Chen Feng stayed in Boston for seven days, mainly visiting various universities as a visiting scholar and getting in touch with different university professors and outstanding students.
When given the right opportunity, he would go on stage from time to time to say a few words, which he regarded as encouraging the younger generation.
Of course, Chen Feng would not make a blind move. He was secretly observing the candidates, sending some business cards everywhere and leaving some contact information to pave the way for his next overall arrangements.
With his current memory, he is not afraid that he knows too many people and cannot remember their names.
He can basically identify people as soon as they meet, and the other person's subsequent life history starts to play automatically in his mind. By the way, he can deduce the possible direction of the other person's life if he intervenes according to the "Plan".
Things in Boston were almost settled, Chen Feng flew to Los Angeles and moved into a villa in Newport Beach.
He likes to stay here recently. It's not that the scenery here is unique and the air is particularly sweet, but he simply likes it.
Master Chen will never admit that he wants to be closer to Zhong Lei.
That afternoon, he sat with his legs crossed in an open-air cafe on the street in Chinatown, Los Angeles, holding a bowl of tea bowl that was rare in China, chatting with a few old Chinese who had come here to work hard in the early years.
In early June in Los Angeles, the afternoon sunshine was particularly warm.
People come and go in the quaint Chinatown.
The vermilion paint signs written in traditional Chinese and English on both sides of the street look a bit messy, but there is order in the chaos.
Snack bars, specialty shops, dental shops, hardware stores, and Chinese restaurants are going door to door, and business is booming.
People of all races, including Asians, Africans, Saxons, etc., eat and drink in a harmonious and orderly manner on the streets. The world is stable, the years are quiet, and there is no noise or vandalism.
Chen Feng took another sip of the broken leaf tea, which didn't taste very good, but found it inexplicably very fragrant.
It’s not the tea that smells good, it’s the mood.
He has not experienced this kind of comfortable life for almost half a year.
He hasn't breathed since he tied himself onto the chariot to save civilization.
Now that I have half a month of free time and empty my mind, I feel particularly comfortable.
"Boss Chen is young and has a big business."
An old man who spoke in Bashu dialect looked at Chen Feng happily.
This old man wearing glasses that can see whirlpools must be in his eighties at least, but he is in good spirits and has a loud voice.
The old man is very knowledgeable. Just by looking at Chen Feng's clothes and the watch on his hand, you can tell that this young man has an extraordinary background.
Listening to this local pronunciation, Chen Feng thought of his grandfather Chen Mo and felt friendly. He said cheerfully and modestly: "The old gentleman is over-reputed and his business is not big. He just makes a living."
The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at Chen Feng's hand, "I'm wearing a Rolex, and I'm just trying to make a living. This piece you have is genuine. I know the goods."
The old man turned back and pointed to the watch shop across the street and said, "Have you seen that old Hu watch repair shop? I own it. My son repairs watches there. I usually only sell the old antiques when the price comes."
Chen Feng thought that he had met someone who knew the business, so he no longer tried to hide it, "It's okay, it's okay."
The old man climbed up the pole again and said, "Young man, have you seen the Chinese restaurant at the corner of the street again? My best friend is always a great chef. He is a very good chef. He cooked for leaders decades ago."
Chen Feng nodded, "Oh oh oh, that's pretty awesome. I'll have to go and taste it later."
"Hey, that's not what I want to tell you. Lao Zhang's granddaughter is great. She is a perfect match for you, the young man. The girl is also beautiful, with neat lines. May I introduce you young people to her?"
Chen Feng was stunned for a moment, then almost laughed out loud, and quickly shied away, "No, no, you're welcome."
"Hey, we are from different ages, and the young man is still shy. Let's try it out first. If it suits us, we will continue to be together. If it doesn't, we will break up. The rules in China are not popular here."
Master Chen expressed that he was afraid, and secretly decided to wear something more ordinary when going out in the future.
The old man raised his head here, and the other old men followed you and talked to each other with great enthusiasm.
Bashu Xiangyin The old man suddenly thought of something, "By the way, I haven't asked my little brother where your hometown is from?"
