Chapter 5: New Life

It was warm at home. It happened to be the summer vacation, and my two sisters also sent my two nephews here. Some Sichuanese people don’t distinguish between nephews and nieces, but I actually think it’s pretty good. Adding the word “outsider” doesn’t make it less intimate.

The two little ones have grown up quite a bit over the past few years. Now, they are actually closer to Huigen than to me. They just say hello to me casually, and after they take the gifts, the two little ones drag Huigen into another room to whisper to each other.

It wasn’t until I called out to Hui Gen that the two of them let her go and ran off to play, saying they wanted to roast corn.

I have loved my mother’s braised pork ribs since I was a child, and of course they were on the table this time, along with several other dishes I love to eat. In addition, I made egg dishes and delicious eggplant dishes for Huigen.

Hui Gen and I both ate very well, but we were thinking about eating at home, so we didn’t eat anything on the way.

My mother is still in the habit of constantly serving me and Huigen when I eat. My father is right next to her, and in a moment he takes out the wine bottle. Under my mother’s noisy chatter, he happily pours a glass of wine for each of us under the pretext of drinking with his son.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was very warm. My mother and I chatted about our daily lives. As we talked, she said, “Sanwa, do you want to go up the mountain and take a look? Your father and I go up the mountain every year to clean it up and pay our respects to your uncles and aunts.”

I was stunned, and a wave of pain surged up in my heart. Is it really like this? Is it so desolate that my parents have to clean it up? I have left the Bamboo Grove before, but in fact, I know that we will go back. Or, the place where the master is is the Bamboo Grove. But now… I dare not go back, because every year on the anniversary of Master Li’s death, I would go home to pay my respects. Not only me, but our entire lineage is particularly afraid to go to that place. The memories are too painful.

I almost put down my chopsticks without realizing it, and subconsciously picked up my wine glass and took a big sip. The spicy wine flowed down my throat, and my chest and stomach suddenly felt a burning sensation, which at least suppressed some of the pain in my heart.

Not only me, even Hui Gen’s eating pace slowed down.

With a loud bang, my father put down his wine glass, slammed his hand on the table, and yelled, “Old woman, why did you have to mention this? Your son just got back, and you can’t say something happy.”

Usually, my father would never dare to yell at my mother like that, and my mother would never let him. But this time, when my father yelled, my mother was so embarrassed that she didn’t dare to say anything. I guess she felt that she had spoken out of turn.

I gave Hui Gen a wink and quickly put on a natural smile, saying to my parents, “Okay, Dad, I’m not upset. I just froze for a moment because I felt that I was being too inconsiderate to ask you to clean up.”

“Yes, yes, I’m not a good child either.” Hui Gen’er chimed in.

My mother’s face looked a little better, and she quickly said, “Oh, that’s good. I thought I said something wrong as an old woman.”

“What old lady? My mom is a beauty, not an old lady.” I quickly changed the subject to make my mom happy.

“What beauty? She’s so old, she’s just talking nonsense.” My mother scolded me, but the smile on her face betrayed her.

“Yes, Mom, I’ve traveled to so many cities, but I’ve never seen an old lady as beautiful as you. Really.”

“Hmph, beautiful…” My father expressed his disdain next to me, and of course my mother scolded him again.

But the atmosphere was finally restored to its warm and cozy state.

I stayed in the village for five days, and I tried to spend as much time as possible with my parents every day. Although the familiar scenery always evoked many memories, the warmth of family always comforted me, and my heart was at peace.

Hui Gen was also very happy, because the mountains and fields were the children’s world. Compared to parks and amusement parks, they were not at all inferior. He took my two nephews and had a great time playing, proving that this kid was definitely not the type of person who was precocious. He was 18 years old and although he had studied late, he would have to take the college entrance exam next year. I had never seen him do things like climb trees to get eggs and fish in the river.

Five days later, Liu Chunyan’s baby was due to be born. I took my parents to the city where the crispy pork was located. My two nephews refused to leave the village because they were already familiar with the children in the village.

Although the times have made people increasingly indifferent to each other, the affection of these fellow villagers is always there, and it is also reassuring.

On the way back, we received a call from Su Rou. His voice was a little shaky on the phone. He said to me, “Chunyan is going to give birth today. It’s today. She’s already been pushed in. Pushed in… Sanwa, I’m really, really nervous.”

