Chapter 752
Su Yuanzheng presented the prepared mahogany chess box to Mr. Qin:
"Uncle Qin, this is the chess piece my father made for you. You two had agreed to have it made before, but it's a pity that he couldn't give it to you in person."
The moment the chess box was opened, Mr. Qin's hands began to tremble noticeably.
He took out a "Shuai" chess piece, turned it over and over in his palm, and suddenly burst into tears:
"Old Su, Old Su... you're so stubborn. We agreed to play a game of chess, but it's been almost twenty years and we still haven't finished it... We were all fine in the midst of the hail of bullets during the war, but how come the next rain washed you away? Sigh! What a cruel fate!"
A teardrop fell on the chessboard, splashing tiny water droplets.
After several people persuaded him again and again, it took a long time for Mr. Qin to calm down.
Holding Su Yuanzheng and Su Miao's hands, he said:
"Come on, let's go eat. I haven't been this happy in a while. Yuanzheng, have a few drinks with me. I have some snake wine that I made myself. Your dad taught me how to make it."
When Su Miao saw the big jar of medicinal wine and the long snake soaked in it, her eyes widened in surprise. She thought that only old grandfathers in Gui District liked to drink it!
"Grandpa Qin, do you like to drink medicinal wine? I rarely see this in the capital. I thought people from other places couldn't accept it."
"Hahaha, I've never seen it before either. It was after I was transferred to Ning County that your grandfather took me to drink it. The first time I drank it, I spent half a day mentally preparing myself!
It was freezing cold during the Korean War, and I developed a knee injury. Your Ning County is rainy and humid, and it was the rainy season when I first went there, so my knee injury relapsed immediately.
Your grandfather brought some snake wine from home to me and told me to drink a little every other day and rub my knees with it. Sure enough, my knees felt much better immediately. So, over the years, I've been sticking with it, and my knees rarely hurt anymore."
Indeed, Guangxi is located in the subtropics, with many mountains and trees and a humid climate. People believe that "dampness can easily invade the body" and easily cause rheumatism, joint pain and other problems.
Medicinal wine can not only promote blood circulation through alcohol, but also relieve discomfort with the help of the "medicinal properties" of the raw materials. It is regarded as a "health product" by many families.
"Dad, I haven't seen you making medicinal wine at home. I saw that my second uncle's house has some. It contains more than just snakes. It also contains geckos, big ants, or some herbs."
"Because your mother said she didn't like the taste of alcohol, I didn't drink at home. I would sneak out to drink a little."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Qin asked, "What about Miaomiao's mother now..."
"It's not suitable, we've already separated."
"Oh, that's okay. People with different ideals cannot work together. Just live your own life."
Then he turned the topic back to the medicinal wine:
"Yes, yes, yes! And that black ant, I was trying to find it, but I couldn't find it. I wonder if it's a species unique to the Guangxi region."
"Uncle Qin, if you want to drink black ant wine, Miaomiao and I will go back to Yongcheng later to find some and bring it to you after it's brewed."
At the dinner table, the few of them still had endless things to say, completely abandoning the idea of not talking while eating. It was also the first time that Su Yuanzheng and Su Miao heard that experience that Grandpa Su did not dare to recall.
Mr. Qin picked up a piece of braised pork for Su Miao:
"Your grandfather saved my life. During the Korean War, when the temperature was ten degrees below zero, he carried me on his back for over an hour... After the new government was established, your Guangxi region had not yet been liberated.
At that time, the time, place and people were all right, but in order to achieve a complete peaceful liberation, many comrades from the Guangxi area were transferred south to participate in the liberation work. In this way, your grandfather and I lost contact.
The next time we met was when I was transferred to Ning County. Although I was not successful at that time, I was able to reunite with your grandfather. I was relaxed and comfortable with my sinecure, and it was a rare happy time.
At that time, we still had the opportunity to become in-laws..."
Su Yuanzheng paused with his chopsticks, and Qin Xue quickly tried to smooth things over: "Dad, you're messing around again."
Old Master Qin shook his head childishly, suddenly looked at Su Miao and said:
"Miao Miao, do you have a partner? My grandson is at the National Defense University and is your age..."
Qin Xue didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Dad! What's going on here? Miaomiao and Xiaosheng are still young."
"Hehe~ Let's be friends. Our two families will visit each other often in the future~"
Amidst the laughter at the table, Su Miao noticed that his father and Qin Xue's eyes met for a moment, then quickly separated.
She suddenly remembered what her father said that day: "Fortunately she didn't marry me, otherwise I would have delayed her."
After lunch, Mr. Qin insisted on playing a game of chess.
The attendant set up the tables and chairs under the grape trellis, and Su Yuan was carefully spreading out the chessboard.
"You go first." The old man set up his "Shuai" chess piece, a cunning glint in his eyes. "Back then, your father let me have the third move."
The crisp sound of chess pieces falling on the board echoed in the yard, as if it were an echo that traveled through time and space.
Su Miao and Qin Xue sat aside making tea, watching the two men fighting on the chessboard, whispering to each other from time to time.
The sunlight shines through the gaps between the grape leaves, casting tiny spots of light on the chessboard.
"General!" Old Master Qin suddenly shouted, his voice louder than that of a man in his seventies.
Su Yuanzheng looked at the chessboard, smiled and shook his head: "Uncle Qin's chess skills are still as good as they were in the past."
"It's you who let me go. Old Su never let me go back then..." The old man shook his head and his eyes fell on the chessboard.
He suddenly asked the chess piece in his hand, "Xiao Su, when your father passed away... was it painful?"
The yard was silent for a moment, with only the rustling of grape leaves in the wind.
Su Yuanzheng replied softly, "I don't know. I found my dad only after the water receded."
Old Master Qin sighed deeply and gently placed the chess piece back on the board: "Alas...after all, he was willing to do this, for the people."
He looked up at Su Miao: "Child, come here."
Su Miao walked up to the old man and his rough hand grasped his wrist: "Your grandfather is a hero, remember?"
"Grandpa Qin, I remember." Su Miao nodded vigorously.
Before leaving, Mr. Qin insisted on seeing me off to the gate.
He took Su Yuanzheng and Su Miao's hands and said, "Come often... come often. Call me and I'll tell you guys to come in."
On the way back in the car, Su Yuan was silent, and Qin Xue looked at him through the rearview mirror from time to time.
It wasn't until the car drove out of the gate of the retirement home that he whispered, "Miaomiao, after we move, we'll go back to Sujia Village."
"Going to see grandpa and grandma?"
Su Yuan was looking at the passing scenery outside the window: "Well, it's time to tell the two elders that the chess pieces... have finally been delivered."
The sunlight outside the window danced across his face. Su Miao gently held his father's hand and felt the warmth from his palm.
This afternoon, the fate that had been interrupted for many years reunited in the long river of time.
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