If You Don’t Go To Hell, Who Will? - Chapter 60
Before coming to Shanghai, I had often wondered what Zhongyuan’s grandfather would be like, but I never imagined he would be so… unique.
Because he lost at chess, he took a walk in the neighborhood with Mr. Yang to let off steam. When he returned, he happened to find out that I had accidentally won against Mr. Zhao, so he enthusiastically scolded Mr. Zhao for a while and compared himself to Mr. Zhao in terms of chess skills, grandchildren, and daughter-in-law. In the end, he concluded, “Mr. Zhao, just obediently let me step on you, hahaha…”
Poor Mr. Zhao’s grandson is only 10 years old… >_<
Then this remarkable man proudly led Zhong Yuan and me back home.
When we got home, Aunt Yang was cooking. Influenced by various TV dramas, I thought it would be a good idea to help with some dishes to prove that I could be a good wife and mother in the making. However, Grandpa Zhong firmly rejected my request, so I had no choice but to respectfully hand him a cup of tea as a gesture of goodwill.
After Grandpa Zhong accepted my tea, he happily pulled out a shiny green bracelet from a drawer and gave it to me, which I accepted with great respect. Later, I found out that the jade bracelet was over a thousand years older than me… >_<
After dinner, we all sat down to chat. I realized that Grandpa Zhong was quite talkative, and basically, when we were together, he was the one doing all the talking. I politely nodded along, Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang occasionally chimed in, and Zhong Yuan stared at the TV screen without blinking.
I secretly asked Zhong Yuan, “Why aren’t you talking to your grandpa?”
Zhong Yuan replied, “Try listening to these stories for twenty years, and you’ll understand.”
At this point, Mr. Zhong enthusiastically brought out a green-glazed jar and placed it on the coffee table, wanting to show me the crickets he had recently raised. Perhaps he put the jar down too forcefully, and it made a clear sound as the ceramic jar’s bottom collided with the glass coffee table. Aunt Yang saw this and quickly said, “Grandpa, be careful; this jar is even more precious than your crickets.”
I didn’t understand, so I asked, “Why is this jar so precious?”
Aunt Yang smiled and said, “This is a official kiln jar from the Song Dynasty.”
I was taken aback and immediately looked at the jar with reverence.
Aunt Yang whispered to me, “Child, don’t worry too much. This house is filled with antiques. The bowls we used for dinner tonight are from the Ming Dynasty. That Tang Sancai figurine by the TV is a perfect replica, and the teacup Grandpa uses daily is a Ru kiln lotus cup from the Song Dynasty, and what you’re holding seems to be a crystal cup from a foreign tribute during the Ming Dynasty…”
Although I was initially nervous, I soon became more relaxed. After all, it’s not unusual for a wealthy person like Grandpa Zhong to collect antiques. However, what I didn’t understand was why he casually placed all these antiques around the house. Wasn’t he afraid they might get damaged or stolen, even with careful family members?
I expressed my concerns to Aunt Yang, and she waved her hand confidently, saying, “Don’t worry. As long as the thief isn’t mentally ill, they won’t think someone would display a Tang Sancai figurine next to the TV.”
Well, she had a point…
Then, Aunt Yang vividly recounted a past burglary incident in this house. It turned out that one day, a professional thief broke into Granpa Zhong’s room and easily broke open a safe. However, when he saw what was inside, he lost his temper.
The only item in the safe was a photo of Mr. Zhao being bitten by a dog. It was said that Granpa Zhong would take out this photo every night before going to sleep, touch it, and smile without saying a word.
In a fit of rage, the thief tore the photo to shreds and stormed out, only to run into Aunt Yang, who had just returned from grocery shopping. She quickly dealt with the thief and subdued him.
…It was said that Uncle Yang had won several martial arts championships, and Aunt Yang had married him as an admirer.
When Granpa Zhong returned, the thief had already been taken to the police station, but the old man was still furious because his nightly entertainment routine was disrupted. Enraged, he formed a team of lawyers to sue the thief and threatened to hire an assassin to “execute him.”
Later, Uncle Yang helped him obtain another photo of Mr. Zhao being bitten by another dog, and that’s when things finally settled down.
