The sun passed through the jade-like leaves of the acacia, pulled out long golden threads, cast dappled light and shadow on the lush weeds in the forest, and after several days of continuous rain, I woke up and turned the page. Because there are not many people on the riverbank park on weekdays, only three or three people exercising in pairs, and occasionally there are a few old ladies pushing strollers and chatting in the forest clearings. It was only half an hour before it was my turn to be on duty, and I casually pedaled the car while admiring the fresh scene of the autumn morning after the rain.
Not far ahead is a fitness square, some people are pressing their legs, some people are at the waist, some people are doing pull-ups, and under the cedar next to the square, seven or eight elderly people who have finished exercising are sitting in a circle and are talking about the mountain. The old people were chatting with great interest with red light, and from time to time they burst into happy laughter, and the words of "five or eight years", "six zero cannons", "War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea" escaped the lively atmosphere and beat my ear drums intermittently.
I was about to pass by the person I was chatting with when a rich old man cleared his throat and the crowd quieted down, making it clear that he was the opinion leader of the group of elderly people. The old man looked around at everyone, stretched out his right arm and made a gesture to open his mouth: "We are ready to sacrifice all the cities east of Xi'an, even if China sacrifices a billion people, it will still have the second largest population in the world, the United States will die 300 million, there are still a few people left, the Yankees can do it for us!" ”
These words were nothing less than a sudden nuclear explosion, and I seemed to see a flash of white light that eclipsed the sun, and the colorful mountains and rivers withered and withered in an instant. The illusion frightened me so much that I almost fell off my bicycle, and in the still hearty laughter of the old people, I slammed into the car and fled.
Arrive at the induction site on time, which is an intersection close to the suburbs, and the superiors have notified the recent acceptance of a creation activity, and each unit should send someone to the traffic post to help maintain order. I put on my red vest, put on my Little Red Riding Hood, held a little red flag, and got to work.
The work is simple, whenever the red light comes on, the small red flag is stretched out flat, signaling the cyclists to stop and wait. I adapted to the role in a moment, mechanically raising and then lowering the red flag as the traffic lights flickered, and it was inevitable that I would feel bored and bored after a while.
It's around ten o'clock in the morning, and it's said that most people are at work at this time, so who are these people who are riding through the traffic lights? In boredom, I suddenly became curious and began to carefully observe everyone who passed in front of me.
An elderly tricycle slowly approached, the uncle driving the car was full of spring breeze, and the big lady carrying the car in the back was comfortably leaning on the seat. After experiencing the storms of life, they do not seem to have made any earth-shattering careers, but in the wind and frost between the eyebrows, there is a touching warmth, "holding the hand of the son, and the son with the old", the reputation in the eyes of others is prominent, and it is more reassuring to have the company of each other at the moment.
An electric car drove by, and it was a young mother, sitting in a child seat between her legs, a two- or three-year-old child. Waiting for the gap between the red lights, the child raised his childish little face, tilted his head to look at his mother, and a pair of watery eyes flashed suddenly: "Mom, why hasn't it arrived yet?" Mom was a little impatient: "Soon, soon, Grandma will wrap you dumplings and wait for you to eat at noon!" The green light came on, and the electric car carried the mother and son and disappeared into the distance.
The red light came on again, and in the crowd gathered, a loud female voice came out: "The noodles have been ordered, you always say at this time, next time I will keep it for you!" "It was a woman in her forties who spoke, her black and red face looking like a perennial wind and rain, and a two-wheeled electric car with an extended shelf in her crotch.
The crowd at the intersection continues to change between gathering and evacuating, and all kinds of people are either expressionless or agile. Heavy traffic bites how little yellow helmeted takeaway knights, they are either calm or anxious, tightly holding the direction, focusing on the traffic lights, the road is the workplace, every second is money, every yellow box that leaves me far behind contains the taste buds of another person. The road is a flash of young men in suits and shoes, insurance salesmen or real estate agents, although I always have a bit of a prejudice against such a profession, but who has the reason to stop a young man from stepping on a light horse to chase his future?
The pedestrians on the road were dense for a while and sparse for a while, and I observed for a while, but I did not find the law of the two changes, this time the red light was on, and the intersection was empty and there was not even a single person. Just as I was bored with the lonely road, a figure hurried from a distance, a lean flat-headed young man. It was so easy to catch a chance to relieve the boredom, but I couldn't let him run, I waved the red flag to signal the young man to stop and wait, and the young man slowed down and stopped at the zebra crossing.
When I looked closely, I found that it was my cousin, who recognized me and jumped out of the car and pulled over to the side, taking the opportunity to say a few words. A few years after graduating from college, the young man is doing the work of project supervision, and does not mind the daily face full of wind and dust, shuttling from construction site to construction site. The cousin's wife has just given birth, and recently his uncle has been hospitalized, this period of time is really enough for him, the cousin does not seem to be affected by these, still a cheerful and sunny look, the eyebrows are full of confidence in the future.
After a few moments of chatting, my cousin flew into the car and left, leaving me standing at the intersection and continuing to wave the little red flag. The morning sun began to heat up, and there was already a hint of fire on the face, and as it approached noon, the intersection slowly became busier. As every car passed in front of me, with a hint of a breeze on my sleeve, I seemed to see a picture of life unfolding in front of me, although the picture was not clear, with a lot of imaginative elements.
Standing in the middle of the crowd wearing Little Red Riding Hood, I was suddenly moved to sit on the electric car that was speeding past me, and they were running for their livelihoods while creating the lives of each and every one of us. The old couple who have entered their old age seem to no longer work, but the tree in front of us, the road under our feet, may be the result of their work; the young mother must have an unencumbered husband behind her, and in which corner he runs his future and lays the foundation for others; the grumbling delivery sister-in-law, the noodles on the shelves will be the food on whose table, maybe my hot soup noodles at noon are also among them; and my cousin and countless young people like him. Working hard for his own little family, raising children, supporting the elderly, and building a city where we all live together with labor.
In a flash of thought, I suddenly thought of the group of old people and the white light on the embankment, if the white light flashed, who would close their eyes forever? It was the old couple, the mother, the sister-in-law who delivered the goods, or the little Red Riding Hood who stood on the street as ordinary as me. How their loved ones and those who love them will grieve in front of their silent bodies! If someone in life talks about killing people in small talk, others will definitely look sideways and avoid it. However, in order to make thousands of people never say goodbye to the beloved Kan Dashan, the parties play the role of opinion leaders, and even usher in the admiration of the audience!
Our world is created by our ideas, whether it's a bright future or that white light, and when the anticipation is strong enough, it's only a matter of time before it becomes a reality. For whom does this heaven and this earth exist before us? Not for the sake of the heroic name of the thousands of generations, not for the merits of who has been in the annals of history, but for the old couple, the mother and son, the sister-in-law who delivered the goods, and me wearing a little red riding hood, and all the thousands of individuals who are as ordinary and hardworking as them and me. Only if each of us is cautious enough to be wary of the monster lurking in the dark shadows, will it be sealed forever. On the contrary, with a light teasing, a momentary quick will, the monster cage door has inadvertently opened, and the huge mouth that devours the beautiful world is opening to you and me...
The colleague who changed the guard came, and the two looked at each other and smiled, which pulled me back to reality. While taking off the red vest and staring at the busy streets, my heart was full of relief - fortunately, this ordinary world is still there, and I can still greet one busy noon after another in the time that passes like water.