Chapter Three Grandpa
When they returned to the village with few people, it was already after 10 o'clock in the evening. However, the summer in Guanzhong area is really too hot and humid, let alone in rural areas, so there were still many people outside cooling off. Li San Sheng and Hei Zi stumbled back to the old mansion under the ancient locust tree with Lao Meng and Er Long, which was already dilapidated but still showed its former grandeur from its overall massive structure and the green tiles and ancient bricks...
Under the old locust tree with unknown annual rings in front of the old house, there are still people cooling off at this time. An old man sleeps on a recliner holding a bamboo-made wooden fan and drinking aged wine while humming Qin opera, indulging in his own spiritual world, with a distant and serene atmosphere.
Li Sansheng stood five meters away from the old man, deep in thought and silent, with a hint of determination in his eyes that was heart-wrenching. Heizi was also drunk and didn't know what Li Sansheng was doing, only squinting at him and then looking at the old locust tree.
"Grandpa!" Li Sansheng called out respectfully. This old man was the one everyone in the village called "Old Man Li", who was also Li Sansheng's grandfather. Li Sansheng thought that he didn't have any great ambitions in this life, as long as he could give his grandfather a dignified and grand birthday celebration on his 90th birthday, and if he lived to be 100, an even more shocking and spectacular birthday celebration would be held. After the old man passed away peacefully, Li Sansheng wanted to build a magnificent tomb for him under the old city wall in the south of the village, one that everyone in the village would envy.
Old Li's face, which had been creased with wrinkles and the marks of time, suddenly relaxed at this moment, opening eyes that had been tightly closed. In the instant they opened, a bright glint flashed across them like a knife edge, but no one noticed.
Li Lao Tou put down the calabash bottle, having some difficulty getting up from the recliner, but his old bones, worn away by history and time, were not very cooperative. Li San Sheng saw that Grandpa wanted to get up, so he handed the blanket to Hei Zi and quickly stepped forward to support Grandpa in getting up. Li Lao Tou stood up with a smile on his face.
"Welcome back." Li Lao's benevolent smile looked at Li San Sheng and the drunk Er Long and Lao Meng, but this sentence that seemed to have no meaning made Li San Sheng suddenly feel a lump in his throat. However, no one could understand the feeling in Li San Sheng's heart at this moment, perhaps only those who had shared experiences with Li San Sheng would know this feeling.
"Grandpa has put away all your things in the west wing of the house." Li Lao Tou only showed a genuinely warm smile when he saw his grandson, otherwise it was mostly that kind of habitual and professional courtesy smile, having seen through the mundane world and attained a transcendent attitude.
"Hmm" Li San Sheng still didn't know what to say, he just nodded his head.
"Let Erlong and the others sleep for now." Old Master Li looked at Hei Zi, who was already struggling to support the bodies of the two drunkards, Lao Meng and Erlong, and gave a kind instruction. Then he continued to lie on his recliner, drinking Du Kang old wine and humming Qin opera tunes.
Li Sansheng knew that his grandfather had a lot to say to him, so he nodded and led Erlong and Heizi into the old mansion. The interior of the old mansion was very dark, with no lights on, but this did not hinder Li Sansheng's vision. He guided Erlong and Heizi to settle down in the west wing of the house, turned on the electric fan, took a look at the few people who were already fast asleep, and quietly closed the door before retreating back out.
With the wooden stool in hand and endless thoughts in mind, Li Sansheng slowly walked out. He saw his grandfather still sleeping on the recliner as he had just seen him. Li Sansheng placed the stool in front of the old locust tree and sat down with his back against it. Tomorrow was the day he would leave, and at this moment, Li Sansheng's emotions were complicated to the extreme.
"Three lives, is there anything you want to ask your grandfather about? Is there anything you want to tell your grandfather? Say it today." Li Lao said calmly without opening his eyes, after taking a sip of Du Kang.
"I want to know about my dad and mom." Li Sansheng's eyes turned icy cold at this moment, because from childhood to adulthood, Li Sansheng had never known anything about his father and mother. He remembered that when he was a child, the first time someone called him a bastard, Li Sansheng cried and ran to his grandfather's face wanting to ask, but was slapped by his angry grandfather for crying. His grandfather said, "The Li family can shed blood, but not tears," but he didn't say anything about his parents.
From then on, this also became Li Sansheng's confusion. When he secretly asked the villagers, all of them shook their heads and told him that when they saw him, there was only his grandfather.
"Three lives, this life you can owe anyone, even your grandfather, but you cannot owe the parents who gave birth to you and the woman who will give birth to your children in the future. So don't hate your parents." Li Lao Tou took a big gulp of wine this time, the spicy Du Kang made his throat suddenly feel fiery hot, but as an old drunkard, he didn't have much feeling.
"Remember, Sansheng, your parents are people who can make you proud to hold up your head. You will know it one day." Li Lao said with his eyes suddenly wide open and staring at Li Sansheng, word by word, in a voice that seemed to be suppressed from his throat, perhaps this was the pain in Li Lao's heart, what could be more painful than losing a child in old age.
