time to visit your daughter," Huang Yani said.
"Don't go."
Yang Jun refused without even thinking.
"You...you can go or not, it's up to you." Huang Yani said unhappily, "If you keep going like this, our daughter won't be close to you anymore."
"Love but not love."
With so many children in the family, one is getting married or another is having a baby. There are endless worries every day of the year. If he goes to visit Yang Chengzhi to give birth today, he will probably have to go to help take care of their child tomorrow. Rather than that, it's better not to go anywhere. After all, their mother will take care of the children's affairs.
What he needs to do is be a hands-off manager.
“You don’t have to see the child, but as the father, you need to keep the child’s affairs in mind, understand?” Yi Qiushui rolled her eyes at him.
"I've always kept it in my heart," said Yang Jun.
"You keep it in mind?" Yi Qiushui rolled her eyes at him and said, "Then let me ask you, how many children has Chengzhi given birth to?"
Yang Jun paused for a moment after hearing this, then asked tentatively:
"Second child?"
"This is the third child, not the second."
Yang Jun's words were met with eye rolls from the women.
“I didn’t say anything wrong. She had a second child, but she hasn’t had a third yet,” Yang Jun argued.
Actually, he just wanted to prove that he was a good father and that he always kept his children's affairs in mind.
"Still trying to deny it?"
Yi Qiushui glared at him and said, "Then let me ask you, how many children does Cheng Cai have?"
"This……"
Yang Jun was speechless. To be honest, he really didn't know how many children Cheng Cai had.
With so many children in the family, it's always one child giving birth or another having a second child. It's like he's either giving birth or on his way to giving birth 365 days a year. He can't even remember who is whose child or how many children each person has. All he knows is that he has over thirty grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
To be honest, he really couldn't remember so many children.
The only thing he could remember was Yang Chengdao's child.
Because Yang Chengdao is his eldest son, the family's hopes rest entirely on him. Therefore, he pays more attention to Chengdao than to his other sons. Currently, Yang Chengdao is performing exceptionally well in all aspects, not only in his career but also in expanding the Yang family line. To date, he has fathered five children—three sons and two daughters—making the family quite prosperous. (End of Chapter)