[中文版本]
Six years ago, during the summer when I was four years old, my dad and I returned to China to visit my grandfather. This was my third time going to China. The first two times I visited my grandmother's house when I was only one or two years old, so I couldn't remember much about what happened. My grandfather lives in Yueyang, Hunan Province. We took a twenty-three-hour flight and finally arrived in China.
After we got out of the airport, my dad and I took a taxi to my grandfather's house. I was very excited, and my heart was beating fast. I was very curious about what my grandfather's house would be like. Would it be a big house or a small apartment? How many floors would it have? How many bedrooms? Would there be enough space for me to sleep in my own bed? Since my grandfather lived alone, his house probably wouldn't be too big, right? As I was thinking about this, the taxi suddenly stopped. In front of me stood a tall, gray, two-story house made of cement. There was a staircase in front of the door, and in front of the staircase, there was a small garden surrounded by a black fence. The garden was full of various green vegetables, such as pumpkins, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, water spinach, and more.
I had just gotten out of the car when my grandfather had already opened the door and greeted me. His gentle smile reminded me of a photo from when I was less than a year old. Back then, my grandfather had come to the United States, and he would take me out to play every day and cook for me. I don't remember the details, but I remember his smile. Now, looking at him, I was reminded of those times. We went into the house, and my grandfather offered me a bowl of freshly made chicken soup. He told me that he had gone to a nearby farm at midnight the night before to catch the chicken. In front of me was a bowl of fragrant chicken soup. I took a small sip, and my whole body felt warm. The soup had a mild salty taste, with many types of mushrooms, large pieces of chicken, and sweet red dates. It was so delicious that every day, I would ask my grandfather to prepare a bowl for me. Even though I haven't been to my grandfather's house in a long time, I still remember the taste of his chicken soup.
After finishing the delicious chicken soup my grandfather made, I went around the house to explore. It turned out that the house was different from what I had imagined—it was very large. The big white living room had a huge chandelier, with many small transparent crystals hanging from it. There was a large, wide glass window, and when the sunlight streamed in, the house became bright and airy. The kitchen had a small table, a stove, a sink, and many cupboards and drawers. When I went upstairs, I discovered that my grandfather had specially prepared a room for me. The large bed had two soft pillows on it, and it felt very comfortable to lie down. The house was very clean, and everything was neatly arranged. Although there weren't a lot of furniture pieces, anyone who saw the house would immediately feel that it was warm and beautiful. One thing that made my grandfather’s house different from others was that every room had a large map on the wall.
Although I live in the United States and it’s not convenient for me to visit my grandfather in China, I still remember many of the things we did together, like going to buy steamed buns every day or visiting the neighbor's hen. These memories make me really want to go back to China and visit my grandfather.
