People from my hometown said my great-uncle only has about two months left to live. Though he is not yet seventy, his life seems to be drawing to a close. His two sons and their wives have long since ignored him; only his daughter remains by his bedside to care for him. His wife, my great-aunt, has been paralyzed in bed for years and also requires constant care. His once vast wealth has all been taken by his sons; this is how his life is ending.
There was a time when my great-uncle was a well-known entrepreneur in my hometown. Born into hardship, he lost his parents early and worked various jobs to survive, enduring many difficulties. Later, he moved to the city, mastered a craft, and recognized the commercial opportunities during the early stages of China's Reform and Opening-up, leading him to return home to start a business. He first established a metal processing factory, utilizing affordable rural labor to produce goods that sold well in the city, allowing him to earn his first pot of gold. In the early 1990s, he entered the jewelry processing industry, which marked his most prosperous era. He opened numerous factories, many focused on exports; he had multiple branches in his hometown and a large factory in Shanghai.
He became the first "ten-thousand-yuan household" in the village, owning a villa and a car, and was treated with great respect by local officials. His two sons also joined his business, and many villagers became his employees. Many employees from the Shanghai factory were originally brought from his hometown; these young people eventually settled in Shanghai, married, and had children, becoming true Shanghainese people—all thanks to his influence. Even at local grocery stores, people would buy things on credit under his name, and his accountant would settle the bills at the end of the month. His lavish spending during those years, however, became a factor in the eventual decline of his business.
I have a few deep memories of my great-uncle from my childhood. Once, he gave me a collection of exquisite jewelry. Another memory was traveling to Shanghai's Shiliupu Pier to take a steamer to return home. The journey lasted a day and a night, and we always received the best treatment because the captain was an acquaintance of his. In the first-class cabin, I could watch television, play on slides, and enjoy the vast ocean from the large deck. There were many imported novelties on the ship, such as ham sausages. Whenever I asked for them, my great-uncle would have entire crates brought to me. To this day, the sight of ham sausages can still make me feel slightly nauseous due to eating them in excess back then.
In the late 1990s, as he aged, my great-uncle handed over the management of his business to his two sons. However, due to their poor character, their tendency to transfer funds into their own names, and the lack of unity between them, the business began to decline. Although my great-uncle tried to venture into new industries later, nothing succeeded. As money dwindled, the factories were sold off, and his era of glory passed. In his later years, burdened by his sons' lack of filial piety and the stress of caring for his paralyzed wife, he grew increasingly withdrawn. With his wealth taken by his sons, he had to work the fields and care for his wife, while his daughter, who was the only one to care for him, often faced criticism from her husband. It is truly a tragic story.
