The Complete Works of Xu Zhimo's Classical Prose

Chapter 5 Catching Duckweed on the Edge of Autumn Dream (4)
I usually carry a suitcase with documents when I go out. There are manuscripts, diaries, and letters in it, most of which are shameful.There is a special feature of this trip, that is, the luggage is empty of secret burdens, some crisp clothes and books, no one is afraid to check, and somehow there is an inexplicable change in life, suddenly you The evaluation criteria have been changed, what was previously important is no longer important, and what was previously hidden is no longer hidden. Not only is there a clean one in the pocket of the suitcase, but even the five internal organs in your brain are full of weird complex walls. The lanes are cleared now, from one end to the other like an Italian McGulloni.It's a blast.Business restaurants summarize their accounts at the end of the festival, and make a clear calculation of their entry and exit, and prepare to start over again in the next festival; we should also do a general account calculation every once in a while in our lives, whether we make money or lose money, there is always no It is always unreasonable to pile up without thinking.Fortunately, the period of busy business is not long, but the middle part of the transaction is more complicated. When I was a child, I didn’t know how to do business. When I was old, no one wanted to do business. The 20 years between the ages of 40 and 20 were really troublesome. Yes, no matter how carefully you keep accounts, you will inevitably miss something.There are also misremembered next-door accounts, confused accounts, poor accounts and bastards who are eating. It is really not easy to be a good manager at this time!It's really refreshing for me to leave Beijing this time. It's really called "one shoulder, two sleeves, and I'll go!" But don't be complacent, although the previous accounts are temporarily settled (that's still doubtful), your shop is still open, business Still doing it, with such a bustling market, I'm afraid that within half a year, your honor's accounts will be in a mess again!

[-]. Travel companion

There is a proverb in Spain, the main idea is "one person is not a companion, two are companions, three is a group, four is chaos".For this trip, especially a long-distance trip, choosing a companion is a very important thing.Both my theory and my experience lead me to unconditionally advocate that solitary travelism means to regard travel as an end in itself.If you look at the same place alone, the results will be different from those you look at together.Desirable companions (such as your beloved wife or best friend or whatever) are certainly available, but rather than risking the regret of a less-than-satisfactory companion, it's better to make up your mind to go celibate.Anyway, traveling in modern times is actually too simple and easy, especially in Europe, dumb, blind, deaf and fools may as well travel boldly, as long as you can read, you have to gesture, and if you have money in your pocket, you will not lose it.

I had already made an appointment with a companion this time, and that gentleman is very clever. He fought in Siberia for several years, and the red party and the white party (according to him) are all his friends. He can speak Russian and has great strength. Walking with him will definitely not hurt you.But I understand in my heart that there is no unconditional advantage in the world, and the officer is not easy to serve, and when he finds a loophole in the assumed "absolute obedience" later, he will show his power to the weak and defenseless, that is not a joke!Thinking about it this way, I think it is less scary to go to Siberia alone to take risks.Coincidentally, on the way, the gentleman found that his official business was not over yet, and his departure would have to be delayed by at least a week, so I took the opportunity to leave and ran away!

At the same time, I had already met two traveling companions in the car: one was a German, a hat trader, and his face, his head, and his stomach all agreed that he was by no means from another country.He is not as calm as a German. You can see from his twinkling eyes that he spends more time in fear and guarding against danger than in his own opinion.Needless to say, his nose was completely spoiled by beer and alcohol, and all the veins in his skin were twisted and arched like a snuff bottle of crimson broken porcelain.He often finds out for himself the reasons for his anxiety, whether he is worried that his passport is missing a signature, or that the Russians will confiscate his newly made shirts.He had read his Schopenhauer; and whenever he had said anything he would always conclude with "That's right, that's what Schopenhauer said!"

