Chapter 492

What are you doing, Jianqiang, you just spaced out. Qiao Jie said as she got out of the car.

I laughed and said, "I saw Sun Yansheng."

"Who?" Qiao Jie asked.

"Sun Yansheng." I replied.

"What, Sun Yansheng. Alas, Sun Yansheng is already dead, dead for how many years. I even wore mourning for him." Qiao Jie said sadly.

"Er Hai, come help me. My leg is numb. Sitting in the car for too long won't do." Qian Niang said in the car.

I hurriedly helped Qian Niang down from the car.

Qian Niang looked at this place,

then let out a long sigh,

"Alas, Niushiling is better, or going home is better.

let's go, we'll go home and have a look."

Qiao Jie also came over to support Qian Niang,

Qiao Jie said, "Qian Niang, just now Zhaoerhai said he saw Sun Yansheng. Is Sun Yansheng dead?"

Qian Niang said, "Jianqiang, why are you acting all mysterious? Sun Yansheng isn't you."

I was just about to say something,

Ru Meng also got out of the car,

and asked me, "Dad, who is Sun Yansheng?"

"Sun Yansheng is me, I am Sun Yansheng. That was my old name. I used to work on this ridge.

When I have free time, I'll take you up to the ridge to have a look,

that was the time of my youthful struggle." I said to Ru Meng.

"Alas, I really wish Sun Yansheng were alive." Qiao Jie sighed beside them.

"Sun Yansheng is my dad, aren't you talking about the same person?" Ru Meng became a bit confused.

Seeing Ru Meng's confused look, I and Qiao Jie both laughed.

I accompanied Qian Niang as we walked toward her former home.

We passed through a hutong,

but many households' doors in the hutong were tightly locked.

Qian Niang looked at the locked doors and sighed, "Everyone's gone, these are neighbors of many years.

Some went out to work elsewhere, some bought houses in the city.

"Alas, Niushiling is also empty."

Yes, that's really the case; by rights this season is when the folks go out to enjoy the cool.

The folks would all hold their bowls, walk out of their doors, squat at their own doorsteps, chatting and talking with each other.

Such a scene can no longer be seen.

The hutong is very desolate.

Not long after, we arrived at Qian Niang's door.

The lock had rusted; Qian Niang tried with the key for half a day but couldn't open it.

I found a stone and smashed the lock open in one blow.

We all walked into the courtyard.

The courtyard was overgrown with wild grass,

the originally brick-paved paths were all blocked by the wildly growing grass.

The kitchen used for cooking had collapsed.

Qian Niang looked on, sighing continuously,

"Nobody can live in this house; look, the kitchen actually collapsed. That was something I built myself."

I and Qiao Jie pulled up the weeds on the way, and at last the path to the main house was cleared.

Upon reaching the main house,

the door was actually open.

The inside was a mess.

All the furniture was already damaged.

There was also animal feces left behind.

I and Qian Niang entered the main house,

From the rooms one could see the sky.

The main house also had fallen into disrepair over the years.

I said to Qian Niang, "Mother, this house cannot be lived in.

It must be repaired before it can be lived in; look, it's open to the sky."

Qian Niang looked at the open-to-the-sky main house,

her eyes grew moist,

and she said, "This house was built when the old man was alive; alas, it has collapsed in just a few years."

"Qian Niang, it's been over twenty years. This house must be rebuilt. Let's hurry out of the house, or else things will fall from above." I said.

I was telling the truth,

because as we spoke, dust and such were falling from the open parts of the house.

I and Qiao Jie hurriedly helped Qian Niang leave the house.

Qiao Jie said: "Come on, let's go to our house and have a look."

"That's Sun Yansheng's house," I laughed.

"Yes, it's the house of Sun Yansheng and his wife," Qiao Jie answered from the side.

We left Qian Niang's house, passed two alleys, and then arrived at Qiao Jie's house.

Qiao Jie's house was bought from Huang Ge, the Huang section chief; he had just come to the county to work and sold the house he built.

I happened to have money and bought it.

I remember spending five thousand yuan.

We pushed open the main gate.

Qiao Jie's house is in better condition than Qian Niang's.

The house hasn't collapsed, and the ground doesn't have much weeds.

It seems the house built by Huang Ge is of better quality than Qian Niang's.

There are still some old things inside the house.

For example, the sofa, television, etc.; these items were given to me by Li Ming's brothers.

Dust is everywhere.

Qiao Jie pointed to the double bed in the room and sighed, "This bed has been empty for many years."

I didn't speak,

I went out of the house.

On the west side of Qiao Jie's house, there are two annex rooms.

These two annex rooms were built by me when I worked as a foreman on the ridge.

They were mainly built for Li Jiayou,

At that time, Li Jiayou brought Dayun along and had nowhere to live.

When we lived together, I, troubled, couldn't sleep.

So I arranged for people to build the west wing rooms.

Alas, who would have thought that Dayun actually sneaked away.

Because of this, Li Jiayou still holds a grudge against me, suspecting that I deliberately let Dayun escape.

Actually, if he had treated Dayun better, this situation wouldn't have happened.

I suddenly remembered Li Jiayou; a year ago, Shi Yong told me that he had contracted a serious illness.

I don't know what his condition is now.

I have never been in contact with him.

Thinking of the departed slowly slipping away makes me heartbroken.

I want to contact Shi Jinhe tonight to inquire about Li Jiayou's condition.

If I have time, I'll go see him.

I came out of the house, took out a cigarette, smoked two puffs, to calm my mood.

I walked to look inside the courtyard, and there were still toys that Sun Dajun used to play with.

It was a broken golden hoop staff.

Back then, Sun Dajun became obsessed with Journey to the West; he insisted that I buy him a golden hoop staff, or else he would keep nagging me.

After I bought him the golden hoop staff, he hugged me and kept calling "dad" nonstop.

And there's shy Zhengzheng,

He always likes to hide behind Qiao Jie, not daring to look at me.

Grown-up children are like mature birds; once they fly out of the home, they never return.

I don't know if Zhengzheng and Dayun, upon returning and seeing this scene, could recall the past.

I held the golden hoop staff and said to Ru Meng, "Ru Meng, this is your older brother Dayun's childhood toy."

"How rustic. It's just a wooden stick. Back then, weren't there any game consoles?" Ru Meng utterly despised the old toys.

Yes, every era's children have their own toys.

Ru Meng has lived a wealthy life all along; how could she possibly take an interest in Sun Dajun's old toys?

Qiao Jie also came out of the house,

She said to me, "This house, after a bit of tidying, can still be lived in. Otherwise, I could live here with Qian Niang."

I shook my head,

"Qiao Jie, don't move anything here.

Wait until later, when Dayun returns, I'll bring him here to look around and let him recall the past.

Back then, in his heart, I was extremely important.

And Zhengzheng, he has already gone abroad.

If it weren't for you supporting him, this kid wouldn't have lived to today.

Having gone abroad, he doesn't even keep in touch with us.

Such a person needs education even more.

This former home is the best education.

Whenever Zhengzheng and Dayun are mentioned,

Qiao Jie tears up again; these two children grew up following her.

She has poured a lot of effort into these two children.

Nowadays, Dayun is in prison, while Zhengzheng has gone abroad to Woguo.

Qiao Jie probably also misses them a lot.

Just Zhengzheng, this child, seems to have little affection for anyone.

Qiao Jie raised him, but he sometimes never mentions her.

Sometimes I feel this Zhengzheng is like his mother Hui Ling—emotionally a bit selfish.