Chapter 4: Hometown

But what can I do? No one can change the master’s decision. He doesn’t want me to find him, so even if I find where he is, he won’t see me.

My expression involuntarily became sad, but I immediately recovered and changed the subject with a smile. I just wanted to enjoy the meal.

My two sisters returned on the third and fourth day, taking leave from work. They were accompanied by my two brothers-in-law and my young nephew.

I don’t need to go into the details of the emotions of parting. Looking at my two very mature sisters, I still think of the change I found in my pocket that year, and the note. My sisters…

The days that followed were peaceful. Talking to my parents and sisters every day, playing with my nephews, and drinking with my brothers-in-law were almost all I did. I didn’t have to think about anything, I didn’t have to worry about anything, I just needed to enjoy the comfort of family.

My parents and sisters were worried about my job for the next three years. My eldest sister works as a doctor in a hospital and wanted to use her connections to get me a job there as a clerical worker. My second sister is now a junior high school principal and wanted to get me a job in a school.

My eldest brother-in-law is an officer in the army, and my second brother-in-law is a civil servant. I don’t know what his exact position is, but they both want to help me, saying that they want to get me into this and that, which makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

As for my parents, they are even more direct. My mother said, “Son, we have a clothing store and a shopfront. You can do whatever you want. Where else should you go? It’s not bad to be a businessman.”

My father also said, “That’s right. We’re getting old. It’s better to have our own son manage it than to hire someone else.”

That’s how family is. Only they will worry about every detail of your life. But I felt guilty because I was destined to be unable to stay with my family for a long time. I didn’t want to accept my sister and brother-in-law’s kindness because I hated being bound. So I refused.

My refusal made my straightforward eldest sister furious, and she poked my forehead and scolded me, “Sanwa, what’s the point of going to college? You’re not willing to go out and work, are you ashamed to be seen by others? Do you think the salary is too low?”

My second sister was much gentler and anxious: “Sanwa, this person will play lazy. Don’t you work when you are young.”

My mother, who was not well educated, said directly, “If you don’t want to work, that’s fine. You three don’t have to work. Come back and let your parents support you.”

My father scolded her, “Old woman, what are you talking about? The Old Chen family is raising talent for the country, not socialists.”

I was amused by these conversations, which were so lacking in my life and which I so longed for.

At this time, my two-year-old nephew also ran over and climbed directly onto my lap. After spending time together these days, this kid is quite fond of his uncle. As soon as he got up, he said, “Little uncle, little uncle, my dad asked me to ask you something.”

“What’s the matter?” I said, pinching my nephew’s rosy cheeks and unable to hold back my laughter. I like this kid a lot. He looks like my eldest sister, and when he was little, he looked like me too, so I can’t help but favor him.

“I’m asking you when you’re going to find a new auntie. I want to see her.” Children’s words are endless. When my nephew said this, my two brothers-in-law laughed heartily, as if they had achieved their goal.

I was sweating profusely. I knew that this sentence was like a time bomb.

Sure enough, my mother started talking: “Sanwa, I think the girl from the XX family in this county…”

“There is a female doctor at our hospital…”

“There is a female teacher at our school…”

“Yes, son, Dad thinks it’s okay to start a family first and then build a career. Your mother and I want to have a grandchild.”

Me: “…”Taoist priest

After ten days at home, I finally set off on the road back to the small village, accompanied by my family.

The changes in the village were not big, but they were not small either. At least the thatched houses and tile houses that were common in the past have almost disappeared, replaced by neat two-story buildings.

I heard my parents say that they would often come back to visit. As people get older, they always want to return to the small mountain village to spend their old age. However, after getting used to city life, they feel that they can’t go back. In the midst of these contradictions, they just come back to visit often.

I held my little nephew in my arms and told him some funny stories from my childhood. Passing by the school I had attended, I realized that the simple school I had attended as a child had been renovated and was now a very nice school with a grand teaching building. I was not sad at all when I saw all this. In my heart, paying attention to children’s education is a great thing and is worth celebrating.

