Washington time in the United States is thirteen hours behind the capital of China.
So every traveler from the United States to the Republic will inevitably face the problem of jet lag.
This is the same whether it is for Mi Xiaoran and Zhao Hanyu who came back in economy class, or for the mother and son who were on the same flight as them and were traveling in first class.
So they all had a hard time in the first day or two after returning to the capital.
Even if you yawn during the day, you have to endure it as long as possible. If you really can't endure it and take a nap, you have to set the alarm clock to control the time so as not to affect your rest at night.
In comparison, the elderly's adaptability is certainly worse after changing environments.
In addition, after all, the old American lady has been gone for decades. Nowadays, even the environment and service model of the Beijing hotel have changed.
Although the hardware of the Jingcheng Hotel is very good, even the faucets are gilded, and except that the heating cannot adjust the temperature, other aspects are no worse than those in the United States, but the old lady is still not used to living there.
So don’t look at the next day, Mi Xiaoran took Zhao Hanyu and rode the family bicycle in high spirits to see Tiananmen Square and visit the Forbidden City.
The mother and son, who had returned from fighting in the United States, still could not go out.
The most they could do was wander around the external store of the Capital Hotel, and then wander around the ballroom where the old lady had attended a dance when she was young.
Look at the mirrors arranged according to the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles, and finally leave a shadow on the red carpet on the wide steps, that's it.
In fact, they had one day more rest than the two young people, and the old lady was almost adjusted.
In addition, during the two days we stayed in the Beijing Hotel, there was no one to chat with, and the old lady felt really depressed.
For this reason, even if we know that January 28th is New Year’s Eve, there will not be too many people on the streets of Beijing. Most businesses will have to close today, and there will not even be jobs waiting in front of the hotels in Beijing. The taxi was gone.
On the morning of this day, the old lady felt that she couldn't stay any longer.
I can’t wait to go out for some fresh air and want to wander around the streets and alleys.
So he urged his son to call the taxi driver Xiao Hao who left his phone number.
This is not surprising. After all, Jingcheng Hotel has special attributes and its requirements for communicating with guests are too strict.
The old lady looked at the young and beautiful service girls. Although she liked them very much and wanted to chat with these young people of the younger generation, it was difficult to do so.
Those young ladies are all bound by rules and disciplines and must treat her with utmost respect.
It was because she wanted to get close to him, so she used a standard Beijing accent and repeatedly explained that she was also from Beijing, but she had just lived in the United States and now she was back.
But the ladies just smiled at her and stood far in front and behind her, watching her at all times and serving her attentively.
Not to mention the restaurant lady, even the doorman who opened the door and the ladies standing in front of the elevator were all polite to her and kept a respectful distance from her.
Her elegance and elegance have attracted some envious remarks. She can be served by several people around her when she eats a meal.
But her American passport was like an invisible pair of scissors, cutting her off from the people in her hometown.
This is a bit sad and regrettable.
But fortunately, the taxi driver I met when I first arrived in Beijing was still a bit old-fashioned.
Although the Chinese New Year is coming today, after asking the old lady that she was only using the car during the day, the driver Xiao Hao drove over quickly.
The mother and son, who had already packed up neatly, got into his car.
The little Hao immediately started chatting with his humorous words and enthusiastically asked the old lady how her days were.
And took them to the place that the old lady had been thinking about day and night for thirty years, and the place she wanted to go the most in her heart - Weijia Hutong.
When the old lady sitting in the taxi found that the buildings and trees on the street were becoming more and more familiar to her, she couldn't help but feel a deep joy in her heart.
Decades of expectations, decades of crazy dreams.
Human feelings cherish the soil, and birds miss their hometown.
Until now, she felt that she had truly returned to the capital.
…………
Some people say that in a person’s life, there will always be many indescribable and wonderful moments.
This kind of moment is destined to happen on a certain day, a certain hour, a certain second, but its decisive impact transcends time.
This is absolutely true.
On New Year's Eve in 1987, Kang Shude encountered such an important moment.
In fact, just as the old American lady was taking her son in a taxi, they were approaching Weijia Hutong step by step.
Kang Shude, who was in Weijia Hutong, was also cramming. He took Xiaotao, who had come to help early in the morning, to post couplets with stools and pulp at the gate of Majia Garden. , paste the word "福".
Of course, Kang Shude didn’t want to go through such trouble.
He thought that if he wanted to stick it on the small courtyard door in the garden, it would be enough.
