After coming out of Lu's house, Pei Shan took the hawthorn cake and let out a long sigh of relief.
He can now go buy some New Year's goods. The Lantern Festival has not yet come, but everywhere in the county is still full of joy.
Pei Shan first cut two kilograms of meat, bought rice, and a jug of wine. The weather was not good, and soon it started to rain lightly.
When he finally returned to Xiajia Village, in the remote woods at the head of the village, smoke was burning from a small thatched hut.
Pei Shan walked faster and faster, and his heart was filled with joy. The moment he opened the door, Pei Shan's smile froze.
My uncle and aunt were both there. They were gathered around the firewood, and their eyes lit up when they saw what he was carrying.
"Pei Shan, where did you get the credit?" asked my uncle Xia Xingwang.
Pei Shandao: "There is no credit, I just sold a few paintings."
Xia Xingwang stood up and took the meat and wine, then handed them to his wife Liu.
Mrs. Liu weighed it, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Okay, your grandfather said that we would rely on you to take care of him in the future and let us not take care of him. I didn't believe it yet, but now it seems that it is true."
"Okay then, let's go back first."
With that said, he called his wife to go out, but Pei Shan stretched out her hand to stop her.
His eldest uncle instantly raised his voice and said sharply: "Pei Shan, what are you doing? You live here with your grandfather, and everything your grandfather owns is mine, including the rice in your rice vat."
Pei Shan couldn't help but sneered: "Didn't you all empty out the food at home? Where is the rice?"
When his uncle heard this, he immediately raised his palm.
Pei Shan did not show any weakness, and his eyes suddenly became like ice blades.
"Okay."
"Shan'er, let them go. We, our grandparents, will never starve to death."
Pei Shan saw his grandfather standing up. He seemed older and his back was hunched.
Pei Shan's eyes turned red and he turned his body slightly.
Xia Xingwang said proudly: "Look, I am my biological son, who do you think you are?"
Xia Yan looked at his arrogant son and said displeasedly: "Okay, you guys have taken the things and don't come back again."
Xia Xingwang immediately became unhappy, and turned around and said loudly: "Old man, you are nice now and don't let us worry about it. What if you die in the future? Pei Shan can help you with your funeral alone?"
"We asked you to go home and help us take care of our children. If you don't do it, do you think any elderly person like you would split up with us to take care of his grandson? The Pei family doesn't care about him, so why do you care about him? He is capable, but he can't read.
He can read and draw, but will he starve to death if you let him live alone?"
Mrs. Liu was also impatient and said: "Dad, Xingwang is not talking about you. It will be fine if you go home with us. Xingwang is your biological son. Who does Pei Shan count?"
Xia Yan said: "You want me to go back to take care of your children. You go to the fields a lot to grow food. I understand all this. Just wait for another year, wait, wait, wait until Shan'er comes back in autumn, and I will go back."
Xia Xingwang's expression finally softened when he heard that his father was willing to go back, but when he saw Pei Shan's cold eyes, he couldn't help but mocked: "So what if he won the scholarship at the age of twelve? He has been a scholar for three years.
He has never studied, and even if he picks up a pen, he can only draw. What else do you expect him to do?"
"If you come back with us today, these things will be left for him to celebrate the New Year, and we won't covet them. If you insist on staying to take care of him, then don't blame us for being cruel. We took them all back."
Xia Yan said calmly: "Take all of you back, celebrate the New Year well, and don't come over to make trouble again. Our Xia family has finally produced such a good seedling of studying, and we cannot let it be buried."
When Xia Xingwang heard this, he immediately retorted: "His surname is Pei!"
Xia Yan said: "So what? Back then, I was forced to travel outside to make a living, and your mother liked to go to the market and was often away from home. Think about who took care of you when you grew up. Now you have a son and a daughter. How long have you waited?
Nian Lanlan is also going to find her husband's family, and you won't recognize the children she gives birth to?"
Xia Xingwang couldn't speak, but he still felt aggrieved.
The year before last, when their family was building a new house, Pei Shan came during the most difficult time.
At that time, he was under great pressure and didn't want to have another mouth to eat. Who knew that the old man came out without saying a word and took Pei Shan with him.
As a result, the couple had to work every day, take care of their children, wake up early and stay late at night, and couldn't even eat something hot. How could he not feel resentful?
Angrily throwing down a piece of meat, Xia Xingwang took his wife and left without taking any rice.
In fact, they brought chicken to the old man tonight, not to quarrel.
After they left, Xia Yan took out the chicken and called to Pei Shan: "Don't be angry, come over and eat."
Pei Shan wiped away his tears. He knew that his grandfather had been wronged because of him, but he didn't want to lose his grandfather as well.
The Pei family can no longer go back, and the Xia family can't go either. If my grandfather leaves too, he will have no home.
While eating the cold chicken, Pei Shan sobbed: "Grandpa, I am sorry for you."
Xia Yan smiled and said indifferently: "You brat, do you know that we are working hard now? When you are successful, your eldest brother and your eldest uncle will hope that you will not hold grudges, so how can they really ignore you?
!”
"That's how people are. But don't blame them. They have never studied in their lives. They work all day long with their backs to the earth and their backs to the sky. Their knowledge is very shallow and they can only see things that are beneficial to them."
"You are a good boy and a person with a big heart. Don't argue with them. I hid a lot of sweet potatoes in the cellar. If they wanted the rice, they would move it away and we would not be hungry. On the contrary, they took the rice and
Is the meat delicious? Not necessarily!"
Pei Shan gradually stopped crying, laughed innocently while holding the bowl, and then took out the banknote.
"You are right, we are trying our best to survive."
"The lady who bought my painting today said: My talent shines like a pearl, and even if the pearl is stuck in the mud, its value will not be reduced."
Xia Yan took the banknote and looked at it again and again. After listening to Pei Shan's words, he immediately said with emotion: "That's great, it's really great. I always hope that you can find your own Bole and put it to good use."
Your talent. Now it seems that you have finally found it."
"Shan'er, pack up and go join her."
Pei Shan hesitated and said, "But she is a woman, and she is already married."
Xia Yan stroked his beard and smiled kindly: "Silly boy, the noble lady is married and still spends lavishly, which proves that she is born in a rich or noble family, and she must be the head wife. Also, she can tell that the pearl is stuck in the mud.
, implying that she knows your situation and hopes you will not belittle yourself. She must be a lady who loves and cherishes talents, so her husband must be good, but that Lu Zhuangyuan? "
"Grandpa, you are simply amazing!"
"It's the couple!"
Pei Shan said, actually he had already made a decision in his heart.
Xia Yan said: "Then they must have made arrangements for me."
Pei Shan put down his bowl and chopsticks, clapped his hands, and exclaimed again: "Grandfather, you should be the reincarnation of Zhuge."
Xia Yan waved his hand and said sincerely: "Shan'er, that's not the case. But when you meet Mingzhu, you will find that everything he does is thoughtful and impressive. Only
Only with people like this can we truly recover capable people."
"You remember what your grandfather said, don't rely on favor to make you arrogant."
Relying on favor to become arrogant?
Pei Shan was confused, this... between master and disciple, even if he is the proud disciple, it has nothing to do with favor, right?
What's more, "arrogant"?
Did his grandfather misunderstand something? Pei Shan wanted to explain, but he didn't know where to start. His mouth went dry for a while, and he became anxious.