Li Sansheng didn't say a word, but when Grandpa said this sentence, many things in Li Sansheng's heart suddenly disappeared, and there was less confusion.
The wind slowly picked up, and the old locust tree was rustling in the breeze. The air also lost some of its sweltering heat. Li Sansheng leaned against the old locust tree, staring blankly at his grandfather's dull eyes and hunched body.
"The world is vast and mysterious like a bird's path, human emotions are fleeting like fish scales, it's good to be alive" Old Man Li muttered to himself, not caring if Li San Sheng heard him or not.
"Do you hate your grandfather?" Li asked with a self-deprecating tone.
"In the past, foolish, naive, didn't understand things, hated, now grown up, no longer hate" Li Sansheng said very realistically. The person he once hated the most was his grandfather who had oppressed him for twenty years.
Li Lao Tou has been pouring all the knowledge he knows and understands into Li San Sheng over the years, without caring whether Li San Sheng understands or not. From chess to Go, Feng Shui, Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Studies, everything that can help him survive, he has taught Li San Sheng in a way of "assisting the growth of seedlings".
Li Sansheng has been self-reliant since he was old enough to understand things. Imagine a child as small as a thumb, what could he possibly know? At that time, Li Sansheng could only pick up trash in the town, looking like a homeless child, with no clean spot on his body, smelling like a beggar. He also suffered from others' cold shoulders and was ridiculed by children of the same age. Li Sansheng didn't understand, so he ran to ask his grandfather. At that time, his grandfather said, "One day I'll die and won't be able to take care of you anymore, what will you do?"
It's probably because of the infection from Li Lao Tou's genes, Li San Sheng seemed to understand the truth, continuing to pick up trash, but with a heart full of resentment towards his grandfather's cruelty. Until one day when Li San Sheng was about to attend middle school, he saw his grandfather kneeling down in front of the richest family in the village for tuition fees, and at that moment, Li San Sheng finally understood many things.
Li Sansheng never attended elementary school, let alone kindergarten. At that time, Li Sansheng envied the children in the village who went to school in the small town. Every day, Li Sansheng was under the pressure of Lao Tou, using all his might to cram the ideas that Lao Tou had instilled into his brain. Lao Tou said that understanding would come later, but remembering was for today. Every day, he recited Tang poetry and Song lyrics, every day he practiced calligraphy, and every day he read the Twenty-Four Histories. It's astonishing what a child of just a few years old was reading every day.
But that's not all, Li Sansheng also had to learn the most basic things, which were the subjects that children in the village would study in school, such as language and mathematics. These could only be learned during stolen moments. As long as he dared to be lazy, as long as he didn't remember what he was supposed to remember within the allotted time, he would suffer his grandfather's ruthless punishment. Only later did Li Sansheng come to realize that every time he was punished by his grandfather, every time he was scolded and beaten, his grandfather had been drunk on wine.
Li Sansheng's habit of treating books as his life was also suppressed by Old Li at that time, so now if Li Sansheng doesn't read books for a few days, he will feel itchy in his heart, which indirectly contributed to Li Sansheng's extensive reading and omniscience.
Li Sansheng grew up later and finally knew why his grandfather had cultivated himself in this way through the things he experienced in society, because for everyone who wants to stand high, what they get is often proportional to what they pay, there is no success that can be taken for granted, nor is there any mediocrity without reason.
"Take care of yourself outside, Li San Sheng." Old Man Li suddenly became sentimental, the reason only he could understand. Maybe it's because tomorrow Li San Sheng is going to college, going to a big city with all its people, and his heart feels increasingly lost.
"Grandpa!" Li Sansheng exclaimed.
"If one day something really touches your life, go find your Uncle Long." Li Lao's dim and turbid eyes became even more dim and turbid as he grasped Li Sansheng's hand and instructed him.
"Hmm" Li San Sheng nodded, indicating he understood.
"Alright, it's late, go to sleep." Old Master Li was afraid that he couldn't hold back his emotions, so he waved his hand to signal Li San Sheng to go to bed.
As Li San Sheng entered the old mansion, Lao Tou's eyes became suddenly clear and frightening. He looked at the ancient locust tree with unknown age and muttered to himself in a low voice, "San Sheng, this world owes you, Grandpa will get it back for you. When you really leave the old mansion one day, you'll find that the world is waiting for your dominance."
The next day, still in front of the old mansion, under the ancient locust tree with unknown age rings, Li San Sheng, Hei Zi, Old Meng and Er Long looked at Li Lao Tou, who was leaning on a cane, hunchbacked, and bent over, standing under the locust tree. One by one, they were reluctant to part ways. Li San Sheng really didn't want to see this scene, so he hardened his heart and got into the Audi that Er Long had someone bring over. He was forcing back tears and not speaking. Li San Sheng wasn't speaking, and the remaining people weren't speaking either. The few people who knew about most of Li San Sheng's life experiences understood what role Li Lao Tou played in Li San Sheng's world.
The car slowly started up, and the figure of Lao Li gradually became blurred. At this time, Lao Li looked at Li San Sheng's receding back and said faintly in his heart.
Grandpa has been pressing you for twenty years, just to create your hundred-year glory.