As we walked along, the family chatted excitedly. The air in the mountains and villages was always particularly fresh. Even though it was winter in Sichuan, there was still greenery everywhere, which was particularly relaxing.

Walking on the familiar yet unfamiliar road in the countryside, we were greeted by old acquaintances along the way. However, most of them only recognized my parents, which made my sisters and I feel that people grow up so quickly.

But after a few steps, someone recognized me first, and I recognized him at once 鈥� Guo Er!

When he was being tormented by the hungry ghost, it was me and Su Rou who saved him. When Guo Er saw me, he ran over, grabbed my hand and said, “Little Master, I haven’t seen you in many years.”

I looked at the most capable person in the village market in the past, and I always felt that he was much more haggard than he was back then. This is also because the hungry ghost sucked his blood and he aged faster than normal people.

“I’ve been away for a while. How are you?” I was still very enthusiastic in greeting him. People always feel more at ease when they return to their hometown. I am a bit closed-minded. The older I get, the less I can talk to people. But now I can still chat with Guo Er.

Guo Er told me about the events of the past few years in the village, saying that the ancient tomb had long been excavated, but for some reason the tomb chamber had been destroyed by the state. It was said that it had fallen into disrepair and was feared to be entered by mistake, and now the area had become a small factory town.

Another new thing is that a Taiwanese person has come to the village to invest in a bamboo processing factory and has also repaired the cemetery where people in the village are buried. It looks like a park, especially the one that has a joint tomb, which is beautifully repaired.

I knew all about these things, but I didn’t want to point them out. I just listened quietly as Guo Er told me about them. I thought to myself, I’ll stay here for a few days, go see the graves of the hungry ghosts from that time, and go see the graves of Li Fengxian and Yu Xiaohong. It’ll be like settling an old score from that time when we left in such a hurry.

The family refused Guo Er’s invitation to stay for lunch and continued on their way, talking about the changes that had taken place over the years. Before we knew it, we had reached the small mountain village where I had lived since childhood.

It had been eight years since I left, and when I returned, I saw that the familiar village had not changed. Like the town, most of the people in the village had built small two-story houses. It was clear that the villagers’ lives were much better than they had been back then. Even the main road in the village had changed from a dirt road to a stone road, just like the town.

I was a little excited, holding my father’s arm with one hand and my mother’s with the other, and set off on this road with a pious heart. After a few steps, I met familiar villagers, and of course there was a lot of small talk and some pleasant surprises.

Over the years, the people in the mountain village have become less simple than they were back then, but there is something in their bones that cannot be changed by the changing times. Almost everyone warmly invited our family to their homes for dinner.

Unfortunately, we had other plans and naturally refused.

The greetings with the villagers let me know some people and things. At least I knew that Liu Chunyan, my classmate in elementary school, is now a person with great prospects in the villagers’ mouths. She is already a civil servant and seems to have been transferred to the township as a minor official.

I remembered the letter I received in middle school. Now that I think about it, I suddenly feel a little nostalgic for my youth, but I didn’t meet her on the way to the village.

It’s better this way. If I had met her, I wouldn’t know what to say. Some relationships are destined to end, and it’s not a bad thing to keep the feelings of the past in your heart. I’ve seen too much parting, and I’ve come to take it lightly.

My parents, who I care about, are doing well. They are still as cheerful as ever. I met Su Rou in Chengdu, and of course I brought them the news of Su Rou. I told them that Su Rou was doing well in business. Although I didn’t know what Su Rou was doing, it was necessary to reassure the two elderly people.

Sure enough, when he heard the news, Su Rou’s father shouted in a loud voice, saying, “My son has a smart look on his face, so he can’t do well in business. We’re waiting for him to take us to the city.”

Su Rou’s face was full of intelligence? I thought of that fat face and shook my head. I thought it was funny that only Su Rou’s parents could see intelligence in that fat face. I didn’t have the heart to tell Su Rou’s father that Su Rou had already associated his family with Dong Cunrui.

So, before we knew it, we had arrived at our old house.