No choice
Jian Xun told them that the master had Alzheimer's disease and had a difficult time in his later years. Jiang Liu and Yu Ran kept watch for several days, but the door on the third floor didn't open.
Could something have happened?
Once, I tried ringing the doorbell, and its distant "ding dong" echoed through the space behind the door, like a newspaper seller calling out, but no one answered. It made me wonder if the world behind the door was an endless maze.
After observing the overall appearance of the building, Jiang Liu came up with a solution.
He borrowed a toy telescope from Wen Jiaming and ran to the third floor of Building B.
Cleverly, since Building A is the first of six buildings in the complex, its layout is the same as that of the last, Building F, with balconies located inside the building. The four buildings in the middle, however, are so close together that all their balconies are located inside the corridors, ensuring maximum daylight.
This gave Jiang Liu a breakthrough. Standing at the same height, peering through the telescope, he could just see a balcony in Building A, Room 302. Two or three sweatshirts lay there, their distinctive wrinkles from dehydration. Beyond the thriving flowers, the most striking thing was the several silk banners hanging in the center of the living room...
The telescope can be seen clearly. There are three sides in total. The first side is written: "Virtue will last forever and support the future."
The second side reads: "With a mind as broad as the sun and the moon."
The third side reads: "The spring breeze moistens the land silently, and the peach and plum trees bloom without saying a word."
The inscription reads: "Presented to Mr. Guan Shiqian and Mr. Guan Honglin".
The father and his son are on the path of doing good.
Among them, the signatures on two sides of the brocade flags are "Xiangze City Education Bureau" and the other side is "Xiangze City Education Development Foundation".
Jiang Liu put it down silently and let Yu Ran see it.
After watching it, both of them felt very strange.
Because the three banners were awarded after the closure.
First, their hard work is seized, and then their good deeds are affirmed.
This is ridiculous contradictory logic.
The timing of the announcement was so strange that it definitely changed its meaning and became a trivial consolation. The consolation had the opposite effect, and the audience was all furious.
"Are you a little skeptical too?" Yu Ran looked at him.
Jiang Liu nodded. As long as he was sure everyone was home and safe, he was fine. He turned and discussed things with Jian Xun. The three of them bought a lot of daily necessities and health supplements and went to visit.
The doorbell boy hurriedly reported the news, and the wooden door was like a vertical pupil, conservatively opened a little, and looked at the visitor leisurely.
The guard inside the gate was a man in his fifties, with thick eyebrows that accentuated his powerful eyes. Deep eye sockets and double eyelids as wide as a pinky finger were prone to wrinkles as he aged. He had the same alertness as Wen Jiarui, but his expression was more confident.
"Are you my students?" This is not a question, but a direct expression of emotion. His aspirations are as unyielding as a mountain.
"No. Hello, we are volunteers from the community and we are here to express our condolences to Mr. Guan Shiqian." Jiang Liu said.
Guan Honglin's expression relaxed, and he opened the door to make way. The three of them carried the gifts and placed them on the coffee table in the living room.
Although Guan Honglin wore an apron, he looked like a scholar if not a teacher. Scholars valued subtlety and avoided revealing themselves, so Guan's elegance was the finishing touch, while his unpretentious nature was the main theme.
There were four chairs at the round table, and four bowls stacked on it; it was clear there were guests. Guan Shiqian was sorting his chopsticks when he saw the three volunteers, their faces dripping with sweat. He said with concern, "Young men, drink some water if you're tired." He went to the kitchen, intending to look for cups, but somehow ended up returning with three more sets of bowls and chopsticks. He placed them on the table and meticulously adjusted the spacing between the dishes.
Guan Shiqian was over seventy years old, and his eyes were neither black nor white, but a white-gold hue. Everyone knew that was a sign of cloudy eyes, but his spirit penetrated the turbidity.
The silver strands, like a wig, were neatly parted in a 2:8 ratio. The "8" side bulged outward, a natural-looking beret. He also had the air of a detective, a briar pipe dangling precariously from the corner of his mouth. The pipe was empty, likely a playful imitation of a detective's habit. He wore a modified Tang suit, his sleeves clean.
However, the face of a Western detective and the spirit of an Eastern detective, no matter which identity he has, suffering from amnesia is a major blow to his career.
Unfortunately, detectives are only heroic in our imagination, but the blows of life are real.
"Sit down and eat together." Guan Shiqian said happily and pulled Jian Xun's wrist.
The three of them said in unison, "No way! Excuse me! We should go!"
Guan Honglin came in and out serving dishes, and seemed to have confirmed that his father really didn't know these three people and confirmed their volunteer identities before he agreed:
"Take a seat. It's been a while since it's been this lively."
