Capítulo 90: The Answer to Bravery
Editor: Geoffrey_
He first went to the residential trusteeship council to end the task of having the council take care his house. Afterwards, Fatty took back his key.
Renting a car, he soon reached Street No. 919, and while carrying his bag, he walked eastwards for about 200 meters before arriving at the entrance to a small district.
Tian Xing Jian stood at the entrance feeling awkward. This was a medium-sized residential district and was also where he was born and bred. Returning after a long time would indubitably bring back complex feelings.
Just as he entered the gates to this small district, an old man came in his face, giving Fatty a look. Initially, he did not pay much attention to him, but just as he turned his head away, he felt something amiss and turned back to give Fatty a more careful look.
Finally, the old man was enlightened. Pointing at Fatty excitedly, he seemed as if he was having a heart attack and could not breathe properly. The next moment, he reacted like a sculpture coming to life; he flew back into the small district, running and shouting out, "Fatty is back, Fatty is back!"
Fatty’s eyes were brimming with tears of excitement. These were the old neighbors who had watched him grow up and treated him like their son…
Finally, he heard the old man’s mournful shout, "Those who have unmarried woman in your house, remember not to bathe!"
After that, the sound of countless doors shutting could be heard. The entire small district… became quiet and empty, not even a shadow could be seen—amidst the sounds of doors shutting, only a leaf falling in front of Fatty’s eyes could be seen.
Fatty was filled with tears. His infamy was truly great…
Tian Xing Jian grew up here when he was young. Just like a weasel in a chicken coop, he was truly thick-skinned, despicable, and shameless. He knew which house had a beautiful unmarried woman within, and as long as she went to bathe, this wretched person would prepare to go and peek at her. Even if they took precautions, it would be futile since this chap had plenty of tricks. Usually, he would love creating some mechanical electronic playthings that could punch a hole in the wall for him to peep. Eighteen different weapons used one after another with hundreds of tricks [1].
The neighborhood had almost turned the bath into a secret room.
Who would dare to treat this small bastard as their son? Though after catching him peeping, they would beat him up just like how any parents would beat their sons up.
The only family that had a daughter and dared to continue interacting with this small bastard was Father An’s family, just that An Lei’s family had eventually moved away; they spent quite a sum of money to buy a house outside this street. After moving houses, they were at least further away from the danger. Fatty was always full of regret. Whenever An Lei bathed, the scene would be truly moving. If she was to continue staying here, who would spare the time to peep at women from other families?
Pulling his luggage resentfully as he walked back home, the moment his butt landed on the sofa in the living room, Fatty started thinking over the matters. The more he thought about it, the more indignant he got before he finally shouted out, "Damn! Is it really that rare!? This bunch of ignorant ingrates! How good is watching those women in your family who have not developed well? No matter how good it is, it’ll still not be as good as watching An Lei bathe!"
"Darling Tian! You…" The moment the kitchen door opened, An Lei walked out embarrassedly with a steaming red face. She was wearing an apron over her figure while carrying a knife.
Right as Fatty, who placed his legs like a boss and hooting about the scene of watching An Lei bathe being much nicer than anything else, turned around, his felt his soul leaving his body.
They were, after all, just separated by a street and the An Family had the keys to this house as well. Fatty had silently gone off to join the military, and it was only when An Lei’s father had passed away did she discover that this house was empty. Usually, An Lei’s mother would spend some time to come over and help him clean the house. After all, the trusteeship council was not that meticulous.
After An Lei graduated from the military academy, she was assigned to the capital’s intelligence department. This time, An Lei’s new-found friend in Miracolo Planet, You Na, had given her a call, and only then did she learn that Tian Xing Jian was coming back.
As for the reason why he was coming back, An Lei was naturally much clearer than anyone else. She felt happy in her heart, and after getting the keys from her mother, she wanted to help prepare a meal for this damned fatty. After all, he had suffered quite a lot when fighting in the war, and this fatty had most likely not enjoyed a home-cooked meal for quite some time.
But who would have thought that just as she was preparing a meal in the kitchen, she would hear the flustered and exasperated voice of Fatty just outside, making An Lei so embarrassed that her entire face and ears turned steaming red? She did not have the time to place down the knife before rushing out the door.
Thank god for that gentle personality of An Lei. Even though she was embarrassed and angry, she did not go on randomly hacking that knife in her hand. Fatty had been able to escape this particular incident.
