No matter how these people from my hometown conduct themselves, the blood ties and family bonds are unbreakable; we are naturally drawn to each other.
"Oh, oh, it's good to see you back. Come back and visit whenever you have time." Sheng Lianyi held Sheng Xiping's hand, looking him up and down with delight in his eyes.
“Those are your eldest brother and second brother, don’t you recognize them?” Sheng Lianyi pointed to the two tall and strong men beside him and said.
"Big brother, second brother." Sheng Xiping nodded to the two of them.
Sheng Lianyi was two years older than Sheng Liancheng, but he got married earlier, at the age of nineteen.
The following year, the eldest son, Sheng Xizheng, was born, followed by the second son, Sheng Xihong, and the third son, Sheng Xiyong, who was only a few months older than Sheng Xiping.
These brothers were unlucky; before they could finish their studies, they were sent to the countryside and had to stay in the village to farm.
It was Sheng Lianjie, the third son of the Sheng family, who came up with a solution and sent Sheng Xiyong to join the army.
Sheng Xizheng and Sheng Xihong both stayed at home, got married, and had children.
“Those are your fifth younger brother and sixth younger sister.”
Sheng Lianyi has six children. His fourth child, Sheng Xiuying, got married last winter. His fifth child, Sheng Xitong, and his sixth child, Sheng Xiuqin, have all stopped going to school and are now farming at home.
Sheng Xitong and Sheng Xiuqin stepped forward to greet their cousin. "Brother."
"Oh, it's been so many years. My fifth brother and sixth sister have grown up so much." Sheng Xiping nodded to the two of them and smiled.
Logically, in a large family like the Sheng family, cousins should be ranked according to their birth order.
Of the Sheng brothers, only the eldest lived in the village and the third in the commune. The second brother, Sheng Liancheng, lived in the Northeast, the fourth brother, Sheng Lianqiu, lived in Heze, and the fifth brother, Sheng Lianwen, lived in Jinan. None of them lived close to home.
The fourth brother can only come back during the Spring Festival, the fifth brother lives far away and only comes back once or twice a year, and the second brother lives the farthest away and can only come back a few times every few years.
There are twenty or thirty younger members in the Sheng family, scattered in various places, and their ranking is only recorded in the family genealogy.
We don't usually see each other, so who would remember who's number in the family? When we do meet, we just call each other whatever comes to mind, as long as we don't get the order wrong.
"Hey, it's rare for my little brother to come home. Let's not chat here anymore, let's hurry home. My grandparents are waiting for us."
Sheng Xi smiled at Sheng Xiping and reminded his father.
"Yes, yes, let's go, Xiping, let's go home with Da."
Sheng Lianyi was overjoyed to see his nephew. He then came to his senses and hurriedly pulled Sheng Xiping toward the village.
The others, a considerable number of them, followed suit and walked back together.
The Sheng family's house, located at the eastern end of the village, consisted of several mud-brick rooms. These houses were built after Sheng Liancheng recruited workers in Northeast China and sent money home every month.
Sheng Xiping followed the others into the courtyard and saw two elderly people, leaning against the door frame, their eyes filled with tears, looking towards the entrance.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm back. I've come back to see you both." Sheng Xiping quickly stepped forward and helped the two elderly people up.
"Goodness, I've been waiting for you to come back! Why did it take you so long? Have you forgotten about home?"
The patriarch of the Sheng family, Sheng Guangyao, was over seventy years old. He had a full head of white hair, a slightly hunched back, and wore a faded, patched-up suit.
Her withered hands, like the bark of an old tree, tremblingly grasped Sheng Xiping's hand.
"My dear, let Grandma see you. Oh my, it's been over ten years, my dear has grown up so much."
Over there, Sheng Xiping's grandmother, Sheng Hanshi, raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye and smiled at her grandson.
The old lady was in her seventies, with her gray hair tied in a bun at the back of her head, and her back was ramrod straight.
He was wearing a traditional Chinese-woven jacket with button loops, and he looked quite smart.
Sheng Xiping had already handed over the things he brought to his uncle Sheng Lianyi. At this moment, he held his grandparents' hands in his own, and the grandparents and grandchildren were naturally moved to tears upon seeing each other.
Sheng Xiping, in particular, regretted that when he came out of there in his previous life, his grandparents had already passed away and he was unable to see them off on their final journey.
Seeing the two of them again, and knowing they are in relatively good health, naturally fills me with immense emotion and excitement.
"Auntie, Xiping has finally come back. Don't just stand there talking. Come and sit down."
Sheng Lianyi and Sheng Xizheng stepped forward and helped the old man and woman of the Sheng family to sit down on the benches in the courtyard.
A few days ago, Sheng Liancheng sent a telegram to his hometown, telling them that Sheng Xiping might be going back.
So when people from his hometown saw Sheng Xiping, they weren't surprised at all; they were just excited and happy.
The children, in particular, jumped and ran around excitedly when they saw their uncle arrive, making the courtyard exceptionally lively.
The snacks and canned goods that I brought when I entered were taken by Sheng Lianyi and placed on the cabinet in the east room.
That thing can't be moved; it's usually kept for future favors. These days, people are careful with their money, and most families do it this way.
So, Sheng Xiping took out a bag of candy from his pocket and handed it to the old lady.
"Grandma, please share some with my younger brother and sister, and my nephews and nieces. I came in a hurry and didn't bring anything else."
"Okay, sure."
Grandma Sheng beckoned, and all the children who had been running around the yard came running over, their eyes wide as they stared at what their great-grandmother was holding.
The old lady opened the paper bag, took out some candy, and gave two pieces to each person. "Aren't you going to thank your uncle?"
The children thanked Sheng Xiping in a flurry of words. Sheng Xiping patted the children on the head and smiled as he told them to go eat candy.
There were many children in the family, and some of them were quite cunning. They would transfer the candy from their right hand to their left, clench their fists and hide them behind their backs, and then extend their right hand again.
The old lady was probably old and her eyesight was failing, and with so many children, she didn't notice that one of the children had an empty hand, so she gave him another one.
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