Chapter 28

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"I remember too."

Lin Xiyu's mother choked up as she took up the conversation: "Dad fell ill and had a bad temper; not only did he kick up a fuss, he even hit people. Back then Mom really suffered too much—working outside was exhausting, and coming home was still heart-wrenching."

"Your dad was tormented by illness; I don't blame him."

Grandmother waved her hand, signaling her two daughters not to say more: "A sick person can't control their temper and can't vent it; just bottling it up only makes it more painful. I understand this deeply. When he was young, he didn't dislike me for being ill and divorce me; I remember his kindness. Now that he's old and ill, I won't dislike him either."

"Sigh."

Uncle, thinking of Grandfather's illness, sighed: "Dad was just too upright. Even though he had long since cut ties with those people back home, he insisted on saying he was..."

"That's right."

Hearing this, Lin Xiyu's mother was again overcome with unspeakable sorrow: "When I was dating Xiyu's father, his unit's leaders found out about his family background and were very unwilling; they insisted we break up, saying it couldn't affect his future. I felt wronged and cried for many days. Later, his father took people to Shanxi, learned the real situation, and after much persuasion, they finally agreed."

Li Yan listened with a sigh, showing some surprise.

Uncle pursed his lips and smiled bitterly: "It was just reclaiming a few plots of sandy land in some poor mountain valley where no one cared; we could only grow sweet potatoes and corn, and the whole family couldn't even eat enough."

"And my grandfather's generation had already left the old home."

Aunt Da sighed: "After my mother fell ill, my father's heart turned cold too; he brought my mother from the old home and never went back again."

"The land at home has nothing to do with us; I've never even seen those people from the old home..."

"Forget it; let the past be the past."

Grandmother waved her hand again, once more interrupting her daughter: "People are dead; there's no need to keep dwelling on it."

"Grandfather was quite handsome when he was young."

Lin Xiyu, quick-witted, giggled and deliberately eased the atmosphere: "I've seen Grandfather's photo—a true Republican-era handsome man, very well matched with Grandmother. No wonder Grandmother's affection runs deep; she's missed him all her life."

"You little..."

Grandmother laughed, amused, and poked her forehead.

"Are there old photos?"

Li Yan's eyes lit up, interested: "Can you show us?"

"Sure."

Cousin (female) moved fastest, took off running: "I know where they are; I'll go get them."

"This girl."

Cousin (male) didn't get a chance to show off, smiling as he teased her: "If only you were this enthusiastic about school."

"Which school did you two graduate from?"

Li Yan found it amusing and, while the photos were being fetched, chatted with Cousin (male).

"I went to Power Secondary Specialized School in Yantai."

Cousin (male), seeing her look at him, got a bit excited: "Younger sister went to high school, didn't get into university, refused to study further, and is just passing time at the Soy Sauce Factory."

"Power Secondary Specialized School?"

Li Yan raised an eyebrow: "So after graduation you work at the Power Bureau, with good benefits and treatment, right?"

"I've only been working less than a year."

Cousin (male) embarrassedly rubbed his nose: "Still on probation, not yet regularized."

"What do you usually do?"

Li Yan pointed the microphone at him.

"Install electric meters, repair lines..."

Cousin (male) spoke without thinking: "In short, it's climbing electric poles—wherever there's a power outage, climb that area's electric pole..."