The sudden epidemic in 2020 has made the nostalgia lingering in my heart even more intense. I had a video chat with my old father, and he was so deafened that he couldn’t hear what I said. We each said our own words, but we missed him more and more.
Finally, there were no longer restrictions in the province. A fellow villager happened to drive back and took a ride all the way southwest to his hometown.
Like a telepathic connection, every time I desperately wanted to go home, something would happen. My brother fell again and fractured his left elbow joint.
My old father was overjoyed when he saw me. A smile appeared on his face, but he said: "Why are you back? You are so busy, I am fine, don't worry about me." In the video I am very happy to see that you are all well!"
"I miss you!" I said in a voice that was several times louder than usual, and put out the incense prepared with various traditional Chinese medicines. The bag was given to him, but unexpectedly it triggered various anti-counterfeiting topics: giving honey saying that the current honey is fake and mixed with sugar and water; giving black pork saying that the current meat is not as fragrant as the original, and using an injection to inject something; The milkman said that when real milk is boiled, there should be a layer of yellow milk skin on it. Nowadays, the milk is mixed with soy milk and peanut butter... This time, he also mentioned that the current Chinese medicines are all artificially grown, not collected from the mountains or ground into powder. The powder is made into various things and sold just to make money. My 89-year-old father couldn't explain his bizarre theories to him. Everything in his memory grew naturally! The cute thing is that he said that the things you gave him were useless and he just wanted to prevent you from spending money.
I often tell him that this is what I want, and if he doesn’t like it, he can throw it away right away! Then he would say: I spent so much money, how could I throw it away? Such an expensive thing...
The old father has his own health care method. He soaks his feet every night with a spoonful of sea salt, a capful of vinegar, pepper and ginger. Soak for 40 minutes, and then soak each foot for 40 minutes. Massage 100 times; wake up every morning, read 1,000 numbers aloud, then comb your hair with your fingers, and massage your whole body for half an hour; eat three meals on time every day, make sure to steam egg custard with two eggs in the morning, and use your own bowls and chopsticks regularly , certain things must be placed in a fixed way and in a fixed place... After spending a day with my old father, I am particularly grateful to my brother and sister-in-law for taking good care of my father on weekdays. It is not easy to complete the day's homework strictly according to my father's requirements.
Every time I go home, my father will tell me endlessly about several major events in his life, every time as clearly as memorizing a draft, every word is correct. When my son heard his story for the first time, he was in admiration: "It's amazing that my grandfather has such clear ideas at such an old age, and his logic of expression is so strong..." And I will hear those things exactly in his repeated narration. These were some of the turning points in his life.
The content of what my father talked about was not limited to those few things. He loved learning very much. He watched TV, read books and newspapers, and wore glasses and a magnifying glass. He could always combine the epidemic and current affairs and politics. I express my own opinions based on my own life experiences. Sometimes I copy them and buy and sell them now. The descriptions are so clear and my memory is so strong that I can’t compare to them!
After being away from home for more than thirty years, I can still see the local atmosphere of my hometown soaked in me, and I can still feel the father-like character traits carved in me. The hometown complex has long been integrated into my blood. Bar! That touch of homesickness disappears when gathering with relatives, and will gather day by day in the days away from home...