Filial Piety

The countryside was exceptionally quiet at night. Zhao Danshi slept deeply, and when he woke the next day, it was not yet seven in the morning.

He was a grown man, so he did not lounge in bed after waking. Once he got dressed and stepped outside, he discovered that the old man was not home. The front door stood wide open, and he had no idea where his grandfather had gone.

Zhao Danshi went out to look around the courtyard. Daylight had already fully broken, and smoke curled from the rooftops of many homes. Clearly, people had begun making breakfast.

The morning air was wonderful—cool and clean. One deep breath felt as though it woke his entire lungs. The newly risen sun was not harsh, and its gentle rays spread over everything, from the distant forests to the nearby fields.

Zhao Danshi stretched lazily, then turned and went back into the courtyard to draw well water for washing his face and brushing his teeth.

They still burned firewood here. Before making breakfast, every household first boiled enough water for the day and poured it into a large thermos, ready to use whenever needed.

There was still plenty of food left from yesterday, all stored in the cupboard. There was no need to make any additional dishes this morning; they only had to heat it up before eating.

Zhao Danshi scooped yesterday's rice into a basin. He planned to make egg fried rice for breakfast along with the leftovers.

After struggling outside for so many years, simple cooking was no challenge for him, and he was equally efficient at housework. Just as he was halfway through frying the rice, his grandfather entered the courtyard carrying a basket overflowing with vegetables.

Seeing that Zhao Danshi was already cooking, the old man was somewhat surprised. "Why are you up so early? I thought you'd sleep a little longer."

When other young people in the village returned from working elsewhere, they generally slept in. Some slept until after eight, while others slept until after nine. Their elders understood how hard they had worked away from home and usually did not rush them.

The old man was elderly and slept little. He had woken after five, but had deliberately delayed getting up so he would not disturb Zhao Danshi's sleep.

Zhao Danshi smiled. "I sleep deeply here, and the quality of my sleep is good, so I don't need to sleep as long. Grandpa, let's have egg fried rice and yesterday's leftovers this morning."

"Fine. Want to stir-fry some greens too? I picked vegetables and brought them back. Take a look and see what you want to eat."

"No need. We'll cook fresh dishes at noon. It'd be wasteful not to finish these."

Hearing that, the old man simply sat before the stove to tend the fire for him. "Where are you going after breakfast? I'll find someone to show you around."

"I can look around by myself." Zhao Danshi smiled. "It's not like this is some unfamiliar place."

"That works too. After breakfast, I'm going to the county town to see A-Xiang. If I'm not back by noon, just make yourself something for lunch."

Zhao Danshi was puzzled. "What happened to A-Xiang?"

The old man sighed. "He fell inside his house two days ago. No one noticed, and he lay there for half the day. The doctor said he'd had a mild stroke. He was sent in too late, so he'll have to stay in the hospital for a while. I'm going to see him."

"Grandpa, should I go with you?"

"No need. I can go alone. He hasn't regained consciousness yet. You wouldn't be able to talk to him even if you went."

After breakfast, the old man briefly packed a few things, took his wallet, and went outside to catch a three-wheeled taxi.

Their village was some distance from the county town. They first had to take a three-wheeler to the town, then a bus from there to the county seat, and then another bus to the hospital. Poverty and underdevelopment made seeking medical treatment extremely inconvenient for the people here.

Zhao Danshi went with him anyway. His grandfather was so old that Zhao Danshi worried something might happen if he had to travel around alone.

The county hospital's conditions were merely adequate. The building was all right, but there were not many people coming and going inside.

People did not trust the county hospital's medical standards. As long as they had some money, they would transfer to a hospital in a larger city, afraid that staying in the county would delay treatment.

A-Xiang's sons and daughters-in-law had all returned after his stroke. They took turns caring for him in the ward and brought him things as well.

When Zhao Danshi and his grandfather arrived, the family was discussing sending A-Xiang to a nursing home once he got a little better.

Nursing homes were not cheap either. Besides paying for a bed, they had to pay several thousand yuan every month.

But there was no other way. Everyone had to make a living, and none of them could return to care for A-Xiang. They could only pool their money so that A-Xiang could receive better care.

Seeing Zhao Danshi supporting his grandfather as they came over, the whole family hurriedly stood to greet them. A-Xiang's eldest son even reached out to support him. "Uncle Manzi, why have you come?"

The old man slowly walked closer. "I came to see how A-Xiang is doing."

A-Xiang lay beneath the blanket, still unconscious. His face was ashen, and IV drips were attached to both his hands and feet. Zhao Danshi placed the fruit he had bought on the bedside table, while the family hurriedly brought chairs for them.

A-Xiang's son wore a worried expression. "The doctor said that even if he recovers, there'll still be complications. The best outcome is that he'll walk unsteadily. If it's worse, he may end up partially paralyzed. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to know."

The old man did not know how to comfort him. He merely took out a red envelope from his pocket and placed it beneath A-Xiang's blanket. "Since he's sick, he must receive proper treatment. I think A-Xiang is blessed and fortunate. Nothing serious will happen to him."

A-Xiang's son quickly took out the red envelope and stuffed it back into the old man's hand. "You can't do that. You're even older than my father. How can you give him a red envelope?"

"Don't stand on ceremony. It's an old custom. A red envelope brings good fortune. Take it as a wish for your father's speedy recovery."

Zhao Danshi and his grandfather sat in the ward for quite a while. After exchanging a few polite words, everyone fell silent.

A-Xiang was in poor condition on the bed, and no one had the heart to talk.

After Zhao Danshi and his grandfather left the hospital, he deliberately took him to a well-reviewed lamb restaurant he had found online.

