Idyllic Life ⁽²⁷⁾

Beijing had an autumn rain that lasted all night. When I got up in the morning, the air had turned cool. Another gardenia had opened on the windowsill. I opened the window, and the delicate fragrance of the gardenia drifted into the room, filling it…

These past few days I have mentioned to the children's mother many times that I want to find a clear day, get up very early, and ride my bike to the rice paddies at the foot of Yuquan Mountain to watch the sunrise. But when…

In the evening, the sloping road paved with countless large bluestones at the foot of Fragrant Hills has more charm than it does during the day. The tourists have all dispersed; village children play in the middle of the road. The shops on both sides…

For city dwellers, a park is an extension of home. Without parks, with only one's own narrow dwelling, life would be very uncomfortable. Going to a park each day after meals and in spare moments to relax can greatly improve quality of life. And a…

The rainy season has come and the vegetables are growing fast. The tomatoes and eggplants on my balcony have set quite a lot of fruit; although they are not yet edible, just looking at them is already satisfying. My favorite gardenias have also bloomed. When…

Every day, at irregular intervals, I look at my balcony vegetable garden. In summer the vegetables grow vigorously; not to mention eating them, just glancing at them a few times puts me in a good mood. Too many vegetables cannot be grown on a balcony,…

My favorite flower is the gardenia. This has a great deal to do with the environment in which I grew up. In our village in Huanggang, many households grew gardenias in front of and behind their houses. The gardenias we grew are not the potted…