This article was first published on the WeChat public account Pull Down (Pull Down 6-1)

Title: Chu Shijian’s life has gone through many ups and downs. Young people engage in politics, middle-aged people engage in business, fall from their peak as they approach retirement, and end up in jail. At the age of 74, he started farming again and started his own business again, single-handedly creating the legend of "Chu Cheng".

He said that his epitaph only contains five words: "Chu Shijian, born in the year of Ox." In fact, Mr. Chu's zodiac sign is not Ox, but his life is really that of Ox: diligent and stubborn, Ox; ups and downs. Ups and downs, cow.

So, how should we write our own epitaph?

1

My dad is 69 years old, and his temples are as frosty as snow, but his thick hair is like steel wire, still clear-cut, tough, stubborn, and unyielding.

I have always felt that just by looking at my dad’s hair, I know that he is a capable master.

When he was 64 years old, he heard that raising donkeys was very profitable, so he rolled up his arms and sleeves and prepared to do something big. My sister and I couldn’t bear to see him working so hard even though he was over 60 years old, so we advised him not to raise him. It's not like he's short of money, so he can take a walk, play cards, and enjoy his old age in peace. But his father said: "Can the money I earn and the money you give me feel the same?"

My mother also advised him not to worry about it because his legs were not good. Dad immediately took a big hat and put it on Mom: "You just have no confidence in life! If you don't do anything and just stay here, won't you die?!" This made us angry and laughing. From then on, the phrase "You won't die if you just stay there?" became my father's famous saying.

As expected, the donkey was raised later. With such a stubborn father, who can take back what he decides? Throughout the winter, Dad got up at around 3 a.m. to stuff the donkeys, and did all the rest of the work himself, such as rolling grass, buying materials, crushing, mixing materials, carrying water, gaskets, etc.

It’s a pain for my father and a pain for my mother. Especially my mother, she said angrily that at her age she didn't want to suffer this with her father, but when it was time to go into battle, she couldn't bear to have her father without a helper. There is endless work to do in the yard, and both of them are restless people, so they stay on their feet and keep moving every day.

That winter, my parents lost dozens of pounds, and all their donkeys became fat and strong. Although they have lost weight, their immunity has obviously improved. Neither of them caught a cold during the winter, and Mom's old cough was cured.

Looking at the two old men who are slightly thin in stature but extraordinarily strong in spirit, you have to lament that life lies in movement. That kind of passion for life radiates from the inside out and cannot be stopped.

Not long after, the government released unified subsidy funds to allow everyone to replace old-fashioned windows with plastic-steel windows. Money comes second, but the most important thing is that there is work to do again. Mom still had the same attitude, saying that we would rather not have the subsidy than go through the trouble, it was too tiring. Dad said...you all know what my dad is going to say, right? That is: If you don’t have confidence in life, will you die if you just stay here? !

Building houses and replacing windows is my father’s specialty. He is as picky about the precision of these tasks as he is about works of art. What ordinary people can do will never catch his eye. So the old man went into battle himself, and my mother helped. My old house was not only replaced with bright windows, but also renovated from the inside out.

I called my dad and told him that I wanted to buy them an apartment. It doesn’t need to be too big, at least you don’t have to heat yourself in winter. Dad refused, and said in a very proud tone: "My house is very well decorated. If you don't believe it, come back and have a look!"

So over the years, my parents have been living in that house where I grew up. in the old house. Plant the yard full of various vegetables: cucumbers, beans, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage... It is more than enough to be self-sufficient.

2

I have two children of my own. At that time, my son was still young and still breastfeeding.

During May Day, I took my son and daughter back to my hometown and went to my parents-in-law first. I got up early in the morning and went to the kitchen to boil water. Not long after, my mother-in-law got up too, so I went back to the house to look after my son and left the kitchen to her.

After a while, my mother-in-law made breakfast and called everyone over to eat. When I came to the dining table, I was in a daze. What's breakfast? Each person has a third bowl of boiled water (obviously the leftovers were poured into the kettle after boiling), and a large plate of warmed sesame seed cakes in the middle, all soft and fluffy. That's all, nothing more, not even a pickle.

Let me first say that our financial situation is not bad, and we are not reluctant to leave money for the elderly. We really have all kinds of vegetables at home. Even if you boil an egg and grind a cup of soy milk, it can be considered a decent breakfast. Baishui was just sesame pancakes. I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and felt that it was indeed a bit crude for a breastfeeding mother.

My mother-in-law was very capable when she was young. Pungent, diligent, smart, and ingenious, he can take care of everything at home and abroad. The work in the kitchen is not a problem at all. The stewed meat, braised chicken, and grilled fish are praised by everyone who has eaten them. There are also various kinds of pasta, including making dumplings, baking pies, rolling noodles and making snacks, all at your fingertips.

When my daughter was young, my mother-in-law often prepared delicious food for everyone in different ways. It's only been a few years, maybe because she's getting older, my mother-in-law seems to be a different person. She doesn't like to clean the room or cook. Whether it's food or clothing, she doesn't care about what she can do. She just lies on the bed when she has time. She used to get up early and can sleep until 8-9 o'clock in the morning.

My father-in-law was not in good health that year, and my mother-in-law didn’t like to cook, so she often made do. My mother-in-law's niece and our cousin persuaded her: "Aunt, this can't work. If this continues, won't my uncle's health collapse? There is no shortage of anything in the house. You can make some decent food for him." My mother-in-law said, I'm just too lazy to do it. My cousin said sternly: "You said you are too lazy to even eat. Aren't your days too boring?"

The old couple has nothing to do, and the children are grown up and they don't have to worry about it. It's just a good time. Enjoy your old age. Shouldn’t the main theme of the second half of life be played, “walking, keeping healthy, eating well, drinking well, and having fun”? But my mother-in-law turned off the music directly.

A breakfast does not mean anything, but it reflects the life state of my mother-in-law in her later years. At least she is no longer as positive and energetic as she was when she was young.

The above happened almost 4 years ago, and now my mother-in-law has already regained her vitality. She can help me take care of my two children by herself. She doesn't like to stay at home. She just likes to go downstairs for a walk and chat with people. All the old ladies in the neighborhood are her good friends. From time to time I bring back fungus, millet, mung beans and even small things like flowers and grass, all given by my friends.

3

There are many people around me who live like frogs in warm water. The circle is getting narrower and narrower, life is uneventful, and there is no desire to learn, grow, progress, or change. Seeing that the current world is stable and the years are quiet, in fact, it is just starting the mode of eating and waiting to die, and is heading towards euthanasia step by step without knowing it. As the saying goes, "The more you stay, the lazier you become, and the more you eat, the more greedy you become." Once you have entered this endless cycle, it will be difficult to figure it out.

But I also saw more people and refused to waste a minute. Strive for excellence at work, study hard and settle down outside work, find new breakthroughs in this ever-changing world, and create new possibilities for unknown lives. Seeing them, you will be infected and ignited without knowing it. What a great time this is, especially for us female friends. We are no longer the appendages of men, we have the ability to become independent individuals financially and spiritually. As long as you work hard, there are plenty of opportunities out there to send you to success.

Since we are "born", we must work hard to "live". Try your best to fight, try, and toss, do what you want to do, sing the songs you like, chase the girl or boy you like, and make your life steamy, vibrant, radiant, and dazzling. !

By the way, just like my dad, he lives as long as he gets older and younger, and as long as he grows older and stronger, so that his life is not in vain. Like Mr. Chu, he can calmly conclude that he belongs to the Ox before closing the coffin.

After all, if you just stay still, you will die~ah~ah~~