That day was the 40th day of my life. A special experience is quietly staged in the bathhouse.
In the afternoon, the sun shines through the windows of the bathhouse and shines on the glowing bluestone slabs. Exhausted, I walked into the bathhouse, intending to take a good soak and relieve the aches and pains on my body. At that time, there was already an old man sitting by the pool in the bathhouse, he looked to be in his seventies and in good spirits.
I nodded and smiled at him, and he responded kindly. At that moment, a man who looked to be in his forties broke into the bathhouse, and with a look of anger on his face, he grabbed the old man by the collar.
"Old man, did you scold me in the square just now?" the man asked angrily.
The old man's face was calm: "I just said a fair word, that young man does dance better than you." ”
This is where the conflict begins. The man did not forgive, and he had to apologize to the old man. I really couldn't look past it, so I opened my mouth to persuade: "This big brother, what the old man said is the truth, why should you care?"
Unexpectedly, the man pointed the finger at me: "How old are you, dare you meddle here!"
I was a soldier when I was younger, and I was quite agile, so I dodged his punches. However, the space in the bathhouse was cramped, and the three of us soon became entangled. At that moment, the door of the bathhouse was pushed open again, and a figure walked in.
"Stop!" the man stopped us. It turned out that he was the owner of the bathhouse and a retired martial arts instructor. He glared at the man, and then said to the old man, "Uncle Zhang, are you okay?"
The old man shook his head: "It's okay, thanks to this young man." ”
The boss turned to me and the man: "You two come with me." ”
We followed the owner to the small courtyard behind the bathhouse. The boss pointed to the sandbag on the ground: "You guys vent all your anger here, whoever wins, I will ask him to take a free bath for a year." ”
The man glared at me, took off his clothes, and threw his fist at the sandbag. I didn't show weakness and did everything I could. After a fierce battle, I finally defeated the man. He apologized to me convincingly, and became friends with me and the old man.
After that day, the four of us became the "Gang of Four" in the bathhouse. At the end of each day, we would meet in the bathhouse, take a bath, chat, and share each other's stories. The old man was a Peking Opera actor when he was young, and the boss was a famous martial arts instructor when he was young. We drew from each other's experiences and had an unforgettable time.
Until one day, the bathhouse was demolished due to urban planning. On our last night at the bathhouse, our gang of four was very drunk. The old man said, "The bathhouse has been demolished, but our friendship cannot be torn down." ”
We echoed in unison: "Yes! Friendship lasts forever!"
That night, our gang of four spent the last sleepless night in the bathhouse. The next day, the bathhouse was dismantled, and we went our separate ways, but the wonderful memories and precious friendships remained in our hearts forever.
Years later, I will often think of those days in the bathhouse and the three friends who have accompanied me through a certain journey of life. Perhaps, on the road of our respective lives, the encounter in that bathhouse has become the most valuable treasure.
Years later, one afternoon, I walked alone through the renovated park, the sun dappling through the newly planted leaves on the winding paths. A familiar feeling suddenly surged in my heart, as if I had returned to that afternoon in the bathhouse. I couldn't help but smile and thought to myself, how nice it would be if I could see those three friends again.
Just as he was thinking, a familiar laugh suddenly sounded from the crowd in front of him. I walked briskly, and I actually saw him there—the old man who used to be in good spirits, Uncle Zhang. His back was hunched up, but his laughter was still loud.
"Uncle Zhang!" I shouted in surprise.
He turned his head, a flash of confusion in his eyes, and then recognized me: "Oh, it's you, young man, how many years haven't I seen you?"
We shook hands tightly as if we were back in the bathhouse. When I asked him if he was still doing the same thing, he smiled and said, "It's still the same as it used to be, but I still come to the park every day for a walk." ”
We sat down on a bench and talked about the past. Uncle Zhang told me that after the bathhouse was demolished, everyone went their separate ways, but they still kept in touch with each other. At this moment, two familiar figures walked over, it was the owner of the bathhouse and the man who had fought fiercely with me.
"Looks like it's a gathering of old friends!" the bathhouse owner smiled and patted me on the shoulder.
The four of us sat around the bench, chatting and laughing about life as we did in the bathhouse. The man said that he no longer danced, but opened a martial arts training class to teach martial arts to children. The owner of the bathhouse opened a gym and continued his martial arts career.
It was getting late, and we decided to go to dinner together and relive the old days. At the dinner table, we talked and laughed as if we had returned to the night of that bathhouse. After dinner, we said goodbye to each other and agreed to get together once a month.
Since then, we've been back together again. Although everyone's life has changed in a new way, the friendship in that bathhouse is like old wine, getting more and more fragrant as it gets older.
One day, while we were walking in the park, we stumbled upon a clearing with a few sandbags on it. We looked at each other and smiled and decided to relive the competition. Although our movements are no longer so agile, the passion and friendship are still the same.
