By Ma Wei

My Father’s Prophecy

By Ma Wei

My father didn’t receive a formal education, but his rich life experiences endowed him with an ability to foresee the future and guide me in coping with life. I used to smirk on hearing my father’s sayings, but the reality always proved his words to be true. I admire him from the bottom of my heart.

He had three sayings when he was alive.

The first was, “The land is always our lifeblood. One day, the city dwellers will ask for a piece of land just as the farmers do.”

He was just into his 60s when he said this and was helping me take care of my children then. Twenty years later, after he had already left us for a long time, his prophecy came true. Wealthy city people all came flocking to the rural areas to co-build houses or rent land for residential quarters, all valid for seventy years from time of sale. The whole countryside would have been sold away if there weren’t any rules prohibiting city dwellers from buying a farmer’s homestead.

A piece of land in the countryside provides the city dwellers with safe crops and vegetables. They can breathe fresh air or spend summer vacations there. Now the most beautiful houses in the rural areas are not built by farmers,but by people from the cities. The best vegetables, crops and orchards are not tended to by farmers, but instead by urban agricultural enterprises.

My father’s words were simple. Human beings are from the land and shall return to the land after death. When one becomes wealthy, the first thing they want to take is the land.

His second saying was: “Don’t buy too many houses,they will be taxed sooner or later.” He said that 15 years ago when commercial property was just on the rise.

“It is useless to have too many houses. Enough is enough. Otherwise, ghosts and specters will come to your empty houses.” My father said this when he saw that I had saved every penny to buy another home. Actually, I was just worring that my children would not have a house to live inwhen they were older.

However, his words became a reality. Oversized houses are heavily taxed. Paying tax for an empty house is not worth the candle. One room is enough for one person, why do we have so many houses?

His third prophecy stated that,“Money can buy a lot of things,but it also brings troubles.” I am the earliest group of college graduates from our little village,but I am the poorest monetarily.People sneered at me when I went back home not riding in a luxury vehicle. On the contrary, several vocational graduates have had glamorous vehicles and villas,frequently going abroad on trips.However, three of them were taken to prison during the anticorruption campaigns.

In fact, we were all from poor families. We studied hard to make livings in the city. It was not easy,but the greediness for several grand ruined their lives. What a pity! I am poor, but I can have a better life, earning extra money writing and lecturing in my leisure time. I enjoy a decent life even without luxury cars or villas. I can walk upright when going back to my hometown, without fear of villagers gossiping and mocking behind my parents’ back.

I remember my father’s words and practice them. That’s why I have such a clean and care-free life. ◆

(From Knowledge Window,April 2017.Translation:Li Li)

父亲尽管没有正经上过学，可是丰富的人生阅历，让他能预见未来，并常常教导我如何应对生活。很多次，我哂笑，但是，现实又验证了父亲的预言，我内心钦佩不已。

父亲生前和我说过三句话。

第一句：“土地永远是命根子，将来城里人会要求和农民一样，拥有一份土地。”

说这话时，父亲才六十出头，到城里帮我带孩子。二十年过去了，父亲也作古了，可是他的预见真的实现了——现在有钱的城里人，纷纷到农村流转农民的土地，或是合伙修房，租期七十年居住。要不是国家规定不许城里人买农民的宅基地，农村早被买空了。

城里人想有块乡村的土地，可以吃上放心粮、放心菜，可以呼吸新鲜空气，或是避暑。现在，回农村，修得最好的房子不是农民的，而是城里人在乡下建的别墅。种得最好的蔬菜和粮食、果园不是农民的，而是城里人搞的涉农企业。

父亲的道理很朴实，人来自土地，最终要回归土地，人有了钱，最终要占有的资源，首选是土地。

父亲的第二句预言是：“千万别多买房子，国家迟早要收税。”那是十五年前，商品房潮流才刚刚袭来。父亲说，房子么，够住就行，多了无用。没有人住，房子就没有人气，就会有狐仙鬼怪出没。父亲当时见我省吃俭用，打算再买一套房，我是担心孩子长大成家没有住的。 父亲的话，现在就验证了：超面积的房，要收税。没有住，花钱养房，实在得不偿失。人么，不过七尺身躯，三尺宽，一间小屋就能躺下，何必有千屋百房呢？

父亲的第三句预言是：“钱多有钱多的好处，但钱多了不出事才怪。”在村里，我是最早考出来的大学生，却是最穷的。回老家，没有豪车，被人睥睨。几个后来只读个中专的，个个有豪车别墅，出国就像走亲戚。但反腐一来，进去了仨。

其实他们和我一样，是农家学子，苦斗后在城里扎根，极不容易，可是几十万元就毁了他们的一生，实在可惜。我穷，业余时间写稿，讲课，日子也能小康。没有豪车别墅，也过得体体面面。回家的路上，走得堂堂正正，昂首挺胸，父母在乡村不受背后的话语讥讽。

父亲的三句预言，我牢记并实践，所以过得清白自在。◆

（摘自《知识窗》2017年第4期）

父亲的预言

文/马卫