The Story of Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi

Xie Yihuang gave a soft acknowledgment. “Tomorrow, I’ll come with Uncle, and we’ll ask Senior Brother Xiaofei to join us. Since Xiaofei is picking them, let him take some back to Grandpa Liu.”

Old Man Qi, of course, did not refuse. “Alright.”

So Xie Yihuang continued to gather chestnuts for a while longer. By the time they reached the licorice patch, it was already noon. Xie Yihuang took out two lunch boxes, handing one to Old Man Qi. “Grandpa, let’s eat first.”

Old Man Qi had the same thought. He took the lunch box and casually found a stone to sit on, as did Xie Yihuang.

Grandma Qi had made pickled vegetables with Chinese cabbage and shredded pork. There was no denying that she was an excellent cook, mainly because she was generous with the oil, which made her dishes particularly fragrant.

Xie Yihuang picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded as he chewed. “Grandma’s cooking is always so delicious.”

Old Man Qi glanced at him with a smile. “Your grandma isn’t here, there’s no need for flattery.”

Xie Yihuang shot him a sidelong look. “Grandpa, do I look like someone who flatters others?”

Old Man Qi laughed heartily. “There’s nothing wrong with a little flattery. As the saying goes, in all eighteen provinces, flattery gets you everywhere. To put it more elegantly, those who know how to flatter are emotionally intelligent. Aren’t we living in an era that values both intelligence and emotional intelligence? Those with high emotional intelligence never suffer losses.”

Xie Yihuang chuckled, taking a big bite of food. “Grandpa, I know emotional intelligence is good, but you have to realize, with Grandma not around, no matter how high my emotional intelligence is, no one’s here to notice.”

“I’m noticing,” Old Man Qi said leisurely, taking a bite of food and then a sip of water from his flask. “Your grandma is my wife. When you praise her cooking in front of me, it’s like you’re praising me by extension. It pleases me, and when I’m pleased, my mood naturally improves.”

Xie Yihuang nearly choked. Who would have thought a casual remark could lead to so much? “Grandpa, you’re overthinking it. When I say Grandma’s cooking is delicious, it’s because it really is. It’s genuine. It’s got nothing to do with emotional intelligence. Besides, can you deny that her food isn’t fragrant?”

For once, Old Man Qi was momentarily at a loss for words, but then he conceded, “You’re right. Your grandma’s cooking really is delicious. Your mother and your aunt inherited her skills.”

Xie Yihuang nodded slightly. “But my mom and aunt’s cooking can only really compete with each other. Among their peers, they’re considered outstanding, but they still can’t match Grandma’s. Mostly because Grandma doesn’t skimp on oil.”

For instance, Grandma Qi’s braised fish was legendary. No matter how much her daughters tried to learn, they could never quite reach her level. Though now, they managed to capture about sixty or seventy percent of her skill.

Old Man Qi agreed, “Your grandma honed her craft through hardship from a young age.”

Xie Yihuang’s face betrayed a hint of curiosity. “Grandpa, I heard Grandma was your child bride. Is that true?”

Old Man Qi shot him a sideways glance. “It’s not such a taboo topic these days, but best not to speak of it casually—walls have ears.”

“I know. I don’t bring it up in daily conversation. But here, I can guarantee there’s no one within ten miles of this mountaintop.” Xie Yihuang grinned.

Hearing this, Old Man Qi knew his granddaughter’s gossip-loving nature had been piqued, so he didn’t hide it. “Your grandma’s family wasn’t well-off back then, and disaster struck. Her parents fell ill and passed away, leaving behind your eleven-year-old grandma and her seven-year-old brother.

Their family, the Lis, weren’t a prominent name in their village, mostly because they’d migrated there from elsewhere. They had no other relatives in Green Hill Village, so survival for two children was a real problem.

At the time, I was very ill—seriously so. Your great-grandfather, fearing I wouldn’t pull through, thought of marrying for good luck. That’s how your grandma came to be my child bride. Her only condition was to bring her younger brother along. Your great-grandfather agreed. Your great-uncle turned out well—enlisted in the army at sixteen and made something of himself.”

Xie Yihuang nodded slightly. “I’ve heard Grandma talk about great-uncle, but he’s not around here anymore, is he?”

“After he joined the army, he was transferred out. Now he’s in Chu Province, busy with work. Except for New Year’s, when he sends gifts, it’s hard for him to come back. Your grandma does the same—sends a package during the New Year. That way, the siblings stay in touch. They exchange letters, and as long as they know each other is healthy and happy, there’s nothing else to worry about.”

Xie Yihuang knew her great-uncle was now quite accomplished—rumor had it he’d reached the rank of Deputy Division Commander, making travel difficult.

Though she knew of his existence, apart from Grandma Qi, who corresponded with him, the rest of the family only sent things for her to forward. No one else kept in touch.

“I heard from Grandma that she learned to write from you.” This was what truly interested Xie Yihuang.

In his youth, Old Man Qi was a renowned scholar—talented, good-natured, and handsome enough that the phrase “gentleman as jade” was no exaggeration. Even after marrying Grandma Qi for good luck, in an era when polygamy was not yet abolished and the Qi family could have afforded more wives, Old Man Qi never took another.

He personally taught Grandma Qi, nurturing her from an illiterate village girl into a knowledgeable woman with impressive painting skills.

Xie Yihuang had seen Grandma Qi’s paintings—truly exquisite. While they lacked the boldness of Old Man Qi’s work, they possessed a delicacy unique to women. Her floral paintings were especially lifelike, and her embroidery was equally masterful.

Whenever she had time, Xie Yihuang would try to learn embroidery from her grandmother, but lacking patience, her own embroidery was only barely passable—nothing compared to Grandma Qi’s near-expert level.

Old Man Qi nodded, his face softening with a trace of inexplicable tenderness, as if he were seeing, across the decades, that shy young girl who first came into his life. Though she wasn’t much to look at then, it was her shyness and those clear, resolute eyes that moved him, and made him decide to protect her for life.

Thankfully, over the years, he had always shielded her, and under his protection, she gradually blossomed into her own charm. But these were things he would never share with Xie Yihuang.

Xie Yihuang was still curious about her grandparents’ story, but it was clear Old Man Qi didn’t wish to speak of the past in detail. That was their own romance, just for the two of them.