Chapter-4

Li Wei made himself comfortable on a bench as he waited. He didn't have to wait long as the noise of a car engine was sounded and a light truck arrived near the train stop.

The door to the car was opened and an old man set out. 

"Li Wei, is that you"

Li Wei stood up as he also replied

"Grandpa Zou"

The old man got closer to Li Wei as he slapped on his shoulders.

"You boy, grown up so much that even I have a hard time recognizing you"

"Well, it has been a long time since I last saw you after all"

Li Wei gave a small laugh as he scratched his head.

"This car…"

Li Wei asked.

"Oh yes, you boy should not know about it"

"It's a car bought as a gift for me by my son"

"Come, let's go quickly"

He got into the car and fastened his seat belt.

"I'm sorry grandpa Zou had to come get me this late"

"Don't worry about the small stuff"

"It's not always that you come to visit this small village"

"You look so thin, have you not been eating meat"

"What happened to you all these years, care to tell me about it"

"It's a long story"

"I'm all ears"

Grandpa Zou was someone he could trust as he was also a grandpa like figure to him since childhood whenever he had visited this place. Not only that, he was someone who was very close with his uncle. If not for their age difference, it would be sure that they would be friends since their childhood.

So Li Wei talked slowly about what he had experienced during the years. After telling the entire story, his heart felt lighter. Along the story telling, various expression appeared on the face of the old man, sorrow, pity, and more. He sighed as he said

"It has been hard on you"

"I didn't know it would be this hard on you after your parents tragedy"

Old man Zou also knew about what had happened to his parents and was one of the people who gave him money every now and then and kept contact with him through the years.

"And those people…."

"Don't mention them, grandpa"

"Let it be in the past"

Grandpa Zou sighed again as he couldn't help but take pity on this child. Out of his entire life, he has never sighed this often and felt like this before.

Seeing the face of Li Wei who seemed to have re-lifted his spirits even after through all that, if he could, he even wanted to have this sensible child as his own grandson.

"What do you intend to do with your fourth year"

"You have spend so many years for it, are you fine with just letting it go away"

Silence perused for moments before Li Wei responded,

"I don't know, for now, I just want to experience what it's like to be back here and relax for now"

"With all that you've been doing, of course you would experience a burn out"

As they talked, Li Wei couldn't help but notice the billboard saying XInzou Valley.

"Things have really changed in Xinzou Valley and village"

"It has"

He said as he explained each and everything that has changed throughout the years as they passed by the forests. It was already midnight by the time they arrived at the village called Xinzou Village which was also presented with large characters in a signboard. Grandpa Zou stopped the car in front of his house.

"It's already midnight, where do you plan to stay for the night"

"I still have rooms available at my house"

"Than you for the hospitality, grandpa Zou but I don't want to cause you more trouble"

"What's there to be humble about"

"You aren't telling me you want to go to your uncle's place right now"

"I already slept on the train so it might be better to goo to uncle's house and do some chores rather than sleeping more"

Seeing him so resolute, Grandpa Zou said,

"You kid…"

"Fine"

Before Li Wei could do anything, grandpa Ming grabbed one of his bags and quickly got down. Even though he was old, he was somehow brimming with energy and without illnesses. Li Wei wanted to stop him yet, he wasn't able to with this fast grandpa.

After getting down from the car, 

"Grandpa Zou?"

Li Wei asked in confusion

'He is not trying to coerce me again into rest at his place right'

He thought 

"No need to have such a face" Grandpa Zou said with a smile seeing Li Wei's troubled expression.

"I was just worried that with all those years and since its night, you won't be able to find your way to your uncle's house"

"Still, you don't need to hold my bag"

"This weight is nothing to me, back in my days, I had to carry bags of rice on my back"

Li Wei followed grandpa Zou as he lead charge towards his uncle's house. As they reached the house, they could see the outline of the fence to the place. The fences looked a bit overdrawn with vines. The house description. But it still maintained what it looked like years ago when he was here though a bit dilapidated.

Grandpa Zou opened the house but the interior of the house was unlike that of what it supposed to look from outside. The entire place was covered in dust. It seemed the outside was clean due to rain yet the inside was still covered in dust, the ceilings were covered with cobwebs. Grandpa Zou put down the bags and wanted to help clean but was pushed out of the house by Li Wei.

"Grandpa Zou hasn't slept for the night"

"Please go rest"

"You should also rest after cleaning up as well, Li Wei. You've had a long journey,"

"Thank you, Grandpa Zou. I really appreciate everything," Li Wei replied.

"Don't mention it" Grandpa Zou said, patting Li Wei on the shoulder before leaving.

"Goodnight, Li Wei."

"Goodnight, Grandpa Zou."

After the grandpa finally left, Li Wei was finally alone in the house.