梁军

When I was in junior high， the eighth-grade bully punched me in the stomach. Not only did it hurt and make me angry， but the embarrassment and humiliation were almost intolerable. I wanted desperately to even the score！ I planned to meet him by the bike racks the next day and let him have it.

For some reason， I told my plan to Nana， my grandmother—a big mistake. She gave me one of her hour-long lectures. The lecture was a total drag， but among other things， I vaguely remembered her telling me that I didnt need to worry about him. She said， “Good deeds beget good results， and evil deeds beget bad results.” I told her that I did good things all the time， and all I got in return was “baloney”！ She stuck to her guns， though. She said， “Every good deed will come back to you someday， and every bad thing you do will come back to you.”

It took me 30 years to understand the wisdom of her words. Nana was living in a board-and-care home in Laguna Hills， California. Each Tuesday， I came by and took her out to dinner. I would always find her neatly dressed sitting in a chair right by the front door. I vividly remember our very last dinner together before she went into the convalescent hospital. We drove to a nearby simple little family-owned restaurant. I ordered pot roast for Nana and a hamburger for myself. As the food arrived， I dug in and noticed that Nana wasnt eating. She was just staring at the food on her plate. Moving my plate aside， I took Nanas plate， placed it in front of me， and cut her meat into small pieces. I then placed the plate back in front of her. As she was very weak， she forked the meat into her mouth with great difficulty. I was struck with a memory that brought instant tears to my eyes. Forty years previously， as a little boy sitting at the table， Nana had always taken the meat on my plate and cut it into small pieces so I could eat it.

It had taken forty years， but the good deed had been repaid. Nana was right. We reap exactly what we sow—“every good deed you do will someday come back to you.”

What about the eighth-grade bully？

He ran into the ninth-grade bully.

我上初中时，有个八年级的恶霸打了我肚子一拳。那一拳不仅让我感到疼痛和气愤，还有无法忍受的窘迫和羞辱。我咬牙切齿地想报仇雪恨，于是计划第二天到自行车停放处找他讨回公道，让他也尝我一拳。

不记得因为什么，我把计划告诉了奶奶，这可真是个错误的做法。结果她跟我说教了好久。这番说教虽说很无聊，但我依稀记得，她告诫我没必要去找那坏小子算账。她说：“好人有好报，恶人得恶报。”我告诉她，我一直在做好事，到头来却发现那是“胡说”！但是，她仍然坚持她的看法。她说：“你做的每件好事总有一天会有好报，你做的每件坏事也总有一天会有恶报。”

30年过去了，我才终于明白奶奶那句话的智慧。奶奶住在加州拉古拉岗市的寄宿制护理所。每个星期二，我都去探望她，并带她出去吃晚餐。她总是穿戴整齐地坐在前门旁的一把椅子上等我。我清楚地记得，她被送入疗养院前，我们最后一次共进晚餐的情形。我们驾车来到附近一家简朴的家庭自营餐馆，我给她点了一份炖肉，我自己要了一个汉堡包。点餐送上桌后，我就开吃了，但我注意到奶奶没有吃，她只是盯着她盘中的食物。我把自己的餐盘放到一边，把奶奶的餐盘放在面前，把肉切成小块，然后再把餐盘放回到她面前。由于身体虚弱，她把肉叉起来送进嘴里要费半天劲。我突然想起了一段往事，泪水立刻夺眶而出。40年前，当我还是个小男孩的时候，奶奶总是帮我把餐盘中的肉切成小块，方便我吃下去。

奶奶说的是对的。虽然经过了40年的时间才得到回报，但做好事的确是有好报的。种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。“你做的每件好事总有一天会有好报的。”

那个八年级的恶霸后来怎样了？

他撞上了九年级的恶霸。endprint