Yan Yan followed behind Zhuang Yiyun. He kept silent even if Zhuang Yiyun didn't speak. He looked everywhere Zhuang Yiyun walked. It took less than five minutes to walk around the chapel, but Zhuang Yiyun looked very carefully, so carefully that he looked at every pot of flowers.
"When I was a kid, this sweet-scented osmanthus tree had just been planted and had very few branches. There was a severe drought in the summer of the second year after it was planted, and it almost died. I came to help water it every day."
"Is there no one in this church? Why do we need your help?"
As Yan Yan was speaking, a sound came from behind them, the sound of a wheelchair rolling.
The two men turned around and met the person who came. It was a middle-aged man wearing a black cotton coat, with half white hair on the temples. He looked to be in his fifties and had a warm smile.
Zhuang Yiyun was stunned and squatted down subconsciously. A thought came to his mind that he was too tall now and it was not good to talk to him from such a high position.
The man in the wheelchair looked at Zhuang Yiyun carefully, somewhat unsure, and asked, "Are you Yiyun?"
Zhuang Yiyun opened his eyes slightly in surprise. He didn't expect to be recognized at a glance. He nodded. Yan Yan saw his Adam's apple rolling up and down, as if he had difficulty speaking. After a long while, he called out, "Uncle Xu."
"It's really you. You've grown so tall. Come on, stand up. Don't squat. Let Uncle Xu have a look."
Zhuang Yiyun stood up in response. Uncle Xu pulled him around and looked at him, nodding his head. "He is from the old Zhuang family. When I was a child, your grandfather was my favorite. He was very handsome."
After seeing him, Uncle Xu looked at Yan Yan again, with a smile in his eyes, waiting for Zhuang Yiyu's introduction.
"Hello, Uncle Xu." Yan Yan was never afraid of dealing with elders, and would take the initiative to call them. He was lively, smart, and enthusiastic, and could do everything when he wanted to act well-behaved. This was the type that elders liked the most.
Zhuang Yiyun: "This is my boyfriend, Yan Yan."
Yan Yan replied, "Yan means color and Yan means continuity." She smiled sweetly.
Uncle Xu was a little surprised, but he had no contempt or malice towards his gender. He looked him over again and said with a smile, "He's a good kid, very gentle."
"Yes, that's right." Zhuang Yiyun answered, and except for a little bit of awkwardness in meeting Uncle Xu again after a long separation, he seemed very natural.
Yan Yan was speechless. How could he be gentle? Zhuang Yiyun nodded seriously.
"Xiao Yan, didn't you just ask if there was anyone in the church?" Uncle Xu made no secret of the fact that he had heard their conversation, nor did he hide his physical condition. He still smiled and said, "I am the pastor here. I am the only one here, so the neighbors will come to help when they are free."
Yan Yan was a little surprised. A pastor? Uncle Xu's street style didn't look like a pastor at all, and he was in a wheelchair. Yan Yan was especially careful not to look at his legs, as that would be too rude to a disabled person, but he could see the empty half of his trouser leg without looking too much.
After saying hello, Uncle Xu took them into the chapel. It was a small room with only five rows of ten benches. There were no stained glass windows, let alone a dome. Apart from a large cross on the wall opposite the entrance, it didn't look like a church. Without a doubt, this was the most rudimentary church Yan Yan had ever been to.
As soon as Uncle Xu entered, believers came to talk to him. Yan Yan listened to him talking. Apart from the sign of a cross on his chest, there was no religious feature. He just talked about family matters. Yan Yan was very curious and followed Zhuang Yiyun to sit in the front row.