After dinner , George gave Lao Wai a ride back home in his cramped Toyota . It was a very uncomfortable ride for Lao Wai , because George was driving very quickly and Lao Wai did not enjoy it . The stereo was playing some kind of rock music -it was very loud and that hurt Lao Wai ’ s ears . After arriving at Lao Wai ’ s home , George didn ’ t understand how his grandpa lived as he did ; The place was dirty and had some kind of odor . It smelt like something was being burnt .
Lao Wai smiled and replied ' This place is where our family has always lived , and I will continue that .'
It wasn ' t long before George came back to old Shanghai , only this time without his suit and Toyota . He looked like a completely different man . He had eye-bags now , and didn ' t stand as straight as he had before .
' Dad said I should come , because I have these very serious headaches -He said you could help .'
Lao Wai took him inside and sat him down , and started to massage his neck .
But after a minute Lao Wai said ' There was nothing wrong with your neck -it must be stress .'
Lao Wai asked George about what was happening , George explained that his magazine company had went bankrupt because too many his employees had to quit . George fell from 15 million to 10 million .
Lao Wai didn ’ t understand the problem .
' The guy across the road has been selling bread for years . It ' s the best bread in China , but I doubt he ' s ever made even close to that . Come on -Let me show you !'
Lao Wai then dragged George outside to get him to try the bread , and George agreed that it was extremely tasty . George then started to talk to the baker about how he might be able to expand his business , but Lao Wai and the baker both laughed at him , because this was not the kind of life the baker would have wanted .
‘ It ’ s too much of a headache .’ Said the baker .
George found that he was getting drowsy , so Lao Wai suggested they had a sit-down in the park . In the streets people had been playing old chinese instruments , make very weird noises , some high , some low pitched , but here it was quiet . George was impatient and frustrated because it was so quiet and slow , he was taking life very quickly , his pace of life was too fast . Never slowing down to realise the beauty in things .
Lao Wai taught George to play Chinese chess . At first , George was really confused by what Lao Wai was saying -How pieces had to move in specific ways , how some pieces out rank each other . George then found himself impatient as Lao Wai took some time to think of his next move , but in the end , his Grandfather always beat his grandson , even though he was becoming more and more tired .
Back home , Lao Wai had a nap on his sofa , and George wanted to take this opportunity to leave . He noticed that he had a another meeting in thirty minutes . He kept checking his Rolex for the time , not knowing when to leave for his meeting . He wandered around the tiny apartment , and noticed that Lao
Wai hadn ’ t cleaned up the dishes from lunch and dinner , for what seemed like three days . There was soup
left in the bowl and flies flying around the place .