Chapter 525 - 45: Whose Tomb
Xiao Xian guessed that the old man was worried about her trip to Beijing when he sent her off from Ge Village. However, after her arrival in Beijing, his worries dissipated as Xiao Xian’s life gradually got on track. He didn’t want the people and events of the past to bring any uncertainties to Xiao Xian’s life and studies.
"You don’t think that your first woven mat could catch Old Yu’s eye, do you? Xiao Xian, you have to be down-to-earth, eat one bite at a time, and walk step by step. That Old Yu is a fastidious man; even though he’s older now, his pickiness hasn’t aged a bit. You should let your Master take a look at the mat first. If it barely passes, I’ll allow you to hang it in the store for sale. I promise you, Xiao Xian, as long as your mat sells, I won’t even take the cost of materials; all the money will be yours, how about that?" Mao Dazhu pledged with a slap to his chest, to avoid the child complaining that she was made to work for free over summer break and got nothing in return. After all, a broken mat was worth at most a few dozen yuan.
"That’s what you said. Are you also covering the cost of materials?" Xiao Xian blinked her starry eyes as Mao Dazhu nodded with dignity.
"But I still want Uncle Yu to take a look. He can point out the shortcomings of my mat weaving, right?" Xiao Xian was persistent.
"Don’t bother, today is mid-month, and if it happens to be a weekend as well, Old Yu’s filial son always takes him to pay tribute to his late wife. It’s not a coincidence today; it’s mid-month plus the weekend." Mao Dazhu, having been left hanging a few times, couldn’t wait. He unceremoniously pulled off the cloth cover Xiao Xian had put over the mat.
The cloth cover fell to the ground, and Mao Dazhu’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Was this the mat that Xiao Xian had woven? Mao Dazhu swore that from then on, he would no longer crave the mats woven by Old Yu.
**
Yu Shanyang’s habit of visiting his late wife’s grave in the middle of each month was known by most people in the nursing home.
But what no one knew was that after each visit to his wife’s grave, Yu Shanyang would also go to another cemetery to pay tribute to another tombstone.
He would prepare incense, paper money, and also fresh flowers and fruits.
After each visit to that grave, Yu Shanyang would stand in front of the tombstone for hours.
Yu Gang stood with his father in front of the tombstone, knowing only that it belonged to the wife of his father’s friend. That friend, for special reasons, found it very difficult to visit his wife’s grave, so he had entrusted Yu Shanyang to pay tribute once a month.
Every time during the visitation, his father’s mood would be strange.
Yu Gang, like many who knew Yu Shanyang, thought of him as a typical old-style civil servant. Having been in officialdom for a long time, his face wore a mask, his words and actions were not affected by emotions or even external disturbances.
But every time after the grave visits, his father would close his eyes and let out a deep sigh. That sigh was long and profound.
Guilt and regret eroded away at Yu Shanyang’s rock-hard heart, persisting through the years, day after day, for over two thousand nights. Yu Shanyang’s heart, hardened by years in officialdom, was now riddled with holes.
After "that incident," Zhu Shijun was informed that he would be sent to an obscure mountainous area in Guizhou under medical parole. After the event, the only and last time he had contacted Yu Shanyang through the prison authorities.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Yu Shanyang, who had already lost his soul after years of struggle in officialdom, sat across from Zhu Shijun, unable to raise his head to look at him.
Once upon a time, they had been each other’s strongest rivals, seamless partners, toasting away grievances over wine.
"I want to take my little granddaughter with me," Zhu Shijun said calmly then.
"Sure," it’s better for the little girl, who was left without parents, to disappear into the mountains and waters than to stay in the troubled land of Beijing.
"Please help me sweep my wife’s grave from time to time," his request was reasonable.
"Fine," the two men, both widowers, understood each other’s feelings. Although the person is gone, the mound of earth in front of the grave still needs care.
"This Party Constitution was the only leisure item I was allowed to bring into the prison. I’m leaving now, and you guys, who had studied with me at the Central Party School, should also leave your names on it. Remember, don’t miss any of your three names," those words were Zhu Shijun’s real requests, and his last bargaining chip.
"This request..." Although Yu Shanyang remembered clearly every word Zhu Shijun said at that time, he couldn’t remember what he felt when he signed his name.
"It’s common to wet your shoes if you often walk by the river. I’m using your three names to ensure my granddaughter is safe and sound for life. You understand," that was the last thing Zhu Shijun said to him.
"Alright," Yu Shanyang took the Party Constitution and wrote down his name.
After that, Yu Shanyang saw Zhu Shijun’s granddaughter, an innocent child still showing signs of being overly spoiled by her family. The little girl hadn’t yet shown the sorrow of losing her parents. When she saw her grandfather in handcuffs, she still made a fuss, wanting him to hold her. That little girl must be over ten years old by now.
Taking his capricious granddaughter with him, Zhu Shijun’s life in exile would undoubtedly be difficult. But no matter how tough it was, as long as they stayed in Guizhou forever, they could be worry-free for life.
"Dad, it’s time to go back," Yu Gang saw his father getting emotional again and, not wanting him to be overly upset, reminded him that it was time to return to the nursing home.
Yu Shanyang saluted the grave and left the cemetery with the hunched figure of Yu Gang.
**
There are so many people to thank, have you seen the big peach heart in Fu Zi’s eyes~
Thank you "hai518ren," "Swing Swinging," "Dawa Lhamu" for last month’s closing pink tickets~
Thank you "hhjxry13," "Reading Waterman," "New Dragon King," "Flame Rain Dance Sky" for the opening Fan Tickets~
Continuing to wait for pink and recommendation tickets with starry eyes~
**(To be continued... If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)