In those days of poverty, our village was surrounded by rolling mountains, with only a winding path connecting to the outside world. In these difficult times, our villagers relied on the light of day to farm and live a poor life. However, my third uncle was a maverick and showed a different intellect from an early age. My father used to say that the third uncle was the treasure in my grandfather's hand because he was smart and clever. Although education was not valued at that time, my grandfather always insisted on his education and became the only child in our village who did not drop out of school.
The third uncle's childhood experience was different. While most of the villagers' children began to work in the fields with their parents in their teens, he was able to sit in dilapidated classrooms and listen intently to his teachers. At that time, Grandpa's expectations for the third uncle were higher than the sky, and he believed that the third uncle would get ahead in the future and bring light to our village. The people in the village also think very highly of him, believing that he is a star of hope in our difficult life.
I still remember the year of the third uncle's college entrance examination, and the whole village was shrouded in a tense and excited atmosphere. When the news came that the third uncle had been admitted to a prestigious university in the province, the whole village cheered. However, the issue that comes with it is the issue of tuition fees. Tuition fees are a huge expense for our small village. However, surprisingly, every family in the village was willing to use their meager savings to help the third uncle complete his studies. They believe that the third uncle will definitely achieve something in the future and return to the village to benefit everyone.
The third uncle was deeply grateful for this and promised not to disappoint everyone's expectations. So, with the hope and support of the whole village, he set out on his way to the university. It was a sunny morning, and I remember the third uncle leaving the village step by step with that worn-out backpack on his back. At that moment, his back looked particularly firm.
However, no one could have imagined that that parting would become the beginning of the spiritual estrangement between the third uncle and the villagers. After the third uncle went to college, it was like disappearing and never returned to the village. Even if there is something at home that needs him to come back to help, or just to participate in the family's happy event, the third uncle is indifferent to this. At first, grandpa was able to contact him occasionally, but as time went by, even grandpa's ** became vain.
The villagers began to talk about it, some people said that the third uncle was ungrateful, and some people said that he changed his face and did not recognize people. Even his grandfather, who used to be the most supportive of him, treated him as if he had severed the relationship between father and son. My father tried to repair the relationship, but the third uncle responded coldly. His attitude was extremely disappointing to his father, and since then, he has not reached out to him.
With the disappearance of the third uncle from the outside world, the atmosphere at home has also changed. Grandpa's smile could no longer be seen on his face, and he often sat alone on the stone steps in front of the door, staring at the path leading to the outside world, as if expecting the third uncle to return.
However, whenever night falls, the figure of the third uncle still does not appear on that road, and the grandfather's eyes will be more disappointed and sad. My father and second uncle tried to keep the family atmosphere from being too heavy, but the absence of the third uncle was like a boulder that kept weighing on each of us.
The attitude of the villagers towards the third uncle has also undergone a fundamental change. At first, everyone understood his departure, thinking that he might be for the better, after all, the outside world is too far away for a small village like ours.
However, as time passed, especially when there was a happy event in the family that required him to return, he was never heard from, and the villagers' understanding gradually turned to dissatisfaction and condemnation. They began to wonder if their original support had come to naught, and the third uncle had forgotten his hometown and those who had helped him.
The saddest thing is the relationship between the grandfather and the third uncle. Grandpa had high hopes for the third uncle, believing that he would change the fate of our family, Jaaa, and the entire village. However, the third uncle's behavior completely shattered this hope. Even when Grandpa was sick, the third uncle didn't come back to visit, and he didn't even have a greeting **. This made the grandfather feel extreme disappointment and heartache, and finally at a family gathering, he announced that he had severed the father-son relationship with the third uncle.
The villagers also began to express their dissatisfaction with the third uncle's behavior, believing that he was ungrateful and lived up to the expectations and support of the entire village. Time passed day by day, and the image of the third uncle in the hearts of the villagers was reduced from a star of hope to an unfilial person. Whenever someone mentions the third uncle, the grandfather always bows his head silently, no longer as proud as before. He began to regret it, regretted his doting on the third uncle at the beginning, and regretted not teaching him what filial piety and gratitude were.
That year, our second uncle got married, and the whole village was immersed in joy. Grandpa specially sent someone to the city to find the third uncle, hoping that he would come back to participate in this important family event. However, not only did the third uncle not come back, but he didn't even have a ** or a message of blessing. This time, even the last shred of hope was gone, and Grandpa's heart was completely cold. Since then, Grandpa has never mentioned the third uncle again, as if he never existed.
The third uncle's behavior not only hurt the relationship between him and his grandfather, but also made the whole village's evaluation of him fall to the bottom. My father had tried to save the relationship, but every time we talked about the third uncle, we could see the disappointment and pain in my grandfather's eyes. This emotion eventually affected the entire family, and even when the grandfather died, the third uncle did not show up, which made everyone in the family completely lose trust and respect for him.
Grandpa's death was a huge blow to our family. At his funeral, I saw the grief of my father and second uncle. They were not only saddened by the loss of the family's elders, but also angered by the absence of the third uncle and his indifference to the family. At that moment, the image of the third uncle in our hearts has completely collapsed.
Later, we heard that the third uncle was married in the city and had a son, who was my cousin. When my cousin was about to get married, the third uncle tried to repair the relationship with the villagers for the sake of face, but it was too late.
The third uncle actually didn't want relatives and friends in the village to attend the wedding, because he thought they were just trying to get his money, but the wedding could not be done without the man's relatives. In order to save face, the third uncle began to contact the people in the village and invite them to the wedding, but his efforts seemed to be too late.
Days passed, and not a single villager responded to his invitation. The wedding day is approaching day by day, and the third uncle's anxiety and despair are getting deeper and deeper. He finally realizes that years of indifference and neglect have brought his image to rock bottom in the hearts of the villagers, and no one wants to attend his son's wedding, which is undoubtedly a huge blow to him.
Until the wedding day, the woman's relatives and friends arrived one after another, but the man was empty, and none of his relatives appeared. This embarrassing situation made the third uncle feel unprecedented shame and despair. In desperation, he had to turn to my father for help, hoping that at least his family would be present to save him some face. However, the father's silence on the other end of the ** eventually turned into the last rejection of the third uncle.
Seeing this, the woman's family's impression of the third uncle changed sharply. They can't accept a man who doesn't even want his relatives to come to the wedding, thinking that there is a serious problem with such a character. Therefore, on the wedding day, the woman's family decided to cancel the marriage, which was a huge shame and blow to the third uncle. To make matters worse, the incident also completely ruined his relationship with his son. The cousin was extremely disappointed with the third uncle's behavior and finally chose to sever the father-son relationship with him.
The maintenance of family and affection requires the efforts and sincerity of both parties, and once trust is lost, it becomes extremely difficult to repair it. Through this story, we should cherish every moment with our family members even more and understand the importance of gratitude and reciprocation. I hope everyone can learn from the story of the third uncle, cherish the people around them, and don't regret it until they lose it.