"Captain, if it weren't for your care in the early years, it's uncertain if these old bones of ours would still be around. Now that you're in the capital, you must at least let us fulfill our duties as hosts," said Du Tonghe very politely.
Some kindnesses that seemed ordinary at the time were life-saving favors in retrospect.
Perhaps when they were in the Red Heart Brigade, they hadn't fully grasped the depth of this kindness.
Upon returning to the capital and discussing those years with many friends, they realized that compared to others, they had lived almost in paradise.
All of this was made possible by the honest and simple man before them.
Of course, it was also related to the inherent simplicity and kindness of the villagers.
At his age, how could Du Tonghe not understand?
"It was just a small favor, you don't need to be so polite, Elder."
After a while of polite exchanges, the two finally sat down to eat together.
During the meal, there was no need to distinguish between host and guest; everyone was relaxed and happy.
Du Tonghe had also brought two bottles of Maotai wine when he came.
After drinking, everyone felt a bit tipsy. They agreed to visit Chi Ge at the orphanage the next day, and then the Du family elders were escorted home by Su Laosan.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, the Du couple arrived at the Su family's house before even having breakfast. Su Dan Novel Network
When the Du couple arrived, Su Laosan had taken Su Changjiu and a few others to watch the flag-raising ceremony and had not yet returned.
Du Tonghe then chatted with Grandpa Su.
Meanwhile, Yu Ruiyuan helped Grandma Su prepare breakfast.
Soon, the group who had gone to watch the flag-raising ceremony returned, all looking excited and moved, clearly very emotional.
"How was it? Village Chief?"
Hearing Du Tonghe's question, Su Changjiu was so moved that tears almost fell.
They had seen the national flag raised before, but watching it here was completely different from watching it in their village.
The moment the national anthem began, Su Changjiu was in tears.
This feeling lasted all the way back home.
"I never thought I'd get to see it with my own eyes in this lifetime. It was worth it, truly worth it!"
"Let's go see Old Chi in the morning, and then pay respects to the great leader in the afternoon," Du Tonghe said with a smile. "You're quite emotional, aren't you?"
When he first saw the flag-raising ceremony in the capital, he too was very moved, so much so that he cried on the spot.
He could understand the feelings of Su Changjiu, this simple country man.
Su Xiaocao was also very moved, though not as much as Su Changjiu.
Seeing her father like this, she felt that she really should arrange for her mother to visit the capital too.
Every Chinese person should visit the capital at least once in their lifetime to truly live.
She had saved some money from her work, and she would let her mother come and explore later.
As for money, she could always earn more if she spent it.
Su Changjiu had initially felt pained about spending all their savings on this trip.
But now, he felt no regret at all.
It was worth it, truly worth it, to have come in this lifetime.
If only he had made arrangements with the neighbors to leave the house and brought his wife along to the capital.
Su Changjiu thought this and then voiced it.
"Why don't we try to buy a train ticket and have your sister-in-law come now?" Qi Liangying suggested.
"No, no, maybe later. Didn't you say your second son has a girlfriend? When your second son's child is born, you can have your sister-in-law come then."
Su Changjiu was well aware that they were short on money and quickly declined.
"That's fine too. Your sister-in-law has never traveled far alone, so you should accompany her then. And she can stay in the capital for a longer time," Qi Liangying said, her heart filled with joy at the mention of her son having a child in the future.
Elderly people, at a certain age, always wish for a third generation.
Seeing her elder sister-in-law become a grandmother, Qi Liangying felt a pang of envy.
But there was nothing she could do; her own son and future daughter-in-law were still studying and would have to wait.
"Why wait for the birth of a child? She can come when the second son gets married!" Yu Ruiyuan said with a smile. "The eldest son got married and went back to his hometown. I expect the second son will stay in the capital."
Grandma Su chimed in, "We're old and can't travel much anymore. The second son will get married in the capital. Then, the young couple can go to the village."
Even if they got married in the capital, entertaining guests in their hometown would still be necessary.
In any case, the second son and his wife lived in the provincial capital.
When others didn't return, the second son and his wife could handle the guests.
Su Changjiu nodded in full agreement.
His wife had followed him and endured hardship her whole life; she deserved to see the capital too.
However, they were getting older, their ability to earn money was decreasing, and they still had a young daughter waiting to be married.
"Forget it, we'll discuss it when we get back. I heard the second son's wife is still studying, and it will take another two years. The village is developing well now, so maybe we won't be short of money by then."
After having breakfast at the Su family's, Su Laosan specifically arranged for a car to take them to the orphanage to visit Chi Ge.
Su Changjiu found riding in a car quite novel.
He hadn't expected to have the chance to ride in a car in the capital.
"People in the capital seem much richer than us," Su Changjiu remarked. "But it's not like the rumors say, that the ground is paved with gold."
Hearing Su Changjiu's words, the others chuckled.
"Brother Changjiu, the emperor's residence is paved with golden bricks, but other places are the same as ours."
Du Tonghe, hearing Su Laosan say this, explained, "The emperor's residence is paved with golden bricks, but they aren't actually made of gold. They just make a metallic sound when struck. The firing process is very difficult, making them valuable."
Su Laosan hadn't really researched this and was surprised by Du Tonghe's explanation. "Uncle Du, is that really true?"
"It is. There are three theories for the origin of the name 'golden bricks.' One is that golden bricks were made in Suzhou and sent to the capital, hence 'Jing Zhuan' (capital bricks), which later evolved into 'golden bricks.' Another theory is that after firing, golden bricks are extremely hard and emit a metallic sound when struck. A third theory suggests that during the Ming Dynasty, one golden brick was worth an ounce of gold, hence the name 'golden bricks,'" Yu Ruiyuan explained with a smile.
Su Changjiu and Su Laosan had never heard this before and listened with great interest.
"Even if they aren't made of gold, that's still a lot from a long time ago," Su Laosan couldn't help but exclaim.
Amidst their banter, they arrived at the entrance of the private orphanage run by Tan Zishi and his wife.
Carrying the gifts that Grandma Su had prepared for the children and Chi Ge, they got out of the car and entered the courtyard.
Du Tonghe and his wife were frequent visitors to the orphanage and were familiar with the children.
When the children saw the elderly couple, they ran over excitedly. However, upon noticing the strangers, they hesitated and stopped in their tracks, not daring to come forward.
"Why aren't you coming? Your Grandpa and Grandma Su asked me to bring you delicious food," Yu Ruiyuan said with a smile, waving to the children.
Grandma Su often made food to supplement the children's meals, usually meat dishes that were sent over.
The children were accustomed to this.
"Are there meatballs? I love Grandma Su's meatballs the most."
"I want braised pork!"
The little ones' attention was captured by the mention of delicious food.
Yu Ruiyuan handed a large bag to one of the helpers, asking them to take it to the kitchen.
"We'll have extra dishes for lunch today."