The two people, a boy of seventeen or eighteen years old, and a little boy who looked to be five or six years old, were worshiping in front of his grandfather's grave.
Burning incense, burning paper money, the movements are skillful.
The young man squatted in front of the grave, spread out the paper money one by one, and lit it with a fire folding stick. The flames jumped up and the paper ashes swirled upward.
The little boy followed his example and squatted next to him, holding a bunch of paper money in his hand. He threw each piece of paper money into the fire, and muttered something after throwing each piece.
Qin Tiexin squinted, and the boy's facial features could be seen to be Zhou Nan. Although he had grown up a lot, his facial features had not changed.
She was very thin before, but now she looks a bit like an adult, with broader shoulders and a stronger chin, but she is still on the thin side, with her wrists exposed outside the cuffs and her joints clearly defined.
But who is that kid next to me?
Zhou Nan's child?? is so old??
Qin Tiexin heard Zhou Nan offering incense to his grandfather and muttering, "Grandpa Qin, Zhou Nan is here to see you. The business in the shop is okay this year, but the master is a little weak, but he can still hold on. Big Brother Qin is busy and can't come, so let me kowtow a few more times on his behalf and say that he will come by himself next year. Don't blame him."
The child followed and kowtowed, and after finishing the kowtow, he raised his face and shouted loudly, "Grandpa, I'm here to see you."
Grandpa?
Qin Tiexin Yi Leng, his own son?
Where did you get your son?
He turned his head around and went through everything he had done over the years, but he couldn't find a son.
He didn't even get married, so how could he have a son? Still such an old one?
Since they are acquaintances, there is no need to hide it, just ask clearly.
Qin Tiexin put Edgeless away, Breath-Concealing Talisman uncovered it, turned around from behind the old pine tree, and led Sun Aji towards Zhou Nan.
Zhou Nan Hearing footsteps, he raised his head.
When he saw Qin Tiexin, he froze and almost dropped the incense in his hand to the ground.
"Qin...Big Brother Qin?"
Zhou Nan was in disbelief, his lips trembled and his eyes widened.
He blinked hard and rubbed again to confirm that he had seen it correctly, and he actually saw Qin Tiexin, who had disappeared for almost six years.
"It's me." Qin Tiexin nodded.
Zhou Nan opened his mouth and couldn't speak for a long time.
He looked Qin Tiexin up and down, his eyes swept from his face to his feet, and then from his feet back to his face.
His eyes slowly turned red, and tears welled up from his eyes. His lips moved again, but still no sound came out. In the end, he only squeezed out one sentence from his throat. "You... how did you..."
"Well, I'm back. It's a long story." Qin Tiexin pointed to Sun Aji beside him. "First, let me introduce someone to you. This is my apprentice, Sun Aji."
Sun Aji called out obediently, "Uncle."
Zhou Nan responded in a daze. Before he could recover, he looked at Sun Aji and then at Qin Tiexin. It was clear that his mind hadn't turned around yet.
The child looked up at Qin Tiexin, a little scared, and shrank back Zhou Nan's legs, but boldly stuck out half of his head, raised his face and asked:
"Are you my father?"
Qin Tiexin:??????
Zhou Nan was a little helpless and gave Qin Tiexin a look.
There was a bit of embarrassment in that look, and there was also a hint of "it's a long story."
Qin Tiexin understood and said to Sun Aji, "A Ji, take him to the side to play for a while."
Sun Aji nodded and walked over to hold the child's hand.
The child turned back three times with each step, his eyes still staring at Qin Tiexin, his little head tilted, as if he was thinking about something.
Sun Aji took him under a pine tree a dozen steps away, picked a piece of grass and made him a grasshopper.
When the two of them walked away, Qin Tiexin looked at Zhou Nan: "What's going on?"
Zhou Nan smiled bitterly, "This child is brother Dazhu's youngest son. He is four years old and named Qin Hu."
"Qin Hu?" Qin Tiexin asked, "Why is your surname Qin?"
Zhou Nan sighed and told the story exactly.
Qin Tiexin originally promised that he would come back within five years, but he left immediately for six years and there has been no news.
In the past few years, Zhou Cang's health has been deteriorating. He could not sleep all night long due to coughing. People from Heavenly Craft Workshop's place came from time to time, asking in a roundabout way when Qin Tiexin would come back. In his words, it was clear that he wanted to take over the shop.
