Love's Scenery - Best Essays on the Green Campus

Author: Yuan Ye
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: A love story
When Mom was 24, she got married to Dad through her aunt's introduction. Dad was 27 at that time. My grandma liked Dad because he was very hardworking. He would deliver coal and move things for her family whenever he had time, so Grandma encouraged Mom to marry Dad. Mom said she fell for Dad because of his eyes. Indeed, young Dad had striking features: slender cheeks, a high nose bridge, and pretty arches of eyebrows. Except for his slightly tanned skin, the thick-browed and big-eyed Dad was absolutely a handsome young man in his time. Six months later, they got married. To outsiders, Dad was the pillar of the family. But only the people in our family knew that Mom had gone through so many hardships with Dad; she was his backbone. Without Mom's strength, Dad would not have been able to overcome so many difficulties. After their business failed, Dad once fell into a slump and wanted to give up everything. Watching Dad's forlorn back, Mom's eyes reflected a mix of pain and disappointment at his lack of perseverance. In the tough times, it was Mom who was busy doing everything to hold the family together. It was Mom's resilience and tenderness that finally became the driving force for Dad to stand up again. Through hard work and perseverance, Dad regained his long-lost confidence and straightened his back. Seeing Dad's relieved smile, Mom also smiled silently. Over the years, she had grown accustomed to staying in the shadows behind Dad. In Mom's eyes, Dad was her greatest pride. As long as Dad was happy, she was more than content. Mom's sacrifices were not in vain. Once, when Mom was seriously ill and hospitalized, Dad was at his wit's end. He stayed by her bedside every day, comforting her and feeding her chicken soup with a small spoon. He would carefully blow on it for a long time, test the temperature with his tongue, and then feed it to Mom. Watching him from the side, I felt my nose get emotional. After discharge, Mom had no appetite and didn't like eating. Dad, who had never cooked in his life, started studying recipes, bought groceries, and cooked delicious meals for Mom. When Mom could get out of bed, Dad would take her for walks every day, let her sun herself, and help her move her limbs. Under Dad's meticulous care, Mom's condition improved significantly. But just when her body needed careful recovery, Mom insisted on getting up to cook for Dad. She couldn't use her back or waist at all, and after cooking, she had to ask Dad to help her take the pot off the stove. We felt sorry for her and didn't let her, but she stubbornly insisted, complaining that our meals didn't suit Dad's taste. Annoyed, I shouted, "Do you want to ruin your body?" Mom paused for a moment and replied aggrievedly, "It's fine. I'm with Dad!" The tone she used when she spoke will never be forgotten in my lifetime. It was a slightly aggrieved tone, but it carried a sense of calm, satisfaction, and happiness. For her, nothing mattered as long as "I'm with Dad." Dad was her spiritual, and as long as they were together, they could weather any storm, just like the many hardships they had endured together. Maybe love isn't just the romance and passion we imagine, with flowers and moonlit nights. Love doesn't require too many declarations; it is ordinary, so ordinary that it's free of any turbulence. It is the connection and care between each other, the mutual support and shared suffering through life's trials, and the bond of family-like affection. A simple phrase, ordinary to the extreme, makes all grand vows and promises pale in comparison. "Hold my hand, grow old with me"—Dad and Mom's love was just that simple: "It's fine. I'm with Dad." Dad is 53 years old now, and Mom is 50. Twenty-six years ago, Mom married Dad. (Zhao Wenmin) P4-5