As long as he can hear the banging of fireworks on the streets of the capital, he will feel that the world is peaceful and everyone is happy.
This is the garden I found with great difficulty.
He did not repair the outer courtyard wall, nor did the sealed Ma family gate return to its original appearance.
Even the gate of the "Institute of Ancient and Modern Culture", which was later taken back to the theater and the place where the Jiang family originally lived, was locked with an iron chain, just to deliberately keep a low profile.
He knew very well that the area around this courtyard was not an ordinary place. There were more than a dozen alleys nearby, where many big shots lived.
If you don’t know how to behave with your tail between your legs, you may not be able to tell when it will be in someone’s eyes. That’s asking for disaster.
But Xiao Tao didn’t think so.
From the perspective of a young man, of course he likes excitement and good looks.
I think that even if there are no lanterns and colorful decorations outside the courtyard gate, we still have to put a word "Fu" on it to invite a door god, otherwise it won't look like the Chinese New Year.
He urged Kang Shude to decorate his appearance no matter what.
He claimed that Ning Weimin was probably bringing his Japanese fiancée back. This deserted appearance made his Japanese friends look disgraceful.
Originally, this courtyard wall is old enough. It reminds me of the opening of the TV series "Liao Zhai".
If this was not a bit festive, it would really make people think it is a place where ghosts and fox fairies live.
In the end, these words convinced the old man.
Of course, it's not that Ning Weimin really has such a great reputation.
In fact, no matter how much he is valued by outsiders, to the master, the old man, he is just a rat going to the Golden Palace.
The real reason is that Kang Shude suddenly realized that on this special day, every household must do this.
If you don’t follow the crowd, you will look dazzling.
Thinking about it again, whether it is Zhang Dashao, Xiao Tao, or Luo Guangliang, they have all helped him a lot recently in tidying up the garden.
Moreover, these people came here today to wait for Ning Weimin and help him wash away his dust.
Originally we were just trying to be happy, so we have to take care of everyone’s emotions.
Okay, let’s do it.
Just like that, the old man followed the good example and changed his mind.
So next, Kang Shude personally found red paper, poured ink, and wrote a couplet and several words of blessing.
Then he grabbed Xiaotao's young man and asked him to make paste, and then he took his belongings and followed him.
This is how the father and son "framed the facade" in front of the big iron gate of Ma's Garden.
Otherwise, this big iron gate, which is the only one that leads to Ma’s garden, must be clean, extremely cold, and not even a little red.
And Kang Shude himself couldn't come out. There was no reason to stand outside the courtyard gate and in the alley. In the end, things in this world are just such coincidences.
It was exactly when Kang Shude and Xiao Tao, the father and son, worked together to paste the Spring Festival couplets and the word "Fu" on the door one by one, which represented their best wishes for the coming year.
The taxi driver, Xiao Hao, also followed the instructions of the old American lady.
Driving slowly along the former site of Majia Garden, from the theater to the westernmost motor house.
Little by little, step by step, they were looking for the entrance to Ma's Garden.
But because they were not allowed to enter, the driver Xiao Hao slowly brought the mother and son here.
Finally, the taxi stopped just behind Kang Shude and Xiao Tao across the alley.
Looking from the car, you can only see the backs of the old and the young.
"Master, let me ask you, who are the people living in this courtyard now?"
Not long after, the driver Xiao Hao opened the door and walked out. He came to inquire about the relevant situation on behalf of the old lady in the car.
As everyone knows, these words met Kang Shude’s objection.
What the old man didn't like the most was someone asking about his garden, so he didn't even look at the driver.
Not even interested in knowing what he wanted to do, he replied dryly, "This is not a home. Go away as soon as possible."
I left him alone.
If a thin-skinned person could understand a few colors, it would be time to stop at this point.
Leave when it's time to leave to avoid embarrassment to each other.
However, I didn't expect that the driver, Xiao Hao, was quite persistent.
Probably because it was not easy for the old lady to come, I felt that I had to let the old lady come into the courtyard to have a look. I couldn't let the old lady down like I did last time when I was looking for bean juice.
Xiao Hao took out the cigarette again, handed it to Kang Shude, and continued to try to trick him.
"Master, are you the janitor of the unit? What kind of unit are you in? It looks like you are already on vacation, right?"
Kang Shude is really serious at this time I was a little unhappy, so I could only refuse more clearly.
