—— "Foreigners - Home in Dalian" series of stories
Writer Deng Gang
Opposite me sat a wonderful but "inexplicable" young couple, the lady is the standard oriental image, soft eyebrows and fine eyes, simple and beautiful. Even if she stands on the streets of Beijing, Tokyo or Seoul, you will feel that she is a local resident. The man, on the other hand, has a distant exotic look, a rosy face, a full and bright forehead, a solid and powerful chin, which is really "full of heaven and earth", and is full of energy. He did come far away, in Argentina on the other side of the globe.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" data-track="12" > love flies over thousands of mountains and rivers. </h1>
However, this wonderfully combined couple is a happy family among thousands of families in Dalian, who have been together for more than ten years and have a pair of naughty and lovely children. The woman's name is Qiu Shaoli, who works in the high-tech park, and the full name of the man: Asicar Christie Diego, referred to as Chrissy, teaches Spanish and Portuguese at Dalian University of Foreign Chinese, with excellent grades, and is rated as an outstanding teacher.
It was a warm afternoon, and we sat in the same cozy coffee shop, with a faint aroma wafting in the air. From the conversation, I can also see the eyes of them looking at each other from time to time, and there is a sweet trust.
A string of beautiful words immediately shone in my mind: love flies over thousands of mountains and rivers.
In the face of such a wonderful couple, of course, I was full of wonderful interest in inquiry, but I could only talk to Qiu Shaoli, who spoke the same language, but I was surprised to find that in any sentence I said, Chrissy flashed a look of understanding, especially when I said a humorous sentence, Chriss actually laughed in time. I said, Chinese just hear the three words of Argentina, the first thing that comes to mind is football on the green field, and the star Maradona who once shocked the world. And Kress is more handsome than Maradona, and he will attract young schoolgirls. Unexpectedly, as soon as I finished saying this humorous sentence, Chris immediately nodded his head proudly, meaning that he did have this charm.
Qiu Shaoli screamed exaggeratedly: "Look at him, he can even nod his head and say yes!" But seeing the smile of the red-faced Chris was a little shy, Qiu Shaoli explained that Chrissy is not a man with a small belly, and in life, although she and Chris are intimate, they have their own space and do not interfere with each other. Implicitly, she had absolute faith in her husband. I boldly said with another humorous sentence: "Aha, don't be careless, men are cunning!" ”
Chrissy laughed again, he laughed so sincerely and frankly, and couldn't help but look at his wife, and the calm expression was telling the other party, you believe I am right.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" data-track="63" > argentine boy fell in love with the Chinese girl at first sight</h1>
Chris was indeed open-minded, he was born in Argentina, where there are more wide, endless grasslands, vast, cloudless blue skies. Such a free and comfortable living environment makes Chrissy open-minded and inquisitive. He went out of Argentina, out of South America, out of Europe, and later across the ocean to Japan to study. Because in those war-torn years, there were Japanese who fled to Argentina, perhaps his ancestors had the blood of Asians. To this end, he traveled thousands of miles to Japan. While studying in Tokyo, I met Qiu Shaoli, who was also studying in Japan. However, the Argentine boy in this distant country had a bright eye and fell in love with the Chinese girl Qiu Shaoli at first sight.
Qiu Shaoli is a native of Dalian, the first time to see Chris was surprised, from the globe, from the Asian side of the hole, directly penetrated to the end of the earth, the exit of the hole is South America. My God, Argentina is so far away from China! The problem was that There was a warm love temperature burning in Chris's eyes, which made Qiu Shaoli feel uneasy and excited. How many beautiful girls this warm guy, from South America to Europe to Asia, have met me at first sight. Qiu Shaoli was constantly doubting and constantly proud. Love sprouts in this uncertain mind and spreads its branches.
