Chapter 75
"Dad really thinks a lot." Chen Cheng's words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, with a sense of regret and irritability after being plotted against.
"Your father is just worried that I'll be alone when I'm old, and you're all staring at the little he left behind." Granny Chen's cloudy eyes looked intently at Chen Cheng, her voice dry and hoarse. She paused, as if pondering what to say next, or perhaps she was also thinking of the past.
"He kept talking to me two days before he passed away, saying that this thing was a thought he left for me and also a support for me. If you can really treat me well, then this thing will be yours sooner or later. But if you remain the same, then even if I'm gone, you can't keep this thing for yourself." After she said these two sentences, her hands holding the wooden box seemed to loosen a little because of fatigue and comfort in her heart.
As the sun outside the window sank completely, and the last glimmer of light was swallowed by the greedy night, the thick twilight crept into the room, quickly encroaching on every corner. Grandma Chen looked at her two sons, their faces gradually fading into darkness, their outlines blurring, leaving only two vague silhouettes and the eyes she could no longer clearly see.
"Mom, what are you talking about?" Chen Cheng raised his voice, as if he was touched by her words. He hurried to the front of Grandma Chen, almost kneeling. He raised his head, and in the dim light, his eyes looking at Grandma Chen became unusually sincere. "We were in a bit of trouble before. My company's turnover was not good, and I saw that a big order was about to fall through. Dozens of people were still waiting for my salary. Ah Ming, he had finally found a suitable school district house and wanted to put together a down payment. We were just too short of money, so we thought about selling things first to deal with the emergency, but this does not mean that we will ignore you."
"Yes, Mom," Chen Ming also nodded in agreement. He stood there, rubbing his hands back and forth unconsciously, and seemed a little impatient. "Brother is right, Mom, we are in a hurry to use the money. We definitely don't want to embezzle it, nor do we want to show our filial piety to you. Please don't think too much."
He spoke hastily, but his eyes seemed out of control. He glanced at the wooden box on Grandma Chen's legs again and again. Later, he stared at the wooden box nakedly and couldn't take his eyes off it.
"Mom," Chen Ming came over and said to Grandma Chen as if to negotiate, "How about you give this thing to us first, and we'll find a reliable place to authenticate it. We have to find out if the things Dad left behind are real. We can't just say it's real because Dad says it's real."
"A Ming is right. We can all rest assured after the identification," Chen Cheng immediately responded. He tried to persuade Grandma Chen earnestly, as if everything was for her consideration. "Although Dad said there were two, one real and one fake, he didn't make it clear which one was real and which one was fake. What if, I mean what if, what if Dad is wrong with both of them? Let's get them identified first, so that we can have a clear idea in our hearts, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes, the boss is still very thoughtful." Chen Ming nodded hurriedly.
Chen Cheng knelt down. Seeing Granny Chen, he firmly grasped her hands. His tone softened, but if you listened carefully, you could still hear the unquestionable determination in his words. "Mom, how about this? Let's take it for appraisal and find out the truth first. No matter what the result is, we'll return it to you for safekeeping. We two brothers will never think of it again. What do you think?"
As he spoke, he carefully observed the changes on Grandma Chen's face.
Grandma Chen didn't speak, her gaze drifting slightly. Chen Cheng leaned forward again, his tone sincere, almost pleading, "Mom, I know we didn't do the right thing before. We were so busy and didn't come back to see you often, which made you feel uncomfortable. This time, we really want to make amends. Please give us a chance. If you're still worried, we can write you a note, just like we did with Dad, okay?"
Chen Mingye quickly came to his rescue, "Mom, just agree. We'll go on Monday, no, early tomorrow morning, and find the best appraisal agency in the city. The day after tomorrow, or at the latest the day after tomorrow, we guarantee that it will be returned to you intact. There will be absolutely no delay."
Chen Cheng continued, "Besides, Mom, if this bowl is real, then if we keep it at home, we two brothers will have more energy to work, right?"
Granny Chen lowered her eyes, her bony fingers unconsciously rubbing the surface of the wooden box. In the dim light, she saw Chen Cheng kneeling before her, the sincerity in his eyes almost overflowing. She turned her head to look at Chen Ming standing beside her, his impatience, as if he was about to grab it at the next second, was also not concealed. One was hiding calculations, and the other was clear-headed and only had greed left. Granny Chen knew everything, but knowing was knowing, but what was the point of knowing at her age? How could a blind and frail old woman stop her two quick-witted sons? In the end, they fell out, and she was the one who was embarrassed and criticized in the village.
The feeling of weakness in her body was like the night outside, enveloping her from head to toe. She looked at the wooden box in her hand. Was it a good thing or a bad thing for Boss Yang to give this to her?
She felt an indescribable discomfort in her heart, bitter and astringent, sad and bitter, for her long-departed partner and for the stark reality before her.
After being silent for several seconds, she slowly raised her head, her face showing an almost numb calmness. Granny Chen followed their words, pretending to be persuaded by them, her voice light and her head light. She said: "Forget it, I will give this thing to you sooner or later."
