Chapter 57: Maternal Grandfather

"If explained in simple and easy-to-understand terms, people with alexithymia have some problems in the 'expression' and 'identification' of emotions. It is not a mental illness; it should rather be called a negative personality trait."

Zhai Da stopped his footsteps while pushing the bicycle.

Shen Rui also stopped his steps:

"Emotional expression disorder is just a small problem; after all, there are many people who are not good with words or are introverted. But for a small portion of those with particularly severe degrees, obstacles will also appear in 'emotional cognition,' which will be more troublesome."

"They cannot correctly identify their own emotions, and it is even harder for them to understand others’ emotions. Happiness, sadness, and anger will all be suppressed by themselves, and they are also prone to misjudging others’ states. Just like if you were stabbed by a knife, you would feel pain and fight back, while they might just quietly watch the wound bleed and calmly ask the person who stabbed them what they are doing."

Zhai Da trusted Shen Rui’s intelligence and also believed in his judgment. The key was... everything matched up...

Not being able to tell which sentence was a joke, rarely letting her own emotions out, and even when facing encounters that would make ordinary people collapse, she would only silently shed tears.

Even... Zhai Da thought of a more distressing possibility.

After experiencing so much, she was still giving gambling money to Lu Benqing... even if she was hungry for a long time... was it also because she misjudged the beastly father’s promise?

Zhai Da let out a turbid breath: "Does this condition have a big impact?"

Shen Rui shook his head: "That depends on the specific situation. Mild cases can be interpreted as being relatively 'dull.' Those who are slightly more severe, if they are willing to contact society, can barely imitate normal behavioral patterns through intelligence and experience, so they won't have big problems, but in the end, this is not a good trait."

"The most important thing is that their own emotions are ignored and suppressed for a long time, they lack a sense of happiness, and they are also prone to getting hurt in interpersonal relationships. Over time, it may be accompanied by other mental problems."

Shen Rui patted Zhai Da’s arm: "So I hope that in the process of interacting with Lu Wei, you can be considerate. She was not born this way. As for the reason, if you two continue to be friends, you will gradually know."

Zhai Da asked further: "How to improve this situation? Medication?"

Shen Rui shook his head: "Although everyone’s degree is different, medication is never the cure for this kind of problem; people are."

People... are...

The two continued to move forward. Shen Rui did not bring up the topic again, giving Zhai Da some time to digest.

They arrived at the residential area where Shen Rui lived. The old man in the security room nodded with a smile, obviously Shen Rui maintained good interpersonal relationships with most people.

This residential area was even older than Sanmao, probably at the level of "Damao." Single-story houses and buildings were interspersed, and the garbage station had already overflowed, emitting an unpleasant smell as the temperature gradually climbed.

This was not strange; Shen Rui came from a family of Woolen Mill workers, and a teacher’s salary was not high.

Zhai Da suddenly felt a bit of pity for Shen Rui. Such a smart and gentle person, a PhD from R University who tested out of a small town—was he just a "small-town test-taker" in the eyes of some people?

Were there many people around him mocking him for not becoming successful? What was the use of studying?

While climbing the stairs, Zhai Da said: "Mr. Shen, I think General Manager Yu is a good person. If you go to work in Xu City and join General Manager Yu’s enterprise, that would also be quite good."

"Even being a consultant is better than being a teacher."

Shen Rui didn't seem surprised, but he didn't answer Zhai Da, probably feeling that this topic was unnecessary with a student.

Zhai Da asked for a snub.

Arriving at the home on the third floor, after Shen Rui opened the door, a neat and warm two-bedroom apartment was revealed. The smell inside made Zhai Da think of a library; it was the smell produced by piles of books.

Just from the area visible from outside the door, there were three various types of bookcases, and they were stuffed full.

It could be seen that Mr. Shen Rui also didn't have a wife or girlfriend; there was no room for a second person.

At his age... it was estimated that his family would be anxious.

Oh... no, Mr. Shen also didn't have a mother, so perhaps no one was urging him.

Because he was just taking something and leaving, Zhai Da indicated he wouldn't go in, to save the trouble of taking off and changing shoes. Shen Rui walked into the innermost small room and came out after about three to five minutes, holding a notebook in his hand.

The moment it came into view, a green broken line already appeared in Zhai Da’s field of vision.

Maternal grandfather’s relic... was a special item...

Shen Rui brushed off the non-existent dust on the notebook and placed it in Zhai Da’s hand:

"Because it’s not a private letter, I flipped through a few pages."

