Chapter 383: 478 pieces, a tree by the stream

478 pieces, a tree by the stream

478 pieces, a tree by the stream

—— a branch of apricot growing over the wall

My thinking when I write is like a summer tree growing by the stream; this tree, thanks to the stream's irrigation, has lush foliage. With timely nourishment from sunshine and rain, the whole tree is full of flowers.

These flowers, some have already bloomed, some are blooming, some have withered, some are just budding; the whole tree is fragrant, spreading scent in all directions.

Although these flowers are not beautiful, nor are the petals large. Indeed, people do not pay attention to its existence, yet it truly exists.

Friends, you surely understand—I mean the words I wrote, which you are now reading, these words of mine.

I treat these words I wrote like the small white flowers blooming in the shrubs by the stream.

The few sentences I just spoke came to mind after seeing a poet's verses a few years ago.

The gist of that poet's verse is: by the river in the wild, many plants grow; some are annual, some perennial. Regardless, they crowd by the stream, relying on its moisture to survive and grow.

Annual plants, because their growing season is short, all cherish time, cherish the moments, for their time in this world is fleeting; thus they seize the sunshine, specially grow leaves, bloom, striving to use their finest life to attract bees' song and butterflies' dance; the perennial plants, too, do not yield. They also display their finest in wind and rain.

Seeing these tall and short plants by the stream, the poet wrote: shrubs, perennial, bearing white flowers.

Shrubs, perennial, bearing white flowers—the scene depicted by the poet's line is quite beautiful.

I don't know why, but I am especially fond of those tiny, insignificant plants by the stream in the wild.

Perhaps I share a common fate with those tiny plants.

I recall that Lu Xun, as a child, also especially liked those tiny plants, small creatures, and so on.

Just listening to me say this isn't enough, friend; see what Lu Xun himself said. Let me quote a few lines from Bai Cao Yuan—on this scorching day I don't want to say more; let's together follow young Lu Xun to that Bai Cao Yuan, stroll, relax, okay? ———

No need for the green vegetable patches, smooth stone well railings, tall locust trees, purplish-red mulberries; nor need the cicadas' long chant in the trees, plump wasps perched on the blossoms, agile 'call-to-heaven' suddenly darting from the grass straight up to the clouds. Just the short stretch of mud wall base around is full of endless interest. Dragonflies sing here, crickets play their tunes here. Turning over broken bricks, sometimes one encounters centipedes; also there are blister beetles; if you press a finger on its back, with a pop it sprays a puff of smoke from its rear. Hewu vines and magnolia vines entwine; magnolia bears lotus‑like fruit, hewu has swollen roots. Some say hewu resembles a human shape and eating it can make one an immortal; thus I often pull it out, repeatedly pulling it, and have even damaged the mud wall doing so, yet I have never seen a piece that looks like a human figure. If not prickly, one can also pick raspberries, like tiny coral‑bead balls strung together, sour and sweet, their flavor and color far surpassing mulberries……

Lately I heard that a certain child specializes in copying others' work; Lu Xun called it 'the policy of taking'. After being exposed, some people were indignant, saying 'How can this be allowed? At such a young age they already learned to gain without effort.'

And they also wanted to strike that child heavily. I heard this and also felt indignant. I

It's not that I'm angry at the child who copies others' work, but at those who would strike the child: Why can't people be a little more magnanimous? If she copies your work, that shows she loves your work, she's hyping your work. Then you should thank that child, right? Why scare the child? How utterly …

My work, I don't fear being copied; whoever wants to copy, go ahead, copy however you like, as long as you think it's worth copying, after copying you won't regret it.

Then just go ahead and copy.

Only when something is recognized and used does it have value. The other day a friend told me that over a hundred websites nationwide are reprinting my work (I heard this only; I never go online, I devote myself to writing columns for Qidian. When communicating with friends, I dispel loneliness……. ), hearing my friend's words I was overjoyed. I never imagined that those things I wrote, which aren't posted online, would also be reprinted on websites.

First, I want to thank Qidian; second, I thank the reprinting websites. You have revealed another layer of meaning and value in my life. My modest life, if I can utter a few beneficial words for society, then I have not lived in vain. Look at my friend who studies punctuation, an old farmer, who actually managed to research astonishing results—this is beyond our reach.

Isn't the meaning of a person's life to do more beneficial things for society?

I've gone off track again. But my spirit remains undispersed. This is called 'form scattered, spirit not scattered'. Ah, this damned tenderness, loving you, truly is my mistake…….

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