Chapter 5 Roots (Part 2)
Xie Chong was still young and didn't understand the meaning of this sentence. However, after calming down, he thought a lot. He couldn't bear to leave his parents. Besides, there were many people in Guangzhou who asked him to collect debts. His parents hurriedly took him away for his safety. If he went back by himself, he would not know if he would become a hostage to the creditors?
Xie Chong was depressed, not wanting to wash or eat breakfast. It was too difficult to wash his face and brush his teeth in the north. The temperature of the tap water was close to zero and his fingers were almost frozen. Grandma burned hot water and could mix the cold water together and wash his face in a basin. However, Xie Chong hadn't used the basin for a long time. He thought it was unhygienic. He poured a little cold water on his face as fast as possible, even if he had washed his face.
Xie Hongxuan felt at ease when his grandson stopped leaving. He called his grandson to go to the clinic together. Xie Chong agreed in a depressed manner and went out with his grandfather.
Song Jinquan heard the old friend's cough and hurriedly rushed out of the house. He was old but his movements were very sensitive, which scared Xie Chong. Xie Hongxuan said dissatisfiedly: "I have been a rash man for the rest of my life!"
Song Jinquan didn't care at all and asked with a smile: "Old Xie, the second brother is back this time just to buy a house for you? Who among us guys doesn't envy you for having a big son! Tell me, which house do you think of?"
He laughed and whispered, clearly saying slander.
"Hmph! You will lie on the corner of the wall and gossip! You will hate it more than the long-tongued women in the village!"
Xie Hongxuan had a cold face and suddenly stretched out his feet. Song Jinquan hid back and he rushed in. Song Jinquan inserted his hand into his pocket and smiled and said, "Let's go together!"
"Tsk! Stop going to my clinic to make trouble, I will get upset when I see you!"
"You have a stove in your clinic and there are many people. I'll go and warm it up."
"Then please pick up some firewood for me!"
Song Jinquan saluted mischievously: "Abide by the order! However, you have to change the coal ball stove into a stove for burning firewood first!"
They were almost sixty years old, but they were quarrel like children. Before they knew it, Xie Chong was amused.
The two old men were talking about family matters, and Xie Chong listened absent-mindedly and heard a lot of information. It turned out that Grandpa Song had two sons at home. The eldest son was very good at studying and went to the United States to study. It seemed that he wanted to stay in the United States. The second son's university was also good, but he met a Taiwanese girl during college and wanted to marry someone. The two of them stayed together and flew to Japan.
If it were more than ten years ago, the two brothers would definitely be qualified to be "anti-split". It would be really not easy for Song Jinquan to survive steadily until retirement.
Grandpa Song said, "It's okay." As long as the child is good, he can do whatever he wants. But Xie Chong listened to everything he said in reverse. To him, Grandpa Song meant - Oh, the two sons were raised in vain, and no one wanted me anymore.
Song Jinquan skipped the topic of his son and said, "Brother Xie, after the New Year, you will be sixty. Don't work so hard, you can't make enough money."
"Do you think I don't want to enjoy a happy life? Xiaoying will have a lot of tuition to go to college in the future, and a large dowry is required to get married. This does not require money? The third brother has not paid his salary for nearly half a year, and he has food and accommodation at home, so he doesn't need money?" Xie Hongxuan glanced at his grandson and said melancholy: "The second brother's family has been in such a big deal again. I don't know when it will be solved. I just want the second brother not to go to jail... So, look, how could I not work hard?"
"Oh, boy, you have to thank your grandpa. Your grandpa is so old and still has to support such a big family."
Xie Chong had no reaction and just lowered his head to kick the stones.
Song Jinquan hit a nail and said embarrassedly: "This child is exactly the same as the second child back then, with a personality!"
Xie Chong's face was angular, with broad eyebrows and heroic eyes. Judging from his appearance, he was simply a copy of his uncle. Since he returned to the small city, he has heard many people say that he looks like his uncle. However, Grandpa Song is his best friend, but he never mentions his uncle in front of his grandfather, let alone Xie Chong looks like his uncle.
As they almost walked to the clinic, they met several acquaintances on the way. The city was very small and the rumors flew very quickly. Several old men asked maliciously: "Old Xie, your son is going to buy you a house? Such a wealthy man cannot buy the best house in Laicheng?"
Xie Chong was sad for his father and embarrassed for his grandfather. At the same time, he was quite angry. Grandpa Song retorted: "It is someone else's business to buy it. Otherwise, you can buy it first, and we will make a reference after you finish buying it?"
Several old men said "hehe" twice, and temporarily silenced. But they looked at Xie Chong and asked again: "Is this the second son? Why do they look exactly like the eldest?"
As soon as he heard the boss, Xie Hongxuan's expression changed. Xie Chong was sweating for his grandfather, and Grandpa Song stepped forward again: "This child is from the Xie family. He looks like the Xie family. Is that abnormal? You guys one by one, what's there to make a fuss about?"
Xie Chong's impression of Grandpa Song instantly improved a lot.
Xie Hongxuan said nothing, with a gloomy face and continued to move forward. Along the way, Xie Chong heard and witnessed many things. His father's bankruptcy caused great financial pressure to his grandfather, which also made him unable to raise his head in this small town. He should say something and comfort his grandfather, but he couldn't say anything.
Song Jinquan was still with the group of old guys, and Xie Chong followed his grandfather in a daze. Grandpa was ridiculed and remembered his uncle again, and he was quite despair. Xie Chong hated those old guys. He wanted to hold his grandfather's arm, but he didn't do such intimate actions.
"Xie Chong, I'm very happy that your family is back."
Um?
"Your uncle left early, your aunt will get married sooner or later. In a few years, your sister will go to college... If your family doesn't come back, your grandma and I will be so lonely!"
"Yeah..." Xie Chong finally agreed.
"So, even if my pressure gets bigger, the whole family is busy and I'm very happy."
Xie Chong worked hard several times, opened his mouth and closed it. He could not say the word "happy" against his will. When he returned to his hometown, he was not happy at all.
Xie Hongxuan asked, "Xie Chong, do you look down on this small city?"
"It's not that I look down on you, it's just that I'm not used to it."
"I have been to many places, but my favorite thing is to come to the city. Although it is not big, it has rich resources and convenient life. Most importantly, the people here are very kind, generous and realistic."
For the young man Xie Chong, "human touch" is not enough to be a measure of the quality of the city. He nodded perfunctorily: "Well, I hope this is a good place."
"This is a famous fruit town. In spring, peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, pear blossoms, and apple blossoms bloom one after another. The whole city is a big park. The sea breeze is very cool in summer. Sitting at the entrance of the alley, eating a watermelon, and drinking a few cups of wine with your good friends is called life! It's autumn, the air is clear and cool, and the sky is so beautiful! More importantly, from August 15th, all the seafood is fat. I can guarantee that you have never eaten such fresh seafood! It's harder to bear, this is a famous snow nest. When the heavy snow falls to the depth of my knees..."
Xie Chong thought to himself that when his grandfather was in school, he must have been a master of writing compositions. The old man said slowly, and a beautiful picture was drawn in front of Xie Chong. He squinted his eyes and stared at the sky: "Is this really that good here?"
"Whether it is good or not, your roots are here."
Chapter completed!