Chapter 205: Chapter 205: The busy grandfather
At the strong urging of Mei Qiuping and the others, Mei Jianzhong finally decided to come to the provincial capital to live for a while. His second uncle also bought a house last year, so counting the five of them, three of his siblings have already bought houses in the province.
With Grandpa in the provincial capital, Feng Yiping of course had to go back.
No matter how busy it is outside, it is always very laid-back in these residential areas. Some mothers who are not working push their prams and take a stroll in the garden downstairs. They don't bend down to check on the baby in the pram. The mothers are usually followed by someone else, not sure if it is the mother or the mother's mother, carrying a big bag in their hands. Inside the bag are the baby's diapers, bottles, water, and other small bits and pieces.
The pavilion in the garden is the liveliest place. There are always some retired old people sitting there. Everyone outside is squinting in the sun. Inside, a group of people are playing cards around the stone table. Outside the pavilion, there are a few folding tables set up. One table, two people playing chess, surrounded by several times as many people.
He was about to press the elevator button when an elevator arrived at the first floor and a tall old man got out. 'Grandpa,' Feng Yiping exclaimed.
Mei Jianzhong was in high spirits, wearing a grey suit that must have been handed down from his younger brother-in-law, a hand-knitted black sweater underneath and the same leather shoes Feng Yiping had bought him when he received his first writing fee. Although they were still in good condition after all these years, the uppers of the shoes had of course lost their shine.
Seeing that he was holding a sack in his hand, Feng Yiping knew what his grandfather was going to do.
'Yiping, why are you here? Let's go home.' Mei Jianzhong was very happy to see his eldest grandson, took Feng Yiping's hand and walked towards the elevator.
Mei Jianzhong was very happy. His son and daughter were doing well, whether in the countryside or in the city. Everyone in the neighbourhood, from ten to eighty li away, would praise him for his good fortune. Who else his age in the neighbourhood would have the opportunity to live in a big city like the provincial capital?
His grandchildren's generation was even better, especially this grandson, who was destined to do even better than his parents' generation.
'They've all come down, so they won't go back up. Grandpa, come with me this afternoon!'
'Where are we going? I don't want to wander around the city, it's pointless.'
'I know.'
Feng Yiping got Grandpa into the car and took him to a specialist store by the roadside, where they bought a pair of sports shoes. Although they didn't match Grandpa's clothes, they were warm and lightweight.
'I told you I didn't need them. I'm not short of shoes. This cost a hundred or two hundred yuan. I could buy a few pairs in town.' Coming out of the shop, Mei Jianzhong said to Feng Yiping, carrying the bag.
Feng Yiping pretended not to hear his nagging and helped him put on the seat belt. 'Grandpa, you come with me to the zoo!'
There may not be many places that Grandpa likes to go. The city centre is bustling, but it's too noisy and too busy. His brother-in-law has also taken him to places like parks, but they are just small lakes and pavilions, rock gardens and the like, which don't attract him much.
Going to a teahouse for tea is fine, but if he sees the price, he definitely won't be able to sit still. After thinking about it, the zoo is a good choice. He has heard of lions, tigers, and bears, but he has never seen them in person, so it would be quite novel to see them.
Although Feng Yiping said he wanted his grandfather to accompany him, Mei Jianzhong knew that his grandson had made a special trip to accompany him, so he didn't refuse his request.
Fortunately, the admission to the zoo was not expensive, only ten yuan, so Mei Jianzhong didn't say anything this time.
The first place Feng Yiping took his grandfather was the Monkey Mountain. Mei Jianzhong had seen monkey shows before, but this was the first time he had seen so many monkeys together. Watching the monkeys scramble for peanuts, biscuits and bread thrown by visitors, he found it very interesting.
When they reached the wild animal area, they saw lions, tigers, bears and other legendary animals. They didn't care about the stench from the cages, and they leaned in very close, almost reaching in to pet them. Pointing to the tiger lounging inside, Feng Yiping said, 'Look, it really has the character "king" on its head!'
