119. 119 away from home.
"Xiao Wu, you're still home." Old Wang, with a bandage on his right forehead, hurried over and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the door was open. "I was worried you'd already left. I was so anxious the whole way here. Why did you suddenly decide to resign?"
"I want to reunite with my wife and kids." Ning Jin didn't even look up as he continued packing his things. He had originally planned to take his bicycle, which he hadn't ridden in years, to the scrap yard to sell, but the price wasn't good, so he decided to give it to his three sisters-in-law. They all had children, and although the bicycle was a bit old, the parts were all in good condition.
Large items are worthless when sold, but they cost a lot when purchased.
Old Wang watched him busily packing his things and knew he was determined. He stopped doubting him but still spat at him and said irritably, "Who do you think we are? You're trying to fool me? Your wife and two sons are in three different places. Where are you going to reunite with your wife and kids?"
"I plan to go to the Northwest to be with Su Yu." Ning Jin said half-jokingly, "I'm already content with making so much money. I'm not young anymore, and I'm homesick, so I don't want to keep running around. Besides, Su Yu, Xiao Yuan, and Ping An all have jobs assigned by the government. They can't do without me, so I'll go there. We're a family, and someone has to give in to make us a family. In the past, Su Yu stayed home with the kids and waited for me. Now it's my turn to take care of her."
Listening to his words, he kept mentioning Su Yu. Old Wang thought that Xiao Wu hadn't had this idea before he took leave, but Xiao Wu spent a little more time with his wife after he took leave, and now he suddenly wanted to resign.
He scrutinized Xiao Wu's face again, and the more he looked, the more he felt something was off about him. Old Wang swallowed the words he had been pondering all the way and didn't try to persuade him anymore. He said, "You're right. My son doesn't want me to keep driving anymore either. He says I'm getting old and should stay home and enjoy my retirement, taking care of my grandchildren. I was a little reluctant at first, but now that you're quitting, I'll quit too. I don't dare to get involved in that kind of business with anyone else."
Considering Xiao Wu was in a bad mood, he didn't linger. "Then you continue with your work. My grandson is still playing with someone in the alley. I'll go check on him."
"Okay, I'll come find you for a drink when I get back next time." Ning Jin put down the old clothes in her hand and followed him to see him out.
"Relax, the kids are all grown up now, they'll be getting married soon. Talk to Su Yu more, stop fooling around, it's better for her to settle down at home, otherwise your son will lose face, and it will be difficult to find a wife." Even after they had walked out the door, Old Wang still couldn't bear to see his old partner's family break apart and his head turned green with envy, so he turned back and stood at the door, giving advice in a low voice: Women love their children, if her heart isn't with her man, you have to use the children to tie her down.
“What does this have to do with my son getting married? I’m unemployed, but I’m not broke, and I won’t let my son and daughter-in-law support me.” Ning Jin was puzzled and didn’t want to hear outsiders speak ill of Su Yu. He explained, “Su Yu is doing quite well now. She’s someone who’s destined for great things. I don’t have her magnanimity, so I’ll take care of her, just like she used to wait for me at home when I was always coming and going.”
"I understand, I understand." Old Wang nodded in understanding. Men are all stubborn and concerned about their reputation in this regard. Even if their faces are bruised and swollen from being slapped, they will not admit that their wives have had affairs. But seeing Xiao Wu speaking up for her, he didn't know whether to say that Xiao Wu was magnanimous or a good actress.
"You keep going, I'm leaving." Old Wang left in a hurry, thinking that Xiao Wu was also unlucky. He sent his wife to university, and now that she had a good job after graduating, she wanted to dump her husband.
"Sigh, they should have had children. Without children, these two are like leaves on a tree; when a storm comes, they'll go their separate ways," he sighed.
After returning to his room, Ning Jin thought about what Lao Wang had said and found it increasingly strange. He also noticed Lao Wang's sympathetic look and realized that Lao Wang had misunderstood. He shook his head and smiled, "You really underestimate Su Yu. If she had any ulterior motives, she wouldn't have waited until now."
Afterwards, he rode his bike to his third aunt's house and said to the old woman who was tearing corn leaves against the wall, "Dad, Mom, I'm going to the Northwest. I've also quit my job. Xiaoyu and I will come back to see you when we have time. If you two get sick or need anything, have Xiaoya write to us."
