Grandfather

Watcher had kept a low profile these past few days. If it had not said that, Zhao Danshi would have nearly forgotten he had bound himself to such a thing.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Danshi stopped in the middle of the road and frowned. "Didn't you say your energy came from humans?"

"That is only part of it, not all of it. There are many sources of energy. The energy of nature is one of them; it depends on how you use it." Watcher said, "What I need is bioenergy. Whether from humans or plants, any living individual can provide me with that energy."

Zhao Danshi became wary. "You won't harm other living things when you absorb energy, will you?"

"Of course not. You need to give me this energy; I cannot independently absorb any kind of energy. We intelligences have principles too. We will not harm other living things."

"Fine." Still full of doubts, he lifted his foot and continued walking.

Zhao Danshi had not completely put his mind at ease, but there was no need to tell Watcher that.

People in the countryside were better off now. Most worked outside, but after earning money, they still came back to build houses. Many families had built two- or three-story homes, their exteriors tiled and scattered across the fields, looking quite nice.

There was plenty of land and few people in the countryside. With so many people moving away, there were not many households left in the village, and the homes were spread far apart, with only a few families here and there.

The main reason for this situation was Hua Country's household registration policy.

Most of those who left were young people. Those with means would take their children with them, but if children attended school elsewhere, they had to have local household registration. Otherwise, even if they managed to enroll temporarily, they would still have to return home for the high school entrance exams or college entrance exams.

Under those circumstances, many parents chose to grit their teeth and buy an apartment in a big city, moving their household registration there to make schooling easier for their children.

If it were not for that policy, many people probably would not have wanted to move their household registration away from their hometowns, and the countryside would not have declined so badly.

Zhao Danshi took a deep breath. His grandfather's house was farther in, near the end of the main road.

He had not brought much, only a backpack containing several pairs of underwear and one change of clothes. In weather like this, one set to wear and one to change into was basically enough. Even if they got dirty, he would have plenty of time to wash them.

The road was deserted. Zhao Danshi had walked for quite a while without seeing a single pedestrian. When he reached his grandfather's gate, he realized that not only the village, but even his grandfather's home, was completely different from what he remembered.

Zhao Danshi always remembered his grandfather's house as spacious and bright, with a large courtyard kept neat and tidy everywhere.

But now that he saw it, the courtyard was only a small one, and the house was merely a simple tiled dwelling, nothing like the spacious, bright home in his memories.

He stepped closer, and suddenly a burst of barking rang out. A huge black wolfdog chained inside the courtyard sensed his approach and barked madly at him.

The wolfdog was vicious, baring its fangs. If not for the heavy iron chain, it probably would have lunged at him and bitten him at once.

Hearing the commotion, the old man in the courtyard hurried out and shouted, "Dahei, shut up!"

The wolfdog barked twice more before licking its mouth with its long tongue, wagging its tail, and quietly lying back down beneath the tree.

When Zhao Danshi saw the old man, his eyes reddened again. He hesitated before saying, "Grandpa, it's me. I'm back."

Manzigong looked at his grandson, his clouded eyes filled with joy as the wrinkles on his face eased. He wanted to step forward and pat Zhao Danshi's shoulder, but seemed somewhat restrained. In the end, he could only keep nodding. "It's good that you're back, good that you're back. Are you hungry? The meal's nearly ready. Go inside, sit down, and wash your face first. We'll be able to eat soon."

The old man wore gloves and an apron, looking nothing like the sturdy, upright elder Zhao Danshi remembered.

Zhao Danshi discovered that his grandfather was much smaller and thinner than he had imagined. His body had completely hunched over, and his bent back made him look barely over five feet three. His hair had gone entirely white, and he no longer walked as nimbly as Zhao Danshi remembered.

"Grandpa, are you cooking? Let me tend the fire for you."

The old man rubbed his hands hard against the apron at his waist, then came over and gently pushed Zhao Danshi's shoulder, urging him, "No need. You've been on the road all day, so you must be tired. Hurry and rest in the living room."

Zhao Danshi could not argue with him, so he headed toward the living room.

The living room was small and dim as well. A table stood in the middle, with several chairs beside it. Beneath the table were a bag of disposable cups and a packet of coarse tea leaves, along with an ashtray.

The old man had probably specially bought fruit to welcome him. Several bags of oranges, grapes, apples, and other fruit were piled high on the table.

Zhao Danshi touched the table, feeling miserable inside.

Every other household had already built a proper multistory house, yet his grandfather was still living in this old home.

After putting down his things and tidying the table a little, he went outside to the old well from his memories and called loudly, "Grandpa, where's the washbasin? I want to wash my hands and face."

"It's against the wall. Is that gray towel on top yours? I just bought it for you. I already washed it and dried it in the sun."

Zhao Danshi took the towel and washbasin, pumped some water, and washed his face.

