Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

one Flora was released from the hospital after ten days.Mom gave Sergeant Otto ten dollars as a thank you, but he wouldn't take it.Even so, the birth of the baby cost them more than a hundred dollars.The hospital said that Flora could eat whatever she liked, so Roy sent her chicken soup every day, and some leeks were also put in the chicken soup.Mom believes that leeks can increase milk production.Now Luo Yi went to the hospital to bring his wife and children home. There was already a pot of chicken soup waiting for her at home.Flora's bed was also made, and Mom and Dad were waiting to welcome Flora.

Dad was all smiles, and they told all their friends in Chinatown the good news of having a grandson, and they all congratulated him on being a grandfather for the first time.The family seemed to have won a million yuan in the lottery, and they were extremely happy.This is the fulfillment of the most important purpose of human life, and this glorious sense of fulfillment is desired by everyone, but not achieved by all. The day before Flora came back, my father went to Chinatown and bought a red candle one foot and two inches high. On the red candle were written golden Chinese characters: Fu, Jubilee, and Shou. The word Lu was not included. Inside.This is a real Chinese candle, the American candle is not good enough, the size, the height, and the gold Chinese characters written on it.In addition, American candles are not bright red, and the upper end is smaller than the lower end, and there is no crackling sound when lit, which means auspicious celebration.

Father Feng hoped that this occasion would be very solemn, so he added a coat, a tie, and found out the best pair of leather shoes to wear.Mom had a golden hairpin and a deep red carnation in her hair.Mom had been to the hospital to see Flora and Marco several times, and Dad had only been there once, but he often resisted the idea of ​​going to the hospital.This time they came back officially, and the pair of red candles had been placed under the portrait of grandfather. Mom and Dad were sitting on the chairs beside the candles, waiting for Flora. I told Roy to take a hundred and fifty dollars.Father looked out of the window at the roofs of the houses across the street.He said that the hospital fee is two yuan a day, and luckily we don't have to pay for the operation.Mom, when can we sell the laundry and open a restaurant?

It may take another four or five years!You really shouldn't be working so hard, especially now as a grandfather.But we have to wait, you are not tired of working!Yeah? There are already many wrinkles on my father's face.When I saw Lao Lin sitting leisurely by the radio and smoking a pipe, I also hoped not to work anymore.I've been ironing clothes for thirty years now, and I still have to work until we save enough money.War collections have left us three hundred dollars short of our savings.It would probably cost another two hundred dollars to have a grandson, and we'd have to celebrate again when he's full moon.

Yes, and I made a vow to Our Lady, fifty dollars if Flora had a boy.Mom looked out the window. I think the full moon wine costs about a hundred yuan, but people give gifts too.Including the donation from the church, the total is 150 yuan.One hundred yuan for the hospital. I didn't know the hospital charged that much money. He didn't deliver the baby at all. I remembered.Mom said, I don't know what the duty of the American police is?Are they also responsible for delivering babies?I thought the job of the police was only to catch thieves.She smiled and said: When Flora said to call the police!At that time, I thought the thief had come to our house.This is such a strange country, you can treat him like a domestic servant and ask him to take someone to the hospital in the middle of the night, and he is still a police officer!isn't it?

This is America, this is their habit, people are not afraid of officials at all. It's totally different from us, and it's really a good habit.Mom shook her head appreciatively. There was the sound of a car, and the two of them ran to the window at the same time.Yes, they are back.Flora looked beautiful in a black dress.Roy holds the baby wrapped in a white blanket. Flora!Loy!Mom shouted from the window. Flora looked up, and everyone was smiling. Mom ran to the stairs, turned on the lights, and when they went upstairs, she said, "Flora, you hold the baby. Father is waiting for you in the sitting room."

They went straight into the sitting room, and Flora handed the baby to his grandfather.Father Feng sat on a chair, took over his eldest grandson and looked at him carefully.Flora and Roy stood on either side of their father.The pair of red candles was a real surprise to Flora. Father Feng sighed contentedly while hugging his grandson.He treasured and held the baby tightly in his arms, and looked at it in detail, tears of joy filled his old eyes.This is the greatest consolation he has had since he lived such a long life. Is his name Marco? Yes, it's called Marco.Flora replied. Flora!You are really my good daughter-in-law, thank God.Also, Roy, you are also my good son.

He stuffed a red envelope into Flora's hand, which contained two silver dollars strung together.Flora didn't understand the meaning of this red envelope, and Luo Yi told her that it was a gift from her grandfather to her grandson, hoping that he would grow up quickly. Now I can hug him!Grandma sat on another chair and couldn't wait to speak. The grandfather stood up and handed the baby to his grandmother.This baby did him honors that no king or president could bestow upon him, who elevated him to grandfather and his wife to grandmother.The grandmother reached into her pocket, took out a red envelope, and put it in the baby's little hand.