"It's Xiao Wu! I didn't even recognize him." Yu Anxiu wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and looked at him carefully again, then asked, "What did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."
"He said he was going to the Northwest to find Lao Yao," Old Man Su said loudly. This old woman was in good health and rarely needed a cane to walk, but her eyesight and hearing had deteriorated long ago.
"What about Xiaoyuan? Is my grandson going there too? Will he come back for Chinese New Year this year? I haven't seen him for more than half a year, and I can't read the letters he writes back." The old lady muttered to herself, and before Ningjin could speak, she instructed, "You must tell my grandson to come back to see his grandma for Chinese New Year. I'm getting older every year, and I don't know how many more times I'll be able to see him."
Old Su didn't speak, but when Ning Jin responded, he asked, "Why are you resigning? Your whole family has moved away." He sighed, waved his hand, and said it was alright, there was nothing to say, capable young people always have to leave.
"Come back and visit more often when you have time," he instructed.
Ningjin is doing well. The elderly couple no longer raise sheep. Two years ago, their third sister was afraid the sheep would knock them down, so she decided to sell them all. Now, the two old people stay at home and help feed the chickens and ducks, husk corn, and pick cotton. The two old people are still nimble and can help a lot. They live a good life and are well taken care of.
"You should have just sold it and brought it over for us. All the big items in the house were bought by you and your younger sister." Su He was a little embarrassed. Not to mention the digital watch on her and her husband's wrists, even the water cups, kettles, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels were brought by her younger sister's husband. Her parents' clothes were basically brought by her younger sister every time she came back. Even the washing machine, which is rare in the surrounding area, was bought by her younger sister and her husband.
“I’m benefiting from my parents’ success,” she said.
“Your parents are with you, and it’s thanks to you and my third brother that they’ve taken care of them. The things you brought were things I could buy cheaply. We’re all brothers and sisters, so there’s no question of us being taken advantage of or losing out. We’re all just trying to make life better for the two old folks, so there’s no need for formalities.”
My sister and her husband are well-off and don't care about these things, but I have to keep them in mind. It's a huge advantage for my family to have the two elderly people living with me. They let me farm the land, the harvest is mine, and my parents help with the work at home. My sisters and cousins always bring gifts when they visit. All I and my husband do is take care of the elderly people's food and drink and keep them healthy. These are just the things that children should do.
Even my second sister, whenever she comes over and sees the washing machine at home, says, half-jokingly, that she should have brought our parents home to live with her back then.
"There are two bicycles at home. I'll ride them over and leave them at your house later. When your older sisters come, they can each take one." Ning Jin didn't want to waste any more time delivering bicycles, and besides, he hadn't had much contact with his older sisters-in-law over the years. He also didn't want to go and have people pry into the situation of everyone in his family.
“You can ride them back and sell them. We’re not as poor as we are in previous years, so why should we accept your subsidies? The three bicycles cost a lot of money.” Su He refused to accept them and wouldn’t let Ning Jin stay for dinner. She pushed Ning Jin and the bicycles out.
“I went to ask about the price, and the three cars together would only sell for a hundred or two hundred. At that price, you can’t even buy two used cars. It’s not worth selling them. My cars are just badly rusted. With some paint repairs, they can last for several more years,” Ning Jin explained with a wry smile.
One or two hundred? She can't even make that much money selling sesame seeds in a season.
"We don't want it, but you've already sold it all. Whether it's a lot or a little, it's all in your hands." She's really become so rich that she doesn't care about money anymore. Xiaoxing's tuition over the years hasn't even reached a hundred or two hundred yuan. She can't afford to take advantage of this.
She absolutely refused to accept it, so Ningjin had no choice but to ride it back and sell it to a scrap yard. The three rusty, paint-covered bicycles sold for over 180 yuan, which wasn't even enough to buy a new bicycle.
While he was dealing with the bedding and clothes at home, his parents and two older brothers arrived.
"I heard you're leaving? Not coming back?" Seeing his house so empty, Boss Ning couldn't help but guess that his younger brother's whole family had gone north and wouldn't be returning.
“They do come back, but only during holidays. They don’t come back unless something major happens.” He looked at his hunched-over parents, who were younger than his in-laws but looked older.
