Chapter 349: 442 chapters, approximately in autumn

442 chapters, approximately in autumn.

442 chapters, approximately in autumn.

―――A branch of red apricot extending beyond the wall (fifteen)

(I), in the evening, amidst the faint lotus fragrance.

In the evening, a gentle breeze brings a faint fragrance; carefully tasting it, it is the scent of lotus. This lotus scent, compared to the scents of other flowers and grasses, still has a distinction. Especially compared to the scent of that zi flower, the difference is obvious.

In the lotus's faint fragrance lies the gentleness of water; while in the gardenia's fragrance lies the strength of the mountain. This is what I have come to appreciate only after careful attention recently.

I love the gentleness of water, and I also love the strength of the mountain.

That water is the source that nourishes life; the lotus, rooted in water, has its entire body and mind immersed in water, so water and lotus are closely connected. Although the lotus grows in muddy water, its body has not a speck of dirt. It is forever pure, noble, fragrant, and beautiful. Because of the lotus, it inherently possesses a noble quality that resists corrosion and never stains. Its essence is good and noble.

Now I truly understand why the scholar Zhou Dunyi, among all flowers, grasses, and trees, alone loves the lotus. He loves not only the lotus's beauty and fragrance; he loves the lotus's character and purity.

With age, I more deeply feel how difficult it is for the lotus to survive, how hard it is to maintain purity. Surrounded on all sides by muddy water, yet the lotus growing in such water still maintains its purity and nobility—what kind of spirit is this? Whenever I approach a lotus described as 'hollow inside and straight outside, without vines or branches, fragrance spreading far and purifying, standing tall and pure,' my heart inevitably feels reverent.

Friend Weiyun's elder brother once, with bitterness, a hint of sourness, a hint of comfort, a hint of joy, told people: for the small dot in his heart, for the youth's ideal and pursuit, in many slowly passing nights, using the lonely 'pen tilling,' he kept company with the solitary lamp; his eyes grew red from staying up, his face became thin. That truly is 'wasting away for her, the belt gradually loosening; the silkworm spins until death, the candle burns to ash'……

(II), I recalled that little girl who studied poetry—Xiangling.

Perhaps it is the trickery and arrangement of fate; that Xiangling, who ought to have lived under parental love, (the water caltrop, is it the plant that grows together with lotus in water? The water caltrop is an annual herbaceous plant; its growth and life are basically the same as those herbaceous plants. As the saying goes: a lifetime of human life, a season of plants. But this water caltrop also seems to understand: having come into the world, it must bring something to the world, leaving behind some sweetness and beauty. However, leaving behind that sweetness and beauty is not so easy; it requires the entirety of its life's effort, all its sacrifice.

But this world is not such that your effort alone yields reward; nor is it such that your effort alone bears fruit; nor is it such that great effort alone earns the world's recognition.

But this water caltrop plant is special. It almost shares roots and leaves with the beautiful pure lotus, yet their fates are completely different. The lotus forever receives people's attention and praise; whereas this water caltrop plant forever fails to gain people's attention and praise. Is this the fault of time, of fate, or of delusion?

This water caltrop plant understands this point, yet it harbors much reluctance; it knows its own simplicity, the simplicity of its flower, that tiny white flower; the smallness of its leaves. Yet the fruit it bears is delicious: when cooked, it is fragrant; when raw, it is sweet, albeit slightly bitter.

This world itself is a riddle. Some things look good but are useless; some things look ugly yet are very useful. Xu Dishan said of peanuts: although their appearance is not beautiful, the fruit produced by such unattractive things is liked by everyone. This world is truly marvelous. Its marvelousness makes it hard to imagine, hard to believe.

Furthermore, speaking of the water caltrop, although it grows together with the lotus and has sweet fruit, no one has ever observed or admired it. The reason is simple: its flower is very small. That tiny white flower lacks fragrance and beauty; even if it had a hint of fragrance or beauty, that tiny white flower, blooming among those tiny leaves, is often covered by waves and submerged by water ripples. If one does not look closely, one cannot see it.

Who else would come for such a humble little flower?

I, who am ignorant and uninformed, have also never heard of any literati writing poems or painting to praise the water caltrop. Perhaps it is too ugly and humble, too unnoticeable. But I have heard a folk tale about it: long ago, a person suffering from liver disease was judged by a renowned traditional Chinese doctor as 'death with reprieve.' Passing by a pond in the wilderness, tired, he leaned against the hut by the pond to rest. He noticed a strong fragrance drifting from the hut.

It turned out the hut's owner was boiling water caltrop horns. Thus, at that moment, the 'death with reprieve' person happened to be thirsty, so he asked the owner who boiled water caltrop horns for a bowl of water caltrop water to drink. After drinking the water caltrop water, the 'death with reprieve' person suddenly felt his whole body relax. He realized that this was the effect of that bowl of water caltrop water. His family rejoiced exceedingly, continued to boil water caltrop water for him to drink, and soon the 'death with reprieve' person recovered.

Dear friend, because of the character 'ling' of Xiangling in Dream of the Red Chamber, I have wasted many words, in one breath within my own parentheses, twisting and turning, speaking much nonsense. Why is that? From my nonsense, have you perhaps already caught a whiff of the fragrance of the water caltrop, admired the clear pond with its round lotus leaves? Beside the endless green lotus leaves that meet the sky and the red lotus flowers that face the sun, growing a few tender green round leaves among those tiny leaves, are many white small flowers blooming? However, it is not yet the season for water caltrop flowers to bloom.

Water caltrop, its flowering time is approximately in autumn. At that time, friend, while you admire the scene of lotus leaves meeting the sky, endless green; lotus flowers facing the sun, a different red, do not forget that humble water caltrop.

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(Heart with the disaster area, emotion with the disaster area: may peace, courage, confidence, strength be with the people of the disaster area, accompanying them!)