Chapter 3 childhood snow lantern

It's hard to describe how I felt at the moment I decided to sign. It was neither decisive nor impulsive, but a kind of acceptance of fate, a shocking acceptance in the face of the impact of fate.I just feel that it is destined to come here, what can I say? Chinese people have many descriptions for the situation of "like old friends at first sight", such as "lucky three lives", "destiny for three lives", "love at first sight", "falling in love", "deja vu"... and the most accurate one is , is "fate". Who can say that Tang poetry, Song lyrics and Yuan songs have no destiny?

Compared with such a fate, a contract is almost nothing, not worth mentioning. "You promised to do the business for us?" Yuan Ge and Song Ci exclaimed in surprise. I nodded, the shock in my heart was still turbulent.What is there to hesitate about? Everything is preordained. It is destined for Tang poetry to meet Song Ci and Yuan Ge, and it is also destined for Song Ci to wear such a piece of precious jade that is so gentle that it reaches people's hearts. "Jade" means "encounter", which is God's will. Looking at the two of them, I felt familiar from the bottom of my heart, a kind of unforgettable intimacy.It's just that I don't understand what God wants to imply by making such an arrangement?

Yuan Ge was still cheering: "Great, I didn't expect the negotiation to go so smoothly. Miss Tang, it's really refreshing to do business with you. Come, for the success of our cooperation, and for the chance to meet each other, why don't we go out and celebrate." "Okay, I'll treat you." Song Ci agreed. "How about that? Of course I pay the bill!" Yuan Ge blinked at me, "Actually, it doesn't matter who buys it? It's all reimbursed by the company. But the process of paying the bill is very cool, if it's not from your own pocket, it's even more Cool."

I laughed.This time the two of them rarely agreed.I like them, they are two real white-collar workers, without the common problems of common white-collar workers. When I came to the restaurant, I instinctively let Song Ci sit first: "You are left-handed, sit by the window." Song Ci was surprised: "How do you know I'm left-handed?" Yuan Ge laughed: "It must have been exposed by your writing during the meeting just now." "But I didn't take a pen at all just now." "That's what it takes to hold a teacup and hold a chair." Song Ci looked at me with admiration: "Miss Tang, you are really careful and observant."

I smiled wryly, my heart was full of astonishment, no, it wasn't what I just observed, it was because I knew it all.I know Song Ci and the jade she wears.But why do I know all this? The waiter brought the menu, and Song Ci asked me to order, but I refused: "I don't know how to order Beijing dishes. You are a regular customer, so you should come, I can eat everything." So Song Ci is the master.Let me remind you: "Don't forget to order dessert, Yuange likes to eat." "Hey, how did you know I like desserts?" "Do you like desserts?" I hesitated, "I can just guess."

"I am addicted to sweets." Yuan Ge praised, "Tang Shi, if you are a man, I will definitely fall in love with you. You are gentle, careful, and good at doing business, both civil and military." I'm ashamed, this person has a way of flattering, he can throw people into the sky, but I don't know if anyone will catch up when he falls. While eating and chatting, I gradually realized that neither of them were natives of Beijing—Song Ci was born in Mongolia, rode a horse, drank goat milk, and moved to Beijing with his family until he graduated from elementary school, so his personality is a bit like a boy.Her father is a government official and has some friendship with the general manager of "Dynasty", so he recommended her daughter to the company as the manager of the production department. After graduating from college, he disobeyed the assignment and came to the capital alone to fight the world. He started as an advertising salesman, jumped three levels in two years, and was promoted to the manager of the creative department.

I also told them all my experiences: I lived in the countryside when I was a child, and went to Taiwan when I was six.This time I came to Beijing, it was the first time I went back to the inland after going out.But I don’t know why, I have no sense of strangeness at all, as if I have come back to the old place, even the breath of the wind has a familiar taste. In the wind, I hear a voice calling my name softly from time to time, a person I don’t know. Name, my childhood name, I knew it was calling me, but I couldn't make out.Walking on the streets of Beijing, I always have a feeling that whenever I turn a certain corner, I will bump into an acquaintance.I always feel that I have forgotten something important in my life, and now I suddenly think of it, but I can't remember it clearly.And when I met the two of them, this feeling was even stronger.

