An Bohuai said: "I have not suffered any hardship in the past ten years, and I have also received help from my daughter and son-in-law... By the way, this is my daughter. You saw her when she was a child. I wonder if you remember her."
An Hua stepped forward and called out generously, "Uncle Xu, hello."
Xu Shoulin looked at An Hua, stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, "Well, well, you've grown into a big girl. When I went to see her last time, she still had two braids."
An Hua laughed and said, "What do you mean by a grown-up girl? I'm already a mother of three children, and my eldest son is already in college."
"What are you still standing outside for? Come in." A woman about the same age as Qiu Shushen came out and warmly invited them in.
This is Xu Shoulin’s wife, but judging by the age difference, she is obviously not his original wife.
"Old An, Little An, please." Xu Shoulin led the way.
Xu Shoulin's second-courtyard house was well preserved. Even during the years when it was confiscated, only a few people worked here and it had never been damaged.
As you enter the door, you will see a brick screen wall with auspicious patterns carved on it. Next to the gate is the back house. As soon as you enter the front yard, you will see a spacious courtyard with four trees planted in the four corners. In the southwest is a large fish tank with duckweed floating on the surface. In addition, there are some potted plants under the eaves in front of the corridor.
The overall look is neat and simple, but spacious and comfortable.
The front yard was where Xu Shoulin entertained guests and hosted banquets. He then led An Bohuai and An Hua into the study, so An Hua had no chance to visit the back yard for the time being.
"Come, have some tea." Mrs. Xu came over with the brewed tea.
Xu Shoulin and An Bohuai exchanged information about their respective situations over the past ten years, sometimes sighing, sometimes feeling fortunate that they had at least spent the past ten years in peace.
"Old An, you are lucky to have a good daughter and son-in-law." Mrs. Xu sighed.
An Bohuai also nodded and looked at An Hua, "Yeah, I only realized it later. If I didn't have a daughter and son-in-law, I don't know what I would be like."
"What a pity our son..." Mrs. Xu had just started talking when she realized that she had said something wrong and looked at Xu Shoulin cautiously.
Xu Shoulin's expression suddenly became depressed.
Mrs. Xu is childless now, and Xu Shoulin has only one son born to his original wife. Unfortunately, he encountered a mountain flood in the place where he was exiled, and the family of four, including his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, all died.
It was impossible for Xu Shoulin to have children at his age, which meant he had no descendants.
"I have no hope in this world..."
An Bohuai hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Old Xu, as an old friend, I am not afraid of offending you by saying this. You are already this old, and your son's family is buried in China. Why do you have to travel across the ocean to a foreign country?"
Xu Shoulin waved his hands and sighed for a long while: "It is precisely because I have no attachment to this land that I want to leave. I have brothers in England and a lot of nephews and nieces. At least I can enjoy the love of my family before I die... Alas, I feel lonely now. The older you get, the more afraid you are of loneliness."
"It's also good to go to the UK. The living standard in the UK is much higher than in China, and there is no need to worry about any political risks."
Mrs. Xu was very happy to follow Xu Shoulin to become a British citizen. She was originally the daughter of a poor family and was sold to the Xu family as a maid before liberation. She never thought that one day she would be able to live abroad.
"So you guys will never come back after you leave?" An Bohuai asked.
"Yes, I will never come again." Xu Shoulin sighed.
"So what are you going to do with this house? Just leave it here? Or give it back to the state?"
An Hua's ears perked up.
"I plan to find someone to help take care of it."
Madam Xu took over the conversation, "I have some relatives on my mother's side, so we can just find someone to live here. If the house is not occupied for a long time, it will quickly fall into disrepair."
An Bohuai nodded, "Okay."
An Hua looked at Xu Shoulin and said with a smile, "Uncle Xu, you are going to England across the ocean, the most important thing is to prepare more money. Why not sell this courtyard to get some money to add to your travel expenses? What do you think?"
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