Chapter 21: The Last Gathering (01)

  The place where Chen Haonan's family lives has a very meaningful name, called "Green Town": "green" means green, but also means vitality and vigor, representing prosperity and flourishing; "town" means "field", "land" or can be described as flat. So the two words "Green Town" can be interpreted as a green field, or a place of hope with vitality and vigor...

  Everyone who has visited Green Town knows that it is a very beautiful place. It's like a small villa, nestled in the valley of two small hills, surrounded by pines and other trees, lush and vibrant all year round. A small stream flows out from deep within the forest, flowing into a pond in front of the villa, where fish and shrimp are abundant, and the willows and lotus flowers on the shore are also picturesque. Beyond the pond, there is a clear river called "Ling River", also known as "Ling Water", which slowly flows past the entrance of the villa, and alongside it is a vast expanse of rice fields, with endless scenery.

  In the small world of Green Town, Chen Haonan and his little friends spent their golden childhood. He once wrote an untitled poem to praise it:

  Cypress and green bamboo are planted in front of the slope, winding rivers and villages along the bay.

  My brother wants to ask where it is, I say Peach Blossom Land is not hard to find.

  It is said that Green Town is a treasure land of Feng Shui, but Chen Haonan has never studied Feng Shui before, so he can't tell whether it's a treasure land or not. He only knows that this place holds the beautiful memories of his childhood and haunts his dreams...

  The Chen family has lived in Green Town for five generations. When the Chen ancestors moved here, they chose this place because it was a rare piece of good land. In the surrounding area, tens of miles around are mountains and forests of purple sandstone, with sparse trees, but only the mountain near Green Town is yellow mud, full of light green bamboo, and it backs onto the Qing Mountains, with thousands of hectares of good fields in front, which is very rare in the Xiangnan Hills.

  Here is the translation:

  Speaking of this, we must mention a person, Chen Gongdaihao. He was the grandfather of Chen Haonan's grandfather. In his youth, Chen Gongdaihao studied in a private school for several years and later traveled extensively to engage in the tea business, earning a considerable fortune. Later, due to unrest, he moved with his five brothers to Lüchūn (Green Town), but at that time, Lüchūn was only a small village of three or five households, surrounded by sparse mountains and forests, with no embankments built and roads not yet passable. After the Chen brothers settled here, they bought land, opened up the mountains, paved roads, built embankments, and planted pine and bamboo trees as well as various fruit trees. It wasn't until decades later that the scenery became what it is today. Of course, those who had opened up the mountains and quarried stones in the past have all passed away.

  It is said that the Yangtze River pushes forward with new waves, and a new generation replaces the old. In the past, when Chen Daisun was alive, the Chen family in these three towns and four villages also had a good reputation and great influence as a large family. However, due to the impact of the times, the family declined, and the Chen clan gradually dispersed, with some moving away and others continuing to live in Green Town, making a living by farming. Of course, those are all past events now. Today's Green Town is mostly inhabited by descendants of the Chen family, which can be considered prosperous. However, nowadays, when people from surrounding villages mention the Chen family of Green Town, they usually refer to the family of Chen Rongjing.

  Chen Rongjing was the eldest grandson of Chen Daohao's first wife. He also had an older sister named Chen Yingzhi and two younger brothers: Chen Rongsen and Chen Rongtai. Chen Rongjing was frail and often ill since he was young, but fortunately, his wife Hu Shi was diligent and capable, managing the household chores and raising their many children to adulthood. Hu Shi gave birth to three sons and three daughters: Chen Xiaolian, Chen Xiao Xian, and Chen Xiaokang; and Chen Shuxiang, Chen Shufen, and Chen Shugui. When he celebrated his 60th birthday, all of his children and grandchildren were present. With tears streaming down his face, Chen Rongjing said to the crowd: "I have been poor and ill for decades, with no achievements to speak of. The only thing that brings me comfort is having such good sons and daughters..."

  It's also true that in the hearts of the elderly, there is no desire for anything else, just hoping that their children will be filial and obedient, and have some achievements. And indeed, all the sons and daughters of the Chen family are filial and obedient, diligent and capable, although it can't be said that they are very successful or wealthy, but they can also be considered to have achieved something. As for this, people from all over the village would give a thumbs up when mentioning the children of the Chen family.

  Because of the filial piety of their children, and also due to improved living conditions, Chen Rongjing and his wife Hu's health had greatly improved compared to previous years. Watching their grandchildren grow up day by day, they both thought about holding great-grandchildren in their arms as soon as possible, enjoying the blessing of four generations under one roof. However, just like the unpredictable weather, human life is also filled with unexpected twists and turns - the news of their eldest son Chen Xiaolian's serious illness was like a heavy blow to the heads of the two elderly people... Alas! This life is indeed full of uncertainties and unpredictabilities!