Chen Feng thought for a while and mentioned the county seat of his grandfather Chen Mo.
The old man's tricks suddenly became brighter, but he asked doubtfully: "Huh... the accent doesn't sound like it?"
Chen Feng: "I came out early when I was a kid."
The old man from Bashu Xiangyin was suddenly filled with surprises, "Oh oh oh oh! Hey! What a coincidence, fellow countryman! I'm from this county too!"
Chen Feng's eyes were also bright.
The earth is so big, but it feels good to meet old friends in a foreign land.
"What are the names of the young man's family? Maybe I know some of them. Our small county is only so big, so everyone knows everyone. I just went back two months ago to visit the grave of my old comrade."
Chen Feng said: "My grandfather's name is Chen Mo."
"Huh?" The next second, the old man's expression changed drastically, "Which Chen Mo?"
"Er Dongchen, ink of ink."
"Did your grandfather serve as a soldier when he was young? Did he fight in Vietnam? Are your parents also soldiers?"
Chen Feng nodded, "Yes."
The other old men next to him noticed something, and they all became excited.
The old man from Bashu was silent for a long time and suddenly asked: "Your parents died in 1998?"
The other old men quit.
"Old Hu, what are you talking about!"
"Did you ask that?"
Chen Feng hummed, "Yes."
The old Bashu man named Lao Hu stomped his feet and slapped his thigh hard, "Young man, did you ever get lost when you were a child?"
"Yes." Chen Feng also knew that he had probably met an acquaintance of his grandfather Chen Mo, and his heart, which had not been beating for a long time, gradually accelerated.
"That's you!" Old Hu stood up suddenly and grabbed Chen Feng's shoulders with his rough hands. "When I went back to visit Brother Chen's grave, the neighbors said that Brother Chen's grandson was found. He was also buried by you.
Yes, I still can’t believe it. I mean, why do you look so good to me, young man? You look like Brother Chen when he was young, and of course you look more like your father when he was young.”
"I hugged him when he was just one month old. Your grandfather and I were comrades in arms. I was an observer and he was a sniper. Not to mention your grandfather's marksmanship when he was young. He could shoot wherever he pointed at 200 meters.
, very fierce. Your dad is also a good young man, but... ugh! Anyway, I... damn, this world is so damn small!"
Chen Feng's eyes widened, but he also couldn't believe it.
I have to say the wonder of fate.
He never met his parents and only spoke a few words to his grandfather before he died.
Chen Feng knew where his roots were. This concept was very clear in his mind, but sometimes it was erratic and he couldn't figure it out.
Because there were no relatives in the old Chen family, when Chen Feng buried Chen Mo, only a few friends of his grandfather who were in their late teens and early 80s came to see him off.
As for those local government officials, they were all interested in his reputation as a well-known entrepreneur.
It was only now when he met this old man that Chen Feng suddenly understood what roots were.
In fact, the roots of the Chinese people are not in a certain place, nor a certain building, nor a certain mountain, nor a certain river, but are rooted in one place for generations, and they are slowly spread bit by bit over ten years and hundreds of years.
The interpersonal communication formed by the open emotional link between people.
Chen Feng couldn't feel it before because he didn't have it.
Now, when he saw his grandfather's old friend again in Chinatown, Los Angeles, far away across the ocean, he finally understood.
This is the root.
"Xiao Chen, come with me. I have something to show you."
Old Man Hu grabbed Chen Feng and ran across the street.
Chen Feng said anxiously: "I haven't paid for the tea yet!"
"What the hell! Old man Sun didn't even give me the money to repair his watch last time! Come on, come on!"
Old Hu repeatedly pulled Chen Feng into his watch repair shop, and then climbed up the wooden ladder to the second floor. Old Hu's son, who was also over fifty years old, was so frightened that he shouted to remind him to slow down.
Chen Feng was first placed in the study.
"Wait a minute while I go to the attic to look through the boxes."
Chen Feng hummed and looked around.
The second floor is much quieter than the first floor, and the noise from the street can't be heard.
Old Man Hu walked in a hurry and forgot to turn on the light.
Light poured in from the small window, and through the beam, gray dust could be seen rolling like waves.
