Although Ge Fu was in poor health, he was a diligent person. He got up early and worked hard every day, just to save more money for his son.
On this day, he got up earlier than usual, and it was still dark outside the window with no light at all.
He gently put on his clothes and stood up, without disturbing his son who was still sleeping soundly.
He came outside, lit the oil lamp with rare generosity, took down his wife's tablet and wiped it clean carefully, and whispered: "Old lady, just wait, maybe it won't be long before I can go down to find you.
“I’ve been a drag on you for half my life, and then I’ve been a drag on my son, and I always feel bad about it.
"But if you live a long time, you really never know what you will encounter. Someone actually offered me twenty taels of silver to buy my life. You can't believe it, can you?"
At this point, Ge Fu suddenly fell silent, rubbed his wife's memorial tablet with both hands, and sighed quietly: "Old woman, I'm not afraid of death. If I die, I can earn five taels more for my children!"
"It's just that if I really die, I won't be able to see Gensheng marry a wife and have children. I always feel very regretful..."
But he soon cheered up and said with a smile: "Look what I said, people are easy to be greedy. When you couldn't make money, you wanted to make money. Now that you can make money, you want to live longer." In a few years, how can there be so many things that have the best of both worlds in this world!
"Okay, I won't tell you anymore. It's time to get up soon. When I get down there, we will have plenty of time to talk slowly!"
At this moment, it was getting brighter outside, and the sky was turning white.
Ge Fu took out the only handful of white noodles left at home, generously scooped out a large spoonful of lard, and made a pot of fragrant noodle soup.
Gensheng smelled the fragrance in his sleep, and his mouth was so greedy that his saliva flowed from the corner of his mouth to the pillow.
It was already time to get up, but he thought the fragrance was a dream, so he vaguely wanted to squint a little longer and enjoy it more in his dream.
"Gensheng, it's time to get up and eat. After eating, you have to go to work!" Ge Fu came over to wake his son up.
Gensheng was completely woken up now. He wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand with some regret. As soon as he got up and was about to fold the quilt, his whole body froze.
He sniffed and sniffed hard, wondering why it still smelled so good even though he was awake. It even smelled even better than in his dream just now.
"Dad, who's making delicious food? The smell is so overbearing, it's even coming to our house!"
Ge Fu touched his son's head with some distress. This child had been cheating a lot since he was a child, and he couldn't eat meat more than once a year.
But as long as I go to the official today and take the medicine he gave me, my grandson's life will not be as miserable as my son's in the future.
Thinking of this, Ge Fu couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, revealing a heartfelt smile.
Gensheng turned around after putting on his clothes and couldn't help but ask: "Dad, what's so good about you? Are you so happy?"
Ge Fu didn't answer directly. He walked out and said, "Hurry up and eat. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Until he sat at the table and looked at the large bowl of Pian'er soup in front of him, Gensheng still couldn't believe that the smell that was so fragrant just now was actually his own breakfast.
Looking at the glistening white noodles in the bowl, with a round poached egg lying on top, Gensheng swallowed hard, recalled for a long time and asked: "Today is not the New Year, nor is it anyone's birthday, so why..."
"You have been too tired from work recently. Let me cook you some delicious food. We are the only ones at home. We can eat whenever we want. Why have to wait until the New Year and the holidays." Ge Fu did not dare to look at his son. With her eyes, she pretended to lower her head to eat, avoiding his sight.
Gensheng felt that his father was right, so he happily picked up the bowl and ate deliciously.
After the two of them had breakfast, Gensheng was ready to go to work.
He is now working as an apprentice in a pickle garden in the city. He calls himself an apprentice, but in fact he is still working hard. Every day he is either moving the sauce vats or washing and scrubbing. He doesn’t learn anything, and he doesn’t even get monthly money.
It would take at least another year before he could start working with his master and learn his skills.
Generally, at Gensheng's age, as long as he is willing to endure hardships, he can still make a lot of money by loading and unloading goods at the dock.
But after all, it is not a long-term solution. When you get older, you will no longer be able to do it, and you will also suffer from all kinds of problems.
He is now working in the pickle garden. Although he is tired and has no money, as long as he grits his teeth and endures for a few years, he will be able to live a stable and prosperous life after becoming an apprentice.
After a person reaches middle age, there are apprentices who can take care of him, and experienced masters are very popular, so they don't have to worry about a bleak future.
This was something that Ge Fu managed to get in last year by shamelessly asking for connections.
As long as my son doesn't make any mistakes and continues to work steadily in the pickle garden, he will have nothing to worry about in the rest of his life.
Gensheng buried his head in eating a piece of soup, completely unaware that Ge Fu had already put down his bowl and chopsticks, and his eyes were always on him.
"Gensheng, do you know where our family's money is kept?" Ge Fu suddenly asked.
"Isn't it just buried under your bed?" Gensheng raised his head and glanced at his father strangely, "Dad, do you want to see a doctor if you don't feel well?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm just asking if you still remember!"
"You put it yourself, as long as you know it."
Children of poor people have long been in charge of their families. Gensheng has been sensible since he was a child. He has never been like those gangsters outside, only knowing how to steal money from home and play outside.
Ge Fu looked at his son, feeling a little sentimental in his heart, but when he thought that in a short time, the three coins buried under the bedside would become more than twenty taels, he became a little excited and said, "By the way, do you still remember Mrs. Zhang?" ?”
"Who is it?" Gensheng looked up in confusion.
"It's the matchmaker I told you about before." Ge Fu said, "Her family lives in the alley next door. Walk in hard and it will be the second to last house on the left."
The experience of getting married before was not very pleasant. The other party was picky about the Ge family and their disgust was palpable.
So when Gensheng heard his father talk about matchmaking, he immediately lost interest and looked away and continued eating.
"You have to remember!" Ge Fu warned worriedly, "Mr. Zhang is a good person. When your wife was alive, they were as good as sisters.
"If you want to get married in the future, don't go out looking for a matchmaker, just look for Mrs. Zhang. She will definitely not cheat you!"
Gensheng picked up the bowl, Hululu drank all the noodle soup at the bottom of the bowl, wiped his mouth and said: "Dad, tell me why you are doing this. It won't be too late to say goodbye when I become an official apprentice in two years.
"Okay, let's not talk anymore. It's time for me to leave. I'll get scolded if I'm late."
After Gensheng finished speaking, he quickly walked out of the house.
"Eh..." Ge Fu followed reluctantly, and finally gritted his teeth and stopped at the door.
Looking at his son's back disappearing at the entrance of the alley, Graham stood stunned for a long time before turning back to the house with a complicated mood.
