【Raining Bell Column】
From late summer to early autumn: Think of what you once had, and it's enough to be happy to the point of tears
The original author | Maple Tree
The autumn rains cooled down one after another, and the streets became colorful and cold. In the blink of an eye, 2021 is just over two months away.
At dusk, I hiked to Lake Ontario as usual.
I skirted the hustle and bustle of Chinatown and walked towards the wide overpass in the slanting light—a road so familiar that I knew exactly which corner of the street was squatting and what shape. There were only some exceptions today—after the heavy rain, the white fog around the TV tower was blurred, and the pedestrians on the road were unusually sparse, and even the benevolent brother who lay on the ground begging every day with his cloak scattered was gone. Only the small food delivery robot is still flashing its big eyes, on time and on time on the side of the road.
A few weeks ago, a lion dance was staged here to welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival, where Chinese and foreign people beat gongs and drums together, and the scene was very lively: gathering in overseas Chinatown, people seemed to be unable to distinguish between each other's festivals.
01
Reunion Festival
In the early morning, the kitchen was rattling, and in a trance, I thought that my mother would call out to me next: "Piglet, there is multigrain porridge to drink today!" It wasn't until I heard someone washing the coffee machine that I woke up like a dream: I had been away from home for a long time and was now living in a place called "Toronto", and my roommate, a sister who also worked from home, poured a pot of coffee grounds every morning.
Canada's Chinese Festival, the atmosphere should have been thin, but the landlord brought us mooncakes early.
The value of this dessert has doubled, but in fact, it has the same situation as us: leaving home and crossing the ocean.
The beautiful porridge made of soy milk and yam, drizzled with sweet silk sugar osmanthus flowers, has a charm. The air after the rain is filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, but there is no fragrance of dangui - in memory, this rich aroma is always soaked with everything in the hometown, and it is the unique taste of autumn.
Hua Chao's sugar-fried chestnuts are full of yellow and full, and the Maxim's mooncakes are exquisite and delicious. Under the faint street lamp, the edges of the jagged green leaves have turned reddish. Xiao Liu and Da Wen sat in the courtyard. Everyone enjoyed dinner while watching out for water droplets that occasionally leaked between the branches. Dawen talked about the company's interesting bartending class, and Liu and I laughed about the noise of the midnight neighbor's party. The rain fell, and the fifteen nights in a foreign land did not see the moon, but I spent another "reunion" Mid-Autumn Festival.
02
From late summer to early autumn
From late summer to early autumn, I watched the blue and dynamic water waves turn deep emerald green. There has been a billboard for "water taxis" hanging on the shore, and at this moment there is a large white boat moored in the lake harbor, and the people sitting on the canoes not far away have swung a small pulp and carried a boat of autumn colors to the island in the middle of the lake - this is the scene I look forward to seeing most after work every day.
I remember when I attended the company's induction video conference, new and old employees were taking turns to introduce themselves with ease and humor. The man who wears a duck-tongue hat and claims to love lemon cheese the most is our big leader. His topic aroused the enthusiasm of the gourmets, and everyone listed their own specialties.
“...... As a foodie with poor cooking skills," I said to my colleagues, "I really like to be friends with people who cook well... I also often cook some 'dark dishes', and the kitchen is my experimental base..."
"Sara, when everyone returns to work in the company in the future, we will taste your dishes for ourselves!" The leader writes half-jokingly in the dialog box.
"It's an honor," I replied, "and I'll try to make it less painful!" ”
"Everyone has anything they don't understand, just ask, and if you have anything you need to say!" These are the words that the head of our group, the kind Ms. Katie, often hangs on her lips. ”
After the training, I still have a lot of half-understanding, so I took advantage of the lunch break to ask the group leader for advice, I thought it would take only ten minutes, but I didn't expect to ask for an hour. I said apologetically, "Excuse me, thank you for enduring so much torture!" ”
The other party smiled calmly: "It doesn't matter, this is my job." I used to be a problematic person too. ”
In the evening, Dawen ordered a table of hearty dishes, Xiao Liu took out a luscious sweet wine, and everyone sat around the marble table in the living room with a smile. I casually asked, "What day is it?" The two thought about it and said, "Today is your first day on work." ”
03
Disobedient children
The lake smells salty, lapping at the embankment day and night, and the sound of the waves is like a quiet serenade.
As I strolled home, past a small Korean shop, I couldn't help but wonder if I could go inside. The boss told me apologetically, "I'm sorry I'm off work!" As soon as I looked up, there was indeed the words "Close at seven o'clock" on the door, and I looked at the time, but it was only five minutes. I looked back at the small storefront, sighing and secretly respecting: Maybe people who know how to set boundaries can enjoy life.
When I got home, I received letters from two Chinese students saying that they liked my Chinese class and thanked me for my previous tutoring.
I have temporarily left the front line of teaching, and I have gradually liked the rhythm of "I can completely say goodbye to work after work". But I also need domestic transcripts to complete the application for the Ontario Teacher Qualification Certificate.
I dialed the phone of the former homeroom teacher, and the tone of the other party was as concerned as ever: "Ah, Toronto is very cold... Girls have to take good care of themselves when they are outside... At that time, your father also called me to complain, saying that you were disobedient and that you did not have to go abroad..."
I can't help but be dumbfounded: the desireS I had seven years ago have never changed, and I still have more ideals to pursue and more goals to achieve. But there's one thought that often makes me sad: The man who was willing to give everything for me is getting old.
Dad walked out of the airport that year and didn't look back. For my departure, although he had everything in his heart, he still chose to respect. It's like he came home and looked at my empty room and said to his mother with a relieved face, "Isn't everything we do to make our daughter happy, and what does it mean if she stays but is not happy?" ”
04
A lonely generation
Congratulations on your marriage, after that group of marriage-urging relatives will not stand for me in front of me! At this moment, I am facing the east: on the other side of the sea, who has the best girl in the world gone? It is said that our "post-90s" are a lonely generation and a selfish generation, but you are always so generous and let me go from a young age. You are my only cousin, and not being able to attend your wedding will be a regret for my life. May your marriage be as sweet and sweet as ice wine, with endless memories.
05
Once owned
The landlord asked, "What are your plans for next year?" ”
I was speechless.
In this city, I spent wonderful time with my friends and shared unforgettable moments.
However, "Chang'an rice is expensive, and it is not easy to live in a big place."
My company headquarters is far away, and if I resume offline work in the future, commuting will also be a big expense.
Will I leave here next year?
Should I say goodbye to everything here, move to a new place and start over, and get back to basics after all the hustle and bustle?
It's the annual maple season again, I heard that there are nearly a thousand lakes and large deep forests in the north of Agangkun, and every autumn, the autumn leaves that cover the mountains are intoxicating, but my partners can't go along, and my travel plans have been delayed again and again.
Maybe next year, the beautiful scenery will be difficult to meet, maybe next year, we will go our separate ways...
After dinner, I hiked home and met Xiao Liu in the living room who was exhausted by catching up with papers.
She sighed heartily, "Ah, I envy you to be so laid back!" ”
Her words instantly dispelled my anxiety: in this magical age, how fortunate it is to have a lot of time at your disposal. Instead of worrying about the loss of the next second, why not choose to cherish the possession of this moment? With good memories, why are you afraid that the song will eventually disperse and the people will go to tea?
Thinking about what you once had is enough to be happy enough to cry.
This article is the original of Fengqiao, the first author of Fengqiao's personal public account "Wuyue Youcao", the principal media was authorized by the original author to publish