Chapter 2 Remember Guangzhou Flower Market

At the end of last year, when I was in Guangzhou, my friends praised me for the scenery of the flower market and urged me again and again: "You should go back after the Spring Festival, the flower market here is a must!" Although I was moved, I finally On the New Year's Eve of 1961, I flew back to Beijing. Regarding the plan to visit the Guangzhou flower market, I thought I had to postpone it to the distant future. Unexpectedly, because of the convenience of going abroad, I went to Guangzhou again before the Spring Festival! On the plane heading south, everyone was talking happily about the flower market in Guangzhou.

As soon as we arrived in Guangzhou, the friends who came to pick us up there immediately proposed to us the schedule of visiting the flower market.The most knowledgeable people say that you should not go to the flower market at night. Although "the flower market is as bright as the day", there are more people at night, and you can't see the flowers when you see people. It is better to go during the day to see the flowers. This day was the day before the Lunar New Year's Eve. Not long after we had lunch, we couldn't wait to go to the flower market in Yuexiu District. We found that there is a mountain of flowers and a sea of ​​people.Under the mountains piled up with flowers and green leaves, there are surging crowds, and we have entered the deepest part of spring.

We often say: "A hundred flowers bloom together", but in the north of the motherland, a hundred flowers bloom in accordance with the order, even in the ingenious greenhouse, it should not violate the laws of nature too much.In the south of the motherland, the weather is basically like spring and autumn in the north, so flowers bloom according to people's wishes.In the flower market stands a billboard with a red grid, on which the names and prices of the flowers are marked.Peach blossoms, peonies, chrysanthemums, sweet-scented osmanthus, daffodils, plum blossoms... These are all common flowers that we usually never "fight against each other", but today they are all crowded in the flower stalls here, competing for beauty, showing With their unique charm, come to solicit comments from fans.

In addition, there are many flowers that are not common in the north, such as bell flowers, black orchids, and colorful and fragrant flowers that I have never heard of before. It is like seeing new actors and writers on the stage and in the literary world. Sudden surprise first, followed by boundless joy! We followed the flow of people, sweating on our foreheads and backs under the warm sunshine. While taking off our coats, we watched the colorful and brilliant flowers on the stage, but our bodies moved with the flow of people.At this moment, a child bumped into my arms. He was wearing short-sleeved single clothes, barefoot, holding a cockscomb in one hand, and a big yellow balloon in the other, and walked forward excitedly.He looked up and smiled shyly at me as if apologetic, and went into the crowd again.I glanced back at him—and I could only glance at him, and the people behind rushed up again.Celosia, what an ordinary flower, maybe he only has a penny or two in his hand, but he has already bought spring!I looked back again, and I saw that yellow balloon, still floating on the sea of ​​spring and people... On this day, I saw flowers and people, but it can also be said that nothing was detailed Look, for example, I saw many friends from all over the world, they didn't see me, and later some people said they saw me in the flower market, but I didn't see them, I only got a kind of "spring is as deep as the sea" The festive atmosphere, the festive atmosphere is lovely, precious, uplifting and joyous.When I was young, I also deeply felt this atmosphere when I was in the Lantern Market in Fuzhou, in Changdian in Beijing, and now during the "May 1st" and "October 1st".This is a festival for the working people to show off their talents and rest for major events. People have joyful expectations for these days, and joyful expectations are always a stimulant.It has been more than a month since the Guangzhou Flower Market, and the flowers in Beijing have not yet bloomed outdoors. I am writing this short article with joyful anticipation!

(This article was originally published in the "Beijing Evening News" on March 11, 1962, and later included in the collection of essays "Gleaners Xiaozha".)