So, the three of them obeyed the order respectfully, some served the dishes, some spread the bowls and chopsticks, and some scooped the rice. They were all very happy.
The three of them took care to sit in the smaller seats, leaving the two seats next to the old man free for guests who had not yet arrived.
As soon as he sat down, Guan Shiqian took his pipe from his lips and prepared to eat. He glanced at it casually, something was wrong, and when he looked again, he felt a puff of air in his nose. "Huh! Where's my tobacco?"
Guan Honglin was not surprised and picked up some food for his father, thinking that he was just in a whim. However, his father was stubborn and would not touch his chopsticks until his pipe was filled with tobacco immediately.
Jian Xun handed the porridge to the master. The three people present were all wondering, will you still eat this meal after filling it with tobacco?
"Okay." Guan Honglin took the pipe and turned into the room.
Guan Shiqian drank his porridge calmly, slowly taking out the date pit and spitting it out, and there was a hint of meaning in his words, "I remember you..."
The words were brief, yet the meaning was profound. Fortunately, the detective wasn't pressuring the suspect. Still, those four words were enough to stir a thousand emotions.
For a moment, Guan Shiqian was the only one eating at the table. The other three put down their chopsticks but waited for no further action. When Guan Honglin came out again, he was empty-handed. He was sure that the old man had forgotten about it.
Little did they know that it was the old man's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain.
Guan Honglin sat down and asked the three about the details of their community volunteer work, such as who they mainly visited, how often they visited, etc. All three of them had brilliant minds, some creating an outline, others adding details, recreating a non-existent volunteer anecdote.
The doorbell rang. Jian Xun, who was sitting at the end of the seat, took the initiative to open the door. Outside the door were two young people, a man and a woman.
It seems to be Guan Honglin's daughter and her husband.
Guan Xueqing paused for a moment, then nodded to the three unfamiliar faces as she entered the house to change her shoes. She flew to her grandfather in her slippers and said sweetly, "Grandpa, do you remember who I am?"
Guan Shiqian looked at his granddaughter carefully, his heart full of cherishment, looking left and right, unable to get enough, then shook his head mischievously, "I don't remember."
Guan Xueqing's husband stood beside his wife and said, "Grandpa, this is your granddaughter, then who am I?"
"I don't know you." Guan Shiqian said to his grandson-in-law firmly, and then said to his lovely granddaughter, "I know you!"
The three young people introduced themselves. Guan Xueqing and her husband Zhao Jinnuo were very hospitable and shook hands with them in turn to express their gratitude.
After dinner, Guan Shiqian learned that Jiang Liu was interested in flowers, and he had a great time chatting with him, as if he had found a kindred spirit. Jiang Liu felt relieved, thinking that at least the old man liked flowers, and the birthday gift would surely touch his heart.
The grandson-in-law came over to water the flowers and chat with the old man. Jiang Liu returned to the kitchen to join the dishes. With the sound of water covering his ears, he could speak with confidence: "The old man just told me again, 'I remember you.'"
"He remembers you guys, that's probably just what he said. I guess you're the only one he really remembers." Yu Ran said to Jian Xun.
Jian Xun was conflicted. He had finally been able to see his master and his master's master, but they were so hesitant and secretive. Especially his master, Guan Honglin. The question of whether he was his former student had become a sore spot for him, probably because he was so upset by the closure.
"I'm afraid there is something hidden." The three of them said goodbye to the Guan family. Jiang Liu stood downstairs and expressed his thoughts in time.
"Did you notice the banner in the living room just now?" he turned to ask Jian Xun.
Jian Xun sat with his back to the banner while eating, and was busy tidying up the kitchen after dinner, so he probably had no time to pay attention to the decorations on the wall.
"No. Where are they? Oh, my mind is on Master and Master, and it hurts to see them like that!"
Jiang Liu told Jian Xun everything that was written on the banner.
Jian Xun was shocked when he heard this and also questioned the timing of the banner's presentation. "So, you're not just here to offer condolences? Are you here to look for clues?"
"Well, my clue is that Master Guan is very nervous about his students, but the master is looking forward to them. He even knows his son's nervousness, so he avoids his son when expressing his expectations." Yu Ran said.
Jian Xun felt the same way. He had always attributed all the anomalies to the seizure, and out of fear, he kept the matter a secret. But why did father and son have different attitudes?
"I was even looking forward to how we would react after hearing it," Jiang Liu recalled. "It's a pity that he mentioned it once at the dinner table and again while watering the flowers. Even though he avoided us, we didn't have the chance to talk about it in detail."
