Chapter 6: The Cricket

Dinner consists of stir-fried lentils with meat and cold mixed purple cabbage

Understood, I replied seriously

I returned home at 3:30, and the large courtyard was eerily quiet and empty. I went to the small kitchen on the east side to get some broad beans, and I hid on the stone bench under the shade of the Chinese toon tree in the center of the courtyard, picking the broad beans one by one. I can cook, but the dishes I stir-fry are not as delicious as those made by my parents, so every time I prepare the vegetables in advance, washing and cutting them, waiting for my parents to come home to cook.

After dinner in the evening, unwillingly, I dragged my aching body out again as dawn broke

Stop in your tracks, standing on the bustling street, I confirm once again by listening; a faint chirping of insects mixed with the sound of engines brings a moment of joy to my heart

After some noisy back-and-forth, my mother reluctantly handed me 8,000 yuan, advising, "Do not spend it recklessly; I will not provide you with living expenses for the next semester."

The next day

Ah? Then you should leave me some, right? But I said, "Sure, it was originally meant for you."

Mom gasped: "A hundred times? Good son! You really are quite capable!"

Many people, many paths. My mother doesn't seem to like her very much either. If you can help, lend a hand; you never know when you might need their assistance in the future.

I was at a loss for words for a while

The reason my father is so serious can be traced back to my grandfather's generation. My grandfather started his business by selling a few ancestral antiques, and thereafter embarked on the path of collecting, buying low and selling high, which had a hint of business acumen. However, those who often walk by the river are bound to get their shoes wet. After several misjudgments, my grandfather lost all his savings and nearly reached a state of being penniless, ultimately leading to a life of despair.

My father is a devoted son; since then, he has developed a keen interest in collecting, yet he only observes and does not purchase, bringing nothing home.

There are items priced in the tens of cents, hundreds, thousands, and even hundreds of thousands

Oh, fine, I will call Aunt Liu tonight to ask her.

Father said: "Isn't one hundred enough?"

You only engage in the act of putting on a facade!" Dad said irritably, "After our monthly expenses, we hardly have any money left. Can face value be eaten?

In the section of road described by the child, which spans several laps back and forth over a distance of about ten meters, it can be said to be neither large nor small

I hurried to Huangcun in Daxing according to the events recorded in my notebook. The source of this information about the *picture* book was a chatty shopkeeper from the antique market. It is said that he brought back a porcelain piece from a previous dynasty from Huangcun, specifically within the next couple of days. However, I followed the address he described and asked many families, yet I was unable to catch a glimpse of the porcelain.

A gentle cool breeze swept along the riverbank in the evening, quite refreshing

I am unwilling to get entangled in this topic, so I hurriedly told my mother about meeting Zou Yue'e during the day and her need for a rental property

How much is a cricket worth

Dad, Mom... I put down my chopsticks and went back to the room to get a paper bag. "Well, there's something I want to mention."

My mother gave me a look and said, "Your father is right; from now on, do not touch these messy objects."

I originally said: "It is like this, today I saw several migrant workers at a construction site not far from the school digging up a Ming or Qing dynasty piece, which was in good condition. I exchanged it for a watch worth one hundred and eighty yuan, and then sold it at Liulichang for eighteen thousand yuan."

After chatting about other topics for a while, my mother's gaze finally fell on the stack of renminbi, and she pretended to glance at me: "Xiao Jing, you are still young, so let me temporarily keep this money for you, to be used for your graduation and wedding in the future"

My mother pursed her lips and said, "One hundred? Can I really present that? Others at least offer two hundred!"

I uttered a casual "mm".

I feel very content to be able to share some of the difficulties at home

Suddenly, my ears twitched as I was bitten by three or four large mosquito welts

What is this? My mother unceremoniously snatched the object wrapped in yesterday's Beijing Morning Post, and upon opening it, she was instantly stunned: "So much money? Where did you get this? One, two, three, four, five... Goodness! Nearly twenty thousand yuan!" My father also looked taken aback, his questioning gaze fixed on my face, "Tell me, what is going on?"

As my mother ate, she chattered as usual: "Now, whenever I hear the word 'marriage,' I get a headache. Why do good people have to get into relationships? Being single is just fine; can you die from not getting married?" Hearing this, I nearly spat out my food. "Hmph, well, in a few days, a junior colleague from our finance department is getting married, and the invitation has already been sent out. What do you think is an appropriate amount to give her as a gift?"

Mom slammed the table and glared: "Don't just blame me! You haven't been any less of a show-off at work either!"

Before leaving, grandfather left a family instruction: Do not touch antiques

This time I went to the moat at You'anmen, which is about seven or eight kilometers from my home. A few days later, an eleven-year-old boy surnamed Liu from Courtyard 23 at the entrance of our alley will catch a large and beautiful cricket, making it hard to believe that this insect comes from Beijing. I like it very much and have asked him about it in detail, so the information I have is relatively complete

However, my father did not appear as happy as my mother; his expression was serious. "Xiao Jing, I have never made this clear to you before, but listen carefully today. This is the first and the last time. From now on, you are not allowed to touch antiques. There is a great deal of knowledge involved, and it is not something you can handle."

Found it

Perhaps sensing my disbelief, my father said sternly: "I am not joking with you! Do you hear me?"

Lying on the cool mat, I stared blankly at the ceiling. My father strictly forbids me from touching antiques, but I aspire to be wealthy and want to provide a good life for my parents. Therefore, engaging with antiques is inevitable. After much consideration, I have decided not to tell my parents and plan to continue secretly. This does not mean I am unfilial; on the contrary, I consider myself a very dutiful child. It is just that my understanding of filial piety differs from my father's.

After a whole day of effort, I returned empty-handed, utterly exhausted, thinking to myself that the shopkeeper must have been boasting.

The sun and moon alternate, and the evening breeze is gentle

I believe that obedience and the concept of "filial piety" should not be equated.

First, keep it a secret; wait until I make a lot of money before telling my parents. By then, it will be too late to change anything, and at most, I will just get a beating.

As I slowly walked along the moat, I perked up my ears, straining to listen to the chirping of the crickets below. If one were to dig into the ground, it would likely be impossible to find it by tomorrow morning, after all, there are too many crickets here, so I could only rely on their sounds to distinguish them. The calls that are thin and weak, sharp and piercing, are often not good insects; the truly good ones have a deep tone accompanied by a sound reminiscent of a bell.

My mother was anxious: "What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong? Is it not acceptable for my son to show me some filial piety with a bit of money? Is it not acceptable?"

I understand my father's meaning. Indeed, Zou Yue'e sometimes gives people the impression of having a loose lifestyle.

My father frowned: "Zou Yue'e doesn't have a good reputation in your company, does she?" He glanced at me and did not continue speaking

Dad tapped the edge of the bowl with his chopsticks and said: "Take the child's money too! Look at your little achievements!"