Hope you grow fast and strong, Marco!my grandson. Isn't he such a cute baby?Flora said happily. yes!He is a beautiful little baby! We should ask the female teacher at the school what is her name?Dad said. Ace.Tsai.Flora said. We must invite Ace.Cai wrote down the child's name in Chinese characters and asked her to use beautiful Chinese fonts.correct!You'd better go to bed, Flora, while the chicken soup is ready in the kitchen.You go to drink first, and I will hold Marco first. two Later, the Feng family was busy celebrating Marco's full moon, which is an important custom in China.It was a busy day for Roy, but luckily the family, Freddie, and Uncle Cheng were very helpful.Leading figures in Chinatown, as well as distant relatives, are invited.Even relatives and friends far away in China sent invitation cards, so Ai Si.Cai spent a little brainpower, because Marco.Polo's customary translation is to translate it as Ma Ke, and it seems that Feng Mage is not quite right when he writes it in Chinese characters.Ai Si switched to the two characters Feng Moge, the pronunciation would not be much different, and the ink characters are related to writing, expressing the hope that he can become a scholar when he grows up.

very good.The grandfather said happily that if he drank more ink, he would not sweat like his grandfather for a lifetime. Flora thought the name was amusing.Isn't this a fair translation?She asked Tom, Marco.Polo was a trader, a merchant, so you translate him as Mark. yes!Tom said he was a merchant, but the only thing he sold us was his books. The invitees included people from Boston, Detroit, and San Francisco. The Feng family was scattered in a wide area of ​​the country, and some still remained in villages and towns in China.The friends and relatives that Father Feng once forgot, now come back to his mind.For the birth of his grandson was for him a supreme symbol of success in his life, by which he could remind his friends that he had attained it.Little Marco, who was in his infancy, didn't know his own importance at all, and he didn't know how meaningful his coming was to his parents and grandparents!