As he was speaking, the sound of slippers clacking shook the corridor. Guan Xueqing, breathless, asked anxiously, "You are my father's or my grandfather's student, right?"
Jian Xun was stunned for a moment and stopped denying it.
"Great! It really is you! Grandpa and I remembered it right!"
The three of them were shocked. It seemed that their guess was right!
"Please come visit him more often and make him happier!"
The three of them were more than happy to do so, but Guan Xueqing said this because she was very likely an insider of the whole thing and the one who was the easiest to talk to.
Jiang Liu told her everything. Jian Xun asked him to prepare flowers and gifts for her birthday. He and Yu Ran wanted to do their best, so they went to find out the story. After finding out, they wanted to stand up for the injustice, but they encountered something even more suspicious.
Guan Xueqing was particularly moved. The four of them went to a nearby cafe and chatted over drinks.
"Actually, the reason for the closure was 30 percent because make-up classes were not allowed at the time, and 70 percent was due to my grandfather's health."
The silver spoon stirs the coffee texture, bringing back memories of the past.
"The patient's condition is getting worse. Our advice is to get more rest, keep exercising, and simplify and refine your social environment. We recommend senior citizen groups and clubs. Stay away from crowded, noisy, and unstable social situations."
The doctor spoke to Guan Honglin earnestly.
Guan Honglin was torn between his beloved career and his beloved father.
Another option is to enroll the elderly in an interest class, and let the daughter and son-in-law take care of their food, accommodation, and transportation. The young man has long had this intention and wants to take the elderly to live in the new house.
Guan Honglin stayed behind to run the small bookshop. Old but still strong, he wouldn't feel lonely living in Lilliput, among the children. However, this meant that the responsibility of buying lunch fell entirely on him. This neighborhood was originally a police dormitory, housing about ten households, and there were only a few children left home at noon who couldn't take care of themselves. He knew all their names by heart, and Guan Honglin couldn't bear to disappoint those young faces. At worst, he could just get up an hour earlier and do the grocery shopping himself!
Guan Honglin's plan was flawless, and the old man lived a comfortable life under the careful care of his granddaughter and grandson-in-law. It would be great if it could continue like this...
"Dad, grandpa is missing. He sent me away to buy cigarettes and sent Jinnuo away to buy vegetables. Now I get home and he's gone!" One day, daughter Guan Xueqing cried anxiously, while son-in-law Zhao Jinnuo was checking the community surveillance.
"Don't worry, he's here with me... He's safe."
Guan Honglin looked helplessly at Guan Shiqian who was teaching the children to identify plants.
From then on, my father started to be wary of me, afraid to get in the same car with me, afraid to go out to buy groceries with me, afraid to let me go out alone to do something...
"Don't ask me to buy anything, I always forget." Guan Shiqian said so, and he accompanied the children with peace of mind. He was trying to refuse, but after talking for a long time, it became clear. He even forgot what he had forgotten, but he would never forget which child liked to eat which dish.
"Rui Yi, you like sweet things, right? Your name sounds like a candy brand."
Wen Ruiyi said embarrassedly: "Yeah, if you know it, don't repeat it again, because I'm trying to lose weight recently."
"Jian Xun, your name is simple but your favorite foods are diverse!"
"Heh, actually I'll eat whatever Master cooks!"
The children hadn't noticed anything was wrong yet. Guan Shiqian's care and love were instinctive. Instincts are unforgettable.
Only Guan Honglin, the son, endured it all silently. He followed his father to pick up the empty shell of his memories, and at the same time, he wove a false dream for the children that their grandfather was still a cicada singing in the shade of trees.
He had privately advised the old man many times with his daughter and son-in-law, and usually the worst case scenario was that he would end up throwing his job away.
The old man even threatened not to take his medicine, though it's possible he really forgot. He forgot to take his medicine—and when he got it, he wasn't sure why he was taking it—and his temper got worse and worse.
Guan Xueqing suggested that an older child could supervise the elderly taking the medicine, which would make the whole process smoother. However, should the news of the master's illness be told to these underage children who may not have received any education on birth, aging, illness and death?
Every day this bookstore remains open brings Guan Honglin a day of pain.
The turning point of the matter came when he read the news about a teacher in a certain province being shut down for running a cram school after school, and suddenly an epiphany occurred to him.
"We need to reduce the burden on the children now," Guan Xueqing said. "Don't be afraid. We're not making a profit, and besides..."
Halfway through their conversation, the father and daughter realized what was going on. "What do you mean...?"
Guan Honglin nodded, proud and relaxed at having come up with this brilliant idea, seemingly too busy to worry about the sadness that was about to come...
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