"Could it be because I often see news about Beijing on TV or magazines, so I feel familiar when I come here?" Yuan Ge helped me analyze. I shook my head: "The sense of familiarity is not because of any specific buildings or scenery I saw, but because of the atmosphere. From the moment I got off the plane at Beijing Airport, I had a very strong feeling, as if there was something important. Something is about to happen, and it is related to my life. Every step I take, this feeling becomes stronger. But I can't imagine what it will be like. That feeling is a little excited, a little nervous, and a little worried .I really don't know how to describe it."

"Perhaps, the important thing is for you to get to know the two of us." Yuan Ge smiled coquettishly, "Don't you think the names of the three of us are surprisingly coincidental?" "Tang Poetry, Song Ci, and Yuan Ge, do they look like stage names?" Song Ci also laughed, "Like three female actresses taught by a blind luthier." "Why must the luthier be blind?" Yuan Ge challenged, "I said it should be the three chrysanthemums raised by Tao Yuanming, the three plums planted by Lin Hejing, the three shrimps written by Qi Baishi, and the three horses written by Xu Beihong... Even if it is An actor must be the three pillars of a troupe, the kind that is so red."

"So what about red? An actor is still an actor after all." "That's different. Just like now, those who are not popular are called actors, and those who are popular are called stars. There is a huge difference in social status!" "Okay, Yuan Xingxing, do you want to ask for your autograph?" Song Ci sarcastically. Yuan Ge didn't think it was disobedient, and quickly said, "Well, please ask my manager." I laughed, listening to the bickering between the two, the feeling of deja vu came again. We didn't ask for wine, but coffee can also be intoxicating. I sipped it in small sips, and I was already drunk.Once upon a time, I witnessed with my own eyes Song Ci and Yuan Ge, like this moment, confronting each other without giving an inch.How familiar is that delicate expression and sullen eyes!

