Chapter 494: Ma Family Village! Suona! Playing With People’s Hearts! You Like to Play, Don’t You!?
At Ma Family Village...
The village was peaceful. One villager, Ma San, was a somewhat timid middle-aged man who loved to play the suona. Whenever there was a wedding or funeral in the village, he would go help out. He would never ask for money, instead he was just joining in the festivities.
For this, his wife often scolded him. But Ma San would always chuckle foolishly, saying that everyone was from the same village and he found it too embarrassing to ask them for money[1], so he could only put on a smile as an apology to his wife[2]
Names in the village were given casually. Ma San’s son was called Ma Wu[3]. Outsiders might think he was Ma San’s brother, but he was in fact his son.
Ma San had just returned from playing the suona[4];at a local family’s event, his pockets were filled with candies and treats only available in the city.
He gave some to his wife, a few to his son. He laughed, saying he didn’t care for sweets, and sat outside with his son, chatting.
No matter what, the couple was going to spend the rest of their lives together. Although his wife looked down on him, she was still willing to endure the hard life with him.
His son was clever and ambitious. What pleased Ma San most was that Ma Wu also liked the suona.
“This is the skill your grandfather passed down to me. I’m not that talented. All I’ve ever done is play this thing. Don’t grow up to be like me,” Ma San said.
Ma Wu giggled. “Dad, but you seem happy that I want to learn the suona.”
Ma San was taken aback, then laughed and scolded, “Don’t let your mother hear you, or she’ll start nagging me again.”
The father and son laughed together.