One of the more interesting traveling companions I met in the car was an Italian.He was also in the hat business in the East.As for the German gentleman who is full of sausage beer and Schopenhauer, I can't help but admire him when I see him. I really love this Latin friend.When I met him for the first time, I guessed that he was a university professor. When I saw him for the second time, I guessed that he was a mine developer. In the end, I realized that he also sold us hats. I have seen a lot, and my opinions are not ordinary.Such an unintentional travel companion is very rare. I didn't feel lonely all the way because I had him, and I still corresponded with him when I arrived.You've all seen the ads for college eye drops, haven't you?It's a bit like my friend.It's just that he's much more beautiful, his burnt beard doesn't hang down, it's well-trimmed, black, thick and tight, it looks like a piece of velvet at first glance, his eyes most express his sharp mind, his cheeks are His red color, like bayberry, further aroused his fair complexion and jet-black hair.His favorite book is Don Quixote Ariosto is his hobby, and Dande is of course his childhood companion.

[-]. Siberia

When a person goes to a place he has never been to, he will inevitably have various speculations, and sometimes even fear. We are not afraid to travel to the realm of death.Siberia: This place name is already easy to make people associate with desolation, not to mention that it has changed to a colorful place now. Adding rumors, attachments, and foreign reports deliberately slandering Soviet Russia, in the eyes of ordinary people, this flat passage turned out to be Changed the unpredictable way.In fact, this is all groundless.According to my experience this time, the traffic in Siberia is not much more troublesome than other places. In fact, the express there runs from Chita to Moscow every Friday (from Mo to Chi on Wednesday), although it is a long-distance bus for seven or eight days. It is very rare in China to not waste time. You can take a second-class bus from Beijing to Manzhouli, and from Manzhouli to Chita, but I advise you not to worry about the one-week journey from Chita to Russia. It costs tens of dollars (less than fifty), because the international car is really comfortable. I heard that there were even facilities for bathing before the war. I am a little motion sick, so if there is a place to save energy, it is better to spend more money. Of course, your comrades on the international bus are only decent British, American and German legal persons; Car, it’s very lively, there is no distinction between men and women, children are common, there are four beds in the workshop, except for each person’s luggage, there are some unexpected arrangements.Let me tell you: foreign porcelain basins, small wooden benches, children’s cars, various medicine bottles, foreign oil pots, tin cans for frying coffee, milk bottles, wine bottles, children’s toys, ropes for drying clothes, newspapers all over the floor, Messy paper, peanut shells, sunflower seed shells, phlegm, fruit skins, chicken shells, bread crumbs... needless to say about the smell in the room.You can imagine for yourselves, to be honest, I can’t stand it, but the Russians will make their own music, often in the middle of a crowd (of course everyone smokes), joking and laughing, singing and singing, reading books , falling asleep and falling asleep, at the same time, the steam on the glass turned into ice chips, and the outside of the car was just a piece of whiteness, silent and silent. It reveals a trail of blue-gray smoke, reporting the traces of people in this desolate place.

There are dining cars along the way to eat, but they are not good and expensive. Those who are willing to save money can go down and buy some food to satisfy their hunger. There are one or two cabins at each stop along the way (or a few old ladies standing in the open air Carrying a basket and carrying a bottle to do business) Sellers of sundries: bread, milk, raw eggs, smoked fish, apples are all available for ordinary purchases (remember that it was March when I passed by, and the ground was still covered with ice and snow, when it was thawed something must be more).