She slowly handed over the wooden box, and almost the next second, Chen Cheng took it immediately. His movements were so fast that even Chen Ming had no time to react.
He hugged the box and stood up suddenly.
"Mom, we'll leave first. We'll tell you the results in a couple of days." Chen Cheng's tone was filled with the uncontrollable eagerness and joy of relief.
"Don't worry, Mom, we will definitely send it back to you," Chen Ming also quickly assured, and he hurriedly caught up with Chen Cheng.
The two brothers didn't even exchange a few words of pretended concern or politeness. They walked one after the other, and all that could be heard was the sound of someone rushing down the stairs.
The room was completely quiet, with only the ticking of the old clock as the sound remained.
Granny Chen propped herself up on her knees and slowly, with some difficulty, rose from the bed. She inched her way to the window and gazed at the completely dark sky. In the thick darkness, she saw her two sons walk out of the yard.
There was light from car lights in the alley and the engines of cars started.
Grandma Chen's face was expressionless, and her dry eyes couldn't even shed a tear. She just stared at the direction the car disappeared in. After a long, long time, she murmured to the dark darkness outside the window in an almost inaudible voice: "Old man, it's a good thing you left early, so you didn't see what happened today."
*
The next morning, just as the sun was rising above the eaves of the buildings, many elderly people were already gathered in the community garden to exercise. In the quiet morning, the two brothers Chen Cheng and Chen Ming were gathered together again for some unknown reason.
The location was in the not-so-spacious living room of Chen Ming's house. The fan overhead was spinning laboriously, stirring up the increasingly stuffy air in the room and outside. The smell of overnight smoke and an indescribable sense of anxiety were mixed together, filling the entire room with stuffiness and impatience.
Several empty beer cans fell here and there on the coffee table and at his feet. The glass ashtray was already full of cigarette butts. Chen Ming took a deep drag on the almost burnt cigarette, and the ashes fell on the wooden coffee table, which had turned yellow and had several black spots on it.
Chen Ming's eyes were bloodshot, obviously he hadn't slept all night.
"Boss," Chen Ming's voice was noticeably hoarse as he sat up and said, "I still feel a little uneasy about this matter."
Chen Cheng frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, making a dull clatter. He said nothing, but reached out and took out a cigarette from the wrinkled cigarette case on the table. He put it between his lips, lit it with a lighter, and took a deep breath, the smoke exhaling from his nose and mouth.
"I didn't sleep much yesterday." After smoking half a cigarette, Chen Cheng finally spoke, "Mom hid this thing so carefully before. When she first took it out, she didn't say there were two. How come a month later, another one suddenly appeared, along with Dad's will?"
"I think this is a problem too. Do you think someone wants to help Mom?"
"That's unlikely," Chen Cheng shook his head. "Mom has lived in the village all her life. The only people she knows are those uncles. They're struggling themselves, so who would give her something nice?"
"How is that?" Chen Ming brushed off the cigarette ash on his hands. "You said Dad has been in the village all his life and hasn't even been to Cheng for a few serious visits. How could he understand the will and even find someone to draw up that... supplementary agreement?"
Chen Ming leaned forward, glanced at the tightly closed door, and asked in a low voice, "Do you think there's something fishy going on here?"
Chen Cheng didn't say anything. He took another deep puff of his cigarette and his eyes fell on the dark wooden box on the coffee table. The box looked quite old, and the paint on the corners was worn and peeling off, revealing the lighter wood inside.
"Who cares if it's real or fake?" Chen Cheng slapped his thigh, as if he had made up his mind. He put out his cigarette butt in the ashtray beside him. "Let's find a place to do an appraisal first. If it's real, we'll be happy. If it's fake, we'll give up on it as soon as possible."
"That's what I said," Chen Ming's face showed difficulty. He rubbed his hands, his expression was a little embarrassed. "Last time, the appraisal fee, two thousand yuan was wasted. I really didn't dare to ask Xiaoyu. She has been keeping an eye on the price of school district housing every day recently. She knows every penny coming in and out of the family."
Chen Cheng glanced at him and said, "Where's your private money? Since you've already taken advantage of it, it doesn't matter this time. If one of these two things is real, not to mention the school district house, our two families will have a much easier life in the future."
"That's the truth," Chen Ming leaned over, "What if this thing is fake again like last time? I spent a lot of effort to get the two thousand yuan last time. If I need it authenticated again this time, where will I get the money? If Xiaoyu knew I spent money on this, she would be furious with me."
Chen Cheng stared at the wooden box, his brows furrowed even tighter. "Then what do you say we should do? If we just leave it like this, what if it turns out to be real? Wouldn't it be a shame if we missed it?"
Chen Ming rubbed his chin, as if thinking about something. He suddenly thought of the street he passed by two days ago and the new store he saw. "Oh, right, when I was taking my second child to cram school last week, I passed by Jianguo Road and saw a new store called, what's it called, Jinshizhai. It seems to be an antique appraisal store. They're offering a 30% discount for a new store opening. Why don't we take them there?"
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