Washington time in the United States is thirteen hours behind the capital of China.
Therefore, every traveler from the United States to the Republic will inevitably face the problem of jet lag.
This is the same for Mi Xiaoran and Zhao Hanyu who came back in economy class, or for the mother and son who were on the same flight as them and were traveling in first class.
So they all had a hard time during the first one or two days after returning to the capital.
Even if you yawn during the day, you have to endure it as long as possible. If you really can't endure it and take a nap, you have to set the alarm clock to control the time so as not to affect your rest at night.
In comparison, the elderly's adaptability is certainly worse after changing environments.
In addition, after all, the old American lady had been gone for decades. Nowadays, even the environment and service model of the Beijing hotel have changed.
Although the hardware of the Beijing Hotel is very good, even the faucets are gilded, and except that the heating cannot adjust the temperature, other aspects are not worse than those in the United States, but the old lady is still not used to living here.
So don't look at the next day, Mi Xiaoran took Zhao Hanyu and rode the family bicycle in high spirits to see Tiananmen Square and visit the Forbidden City.
The mother and son, who had returned from traveling to the United States, still couldn't go out.
The most they could do was wander around the external store of the Capital Hotel, and then stroll around the ballroom where the old lady had attended a dance in her youth.
Look at the mirrors arranged according to the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles, and finally leave a shadow on the red carpet on the large steps, that's it.
In fact, they had one day more rest than the two young men, and the old lady was almost adjusted.
In addition, during the two days she stayed in the Beijing Hotel, there was no one to chat with, and the old lady felt really depressed.
For this reason, even if we know that January 28 is New Year's Eve, there won't be too many people on the streets of Beijing. Most businesses will be closed today. There are even no taxis waiting in front of hotels in Beijing.
On the morning of this day, the old lady felt that she couldn't stay any longer.
I can't wait to go out for some fresh air and want to wander around the streets and alleys.
So he urged his son to call the taxi driver Xiao Hao who left his phone number.
This is not surprising. After all, Jingcheng Hotel has special attributes and has very strict requirements for communicating with guests.
The old lady looked at the young and beautiful service girls. Although she liked them very much and wanted to chat with these young people, she found it difficult to do so.
Those ladies are all bound by rules and disciplines and must be respectful to her.
She just wanted to get closer, so she used a standard Beijing accent and repeatedly explained that she was also from Beijing, but she was living in the United States and now she was back.
But the ladies just smiled at her and stood far in front of and behind her, watching her at all times.
Serve her thoughtfully.
Not to mention the restaurant lady, even the doorman who opened the door and the ladies standing in front of the elevator were all very polite to her and kept a respectful distance from her.
Her elegance and elegance have attracted some envious remarks. When she eats a meal, she can be served by several people around her.
But her American passport was like an invisible pair of scissors, cutting her off from the people in her hometown.
This can't help but make people feel a little sad and regretful.
Fortunately, the taxi driver I met when I first arrived in Beijing was still a bit old-fashioned.
Even though the Chinese New Year is coming today, I found out that the old lady was only using the car during the day, and the driver, Xiao Hao, drove over quickly.
The mother and son, who had already packed up neatly, got into his car.
The little Hao immediately started chatting with his humorous words and enthusiastically asked the old lady how her days were.
And took them to the place that the old lady had been thinking about day and night for thirty years, and the place she wanted to go to most in her heart - Weijia Hutong.
And when the old lady sitting in the taxi found that the buildings and trees on the street were becoming more and more familiar to her, she couldn't help but feel a deep joy in her heart.
Decades of expectations, decades of crazy dreams.
Human feelings cherish the soil, and birds miss their hometown.
Only now did she feel that she had truly returned to the capital.
…………
Some people say that in a person's life, there will always be many indescribable and wonderful moments.
This kind of moment is destined to happen on a certain day, a certain hour, a certain second, but its decisive impact transcends time.
This is not true at all.
On New Year's Eve in 1987, Kang Shude encountered such an important moment.
In fact, just as the old American lady and her son were taking a taxi, they were approaching Weijia Hutong step by step.
Kang Shude, who was in Weijia Hutong, was also cramming. He took Xiaotao, who had come to help early in the morning, to hang up couplets and the word "blessing" at the gate of Majia Garden with stools and pulp.
Of course, Kang Shude originally didn't want to go through such trouble.
He thought that if he wanted to stick it on the small courtyard door in the garden, it would be enough.
