Uncle Ma is a good man - Chapter 4 [END]

 Chapter 4 [END]

Spring has gone and autumn has come. A cool breeze blows outside the house, the trees are dyed orange and a carpet of autumn leaves covers the ground. Wearing a camel-coloured jumper and black trousers, with an orange woolly hat and hot biscuits in my hands, I dashed to Uncle Ma's house.

Before I knew it, the trees gained a few more rings in their trunks, spring buds and autumn leaves covered in turn the branches, birds came and hatched new eggs, and spring came again.

Sitting on a wooden chair in the living room, I placed the treasure-like box on the table, pushed it towards Uncle Ma and said, “Uncle Ma, try the new flavour. It’s chocolate!” He stretched out his wide, scarred hand, picked up a biscuit, brought it to his lips and gently took a bite of the crisp biscuit, only to see beads of tears falling from his eyes. Anxious and confused, I asked, “Uncle Ma, what’s wrong?” His lips trembled for a long time before he said, “The biscuits are so good.” It was not the first time I’d seen Uncle Ma inexplicably cry. He always gave different reasons, but as usual, I happily smiled and said to him, “Then, you can have the whole box.”

I stood in the dusty courtyard full of dead leaves, across a house where there would no longer be light, and looked at it for a long, long time…

A hard pull on the hem of my clothes brought me back to my senses. I looked down at my daughter who was just learning to speak. Pointing a straight finger at the house, she said curiously, “Mama, what… What?”

I picked my daughter up, walked to the SUV, and replied, “That’s Uncle Ma’s house.” 

Only after I grew up, fell in love and got married, did I realize… the longing and suffering that Uncle Ma had accumulated were hidden deep in his cold eyes. He’d chosen to live in the forest area she yearned for, sketching out their future life together, hand-carving her favourite flowers on the wooden furniture she liked, only for her to be nowhere to be found.

A terrible car accident took her life and his legs, leaving him to spend the rest of his life in memories.

[The End]

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Uncle Ma is a good man - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, Yaya went back to Uncle Ma’s house. She was about to climb over the window when she, surprisingly, found the lunch box she had left behind. A frown covered her young face. She took the lunch box from the window sill and found it empty. She exclaimed, "The biscuits are all gone!" Then she grinned at the thought of having discovered Uncle Ma’s little secret.

Suddenly, a low voice sounded from above her: “Is that yours?”

Looking at the little girl running away, he couldn't help but smile, and whispered, "Just as cute as you used to be!”

Startled by the sudden noise, Yaya raised her gaze from the lunchbox in her hands to the room and saw a man with malt sugar skin in a dark grey shirt, a little moustache on his chiseled chin, and eyelashes that looked like a fan covering half of his round-like-a-mint eyes.

“Uncle Ma, your eyes are so pretty, like cool mints.” After three seconds or more of silence, Yaya came back to her senses. To her frustration, her face flushed red. She turned around and ran home.

After three days, Yaya finally couldn't stand it any longer so she packed her backpack and went back to Uncle Ma’s.

This time, Yaya stood in earnest in front of the carved door. She stood on the tip of her toes and rang the electric bell on the right wall.

She waited and waited for the door to open but it did not. Not willing to give up, she rang the bell again. Suddenly, she heard a loud bang coming from inside the house. Yaya went up and pressed her ear against the door to try to hear clearly what was going on inside.

Uncle Ma opened the door hurriedly, and before he could say anything he saw the little girl who had been at the window the other day. She was about eight or nine years old. She had a thin brow-length fringe, shoulder-length dark brown hair, and wore a light blue shirt under a denim jumpsuit, and a pair of black canvas shoes. With a big smile on her face, she said, “Hi, Uncle Ma!” He saw her tilt her head and she asked, a little confused, “Are you okay? There was a loud noise just now.”

Uncle Ma, his face stiff with anger, said, “What is it?”

Yaya bowed down slightly and said seriously, “I’m sorry, Uncle Ma. I shouldn’t have sneaked into your house the other day. I hope you can forgive me.”

He didn’t say anything.

Yaya spoke again, “I think you’re a very nice and handsome uncle.” Before she could finish, she saw her mom’s silhouette slowly approaching from a distance. She quickly left running towards home. She turned back and yelled in Uncle Ma’s direction, “I hope next time you’ll welcome me. I’ll bring my mum’s handmade biscuits again!”

Looking at the little girl running away, he couldn't help but smile, and whispered, "Just as cute as you used to be!”

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Uncle Ma is a good man - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I quietly came under the window of Uncle Ma's house and looked up inside. There was no one there, so I got up and climbed up the window. As I climbed up, I thought proudly, "These legs are perfect for everything, I always come first in the 100m race!

Walking on the carpeted floor, passing by the living room, I saw that most of the furniture was made of wood, such as wooden tables, wooden chairs, wooden cabinets. Even the walls had wood carvings, and the air smelled of wood.

As I walked further into the house, I couldn't help but exclaim! It was my favourite spiral staircase with blooming roses engraved on it. I quickly covered my mouth, secretly rejoicing that I hadn't been found, and stretched out my hand to touch the handrail and walked up.

When I came to the second floor, I saw three doors in the corridor, with different carved flowers on them. Hesitating over which room to check first, I saw the door with a rose carving open. Someone came out! It was Uncle Ma!

I dashed down the stairs and rushed out the door.

Yaya lay on the bed, clenching her small fists, and said with chagrin, "The first expedition failed!"

The confused Yaya had left the lunch box given by her mother by the window of Uncle Ma's house.

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Uncle Ma is a good man - Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

This spring, my mother and I moved because of housing issues. We moved from the east side where the sun rises to the north side, to a small area near a big forest, next to a strange house where a strange man lived. Everyone called him Uncle Ma.

Everyone was very nice and would give us some food or other things, but we rarely saw Uncle Ma go out.

Sitting in front of the window, I assembled my long-awaited telescope and covertly pointed the lens at Uncle Ma's house. I looked and looked around but couldn’t find Uncle Ma’s figure. I was about to give up when I saw him sitting on the edge of a bed in a dark room, a pair of feet beside him. I wanted to take a closer look when I noticed Uncle Ma staring at me. I was so frightened that I almost tipped the telescope over.

“Yaya! Come down and eat!”, came my mother's voice from downstairs. I ran down the stairs like the wind and sat at the dining table, happily waiting for the food to be served. 

Mama's cooking is so good, no one would dare call themselves the best cook after her! 

Looking at my mother with big bright round eyes, I said, “Mama, can I go out to play with Wawa later?”

“Yes, but be home before it gets dark.” 

Alright! I’m going to explore Uncle Ma’s house and figure out his secret.

“Well? Did you hear me?” Mama asked, putting down the dishes and looking at me.

“Yes~”

Standing by my bed, I packed my backpack. Just as I was stepping out of the house, my mother called out to me and handed me a food box saying, “Here, take it to Wawa’s house. You can eat together. Don't come back too late!”

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[DROPPED] TVREG Chapter 8 Part 2: Shen Yan's Golden Finger

Hello and welcome! This is the second part to Faery Translations' Chapter 14. From now on, I will follow the original numbering according to the raw chapters.

 

 

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