The government also came to visit twice and said that the deed of the blacksmith shop needed to be re-verified, but it all passed.
But last time, before leaving, the government officials said that the blacksmith shop was in the name of Qin Tiexin, and a few people were just staying there temporarily, and Qin Tiexin had no children. If Qin Tiexin didn't come back in ten years, the shop would be temporarily taken back by the government.
Five years have passed, but Qin Tiexin still hasn't come back. Due to various reasons, the store seems to be unsustainable. Later, Zhou Cang and Tu Dazhu think of a way.
Adopt the second child of Dazhu into the name of Qin Tiexin, change his surname to Qin, help him guard the blacksmith shop, and pay homage to Grandpa Qin during every new year and festival.
In this way, the blacksmith shop has a descendant, and the government can make it right, and Heavenly Craft Workshop can no longer be blatantly snatched away.
When the child is still young, he will be raised in the butcher's house first, and then he will officially take over the shop when he grows up.
The name is from Zhou Cang, and is called Qin Hu. The tiger with a tiger head and a tiger brain also hopes that he will be strong.
"Brother Dazhu said that Big Brother Qin is not here, and we can't let him come back without even a place to stay." Zhou Nan said, lowering his voice, "Master also said that the blacksmith shop is Grandpa Qin's lifelong effort and cannot be stopped in our hands."
After listening to Qin Tiexin, I couldn't laugh or cry, but I was very moved, especially when I found out that Tu Dazhu's first child was a daughter.
It is a big deal for ordinary people to adopt their only son, but Dazhu is actually willing to do so.
"How are Dazhu and the teacher doing now?" Qin Tiexin asked.
"Brother Dazhu is very good." Zhou Nan said, with a smile on his face, "He did a good job as the head catcher. He was promoted to head of the headquarters two years ago. Wan'er's sister-in-law gave him another baby, born last winter, weighing seven pounds and two taels. Teacher... Teacher's body is not as big as before, but he is still holding on, saying that he has to wait for you to come back no matter what."
Qin Tiexin was silent for a moment, and he thought of Zhou Cang, the old man who taught him blacksmithing in the military camp and was willing to come back to help him guard the shop.
Counting at this moment, Zhou Cang is almost seventy.
"By the way, Big Brother Qin, why did you come back suddenly without even a letter so that we could pick you up?" Zhou Nan suddenly asked.
"I was delayed by something before, but it was a coincidence that fortuitous opportunity came back this time." He said that when he went out to find Xiuxian, only his teacher Zhou Cang arrived, and they just thought that he was out on business.
Zhou Nan didn't ask any more questions, just nodded.
He probably guessed that what Big Brother Qin has done over the years is unusual, but when he comes back, it is better than anything else.
In the distance, Sun Aji and Qin Hu were having a great time. They seemed to have become familiar with each other.
Qin Hu ran after Sun Aji, his two short legs moving very fast, giggling.
Qin Tiexin looked at it, feeling a little complicated.
If you look closely, you can see that the child's eyebrows and eyes do look a bit like Dazhu, with a round face and thick lips, but his tiger-like head and strong head do look a bit like him.
He waved and called Sun Aji over.
"A Ji, come over and kowtow to your master." Qin Tiexin said.
Sun Aji obediently walked to the grave, knelt down, kowtowed three times respectfully, and lit incense.
She knelt upright, her back straight, and whispered, "Master, A Ji is here to see you." Her voice was crisp and clear in the pine breeze.
Grandpa's grave Zhou Nan They have been taking care of it over the years. The grass on the grave has been removed cleanly, and new soil has been added.
There are two pieces of Shitou placed in front of the grave, which serve as an offering table. On them are incense ashes, paper money ashes, and a few dried fruits.
He knelt down and took out a jug of wine from his arms. He bought it at the previous inn, the strongest one for burning knives.
Qin Tiexin pulled out the stopper, the smell of alcohol hit his nose, and he poured the whole bottle of wine in front of his grandfather's grave.
"Grandpa, I'm back." He whispered.
The wine seeps into the soil, and the aroma of the wine spreads, mixed with the smell of pine resin and paper ash.
The wind blows through Emerald Cloud Mountain, and the pine waves burst into waves.