Idyllic Life ⁽²⁷⁾

I was born in the seventh lunar month of 1979 and will turn 47 in a month. My generation has lived through the greatest social transformation. When we were children, rural China still followed the farming patterns that had not changed for thousands of years.

This time I stayed in my hometown for a full nine days and eight nights. While home, I turned down every social engagement I possibly could. I did not even spend a single night at my wife's parents' home. Of course, I was at my…

On July 6, the final examinations ended, and that very day I took the high-speed train home. The next day, July 7, during the daytime, I actually took five naps on and off. On the evening of July 7, my wife returned from a business…

During the May Day holiday, I returned to Beijing from school and got my fill of rural life. I repotted the houseplants and flowers that needed repotting, added soil where it was needed, fertilized where needed, and pruned branches where needed. On the shared balcony…

Returned to Beijing for the weekend, I finished my work, did a bit of farm work in the vegetable plot, and then my wife accompanied me deep into the mountains of Mentougou. We went to Tan'chang Village near Shenquan Gorge; we came here last summer…

I grew up in the countryside and had seen peppers in vegetable gardens since childhood. In recent years I have grown my own vegetables, including peppers, but this year is the first time in my life that I have grown a "pepper tree." This year…

After the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, my way of life changed a great deal. That year, because of the city lockdowns, going out was very inconvenient, and we were forced to look for some happiness close to home. As I rode my bicycle around the…

In the main hall of the National Library reading room hangs a pale blue poster; its title is the line from the Analects, "Reading is like farming; diligent tillage brings an abundant harvest." I like this poster—it is clean and elegant, without a speck of…

Saturday; the weather in Beijing was sunny and warm. Though there was light haze, it did not interfere with outdoor exercise. My wife and I rode our bikes to the small vegetable plot at the foot of the Western Hills for "spring plowing" — each…

This May Day, I decided to take a proper break. I declined all appointments; when relatives came to Beijing for tourism, I did not accompany them to the crowded popular sights. I chose to spend a few leisurely days with my family. We did not…