Realm of the Night God

Chapter 104: Children Never Grow Up

2 апреля

In the evening, dining at Third Uncle's house was a gathering not only of our own elders but also many cousins who worked away from home. With the Lunar New Year approaching, they naturally rushed back from out of town.

Of course, not all the young people working elsewhere had made it back. Some were still on their way due to various reasons, and some hadn't done well outside in recent years, choosing not to come home for the New Year.

Overall, the atmosphere at the dinner in Third Uncle's house was lively. However, the festivity was overshadowed by a palpable sense of gloom and a profound sadness of losing loved ones.

After dinner, Yang Haoran didn't leave immediately. His gaze lingered on the coffin of his second uncle, lost in thought.

It wasn't until close to midnight that Yang Haoran finally relaxed, realizing he had been overthinking. Then he left Third Uncle's house and returned home.

The reason he didn't leave right after dinner wasn't because he enjoyed the somber atmosphere but rather because he felt somewhat worried. What exactly was troubling him, he couldn't quite put into words.

But as midnight approached, the coffin of his second uncle remained peacefully in place, with Master Zhou sitting cross-legged in front of it, still reciting scriptures. Everything seemed normal, which reassured him that he had indeed been overthinking.

He had returned home with his parents. When his parents saw the imposing off-road vehicle, they were both stunned.

Upon learning that the car belonged to their beloved son, Father Yang's stern face broke into a smile, his gaze filled with pride.

Mother Yang, on the other hand, showered praises on her son's accomplishments. Over the years, he had made a name for himself outside, and she repeatedly reminded Yang Haoran to drive this car to his blind date tomorrow. According to Mother Yang, if the girl's family saw this impressive vehicle, the chances of a successful match would greatly increase.

Yang Haoran simply smiled in response, not saying much.

It wasn't that Mother Yang was materialistic; it was just the harsh reality. If you were just a penniless bum idling away your days, why would the other side entrust their daughter to you? Not to mention whether the girl herself was willing, but the elders on her side would almost certainly object.

Going to a blind date dressed shabbily and barefoot versus going in a decent outfit and a car would yield vastly different results. At least the latter would leave a much better impression on the girl's family.

Back home, after taking out the Death God statue he had brought back, precisely at midnight, Yang Haoran performed the ritual under the surprised gazes of his parents, then casually explained a few words to them before hitting the hay, using tomorrow's blind date as an excuse.

He had thought about slipping out quietly to see if there were any undead near Yangjia Bay in need of guidance. However, he refrained from doing so to avoid worrying his parents.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Yang Haoran got up early, intending to prepare breakfast for his parents. Since he couldn't usually be with his parents, now that he was back, he naturally wanted to share their burdens as much as possible.

What he didn't expect was that when he arrived in the kitchen, he found his mother already bustling about, cooking and preparing pig feed at the same time.

Doing so many tasks alone, Mother Yang wasn't flustered at all; instead, she was proficient, having done this for so long that it had become second nature.

Noticing Yang Haoran, Mother Yang glanced at him and said, "Go wake your father up for breakfast."

As Yang Haoran headed towards the stove, he replied, "It's still early. Why have breakfast so soon?"

He added some dry firewood to the two stoves, one for human food and the other for pig feed.

"Early? We have a lot to do today. Your father and I need to help at Third Uncle's house. If we don't have breakfast early, we won't have time later. And you have a blind date. Showing up early shows sincerity. If you go too late, people might think you're just there for lunch, which would be embarrassing for our family." Mother Yang continued speaking while not stopping her actions.

Yang Haoran smiled and didn't say much. He just kept adding firewood to the stoves.

"Silly boy, the food will be ready soon. Why are you adding so much firewood? Stop meddling and go wake your father up. It's late already!" Mother Yang scolded, though her hands didn't stop working.

Yang Haoran didn't dare to disobey his mother's words. After acknowledging, he went to wake his father. A moment later, he returned to the kitchen. He had intended to help his mother more, but before he could speak, Mother Yang spoke up first.

"Don't just stand there. Go freshen up. Honestly, you're so grown up, yet you never plan anything. I have to teach you everything. I wonder when you'll ever grow up."

In the eyes of parents, their children, regardless of their success or age, always remain as forever children. This sentiment was now fully embodied in Mother Yang.

Yang Haoran could only smile wryly and comply, going to freshen up as his mother urged.

