Chapter 102: Facing the Sea, Blossoms in the Warm Spring

The evening air always carried a faint scent of cooking smoke.

Wang Qiang, carrying a head of cabbage to wash at Xigoutan, was captivated by the scene before him.

Beneath the setting sun, the sunset glow was dazzling and brilliant. Not far away, a wild duck flapped its wings and took flight from the withering reeds. The long river, bathed in gentle light, seemed to merge seamlessly with the vast sky.

Suddenly, a line of ancient poetry sprang to his mind: “The setting sun and lone duck fly together; autumn waters share the same color as the endless sky.”

Perhaps only in the serene countryside could one behold such beauty. The scenery was intoxicating. Though he had been back for some time, Wang Qiang had never felt so relaxed and at peace as he did now.

There was a bit of money now.

No longer did he have to rush frantically just to get by.

Relatives and neighbors had changed their attitudes.

His mother had even felt a sense of pride and relief.

Wang Qiang felt that what he had truly gained was not these things, but a long-lost sense of tranquility and joy—a calm filled with hope for life and happiness looking forward to the future.

It might not be anything materially substantial, but he felt it clearly: everything was different now. This life was completely unlike the last. From beginning to end, his life had undergone a profound transformation.

Gazing at the sinking red sun, thinking about taking his mother to Shanghai tomorrow and his father returning soon after, Wang Qiang felt a rising sensation within him—a farewell, a parting with his old way of life.

He recalled a few lines from Haizi’s poem, “Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms”:

From tomorrow on, I will be a happy man,
Feeding horses, chopping wood, traveling the world;
From tomorrow on, I will care about grain and vegetables,
I have a house facing the sea, with spring blossoms.

Having struggled and fought in society for so long, Wang Qiang now felt that truly not having to worry about the price of grain and vegetables from tomorrow onward—that was the genuine meaning of “facing the sea, with spring blossoms.”

The common folk’s aspirations were never lofty. Even with a second chance at life, he did not expect to be like Jack Ma or Li Ka-shing, standing atop the mountain alone, commanding the world with ease. He only wished for his future life to be better than his previous one.

Change had already begun.

Wang Qiang held fast to his original intentions. He did not expect to become a giant overnight, only to tell himself: Keep going, you can do even better.

…

Dinner time arrived.

On the table were braised pork with gluten, red-braised bream, stir-fried cabbage, and winter melon soup. The pork, gluten, and bream had been bought by his mother at the market that evening.

Wang Qiang knew well that his mother rarely bought vegetables at home. Only when he returned did she occasionally splurge. Whether when he came back from high school or university in his past life, or now after being away from home for half a month returning from Shanghai, she just wanted him to have a good meal.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had your red-braised pork, Mom,” he said with a smile, picking up a piece and putting it into his mouth. The aroma of his mother’s red-braised pork was rich and fragrant, with a sweetness like caramel and a smoky meatiness like barbecue. As it melted in his mouth, Wang Qiang felt an explosion of flavor without even needing to chew. It was delicious.

The taste of his mother’s cooking, etched deeply in his memory.

His mother smiled gently and picked up another large piece of fatty pork for him, still sizzling with oil. “Eat more.”

Wang Qiang was speechless.

He knew his mother meant well. In these times, fatty meat was scarce and many preferred it over lean meat because of its richness. It wasn’t that Wang Qiang disliked fatty meat; he simply preferred pork belly with a balance of lean and fat—the best choice.

As they ate, the mother and son chatted quietly.

Halfway through the meal, his mother suddenly said, “You’re going back to Shanghai tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Wang Qiang took a sip of soup and smacked his lips. “Have you packed your things?”

His mother paused in her chewing, hesitating. “Well, Qiangzi, the rice harvest is coming soon. I don’t think I can go to Shanghai anytime soon.” She grew more certain as she spoke. “Yeah, probably for ten days or half a month.”

Wang Qiang hadn’t yet responded and suggested, “Alright, then you can hire someone to help with the harvest. Otherwise, you’ll have to help Grandma, and it’ll be too much. I’ll go to Shanghai first; you can go after you’re done.”

His mother seemed about to speak but ultimately stayed silent, quietly eating.

Noticing this, Wang Qiang, still somewhat excited, began to plan for the future. “When Dad comes back, I’ll work with him on other things so you two can have it easier. If there’s nothing urgent, you could even find some time to play cards or mahjong.”

His mother remained silent, only nodding faintly.

After a while, Wang Qiang finally noticed his mother’s unusual quietness. She had seemed quite cheerful earlier that afternoon—why was she so silent now? He put down his chopsticks and asked, “Mom, is there something you want to tell me?”

At last, his mother sighed and shared what was on her mind. “I don’t really want to go to Shanghai.”

Wang Qiang was startled. “Why?”

Her expression was troubled. “Your grandfather has diabetes and isn’t in good health. Your grandmother had a stroke and has difficulty moving. What if something sudden happens while I’m in Shanghai?”

Hearing this, Wang Qiang fell silent. These were things he hadn’t considered.

Grandpa’s diabetes complications had left him very weak. He could only sit in a recliner and bask in the sun daily. If Grandma didn’t keep him company and argue with him for a little amusement, perhaps Grandpa wouldn’t have lasted two more years before the complications took his life.

Grandma had a hard life and never enjoyed any leisure. Ironically, what gave her rest was a stroke, which happened maybe last year—his memory was vague on the exact time, only that it was within the past couple of years. Grandma had limited use of one arm and one leg. Wang Qiang’s aunt, five years older than him, had recently married and was pregnant. Grandpa worked far away at a salt factory to make a living. His uncle was working out of town and couldn’t help, and his aunt was busy looking after their four- or five-year-old cousin. So Wang Qiang’s mother often went to care for Grandma.

If she went with him to Shanghai, what would become of the elders?

Now it was Wang Qiang’s turn to worry. To be honest, it wasn’t that he forgot about the elders. If he had, he wouldn’t have bought clothes in Shanghai and sent them home. His memories had simply remained stuck before returning.

But now that his mother had spoken, he realized he hadn’t thought things through carefully.

Indeed.

If Mom went to Shanghai, what about the elders?

But Wang Qiang didn’t want his mother to be burdened with constant farm work. He wanted her to enjoy some peace and comfort. Suddenly, a contradiction arose in his heart, seeming like an unsolvable dilemma.

Unless his mother could enjoy some ease while staying at home and still care for the elders—but if she stayed home, she would have to work in the fields under the sun and wind. How hard that would be!

Wang Qiang felt that unless the farm work was sorted out, no matter how much money he earned, his mother would never stop her hard labor.

Or, maybe find her some lighter work?

But such light work had one condition: it had to keep her busy enough not to worry about the fields.

Wang Qiang couldn’t think of anything for now, so he said, “Well, let’s eat first. Later, I’ll go see Lu Wei.”

Seeing Wang Qiang agree, his mother breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know when or why she had begun to subtly heed her son’s advice. Smiling, she said, “Alright. That Lu Wei is a good kid. So young, yet he’s working hard to pay for his sister’s tuition. Poor boy.”

Then she seemed to remember something. “By the way, does your gaming room need people? Why not bring him along to help you out? Right now, he’s all over the place doing odd jobs with no steady income. That’s no way to live.”