However, I obviously only met them today because of a contract. I can't figure out whether I came to Beijing for the Jade Ornament Exhibition, or the Jade Ornament Exhibition is just an opportunity for me to come to Beijing, and there is actually a long-term arrangement in the dark, and I am destined to meet and get acquainted with Song Ci Yuange , to find our common memories together.What are those old past events that are buried in the depths of memory, those untouchable and never-to-be-forgotten heartaches? It was not until this time that I had the opportunity to look at Song Ci carefully. She is a typical skinny beauty, with well-shaped eyebrows, forming a "T" shape with a straight nose, with prominent edges and corners, and a sharp outline, which is a bit like a European face.But in the lower part, because of the small and full lips, the lines of the whole face suddenly softened, adding a bit of childishness, which made all her character and stubbornness become childish, with a kind of baby-like innocence .And in this naivety, various emotions such as unwillingness, dissatisfaction, restlessness, and bewilderment are written. This is a beautiful face. This is an unhappy woman. I've seen this face before.And the piece of jade she was wearing. Where is it? When we returned to the hotel, it was completely dark, the light moonlight was flowing in the clothes room, the wind was slightly cold, with the fragrance of magnolia, and there were traces of birds flying in the star-studded night sky.Is it a swallow? Reluctantly, the flowers fall, and the familiar Yan returns. Me, do you know that swallow? Dad said that I was born in Beijing.Could it be that I already had a memory at that time?My father also said that when I was born, he didn't know that my grandfather was still alive and had married another person in Taiwan, so he thought he was the only root of the Tang family.The Tang family has been single-passed for several generations, and I am already the fifth generation, so I am very nervous and pray every day to have a son.And everyone looked at the mother's belly, watched her step over the threshold with her left foot, and guessed that it would be a son.But when the time came, God lied to him and gave birth to a girl like me. It is said that on the day I was born, my father shook his head and shook his head, sighed and sighed, but thinking about it being the first child, he accepted it, but who knew that after the release, my mother was injured and could not give birth again, so they had to accept that I was the only one in this life The fact of an only daughter. Not long after arriving in Taiwan, my uncle got into a car accident again, and I became the only heir to the Tang family's jade line when I was young, and I was educated as a boy ever since. I grew up in a heap of jade objects of all colors and qualities.The first toy I owned was "jade", and the color I was familiar with first was also jade.For me, the world is not very clear red, orange, yellow, green, blue, blue and purple, but some intermediate colors, such as emerald green, green, parrot green, cinnabar red, suet white, eggplant skin purple, and various color Qin. The so-called Qin means that if the jade stays in the ground for a long time, the color of the surrounding minerals will ooze into the jade, forming different colors. And I, I am "Yuqin", I have lived surrounded by jade since I was a child, and my mind is full of knowledge about jade.Life is very simple.It is jade.Appreciation, collection, carving and management of jade. What's strange is that I have a very high sensitivity and insight to Yutian, whether it's true or false, and it's often said in one sentence. The knowledge taught by the master can never be forgotten;Selecting jade and distinguishing jade, the vision is so accurate that even the highest-ranking craftsman in the jade industry dare not underestimate me as a newborn calf. Grandpa was very pleasantly surprised, and said with emotion that although I am a daughter, I am worthy of being a descendant of the Tang family. This is God's will.From then on, I no longer mentioned the old arguments of patriarchy over women, and I did not allow others to mention it. I only focused on handing over the family business to me step by step.This trip to Beijing for publicity is an important experience. But I didn't expect that so many strange things happened as soon as I arrived in Beijing. I have a feeling that I didn't come to Beijing to do business, but to find some lost memories.Those memories are sleeping in the deepest part of my heart, just waiting for the wind in Beijing to wake them up. At the same time, I still have a little secret in my heart, a deep desire, although I know how slim the chance of realization is.That is, I want to find a person, an old friend. Lying on the bed, I habitually took out a small wooden lantern, lit a candle, and watched the tears dripping from the candle. In the candlelight, there is a sunny smiling face open to me... In a trance, he returned to the short wall. That year, I was six years old and he was eight years old.The place where they met was the short fence in front of the house. It has just snowed, and there is a kind of crispness in the air, steel blue, and it seems to be able to make a crisp sound when photographed. He sat on the wall and whistled, saw me, and asked, "What's your name?" "Girl." At that time, I didn't know what else to call myself besides "Girl". "And you?" "Zhang Guoli." He answered loudly, with great vigor. So I felt that my name was dirty, and I was a little unconvinced, so I hurriedly added: "My father is a doctor and he will treat people." I still asked, "What about you?" "My father..." He rolled his eyes.He is only eight years old, but after a lot of experience and knowledge, he is very good at talking about him, "My father can tell stories." "Can you tell stories?" For those stories, I opened the fence and removed all barriers and guards.And worship him so much. Little Red Riding Hood, the Daughter of the Sea, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the little match girl...all from that time. I remember it very well. Since then, I have always liked reading books, especially fairy tales. I have to say that I benefited from Zhang Guoli's enlightenment.It’s just that, for some reason, the fairy tale books I read are often different from what he said at the time. Later, I figured out that he was probably rambling on purpose because he couldn’t remember clearly.But I didn't think so when I was a child. At that time, I firmly believed that he was right, and those fairy tale books were translated wrongly. The real original