Every time I hear the song "The most beautiful thing is the red sunset...", I suddenly think of my grandfather who has been retired for more than ten years. Grandpa is a retired teacher who is worthy of the name of "being productive and having fun in old age".
My grandfather is now seventy-two years old this year. After he retired from the education front, he turned his sideline business of calligraphy and flower gardening, which he had persisted in for many years, into a real career. Grandma often said that Grandpa was too enthusiastic. No matter who the neighbor Baishe needs help with writing, Grandpa always wastes time and paper, ink and time. He volunteers to help write and deliver it himself. He also says that as long as the person doesn't think the writing is bad, he will be happy to serve everyone. Especially during the New Year and holidays, my grandpa always smiles from ear to ear when he sees relatives and neighbors posting Spring Festival couplets written by himself, as if I have received a reward at the end of the semester. In order to improve his calligraphy skills, my grandfather actively signed up for a calligraphy class at the University for the Elderly, and attended two classes in a row. During his studies, he was always there rain or shine, never asking for leave or being late. He listened attentively and took notes carefully. When he got home, he was like a primary school student, meticulously completing his homework according to the teacher's requirements. Sometimes his grandma would joke to him and say, "Did you not study hard when you were a child? Now try to be a good student!" After hearing this, his grandpa would always smile slightly but not answer. In fact, grandma knows that grandpa is serious about everything he does in his life. Grandma and grandpa sometimes get angry and dislike him for this and that in person, but behind his back, grandma always says that he is "serious" and "serious" is short.
One winter, my grandfather rode a bicycle in the rain to go to the University for the Elderly to hand in his calligraphy homework. When he came back, his hands and face were so cold that they turned red and purple. He couldn't warm up after eating and drinking, so he caught a cold. It took several days of medication and injections to get better, which made the whole family busy, angry, and complaining about whether he had gone too far with his calligraphy practice. After hearing this, grandma said that grandpa has been serious all his life, and no matter what others say, it won't work! No matter what others say, grandpa still follows his instructions. You see, his study room is filled with regular script works written one stroke after another. It really looks like a calligraphy exhibition room.
Grandpa is not only fond of calligraphy, but also a good flower grower. He took good care of it from morning to night every day. Apart from writing and doing flowers, he never had any free time. Soil replacement, watering, spraying, fertilizing, setting up trellises, etc. are all tasks done in the first three seasons of the year; in winter, tents must be set up to keep the flowers warm. What’s even more troublesome is who should be placed next to whom to look good, which flowers should be taken care of in which season, etc. I can’t remember at all, let alone do them. Grandpa is as familiar with which flowers and how to take care of them as he is with his own fingers. Grandpa has been enjoying it for many years and never gets tired of it.
Whenever the flowers are finished, grandpa distributes them to this family and that family. He is always very happy to see others carrying away the fruits of their labor. If someone's flower dies or becomes sick after being moved back, grandpa will replace it and treat it! What do you think of grandpa's flower-growing skills?
Grandpa has something even better: he drinks a little wine every now and then, but never drinks too much. He drinks a certain amount each time, not too much, not too much, and makes sure not to delay his meal; grandma said that even if he goes by, Grandpa never missed anything because he was drunk. Grandpa insists on exercising all year round. He gets up at more than five o'clock every morning and is as punctual as a clock all year round.
Grandpa, maknae and laole, it’s really the most beautiful sunset red!