They arrived just in time. They had just sat down in the performance hall when the animal show began. This was an elephant show, and it was also the first time that Mei Jianzhong had watched two adult elephants perform various actions under the direction of the elephant trainer. In the end, when the two elephants lifted the trainer up by the trunk, he stood up and applauded along with the people around him.
When they arrived at the leisure area, the grandfather and grandson found a place to sit down. Feng Yiping ordered a cup of original milk tea for his grandfather, and an order of fried chicken fillets. These were probably the first times his grandfather had tried either, and he said, 'They taste pretty good.'
'Grandpa,' Feng Yiping thought for a moment, and then thought it best to mention it to his grandfather, 'Nowadays, when your sister and her husband raise their children, it's different from when we were young. There are a lot of rules. Hui Hui is still young, and her immune system is weak. So maybe you shouldn't go picking up those bottles!'
'I wash my hands at least three times before I hold Hui Hui,' Grandpa was a little upset.
'I know this, and I'm sure my sister-in-law knows it too. We're not stealing or robbing, and there's nothing shameful about collecting bottles to sell for money,' Feng Yiping spoke for his grandfather.
'But Hui Hui has just been weaned, and her resistance is at its lowest. She often has all sorts of minor illnesses. I'm just worried about misunderstandings,'
Is something like this likely to happen? It's very likely. Cai Hong is very filial and respects her grandfather, but when it comes to her children, she definitely won't let her father, Lao Cai, off the hook.
Mei Jianzhong has also considered the impact. He goes far away from the community to collect bottles and cans for fear of being laughed at by the neighbours. But he hasn't thought about anything else. Fortunately, Cai Hong is easygoing. If he had a different daughter-in-law, she might tell him to take a shower before entering the house.
Of course, Feng Yiping had some ulterior motives in saying this. Now that the family's conditions are better than before, he doesn't want his elderly grandfather to be looked at with strange eyes.
Although most people, including him, don't feel that rummaging through the trash for bottles and cans is a shameful thing to do, you have to admit that there are still many people who, upon seeing it, will look down on such behaviour.
'How about this, Grandpa, you take turns living with my family and my brother's family. In the morning, you go to the market with my dad, because he's a bit busy on his own.'
Feng Yiping knows the deeper reason why Grandpa does this. It's not really about the few dollars. His brother and sister-in-law are both away from home during the day, and he can't stand being at home alone. There's nothing on TV that he likes to watch, and there's no one to talk to. The retired elderly people in the community don't have much in common with him either, so he has to find something to do within his abilities.
Many children, after settling down in the city, try to fulfil their filial duties by bringing their parents to the city, saying that they want them to enjoy the good life.
In fact, they are not as comfortable in their hometown as they were before. Grandpa's generation in particular seems to find their value in life only by working.
'Really?'
'Yes, there are so many shops now, and Dad is having a hard time managing on his own. You can just lend a hand.'
'Okay, I'll talk to Cai Hong and the others tonight.'
That evening, Cai Hong was a little surprised to hear Grandpa say this. 'What's wrong, Dad? Did we do something wrong and make you angry?'
'No, it's just that your brother-in-law was a little overwhelmed by the shopping this morning, so I went to help. Besides, you all have your own cars now, so it's very convenient to come and go. I can't bear to be parted from my grandchild, don't you think?' He leaned down and teased Hui Hui, who was sitting in the stroller.
Mei Yiliang was not as delicate as Rainbow. 'If you want to go to your sister's, just go. If you miss Hui Hui, just give me a call and I'll come and get you.'
Cai Hong gave him a cold stare. Fortunately, her eldest sister and the others were not unreasonable people, otherwise they would really think that Dad was staying here because he was unhappy.
Neither of them had guessed that it was Mei Jianzhong who was restless and then, after being egged on by Feng Yiping, had made this decision.