Chapter 114: Confessions
Xiao Peng smiled bitterly and said, "Actually, I really don't have much to say. Well, we Chinese have a saying that goes, 'If your grandmother doesn't love you, your uncle won't love you either.' It really refers to people like me!"
"If it involves your privacy, you don't have to say it." Pascal said.
Xiao Peng shook his head. "Why can't I say this? Just because the problem is there doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You just said you think nothing good of your father, but I'm different. When I think of my parents, I have mostly good memories."
"Oh? Where are they?" Pascal asked.
Xiao Peng pointed to the sky and said, "According to you, they are in the sky." Then he pointed to the ground and said, "According to us, they are underground."
"Xiao, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask these questions." Pascal said.
Xiao Peng smiled and shook his head: "What's there to be sorry about? I've already faced it all calmly."
Pascal sighed, "You're so optimistic."
Xiao Peng recalled: "Now that you mention it, I've discovered a serious problem. When I was in my hometown, I basically dealt with all kinds of weddings and funerals. I guess I'm used to it."
"What does that mean?" Pascal was a little confused.
Xiao Peng said, "My parents are both chefs. They're not great chefs, though. I live in the countryside, and for weddings and funerals, we hire a chef to host our own banquets, whether to save money or for tradition. My parents specialize in these kinds of banquets, and they're good at big pot stews. They're quite famous in the surrounding area. We also have land at home that we cultivate and harvest, so I had a pretty good life as a kid."
Pascal asked curiously, "And then?"
"Later, my father was involved in a traffic accident while attending a wedding banquet. Drunk driving was a common occurrence in rural areas in those days. My father died in the car accident." Xiao Peng said lightly.
"And then?" Pascal asked curiously.
Xiao Peng shrugged: "Then my mother and I were kicked out."
"Kicked out? Why?" Pascal was shocked.
Xiao Peng smiled bitterly, "The family elders decided it was my fault. They said I was too young to cultivate the land and leave it alone. I wasn't old enough to inherit my father's fortune, so the land and other things were divided up among my uncles and aunts, leaving only a small house. My mother couldn't work and had to raise me alone, so she sent me to live with my grandfather to take care of me while she worked outside to earn money. As a result, we lost even our last small house. They said they would return it to me when I came of age, but by the time I did, it had become their property. Probably because they were afraid people would accuse them of 'eating up the family', several families pooled around 3,000 RMB (about 400 Euros) and gave it to me as a purchase. I couldn't refuse because it was a family decision. So I basically don't have any contact with my father's relatives."
After hearing this, Pascal thought: "Fortunately, you still have a mother and grandfather who love you."
After hearing this, Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "Life over there is even worse! My grandfather loved me very much, but my uncles were very resistant to my coming. We have the bad habit of favoring boys over girls over girls over there. They think that my mother is like water spilled once a woman is married, and they are afraid that my mother will come back to take my grandfather's property. That's why my mother went out to work as a kitchen helper and worked hard to earn money. But you are right about one thing. My grandfather loved me very much. My grandmother passed away early, so he was also very lonely. He raised me since I was a child, taught me Chinese medicine, taught me to play the suona, the erhu, and chess. After I learned these, I played the suona at various weddings and funerals to earn pocket money, so I said that I basically dealt with all kinds of weddings and funerals in China. I can be said to have witnessed all kinds of joys and sorrows."
Pascal blinked: "Your story is really legendary!"
"Legend?" Xiao Peng said with a wry smile, "You used the wrong word. This is life!"
"Then how did you come to France?" Pascal asked curiously.
Xiao Peng sighed deeply. "My grandfather was old. After a stroke, he was paralyzed in bed. My mother stopped working and came home to take care of him. That's when I learned to cook. But a little over a year later, my grandfather survived, but my mother passed away first."
"Why is this happening?" Pascal asked in confusion.
Xiao Peng gave the answer: "Cancer."
Pascal frowned and asked, "Cancer is not incurable. If she gets treated early, there should be no problem!"
Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "Xiao Pa, you don't understand the poor. Actually, the medical benefits in my hometown are quite good now, but many people still choose to endure the illness. The cost of treatment is only one aspect of the problem. The key is what to do if there is no income during the treatment period? How to continue living? And then they just endure it and miss the best time for treatment. I have never been stingy with my desire for money. The reason is that I am afraid of being poor!"
"Things were much simpler after that! Although I didn't receive any higher education, I had a lot of life skills. I knew some Chinese medicine and could cook. Before my mother died, she used all her savings to send me to France because she heard that Chinese medicine was developing well there. But I didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to pass the Chinese medicine qualification exam, and I didn't want to go back in disgrace. So I came to Marseille to learn the language and find a living. I originally wanted to be a Chinese restaurant chef, but later on, by chance, I became a diver. I have to say, if it's just about survival, life skills are more important than academic qualifications. You'll know what happened next."
Pascal asked in confusion, "What about your grandpa? Did he go to heaven too?"
Xiao Peng said, "No, no, no, he's still alive. My uncles take turns taking care of them, but those uncles... let's not talk about them! In order to let them do their best to take care of my grandfather, I work here and send money home every month, just so that my grandfather can receive better care. I can't imagine what I would be like now without my grandfather! After processing this batch of jewelry, I will return to China to create the best living environment for my grandfather. Do you want to join me then? I want to introduce my good French friend to him!"
"Of course!" Pascal nodded and said, "I also want to meet the teacher who trained someone as outstanding as you!"
"I'm excellent?" Xiao Peng said with a smile, "Please don't laugh at me, okay? You're far inferior to me!"
Pascal nodded and said, "No, Xiao Peng, I'm telling you seriously, you're one of the best people I've ever met! I'm honored to have a friend like you. Compared to what you've been through, all of my troubles are nothing! My behavior just now was so childish!"
"I'm glad you know!" Xiao Peng laughed. He could see that Pascal had really untied his knot.
"Then I'm going to do something not childish right now!"
"Oh? What is it?"
"Get you drunk!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
