After working as a cow and a horse for thirty years, I finally got through it when my son got married and my grandson was a toddler.
I mustered up the courage to ask my wife:
"Does the tour around the country you promised me thirty years ago still count?"
My wife shook her head in embarrassment:
"Huizhen, once you get older, don't be ignorant, okay?"
My son and daughter-in-law also looked at me askance.
"Mom, we can't live without you in this family. Think about it, if you leave, who will take care of this family? Let's not bother with those who have something and don't have it."
But that night, I saw the train tickets in my wife's drawer.
There are five pictures in total, including wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and his lover Xiufang.
The date is set for five days later.
For a moment, my heart was filled with despair.
Five days later, I packed the luggage for the whole family, explained the precautions, and sent them on the green train.
Before leaving, my son told me:
"Mom, I leave the responsibility of looking after the house to you. When we come back, we will definitely bring you souvenirs."
Her wife and lover walked side by side, and her grandson clung to her side.
After watching them leave, I turned around and sold the yard and booked a train ticket going north.
Thirty years late, I gave it to myself to travel around the great mountains and rivers.