Before I left, someone warned me: "Soviet Russia has a lot of taboos, you have to be careful; last time, a few Americans called servants loudly in the dining car (it should be called Comrade Comrade, which means friends, comrades or Dude) Tell them to kick them off the car and go to their whereabouts, you should be careful this time!" I have never had time to research whether that is a myth; Corpse”) I don’t think it looks a bit different. In fact, it is true that you should not talk about politics when you go out, especially in countries where the revolution is not yet determined. I will talk about Soviet Russia later.The Comrats in our dining car are all very young, and one of them really doesn’t pay attention to etiquette. Finger, roll out a few iron words on the tip of your tongue, close your door with a bang, and he went to the partition to give orders again!He is of medium build, with a broad chest and back, wearing a water-colored uniform, with a white tablecloth on his shoulders, and walks vigorously like a gust of wind; but the most interesting thing is his head, with an oval face and a flat forehead. One or two curls of short hair are slanted, the eyes are not big but show abnormal determination, the forehead is also high, like a person with authority; every time he comes back to serve you, the expression makes you tremble; he is not here to serve him Come try your guts (I think the less timid guests will cry when they see him)!There are cups, plates, knives and forks in his hand, like ice and snow falling in mid-air, sliced ​​straight in front of you, so that you don't feel chilled; he also has such an air for some reason, with a tense face, I have never seen him I once showed a slight smile; I also intentionally tried to win him a kinder look by making ridiculous gestures, but who knows, his face was covered with the severe frost of a Siberian winter, and it disappeared easily; really, he That stern demeanor is not only for intimidating the passers-by from outside, because I pay attention to his colleagues and he doesn't have a more gentle face; the most uncomfortable thing is that he always bites a half-burnt stick tightly at the corner of his mouth. His Russian cigarettes were there when he served the food, and he was there when he spoke, as if his indignation could only be endured by clenching his teeth forever!Afterwards, I got used to it and didn’t think much of it. I gave him an exact badge and called him “Napoleon in the Dining Cart.” My Italian friend praised me very much, because of his physique, he That air, his simplicity, especially the few small hairs on his forehead, sometimes he stands alone at the other end of the dining car, frowning, with one hand on his chest, who can say that this is not Na Weng's reborn Xianger?
[-]. Siberia (continued)
Siberia is only sparsely populated, not desolate.The natural scenery also has its own characteristics and is not monotonous; the surrounding area of ​​Lake Baikal is the most beautiful, and the continuous forests in the Urals are also unforgettable.When the weather is fine, the air seems to be transparent and extremely bright. Coupled with the reflection of the snow on the ground, it really makes you dazzling.It is rare for you who are used to living in the city to have a chance to enjoy the clean air; next time you pass through Siberia or the same place, don’t be lazy, and when you stop at a stop, no matter how cold the weather is, always go for a walk to take advantage of the sharp ice. It is really a joy to wash your dirty lungs and stomach with the air flow.Not only your nostrils, but also the exposed pores on your face and the base of your neck, are all baptized with the sweetest sweetness, giving your lazy soul a powerful stinger, giving your loose muscles a powerful restraint, stirring Your ambition adds to your life.

And remember when you pass through Siberia, don't rush to eat dinner and sacrifice the most tender evening scene.The sunlight on the snow sometimes turns into the most delicate color, especially when the sun is setting in the west, the most common color is silver red, and sometimes light yellow with a slight green halo.Four years ago, when I visited Little Switzerland, I first discovered the change of brilliance in the snow. This time I was more satisfied in Siberia. Just imagine that the evening wind is calm on a snow-white plain, among the sparse trees, and the slanting thorns are added. There are a few brightly colored ribbons, whether it is a fantasy or a real illusion, it is so interesting that you can calmly identify it when you experience it yourself.

But I don’t come here to reproduce my impression at that time, it’s too hard, you know that it’s pressing your memory to recall the scenery that has long since dissipated, and then you have to use the brilliance of imagination to illuminate their shades of color, it’s a piece of work Work that hurts the body is worse than sweating when you have a cold or a fever.Besides, you have to make things out of thin air when you come across places you can’t remember clearly, so you don’t want to, do you?Well, I came up with a simple solution; there are a few pages of miscellaneous notes that I scribbled on the spur of the moment in the front of my notebook. Those few notes were written in English with a pencil in the car, and I didn’t know at least five of the ten words. It’s really not easy to check the marks now!I'll try.

(1) Siberia is not bad, the sky is blue, the sun is bright and warm, the ground is thinly covered with snow, and bushes, bushes, and white bark pine can be seen everywhere.Sparsely inhabited wooden houses.

