Nancy's Family

My assistant's family were the nicest people.  Her mother loved to play mahjong.  She left Nancy when she was 8 to go work in a factory to help support the family.  This is quite common for alot of Chines families.  Parents leave their children to be raised by grandparents to earn money for the family.   I actually played mahjong for money for the first time and lost.  First time I played a game for money.  Probably the last time I'll play.  Her mom was so sweet.  She said to consider her family my family.  She gave me a red envelope, too.  Only older people can give younger people red envelopes I found out.  

Her grandfather (mother's father) was/is an incredible man.  Before communism took over his family were wealthy farmers, but after communism their land was taken away from them and they were forced to farm on poor land.  The other people mistreated her grandfather and his family.  One day her grandfather was carrying a large bucket of fertilizer across an old bridge to his land when in the middle of the bridge it broke and he fell.  Another villager saw this and ran to get his wife.  They looked for his body at the bottom of the valley, but could not find it.  They found him standing on the other side of the valley, perfectly fine with no fertilizer on him, only a little dazed.  After that everyone in the town treated his family much better, because they believed God had saved him.  Her grandfather lives like a pioneer.  He showed me his gun, that he made himself, that he hunts with. He killed a rabbit and cooked me the best rabbit dish I've ever had.  His brother, Nancy's great uncle, was a kun fu master and could heal peoples bones.  When he died his art and knowledge died with him.  You can see a picture of him and her grandmother.  It is traditional to have pictures of dead family members in your home in a place of honor or an altar like place.