Hearing this, I involuntarily said: "In the words of the old Chinese people, it is fate." ”
Chrissy abruptly said in Chinese: "Love! ”
Now the conversation between us is even more interesting.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" data-track="67" > love is an adventure</h1>
Qiu Shaoli's parents were shocked or even surprised to hear their daughter talking about love with a distant foreigner, and these two ordinary and honest elders who had lived most of their lives were almost frightened. When her daughter returned to China, she scolded her harshly and tried to find a job for her daughter, so that she could live in peace at home and stop thinking about Chris in Japanese schools.
Love is an adventure, especially with a young man on the other side of the earth, what an adventure. But the adventure of love is a sweet adventure, and looking at the sea across the mountain is even sweeter. Qiu Shaoli returned to China to feel the warmth and kindness of Chris's eyes even more. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, China had been open for decades, and there were foreigners on the streets, which made her miss Chris even more. Argentines are not blonde like Europeans and Americans, but have the style of Chinese ethnic minorities. Coupled with chris's constant sending of love messages from Japan, this made Qiu Shaoli's uncertain excitement turn into a firm belief, she loved Chris, she loved the young man from this distant country, and she finally flew back to Japan without her parents.
Chris learns of Qiu Shaoli's parents' concerns and decides to fly to China to meet his future father-in-law and mother-in-law. When the muscular and somewhat shy Argentinian boy stood in front of Qiu Shaoli's parents, the two old men were a little stunned, but the shock soon turned into surprise, they thought that their daughter had eyesight, they thought it was a satisfactory son-in-law.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="04" data-track="70" > was rated as an outstanding teacher of Dalian University of Foreign Chinese</h1>
Chris came to Dalian and saw him for the first time in Books on China. He did not expect that China's reforms would make the city so magnificent and spectacular. High-rise buildings rise from the ground, and the neat streets are dotted with the hustle and bustle of traffic and the quiet and flower-filled gardens. Of course, Dalian does not have the grassland of Argentina, but there is a sea of thousands of miles, and in The eyes of Chrissy, this endless sea is an endless grassland, and it is a dynamic grassland. This made him quickly fall in love with Dalian.
But the language barrier, living habits are different, the new arrival in Dalian Chris is like a child who just learned to walk, without Qiu Shaoli to accompany him, it is difficult to walk. Chriss began to adapt hard, first becoming a foreign teacher at Dalian University of Foreign Chinese with his excellent Spanish and Portuguese language proficiency. Although he is open-minded and unrestrained, his personality is like a lamb of the prairie, gentle and easy-going, but also quite amiable, and he gets along with everyone. Not only was he rated as an excellent teacher, but also a major activity in the school, as long as there was a foreign teacher quota, it must be Chris.
However, family life is not so easy. Love is the stepping stone of the family. With a family, with children, with pots and pans, life becomes grim. Chrissy has many adaptations, his habits are free and careless, he cannot understand the planning psychology of Chinese, the development of the country is planned, the school teaching is planned, and even the way of life at home is planned in this way. For example, in the morning, noon and evening, what meals, what clothes to wear, and what classes to attend, children must plan in advance. Seeing that his wife was so prepared and busy for her two children, Chris felt complicated and went forward as she pleased, how to arrange it so full! His favorite is to take the children to play, to ski, to go for a walk by the sea, to have fun, what exams, how many points to score, no matter three seven twenty-one!
Qiu Shaoli said that his love affair with Chris lasted until he had a child, and then began a skirmish in life. She said Chris was too laid-back and that if she went on a business trip, Chinese prepare a few days in advance. But when Kris was about to get on the train and plane, he thought about what he needed, but he still slowly packed his suitcase. It really made him angry and made him laugh to death!
Chris sometimes argues with his wife, saying that Chinese looking ahead, thinking too much, always planning in a complicated way, living a life of twists and turns, too rules, too standardized and too rigid. People should be free to live and do whatever they want!
But incredibly, Chris adapted fairly quickly. The most notable example is in the culinary arts. Argentina is simpler in terms of eating, that is, grilled meat. When he saw his father-in-law frying in the kitchen, in a short while, all kinds of dishes of various flavors and colors were on the table, and Chris was amazed. Chrissy followed his father-in-law around the kitchen for a few days, and was able to stir-fry a few Chinese dishes, and he also became addicted to cooking and stir-frying, and worked hard. Now, Chrissy can be said to be a senior chef, not only can stir-fry a variety of delicious dishes, but even become a "home cook".
