The 128 most classic philosophical essays in the world

Chapter 128 Lotus root and water shield
[China] Ye Shengtao

Because there is love in my hometown, and the love is only in my hometown, so I can't let go of it.

Drinking with friends, chewing thin slices of snow lotus roots, I suddenly miss my hometown.If you are in your hometown, every new autumn morning, many villagers pass by the door: the males have purple arms and calf muscles, and the torso is tall and straight, which reminds people of the feeling of health; the females are often wrapped in white blue and white clothes Although the turban is barefoot, she wears a short linen skirt. Although the torso is not as tall as the man's, it does not have a healthy and beautiful character.They each carried a pair of burdens, containing fresh and tender jade-colored long-sectioned lotus roots.In the pond where the lotus root is produced, and by the winding river outside the city, they wash the lotus root again and again, so it is so white.It seems that they think it is a treasure for people to taste, this is an important subject in the early morning painting environment, if it is covered with mud, it will break the muddy feeling of others, this is a sinful thing, they don't want to I carried them on my body, so I washed them so that they were so white before picking them into the city.When they want to rest for a while, they put the bamboo poles on the ground and sit on them by themselves. They choose the tender "lotus root gun" or the older "lotus root pod" in the pole, and chew to quench their thirst.People passing by stopped, the little girl in the red shirt picked one, and the old man with white hair bought two.The light and sweet taste is common in every household.This situation is almost a normal daily class, until the leaves are falling and autumn is deep.

Here in Shanghai, lotus root is almost a treasure.Probably also shipped from our hometown.But the quantity was not much, most of them were robbed by the waiters who waited on the rich and rich; the rest would be provided in the larger fruit shop, which was located between Jinshan Apple and Luzon Xiangmang. Good price.As for those who carry their loads and sell them on the street, there are not none, but they are either as thin as the arms and legs of a beggar, or as astringent as unripe persimmons.Therefore, except for one time, we have never eaten lotus root this year.

This is the only time that we didn't buy food, it was given to us by our neighbors.They didn't buy it themselves either, they were brought by relatives from their hometown.The lotus root has been away from its hometown for some time, so it no longer has the jade-like color, but is covered with many rust spots.When peeling the skin, the edge of the blade passed by, it was very uncomfortable, cut into slices and chewed in the mouth, it was a bit sweet, but it didn’t have that fresh and tender feeling, and it seemed to be full of slag, so I didn’t want to eat the second slice up.Only the boy was delighted that he had half an hour to make no further demands after chewing the many tablets.

When you think of lotus root, you think of water shield.In the spring of my hometown, I eat water shield almost every day.Water shield itself has no taste, the taste is all in a good soup.But the green color and rich poetic flavor, tasteless taste is really fascinating.In the small river next to each street, there are always one or two uncovered boats resting on Shibutou, the cabins are full of water shields, which are fished from Taihu Lake.It is so convenient to obtain, of course, a bowl can be eaten every day.

This is not the case here in Shanghai. It is difficult to eat this food unless you go to a restaurant.Of course we don't go to restaurants, and once or twice we go back to bother friends' banquets, and it's not the time when water shield is on the market, so we haven't eaten it this year.It wasn't until recently that Boxiang's relatives in Hangzhou came and gave him a bottle of water shield from West Lake. He gave me a bottle, and I considered it a new taste.

I have never been in love with my hometown, but when I think of this, I think my hometown is very cute.I don't understand myself why I have such deep emotions.After thinking about it again, it is really very simple: because I have a love in my hometown, and the love only exists in my hometown, I can't let go of it.For example, where your close family members are, and where your bosom friends are, how can you not be in love with them?How can I not miss it?But just for the love of hometown?No, it's just that a few people in our hometown tied us together.If there is nothing to tie, what is there to miss?Like me now, I was accidentally bound by lotus root and water shield, so I missed my hometown.

Wherever we are in love, that is our hometown.

Heart mark notes
This is a picture of the new autumn in my hometown. On the picture are industrious, simple, and healthy male and female lotus root farmers, fresh and tender jade-colored long-sectioned lotus roots, ponds that produce lotus roots, and winding rivers outside the city. What is outside the screen is the deep nostalgia and love for hometown.The materials used in this article seem to be very ordinary and trivial, and the chanting is also very delicate and ordinary, but these ordinary things in life reveal a moving natural truth and sincere affection.In the seemingly random description of lotus root and water shield, nostalgia and nostalgia for hometown are hidden everywhere, as well as the faint melancholy in the homesickness and separation.

(End of this chapter)