"Quilt, phone!"
Who is calling? Who is calling me? I woke up in shock. The car was still on the highway on the way back. I stretched and woke up a little. I realized that we had been bumping on the winding mountain road in the suburbs. Hey! This sleep was really long!
My mother handed me the phone. Hurry up, it's a call! Before I could fully wake up, she had already pressed the answer button for me. I lazily said hello. Shuming knew that I was coming to attend the funeral of Grandpa Xu.
"Your number hasn't changed?" The other party was inexplicably surprised.
The once familiar male voice now seemed very far away, "You are—" I was so shocked that my mouth opened wide.
“I see you.”
"What?" I knew it, but I couldn't believe it.
"That time in the morning, my uncle and aunt were there, and I saw you coming."
Ah! I thought I was the only one who secretly saw him. After a long silence, I whispered to him, "Xu Nanfang, I am in deep sorrow."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. My mother looked at me in surprise and asked, "Him?" Even my father turned around and looked at me.
"We'll stay in the county town for one night and return to the city tomorrow."
This seemed to have nothing to do with me, so I responded, only to hear another voice from the other side: "The two families will meet then."
Let him be.
On the way back, I felt a weird feeling in my heart. It had been so long since the incident, and now even his voice had become unfamiliar, just like the back figure at the funeral, which seemed particularly cold and distant on this gloomy and desolate day.
But, but why, when I thought of the scene just now, my heart trembled slightly. Before long, the sunny boy on the slope of Gardenia Hill turned into a tall man, and the girl Zhao Qinqin was about to get married... There were so many feelings in my heart, because of the impermanence of this world.
When I got home, my mother asked with a suspicious look in her eyes, "Was it Xu Nanfang who called just now?"
I nodded and grinned to make myself look calmer. "Uncle Xu and his friends will be in town tomorrow. Maybe they want to talk to Dad."
"Of course we should. We should do our best to be good hosts. The old man is gone now." The mother seemed relieved.
In the evening, Shu Ming called me and asked me about my current situation. I briefly told him about the relationship between my family and Grandpa Xu, and said that there would be a Buddhist practice today. Shu Ming listened carefully, and finally asked, "From what you said, the Xu family is a large family? With a large population?"
"Well, there are many children, it's complicated, and there are many rules."
"The older generation all cares about ensuring that there are successors to their business."
I just remembered that although Grandpa Xu has many children, Xu Nanfang is his only grandson. Wow! The Xu family has a large business, and there are so many aunts and uncles. The relationships must be complicated. He will be busy enough in the future!
"Shu Ming, I hope the family relationship can be simpler."
He chuckled, "Don't worry, our little family will be simple and warm in the future."
Isn't it? Shuming's parents have passed away, so I just need to be good to him and don't have to worry about the big problem that has existed for thousands of years - the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
I went to bed very late, lying in bed thinking again and again, if I were to meet the Xu family, what should I tell them
Nan Fang, how are you doing lately
Also, have you immigrated to the United States with your wife
I heard that your family's business in Shanghai is quite successful. In the future...
Or, when I say goodbye, I must tell him, Nan Fang, please bless me. He might ask, why, are you getting married? Haha! The more sudden and shocking it is, the better. At that time, I will openly tell him that my fiancé Li Shuming is a financial professional... .
On the third day when I went to work, I received a call from my father on the way, saying that we had booked a room at the Haiyi Hotel in the evening to entertain the Xu family. My mother also called me and asked me to dress more modestly, saying that I was a girl with a marriage contract after all, and besides, Eunuch Xu had just passed away, so I should not dress flashy as it would be disrespectful to others.
I naturally understood what she meant. I remember when I first met Shuming, she wanted to dress me up as a sexy beauty, waiting for a romantic encounter anytime and anywhere. But she still didn't understand that I was in the south, separated by five mountain cities in the summer, and I couldn't catch up with her, so there was no need to worry about it.
After get off work, I quickly went home and changed into a white knee-length dress with a small square collar. The collar was very high, and I tied a strand of hair behind my head with a clip. When I arrived at the hotel, almost all of the Xu family members had arrived. My father was particular about the grandeur and specially booked a luxurious private room. When I found the door, before I could get nervous, my mother took me to the side hall to greet the elders. My father took me to introduce them one by one. Only then did I see clearly that the Xu family was really large. Grandpa Xu had two daughters and two sons, and a large group of grandchildren, but most of them were young girls. It was said that there were two younger sisters who were having a great time strolling around the Women's Street and arrived a while later.
The deceased has passed away and rested in peace. Everyone seemed to relax and the uncles and aunts talked happily. Aunt Yiqing and Aunt Yiran both live in Taipei. They speak Mandarin quite awkwardly and unconsciously with a coquettish tone. The two uncles do business in Shanghai.
I greeted the elders one by one, and finally, I heard Uncle Xu calling out, "Nanfang, come here! Look who this is?"
At this time, I saw him sitting alone in the corner of the sofa, wearing a black shirt and gray pants. The moment our eyes met, I began to ask myself, where did all those years go from my fingers? Is this melancholy and indifferent young man in front of me really him
"What? You don't recognize me? I remember you played together when you were kids." My father patted my shoulder.
"Yes, two little friends." Uncle Xu was also laughing.
Xu Nanfang looked panic-stricken. He pressed the sofa with one hand, slowly stood up, stood still, and grinned in an unnatural smile.
I don't know where I got the courage from, I tilted my head, smiled and stretched out my hand to him. Even Shuming told me that people should be more generous, right? Besides, people should pay attention to their manners, especially when we meet old friends. I want to tell him that Zhao Qinqin, this little friend, has grown up and I don't want to bother with him at all.
Xu Nanfang was slightly startled, then stretched out his hand to shake mine. At that moment, I suddenly felt a chill running through my fingers. "Okay!"
"good!"
"It's been a while since we last contacted each other."
"yes."
There was an invisible wall between us, and for a moment we couldn't find any topic to talk about.
Everyone was present. My father and mother invited the Xu family to take their seats. There was a large round table for 18 people. The backs of the chairs were engraved with phoenix patterns. It was magnificent. My father was really particular. Naturally, they were seated according to their seniority. The two uncles sat down first. Only then did I see Xu Nanfang staggering over. His legs were not coordinated. To be precise, his left leg was a little lame. Although I could see that he was trying to balance himself and make his gait look better, and pretending not to care, he could not escape my eyes. I had been preparing all night to compete with him!
I was deeply disappointed. I had to keep all the words I had prepared the whole night before to myself. (To be continued)