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="05" data-track="74" > the "great filial piety" of Chinese mothers</h1>
In fact, Chrissy is very careful, he saw that his wife was busy every day for the children and the whole family, but also had to go to work, he was very distressed, and began to take the initiative to do housework. A foreign husband can buy groceries to cook, take children to nursery and school, busy outside, and neighbors are sticking their thumbs up.
The most critical test is that Qiu Shaoli's mother suddenly fell seriously ill and wanted to be hospitalized for surgery, Qiu Shaoli could not take care of anything, and ran to the hospital every morning and evening to accompany her mother. At this time, the two children in the family were all cared for by the foreign father. Kress had to teach, cook, pick up and send her children to school. This may be difficult for Chinese husbands to do, but Chrissy takes care of everything completely.
Qiu Shaoli sat in front of the hospital bed, looking at her mother's increasingly emaciated face, thinking of the two young children in the family, she was really a gut to pull eight times, how could she let go of her heart. While he was anxious, Chris quietly walked in, and it turned out that he could not only take care of the house, but also made a special meal to take to the hospital. He carefully opened the lunch box and said that this is what you love to eat, this is what your mother loves to eat...
Qiu Shaoli's voice was hot, and she felt that her husband was really too hard and too difficult for him. Some patients' families saw a foreign husband, and was a teacher in college, but they could "mother-in-law and mother" do such patience and meticulousness, and their eyes widened in disbelief, qiu Shaoli, although she had a heavy heart at this time, she also felt extremely relieved, she felt that she not only had beautiful love years, but also had a quite happy family life.
Speaking of which, I can't help but seriously measure the Argentine boy in front of me, although he is forty years old, but the image of the absolute young man, especially the radiant eyes, makes you constantly think of the stars running on the green field. You can't imagine him cooking and stir-frying in the kitchen, dressing and hatting his children, taking them to school, visiting his mother-in-law in the hospital, and comforting his wife's depressed mood.
Qiu Shaoli's mother eventually died of illness due to her increasingly serious illness. According to traditional Chinese customs, funeral rites are performed by the son. But Qiu Shaoli is the only daughter, so Chrissy is like a biological son, carrying the remains of a Chinese mother and taking a heavy step towards the funeral home. After the cremation, the children were asked to collect the ashes, and Chris respectfully loaded the ashes of his mother-in-law into the urn, and then held the urn in both hands...
People looked at the foreigner with surprise but admiration, and with a sad and solemn face, he slowly moved with the urn of his Chinese mother. The Argentine boy in a distant country became the great filial piety of the Chinese mother. Later, Chriss said, Argentina was also cremated, but the ceremony was very simple, and the ashes of the dead could not be seen at all. So his mood was filled with a particularly sacred sadness.
I was in awe and couldn't help but gaze at this Argentine man again. He is an excellent teacher in school, he is a good husband for his wife, he is a good father for his children, and he is a hard-working "family cook"!
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="06" data-track="77"> Dalian is my home</h1>
Frankly speaking, the salary of a foreign teacher is not high, and because they are foreigners, there is no medical insurance and other benefits. He and Qiu Shaoli with two children who are attending primary school, life is still a little tense. But the couple is energetic and live happily. Chris suddenly spoke a string of foreign languages that I didn't understand. Qiu Shaoli translated and said that he praised China's WeChat as amazing! This makes his life quite fulfilling, there is probably only one Argentine in Dalian, but WeChat has allowed him to connect with more than N Argentine villagers in China, they have a WeChat group, so he has more information, and even has a close connection with his distant hometown. Chriss saw that China has such high-quality and beautiful light industry products, so he contacted the Chamber of Commerce of his hometown Santa Fe Province, and he could be responsible for purchasing some furniture and light industry small commodities. Maybe if he does, he'll have some income to help with the family's life. But Qiu Shaoli said that at present, she only sees him working hard and busy, and does not see a penny of income. Besides, someone like Chris, who is free and doesn't plan, will never make money.
