Old things in the south

Chapter 41

In the winter of 1956 in Taipei, I went to see the Baixue skating troupe for the first time. I was very excited, because since I left Peiping at the end of 1949, I haven’t seen a large ice rink in eight years!
The weather was very cold that night, so it can be said that the cooperation was just right.In the ice rink built by the Armed Forces Stadium, I was wearing a thick coat and squeezed among the crowd, and I was still shivering from the cold wind blowing in from outside the stadium.After the show came back in the rain, under the dim yellow street lights, I saw satisfied smiles on the faces of the people around me, looking much younger.His glasses were covered with a layer of rain.I shrank my head and put my hand into his arm. For some reason, it suddenly made me miss the days in the north, the days on the ice in the north.

Later, when Taiwan decided to participate in the Winter World Games, a temporary small ice rink was opened by the Xiaomei Ice Factory on Xinyi Road for the players to practice. We also had the opportunity to skate on the ice a few times.At that time, I was also excited. I wonder if I can still stand on the ice for ten years?But it's not bad to go up. Although his sword is not old, my knees haven't bent down yet.

I am a hardworking person, but not diligent in sports.As he got older, his body became fatter and fatter.He advised me to play table tennis with him, but I found many reasons to refuse.I said, if there is an artificial ice rink in Taiwan, I will definitely join the ranks of sports and weight loss. Unfortunately, as time goes by, many sports in Taiwan continue to develop and improve, and only an artificial ice rink is missing.Every winter, it makes me miss the north even more.Even seeing a Christmas card and seeing the word "snow" immediately conjures up a white scene in my mind.

I really remember the scene of us returning from stepping on the snow on a snowy night.With skates on his shoulders, the fur nest under his feet stepped on the thick, loose, and light snow, making a creaking sound.Facing the snowflakes falling on the face, it is not cold, but very comfortable.Sometimes the snowflakes floated on the lips, and they quickly stretched out their tongues to lick them into their mouths.Or open your mouth to speak, and the snowflakes will get into your mouth!The alley near home is not very bright, because there are not many street lights, and by chance, under the dim electric pole, you can meet a radish seller, holding a lamp and carrying a wooden basket, shouting in the snowy and quiet alley:

"Carrots! Saili!"

We stopped and bought one to go back.Hearing the crisp sound of cutting radishes, we knew that we were catching up with a green-skinned, red-fleshed, crunchy and sweet "Xin'er Limei"! (A cute name for this radish!)
Going back to our small building, we opened the door, and what greeted us was a raging fire and a pot of boiling water above it.As soon as he entered the door, the glasses were steamed with heat, as if it had been fogged, take them off quickly!He takes good care of his CCM skates, and when he gets home, he always wipes them carefully with a dry cloth so that no stains are left on them.After wiping, you have to lift it up and try the blade with your fingers to see if it is round?Is it time to grind?Then, we ate radishes, drank hot tea, and talked about the characters and stories on the ice rink.

Some friends do not see each other when they are adults, but after December in the Gregorian calendar, they often see each other on the ice.If it doesn’t show up by then, everyone will inevitably ask each other: “Where’s the green girl? Where’s the eagle? Where’s the little Koryo?” If the cold is early this year and the northwest wind blows a few more times, ice fans will have to Go to Beihai early to inquire about ice news, because artificial ice rinks don’t open until near Christmas, and places where the Beihai is often shady can be skated in early December.

(End of this chapter)