Even after finishing the meal, the blushing on An Lei’s face had still yet to clear. Just as she went to wash the bowls and chopsticks, she saw Fatty placing some equipment with a sly look. An Lei, who had come from the intelligence department, would surely have recognized these playthings. Even though they were kind of simple, after placing a micro-energy piece, these pieces of equipment would allow one to eavesdrop on others.
An Lei did not know whether to laugh or cry. This person whom she had grown up with could actually become the Federation hero despite having those things in his mind—this world was truly too frightening!
*************************
Afternoon, An Lei drove Tian Xing Jian to the grave of Father An.
As Tian Xing Jian looked at the name "An Quan" inscribed on the grave, he finally realized that this father-like person had truly left the world.
Right as this truth was placed in front of his eyes, Tian Xing Jian felt really unbearable and knelt down in front of the grave, attentively staring at that photo in front of him.
The Father An in his memory was a good person without a bad temper. He was an employee of a certain company and had lived a life of peace and safety. When Fatty was young, he always felt that Father An should be called An Wen instead [2].
Father An’s bravery wasn’t that great. This characteristic was quite similar between father and son, just that regardless of any other people’s impression of him, Father An was a hero who would support the heaven and the earth. Whenever one mentioned "An Quan", the entire neighborhood—even if the neighbor was an extremely picky one—would still call him a good person.
During his childhood, Tian Xing Jian had grown up in the An Family ever since he had lost his parents. Father An’s care and concern for his two children had reached an indescribable stage, thus everyone in this small, little district would be able to see this middle-aged person, who was kind of plump, chasing after two children while huffing and puffing out from behind, "Be careful! Don’t run too fast! Remember, safety first."
Ever since he was young, Fatty was a good-for-nothing. He was afraid of anything he had not seen before; he was frightened by dogs, by rats, by the honking from a truck, lightning, and boarding a transport ship… Just speaking in terms of his courage, he was not as brave as An Lei.
Every time Father An taught Fatty about how a male should be braver, Mother An would always tease him, saying that Father An was still afraid of lightning even now. When lightning struck, Father An would cover his entire body with his blanket. Father An would always reply after his shame turned into anger, "Shoo, don’t disturb! I’m here teaching a child." Mother An would then laugh, saying how Father An should educate this child only after he did not cover his face with his blanket.
These past matters were just like a movie, flashing across the mind of Tian Xing Jian. Seeing that smile on this middle-aged man, his tears fell like the rain.
Buried deep in those memories, these words of Father An had finally appeared in his mind:
"Xiao Jian, look at this. The courage of a man doesn’t depend on whether he is terrified of something or not. One who has a courage greater than the heavens yet isn’t willing to uphold the responsibility of a man will never be worthy of being called a man."
"Thus, the courage of a man represents responsibility! The responsibility for his friends and his loved ones."
"This responsibility means that when one is faced with a responsibility that one cannot give up, despite the terror, being a man means that one is willing to uphold this responsibility and face the terror without giving up. That is someone we call a brave person, a brave warrior!"
"Old An, the children are watching a movie. You are being really irritating!" That was the voice from Mother An.
"That’s right, father. I can’t even hear what they are saying in the movie!" That was the voice of An Lei.
"The two of you! This movie doesn’t even have any educational value. We should be teaching Xiao Jian proper logic, so don’t disturb!"
"Ah Jian, your courage is small by nature. This is something you are born with, but despite this, you can still become a warrior! Right now, it doesn’t matter that you don’t understand, but there will be a day when you will come to understand this!"
"Mn!" That time, he had been attracted by the fighting of those warriors in the movie and did not really keep those words in his heart.
Tears came flooding out as if his memory had opened up the sluice; he could not stop them no matter what.
Tian Xing Jian finally understood that it wasn’t wrong being a coward. The courage of a man was not about how high he climbed, how unafraid of death he was, nor how fierce and ruthless he was; instead, it was about shouldering the responsibility of the terrifying unknown.
Earning money for the family was a type of responsibility. Protecting the nation was also a type of responsibility.
Once the sense of responsibility became greater than the terror, the person would face all sorts of threats without fear and become a true man, a true warrior!
Father An was just an ordinary coward, yet he was a warrior who looked upon responsibility as something greater than life itself.
At this moment, the coward Tian Xing Jian had finally found his answer!
That smile of the middle-aged man etched on the photo was ordinary, yet it was filled with the dignity of a man.
[1] Figurative language referring to him having many tricks.
[2] 安稳 - An Wen here means stable.
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