The young man hadn't expected these people to dare say such things about him, nor that so many would applaud.
Wasn't this clearly slapping him in the face?
Even if it was just his own face, his grandfather's face was also being slapped like this.
This wouldn't do. His grandfather had participated in the revolution, had fought in bloody battles.
Was he not more worthy of respect than this person in front of him who only knew how to farm?
"What do you mean? Do you know who my grandfather is? Let me tell you, my grandfather is an old hero, he's been to the battlefield!" the young man shouted at the crowd, his face red.
Hearing the young man mention his grandfather going to the battlefield, the people present clearly showed a moment of emotion.
But then, they looked at the young man with scorn.
Su Xiaotian saw the young man's indifferent reaction upon hearing these words and finally couldn't hold back.
Teacher Shen had poured his heart and soul into his research over the years, aging faster than when he was in the village. Even if he couldn't be revered, he absolutely could not be slandered.
"I know you think that because your ancestors made contributions, you should be able to rest on their laurels. However, you've forgotten that your ancestors' contributions are merely the shade that protects us. Our future requires our own arduous efforts."
"If you can't stand on your own two feet, can't become a useful member of society, and instead become a good-for-nothing, then no amount of your ancestors' shade can protect you for a lifetime."
Su Xiaotian's clear and crisp words struck a chord in everyone's hearts.
An elder among them spoke to the young man with great earnestness.
"Young man, it doesn't matter who your grandfather is. What matters is whether you are worthy of being your grandfather's grandson."
"That's right, I agree with what this young lady said. She was taught by Teacher Shen, and her words are beautiful and spirited."
"Young man, a young girl understands this truth, how can you, an adult, not understand it? The older generation fought bravely for their honor, and it wasn't easy. Don't squander it!"
"Young man, your grandfather's contributions are his own. The country will not forget, and the people will not forget. But that is not something for you to boast about. Unless you also contribute to the country in the future, then you will truly have something to boast about."
"Young man, your grandfather's contributions deserve better treatment, but people like Teacher Shen also deserve better treatment."
"In times of war, we need people to fight bravely. In times of peace, we also need people to strive for the country's prosperity and wealth."
"Teacher Shen, I'll pay for your ticket today, but I'll need your identification. I can only buy a hard seat ticket."
A young man said with a simple, shy smile, looking quite embarrassed.
"Young man, I want to give you a piece of advice: If one's virtue does not match one's position, disaster will surely follow! The most important thing for a person is to find their own place, not to find their ancestors' place."
The crowd spoke to the young man in a torrent of words, various gazes flitting before his eyes.
The young man hadn't expected that by just saying a few defiant words, he would be targeted by so many people.
He wanted to say more, but he felt that no matter what he said now, no one would side with him.
The young man couldn't understand for a moment. Didn't his grandfather fight bravely back then precisely so that his descendants could live more comfortably?
Now, he was merely using his grandfather's privileges, so why was it wrong?
However, even if he couldn't understand, the young man was also a pragmatic person.
He quietly shut his mouth, not wanting to continue speaking and annoy people further.
The crowd hadn't intended to target the young man. Seeing that he stopped talking, they felt that he wasn't completely beyond redemption.
Soon, everyone around turned their gaze towards Shen Zizhen.
They hadn't expected to encounter a great scientist like Shen Zizhen just by going out to take a train.
For a moment, someone even wanted to give money to the ticket seller, asking her to refund Shen Zizhen's ticket money.
The ticket seller hadn't expected someone to actually do this and didn't know how to handle it, so she looked towards Shen Zizhen.
"My good sir, I appreciate your kindness, but I can pay for the ticket myself."
Shen Zizhen quickly and humbly declined.
He felt that he had merely done his job, fulfilled his duties as a teacher, and hadn't made any significant contributions. Instead, the praise from these people made him feel ashamed.
"Teacher Shen, you are a man of merit. If it weren't for you, many of us might still be struggling to get enough to eat."
"Yes, thinking back to a few years ago, most people in our village couldn't get enough to eat. It's truly lamentable!"
"Since Teacher Shen doesn't want us to pay for his ticket, it's alright if we give Teacher Shen some food and drink."
Suddenly, an elderly woman in the crowd spoke loudly, her voice clear enough for everyone around to hear.
Her words awakened the dreamers, and because of her statement, everyone instantly found a way to express their gratitude.
Shen Zizhen heard this and realized it was going to be a problem. He couldn't accept their food and drink for no reason.
They were traveling, and everyone had limited supplies. If he accepted them, perhaps others would go hungry.
He quickly tried to refuse, but it was too late.
People started handing him two eggs, an apple, an orange, two walnuts, as well as oil cakes, steamed buns, and other items.
Besides these, they also generously stuffed things like sponge cakes, milk candies, and malted milk powder into Shen Zizhen's arms.
In an instant, Shen Zizhen's arms were filled with all sorts of items, so much so that he couldn't hold any more.
Yet, many people still had things in their hands that they hadn't given him. Someone then noticed the Su siblings behind Shen Zizhen.
After asking if they were together and receiving an affirmative answer, they started handing their snacks to the two siblings as if they were free.
"You two children are Teacher Shen's family, right? Here, take these things with you to eat on the train."
"It's a long journey from here to the capital. Teacher Shen made sure we had enough to eat, so we must make sure Teacher Shen is well-fed on his journey too."
"These two children look like good kids. As expected, they were taught by Teacher Shen."
"As descendants, the most important thing is not to tarnish the reputation of your elders. If future generations ruin the good name that the elderly earned through a lifetime of hard work, they won't be able to rest in peace even in the afterlife!"
"You must not be like some people and ruin Teacher Shen's reputation."
"Little girl, you're traveling a long distance, you must take good care of Teacher Shen. Make sure Teacher Shen doesn't go hungry or thirsty!"
The simple and sincere words of the crowd made the young man feel ashamed.
He thought about the people around him, how they used to admire his grandfather, but in recent years, their admiring gazes seemed to have diminished.
He had thought it was because time had passed and people had forgotten his grandfather's contributions. Now, he realized that perhaps that wasn't the reason.
He suddenly understood something.
He looked at his grandfather's identification in his hand and finally realized he had been wrong.
These people had taught him a lesson today.
His grandfather's achievements were his own. If he couldn't achieve anything himself and only knew how to live off his grandfather's accomplishments, then eventually, his grandfather's merits would be depleted by him.
He looked down on Teacher Shen for being a farmer, but what about himself?
In recent years, his grandfather was no longer admired and respected by the people around him. Frankly, it had something to do with him.
After graduating from high school, he had been mediocre, and up until now, besides wandering around, he seemed to have accomplished nothing.
He hadn't become a grandson his grandfather could be proud of. He had truly become a grandson who brought shame to his grandfather's name. How could he have the face to show off here?
Suddenly, the young man seemed to see his grandfather's disappointed expression appear before him.
He hadn't paid attention before, but in the depths of his memory, his grandfather's disappointed and disheartened gaze was firmly etched.
The young man couldn't help but burst into tears, clenching his fists tightly.
These people had taught him a profound lesson, making him understand many things he hadn't understood before.
In the end, he said nothing. He simply bowed deeply to the crowd and then quietly turned and left.
At this moment, neither Su Xiaotian, Shen Zizhen, and the others who were surrounded, nor the excited ticket seller in the booth, noticed the young man's silent bow and departure.
They also didn't know that this scene today would change the latter half of a young man's life, transforming a good-for-nothing into a person beneficial to society!