“Today?” I couldn’t help but smile, and I was also excited. This was the first time in my life that I was welcoming a new life, and it was also the child of my good brother, so it was also half my child. I was almost shouting excitedly on the phone: “I’m almost there. I left early this morning. I’m almost there. Wait for me.”

“Fuck, how can you wait to have a baby? Do you want me to tell the doctor to tell my wife to hold back and wait for you to come before giving birth?” I was so angry that I laughed.

There was laughter on the other end of the phone, and I could hear Qin Huai and Ru Yue.

My parents were also laughing at me behind the wheel. I was even a little embarrassed. I said to Su Rou, “Then don’t be so talkative. I estimate that I will be there in an hour. Hang up quickly. I’ll drive faster.”

After that, I hung up the phone and couldn’t help but drive a little faster. In these 32 years of my life, I have experienced separation and death, but I have never faced a new life. The births of my two nephews were also missed by me. This time I am not willing to miss it again, because what kind of emotion can be compared to the emotion brought by life.

The car was driving a little fast, and my mother, who always worried about me driving too fast, surprisingly didn’t complain this time. The two old people couldn’t help but sigh, and my mother even said, “The baby is born, I’m happy, but when will you let me hold my grandson?”

I was silent. I didn’t dare to respond. To be honest, I wanted my parents to have a grandchild more than anyone else, but I couldn’t go against my own heart and have a child with a woman I didn’t love. Sometimes I would fantasize about if I and Ru Xue had a child, and the happiness of that would just make me smile. But soon, reality would shatter those thoughts, and in the end, I simply wouldn’t dare to think about it.

But when it comes to my parents, will I ever give in? I don’t know… There are so many things in life that are difficult to do at the same time. In other words, how can I bear to see my parents regret it for the rest of their lives?

But how can I betray my love?

I frowned, thinking about this too much. I took out a cigarette and lit it up in the middle of driving. I am my mother’s son, and I am really irritated. How can she not see it? She didn’t say anything, and neither did my father.

I glanced at their eyes through the rearview mirror. What a longing and disappointed look! My heart ached again.

Besides, I have decided to follow in my master’s footsteps. Do I have the right to have a child?

As the car drove on, I gradually forgot about this matter. We didn’t even go home once, and hurried to the hospital where Liu Chunyan was giving birth. I asked where the meat was, and I asked Hui Gen to take my parents with me. I almost ran all the way up.

Once there, I saw the anxious figure of Su Rou walking back and forth, and Qin Huai leaning lazily against the wall. However, the way he looked at his watch from time to time betrayed that he was still very concerned. As for Ru Yue, she was the most calm one, but she kept staring at the operating room and didn’t even see me when I arrived.

There were also a few friends of Su Rou, whom I knew, but they saw me first.

This made me feel that Su Rou is such a lively person that he even called so many people to his wife’s delivery.

Before I could say anything, I saw Su Rou’s parents running around, carrying some baby necessities. Su Rou’s mother kept saying, “Look at me, I’m so happy, I even forgot to bring some things.”

At this point, my parents and Hui Gen’er also arrived.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone fell into a state of anxious waiting. Su Rou was next to me, and he kept saying to me, “It’s you! I told my daughter-in-law to wait for you, and now I can’t hold it in!”

I was embarrassed and scratched my head. At this time, I would not argue with this guy who was about to become a father.

Qin Huai came over and hugged us both, saying, “Of course, since Chengqing is naming the baby, we’ll be godparents, so we can’t give the little one a small gift.”

Ruyue also came over and just as she was about to speak, Su Rou said to her, “Ruyue, I’m warning you, don’t give my child a spider or anything.”

Ruyue said in a bad mood, “I was going to comfort you and tell you not to worry, but you’re trying to make fun of me. I definitely won’t give my goddaughter or godson anything. I’ll give you a spider.”

“Don’t, I’m fragile, my heart can’t take it.” After Su Rou said that, we all laughed, and the tense atmosphere was somewhat relieved.

After laughing, Su Rou said with a hint of tears, “My child is so lucky. Before she is even born, she already has so many godfathers and godmothers, so many people who love her.”

Yes, Su Rou can be considered the first person in our group to have a child.

At that moment, a clear cry of a baby entered everyone’s ears, and almost simultaneously, everyone’s faces lit up with joy.

Birth…life…what could be more touching than this? Su Rou cried, and Ru Yue also shed tears. Even my eyes and Qin Huai’s eyes were red.

The memories of our adventures in the past flooded back to me. We were all young and now we have ushered in a new life together!

A new… life!