There was relatively little lamb in their area, and it was expensive. People would not specifically buy lamb to eat unless there was a reason. Lamb was warming and nourishing, and since Zhao Danshi rarely returned home, he only wanted his grandfather to build up his health.

Once they sat down at the restaurant, a large pot of lamb was brought out. Following his grandfather's habits, Zhao Danshi ordered a bowl of rice for each of them. He did not order much else—one pot and two dishes—and they began eating.

The old man took a bite of lamb and praised it. "This lamb is well made. No gamey smell, and the flavor's soaked right in."

"If you like it, eat more." Zhao Danshi served him some food. "Grandpa, after lunch, why don't we rest for a while and then look around the mall? I didn't bring many clothes. If I don't buy some, I won't have anything to wear."

"Fine. We'll go as soon as we finish eating. I wanted to say something about it yesterday—you came back to the countryside without even bringing a thick coat. You were cold this morning, weren't you?"

Zhao Danshi pressed his lips together and smiled. "A little. This morning, I was even thinking of sneaking into your room to find a coat to wear."

"Hey, if you want to wear one, go take it. The wardrobe's right there and it isn't locked. Who was stopping you?"

Zhao Danshi rubbed his nose. "Young people care about looking good, don't they? I can't really wear your clothes out."

"You'd only be wearing them at home. Who's going to see you?" The old man disapproved. "Let's hurry up and finish eating so we can go to the mall. It'll get colder again tonight. If you catch a chill, you'll suffer for it."

"No rush. We can eat slowly, then stroll around slowly afterward. It's not like we have anything else to do." Zhao Danshi asked, "Grandpa, should we order a bottle of alcohol? Lamb tastes good with a drink."

The old man shook his head. "Forget it. No need to go around smelling like alcohol and annoying people."

They had ordered a little too much, and the portions in the county town were large. By the end, they still had nearly half a pot of lamb and one minced pork eggplant dish left.

Zhao Danshi had originally planned to leave it, since carrying the food around would make shopping inconvenient. But his grandfather firmly insisted on packing it up, feeling it would be far too wasteful to leave so much food behind.

Zhao Danshi had no choice but to follow his grandfather's wishes and ask the restaurant for two takeaway containers. He also specifically requested several extra plastic bags and wrapped the food up tightly.

The clothes in their little county town were of average quality. He looked around and around but could not find anything he liked. He had mainly wanted to buy clothes for his grandfather, but now it seemed he would be better off shopping online.

In the end, Zhao Danshi reluctantly picked out a coat from a fairly good brand.

Although he had not managed to buy clothes for his grandfather this time, he spotted a pair of leather boots. They had thick soles, leather uppers, and were lined completely with cashmere. With a pair like that, one would not be cold even if it snowed in winter.

When people grew old, their vitality weakened, and they feared the cold most. In winter, they had to keep their heads and feet warm, or they could easily catch a cold. Zhao Danshi had his grandfather try them on, and seeing that they fit well, he wanted to bargain with the shopkeeper and buy them.

The moment the old man understood what he meant, he hurriedly took the shoes off as though his feet were on fire and repeatedly waved his hands. "Forget it. What would these old bones of mine need such expensive shoes for? They cost over a thousand yuan!"

"Grandpa, don't worry. I earn plenty. A little over a thousand yuan is nothing to me."

The old man firmly stuffed Zhao Danshi's wallet back into his arms. "No matter how much you earn, you can't spend recklessly. It isn't easy for you to make a living outside by yourself. Don't buy them. Even if you do, I won't wear them."

Zhao Danshi sighed. "I looked through your shoe cabinet this morning. You don't have a single thick pair of shoes. If I don't buy these, how can I go back to work without worrying? Besides, how are these shoes expensive? Good-quality shoes last longer. Think about it—if they last ten years, that's only a hundred yuan a year, just a few cents a day. How is that not worth it?"

The old man shook his head with a laugh. "How could these old bones of mine live another ten years?"

Zhao Danshi frowned. "Why would you say something like that? It doesn't count. Hurry and spit it out."

The shopkeeper beside them also said, "Your grandson's being filial to you, and you still won't accept it? I've run this shop for so long, but I've never seen a young man buy shoes for his grandfather."

The old man looked troubled. "How could these country feet of mine wear thousand-yuan shoes?"

"My shoes are a little expensive, but the materials are good! Ask around—I've run this shop here for over twenty years, and no one has ever brought shoes back saying mine were poor quality. You get what you pay for. I guarantee your feet will stay comfortable this winter, no matter how cold it gets."

The old man still would not agree. Shoes costing over a thousand yuan were simply too extravagant. In the old days, that money could have built three tiled houses.

Seeing his expression, the shopkeeper hurriedly said, "It's rare to meet such a filial young man today, so I'll give you twenty percent off. If you want these shoes, they're 888 yuan—at cost!"

Seeing that his grandfather's expression had softened a little, Zhao Danshi bargained with the shopkeeper. "How about you lower it a little more? Round it down and make it 800."

The shopkeeper initially refused. Seeing this, the old man grabbed Zhao Danshi and started to leave. The shopkeeper immediately relented and sold them a pair of cashmere-lined leather shoes for 800 yuan.

Even after leaving the shop, the old man kept muttering, "Shoes this expensive—won't they burn your feet?"

Zhao Danshi supported him. "Grandpa, listen to me. Give me a chance to be filial to you. Let yourself enjoy your grandson's blessings too!"

The old man narrowed his eyes in a smile. "Ah, enjoy blessings! Grandpa's already blessed enough."