Chapter 41 The Hermit of Hidden Talents

For reasons unknown, I was able to neglect his abrupt laughter. In a strange moment of clarity despite his bellowing chortles, it dawned upon me that this old man hardly looked like the gnarly, frail old man that we would have imagined a person of a hundred years old would look like. Instead, he looked as if he was only in his seventies. Shallow creases lined across his weather-worn face although they were hardly the deep wrinkles most old men had. Through his jovial grin, I could see his neat, white teeth which I suspected were dentures. As he and Third Uncle continued their talk, his movements and gestures were agile and rapid; hardly fitting the image of a feeble and sickly old man with long, flowing mane and beard. Like Third Uncle himself, the old man was also a garrulous and effusive person whose loquaciousness would never cease unless bidden to. His caretaker appeared with more teacups minutes later and poured us tea. We sat down too, realizing that there were a number of stools beside the stone table, a sign that the old man had visitors regularly. The caretaker appeared once more, this time coming with some fruits in a tray. Setting them on the table, he said before he left dutifully, "Have some fruits. These are all home-grown here ourselves..." Suddenly a voice called out from the gardens before we managed to state the reason for our visit. "Young Heng!" There were a few men who had come. From their manner, they seemed to be Third Uncle's former colleagues, for one of them even hugged him like how an uncle would dote on his favorite nephew. Over the fruits and tea, they began talking about their families and their past exploits, stopping halfway only to laugh or refresh themselves with the tea. One of the men, the one who looked like the leader of the band of brothers, extracted his phone and spoke into the mouthpiece. When he returned his phone to his pocket, he made an announcement: no one was to leave until after a meal together. He had called to his factory and made arrangements. The long-separated band of brothers would eat together and enjoy a long chat over some alcohol... He looked at us three and said, "The factory is not far. It's just outside this compound," before he turned to the old man and said, "Let's have a visit to this factory that you once built, Master Xuan!"