Chapter 20 rain

Mr. Zhou Zuoren named his study "Bitter Rain", which is exactly the opposite of the name of Xiyu Pavilion in Dongpo.In fact, the rain in the north is gratifying, because it is rare.Floods as big as this year's are not the inevitable result of too much rain; we should blame the people who manage the river for not taking precautions in advance, but only knowing how to prevaricate and waste the country's money.Everything in life must have a change to make it interesting; it is the same for life and death, joy and sorrow, so why not push it to the right time?Without rain, how can we see the loveliness of sunshine, and without night, we will not be able to see the brightness of day.

I grew up in the south of the Yangtze River, so I should not like rain; but when the spring is dark and the flowers and branches are dry, it is a lovely thing to get a little rain! "The small building listens to the spring rain all night", "the spring rain of apricot blossoms in the south of the Yangtze River", "the drizzle in the sky street is as moist as crisp", the poets of the past have already said it before me.The rain in summer can kill the heat and moisten the crops. Its value is so great that it doesn't need to be said.And the bleakness of autumn rain is another kind of situation. The ancient poem "it is easy to make rain when it rains in late autumn, but it is difficult for Xiao Xiao to understand the heart at this time" is talking about the intriguing taste of autumn rain.As for Ms. Qiu's long sigh of "the autumn rain and the autumn wind worry about the evil", it is an excuse for someone who has no embrace. People worry about their ears, and it has nothing to do with the rain.In the cold rain of three winters, I am afraid that there are not many people who love it.However, the beauty of "the sound of geese coming from Jiangguan is faint, and the palace is dimly lit" can never be understood by those who have not experienced it.I remember that Zeng Bingu once named his poems in Chinese in "Shi Pin", which was called "Appreciating the Rain and Thatched House Poetry Collection".I don't know what his poetic realm is, but the four words "thatched cottage for appreciating the rain" are really interesting!Especially in early winter and late autumn, it is the season when "the cold air in Cangshan Mountain is deep, and the frost leaves are thin in the high forests".

Originally published in "Li Bao · Yan Lin" on October 27, 1935