"It's an important place for the company, so I can't comment. Why don't you look at where this place is? You shouldn't ask more questions."
However, the old man didn't expect that he actually came across a piece of brown sugar. The driver stopped seeing cigarettes.
With a roll of his eyes, he simply took out the money.
"Master, to tell you the truth, the customer I brought here is from the United States. He just wants to go in and have a look. Look, let's do this. I'll give you two dollars. The money will be used as payment for your ticket. You can be accommodating. It’s Chinese New Year. You can use this money to buy two bottles of wine..."
Kang Shude was really angry at this time, with a sharp face. There was uncontrollable unhappiness on his face.
He turned around and broke away the driver's hand that was pushing money into his hand.
“You don’t understand me, do you? I’ve told you so much, why haven’t you finished yet!”
And when he was so angry, of course Xiao Tao also If he quits, can he let the old man still be angry at home?
I immediately stopped pasting the Spring Festival couplets, got off the stool, and bumped into the driver with my arms crossed.
This guy is a bastard with a great body.
Without even getting started, he used his chest to push Xiao Hao forward a big step.
At this moment, the driver Xiao Hao was stunned.
However, Xiao Tao refused to give up, and then scolded the old man
"Grandson, you don't understand human language, do you? Just leave if I ask you to leave, what nonsense. What else? For two dollars, I’ll kill you with a steel hammer. Believe it or not, you’re treating this place like a park!” When it had to end in embarrassment, the back door of the taxi opened.
"You have something to say, but don't do anything!"
The old American lady in a mink coat got out of the car and walked out. Accompanied by her son, she kept shouting stop.
"How do you say this? What a big deal, and it's the Chinese New Year, so why bother!"
This time, both Kang Shude and Xiao Tao looked at each other. They were all attracted.
The old American lady came over and made eye contact with Kang Shude.
Then, the most unexpected moment in life happened!
On the spot, not only Kang Shude was stunned, but the old American lady was also completely motionless.
Following that, her body swayed and she almost fell down.
Thanks to the old lady’s son accompanying me, otherwise I might have really fallen this time.
But even so, the son was frightened and kept shouting, "Mom, Mom, what's wrong with you?"
But what was even more surprising was that the old lady calmed down and actually ignored her son. Instead, with trembling lips, she called out Kang Shude's last name.
"Xiaokang...Xiaokang...is...is it you?"
Similarly, Kang Shude's reaction and the words in his mouth were even more shocking.
"Fourth Miss... Are you Fourth Miss?"
This was so good that everyone present was dizzy and stunned.
Okay? Why is this starting to get into a quarrel, and you actually find out that the other person is an acquaintance?
Especially both the driver Xiao Hao and the attendant Xiao Tao knew that this old lady was American.
How did she meet Kang Shude?
The scene in front of me is really like a "story", it is quite bizarre. But this is clearly happening around them, happening at the moment...
But even if they think about it, they will not really understand how the two parties are feeling at this moment.
Because in the eyes of the old American lady, Kang Shude was not a bad old man with wrinkles on his face.
He stood there as energetic as a poplar tree, upright and steady.
Just like that handsome young man back then, standing at the gate of Ma's garden to see her off.
This made her heart beat wildly, and a kind of excitement and heat that only young people could have suddenly surged throughout her body.
There was something cold on my face, and it was tears.
It had been countless years, and she had not shed tears again.
The experiences in the future will change again and again, and the situations in the future will change again and again. After spring and autumn, time takes away everything, leaving only the dullness.
She thought she would never cry again, but she didn’t expect that today would happen again...
As for Kang Shude, his mind was blank, and what appeared in his eyes was , not an old lady, but the fourth young lady of the Jiang family who was in her prime.
Although the years have worn away her face, "her face is like a red plum covered with snow, and her eyes are like autumn water with waves", her dark hair has already seen silver strands.
But his demeanor is even better, and he is still so elegant.
This made Kang Shude's mind flood with past events, and he could only stare at him for a long time.
This is a kind of understanding that is relative to the past, a feeling that once spanned the sea.
After a while, two lines of cold old tears fell down his face.
At this moment, the same song "Dream in the Edge" seemed to be playing in their hearts.
...The sky is facing Shanshan, and the moon is shining brightly. The trees are desolate, the cicadas are swallowing the leaves, the cold leaves are falling, and the eyes are looking at each other with tears. Li Chou and Li Chou meet You Huan today. (End of this chapter)