After finishing his business, Yi Zhonghai returned to his own small house.
It looked no different from any other day. However, after returning from his stroll outside, he paused for a moment when he saw the empty table. Then he stood there, smiled, and went back out.
Yes, starting today, no one will be cooking.
I was just about to go out for a meal when my third uncle pulled me into the room.
"Come on, Lao Yi, let's eat. It's just right, we made a little too much."
"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony with you."
In the past, going to someone's house for a meal was considered shameless and would be disliked; everyone wanted a bite to eat. But now, no one is short of food; what's lacking are people coming to eat at your home.
With money in their pockets, people are placing more importance on relationships.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw a table full of delicious food, with meat and vegetables.
The whole table was set with four dishes and a soup.
"Wow, this table of yours, it seems like it was all premeditated." The old man glanced at the third old man.
Everyone in this courtyard knows everyone else.
Frankly speaking, if there are two elderly people in a normal family, they wouldn't eat very well. Sometimes, when they're feeling lazy, they'll just grab a bowl of noodles from a street vendor and call it a day. A standard four-dish-and-one-soup meal like this is quite rare. Putting aside everything else, wasting food is absolutely unacceptable to their generation. Everyone has experienced hunger, even Wang Shouren, who was quite tormented when he first transmigrated.
"Hehe." The third uncle didn't say much, first pouring a cup for the first uncle: "I used to always look forward to drinking a cup of undiluted wine. I only really got to drink it properly after that kid Wang Shouren came. Since then, I've realized that drinking too much wine isn't a good thing. It gives me a headache." The third uncle tapped his head.
"Let's agree on this first, that's enough, let's not compete in drinking."
"Even if you want to compete, I won't compete with you. I'm old, and I don't have the energy of a young person anymore."
"That's good, that's good. Eat your vegetables, eat your vegetables."
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the wine had been drunk and the dishes were served.
While eating peanuts, the third uncle said, "Old Yi, what are your plans for the future?"
Yi Zhonghai put down his chopsticks and calmly glanced at the Third Uncle: "Plans? Don't worry, I'm not going to die anytime soon."
"Hey, look at what you're saying. If this were decades ago, you'd punish yourself with three drinks. But let's forget about it now, we're too old."
“I’m telling the truth. You know, when I came back from retiring from the factory, I really felt uncomfortable all over. You know, I’ve been a fitter my whole life, so I should be tired by now. But after retiring, I felt like I couldn’t stay still, I had nothing to do, and I even became a bit irritable during that time. In the end, it’s just because I lost all hope.”
The old man nodded: "Indeed."
Everyone has a different definition of life.
Uncle San's definition of life was different from that of normal people. He was truly terrified of poverty. Back then, it was incredibly difficult for one person to support a family of seven. I'm not talking about the time when Yan Jiecheng was an adult in the 1960s, but rather when the younger children were still small. In those days, if you were even slightly unlucky, someone in the family would probably starve to death.
This is why he became increasingly stingy later on.
However, with the passage of time and Wang Shouren's encouragement, his stinginess gradually changed. Didn't he know that his behavior was wrong? He was genuinely afraid. Later, he hitched a ride with Qin Family Village and even made some money.
He doesn't actually have tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan. However, he has a steady amount every month, enough for him to live happily until he dies.
He's still in relatively good health and has some spare money. He's not like an old man who lives a life of leisure; he has his own ideas and ambitions, and he just wants to live happily. He's like a child now, seeing things he wouldn't have dared to buy before, and thinking about when he'll save up enough money to buy them. That thing could be a roast duck from Bianyifang or a watch from the supply and marketing cooperative.
Or it's seeing a bowl of braised noodles on the roadside and making you swallow your saliva.
For him, every day is a day to make up for his regrets.
Walking down the street, whenever he sees something, he thinks to himself, "Hey, that's something I couldn't bring myself to buy decades ago. I have to buy it and try it out." So, for him, these days after retirement are actually his own. He has unloaded the responsibilities he carried on his shoulders, and he is going to see the world, to understand the world, and to feel the love in the world.
He lived a very fulfilling life, which is why, among so many people who returned from Hong Kong, he was the only one dressed in the most flamboyant style.
Because only now does he have the right to be curious about what the world is really like. The longer he lives, the happier and younger he becomes.
Yi Zhonghai was different. Although his life was full of hardship, it was undeniable that he was a smart man. This smartness wasn't about interpersonal relationships, but rather his technical skills. A normal person, after a lifetime of toiling in a factory, would probably only reach the level of a third or fourth-grade worker. A fourth-grade worker and above were the backbone of the factory.
Yi Zhonghai was a level eight worker.
Calling him a "genius" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
This "genius," upon reaching retirement age, suddenly found himself with nothing to do. Could he perhaps wander around like an old man?
The answer is no, because to be honest, although the old man had a tough childhood, he steadily rose through the ranks after entering the factory, and his conditions were actually quite good, surpassing 99% of people nationwide. And among these neighbors, aside from the fact that he had no descendants, everyone else gave him a thumbs up. No one could compare to him.
Therefore, he can afford to buy things from outside if he wants to.
Things he didn't care about when he was young, he naturally wouldn't care about when he got old. He couldn't derive any pleasure from them.
Even at this age, he remains competitive.
An old man continued, "Back then, Shouren told me that he planned to rehire us old folks. Good heavens, you have no idea how happy I was."
An old man's eyes held a hint of reminiscence.
It may be old, but it's still useful.
"His skills are still sharp." The third old man commented.
"That's it." The old man took a sip of his drink, picked up a peanut, and popped it into his mouth. His hand was still very steady, even though he was over 70. Unlike the third old man, who had to be very careful with a peanut.
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