Recall two or three things about my grandfather.
When I was a child, my family was not bad, of course, I could only compare with my neighbors, so my life was more carefree. At that time, most children didn't have any toys. It's fun to play with mud and fold some paper on weekdays. But my grandfather really loves me and never forgets to bring me some gifts every time he goes out, so he doesn't have much money. I remember my grandfather went to Beijing when I was five or six years old, but I don't remember why he went on a business trip. When he came back, he bought me many toys, which made me very happy. I still remember a toy gun, which is made of plastic and yellow. The bullet is a ping-pong ball. It can hold four at a time and has a long range, but this is something I have never seen before. I don't know how long I have been happy. I play with it every day and sleep with it at night. I also don't forget to show off to my friends, so that they envy and beg to borrow them to play. I am more satisfied and full of joy when I look at their greedy appearance. Seeing grandpa, I smiled and shouted sweetly. Now that I think about it, I'm afraid I feel a little "flattering" and "snobbish".
Grandpa was still very young at that time, but he was in his forties, miserable and had nothing. He started from scratch, got married with one pair of hands, gave birth to three mothers and three sisters, and then built a big house behind him, which was envied by people far and near. So I have never suffered anything since I was a child. Although I don't eat and play like a child now, my grandfather was very obedient to me at that time and gave me everything.
In my memory and in the stories of my elders, I especially liked eating canned litchi when I was a child. At that time, it was a good thing and a good gift for Chinese New Year. But for me, this is a normal thing, and I don't eat less on weekdays. Because grandpa often buys from me, grandpa's junior always gives him several canned lychees for the New Year. I am very happy, and of course my grandfather is also very happy. There are more cans, and there are more empty glass cans at home. At that time, they gathered in the utility room under the stairs of the house, and the waste collectors came to collect it every once in a while, often two baskets. Now I think it is full of happiness, which many children of the same age have never experienced, and all this is thanks to my grandfather. Unfortunately, when I was able to repay him, my grandfather died early because of cancer, which became a regret and could only be sad.
Later, I was admitted to the second middle school in our county, which was about three or four hours' drive from home. Actually, it's not far. It's just a winding mountain. This is my first time away from my relatives. At that time, the requirements of No.2 Middle School were very strict, similar to militarized management. I only have a holiday in January, and I only have two or three days at a time, so I seldom go home. Although I am a man, I am still young and haven't been away from home for a long time, so I can't help thinking about you. I was quite sad when I talked to my family on the phone. I choked up and asked for a photo of my family and grandpa. I can comfort myself if I miss it. My family and I have never taken photos to record our lives. It was just a temporary feeling. I didn't expect grandpa to come to see me at school a week or two later. I was pleasantly surprised and even more excited. I excitedly showed my grandfather around the school, whispering what I thought was interesting in the school, and my grandfather followed me all the time, smiling and responding to what I said. I asked for leave and had lunch with my grandfather at the school gate. When I left, my grandfather gave me two photos and several hundred dollars, telling me to take care and call home if necessary. The existence of photos surprises me. One is a family photo without me, and the other is a single photo of my grandfather. My grandfather was in his fifties and sixties. He is simple and energetic. Although his face is somewhat weather-beaten, he doesn't look like he is in his forties, and his hair has never been gray. In the photo, grandpa is sitting in a chair with his legs together and his hands naturally falling on him. He has no dignified posture, smiles, and is undoubtedly close. These two photos were taken temporarily by my family in the photo studio after I made the phone call. Now I don't know where they are. They should have been destroyed. After that, my grandfather went for a drive, and it took a long time to come back, so I had to be early. I can't help but feel sad when I look at the back of my grandfather's departure. Now that grandpa has gone, I feel even more sad from my heart.
Later, after graduating from college, I ran home and had a free rest for the last time before I implemented my work. I didn't think much about it at that time, and my family was more tolerant. I just mentioned it a little when I went home. They stopped talking when I said I hadn't found the right one. But behind my back, grandpa had asked acquaintances to help me find a job, and later became a distant relative in a design company in Changsha, and he has been doing it until now.
I was busy with my studies in college, but after graduation I completely relaxed and lived a decadent life. One morning after breakfast, my grandfather suddenly asked me to work together, digging a biogas raw material pool. The pool is round, nearly one meter deep, and is located under a chestnut tree for many years. The sun was shining, the shadows were mottled, and there was some breeze blowing. This is really a good time to work. Grandpa and I both jumped into the pit and dug with hoes. At that time, my grandfather was over 60. After several years of great changes, he is much older than when I was in high school. His face is wrinkled and his hair is gray, but he is still healthy and agile. We are all bad at words. Grandpa only spoke about the past intermittently, and also said that he would work hard in the future. As for the details, I can't remember them now. My "hmm" and "oh" responses are just following the work, digging holes and moving holes, and so on. As time went on, the raw material pool deepened gradually, so we did quite quietly at lunch, which was the first and last time that my grandfather took me to work alone.
My family doesn't talk much on weekdays, and there are many examples, but it's not intentional. This job is only because my grandfather saw that I was a little depressed and worried about my work for a long time, so he asked me to make some adjustments. It may not make much sense to think about grandpa's actions now. It's just that I think life is like digging a well. I don't need to make too much noise. I dig quietly. As long as I concentrate on it, success is not far away. Even if I don't need it to jump, it will jump out unexpectedly and surprise us.
Now I can't remember whether I dug the pool together, but this biogas digester is still serving my family. It should have been with me for many years. Unfortunately, my grandfather has passed away. It's been nearly 20 years since grandma died, and my grandparents have been buried in a grave, only 50 meters away from home. I don't know whether it's Mr. Feng Shui's integrity or grandpa's yearning for grandma. I think they must be together now, watching us leave near the road and watching us get married.
In the early spring of this year, my brother and I went to pay a New Year call to our grandparents. After years of separation, we stood at the grave but didn't know what to say, only feeling sad. I regret not honoring grandpa's milk. Now I can only tell them silently that I miss them very much, and future generations are all well, but maybe they have been watching them.