Chapter 38: Come on in (2)

Early spring mornings are always the coldest, and who doesn’t love a warm bed? Especially during the Spring Festival, when you should be resting.

But on the second day of the second lunar month, the old man came early in the morning to be my alarm clock. He yelled at me with almost manic urgency, “Sanwa, if you don’t get up, I’ll just lift you out of bed.”

I didn’t open my eyes and mumbled, “Master, didn’t you say that you don’t have to do morning exercises during the Spring Festival? This Spring Festival is at least until the fifth day, right?”

With a loud roar, the thick, warm quilt was ripped off my body. “I said you don’t have to do morning exercises, but did I say you could sleep in? You’re going to pick someone up today, pick someone up!”

I was suddenly awakened by the cold, and when I opened my eyes, I was almost scared out of my mind. Is this my master?

He had a neatly parted hair, a clean-shaven face, and was wearing a neat set of Chinese-style clothes. He was even pretending to wear a coat.

Actually, my master is not ugly. He is quite handsome and dignified. With a bit of grooming, he looks like an old man, somewhere between an old man and a middle-aged man. Unfortunately, his temperament is too “wretched.”

Especially now, his anxious look is completely out of place with his outfit.

“Master, are you going to pick up the bride?” No, no, no, I can’t accept a master dressed like this. He’d be better off wearing a torn jacket.

Old Jiang snorted and ignored me. I thought to myself, there are still old men with a side parting, and I’m such a handsome young man, but I have a shaggy head.

My mother stood at the door with two bowls of glutinous rice balls in her hands, smiling and saying, “Gee, Master Jiang, this time I have to go with you to pick up the bride. This is the second time I’ve seen you dressed like this. How many years ago was it the last time? At that time, Sanwa was still a baby.”

The old man grunted a few times, took the glutinous rice balls and started to eat. I thought to myself, “Something doesn’t feel right. My master, I think he’s a little shy. No way, it’s impossible. How can he be shy?

“Son, go put on some clothes. You’re a grown man. What’s wrong with you wearing underwear all the time?” My mother said to me.

“Wait, Xiuyun, you have to tidy up Sanwa today (make him look neat).” Old Jiang couldn’t wait to swallow a glutinous rice ball and then gestured to give instructions.

My mother looked at the old man suspiciously, and after holding it in for a long time, she finally said in a surprised tone, “Master Jiang, are you taking my third son to a blind date?”

“Cough… cough…” The old man coughed violently.

I was putting on my autumn clothes when I heard my mother say that, and I almost choked to death.

The old man finally stopped coughing and said, “No, no, this child is so young now, I can’t possibly allow him to think about a wife.”

I struggled to get out of my pajamas and was putting on my pants again when Master Jiang said that. I almost tripped over my own pants. I was so angry. How could I have wanted a wife? My mother and my master were conspiring to kill me, weren’t they?

“Master Jiang, the marriage of this third child is a heartache for me. I don’t know if Taoist priests can find a wife. You have to pay more attention.” My mother said sincerely, “What kind of mother is this? I’m only 15 years old, 15 years old! She started talking about my wife problem.

“Are you kidding? My apprentice Jiang Lichun can’t find a wife? Besides, my apprentice is a handsome guy. Any girl who doesn’t want him is blind. Xiu Yun, don’t worry about this.” My master waved his hand and said with great confidence.

My mother immediately beamed and said, “Oh, yes, my daughter is so pretty, and my son is so handsome. I love dressing him up the most, and I’ll definitely fix him up today.”

Farce, this is definitely a farce! I almost went crazy from these two people who were in cahoots.

The streets were a little calmer on the second day of the New Year. I was wearing a gray jacket and jeans, and my mother had given me a parting haircut with her hair cream.

I wasn’t used to dressing like this, and in my eyes, I looked like a fool. But next to me stood an old man who looked like a veteran cadre, and my mother, wearing a gauze scarf on her head, a little lipstick, and a flowered cotton jacket.

Is this a trio of fools?

Occasionally, we would meet an old man or woman who knew my mother and would stare at us strangely for a while, then say, “Xiu Yun, where are you going to meet your relatives?”

Then they would come closer and ask in a mysterious tone, “Could it be that you are going to Chengdu?”

At that time, having a relative in the provincial capital was a very big deal in this small county.

