Chapter 829 - 0829 After New Year’s Day 4
As Hong Zhanjun welcomed Wan Xinguo into his home, he asked him to sit down and poured him some water.
"Old comrade, don’t trouble yourself for me!" Wan Xinguo stood up, taking the chipped enamel basin with both hands, feeling the warmth of the hot water, "I’ve taken the liberty of visiting the old comrade because I was hoping to stay here for a few days."
"No problem at all!" Hong Zhanjun agreed without even asking why he needed to stay, "I’m just an old man living alone, it’s quite lonely. Having you for company would keep me cheerful. Besides, this means someone is here to carry water for my home."
Usually, it was the young lads from the neighboring houses who helped, or the water vendor would deliver directly to his doorstep.
The elderly man didn’t mention a word about the cost for the stay.
Wan Xinguo was deeply grateful, hurriedly handing over the package he had brought from Lu Jiang and Feng Qingxue, and explained the situation to him.
Hong Zhanjun’s eyes immediately moistened, repeating in quick succession, "You’re too kind, too kind, far too kind. This house belongs to the state; they were staying in the state’s house when they left they left me a hundred yuan and several pieces of furniture. They didn’t use much of anything else in the house, and now they’ve made me clothes and shoes and brought them over. I really don’t know what to say."
Although he felt undeserving of that hundred yuan, whether he returned it to Wang Xinsheng or ended up giving it to someone in need, the fact that the Lu Family observed such formalities made him feel particularly content inside.
"Comrade Lu Jiang and Qingxue have always been very generous people," Wan Xinguo said sincerely.
"You can tell, you can feel it!" said Hong Zhanjun. He had no wife or children and no family, living alone. He could only keep in touch with former comrades-in-arms or chat with neighbors. Suddenly seeing the clothes and shoes that Qingxue had made especially for him, the wave of emotion he felt was truly indescribable, his hands, rough with callouses, touching the new garments and shoes.