Not long after, the old man went downstairs carrying a solid wooden box.
Upon seeing this, Chen Feng quickly stepped forward to help.
After the boxes were placed on the Taishi's chair, Old Man Hu sighed while rubbing his waist, "When I was young, I could lift three boxes like this by myself."
"Hmm, Grandpa Hu, you will always be strong."
Chen Feng smiled.
"Xiao Chen, you can open the box yourself."
Old Man Hu sat on the stool next to him and handed Chen Feng an aluminum alloy key.
Click, the lock opens.
Chen Feng gently opened the box.
A strong smell of moth balls hit my face.
Neatly stacked inside...a lot of woolen pants, and a thin photo album.
There was no need for Old Man Hu to teach him, Chen Feng picked up the photo album and opened it by himself.
There are many plastic-wrapped but yellowed black and white photos in the photo album.
Most of the photos are of two people.
Chen Feng recognized these two people at a glance.
The one who is taller, has thicker eyebrows, has a square face, and is more imposing is exactly what his grandfather Chen Mo looked like when he was young.
As for Old Man Hu, he wore thick glass glasses when he was young.
"Look at the way your grandpa carries the gun. How does he look? He's handsome, right? I've always admired him all my life. He has a unique style."
Old Man Hu looked at Chen Feng with a smile and said: "The young man looks more and more like you. He also smells like you are a soldier? But it's not the same. We are not allowed to wear Rolex in the army. Wait... hiss...
Xiao Chen, if you come here to perform a mission, you must pay attention to safety."
Chen Feng instantly understood what he was thinking, and he really didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
How can I tell you that I just went to Area 52 and slapped a brigadier general in the face, and no one dared to move in front of me?
"No, it's not that mysterious. I have never been a soldier."
Old Man Hu: "Oh, oh, oh, what a pity."
Chen Feng looked through the photos again and saw a photo of Chen Mo sitting on a tree with his hands on his thighs. There was a hole in the front of his thighs, and the flesh and blood inside the hole was blurred.
There is no old man Hu in this photo.
Old Man Hu craned his neck to look over and said slowly: "This battle was particularly dangerous. We were on a reconnaissance mission together and were surrounded. My shooting skills were not good, so I gave him all the shots. He was able to kill all by himself.
The bullets from both of us were knocked down
Seven or eight of them managed to scare off a group of thirty or so guerrillas. However, he received a blow on his leg, which I didn’t know about at first. The photo shows him sitting down on the ground after reinforcements arrived and we were safe.
I was asked to take the photo as a souvenir."
Ten minutes later, Chen Feng closed the photo album and asked slightly puzzled: "Grandpa Hu, I didn't see these things when I was packing up grandpa's belongings. Didn't he keep a single photo of himself?"
"Well, after your parents' accident, he couldn't let go of his heart for a while. Although he didn't regret asking your dad to join the army, looking at these photos, he always remembered how your dad admired him when he was a child, so he was emotionally moved by the scene.
When I went back in 2001, he asked me to take them all away."
Chen Feng pointed to the woolen pants next to him and asked, "What are these?"
"After you were lost, your grandma knitted two pairs of woolen trousers every year. She started knitting when you were two years old and continued knitting until you were eighteen. There are a total of sixteen pairs here. Your grandma passed away in 2007, and I went back in 2008.
When I visited your grandfather, he said that my little grandson was just born and could be used, so he asked me to take him away. But my little grandson
I didn’t like to wear them after I was five years old. I wore these four pairs several times from the age of two to five, and the ones at the back were all brand new and untouched. I actually wanted to contact you earlier so that I could give you all the things, but those idiots in the county town
My son said that you are the big boss and a busy man, so you don’t want me to bother you by calling you. Now it’s fine and the property is back to its original owner.”
Chen Feng leaned down and held the cotton and linen woolen pants of average quality and rough feel with his fingers.
He didn't know what to say for a moment.
In the end, he just nodded slightly, "Well, thank you, Grandpa Hu."
In just over half an hour, Chen Feng suddenly felt that his life had been replayed first and then fast-forwarded several decades.