(2) Just passed a stop, went down for a walk, very warm.A girl who sells milk around ten years old sells fresh milk to us with a bottle in her hand.She has a small round face, a pair of bright blue eyes, fair skin, and a delicate and expressive face.The galoshes on her feet looked like a pair of yellow croakers with their mouths wide open, and her gown also looked weird. My friend gave her a silver coin of half a ruble. She opened her mouth to ask, she wanted to know if the money was really a common silver coin; "Yes, yes, of course!" The people standing by and watching (there are many idlers on Russian stations) shouted together.She smiled a little, put the money in her pocket, handed a bottle of milk to the guest, looked at us with her small eyes, turned around and ran away quickly.

(3) The deeper the entry, the more obvious the plight of the local people.Today I watched carefully at the Chita station. Ragged children, from three to four years old to five or six years old, asked customers to ask for money on the station, and they were not polite, as if they stretched out their hands. Ken went back empty.Not only on the platform, but also in the restaurant on the station, there are countless adult men and women, who don’t know what to do, all leaning on the wooden railing where we eat, looking at you with their dull and immobile eyes. Steaming hot soup or a loaf of bread at your elbow.They don't look evil or fierce, but they are gloomy and gloomy. Looking at their faces, you can't help but wonder if the people here know what a natural and joyful smile is.Laughing, of course they will get it, especially when they are under the influence of Vodka, but the laughing at that time is unnatural, showing their perversion, not the joy God gave us.This Siberian native is not so much the body of a man dominated by a self-controlling mind, but bundles of primitive humanity, wrapped in tattered black or dark yellow cloth jackets and oversized felts. In shoes, they move, they work, driven by nothing more than the power of hunger within them.

(4) The train stopped in Irkutsk for a while, and they all went down to walk. It was already dark, and the light inside the station was only a few oil lamps attached to the wall. We wanted to leave the station, but instead walked into the ordinary waiting room through a narrow road , I can never forget the sight, especially the smell, of making out a dark crowd in a room under the unconscious light!Pity forbids me to describe as much as I want; if Dande has been here, his hell must have added another color!
On the opposite street, there was a man from Shandong who opened a small tobacco shop. He said that he had been here for 20 years, and the money he had accumulated was not enough for him to go home.

(5) I still don't understand Russian life.The various items placed in the window of the shop are easy to recognize, but the man in charge of the shop, with a thick felt hat on his head and fine yellow hair on his face, is an elusive creature; The horses and even the odd-shaped sleigh are comprehensible, but the driver, tightly wrapped in his strange robes, with one holstered hand swinging an ancient leather whip, is an unthinkable sight.

How would I describe the natural beauty of Siberia?The atmosphere is crystal clear, and the blue sky when the weather is clear is an unimaginable sight for us living in the gray sand.The forest is the characteristic of this place: continuous, deep, serious, and religious. The Siberian trees are all straight; no matter whether it is pine, poplar, green pine or shrub bushes, the spire of each tree is always It is facing Tianxin.There are the most poplar forests, like an army with flags, and all kinds of military emblems are shining brightly; soldiers lined up holding their breath, as if waiting for some serious order.The pine forest is also very lush: the trunk is not big and not high, like a juvenile pine, but it grows very evenly, like a bonsai that a gardener touches up sooner or later.It is true that the strong inflexibility of these trees is the most obvious characteristic of Siberia, and perhaps of Russia.

The scenery outside my window is very beautiful, the setting sun is slanting over from the northwest, the sky is tender blue, covered with a thin layer of cloud, and the forest is neatly lined up, the pine is green and the white is bright Yang, light brown vertical green pines form a colorful and harmonious scene on this snow-white plain.The tops of the forest are especially beautiful. In this quiet evening scene, they are just like the pavilions of countless temples, lined up, silently praying to the high blue sky.In this boundless snowy field, we can sometimes see inhabited huts, usually made of wood and tiled roofs, which resemble Chinese houses, but there are also yellow or red brick ones, and it is rare to see human traces; the mood of the whole scenery is tranquility. It is so, so silent, as if all moving things had no place here; sometimes you can see dull animals moving slowly on the snowy walk, but this is not the case. It seems that there are memories of life...

[-]. Moscow
(End of this chapter)