I laughed and said to Chris, you have to learn to Chinese planning psychology, you have to learn the shrewdness of the Orientals, and you will do the work.
Chrissy couldn't understand what I was saying, but he said quickly, "Ali Baba!" Alipay! ......”
I smiled and said, "You're going to get rich, you're going to make a big deal!" He probably understood a little, smiling and shaking his head shyly, but there was still a bit of pride, which meant that it was amazing to help his hometown do good things, and for such a long time in China, he could not forget his hometown.
Qiu Shaoli said that he was proud of it, and was "the chief representative of the Dalian office of the Chamber of Commerce of Santa Fe Province, Argentina!" ”
I asked Chrissy, you've been to many big cities all over China, haven't you? Chrissy immediately snapped his fingers and replied that he had been to "Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou and other big cities..."
I asked, "Which city do you think is the best?" ”
Chrissy immediately replied, "Dalian is the best." Seeing my disbelieving eyes, he said again: "Dalian is my home!" His Chinese is not very accurate, but the words "Dalian, Home" bite very loudly and clearly.
I asked again: "Dalian home, or Argentina your home, which is the best home?" ”
Chris said seriously, "All right! All good, all my home! ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="07" data-track="79" > our lives full of sunshine</h1>
Chrissy feels that the best is the Chinese students, they respect the teacher, they are serious and obedient in class, they are willing to work hard to study hard, and it is very polite to see the teacher outside the classroom... Foreign students do not have these advantages. His two children, like him, were always free at school, and when their classmates lined up, they all stood up straight under the teacher's password, but his two children were always shaking and always standing unsteadily. It seems that the father's genes for galloping and jumping on the Argentine steppes are still inherited to the children.
Chrissy is indeed an excellent teacher, and is the longest-serving foreign teacher at Dalian Foreign Chinese University. For more than ten years, hundreds of students are all over the world, of course, the most are South America, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and so on. Some Chinese business companies and companies are also eager to find talents, and some of the students That Chriss is teaching have not yet graduated, and they have been "poached" by these companies in advance.
But Chris also has incomprehension about Chinese students, one by one too honest, like flowers in a greenhouse, no foreign students are active, and there is too little experience of social life. Foreign students work part-time while they are studying, participating in more than N extracurricular activities, climbing, fishing, and camping, while Chinese students are more likely to lie on their desks. Chrissy is particularly active in this regard, taking the lead in playing football, basketball, volleyball and other sports activities. He encouraged students to be relaxed and lively in their intense studies.
In particular, I saw my two children going to school, school, and homework. He was afraid that his children would have too little contact with nature, so as long as he had time, he would take his children to the beach and run and jump on the beach, just like he was on the prairie in his hometown. With such a good father, Qiu Shaoli can work with confidence and have more time to take care of his lonely father.
Although Chrissy is healthy and lively, he maintains some of the habits of living in nature, such as drinking water regardless of raw and cold, and not paying attention to keeping warm. Qiu Shaoli was very distressed, and always paid meticulous attention to Chris, especially asking him to drink hot water, and must not disregard the cold and hurt his stomach and intestines. She has lived with Chris for more than ten years, the sweetness of love casts the sweetness of life, and as she grows older, the emotional partner becomes the partner of life. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have entered a life-and-death test.
When it comes to COVID-19, Chris is quite optimistic, and he doesn't even care if I understand it. He said that China is too great, the world's first, now look, no country in the world can control the epidemic as well as China, people live so safely. He said he was panicked in South America, and his sister was infected with the coronavirus. But here we are, how beautiful and quiet life is!
I felt that Chrissy truly loved the beautiful family he had established with Qiu Shaoli, and truly liked the beautiful coastal city of Dalian. When we broke up, he actually made a beautiful gesture, which I felt meant by this gesture - our lives are full of sunshine.