My mother would laugh and say proudly, “We don’t have any relatives in Chengdu. We’re just picking up a guest. I bought this jacket for my son in Chengdu. You know, we’re going to open a clothing store. When we went to Chengdu to look for goods, I…”

At this time, the old man Jiang would usually cough to remind my mother that it was time to go, and then my mother would reluctantly leave.

Oh, one is anxious, one is dressed like a gigolo, and one is chatty and gossipy, what is this but a trio of fools?

The place we were going to was not a bus station, but a place in the county seat that was relatively remote and close to the suburbs. It was a big road that led directly to the city outside the county seat.

The morning wind was cold and gusty. When the wind blew my hair pomade, it felt stiff and hard, like a roof tile on my head.

I was uncomfortable in every way, but I didn’t dare say so.

But my mother was very sympathetic to the person who came: “Oh, Master Jiang, you came here to pick someone up? It’s the Spring Festival, so take a taxi. It’s so hard to walk. No, I’ll have to say later that I’ll pay for the fare.”

Old Jiang looked at my mother with strange eyes, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter, but he didn’t say anything. I guessed he was playing mysterious again.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, no one came. My mother’s face was flushed, almost the same color as her lipstick. She kept saying, “Oh, how long does it take to walk? It’s better to take a taxi.”

Where was old man Jiang? Standing straight on the side of the road, he was holding his coat in his hand, but he just wouldn’t put it on. When did this coat ever cover his arms? Was my master crazy?

With this question in mind, I was bored and squatted on the side of the road, pulling weeds. It was at this time that the sound of cars on the road came.

I didn’t react much. In this era, there aren’t many cars, but they appear much more frequently than before. I didn’t think it was strange that several cars had passed by.

But I heard my master grunt a few times. It was a strange sound that came from his throat, a sound that was both excited and repressed. I looked up curiously and saw that my master’s feet had trembled twice.

My mother looked at the old man suspiciously and asked, “Master Jiang, what’s wrong with you?”

The old man stammered, “Here… here it comes…”

My mother turned her head excitedly and her face turned red. The car that was coming towards us was a Hongqi sedan. My mother and father had been to the provincial capital before, and they had seen sedans, and they definitely recognized Hongqi sedans. She had just offered to pay for someone else’s ride. Wasn’t she embarrassed?

I clapped my hands and stood up, bored. I knew exactly who the old man was. When I was little, I rode in a Beijing Jeep with him. Now, the red flag really doesn’t shock me. I know that if my master wants to, he can also ride in this car.

The car stopped in front of the old man Jiang. As soon as it stopped, a man hurriedly got out. I recognized him as one of the dozen people who had come to capture the hungry ghost.

“Master Jiang, we’ve finally brought the person here, the mission is complete,” the man said with extreme respect. It was clear that he admired my master.

Under normal circumstances, my master would have just said “hmm” in a lazy tone and then said “good boy, good boy” with a smirk on his face.

Today, however, he was unusually solemn and serious, and he firmly shook hands with the other person in a manner that was full of official tone, saying kindly, “You’ve worked hard.”

I couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of my mouth. What was going on?

“Xiao-yi, go open the car door and let the person get out.” Old Jiang said to me seriously and kindly.

Xiao Yi? Xiao Yi! Xiao Yi, who are you calling?

I was a little slow to react, looking at the old man blankly. When he glared at me in a panic, I realized that he was calling me. I almost had a seizure. Has my master gone crazy?

But just then, the back door opened and a voice came from inside the car: “Jiang Lichun, I’m not old yet. Do I need a child to open the door for me?”

I turned around and saw a very elegant old lady with kind eyes and a small nose. She looked like a beautiful woman in her youth.

I guess my older sisters aren’t as young as others?

I don’t have a concept of girls. The only word I can use to praise a beautiful woman is “good-looking.”

At this time, a crisp voice sounded behind the old lady; “Mai Mai (exclamation), Grandma, do you think this one (brother) is particularly (him) silly, and what’s wrong with his hair? (What’s wrong with his hair)?”

“Master, what did the little girl say?” I couldn’t understand the little girl’s dialect, but I could see her mocking eyes, so I couldn’t help but ask the master.

“Xiao Yi, the little girl is speaking Kunming dialect. She said your hair doesn’t look good,” the old man said kindly and gently.

Xiao Yi! Hair! I felt like I wanted to hit the wall!