# figure

**Published by:** [TINGITGNQUXIU](https://paragraph.com/@tingitgnquxiu/)
**Published on:** 2021-12-30
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@tingitgnquxiu/figure

## Content

It has been more than two years since I last saw my father. What I can't forget most is the sight of his back. That winter, grandmother died and father lost his job. It never rains but it pours. I went from Beijing to Xuzhou, planning to run home with my father for the funeral. When I met father in Xuzhou, tears trickled down my cheeks at the sight of the messy courtyard and the thought of grandma. Father said: "Now that things have come to this, don't be sad. Fortunately, god always has a way out." When I returned home, my father paid me back. He borrowed money to pay for the funeral. The circumstances of our family were very bleak these days, partly for the funeral and partly for father's unemployment. When the funeral was over, father would go to Nanjing to look for a job and I would return to Beijing to study. When I arrived in Nanjing, I spent a day strolling there at the invitation of some friends. The next morning I had to cross the river to Pukou and take a train to Beijing in the afternoon. Father had decided not to see me off because he was busy, but asked one of his hotel waiters to accompany me. He urged the steward to be careful. But at last he was afraid that the steward would not do it properly. She hesitated for a moment. As a matter of fact, I was then twenty years old and had already traveled to and from Beijing two or three times. After some hesitation, he finally decided to take me himself. I tried to dissuade him from going; He only said, "Never mind, they can't go!" We crossed the river and entered the station. He busied himself with the luggage while I bought a ticket. There was so much luggage that I had to tip the porter to get through. He was busy bargaining with them again. I was so clever then that I always found his speech awkward and had to butt in myself, but he finally settled the price; Just walk me to the car. He picked me a chair near the carriage door; I spread on the seat the purple fur coat he had made for me. He told me to be careful on the way and watch out at night so as not to catch cold. He asked the steward to take good care of me. I sniggered at him for being so impractical; All they care about is money. It's no use trusting them! Besides, can't a man of my age take care of himself? Oh, now that I think about it, HOW clever I was!

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