625: Chapter 38: Flavor 625: Chapter 38: Flavor The door of Grandma Xiao Chun’s house on this side of the village road was open, and the light was spilling out.
After sunset, there was still a faint light in the sky.
An elderly man carrying a basket slowly walked by.
He lived on this side of the row of old houses.
The old man curiously looked through the open door and saw the room full of people.
He also saw Grandma Xiao Chun, whose face was rosy, and he was momentarily stunned.
Older folks generally know their lifespan, and the closer they get to the other side, the clearer it bees.
“Old Niu, you’re back from fishing?” Grandma Xiao Chun walked to the door, smiling at this elder carrying a basket.
“Ah, Sister Chun, why are you…” Old Niu seemed to realize something.
Grandma Xiao Chun smiled faintly and said, “e in and have a simple meal.
You live alone, so save yourself the trouble of cooking.
e, e.”
Watching Grandma Xiao Chun, Old Niu silently nodded and stepped over the threshold, seeing all the sizes of people in the living room.
Is he sad?
Old Niu felt quite sad himself.
As he aged, those he knew, laughed with, argued with, worked the fields with, made sticky rice cakes with, would always leave one by one.
Perhaps he would be the next.
So Old Niu looked at Xiao Chun’s descendants, whose forced smiles were hard to look at, “Well, this old man will just have a simple meal, okay?
e, Luo Shan, Luo Ming, bring some white liquor.”
“Uncle Niu, please sit.” Luo Shan hastily moved to make a place for Old Niu, inviting him to sit down.
Grandma Xiao Chun had already taken out a bottle of liquor from the cabinet in the living room, smiling as she said, “Old Niu, drink more, I’m waiting for you to perform an opera!”
After several drinks, Old Niu picked up a peanut to chew, squinting his eyes, looking contemplative.
After a while, Old Niu started singing a traditional Qin Huai tune.
The small children couldn’t understand and weren’t interested, fussing to watch TV.
The older children didn’t dare make a sound, but felt bored too.
As Luo Shan listened, his eyes turned red because his wife’s eyes had reddened first.
Luo Shan’s elder brother, who was Grandma Xiao Chun’s eldest son, held a small cup of liquor, recalling the times when a troupe came to the village when he was very young.
Most were the same, immersing in memories of the past years.
Only Grandma Xiao Chun held the littlest grandchild, just about two years old, gently patting the child’s back, occasionally touching her face to the child’s rosy cheek.
After all, the youngest child had fallen asleep long ago.
Grandma Xiao Chun squinted her eyes, smiling as if to say, what a good child.
“I’ll take a call.”
Suddenly, Luo Shan whispered softly to her mother, then stood up, pointing to her phone as she walked away.
But as soon as she stepped out, she couldn’t help covering her mouth and ran out to the courtyard alone, crouching there.
But she realized she couldn’t stay like that, so she quickly wiped her eyes haphazardly, stood up, and noticed someone sitting early on the low wall at the edge of the courtyard.
Since when…
Luo Shan only then realized, that sometime after the meal started, Luo Qiu quietly disappeared from everyone’s sight…
When he disappeared, it seemed no one noticed it.
“What are you doing here?” Luo Shan approached, speaking through a heavy nasal tone.
Luo Qiu glanced at Luo Shan, then took out a pack of tissues from his clothes and handed one over.
Luo Shan felt awkward, knowing the scene from earlier was probably seen.
But she decided to wipe her face, thinking she couldn’t go back in that state, so she took the tissue.
Luo Qiu suddenly said, “I was taking photos.”
Luo Shan only then noticed the vintage-looking camera with a golden exterior in Luo Qiu’s arms.
Luo Qiu came down, “Want to have a look?”
Through the lens, the view was a faded yellow-hued scene, facing the front of the house.
Luo Shan didn’t know much about cameras but felt this one definitely wasn’t a beginner’s model.
“Can…
can I take one?”
“Of course you can.”
“How…
how do I use it?”
Boss Luo smiled and guided Luo Shan on how to use it.
Luo Shan moved closer to the door, quietly capturing everyone in the living room, and before she knew it, felt a cool tear slide down her face.
“You…
turn around.”
Luo Qiu nodded, turned around, and felt a light pressure on his shoulder, as Luo Shan lay her eyes over her palm against him here.
“My parents have always been working outside.
I was brought up by my grandma.”
