Home at Last

Master Luo followed Master Luo Youde into the house and looked Luo Youde.

"Hey, Huoyazi, I remember when I left, your house was still a mud-brick house."

Luo Youde chuckled, "Uncle Yong, how old was I when you left? This house was built when I got married. Don't bother with those wild vegetables, hurry inside and make some tea."

Luo Youde shouted, and a short, very thin woman walked over.

"Oh, who is this?"

The woman looked at the old man and the young man with some confusion.

"Go get some water first, we'll talk inside later."

Luo Youde quickly invited the two into the house, and after entering, Master Luo sat down.

"Uncle Yong, where have you been all these years? We haven't heard from you in so many years. You never even made a phone call. Grandpa Xiang was still talking about you when he was leaving."

Luo Youde first sighed and muttered a couple of words, but Master Luo did not answer. At this moment, Luo Youde's wife came into the room with several teacups and began to pour tea.

"Huoyazi, I..." Master Luo's voice choked with emotion, "I never thought anyone would remember me. I haven't been home for sixty years, and now that I'm back, I can still have a cup of hot water to drink."

"Uncle Yong, you're being too polite. When I was little, my grandfather had that big belly disease, and it was you and Uncle Xiang who cured him. Then, seven or eight years after you passed away, my father got nephritis, and it was Uncle Xiang who cured him too. I'll never forget that, how could I forget you!"

Luo Youde said this did Su Ziyang understand why Luo Youde so polite and enthusiastic towards Master Luo.

"Huoyazi, I... my family..."

After taking a sip of water, Master Luo asked hesitantly.

"Master Luo, even though it's been sixty years, the layout of our village hasn't changed much. The village has still preserved your old house. It's just that the house might not be habitable anymore. But don't worry, I'll call Shui and the others tomorrow, and I'll also call my son back to get some help. We'll fix it up in about a week. You can stay at my house for the next few days."

Master Luo took another sip of tea, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, "Huoyazi, my parents' graves..."

"Uncle Yong, take a rest and go see. Uncle Xiang and Grandma Xiang are buried in the south of the village; the villagers arranged it for us."

Master Luo waved his hand and said, "I'm not resting anymore. I want to go and see if our warehouse still sells joss paper."

"Please take a rest."

Luo Youde watched as Master Luo stood up, wanting Master Luo to rest a little longer.

"I'm not resting anymore, I want to go take a look."

Master Luo insisted on going, Luo Youde n't stop him, so he took Master Luo to the village store. Master Luo took out a handkerchief from his pocket, inside which was wrapped a hundred yuan.

There were many hundred-yuan bills of paper money, and Su Ziyang helped Master Luo carry them.

Su Ziyang was going to pay, but Master Luo insisted that Su Ziyang had to pay for it himself and refused.

There is a cemetery in Luo Family Village where many elderly people from the village are buried.

Luo Youde led Master Luo to a grave mound covered with weeds, clearly indicating that no one had been there for a long time.

"Uncle Yong, when I visited the graves during the Lunar New Year, I burned some paper money for Grandpa Xiang and Grandma Xiang. They weren't starving."

Master Luo nodded and patted Luo Youde on the shoulder to express his gratitude.

Master Luo drew a circle in front of the grave with a stick, then knelt down with a thud. Su Ziyang was startled by Master Luo's action; even a young man would be overwhelmed by such a sudden fall.

To everyone's surprise, Master Luo lit the paper money as if nothing had happened, and the firelight distorted the air slightly.

Luo Youde also kowtowed beside him, and then stood up.

Master Luo didn't make a sound, but his whole body was trembling, and tears and snot covered his entire aged face. However, Master Luo remained silent and just sobbed quietly.

There was a lot of paper money in the box, and Master Luo cried as he added more.

A full half hour later, the fire from the paper money had long since died down, and Master Luo was still sobbing with his face covered.

Luo Youde and Su Ziyang couldn't bear to watch any longer. Luo Youde knelt down beside Master Luo: "Uncle Yong, what are you doing? You're so old. Can your body take this? Stop crying, stop crying. Please, I beg you."

As he spoke, Luo Youde a twig, muttering, "Grandpa Xiang, Grandma Xiang, Uncle Yong is back. If you two knew in the afterlife, you could rest in peace. Don't let him cry. He's getting old."

