Fang Muyang took leave to pick up his parents.
Before going, he asked Fei Ni if she could lend him fifty yuan first, so he could buy his parents two sets of spring clothes to bring along.
"If they’re dressed too shabbily, they might feel too embarrassed to see you. Once I meet them, I’ll ask for the money back." It was already late spring, and the winter clothes he had mailed them earlier were no longer suitable to wear.
"You never say anything serious. Who gives a gift and then asks for money back? Especially when it’s your own parents."
Last winter, not long after his parents had started receiving wages again, Fang Muyang wrote them a letter saying his salary wasn’t enough and asked them to send him fifty yuan. Along with the money came a letter urging him to be frugal and manage the household carefully, warning against extravagance. Fang Muyang could tell at a glance that his father had written it. He used the fifty yuan and added some of his own money to buy padded coats, trousers, and shoes for both his parents, which he mailed to them. His parents had gone nearly ten years without a salary; before, they had barely scraped by, let alone bought new clothes. Most of their old clothes had ended up with others when they lost their home. Having clothes to wear at all over the past decade was already a blessing. Now that they had wages again, they still couldn’t buy clothes without ration coupons. Fortunately, Fang Muyang worked at a foreign affairs hotel and had easier access to foreign exchange certificates, which allowed him to purchase clothes without coupons. Not long after he sent the winter clothes, he received another letter saying the coats fit perfectly and that having a son like him was a great comfort in their old age. However, since he was now married, it wasn’t appropriate for him to spend all his money and coupons on his parents, and he was firmly told not to spend on them in the future.
"Last time, the old man specifically wrote to tell me not to spend money on them."
"That’s what he said. But if you give something and then ask for payment, it’s better not to give at all."
Fei Ni straightforwardly gave Fang Muyang a hundred yuan, telling him to buy his parents two more pairs of shoes. As she handed over the money, she felt a pang of reluctance, but then she thought, it’s just this once—his parents had salaries now and wouldn’t need their money in the future. Believing in spending generously while traveling, Fei Ni worried Fang Muyang might not have enough for the journey, so she went to the bank to withdraw more money—funds her parents had given her as a dowry, which she had kept for emergencies.
When Fang Muyang was about to leave, Fei Ni gave him five brand-new bills.
"Where did you get so much money?"
"It’s the money my parents gave me to buy furniture for our wedding."
"Then I can’t take it. How can I use the dowry money your parents gave you?"
"Take it." Along with the money, she also handed him national grain tickets she had exchanged for with cash.
"Use your own grain tickets for meals there. Also, see if you can find a way to buy sleeper tickets for your parents—they’re too old to endure long train rides sitting up."
"They’re not that old. At the very least, the old man can handle an overnight train ride without issue." Fang Muyang only took the national grain tickets. "Even if we buy sleeper tickets, we don’t need to use our money. Just my mother’s salary alone is more than both of ours combined—let them spend their own money."
"You really have no shame."
"Why should I be ashamed? Whoever earns more should pay."
Fei Ni still insisted on giving the money to Fang Muyang. She also used pastry coupons to buy snacks, packing them in a biscuit tin for him to eat on the way. His travel bag was filled with tea eggs Fang Muyang had made using Da Hong Pao tea—just the food alone took up more than half the bag.Fang Muyang looked at the tea eggs and laughed, "I wonder how the old man would feel if he knew these tea eggs were boiled with Da Hong Pao. Last time I used his Jin Jun Mei to boil tea eggs, he was furious."
Fang Muyang arrived at the train station, then took a bus before finally making his way to the small county town where his parents now lived. When he mentioned his mother’s name, someone at the factory gave him their address.
The elderly couple had been undergoing re-education at the agricultural machinery factory for the past few years. Fang Muyang’s mother was originally a professor in the mechanical engineering department. She had studied liberal arts in university, but back then, her husband, Old Fang, was extremely popular at school—his poems had stirred quite a trend for a while, and theater clubs in various universities were staging plays he had written. Knowing she couldn’t surpass Old Fang in that area, she switched to mechanical engineering and never looked back. The people at the agricultural machinery factory knew her background and often sought her advice when problems arose. Issues others couldn’t resolve were often effortlessly solved by her. Although Teacher Mu came from a questionable family background and was a target of re-education, she was widely respected in the factory. Her husband, Old Fang, also received some indirect respect as a result and was respectfully referred to as "Teacher Mu’s husband." In the past, Teacher Mu was always introduced as "Principal Fang’s wife." Based on this, Old Fang concluded that the locals were simple and kind-hearted but lacked culture—not only had they not read his plays or articles, but they didn’t even know his widely circulated poems, which left him slightly disappointed.
This time, it was his wife who received the transfer notice first. Although his own treatment had been restored, his specific position was still pending notification.
If it weren’t for their youngest son coming to pick them up, he wouldn’t be in a hurry to return and become an idle person.
It had been many years since they last saw each other. When Fang Muyang parted from them, he was in his adolescence, a period of the most significant changes. Yet, at first sight, before Fang Muyang could even call out "Mom" and "Dad," his parents recognized him—that face and smile could only belong to their family.
Several pairs of eyes met, and no one could speak. It was Old Fang who broke the silence first: "How did you grow taller than me?"
When the family was separated, Fang Muyang was still in elementary school. Old Fang had worried that his growth would be stunted due to poor nutrition and that he wouldn’t grow very tall. Of their three children, he and his wife were most concerned about their youngest son. They had thought that with their protection and education, even if he didn’t achieve great success, he would at least grow up safely. The two older children were either working or already in university, but he had only graduated from elementary school, was a troublemaker, and without his parents around, they had no idea what kind of trouble he might have caused.
Yet, he had grown up healthy, hadn’t caused any major incidents, had found a job, and gotten married.
Old Fang noticed his son was wearing the most presentable shirt he owned, with only patches on the elbows.
Fang Muyang took out the new clothes he had bought for his parents and asked them to change into them.
Old Fang’s first reaction upon seeing the jacket and shirt his son had bought for him wasn’t about having new clothes but asking, "Where did you get the money and cloth tickets?" At a glance, Old Fang could tell these items weren’t cheap. Judging by the style, they were likely meant for foreigners. He knew his son—he had only graduated from elementary school, and with his job and subsidies, he barely made thirty yuan a month. Where would he get the money for these? Whether it was money, cloth tickets, or exchange certificates, his son was unlikely to have them.
"The money was given to me by your daughter-in-law. It was her dowry money from her parents."Old Fang felt both touched by his son's filial devotion and deeply frustrated by his lack of ambition. Relying on others for care while hospitalized was one thing, but now that he could work, he was still using money from his in-laws to buy clothes for his own parents. Fortunately, his back pay would be issued soon, and this unfilial son wouldn't have to keep spending his wife's money.
"What job are you doing now?"
"Waiter."
"Waiter?" Old Fang didn't bother asking which establishment - those two words alone were enough to disappoint him. Though waiters could barely be considered working class, it still fell short of expectations.
Teacher Mu shot her husband a glare. "Having a proper job is already good enough." She had long abandoned any expectations for her youngest son. While she'd always known he was mischievous, she never imagined they would become burdens to him. Given Fang Muyang's family background, she was simply relieved he could find work and support himself.
Fang Muyang noticed his mother still carried herself with the same grace as in her younger days, though age had clearly left its marks.
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