"I won't answer your question from just now, but perhaps you can find the answer in this notebook."

"From ancient times to the present, the answer to the word 'pursuit' should not only be money."

"Of course, it’s still a bit too early for you to think about this now."

Zhai Da looked at the notebook in his hand. The deep red plastic cover was somewhat degraded, carrying a bit of the mottled nature of time. Except for the portrait of the giant in the center, there were no other decorations.

It was very thick, so much so that calling it a "book" was not an exaggeration; the spine was two fingers wide.

On the back, there were two lines of printed short text.

"Make the working people knowledgeable, make the intellectuals labor-oriented."

"Congratulations to the host, you have discovered the green special equipment [Yu Lihua’s Metalworking Notes (Incomplete) (1/4)]: Training materials poured with Yu Lihua’s heart and blood, not many people have flipped through them."

"Ownership: Acquired, Activated."

"Equipment Effect 1: Carrying it can slightly increase metalworking learning ability, and there is a double bonus when studying the content of the notes themselves."

"Equipment Effect 2: Focusing on the notebook itself, there is a very small probability of [temporarily] resonating with the owner of the notebook. The probability of 'bond holders' of bloodline, spirit, and emotion is greatly increased, and there is special feedback."

"Special Effect 'Residual Wisdom': Those who have successfully triggered resonance, when performing learning, labor, or work related to 'manufacturing,' have a probability of having a flash of inspiration."

"Unsealing Task: Independently manufacture ten items."

"Special Effect 'Establishing Heart': ??? (Equipment incomplete)."

"Unsealing Task: ???"

"Remark: The hand that could control precision within two silk threads back then could no longer suppress its trembling when writing the notes."

Zhai Da opened the notebook cover. Inside were all notes on manual or metalworking operations, including the production, specifications, and key points of some basic parts.

Turning, milling, planing, grinding, and clamping all seemed to be there.

In addition to the text content, there were many hand-drawn diagrams.

The paper was yellowed and old, but because no one had flipped through it, it was also brand new and flat.

Shen Rui said: "It seems to be a training manual your maternal grandfather wrote for new workers in the factory back then. Later, the data room was cleared out, and my third uncle picked it out and didn't throw it away. Now it’s returned to you."

"It should have been given to your mother originally, but... it can be considered a twist of fate."

Zhai Da inexplicably used his index finger to stroke the handwriting on the paper.

The maternal grandfather who passed away when he was one year old and of whom he couldn't find a single memory—the ink marks left behind were now at his fingertips.

Even the subtle indentations left by the fountain pen tip were fed back to his brain through his fingerprints.

Zhai Da was stunned for a moment.

The next moment, his vision became blurred.

He seemed to be quickly pulled away, tied to the tail of a high-speed train, and moving backward.

After a loud "Buzz~!" sound, he appeared in a familiar yet strange room...

His room...

Or rather, his room 20 years ago.

A back figure wearing a dark blue coat was leaning over the desk writing something.

In the same position, it was exactly the desk he usually studied at, facing the window.

Yes... he remembered... his mother once said that after she got married, his maternal grandfather moved into the small room himself, giving the master bedroom to his daughter and son-in-law.

So... he had always been in the same place as his maternal grandfather...

This scene was like a displaced space-time.

Zhai Da wanted to walk forward and pat that person on the shoulder, but unfortunately, he seemed to be just a "perspective."

The back figure wearing the coat coughed a few times, seeming to be in some pain.

But the spine was straight and did not bend even a fraction because of the pain.

Afterward, he wrote a few words.

On the last page of the notebook.

"Zhai Da... Zhai Da?"

Zhai Da came back to his senses, looking at Shen Rui in front of him.

Shen Rui asked suspiciously: "What’s wrong with you? Where are you uncomfortable?"

Zhai Da shook his head: "Sorry, I was distracted. I was a bit too shocked... the thing in my hand is actually... written by my maternal grandfather himself."

Shen Rui smiled: "Go back and take a look. Of course, provided it doesn't affect your studies."

Zhai Da walked out of Shen Rui’s house. The other party had to pack his luggage, after all, he was going to Xu City tomorrow.

He stood in the strange corridor, lost in thought for a long time... Was that strange "memory" just now what is called "resonance"?

Finally, he took out the notebook and flipped to the last page.

He was curious about what his maternal grandfather wrote at the end...

At the end of the notebook.

"The wheat has ripened thousands of times, long live the people for the first time."

Zhai Da whispered it out...