As long as he could hear the banging of fireworks on the streets of the capital, he would feel that the world was peaceful and everyone was happy.
This is the garden I found with great difficulty.
He did not repair the outer courtyard wall, and the sealed Ma's gate was not restored to its original appearance.
Even the gate of the "Institute of Ancient and Modern Culture", which was later taken back to the theater and the place where the Jiang family originally lived, was locked with an iron chain, just to deliberately keep a low profile.
He knew very well that the area around this courtyard was not an ordinary place. There were more than a dozen alleys nearby, where many important people lived.
If you don't know how to behave with your tail between your legs, you may not be able to tell when it will be in someone's eyes, and that is called disaster.
But Xiao Tao didn't think so.
From the perspective of a young man, of course he likes to be lively and good-looking.
I think that even if there are no lanterns and decorations outside the courtyard gate, we still have to put a word "Fu" on it to invite a door god, otherwise it won't look like the Chinese New Year.
He urged Kang Shude to decorate his appearance no matter what.
He claimed that Ning Weimin was probably bringing his Japanese fiancée back, and his desolate appearance made his Japanese friends look disgraceful.
Originally, the courtyard wall was old enough, and it reminded me of the title sequence of the TV series "Liao Zhai".
If this wasn't a bit festive, it would really make people think it was a place where ghosts and fox fairies lived.
In the end, these words convinced the old man.
Of course, it's not that Ning Weimin really has such a great reputation.
In fact, no matter how much he is valued by outsiders, to the master, the old man, he is just a rat going to the Golden Palace.
The real reason was that Kang Shude suddenly realized that on this special day, every household had to do this.
If you don't follow the crowd, you will look dazzling.
Thinking about it again, whether it is Zhang Dashao, Xiao Tao, or Luo Guangliang, they have all helped him a lot recently in tidying up the garden.
Moreover, these people came here today to wait for Ning Weimin and help him wash away his dust.
Originally, we were just trying to be happy, so we have to take care of everyone’s emotions.
Okay, let’s do it then.
Just like that, the old man followed suit and changed his mind.
So next, Kang Shude personally found red paper, poured ink, and wrote a couplet and several words of blessing.
Then he captured Xiaotao's young man and asked him to make paste, and then he took his belongings and followed him.
This is how the father and son "framed the facade" in front of the big iron gate of Ma's Garden.
Otherwise, this big iron gate, which is the only one that leads to Ma's garden, must be clean, extremely cold, and not even a little red.
Moreover, it was impossible for Kang Shude himself to come out. There was no reason to stand outside the courtyard gate and in the alley.
In the end, things in this world are just such coincidences.
It was just when Kang Shude and Xiao Tao, the father and son, worked together to paste the Spring Festival couplets representing their best wishes for the coming year on the door one by one.
The taxi driver, Xiao Hao, also followed the instructions of the old American lady.
I drove slowly along the old site of Ma's Garden, from the theater to the westernmost motor house.
Little by little, step by step, they were looking for the entrance to Ma's garden.
But because they couldn't get in, driver Xiao Hao slowly brought the mother and son here.
Finally, the taxi stopped just behind Kang Shude and Xiao Tao across the alley.
Looking from the car, we can only see the backs of the old and the young.
"Master, let me ask you, who are the people living in this courtyard now?"
Not long after, the driver, Xiao Hao, opened the door and walked out. Assigned by the old lady in the car, he came to inquire about the relevant situation.
But little did he know that these words met Kang Shude's objection.
What the old man didn't like the most was someone asking about his garden, so he didn't even look at the driver.
I wasn't even interested in knowing what he wanted to do, so I replied dryly, "This is not my home. Go away now."
They left people alone.
If you are a thin-skinned person and can understand a few colors, you should stop at this point.
When it's time to leave, leave to avoid embarrassment to each other.
However, I didn't expect that the driver, Xiao Hao, was quite persistent.
Probably because he thought it was not easy for the old lady to come here, he felt that he had to let the old lady come into the courtyard to have a look. He could not let the old lady down like he did last time when he was looking for bean juice.
Xiao Hao took out the cigarette again, handed it to Kang Shude, and continued to try to trap the smoke.
"Master, are you the janitor of the unit? What kind of unit is this? It looks like you are on vacation, right?"
Kang Shude was really a little unhappy at this time, so he could only refuse more clearly.
"It's an important place for the company, so I can't comment. Why don't you look at where this place is? You shouldn't have asked less."
