Chapter 528: Chapter 528 When You Are Old
Gu Shiyan broke out in a cold sweat.
Her brother was really good at causing trouble.
It was true that she made someone apologize to her, and it was true that she had thrown a cup of tea all over them.
Wasn’t it because that dandy was so infuriating?
The father of that dandy didn’t teach his child and offended the Gu Family. Thinking of Gu Shiyan’s grandfather and uncle, he was scared out of his wits and came personally to apologize. It wasn’t because Gu Shiyan demanded it.
The stricter she was, the more they would feel relieved.
Gu Shiting, this rascal, didn’t understand and even passed this message to their grandfather’s ears.
When their grandfather was young, he was decisive in killing and had gone through many trials, so he understood human nature well. But somehow, in his later years, his demand for the children was "generosity."
Gu Shiyan had no choice. Fearing her grandfather would get even angrier, she had to push Sheng Tang out.
"I..." Sheng Tang pondered for a moment and then smiled, "You miss grandma, don’t you? I don’t have a poem written for you, but I have one for grandma."
Gu Shiting and Gu Shiyan both looked at her.
Unexpectedly, Sheng Tang could handle it so naturally.
However...
If the poem is poorly written, it might upset their grandfather. Their grandfather wouldn’t tolerate anyone saying anything negative about their grandmother, even though he often said she was unreasonable.
"This is a poem, ’When You Are Old,’" Sheng Tang continued.
Gu Shiting: "..."
Gu Shiyan: "..."
Writing a poem for someone usually entails celebrating their youth and achievements, not saying they’re "old."
Grandfather had just been saying that grandma was afraid of getting old and throwing a fit every time someone mentioned her white hair.
"Tangtang has been hanging around with Ting and Song Chen too much and has become just as blunt," Gu Shiyan felt distressed.
That straightforward personality was a bit worrying.
But the old man found it interesting.
There are so many poems praising youth, as if only youth is worth admiring.
When one is old, it indeed seems like they are disconnected from the world.
Sheng Tang’s words, on the contrary, piqued his interest.
"Go ahead, let me hear it," the old man smiled, not minding at all.
"When you are old and your hair is gray and sleepy
Sitting by the fire, take down this book
And read and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars."
The old man initially listened absentmindedly, but his eyes grew brighter, tinged with a hint of melancholic wistfulness.
When Sheng Tang finished, he sat in a daze for a long while.
Gu Shiting gently held Sheng Tang’s hand, feeling that the poem was wonderful and that his grandfather would surely love it. Tangtang was incredible.
Gu Shiyan was stunned, not expecting Sheng Tang to really help her out of the dilemma.
She initially wanted Sheng Tang to casually recite some of her old poems or sing a song for their grandfather.
Unexpectedly, Sheng Tang came up with something new and so good.
The old man snapped out of his daze and said to Sheng Tang, "Can you... can you say it again?"
Sheng Tang smiled, "I’ll write it down for you. This poem is a gift for you, although it wasn’t originally written for you."
With that, she went to the nurse’s station to get paper and pen.
Sheng Tang’s handwriting was good. She came back quickly and handed it to the old man.
The old man looked at it as if he were recalling the face of his wife.
"If she were here, she would definitely love this poem," the old man’s voice carried a faint sadness, "She would love it."
Especially the middle part.
Seeing the old man like it, Sheng Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a poem by Yeats, an Irish poet from the Renaissance period. Although Sheng Tang was very young, she had always liked it.
At that time, she always thought, having someone to accompany her till old age, still loving her when her youth had passed, would be so warm.
