According to Na Miantang, this villa was built since the late Qing Dynasty, and it is still towering into the sky. Although it suffered a fire that destroyed everything, from the outline of the house, you can still imagine what it was like back then.
The house is so solemn and majestic. It must have once been a crown on the top of this hill, but now it is just a pile of rubble and scorched earth.
The degree of desolation after this disaster is shocking and unmatched by anything I have seen or heard in the past.
It is unimaginable that the identity of this former owner was so noble. A mere ashes was enough to suppress the pride. What is behind this fire? I cannot imagine that if it was done by an enemy, it would definitely be an act of eradication.
; If it was done by oneself, it would definitely be an act that leads to death and rebirth. No matter what, it must be an unspeakable story.
Has everyone in the story been buried in its ashes? My heart feels a little painful for no reason, as if there are people I know in the ashes.
I don’t know, did Mian Tang embark on a gangster career that added blood to the tip of a knife because of this? Did he condense all his wisdom and wisdom into the moment of shooting? Did my calmness and calmness integrate into the moment of killing?
...
Na Miantang held my hand and stared at the blackened stone foundation. The villa appeared in front of him for the last time in its former glory, luxurious and proud, symbolizing a class and a way of life. His chin revealed
Determination.
I comforted him: "Everything will be fine."
Na Mian Tang put his arms around my shoulders and held firm, as if giving me some kind of promise: "Yes, this place will be rebuilt, there will be marriages of men and women, happy events of the birth of babies, and this kind of house will open its doors to welcome people again."
Guest, Maomao, believe me, you will definitely do it."
He quickly changed to a slow and careless movement, massaging the biceps of his arms, and said with a smile: "I despise pessimism the most. Everything must have a beginning and an end, and there will be good consequences."
He sounded like he was talking to himself rather than to me.
I can't catch what's in this look.
At this time, an old woman came out. When she saw Na Miantang coming, she was so excited that she gestured mutely. But when she saw me, she looked shocked and stared at me. Na Miantang remained silent.
For a long time, she gave us the courtesy that only slaves in the Qing Dynasty would give to their masters. She slowly knelt down and kowtowed three times, sweating all over her body.
Na Miantang said to the old woman: "This is Mao Jiujiu."
"Please call me Wang Ma. She has been responsible for guarding the villa for many years."
While Mian Tang and Wang Ma were gesticulating, I left and planned to take a good look at the new environment.
Unknowingly, I was faced with a scene I had never seen before. The path under my feet led to a flower bed full of weeds. It was the highest point of a series of pastures. The path wound its way through the maple leaves, and everywhere on the road
There are tree roots and stones outcropping the ground. To my right, the mountain slopes down to Huaqiao. In the distance of the dark green hillside, the peaks are heavy and towering into the sky. The light blue is inseparable from the distant blue waves.
, I saw a waterfall at the far top of the road, pouring down from a high place, shining like bright silver in the sunlight. The air in the mountains was obviously slightly cool, but the coolness was so pleasant that it made me feel happy.
Lush weeds covered up the scars after the fire, as if the fire had never happened. This is a quiet and beautiful scenery with sunshine, and it is also a pure land where nature and humans live in harmony.
"It's so beautiful!" I shouted loudly.
There was movement on the right side of the lawn below, which immediately caught my attention. It must be the Miantang! I started running down, and I stepped down the grass. The undulating slope accelerated my speed.
I felt like flying, ecstatic, unrestrained; I smiled and opened my arms, like a bird about to fly into the blue sky.
Na Miantang waved to me, stood looking in my direction, and shouted: "Mao Mao——"
He was wearing a pair of tattered old breeches and a plain shirt without a collar, no tie, and no jacket. He really didn't look like the young boss of the Rensheng Gang, but rather like an authentic married man.
I ran to him when I was out of breath. I touched my chest and gasped. After my breathing returned to normal, I said, "I haven't been this happy for a long time!" while still half-breathing.
Said: "This place is so beautiful. No wonder you brought me here. Did you ever swoop down from the grass when you were a child? Did you feel like you were flying? The fire must have been huge many years ago. Who is the enemy? You
Have you killed your enemies? I understand, I understand why you have to rebuild this place."
Na Miantang looked at me with great interest and caution. He stroked my hand for a while, looked at me with a playful smile and said, "What do you mean by 'understand', Maomao?"