version was Zhang Guoli's version. In addition to stories, he also told me many new things.He has been to many places, and his knowledge is many times wider than mine.He has even been to far away Harbin and seen the kind of ice sculpture lamps that only appear in fairy tales. "Ice lamp!" I admired fascinatedly, and looked up eagerly, "Can you do it?" "I don't know how to make ice lanterns, but I can make snow lanterns." He did as he said, took a ball of snow in his hand, squeezed it firmly, and used a knife to goug out the hollow, round, like a lotus flower, and then inserted it A candle, lit, and it's done. I couldn't help clapping my hands and jumping up: "Snow lanterns, snow lanterns!" He was smiling and admiring his masterpiece, his face was flushed red and dazzling, and his smile was so bright and bright, without a shadow, that I forgot even the cold weather. He smiled, and suddenly remembered something, took out his pocket knife again, stroke by stroke, carefully and seriously, scratched the three characters "Zhang Guoli" on the lamp wall, and said seriously: "Look, This is my name. Zhang Guoli!" Zhang Guoli.That was the first word I knew.can't forget. In the heart of childhood, I have identified a god since then.The god's name is Zhang Guoli. For me, Zhang Guoli represents a friend, brother, teacher and lover. Yes, although I didn't know the mature word "dream lover" at that time, it is true that since then, Zhang Guoli has appeared in my midnight dreams again and again, continuing the gathering during the day. In the countryside, because my family is an outsider, because of my southern accent, and because of those unexplainable and endless dreams, I was a withdrawn and introverted child since I was a child. Before Zhang Guoli, I never had a partner. The night I met Zhang Guoli, I was so excited and repeated to myself thousands of times: "I have a friend, I have a friend." This friend is so timely, shining, and, well, omnipotent. He is very good at fighting, and once led me to fight all the rural children who bullied me. The most special thing is that he did not become the target of the rural children, but became their leader.No matter where he appears, there will always be many followers around him at once.And I am the most loyal one, obedient to him, never leaving him, and very proud of how gentle he is to me. Among so many children, he played with me the most, and he didn't dislike me because I was a useless little girl.This made me worship him even more wholeheartedly. Once, my greatest childhood desire was to be with him forever, day and night, and never separate.For me, being close to him is close to warmth, joy, knowledge and happiness. He taught me many games, but one of my favorite is making snow lanterns. There was a lot of snow that winter, and we often made snow lanterns to play with, rubbing our hands and stomping our feet. It was cold, but very happy.And it was agreed that every year when it snows, we will make snow lanterns. However, before the winter was over, he suddenly said that he was going to move. He said that Dad had "taken off his hat" and they were leaving. I don't know what "taking off a hat" is, and I only vaguely know that it is a happy event.However, I was not happy at all, I pulled him with my eyes red from crying and asked, "Will you come back?" He thought about it seriously, and suddenly asked me: "How old are you?" "Six years old." "Okay. In another twelve years, when you turn eighteen, I will come back and marry you." "real?" "Hook!" I hold out my hand.The two little fingers that were red from the cold hooked together, pulled over, pulled over. At the age of six, she still hadn't opened her heart, but she made a covenant to grow old in this life early.Childish voice, baby voice, but very solemn. "Pull the hook, hang yourself, one hundred years, don't take it!" A hundred years is a long time.Not regretting it for a hundred years, that's for sure.So he let go of his hand with confidence, spit on the ground, and stomped hard twice. I don't know when the rules were passed down, but children all believe in them and have followed them for a long time. And there is also a keepsake, a small wooden lantern carved by himself, in the shape of a lotus flower, and his name is engraved on the outer wall: the majestic "Zhang Guoli". Then we parted ways. When summer came, my family also moved. Once I moved to Taiwan, I never came back. There is no snow in Taipei in winter. I often thought that I would forget him, but every time I picked up a pen, his name would automatically float up, so I would carefully draw on the paper stroke by stroke: Zhang Guoli. The font is childish and persistent, and it is a deliberate imitation of his strokes when he was a child. Zhang Guoli.The first words in life will never be forgotten in a lifetime. And that small wooden lantern is inseparable from the body. That's matchmaking.A matchmaking match between an eight-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl.In the eyes of adults, it may be just a plaything of the moment, but I believe, I will always remember the oath of "pull the hook, hang yourself, for a hundred years, don't take it", it is more sincere than any other oath, they are Like Zhang Guoli's name, it has been engraved in my life and will never be erased. I miss the snow lantern all the time, and as I grow up day by day, the meaning of that kind of miss gradually has other meanings.Taiwan's children are precocious, as early as junior high school, they have already started dating adults.When my classmates were carefully practicing their first love stories, I locked myself tightly, hugged my wooden lantern, and bitterly missed the engagement in the small mountain village. I told my classmates that I already had a fiancé, and he His name is Zhang Guoli.He said he would marry me in twelve years.He has been to many places, he has many skills, he can tell stories, he can fight, he is invincible, and what he says will definitely count. He said that after twelve years, he would marry me. But now, seventeen years have passed, has he ever gone back to the snowy mountain village?Does he still remember that silly girl who didn't even know her own name?If I come to him with my wooden lantern, will he still fulfill the promise of the year? The candle's tears had dried up, and the candle flame shook its head with a sigh, and went out. I don't know what kind of dream I will have tonight. I wonder if the man in the dream will finally look back tonight. Does he look like Zhang Guoli?What kind of handsome young man will Zhang Guoli be when he grows up? I hugged the wooden lantern to my chest and fell asleep.