Chapter 95 It rains heavily during Qingming Festival According to the customs of the older generation in Shanghai, in addition to visiting graves on Qingming Festival, people also have to set up a table of dishes at home to worship their ancestors. How many dishes to prepare, what dishes to place in what position, how many wine glasses to put, what time to start the sacrifice, all these miscellaneous things are subject to consideration. Precisely because they are too complicated and troublesome, young people basically only understand the basics, and some customs are gradually simplified and innovated. In Jin Shiming's impression, his family did not attach much importance to these traditional customs. Both of his parents are staunch materialists and do not believe in religious beliefs. Every year during the Qingming Festival, their family would go to the cemetery to offer a bouquet of flowers and simply clean the surroundings, and that would be considered the end of the tomb sweeping. They hardly burn incense or candles during the ceremony, let alone burn paper money. Rather than making a special trip to sweep the tomb, it seems more like sweeping the tomb while on an outing. It can be regarded as a model of the "smoke-free tomb sweeping" that is increasingly being promoted today. However, when he went out to buy breakfast just now, Jin Shiming made a special trip to the incense and candle shop and bought a series of supplies needed for tomb sweeping.
He also used to not believe in these things, but the dramatic circumstances of his life made him believe in fate to some extent. Especially when it is difficult to control his own destiny and cannot see the direction of the future, Jin Shiming also needs these "sense of rituals" to give himself some comfort. …… While Jin Shiming was packing and preparing, Jin Shaoqing very considerately picked some beautiful flowers from the garden and wrapped them with ribbons and plastic paper. However, the craftsmanship is rather rough and the finished product is far less beautiful than the flower baskets sold on the market. "Oppa, how about we buy two more bouquets of flowers on the way? My hands are so clumsy that I've wasted such beautiful flowers!" Jin Shaoqing said embarrassedly, holding the bouquet of flowers she made herself. Frankly speaking, she is not a girl with clever hands, and her hands-on ability can even be said to be quite poor. Previously, when installing a wall rack in the trainees’ dormitory, they needed to hammer in two nails to secure it, which was difficult for the clumsy Jin Shaoqing. In the end, it was Sister Shizheng, who came from a poor family, who took the hammer and nailed the shelf shut in two quick clicks. "It's okay. These flowers are grown at home and were carefully selected by you, Aqing. My mother will definitely like them." Jin Shiming said with a smile. Upon hearing this, Jin Shaoqing did not feel secretly happy, but rather felt a little disappointed. If Jin Shiming's parents were still alive, what a beautiful scene it would have been if she visited them for the first time with flowers and gifts? "It's getting late, let's go out!" Jin Shiming said after counting the items and making sure nothing was missed. The two pushed open the door and saw the sky outside was grey and even darker than earlier. "It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival...it's really unpleasant!" Jin Shiming frowned, but went back to the entrance to get two umbrellas. The gray clouds brought back memories that he didn't want to recall and made him somewhat reluctant to go out. "It's just cloudy. Maybe it won't rain. Oppa, let's set off quickly so we can go early and come back early." Jin Shaoqing noticed that Jin Shiming was acting strange, and immediately took his arm and walked out the door. This simple and honest girl was unexpectedly thoughtful at this time, and knew how to take care of people in her own way. "It's a bit like when I was a kid and was dragged out by my mother!" Jin Shiming murmured to himself. ……
Jin Shiming can't drive, and Jin Shaoqing is not old enough to get a driver's license. Therefore, the two had to take a taxi. Near the cemetery, the traffic volume increased visibly and the traffic became congested. The taxi kept stopping and starting, not as fast as the old men and women walking on the sidewalk. "Tsk! This road is so bad, I don't know how long it will be blocked!" The driver slapped the steering wheel in annoyance and cursed a few times. "Master, please find a convenient place for us to get off. We can just walk the rest of the way." Jin Shiming looked at the endless traffic jam, took out two hundred-dollar bills from his wallet, and said to the driver. "Handsome guy, it seems to be raining outside. Are you sure you want to get off the car?" The driver said after finding the change and turning on the windshield wiper. I don't know when a few drops of rain fell on the car's windshield. As he was speaking, the rain fell faster and faster, and the raindrops became bigger and bigger. The raindrops hit the car window, and you could clearly hear the "patter" sound. The dry ground was completely wet in an instant, as if it had changed color. Didi didi~~~ The sharp and rapid sound of horns came one after another, and the shouting and cursing of pedestrians could be heard from both sides from time to time, which made people feel upset and restless. The taillights of the vehicle emitted a hazy and dangerous red light under the mist of rain, which instantly obscured the view. Feelings of panic and uneasiness also seeped into the carriage along with the rain. "Stop the car...let me get off!" Jin Shiming said with difficulty in his hoarse voice. He clutched his chest with both hands, breathing hard and rapidly, with veins on his neck exposed. "Oppa!" Jin Shaoqing was frightened and at a loss when she saw Jin Shiming's forehead covered with sweat and his face was terribly pale. "Handsome guy, what's wrong with you? Damn, are you sick?" The driver was also panicked. At the critical moment, Jin Shaoqing showed her big-hearted side. She calmed herself down, suppressed her panic and fear, and tried to get her blank brain working again. "Oppa, can you hear me? You want to get off the car now, right?" Jin Shaoqing held Jin Shiming's shoulders with both hands and asked loudly. Jin Shiming's whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Perhaps because he heard Jin Shaoqing's shout, his eyes finally became more focused and he nodded with difficulty. Seeing this, Jin Shaoqing was sure that Jin Sejeong was recalling the car accident and was having a severe stress reaction. Immediately, she ignored the driver's dissuasion, pushed open the taxi door, and helped Jin Shiming out. The rain outside is already very heavy, pouring down on your head and face, and you will be soaked in no time. Jin Shaoqing used all his strength to support Jin Shiming with his body, and moved them step by step towards the platform bench on the side of the road. "Oppa, we've gotten off the car! Don't be afraid, I'm here with you, it's okay!" Jin Shaoqing hugged Jin Shiming, patted his back like a mother, and kept comforting him. Jin Shiming felt like he had grabbed a life-saving straw, holding Jin Shaoqing's arm tightly with both hands, as if he was afraid that if he let go, the other party would abandon him and disappear. Even though Jin Shiming's arms were tightly gripped and left red marks, Jin Shaoqing did not struggle at all. She just gently comforted the helpless Oppa in her arms.
Gradually, Jin Shiming stopped trembling and his breathing became smoother. "Ah Qing... don't leave me... stay with me forever... okay?" The weak but somewhat dependent voice, mixed with the sound of heavy rain, reached Jin Shaoqing's ears. "Yes! I will always be with Oppa, no matter when and where!" Jin Shaoqing leaned over to Jin Shiming's ear and said softly but firmly. (End of this chapter)