However, the old man didn't expect that he would actually come across a piece of brown candy. The driver couldn't even see a cigarette.
He rolled his eyes and just took out the money.
"Old Master, to tell you the truth, the customer I brought here is from the United States. He just wants to go in and have a look. You see, let's do this. I'll give you two dollars and treat it as yours.
You have to pay the ticket. You can be accommodating. For the Chinese New Year, you can use the money to buy two bottles of wine..."
This time Kang Shude was really angry, and his angular face showed uncontrollable displeasure.
He turned around and broke away the driver's hand that was pushing money into his hand.
"You don't understand me, do you? I've told you so much, why haven't you finished yet?"
And when he was so angry, of course Xiao Tao wouldn't do it anymore. Could he let the old man still be angry at home?
Immediately he stopped posting Spring Festival couplets, got off the stool, and bumped into the driver with his arms crossed.
This kid is a bastard and has a great body.
Without even using his hands, he used his chest to push Xiao Hao forward a big step.
At this moment, the driver, Xiao Hao, was stunned.
However, Xiao Tao still refused to give up, and later even scolded the old man.
"Grandson, you don't understand human language, do you? Just leave if I tell you to. What nonsense are you talking about? If you give me two yuan, I'll change it to a steel hammer and smash you to death, believe it or not! This place is a park! Get out of here!"
But just when the driver was looking down and out, looking at the situation where he could only end up in embarrassment because he was asking for trouble and had no words to explain, the back door of the taxi opened.
"If you have something to say, don't do anything!"
An old American lady wearing a mink coat got out of the car and walked out. Accompanied by her son, she kept shouting stop.
"What did you say? It's such a big deal, and it's the Chinese New Year, so why bother!"
This time, both Kang Shude and Xiao Tao were attracted to it.
The old American lady came over and made eye contact with Kang Shude.
Then, the most unexpected moment in life happened!
On the spot, not only Kang Shude was stunned, but the old American lady was also completely motionless.
Immediately afterwards, her body swayed and she almost fell.
Fortunately, the old lady's son was with me, otherwise I might have really fallen this time.
But even so, the son was frightened and kept shouting, "Mom, Mom, what's wrong with you?"
But what was even more surprising was that the old lady calmed down and didn't even bother to pay attention to her son. Instead, with trembling lips, she called out Kang Shude's last name.
"Xiaokang...Xiaokang...is...is it you?"
Similarly, Kang Shude's reaction and the words in his mouth were even more shocking.
"Miss Fourth...are you Miss Fourth?"
This was so good that everyone present was dizzy and stunned.
Okay? Why are we starting to get into a fight, and you actually find out that the other person is an acquaintance?
Especially the driver, Xiao Hao, and the attendant, Xiao Tao, both knew that this old lady was American.
How did she meet Kang Shude?
The scene in front of me is really like a "story", very bizarre. But this is clearly happening around me, happening at the moment...
But no matter how much they think about it, they won't really understand how the two parties involved feel at this moment.
Because in the eyes of old American ladies, Kang Shude is not a bad old man with wrinkles on his face.
He stood there as energetic as a poplar tree, upright and steady.
Just like that handsome young man who stood at the gate of Ma's garden to see her off.
This made her heart beat wildly, and a kind of excitement and heat that only young people could have suddenly surged throughout her body.
There was something cold on my face, it was tears.
It had been countless years, and she had not shed tears again.
The experiences in the future will change again and again, and the situations in the future will change again and again. After spring, after autumn, time takes away everything, leaving only dullness.
She thought she would never cry again, but she didn't expect that she would cry again today...
As for Kang Shude, his mind went blank, and what he saw in his eyes was not an old lady, but the fourth young lady of the Jiang family who was in her prime.
Although the years have worn away her "face like red plum blossoms covered with snow, and eyes like autumn water with ripples", her dark hair has already seen silver strands.
But his demeanor is even better, and he is still so elegant.
This made Kang Shude's mind flood with past events, and he could only stare at him for a long time.
This is a kind of understanding that is relative to the past, a feeling that once spanned the sea.
After a while, two lines of cold tears fell down his face.
At this moment, the two of them seemed to have the same song in their hearts, and the same song "Dream in the Dream" sounded.
...The sky is facing the shadows of Shanshan, and the moon is reflected in the sky. The trees are desolate and desolate, the cicadas are swallowing the autumn leaves, the cold leaves are falling, and the tearful eyes are looking at each other. The two places of separation and sadness are reunited with happiness today. ()