Attached at half a lifetime

Author: Yin Haoliu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: First meeting with Wanrong was on July 15, 1954, the day Grandma turned seventy. Over forty years later, the scene of that day is still vivid in my memory, etched in my mind. At that time, Grandma was chatting with her friends in the side hall, watching opera tickets. Mom, Auntie, and the little maid Fuxi were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, while my younger siblings and cousins were playing in the front yard. It was mid-July, the peak of Dongguan's summer heat, and I couldn't stay in my room, so I set aside my poetry book and strolled to the back yard to seek some relief. The flowers on the phoenix tree in the yard were in full bloom, their bright red petals swaying gently in the breeze. Some fell to the ground, glistening under the sunlight with a dazzling red hue, so beautiful. But the beauty of the flowers still couldn't compare to the charming beauty standing beneath the tree. From my position, I could only see her side profile, yet it was enough to leave me speechless, fearing that any word I spoke would disrupt this beautiful moment. Perhaps hearing my footsteps, she turned back quickly. Seeing me, she hesitated for a moment and said, "Are you Ahua?" I didn't answer immediately, only gazing at her delicate and ethereal face—eyes like the crescent moon, a pointed nose, small but full lips, and a slightly upturned, charming chin.