"I understand why you don't recuperate in Shanghai, and I understand why you want to rebuild this place. There must be a lot about your childhood dreams here. I will help you. I know a lot of farming knowledge better than you. If you pay me enough wages,
, I will help you, wow, it’s very exciting, I like the fragrance of earth.”
Na Miantang beamed with joy and pointed at the vegetation and villas behind me. He said: "These vegetations were burned, but they are not hopeless. After a fire, their vitality becomes more tenacious. The ashes may be just the nutrients that the vegetation needs."
What’s more, the villa is being rebuilt. We need to renovate it according to the current prototype, and the scenery will definitely be restored to its new glory. I have to figure it out, there are too many things to learn and things to do.”
I looked at a pile of broken plant stumps and some newly planted flowers and plants. I asked doubtfully: "Are these newly planted plants? What kind of grain are they? It doesn't look like corn or wheat."
"Mao Mao, these are not corn and wheat, these are tulips. I brought them from the Netherlands. There are more than a thousand plants in total. In the spring season, they are all tulips. They are very beautiful."
"What kind of tulips did you plant? Are they all flowers?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes, the most romantic flower of love in the world, the most perfect flower."
"The flowers can't be eaten, so what grains are you going to plant?"
Na Miantang replied in confusion: "Growing grains? No, no, I won't consider this kind of thing for the time being. We need to rebuild the flower bed first, and then build the flower bed while building the villa. When the flowers bloom next spring, it must be
It’s a different scene.”
I was so anxious that I half-shouted: "Are you crazy? The Miantang and the villa can be rebuilt, but what's so good about the garden? I'm telling you, you can grow some things to sell. I know what grains, corn, are suitable for growing here.
Soybeans, potatoes, barley, and sugar cane are all fine. Then set aside an open space to raise some farm chickens, ducks, pigs, dogs, and cows. Yes! We make full use of every open space. You can plant any corner. If no one cares about it,
, you can plant it on the top. Look at how lush the grass is. The soil here must be very fertile. We only need to loosen the soil and sow the seeds to ensure that the germination speed is so fast that you will be excited to wait until spring tomorrow.
When the time comes, Wang Ma can sell it on the street, and she will definitely earn a good price. This is my hard-earned farming experience, and I will give this to you for free. Do you want to start working now? I'm ready."
I looked at him eagerly, and I guessed that he must be very excited too.
As a result, he said gloomily: "Cat, you are such a savage."
He grabbed one of my hands, put a ball of wet red mud into my hand, and then closed my fingers. I looked at the red mud in my hand for a while, not understanding the meaning at all.
I looked at him again, and then I was dimly aware of his serious look, his passionate eyes, and some unknown passion that seemed to be unbreakable.
The piece of soil made me feel cold in my hands, so I lowered my head to look at it.
"Maomao, this is our root." Na Miantang said clearly.
I don’t understand that soil is just soil. This land seems to have magical power. I stand on this vast land and feel that it is very precious. It seems that many, many years ago, I had an indissoluble bond with this land.
, as if I had breathed freely here.
I glanced at the Miantang again, and I couldn't help but feel surprised. There was a surge of passion in my heart, and I couldn't help but say: "I seem to have been here before, I feel like it is calling me?"
We were silent and looked at each other. Suddenly, I shivered, like a wanderer who had just returned from a long journey from afar. Mian Tang spoke in a low and resonant voice, with a poignant tone, but I couldn't understand the feelings in it.
From time to time he would seize words and phrases, trying desperately to grasp their meaning. This time he spoke uncharacteristically, with no laughter or sarcastic innuendos, just like one person talking to another.
"Cat, you have grabbed the two corners of life and twisted it to your mercy. The structure of this world has been broken, and the rules of the old world can no longer be used. A fire entity wants to destroy everything.
No one knows you better than me, what you have been through, so I want you to stop fighting and let me fight for you. I want you to play well, play like a child, because you are still a child.
Children, because only children can be so willful and delayed. I will not sell or give up these lands. No matter how many unfortunate incidents of shooting and burning occur, never give up. Every inch is as important as a mother.
."
"Okay, I'll help you. I feel like I once belonged here, and it feels like home." I expressed my sincerity.
To my surprise, Miantang was smiling happily, and his cheek was on my head: "You have changed, Duomaomao, you have grown up, I have to understand it from the beginning."
You are the one. You belong here, and you belong to me. From now on, let’s come here for vacation every year. When our children and grandchildren grow up, we will spend our old age here.”