“Fierce—she’s really fierce.” Jiang Chengzhou tapped Linlin lightly on the forehead with a bent finger. “You should learn more from Sister Manman.”
Shen Man stood beside him with a serious expression. “You can.”
Yan Yuan drew Linlin closer and blew gently on her forehead. “Does it hurt?”
“No.”
Linlin’s eyes curved into crescents as she hugged his arm. “Brother, Yan Yuan is so nice. I can’t bring myself to be fierce with him. If Sister Manman is fierce with you, it must be because you did something wrong.”
Jiang Chengzhou was so angry he could have rolled his eyes straight up to the heavens.
Shen Man pinched Linlin’s cheek. “Don’t bully your brother.”
Linlin: “…”
Sure enough, Sister Manman had been bewitched by her brother.
After they finished tidying up, the four of them went to the veterans’ rest home to visit Jiang Jinzhu.
When they arrived, Jiang Jinzhu was still in the garden, turning over the soil and pulling weeds.
It was an assignment Shen Man had given him.
In reality, it was only a small patch of land in the yard. Shen Man had brought over several tomato seedlings and planted them with him, then instructed him to water and cultivate the soil every day.
The purpose was, first, to get him moving more each day, and second, to help stabilize his emotions. Once the tomatoes bore fruit, he would also gain a sense of accomplishment from having something to show for his efforts.
At first, Jiang Jinzhu thought it was troublesome. Later, every time Shen Man visited, she would ask about the tomatoes’ growth. Eventually, Linlin and Yan Yuan began asking as well.
As time went by, the old man became invested in them. He squatted by the garden bed every day to check on the seedlings, leaving him less time to dwell on the painful events of the past.
Hearing a commotion at the gate, Jiang Jinzhu raised his head and immediately spotted Linlin and Shen Man walking at the front.
He set down his small hoe, stood up, and beamed, his face covered in wrinkles. Waving at them, he called, “You two little girls, come over quickly! My tomatoes have fruit!”
Shen Man and Linlin went over and crouched down. Sure enough, beneath the green leaves were several tiny green tomatoes.
Linlin gave him a thumbs-up. “Grandpa Jiang, you’re amazing! You’re practically the Shennong of our time!”
Shen Man glanced at Linlin, who had become increasingly skilled at flattering people, and a smile flickered in her eyes. She joined in. “Not bad. I really thought they wouldn’t grow.”
Jiang Jinzhu was delighted by their praise. “Of course they would. Once they’re ripe, I’ll give every last one to you two.”
A few steps away, Jiang Chengzhou watched the figure of Jiang Jinzhu squatting beside the garden bed.
Several years had passed since they last saw each other. The old man had lost a great deal of weight, and his hair had turned much whiter.
Jiang Chengzhou had never been particularly close to Jiang Jinzhu.
His maternal uncle and aunt had given him a happy childhood and wonderful years as a teenager. He did not actually resent Jiang Jinzhu, nor did he harbor much hatred toward Jiang Yinzhu. In the past, all he had wanted was to keep his distance from them.
Lin Zhilan had not tried to persuade him much either. She had simply told him what Jiang Jinzhu had planned for him and left him to decide how he wanted to handle his relationship with his grandfather.
When he was young, he had disliked Jiang Jinzhu somewhat because the old man had always tried to bring him back to the capital.
Now that Jiang Jinzhu was old, age had weakened his aggression and diminished the sense of threat he once gave off. Especially after hearing what his aunt had told him, Jiang Chengzhou found it difficult not to be moved and soften toward him.
He walked a few steps closer and called, “Grandpa, I’m back.”
Jiang Jinzhu raised his head at the sound of his voice. He squinted at him for a long while, studying him carefully before opening his mouth.
“…Chengzhou?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Jiang Chengzhou moved closer.
Jiang Jinzhu’s first reaction was to turn toward Shen Man. “Is this really Chengzhou?”
“Yes,” Shen Man replied with a smile.