“Do you wish Grandma Xiao Chun could always be with you?”
“Who wouldn’t want their loved ones to be with them forever?” Luo Shan asked with a slight sob, then questioned, “But life and death are uncertain, nature changes, what can we do?
In the hospital, I’ve seen many patients’ families facing the same situation, and they are even more helpless.
When we can’t save someone, all we can do is let nature take them pletely away.
In front of death, we are the most powerless.”
“The reason of a doctor,” Luo Qiu said softly.
Luckily, we have our ideals…
Boss Luo thought silently in his heart.
“What do you mean?
Are you saying I’m cold-blooded?”
“No.” Luo Qiu shook his head, “I just feel that Grandma Xiao Chun having a descendant like you is truly a blessing.”
“What’s so good about that…” Luo Shan murmured, “What’s good about it.”
“This village…” Luo Qiu said calmly, “Except for Luo Zheng, you’re the only young person I see.
Although I met others today, they were called back, right?
Working at a hospital in town, the road is long and hard to travel, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Luo Qiu said softly, “During the day, I saw the row of new houses on the other side of the village road; they looked so lively.
But at night, you see, not many lights are on, not much different from the old houses on this side.”
“Of course, these new houses were built due to policy and subsidies, that’s why every household started building them.”
Luo Shan wiped her eyes with a crumpled tissue and looked ahead, “Those with the means have already moved to town.
Those without means or those capable and wanting to venture out, most work outside and don’t e back often.
What’s left are a few like Uncle Luo Shan, who still insist on farming, but not many.
So, isn’t it normal for them to be empty?”
“Then why do you stay in this town?
I heard from Luo Zheng that you left a very good hospital to e to the town’s hospital.”
Luo Shan felt a bit chilly, hugged herself and shook her head, “You can be a doctor anywhere, the work is the same…
but here, it’s too desolate.”
Over the village road, only two or three lights were on in a couple of homes, there were few voices, and the faint sound was only from televisions.
Occasionally, you could hear children laughing or crying, indeed desolate.
“Funny, right?” Luo Shan sighed, looking up at the night that had pletely darkened, “Not saying everyone should have a house full of children and grandchildren, but at least have close relatives.
They ought to enjoy their later years, yet they hardly get to see them throughout the year.
This kind of development, who knows if it’s good or bad.”
“It’s about time, can you help me with something?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.
…
That was Luo Qiu’s old house, the location was the kitchen, and wisps of steam were rising from a large iron pot on the stove, filling the room with a sweet and fragrant scent.
The fire underneath the stove emitted a bright orange glow, not vigorous, but very enduring.
“What is this?” Luo Shan furrowed her brow.
Luo Qiu lifted the pot lid and gently stirred the iron pot with a large spoon, “It’s Osmanthus syrup, it’s already done…
Hmm, do you see those bottles outside?
Help me fill them.”
“Why is it here with you…” Luo Shan instinctively looked towards Luo Qiu.
Luo Qiu said, “Grandma Xiao Chun still has to cook over there, with so many people, there’s naturally not enough space.
So, I just made it here instead.”
“But…
but it can’t be this quick, right?”
“Well, I used a bit of a special method.” Luo Qiu brushed it off lightly, then scooped some syrup with the spoon, “Taste it, it should be the same.”
Luo Shan instinctively dabbed a bit with her finger, then put it on her lips.
“Grandma Xiao Chun said, this is for you,” Luo Qiu said softly, “it’s the only thing she can still leave for you, something that can be preserved for a while.”
“So you…
that’s why you picked so many?” Luo Shan looked at Luo Qiu, her gaze softened pletely, her voice trembling.
Luo Qiu didn’t answer but smiled and asked, “Sister Luo Shan, weren’t you going to help bottle this Osmanthus syrup?”
Luo Shan suddenly realized something was missing.
…
“Is the fullest one this bottle?”
The two of them came out carrying bottles of Osmanthus syrup.
Luo Shan suddenly asked while staring at the basket in Luo Qiu’s hand.
Luo Qiu chuckled, “Didn’t you pare them all?”
Luo Shan huffed, “I always felt that yours seemed fuller…
swap them, this one’s mine, I want the biggest share!”
At the door, Grandma Xiao Chun leaned against it, seeing the two walking back with the basket, playfully bickering, she smiled knowingly.
Grandma Xiao Chun looked at them and said, let’s have a reunion meal.
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