Flora!Father said, invite your parents to come too, because it is your day, of course we will send invitation cards to them, but you must persuade them to come. Nor did they forget to call in Inspector Otto. They decided on Pat.Arthur's restaurant treats guests, because Father Feng wants to invite his old friend Old Doug to participate in order to make his celebration more lively, so the choice of restaurant is based on the convenience of Old Doug.Freddy also invited Sean.Toy and a magistrate.Freddie had been quite useful in making the family look good.The leaders of Chinatown, as long as Freddy knew them, were invited, and none of them would make Papa Feng lose face.Mrs. Feng's friends and acquaintances in the Women's Committee were also invited.Mrs. Yang was specially invited by Ai Si. When the guests are seated, the guests occupy four round tables, and the Feng family will sit on several tables to entertain the guests.Their little guest of honor, Marco, was carefully tied up and tied with a blue ribbon after a shower and dusted with prickly heat powder.Flora held him proudly to her chest.Boiled red eggs are placed on each table, which is an indispensable part of Mi Yuejiu.The leaders of Chinatown, Flora's mother, and Flora all sat at the first table, with Father Feng, Uncle Cheng, and Old Doug at the same table.Mrs. Fung is at the other end, and Ais is sitting next to her. Tom and Mrs. Yang are also at this table.Roy, the new father sits at the third table, and Eva has to sit with Sean.Toy sits together.And Freddie served another table as host, and his friend the magistrate sat with him.Xi Yin.Tooy was again the most flamboyant of the occasion, attracting many people's attention. During the dinner, Flora kept paying attention to Xi Yin.Toy; and the seat bacteria.Toy pays attention to Mrs. Feng; Mrs. Feng pays attention to Ai Si; Ai Si pays attention to Flora again.The person Tom paid most attention to was Uncle Doug. In addition to focusing on Ai Si, Mrs. Feng also paid attention to the price of the dinner and how much money the restaurant could make from this banquet.According to her estimation, the money the restaurant earned from this banquet was equivalent to a week of washing and ironing for the whole family. Before the formal meal, everyone starts with a bowl of sesame oil chicken and a bowl of pork trotters stewed with peanuts.These two dishes are what Flora usually eats during the month after giving birth.All the dishes that night were in line with Chinese standards, and it was a rare delicacy for an American judge, and everyone ate to their heart's content.The first course was char siew chicken, and after the dishes were served, the guests toasted the baby's parents and grandparents.Compared with the first dish, the mushroom chicken pot of the second dish is quite pale.But the fried chicken liver, sliced ​​bamboo shoots, fried shrimp with black fungus, and fried chicken slices coated with egg white are all good.The shark's fin soup, which garnered the most praise, was cooked in chicken broth with a sprinkle of ham on top, and the sticky soup ran down the throat slickly.Just when everyone felt a little tired, a sweet lotus seed soup was served at the right time.Next came scallop soup with diced carrots, then a dish of cold jellyfish, grilled beef slices skewered with bamboo chopsticks, and finally Chang Chang Shou Noodles. Throughout the banquet, the guests kept toasting.In the middle of the feast, Mrs. Fung took the baby so that Flora could have something to eat.On this kind of full moon wine occasion, the woman's family is a little more important than the man's family.Old Mrs. Maggie was very happy to see Flora so happy. She didn't know that Flora's position in this family was so important.Father Feng asked Old Mai to give a speech. Old Mai stood up and said that he could not give a speech. Then he said that Luo Yi was a good son-in-law, and at the same time praised the hospitality of the Chinese. He was very happy to see such a lively day. Tom kept his eyes on Uncle Doug.He is really old, but he is still very interesting.When he talks to others, it can be seen that he is still very clear in his heart, but his voice is a little softer. who is he?Alice asked Tom in a low voice. Uncle Doug, the oldest man in Chinatown.Tom replied. Old Doug stood up, and everyone fell silent.His glass eyes scanned all the guests.He is still majestic, but he is obviously very happy today, with a satisfied smile on his face. Congratulations, Feng Er Er!He said, I drink to my friend Feng Laoer!We were great friends back in the Klondike era.He was in Chinatown with me and one other person, the only three remaining from the early days in America.If you spend a winter in the Klondike with someone, you know him very well.At that time, Feng Laoer was only 29 years old, and he was very strong. He missed his wife when he had nothing to do (guests laughed). We used deer fat to make candles and ate venison to satisfy our hunger.Although the venison is delicious, after we finished eating the four deer caught with traps, Feng Laoer almost threw up when he saw the venison.He doesn't want to pan for gold, he just thinks about his wife (again burst of laughter).So when spring came, he took a boat back to China to visit his wife.After a while, he went back to the Klondike and we had a rough time.Then I went back to Portland and one day I met him in a bar and I asked him what he was going to do and he said he didn't want to go up north again, he just wanted to make money with his hands .America is a big country.He said, we will definitely be able to make money and live peacefully with our hands.Feng Lao Er was right. He started to help people wash clothes, and he has been doing this for thirty or forty years.But Feng Lao Er was very smart, so he went back to China.The first time he went back, that!That's Roy!Go back for the second time, that!That's Freddy.He goes home about once every five or six years, while I have been staying in the United States.That's where he's smart, and you can see the difference between us.He often reminds me of eels, which travel fifteen hundred miles across the Atlantic to lay their eggs.The biggest mistake I've made in my life is not using these eels as role models.Now look at him as a grandfather, look at Roy and Freddy and little Tom.He has been an honest man all his life, and I drink to him, my old friend, an honest man! Father Feng stood up, very happy in his heart but he didn't show it, and drank a toast with old Doug. At the end of the banquet, Old Doug took a red egg and rolled it on Marco's head a few times.Then the plate on which the red eggs are placed is passed among the guests. Each guest takes a red egg and puts a red envelope into the plate as a gift for the newborn. Mrs. Feng stood up to toast, thanked everyone for their gifts, and then the banquet was over.When the bill was paid, it came to a total of one hundred and thirty-seven yuan.The gifts they receive can support a large part. It was late when they got home, and Father Feng said to his wife: I have never spent so much money on dinner, but this time it was worth it. three Flora discussed baptism with the priest, and Father Bosco said: Of course he will be baptized as a Catholic.You know the Church instructs us that it is the responsibility of the parents, it is for the soul of the child! But he is part of a