The groundwater in the countryside was cold, several degrees colder than tap water. Zhao Danshi hissed as he washed his face with the cool water. It woke him right up, sweeping away the exhaustion from his face.

After cleaning the washbasin and putting it back in the corner, he draped the towel over his hands to dry them, then went into the kitchen to see what the old man was making.

The kitchen was filled with delicious aromas. The old man was a capable man. When he was young, he had done all kinds of work, from odd jobs to kitchen help, relying on the skills he had accumulated to raise his two sons.

But his eldest son had died young, while his younger son was on bad terms with him. In his old age, he had ended up all alone.

The moment he saw Zhao Danshi, the old man smiled. "The dishes are almost ready. Once I stir-fry a green vegetable, we can eat."

Zhao Danshi plopped down in front of the stove and helped tend the fire while chatting with him.

The old man answered every question, even becoming a little chatty. It was clear that he normally had few people to talk to, so once he got started, he had plenty to say.

Braised pork knuckle, steamed ribs, red-braised chicken, pickled cabbage fish... Zhao Danshi wiped down the table and carried out all the dishes from the cabinet, filling the entire table. These dishes were more than enough for just the two of them; even five or six more people could have eaten their fill.

Knowing what the old man intended, Zhao Danshi washed the bowls and went into the kitchen to serve each of them a large bowl of rice.

Seeing that he could eat, the old man smiled happily beside him. "Eat more good food and fill yourself up so your body will be healthy. Look how thin you are. Haven't you been eating properly outside?"

"No, I eat plenty. I just eat a lot and move a lot, so I can never put on weight."

The old man immediately changed his tune. "Liking exercise is a good thing. I've seen plenty of people working in the city, sitting in offices all day without moving at all. They get big bellies while they're still young. Once they get a little older, all kinds of illnesses come along."

Zhao Danshi smiled at him. "I've always made a point of exercising. I ride a bicycle to and from work, and I also go for extra walks every day."

The old man looked relieved. "As long as you take good care of yourselves, Grandpa can rest easy."

After dinner, the old man wanted to wash the dishes, but Zhao Danshi insisted on taking them away. He filled a basin with water and washed them beside him with dish soap.

The old man moved over a small stool and sat beside him, chatting. They talked about everything, rambling on for a long time.

After seven that night, the old man's body clock told him it was time to return to his room and sleep. He also told Zhao Danshi to go to bed early.

Zhao Danshi had never gone to bed so early in his life. Lying on the soft bed, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, so he simply took out his phone to play with it.

His boss had asked him on WeChat when he could come back to work.

Zhao Danshi simply called him. "I probably won't be back for another week. I came home, and I plan to stay with my grandfather for a few more days."

"That's fine. We originally agreed on two weeks, so coming back after one week works perfectly. How's the old man? Is he still in good health?"

"He is. He made five dishes for me today. I nearly ate so much I couldn't get away from the table." Zhao Danshi laughed. "He's already chased me into bed. His habits are ridiculously healthy."

"Then get some good rest in the countryside for a few days and come back to work once you've recovered your energy. Oh, right, remember to bring me some local specialties."

His boss's hometown was in the same region as his, though in a different city. They were close to one another, with similar lifestyles and similar specialties.

Zhao Danshi laughed. "Definitely. What do you want? I'll go buy it first."

"Anything is fine. Just bring me whatever. I haven't tasted the flavors of home in ages." His boss practically drooled over the phone. "Bring me some chilies. The chilies I buy here never taste right."

Most chilies bought elsewhere were hard and tasteless. Other than being spicy, there was nothing to them, and even the heat was not authentic—flat, dull heat that made no difference whether you ate them or not.

They were nothing like the chilies grown back home, which were spicy and fragrant, leaving a faint sweetness afterward. Forget using them in dishes; with just soy sauce and chilies, a person could eat three bowls of rice.

Zhao Danshi agreed. "I'll bring you back a whole sack when the time comes."

"No problem. Even if you bring me two sacks, my fridge can fit them. Oh, right, Danshi, how have things been between you and Senior Li Ping lately? I heard he's been asking about you."

Zhao Danshi's heart jolted. There was not really anything between them; they had only unexpectedly hooked up once.

After steadying himself, Zhao Danshi said, "Probably nothing. He has my phone number and WeChat. If he really needs something, he can contact me directly."

"That's good. I was worried something might be going on between you two." As the only person who knew about Zhao Danshi's secret crush, his boss could not help but think more about it.

Zhao Danshi laughed helplessly and shook his head. "What could possibly be going on? Don't worry."

Zhao Danshi had eaten too much that night. The sounds of his hometown were hard to hear again, and its flavors hard to find. He was usually restrained, but when he tasted the flavors from his memories again, he still could not quite control himself.

But overeating might not have been the only reason he could not sleep.