The Spring Festival of 2000 was the hardest one to bear. When Li Fang was pregnant, she'd knitted several sets of woolen clothes, pants, hats, and shoes for the baby—and we dressed him in all of them for the holiday.
I held Huang Cheng in front of Li Fang's portrait. "Honey, look," I said. "Our son. His eyes look just like yours." My heart ached as I spoke, and I even heard the sound of my mother-in-law sniffling back tears. But I had to "report" to her—tell her how things were. I'd do this every year from now on. I couldn't let her worry about the baby up there.
Days went by, one after another. One evening, I came home from work to find my father-in-law sitting at the dining table, drinking alone to drown his sorrows. I'd brought back some cold dishes, and as I walked toward the table, he called me over.
Once I sat down, he pulled out a bankbook. My eyes went wide. "Dad, what's this…?"
He held up a hand to stop me, signaling me to wait. I fell silent.
"Son-in-law," he said, "I'll retire in two years. I'm getting on in years. Your mother and I have always been in the habit of saving. At first, we saved for our son—but he passed away in an accident. Later, we wanted to save it for our daughter. Now… our daughter's gone too. We old folks… we can't keep saving like this. You're a man, and now a father. You've got to step up and take responsibility. I'm giving this to you now. Whether you use it to start a business or keep saving it, I'll support you either way."
I was stunned. Glancing at the number on the bankbook, it might as well have been an astronomical figure to me. "Dad, you and Mom should keep this for your retirement."
He took a sip of wine, waved his hand, and gave me a thumbs-up. "Son-in-law, you're the real deal. From the day you got out of prison till now, you've been such a good kid. You know I think of you as my own son, right?"
I nodded. "I know."
"Money's something you can't take with you when you go," he said. "Leaving it to my 'son' feels right."
Just then, my mother-in-law came over. "Yes, listen to your dad," she said. "We're family—no need to keep score." With that, she pressed the bankbook into my hand.
Again, I fell silent. In that moment, I finally understood why Li Fang had been so kind and thoughtful. She'd truly grown up in a wonderful family. My nose stung with shame. "Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom. I'll take good care of you, I promise."
I quit my job at the restaurant. On my last day, the landlady wiped away tears as she said, "Xiao Huang, it's just not fair. Why does misfortune only pick on good people? If you ever run into trouble later, you come to me. I'll help you out, okay?"
All I could say was thank you.