Hearing this story, I couldn’t help but wonder why so many dogs had bitten Mr. Zhao when he didn’t look like a bone…
During the days I stayed at Zhong Yuan’s grandfather’s house, both Zhong Yuan and I were quite busy. Zhong Yuan was dealing with the relentless harassment of a certain man seeking advice on how to get rid of a certain woman and a certain woman seeking guidance on how to control a certain man. Meanwhile, I was dragged into playing chess, admiring flowers, and having cricket fights with Grandpa Zhong, and he lectured me on being too idle.
One day, Grandpa Zhong took me to the balcony to admire the oriental white-eyes (T/N: a type of bird) he had just bought, while Zhong Yuan was in the living room teaching Shi Yunheng how to seduce passersby B.
Grandpa Zhong was feeding the oriental white-eyes while mysteriously telling me, “Young lady, actually, Zhong Yuan has been mentioning you to me before.”
“Oh, really?” I felt a bit embarrassed. “What did he say about me?”
Grandpa Zhong said indignantly, “He said if I didn’t approve of you, he would smash all the antiques in my house, including those over two hundred years old in the old mansion. He also threatened to tell Mr. Zhao all the embarrassing things I’ve done!”
Well, that’s quite a drastic approach.
Now I finally understood why Grandpa Zhong had accepted me so easily.
Seemingly sensing my thoughts, Grandpa Zhong waved his hand and said, “Don’t overthink it. While I may be a bit disrespectful, I’m not that rigid. Each generation has its own fortune, and I wasn’t keen on interfering. Besides, I quite like you as a child.”
Ahem, Grandpa, your words are making me feel a bit embarrassed. Facepalm…
Then, the old man added, “Of course, although that brat Zhong Yuan is naughty, his judgment is definitely not wrong.”
…Is this a compliment for that naughty brat?
Next, Grandpa Zhong, who usually had a mischievous image, became very serious and sighed, saying, “Grand daughter-in-law, there’s actually one thing I want to ask of you.”
“Oh, what is it?” His serious demeanor made me nervous.
“This child, Zhong Yuan is very intelligent, but he can be a bit excessive.”
“What do you mean?” I didn’t understand. Isn’t being intelligent a good thing? I wish I were more intelligent.
“Some things that most people can be easily swayed by, he thinks through very clearly. This makes him see things very clearly and often leads him to consider things from a purely self-interested perspective. Such people are well-suited for business, but most of them tend to become selfish and indifferent to the feelings of others. While it’s true that there’s no business without a bit of cunning, if it goes too far, I’m afraid he might lose his sense of right and wrong and resort to any means to achieve his goals. From this perspective, the smarter he is, the more dangerous he becomes. And this brat has always had a cold and unfeeling temper, which might make him even more prone to going astray.”
I nodded, somewhat puzzled. I understood the surface meaning of Grandpa Zhong’s words, but what was he trying to convey?
Suddenly, Grandpa Zhong looked excited and said to me with some enthusiasm, “Now, that kid finally has a vulnerability.”
I asked hesitantly, “…?”
Grandpa Zhong continued, “Good child, I can see it. Although Zhong Yuan is stubborn, he will still listen to you to some extent. I just hope that when he’s on the brink of going astray, you can pull him back and at least not let him harm society or anything like that. If he doesn’t listen, you can resort to crying, throwing tantrums, or even threatening to harm yourself to force him.”
I was left speechless.
Grandpa Zhong added with a smile, “Of course, it’s just an act; don’t actually harm yourself.”
I remained silent.
…
After dinner, Zhong Yuan and I took a walk in the neighborhood, holding hands. I cautiously said to him, “Today, your grandpa talked to me.”
Zhongyuan stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow. “Our grandpa.”
“Alright, our grandpa.”
Zhong Yuan nodded approvingly and continued walking, still holding my hand. I asked, “Aren’t you curious about what he said to me?”
Zhongyuan didn’t even lift an eyelid. “Probably just worried I’ll become a menace to society.”
I sighed.
Zhongyuan, did you secretly read Grandpa’s lines in advance… >_<