Chinese family, shouldn't I discuss it with my husband's parents? Usually as long as the child's parents assure that the child will be brought up in the true faith all is well.Of course it would be much better if it could be done without concealment.I advise you to talk to your husband first and try to convince him.Your responsibility as a mother will be heavier because you know the truth. Roy was easier to talk to, he was my husband after all.But I don't like keeping it from my grandparents.It is important for parents to baptize their grandchildren in Chinese families. You can try it.There is no doubt that your mother-in-law is church-oriented, and she prayed to Our Lady!You tell them that your son is not the first Chinese to convert to Catholicism.Did you know there are about four million Chinese Catholics in the world! Flora was really taken aback.The two religious institutions in Chinatown, the church and the home for the unemployed, have always been rarely visited by Chinese.Seeing her expression, Bao Shike continued: Yes, this is estimated by the Catholic missionaries who came to China in the 13th century, and the first Catholic missionaries sent to China were also Italians!There are Catholics in every province in China, and there is also a large Catholic university and a famous Catholic research institute in Shanghai.Flora!You are a smart girl, you should follow the example of Matteo Ricci, you have always heard of this great Italian missionary! never heard of that. He went to China in the late sixteenth century.He is a mathematician, and he also taught the Chinese people what he knew about astronomy.He was very clever, he first mingled with the Chinese as a scholar of Chinese literature, and then passed on the Catholic faith to the Chinese.He had many friends at the Chinese court. Father!You know I'm not very learned. I mean, Catholicism is a world religion that teaches us the truth of the universe.It's just that the truth has different colors in different countries.Americans like certain ideas, and Chinese people have their own views.do you understand me?I don't know Chinese people very well, I just know that they are cautious about the end and value their family.Maybe you know them better and God will guide you. Father!Are you saying that many Chinese were Catholics in the past? Yes, in Matteo Ricci's time, three hundred royal families were Catholic.And Catholics have run the Royal Observatory for two centuries.At present, there is also a well-known Chinese scholar Liu Chenghan (transliteration), who once served as the Chinese representative at the Versailles Conference.He is currently in Belgium, where he is a Benedictine monk. But Flora still found it difficult to deal with. She first mentioned the baptism to Roy. What does it mean?Lowy asked. This signifies our commitment to allow Mark to grow up a Catholic, which is the responsibility of Catholic parents. Roy thought for a long time before saying: Do you really want to do this? Yes!I very much hope so. I don't care, but we have to convince Mom and Dad first that I won't become a Catholic, right? No way, Roy!But I very much hope that the horse may be of the same religion as me. When Roy talked about this with his father, his father said: Okay!This is the problem that arises when you marry an American.If Marco is going to grow up to be an American, you'd better make him believe what Americans believe.In order to make Flora happy, you still promise! When Roy told Flora about her father's views, Flora asked in surprise: I thought Dad was a Buddhist! He is not a Buddhist? So he believed in Confucius? You don't understand, Flora, that the teachings of Confucius are not a religion. But what about Buddhist priests?Wouldn't they object to people's belief in Confucius? Roy laughed loudly: I've never heard of such a thing.Buddhist priests do not have missionary organizations, we believe in it if we like, no one cares whether you believe it or not.In China no one interferes with other people's beliefs.You can believe in Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism at the same time. So the Chinese don't take religion as a very serious matter? Some people believe it, some people don't.There are many unbelievers. Flora heard this, and when she spoke to her mother about the baptism she was more confident and less afraid. Mom, I talked to the priest and told him you're going to fulfill your vows.Mom, I really want Marco to be a Catholic like me, and I want him to be baptized. Mom was still stirring the pot. What is baptism for? The priest sprinkled some water on Marco's head.It doesn't hurt him, it's just a symbol.Mother!The priest told me that there were many ancient Chinese who were Catholics. The longer we live, the more we learn.Ever since my baby was born, I have been hearing that Italians went to China hundreds of years ago.I never knew whether I should trust Marco.Polo's story, I believed it later when Ace told me it was true.Now you tell me that there were Catholics in China hundreds of years ago, are they also Italians? No, they are the ancients of China.The priest told me that there have been Catholic churches in China for a long time. how long?As long as Confucius? About two hundred years or so! The mother looked at her daughter-in-law and said: All right!If it's been that long, it must be good, otherwise people wouldn't believe in it. So you agree, mother?Flora screamed excitedly. Flora, I have been paying attention to you for a long time.Your mother disciplined you very well and you have been helping my son.We don't like Christianity in China because of their gunboats. However, we don't have gunboats here! Yes, there are no gunboats here to turn my grandson against me, I guess that's the difference.As she spoke, she put down the long spoon in her hand and wiped her hands on the apron. The priest also told me that there are more than 300 royal families in China who are Catholics. This is true, and the priest cannot lie. Mom looked at Flora again and said: Flora, Marc is your child, he was born an American, and I hope he grows up like an American.I don't care if he is baptized if religious belief doesn't separate the son from his mother like Christianity in China.I also want to ask you, does Catholicism teach sons to obey their parents? Yes, of course it is. Does it also teach people to be honest and frugal? Flora wasn't sure if frugality was part of the Catholic doctrine.She hesitated for a moment before answering, yes.She was sure of the dogma of honesty. I mean, is Catholicism teaching people to be good kids as parents? of course! So why not tell me so?No one will object to these. Flora was so happy.She and the priest arranged a day for her baptism.When the day comes, the whole family puts on their best clothes and goes to church together.Flora felt the warmth and joy in her heart, and she was very touched that the whole family valued this ceremony for her sake. After the baptism, the priest shook hands with the whole family.The whole family gathered around him and listened as he briefly explained the meaning of the baptism in an amiable tone.Before leaving the church, Mrs. Feng lit a few candles, knelt in front of the portrait of the Virgin Mary, prayed with her hands together in a Buddhist way, and then handed over the envelope containing fifty yuan to the priest as a token of respect for the church. dedication.