At sunset, four old friends sweat in front of sandbags, and the picture seems to return to the bathhouse many years ago. We understand that even if the years go by, that special experience and emotion will always remain in our hearts and become the most valuable treasure on our life path.
As the days passed, our Gang of Four meetings became an integral part of our lives. Every time we get together, we share our lives and reminisce about the days in the bathhouse, as if that time was a memorial of our common youth.
One early autumn afternoon, we met in the park as usual. Uncle Zhang held a newspaper and said to me excitedly: "Look, the park is going to hold a talent contest for the elderly, should we Gang of Four also participate?"
I looked at the other two, and their eyes sparkled with anticipation. I smiled and said, "Why not? This is our stage, let's shine again." ”
We decided to put on a show that combines martial arts and Peking opera. The man was in charge of the martial arts part, and Uncle Zhang instructed us in the singing and posture of Peking Opera. The owner of the bathhouse volunteered to choreograph the entire show.
During the rehearsal days, we seemed to have regained the passion of our youth. After each rehearsal, we would sit around the park benches, gasping and encouraging each other, and the warmth and strength of the team made people feel extremely grounded.
On the day of the race, the park was crowded. Our gang of four, dressed in uniform costumes, stood in front of the stage, nervous and excited. When the lights come on, the music plays, and we put our heart and soul into the performance. Uncle Zhang's Peking Opera singing is high-pitched and passionate, the man's martial arts movements are clean and neat, and the choreography of the bathhouse owner skillfully blends the two, while I try my best to keep up with their rhythm.
At the end of the performance, there was thunderous applause. Our Gang of Four hugged each other tightly, and no matter what the outcome was, we had earned the most precious thing - the honor of the team and the testimony of friendship.
A few days later, we received the results of the contest and we won first place. This award is not only a recognition of our performance, but also an affirmation of our friendship over the years.
On the night of the award, our gang of four went to the open space in the park again. In the moonlight, we raised our glasses in celebration, and the sounds of laughter and conversation echoed in the night sky. Uncle Zhang said with emotion: "I didn't expect that at our age, we could have such an experience. ”
The man patted him on the shoulder: "This is life, it is always full of surprises. ”
The owner of the bathhouse raised his glass: "Cheers to our Gang of Four!"
We responded in unison, clinking glasses, and drinking. At that moment, I felt that the years brought not only wrinkles and gray hair, but also deep friendship and immortal youth.
That night, we were drunk in the moonlight, our hearts filled with gratitude. I am grateful for those days in the bathhouse, grateful for this unexpected friendship, and even more grateful for life, so that we can continue to move forward with each other's company.
It wasn't long before the fame of our Gang of Four spread through the community. Many people come here to see the demeanor of our "elderly stars". In the face of such attention, we are not complacent, but cherish each other's friendship and team spirit even more.
One day, Aunt Li from the community came to us, and her eyes flashed with anticipation: "Four masters, our community plans to hold a charity performance to raise funds for children in poor mountainous areas. I wonder if you can participate and add strength to this charity event?"
The four of us looked at each other and smiled, and agreed without hesitation. Uncle Zhang said: "It's time for our Gang of Four to give back to the society, and we want to use our performance to bring hope to those children in need." ”
In the days that followed, our Gang of Four began intense rehearsals. For this performance, we decided to add more interactive sessions so that the audience could also participate in our show. In this way, we hope to make the charity performance more lively and interesting, and attract more people to donate.
On the day of the charity performance, the park was full of people. Our gang of four put on gorgeous costumes and stood on the stage, full of confidence. When the lights come on, the music plays, and we put our heart and soul into the performance. Uncle Zhang's Peking Opera singing voice is still high-pitched and passionate, the man's martial arts movements are still clean and neat, and the orchestration of the bathhouse owner is a perfect fusion of the two. I, on the other hand, try to keep up with them while guiding the audience to engage.
During the performance, the audience was enthusiastic, and applause and cheers came one after another. When the show ended, the audience gave a standing ovation and our gang of four hugged each other tightly, proud of the success of this charity show.
After the performance, our gang of four stood in front of the stage and bowed deeply to the audience. At this time, a little girl walked up to the stage, holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand, and handed it to us: "Thank you, four grandfathers, your performance is amazing!"
Looking at her innocent eyes, our hearts are warm. We understand that this charity performance not only raised money for the children in the poor mountainous area, but also deepened the friendship of our gang of four.
In the days that followed, our Gang of Four continued to exert their residual enthusiasm in the community, bringing joy to more people with our performances. And that time in the bathhouse has become an eternal memory in our hearts, witnessing our laughter and tears along the way.
As the years passed, our Gang of Four grew old, but that special experience and emotion always accompanied us. With each other by our side, we continued to move forward and write a wonderful chapter belonging to our Gang of Four.