“I send my parents’ retirement money to my older brother every month on time.” He found that the elders related to him were all quite long-lived. His parents, Ping An’s grandmother, and Su Yu’s parents were not young, but they were in good health. If nothing unexpected happened, they could live for another seven or eight years.
Ning Laoda cleared his throat and looked at his father.
"The pension should be raised; rice, flour, and cooking oil are all more expensive now." Old Man Ning now knows that his youngest son is supporting his father-in-law, but he can't do anything about it. Every time the topic of raising the pension comes up, he says he wants to be like his second son, and every time it's brought up, he refuses. At most, the next time he brings the pension, he'll bring a bunch of toothbrushes and toothpaste or a stack of towels, like a washing machine or something. He changes his expression as soon as the topic of raising the pension comes up.
"You're leaving now. Your mother and I are relying entirely on your eldest and second eldest brothers to take care of us. If you don't want to give us more, then stay at home. I feel at ease knowing that all three of my sons are in town," Old Man Ning threatened without changing his expression.
That's because money makes him feel at ease. Ning Jin finds it funny; his role has been replaced by money.
"How much?" he asked.
Old Man Ning, pursing his toothless lips, blurted out: "Eighty."
"You expect me to pay your two sons a salary?" Ning Jin sneered, glancing at his two older brothers, and said, "Aren't you your sons? Do you think I'd hire them to take care of our parents?"
All four looked a little uncomfortable, but none of them said anything back.
"Thirty. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll just stick to the old ways. Take it or leave it."
“Forty yuan? I’m not the only one. It’s not just your dad. You buy a washing machine for your father-in-law, but I carried you and gave birth to you. Don’t I deserve a washing machine? Then add another ten yuan. I want to eat better,” Zhao Guixiang said.
“My father-in-law doesn’t want me to give him any money for his retirement. A washing machine only costs three or four hundred yuan. The money I’ve given you over the years is enough to buy five or six washing machines.” Ning Jin wasn’t stingy with an extra ten yuan; he could afford it. But he minded being forced to spend money. They were hoping he would take on another person’s salary. He remembered that his older brother’s salary was only forty or fifty yuan.
"It's only thirty. I don't even have a job myself. I'm thirty and my second brother is thirty. The two of you together make sixty a month. My dad has never earned such a high salary. It's more than what the eldest brother earns in a month of hard work."
Seeing that Xiao Wu's eyes were fixed on the second brother, Old Man Ning was afraid that he would cause trouble again, so he said bluntly, "Your second brother is twenty. He lives close to me and your mother. He can help you take a bath and wash your hair. He can also carry you to the hospital when you are sick. But you are thirty. You are not at home. When I need my son to lend a hand, I can't find you."
"You're incredibly lucky to have a son like me. I don't have to support you, and I'll even make money from you when you're old. You were never this filial when my grandparents were still alive."
Old Man Ning remained silent despite the sarcasm. He believed that the older a person gets, the more money they need to have. Only when you have money will your son support you, and your daughter-in-law and grandson will not give you a hard time.
"Okay, I'll send it to my older brother later."
"No need, send it to me, send it by registered mail," Old Man Ning instructed, not even glancing at his elder brother's gaze, which was practically drilling a hole through him.
Ning Jin chuckled and nodded, saying it was okay.
When he was able to work and take care of the children, he was completely focused on his eldest son. Now that he has to rely on his eldest son for food, he has become wary.
Seeing that he had said everything he needed to say, Ning Lao Er said with a grin, "Third brother, you don't want these bedding and clothes anymore? They look pretty new to me. Give them to your second brother. Your nephew wets the bed every day, and several old quilts are soaked with his urine. They smell terrible. I'll take these quilts and clothes back to replace them. The clothes can also be torn up and used as diapers."
Since he had already taken action, Ning Jin couldn't very well say that he was packing the quilts to use when he came back for the New Year.
Then his house was basically emptied out, along with clothes, bedding, shovels, hoes, sickles for cutting chives, small shovels for digging holes... If he hadn't stopped them, even the iron pot in the kitchen would have been taken away.
Okay, with someone "helping to pack up," Ning Jin locked the door and headed to the train station after they left. He had originally planned to leave tomorrow.
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