C1 (1/2)

My name is Zhang Fugui, and I was born in the year 721 of the Heavenly Treasure of the Di Nation. I was nine years old this year, and I live at the border of the Di Kingdom in a place called Peace Village. Peace Village was a small village. Within a radius of twenty Li, there were only a hundred or so people.

Both my parents worked hard for half their lives, saving a little money for me to use in the village school and as a betrothal gift for me to marry my wife in the future.

At the age of nine, I had become a little more sensible and knew how to do some housework for my family, so I was rather doted on by my parents. Of course, when the adults in the village saw that I was sensible, they all doted on me.

”Rich son? It's time to eat! ” My father was shouting at me again, making the neighbors laugh.

”Father, I was wondering if you could give me a different name. Wealth, this is the same name as that dog at the village entrance!” Listen, every time you call out to me, the neighbors laugh. ” I protested when I got back to the house.

”What's wrong with this name!?” ”Your father has never had any future in his life. I only hope that you can be rich or rich, and your father can also benefit from this. Aren't you happy today?”

I shook my head and didn't argue. It had been a month since I'd protested, and at first I would have argued for a long time, but gradually, knowing my father's temper, I had no choice but to let it go, although I was still a little uncomfortable in my heart and couldn't help muttering a few words each time.

My father had been a farmer for dozens of years and had not been able to make much money, but luckily for him, this place was very far away from the world. There were no corrupt officials or robbers, so he could live a decent life. Sometimes I can't help thinking that if Dad was a little whiter, he might be pretty.

”It's time to eat. What are you thinking about?” My mother was a good wife, thin and weak. Although she was not as good-looking as my second aunt at the village entrance, she was still very delicate. Her entire mind was on me and Father. My parents were also very loving. Sometimes, they would hear my mother tell my father that she wanted to give me a younger brother or a younger sister, but when it came to this topic, my mother would sigh for a long time.

”Oh, nothing.” I picked up the chopsticks and put them in my mouth.

”Eat slowly, don't choke.” Mom always likes to watch me and Dad eat, but she can't eat much herself. The doctor also told her that she was weak and should eat more, but she always shook her head and didn't say anything.

”Wealthy son, come and eat more. Listen to your teacher in the school. When you enter the university hall in town, you will have some potential. You don't need to work as hard as father to cultivate.” My father nagged as he helped me with the food.

My mother glared at my father and said, ”Don't listen to your father. Even if you can't go to the town, you will still have some prospects.”

I watched one of them as a white face, the other as a black face. This sort of trick would be put on from time to time, but it would be better for me to go into the town and become a high official in the future. But I don't want to be an official, at least not yet.

After dinner, I washed the dishes and put on a bowl of rice and a plate of vegetables. I carried the basket to Grandpa Sun's place. Grandpa Sun is a very, very old man. Every time I see him, I feel that he is about to die, but the light in his eyes tells me that his life is still long.

Since Grandpa Sun came to our village nine years ago, he has always lived next to us. He has no children under his knees and lives alone, so he seems very lonely. But he was very good to me, he told me stories every time he saw me, sometimes he gave me sugar to eat, and he gave me such a nice feeling that sometimes I would rather stay with him than go home, and of course I didn't think too much about it. In fact, I think he was good to me because he had no children and was afraid that no one would die for him. But he said that I was born when he came to this village, and that was why he and I were fated to meet.

Fate? Hmph, I don't believe it.

Strangely, Grandpa Sun didn't do anything. He would lie down on the bamboo chair all day to bask in the sun. Even when there was no sun, he would lie there to enjoy the wind. He didn't move even in the middle of winter. I also asked my father, but he told me not to ask anymore.

When I get old, I want to be like him, without having to worry about life.

”Grandpa Sun, I brought you something to eat.”

”Oh, it's Fugui. Come here.” The slightly hoarse voice had an inexplicable attraction.

When I saw Grandpa Sun's wrinkled and smiling face, I knew he was going to tell me a story. He's been telling me stories since I was four years old, and it's been more than four years, but he's never repeated one, and every one of them is fascinating, and that's my fatal weakness. From his story, I understood deceit, patience, cruelty, loneliness. It can be said that this is the story of Grandpa Sun, giving me, at the age of nine, the independence and maturity that ordinary children do not have. Of course, I never suspected that the old him knew so many stories. Perhaps, he was talking about the evaluation in the past.

So I put down the basket and sat down next to him, looking up at the bright sun, and I picked up the palm-leaf fan to cool him down.

”Grandpa Sun, when you're free, tell me about my dad. Help me change my name!” I looked at him hopefully.

”Hur hur, the name 'Fugui' is pretty good, why did you change it?” Grandpa Sun was lying there, smiling as he asked me.

”Sigh, I've been in the school for two years. I know that name is vulgar, and that dog at the village entrance is also called Fugui. Isn't this obviously embarrassing?” When I think of the dog, I feel angry, and I wave my fan fiercely.

”Hehe, don't worry about it. The name is just a code name. Why are you the only one who can be called rich? No one else can!”

”But it isn't human …” I wanted to cry.

”Alright, alright. Don't worry about it so much. Let me tell you a story.”

As soon as I heard the story, I immediately became excited. ”Whose story is it today?”