Jiang Jinzhu suddenly seemed at a loss. He looked left and right. “This… well, come inside and sit down.”
Afraid that he might become too emotional, Linlin hurried over and took hold of his arm. “Grandpa Jiang, didn’t you say last time that you had a gift for me? Where is it?”
Jiang Jinzhu thought seriously for a moment, then quickly calmed down. “That’s right, that’s right. I’ll go find it.”
“Manman, don’t be upset. I have one for you too.”
The old man’s mind was muddled, yet he still remembered to treat them fairly.
Shen Man supported his other arm and smiled faintly. “Then I’ll thank you in advance, Grandpa.”
The two girls helped the old man into the house. Yan Yuan patted Jiang Chengzhou on the shoulder. “Don’t think too much. The old man’s doing fine right now. It’s not as serious as you imagine.”
In modern clinical terminology, the illness was uniformly called senile dementia. There was no cure; treatment could only improve brain metabolism, dilate the cerebral blood vessels, control the patient’s emotions symptomatically, and delay the progression of the disease.
Jiang Jinzhu’s condition had been discovered early. He merely forgot things and misplaced belongings from time to time, and his personality had not changed significantly.
The doctor said it was still in the early stages. The veterans’ rest home had a professional traditional Chinese medicine therapist who gave him acupuncture every week. He was also provided with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. As long as he was not subjected to any major emotional stimulation, Jiang Jinzhu’s condition was actually quite stable.
Once inside, Jiang Jinzhu busied himself rummaging through the cabinets and drawers.
After searching for a long while, he pulled out two dark-red velvet boxes.
When the boxes were opened, each contained a glossy black Hero-brand fountain pen. The barrels gleamed, and the nibs were even plated with gold. At a glance, they looked… very expensive.
“Here.” Jiang Jinzhu handed the boxes to Linlin and Shen Man. “One for each of you. Even the leaders use these. When you become leaders one day, use my pens to sign your names.”
Linlin was overjoyed. “Thank you, Grandpa Jiang! When I become a leader, I’ll take you out to dinner.”
“Good, good. I’ll be waiting.”
Shen Man glanced back at Jiang Chengzhou before accepting the pen. “Thank you, Grandpa.”
After handing the boxes to the girls, Jiang Jinzhu turned and saw that Jiang Chengzhou and Yan Yuan were still standing nearby.
He rubbed his empty hands together, then turned and scanned the room. Finally, he picked up a plate of apples from the table and pushed it toward the two men.
“Have an apple. The fountain pens are for the two girls.”
After a pause, he muttered, “You two don’t study anyway. You have no use for pens.”
In Jiang Jinzhu’s eyes, one of them was a soldier and the other was a capitalist.
Jiang Jinzhu himself was an uneducated rough sort, but he had always held scholars in high regard. Otherwise, he would not have gone to such lengths back then to get the Su family to marry their daughter into the Jiang family.
The reason he treated the two girls so well now was also because he was trying to make up for the guilt he felt toward Su Jia. It helped him feel a little better about himself.
Jiang Chengzhou and Yan Yuan were both momentarily speechless, though neither of them minded.
Jiang Jinzhu was clearly very close to the two girls. It was obvious that they visited him often. Even if he gave them everything he had, Jiang Chengzhou would not object.
They had dinner at Jiang Jinzhu’s place.
Jiang Chengzhou gave the housekeeper the evening off, bought the ingredients himself, and personally cooked a tableful of dishes for Jiang Jinzhu.
Jiang Jinzhu was delighted. When they were finishing dinner, he once again rummaged through the cabinets, insisting that he had to find something good for them.
After coaxing the old man into a good mood, they went to visit Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng as well.
Because of her heart condition, Xu Yueyun had always been very careful to follow Lin Zhilan’s instructions and take care of her health. Her condition was actually better than that of many people her age.
When they learned that Shen Man and Jiang Chengzhou were together, the two elderly people were overjoyed.
Xu Yueyun was even more excited. She took both girls to her room to choose some things.
Xu Yueyun was now a very wealthy woman.