By the time he finished, the food was already on the table: steaming rice porridge, a plate of pickled vegetables, a plate of sausages, and a plate of cured meat.

Meanwhile, Mother Yang was carrying a bucket of pig feed to feed the pigs. In her eyes, whether the pigs ate well was far more important than whether people did.

Yang Haoran observed everything his mother did, not finding it strange at all. Since as far back as he could remember, his mother had always been like this, with her attitude and routines unchanged over the years.

The only change was in her once youthful and radiant face, now dimmed and wrinkled, with gray hairs gradually overtaking the once jet-black ones.

She had aged, aged a lot.

Yang Haoran felt uneasy. Despite his efforts over the years, he hadn't achieved much in his career or contributed much to the family. On the contrary, his parents had sacrificed too much for the family. Even now, at their age, they were still toiling for the family. As the only son in the family, he naturally felt guilty.

"After the New Year, I'll buy a house. I'll bring my parents over to live in comfort and put an end to all this."

He had made this decision before coming back home. If it weren't for the tight schedule, he would have preferred to finalize this matter before the New Year and bring his parents into the city to celebrate. He truly didn't want to see his parents continue toiling for the family. This responsibility should have fallen on him long ago, but due to his incompetence, he had delayed it until now.

After performing the ritual for the Death God, the family of three had breakfast together. Mother Yang kept chattering, Father Yang occasionally chiming in. Yang Haoran didn't say much; he simply nodded and smiled in response to whatever his parents said, regardless of whether it was good or bad, right or wrong.

After breakfast, as the sunlight dispersed some of the darkness, though the day hadn't fully dawned yet, Mother Yang had already locked the door and sent Yang Haoran off in the car.

"Son, make sure to make your mother proud. Get that girl on your side. Your father and I are waiting for good news from you!" Mother Yang reminded him from outside the car window.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll do my best," Yang Haoran replied with a smile.

"Do your best? Your best my foot! Don't just placate me. I want to see you win that girl over, not hear excuses about doing your best. Let me tell you, while your father and I are still not too old, you'd better get married soon. That way, when we're old, we can help take care of your children. If you're incompetent, when we're old and your children are born, you and your wife will have to handle everything yourselves. Let's see how you manage then!" Mother Yang grumbled discontentedly.

Yang Haoran nodded wryly. "I know, Mom, I really do. Just trust me!"

Mother Yang wanted to say more, but Father Yang intervened. With a displeased expression, he looked at Mother Yang and complained, "Stop nagging endlessly. Third Uncle's family has a lot going on, and he knows what he's doing. There's no need for you to worry unnecessarily."

Upon hearing this, Mother Yang immediately became unhappy, ready to argue with Father Yang. However, Father Yang seemed prepared and knew how to handle his wife's complaints. He didn't even give Mother Yang a chance to speak, turning his gaze to Yang Haoran and saying, "Hurry up and go according to the address. Remember, don't go empty-handed. That would be rude. If you're short on money, your mother will give you some."

"I have money, don't worry. I'm a boss now, after all. I can't possibly be broke. I'll head over now."

With that, Yang Haoran stepped on the accelerator as if fleeing, gradually disappearing from Father Yang and Mother Yang's sight.

Externally, Mother Yang boasted to everyone about her son now doing business in the city and being a big boss. From this, it was clear that Mother Yang was proud of her son and felt proud of him. So, when Yang Haoran said he was a boss with money, it was to reassure his parents and spare them unnecessary worry.

In reality, Yang Haoran was indeed a boss. After all, he ran a grocery store in the city, albeit a small and rundown one. But ultimately, it was still a store, and he was the sole boss of that establishment.

The irony, however, was that he, as the boss, had no employees. He was both the boss and the employee.

In the car, Yang Haoran made a firm resolution. He had to handle this blind date well today. It couldn't be child's play. He could feel how much his parents valued this blind date. To avoid disappointing them and to solve his lifelong matter, he had to handle this blind date seriously.

He first drove to the town and bought many gifts. Then, following the address his mother had given him, he headed there. As the car drove on the highway, the destination drew nearer.

With each step closer to his destination, Yang Haoran suddenly felt nervous and anxious. This feeling wasn't unfamiliar to him because every time he went on a blind date, he would experience such emotions.

Despite usually appearing calm and composed in dealing with people and matters, when it came to blind dates, he truly couldn't control the nervousness in his heart.

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