Su Ziyang took a tissue to wipe Master Luo's tears. Master Luo sobbed silently for another ten minutes or so, and finally stopped crying after being comforted by Su Ziyang and Luo Youde.

"Uncle Yong, let's go back." Luo Youde pulled Master Luo back, and Su Ziyang, following beside him, noticed that Master Luo's figure had become even more hunched.

Because Master Luo Master Luo had gone to the village's small supermarket today, many elderly villagers were already waiting for him at Luo Youde's house as soon Luo Youde he arrived.

However, these elderly people are all around the same age as Luo Youde. Most of the people who were around the same age as Master Luo back then have passed away, and those who came now are basically Master Luo's younger generation.

The crowd gathered around the old man who had been missing for nearly sixty years, talking all at once. Master Luo remained mostly silent, only mentioning that he was seeking medical treatment in the south, and said little else.

Seeing that Master Luo looked exhausted, Luo Youde persuaded everyone to disperse and told Master Luo to rest for a while.

The crowd probably found it uninteresting, and they gradually dispersed.

"Young man, what's your relationship to my Uncle Yong?"

Su Ziyang followed behind, remaining silent except when he tried to persuade Master Luo not to cry.

"I am Master Luo's apprentice."

Su Ziyang said softly, holding his bag.

"Ah? The apprentice who treats patients?"

Su Ziyang didn't speak, but nodded.

Master Luo patted Su Ziyang on the shoulder. "Huoyazi, this is my apprentice who treats patients. I treat him like my own child. He came back with me."

"Okay. As long as we're family, let's eat. I'll have her cook quickly. You can rest after we eat."

Luo Youde his Master Luo to cook when he looked at Su Ziyang, then at Luo Youde, and said, "Huoyazi, I'd like to go see my old family home."

"Oh, Uncle. How about we finish eating, take a nap, and see if it's okay tomorrow? I'll arrange for them to fix your house tomorrow, okay? If you're in a hurry, I'll call them over in a bit and we'll talk about it, okay?"

Luo Youde tried to dissuade him anxiously, but Master Luo wouldn't listen and insisted on going. Luo Youde to go with Master Luo, but Master Luo Master Luo refused, saying that Su Ziyang would go with him and that Luo Youde cook at home.

Upon Luo Youde quickly went to the kitchen to help with the cooking.

Master Luo walked very fast, with Su Ziyang following behind. Master Luo didn't say a word the whole way, just walked quietly.

At the westernmost edge of the village, a dilapidated courtyard comes into view.

The walls of the house have collapsed, so you can get in without a key.

The main room had a wooden door with a lock that was already rusted. Su Ziyang pulled it with both hands, and the lock fell off.

When Master Luo entered the house, he found that the roof was also full of holes. If it weren't for the pine beams and rafters used in the construction, the roof would probably have collapsed.

There were several pieces of furniture in the room that had long since rotted away.

Master Luo looked around the three rooms and found a stool that he could barely sit on.

They moved to the middle room and sat down.

"Ziyang, come here."

Master Luo asked Su Ziyang to stand over.

"Ziyang, I am an unfilial son. I have let down my parents, my wife, and my children."

When Master Luo said this, he sounded like an emotionless machine, just speaking in a straight, unresponsive voice.

"Master, you're not... please don't say that." Su Ziyang's nose tingled, and he grabbed Master Luo's hand and squatted down.

But Master Luo seemed not to hear Su Ziyang's words, continuing to look ahead and say, "I have no choice. When I went up the mountain to gather herbs, my life was saved by my master. I promised him I would pass on this skill. I've waited my whole life to find a disciple, and thankfully I have you."

"Master, I will pass it on well. Don't worry."

Su Ziyang held Master Luo's hand tightly.

"After a lifetime, I'm finally home!"

After saying that, Master Luo fell silent.

Su Ziyang held Master Luo's hand, and suddenly felt Master Luo's hand go limp. Su Ziyang looked up and found that Master Luo had his eyes closed as if he had fallen asleep.

"Master~" Su Ziyang called softly.

Master Luo didn't respond. Su Ziyang gently reached out and touched Master Luo's nose; Master Luo had stopped breathing...